BWP - BROADCAST WAV PLAYER version 1.2 February, 2002. Copyright Chris Scott I recommend that you print this file (B_readme.txt) for reference. I wrote this "Cart Machine" playback software for classroom use in the radio broadcast curriculum at Western Kentucky University. It emulates a traditional "cart" tape machine with some improvements including a "cue" player which quickly plays outcues, also allowing play from a "cued" point, similar to "reel-to-reel" functionality. A countdown timer is also displayed. It is not automation, but intended for live assist or newsroom use. The BWP software is free, entirely unwarranted and unsupported. You accept sole responsibility for all liability whatsoever. If you're uncomfortable with this, don't install or use it. You may not redistribute it without permission, but may publish the web page url: www.scott-inc.com/html/software.htm It's been tested and found robust on recent 32 bit Windows, with several different sound cards; your results may vary. Please note that upon installation you must manually create a c:\wav folder and place your audio files there, or else edit the BWP.INI setup file to reflect a different path. This ini file is located in the same folder that BWP.EXE is installed. ---- DESCRIPTION ---- BWP emulates an enhanced six-slot "cart" (tape cartridge) playback machine. The "legacy" cart machine was ideally suited to quick playback of broadcast audio segments like commercials, news, weather, and music. For many years this type of audio storage and playback format was the staple of the radio broadcast industry, now predominantly supplanted by PC-based audio storage systems. BWP allows manual and semi-automated playback of standard .WAV files. BWP is not automation software. For a live or "live assist" operation, BWP and a wav recorder / editor / ripper can equip a simple radio station (or radio newsroom). ---- INSTALLATION ---- If you create and place your wav files in a C:\wav folder, the load function will automatically default to that folder, saving you from having to "drill down" through the folders. Other folders, including drive-letter-mapped network drives can be navigated (and defaulted to by changing the appropriate entry in the BWP.ini configuration file located in the same folder as the bwp.exe - usually c:\programfiles\bwp). The "WAVPLAY= 0" entry should work for computers having only one soundcard (0 is the first wave playback device, 1 the second, etc.) Edit this entry to 1,2 or other if you get no playback, a system error, or playback from the wrong soundcard. The "CUEPLAY= 0" entry is the default to ensure basic functioning on systems with only one wav play device, but is intended to be used as an independant output, routed to amplified speakers or the console's cue channel to allow simultaneous off-air auditioning. NOTE: There is a known bug which seems to in some cases cause the CUE output to default to "wavemapper" even though a different device is specified in the ini. I'm working on it. When using a PC for broadcast use, its best to disable system sounds that the operating system generates as user feedback to prevent them from being broadcast. Consult your operating system help for locating sound settings, but normally this will be in the control panel under sounds. Select the"no sounds" scheme. Also, be sure the wav slider is selected and "potted up" in the windows playback mixer. ---- OPERATION ---- Clicking on "Load 1" displayed in the "cartslot" will select the wav file to be loaded into that slot. The filename should then appear in the loaded slot. Playback begins by clicking the "PLAY" button. To unload a deck, simply re-load it, clicking the "unload" button at the bottom of the file selection window. If you check the "Sequence" box, the next loaded cart will begin playing automatically as soon as soon as the currently playing slot ends, and will continue until slot 6 (if loaded) finishes. If the "Recycle" box is additionally checked, when the bottommost loaded slot finishes, the topmost loaded slot will again begin playing - this results is continuous playback. Slots may be reloaded anytime except when they're playing. Clicking the "CUE" button will prompt you to select an audio file for independant playback using the cue play window. It has a slider which allows fast forward or rewind, as well as an "outcue" button to quickly hear just the last four seconds - allowing the announcer to anticipate the ending. ---- WAV FORMAT ---- Because the WAV format is so universal, so editable, and without distortion artifacts introduced by lossy compression systems like Mpeg, apt-x, etc, it delivers superior audio quality, limited only by your soundcard. About 7.7 megabytes per minute are required for stereo, half that for mono. Current hard drive storage capacities now make this uncompressed audio storage very practical. 16 bit audio is far superior to 8 bit, and is most suitable for broadcast. To achieve the maximum quality deliverable over FM broadcast use a 32 khz sample rate setting during recording (or ripping). A 44 khz sample rate will deliver additional frequency response to achieve true CD quality, but will use 25% more data and provide no additional quality benefit for broadcast purposes. Sample rate limits only frequency response, not distortion or noise. FM broadcast frequency response is 15 khz, which the 32 khz sample rate provides. For AM station or news use, 22 khz may be optimum. BWP can play both mono and stereo files - as may be appropriate for news or music. WAV file editors and recorders are widely available. CoolEdit (www.syntrillium.com) is inexpensive and highly recommended. If you choose to normalize (automatically adjusting peak level to a standard value) your audio files - which is recommended for best on-air consistency, set the normalization value somewhere near 60% or -4db. If you normalize to 100%, you will find a level discrepancy when mixed with quickly recorded audio that has not been normalized. 60% peak is about the maximum a human can reliably manually record without clipping,(flat-topping due to over-level) which creates unacceptable distortion. ---- BWP.INI FILE ---- BWP.ini should reside in the same folder as the BWP.exe program file. You may use notepad or wordpad located in the Windows accessories area of the start menu to edit it if required. Here are the key items that the file must contain: WAVPLAY= 0 (soundcard #, usually 0 for one soundcard) CUEPLAY= 0 (soundcard #, preferably a different wave device or soundcard which is routed to the air console's cue speaker, or other non-on air channel to allow independant off-air auditioning. Defaults to 0, which is the same as the on-air channel.) WAVPATH= c:\wav (default path where wav files are. Can be a mapped network drive. Note that you must manually edit this if your wav files are not in c:\wav) See note above on wavemapper bug. I welcome bug reports, but PLEASE provide enough detail so that I may have a chance to recreate the problem. The current version and more detail can be found at: www.scott-inc.com/html/software.htm I can be reached by clicking the "mailto" on that page. Chris Scott February, 2002