The Omnia XII includes an integrated playout engine to manually play audio stored within the unit. Typical uses include emergency programming, silence replacement, station identification, and backup audio.
When used with failover audio, the playout engine can provide programming while the preferred audio source is unavailable. See Configuring Failover Emergency Audio for information about failover detection and source switching.
Typical uses include:
Silence replacement
Emergency programming
Backup audio loops
Station identification
Playout Audio Considerations
General specifications for playout audio:
Supported files: WAV, MP3 and FLAC.
Maximum upload size per audio item (song or link): 100 MB.
Duration: No limitations
Example approximate calculations of duration for 100 MB files:
MP3 (320 kbps): 43 minutes
MP3 (128 kbps): 1 hour, 49 minutes
WAV (16-bit/ 44.1 kHz): 9 minutes
FLAC (16-bit / 44.1 kHz): 10 minutes
There is no manual playlist building. The playlist is randomized with a few basic Scheduling Rules that you can change in the Playout > Settings page.
Same Song: separation (in minutes)
Same Artist: separation (in minutes)
Sam Title: separation (in minutes)
Clicking the Check Library button tells you if you have enough songs for your current settings in Scheduling Rules.
The playlist randomly generates a playlist from all of the uploaded files. The playlist is not entirely random because it avoids repeating the same song or the same artist within specified time intervals. Also, it divides the audio files into songs and spots (called links in the playlist) and will play a spot after a specified number of songs.
You also can configure how many songs should be played before a link (jingle) is played. Here you can also set the fade duration for a segue (when the next item in the playlist starts).
After uploading an audio item, the file’s ID3 tags are read. However, you can manually change the Artist, Title, and Type (Song or Link) in the Audio Library. After an uploaded, the player scans each audio file to determine the start, mix, and end positions, and the audio levels. The mix position is used to trigger the next item in the playlist.
The backup player can send its metadata (now playing) to the RDS.
Configuring Emergency Playout
Prerequisites: Configure the Fallback Mix as needed for your installation. See Configuring I/O.
To configure emergency playout:
Click the Playout tab in the middle panel of the input controls on the FM/HD Processing page.
Upload audio for use during an emergency playout.
Audio can include station IDs, jingles, ads, emergency announcements, or other programming.
In the Playout page, click Audio Upload.
In the Media Category drop-down menu, select Song or Link.
Click Choose Files to navigate to a file and select it.
Click Upload.
When the upload completes, the file appears in the library with a status of Complete.
Upload additional files.
The Omnia XII integrated backup audio player can hold up to 24 hours of audio.
(Optional) To view uploaded files (for example to delete them or view detailed info about the file:
Click the Audio Library tab.
Each file displays its Title, Artist, Type, Duration, and Plays. The Actions column includes an info (i) box and delete (X) box.To delete a file in the library, click the X box for the file.
To view detailed file information, click the i box for the file.
(Optional) To audition files, click Playlist, and press the play button to start playback and the stop button to end playback.
Configure playback scheduling rules.
The scheduling settings determine how the playout engine selects audio from the library to avoid excessive repetition of songs, artists, or links.
Click the Settings tab.
Set the Same Song (min), Same Artist (min), Same Title/Links (min), Links Interval (songs), and Fade Duration (sec).
Click Library Checker and verify that the library meets the scheduling rules.
If the checker reports that more songs, artists, or links are required, upload more audio files as needed, or change the rules as needed.
Click Save Settings.
(Optional) Configure RDS metadata.
Check the Enable Omnia RDS box.
In the API Token field, type in the token.
Click Save Metadata Settings.
Starting and Stopping Playout
To play audio stored in the Omnia XII:
Click the Playout tab in the middle panel of the input controls on the FM/HD Processing page.
Click Playlist.
Press the play button to start playback on-air and the stop button to end playback.
The first file in the list plays back. After stop is clicked, the next file is queued to play back, and so on. Audio will play each file in the queue in order until stop is pressed (or primary audio resumes).
Managing Playout Controls
Omnia XII provides additional controls to manage your playout audio.
Click the Playout tab in the middle panel of the input controls on the FM/HD Processing page.
Click Settings.
The Maintenance panel includes management tools. Click the respective tab as needed.
Reset History: This control resets all scheduling and playback statistics. When prompted, click OK to perform the reset, or click Cancel.
Re-scan Library: this control rescans all audio files and resets their cue points. When prompted, click OK to perform the re-scan, or click Cancel.