I need a Zara Radio Guru to consult

[brownjm74]

Michael,

Well I did exactly what you said and it's still not working. I know for a fact that Windows Media Player is playing through the PC sound card. I have the Satellite (line in - new sound card) and Output (Air Output - new sound card) (Cue Output - no sound). I do get sound when I play something in Media Player however if I toggle the satellite button it does not turn off and on. I am wondering if I need to change the Mixer file? Its set just like in your tutorial however I can't find the file for the one on the new sound card.

I do have the jumper between the Speaker Out - Green (PC Card) and Line In - Blue(New Card) and the speakers hooked up to the Speaker Out - Green ( New Card)

Also I don't know if it makes a difference I am using Vista.

I can't thank you enough for your time.

Jeremy

[michael.farney]

brownjm74 wrote:

Michael,

Well I did exactly what you said and it's still not working. I know for a fact that Windows Media Player is playing through the PC sound card. I have the Satellite (line in - new sound card) and Output (Air Output - new sound card) (Cue Output - no sound). I do get sound when I play something in Media Player however if I toggle the satellite button it does not turn off and on. I am wondering if I need to change the Mixer file? Its set just like in your tutorial however I can't find the file for the one on the new sound card.

I do have the jumper between the Speaker Out - Green (PC Card) and Line In - Blue(New Card) and the speakers hooked up to the Speaker Out - Green ( New Card)

Also I don't know if it makes a difference I am using Vista.

I can't thank you enough for your time.

Jeremy

It sounds like the sound is outputting other than you are thinking. Have you opened the volume controls for BOTH sound cards simultaneously and verified:

1. Windows media player is playing on the default, original sound card. (If either sound card is individually muted via volume control, then no sound will be heard.)

2. Audio jumper is correct. (Muting the line in channel on the new sound card causes no sound.)

3. Satellite connection is setup correctly in Zara. (When clicking the satellite button, you will physically see that channel mute/unmute in windows volume control.) By clicking the satellite button to toggle the connection off, something on one of your volume controls will have mute checkboxed.


How do you know that windows media player is using the default sound card? Based on your description, it sounds like windows media player is playing on the new sound card, which is why all your tests are failing.

[brownjm74]

It sounds like the sound is outputting other than you are thinking. Have you opened the volume controls for BOTH sound cards simultaneously and verified:

1. Windows media player is playing on the default, original sound card. (If either sound card is individually muted via volume control, then no sound will be heard.)

Yes, If I mute the speakers for both sound cards, I get no sound on both

Note: The "meter" is only moving on the original sound card

2. Audio jumper is correct. (Muting the line in channel on the new sound card causes no sound.)

Yes, If I mute the line in on new sound card, I get no sound

3. Satellite connection is setup correctly in Zara. (When clicking the satellite button, you will physically see that channel mute/unmute in windows volume control.) By clicking the satellite button to toggle the connection off, something on one of your volume controls will have mute checkboxed.

No, If I click the Satellite button I get NO muting on any channel on both cards


How do you know that windows media player is using the default sound card? Based on your description, it sounds like windows media player is playing on the new sound card, which is why all your tests are failing.

[Richard Hamilton]

Jeremy, keep in mind your fall-back option. Instead of trying to use Zara DTMF tones to trigger it on or off, just schedule a couple of events to stop it at the time your LOR show starts, and another event to start it up again after your show is over for the night. That is a 2 minute job and you can forget about all of this hassle trying to get DTMF to work.

[brownjm74]

That's what I'm thinking of doing. However after reading on the Zara Radio Forum, I need to change the "mixer" file location. I have the PC sound card file in there and it looks like I need to have the new sound card mixer file instead.

[Richard Hamilton]

brownjm74 wrote:

That's what I'm thinking of doing. However after reading on the Zara Radio Forum, I need to change the "mixer" file location. I have the PC sound card file in there and it looks like I need to have the new sound card mixer file instead.

Hmmm, I guess you did not see my posting last week about mixer settings. Wrong mixer settings will certainly prevent it from working (among other things).

[brownjm74]

Nope, I missed that one! Now I can't wait to get home and try it out.

[michael.farney]

Richard Hamilton wrote:

brownjm74 wrote:

That's what I'm thinking of doing. However after reading on the Zara Radio Forum, I need to change the "mixer" file location. I have the PC sound card file in there and it looks like I need to have the new sound card mixer file instead.

Hmmm, I guess you did not see my posting last week about mixer settings. Wrong mixer settings will certainly prevent it from working (among other things).

Will you point me towards this post? If it's not in the tutorial, I'd like to add it.

[Greg]

jermey,

I am sure you tried this but I remember havine the same problem. I had to change the line in recording setting on my soundcard. open your mixer, go to options properties, select line in, and make sure your recording level is not muted or nulled out. Since you are onto another sound card you are probably beyond this. I remember I had bought a second sound card and realized that my original card did support it but for some reason the line in recording level was set to zero. as soon as I opened that a little zara could hear the tones.

greg

[brownjm74]

Update - I was working on my settings trying to figure out what is wrong then I came across the microphone settings. Just as a note, I am using Vista. I left the mixer setting file for the windows sound mixer file just like in the tutorial. But when I went into the control panel, Sound, then opened the new and old sound cards I found that the mic was muted and volume was turned down to 0. Now if I play the DTMF file in Windows Media, Zara will turn on and off. However there is one catch, I have to click the satellite button (ear phone jack icon) each time in order to make the DTMF work. So when I get home tonight, I plan on trying to figure that one out.

Jeremy

[Greg]

just curious, since you now have the mixer settings correct will it work with just one sound card?

[brownjm74]

It wasn't working before I purchased the new sound card. That is when Michael suggested that I get a second sound card to separate the Zara and LOR w/ DTMF

[michael.farney]

brownjm74 wrote:

Update - I was working on my settings trying to figure out what is wrong then I came across the microphone settings. Just as a note, I am using Vista. I left the mixer setting file for the windows sound mixer file just like in the tutorial. But when I went into the control panel, Sound, then opened the new and old sound cards I found that the mic was muted and volume was turned down to 0. Now if I play the DTMF file in Windows Media, Zara will turn on and off. However there is one catch, I have to click the satellite button (ear phone jack icon) each time in order to make the DTMF work. So when I get home tonight, I plan on trying to figure that one out.

Jeremy

This is correct. The tones will not be heard unless the satellite buttom is pressed. This is exactly how it is supposed to operate, so there is nothing to figure out. Instead of pressing the button manually, just add a connect to satellite into your queue. The idea is there MAY be audio on the aux satellite that you do not want to hear, so the line mutes when the satellite isn't active. Since the line is muted, your DTMF tones are muted, and thus, the computer will never hear them. The same logic applies when you are listening to the satellite. When the tones occur to disconnect, it is very feasible there is still programming (audio) on the satellite connection, so the line mutes since this audio feed is no longer wanted. Our application is a little different than the intended radio purpose. But for a radio station that is pulling a program or music from a 24/7 feed "A", it makes sense to mute feed "A" when they want to switch programming.

[Papa-LF]

michael.farney wrote:

Instead of pressing the button manually, just add a connect to satellite into your queue. The idea is there MAY be audio on the aux satellite that you do not want to hear, so the line mutes when the satellite isn't active. Since the line is muted, your DTMF tones are muted, and thus, the computer will never hear them. The same logic applies when you are listening to the satellite. When the tones occur to disconnect, it is very feasible there is still programming (audio) on the satellite connection, so the line mutes since this audio feed is no longer wanted. Our application is a little different than the intended radio purpose. But for a radio station that is pulling a program or music from a 24/7 feed "A", it makes sense to mute feed "A" when they want to switch programming.

Michael,

When you say ad a connect to satellite into your queue, are you saying add it in a scheduled time? I got the DTMF tomes to work, but will not hear the tones unless I toggle the satellite button once after the tones turn the player on and or off once. Once I toggle, no prob - hears the tones and follows the instruction. But to hear them again I need to toggle once, usually off.

My intent is to schedule the radio off just before my LOR show begins, then after the show ends - a DTMF tone, and on comes the radio until the next show starts tomorrow at 5:30 - repeat..... Was hoping for no time lag after the show ends.

Thanks....

[michael.farney]

Papa-LF wrote:

michael.farney wrote:

Instead of pressing the button manually, just add a connect to satellite into your queue. The idea is there MAY be audio on the aux satellite that you do not want to hear, so the line mutes when the satellite isn't active. Since the line is muted, your DTMF tones are muted, and thus, the computer will never hear them. The same logic applies when you are listening to the satellite. When the tones occur to disconnect, it is very feasible there is still programming (audio) on the satellite connection, so the line mutes since this audio feed is no longer wanted. Our application is a little different than the intended radio purpose. But for a radio station that is pulling a program or music from a 24/7 feed "A", it makes sense to mute feed "A" when they want to switch programming.

Michael,

When you say ad a connect to satellite into your queue, are you saying add it in a scheduled time? I got the DTMF tomes to work, but will not hear the tones unless I toggle the satellite button once after the tones turn the player on and or off once. Once I toggle, no prob - hears the tones and follows the instruction. But to hear them again I need to toggle once, usually off.

My intent is to schedule the radio off just before my LOR show begins, then after the show ends - a DTMF tone, and on comes the radio until the next show starts tomorrow at 5:30 - repeat..... Was hoping for no time lag after the show ends.

Thanks....

You can do it either way. A scheduled event will work fine, but if you go to Playlist-->Add connection to satellite, you can drop the item directly into a queue with songs. If it's the first thing in the queue, the first thing Zara will do is enable the satellite button.

[Papa-LF]

michael.farney wrote:

Papa-LF wrote:

Michael,

When you say ad a connect to satellite into your queue, are you saying add it in a scheduled time? I got the DTMF tomes to work, but will not hear the tones unless I toggle the satellite button once after the tones turn the player on and or off once. Once I toggle, no prob - hears the tones and follows the instruction. But to hear them again I need to toggle once, usually off.

My intent is to schedule the radio off just before my LOR show begins, then after the show ends - a DTMF tone, and on comes the radio until the next show starts tomorrow at 5:30 - repeat..... Was hoping for no time lag after the show ends.

Thanks....

You can do it either way. A scheduled event will work fine, but if you go to Playlist-->Add connection to satellite, you can drop the item directly into a queue with songs. If it's the first thing in the queue, the first thing Zara will do is enable the satellite button.

OK - am still confused, maybe i have settings wrong. When the Satellite button is out (not activated) the generated tones start the player, and end the player when I want it to - from LOR. But once the player is disconnected from the satellite the Satellite button is actived and will not hear the tones. So what am i doing wrong?

Thanks for your extreme patience.

Lowell

[Wayne K]

I used a program similar to this last year, But my computer crashed last night and I lost that program. I now have zara loaded and working ok and using the dtmf tones to start and stop around my sequence. I actually imported the tones into a sequence and then put that sequence into my start up file in the show editor. The problem I have is that when the tones play it cuts off the first 3 or 4 words of my audio introduction. Any ideas on how to get around this or am I doing it wrong? I watched your video's and looked at all of these post and did not see anything related to this. I appreciate all of you work on this also

Thanks

Wayne


Well I think I found out why it was doing that. I went in and turned off fade on stop and it seams to be working now. It would be nice to have it fade down, but not a big problem

Wayne

[michael.farney]

Papa-LF wrote:

michael.farney wrote:

Papa-LF wrote:

Michael,

When you say ad a connect to satellite into your queue, are you saying add it in a scheduled time? I got the DTMF tomes to work, but will not hear the tones unless I toggle the satellite button once after the tones turn the player on and or off once. Once I toggle, no prob - hears the tones and follows the instruction. But to hear them again I need to toggle once, usually off.

My intent is to schedule the radio off just before my LOR show begins, then after the show ends - a DTMF tone, and on comes the radio until the next show starts tomorrow at 5:30 - repeat..... Was hoping for no time lag after the show ends.

Thanks....

You can do it either way. A scheduled event will work fine, but if you go to Playlist-->Add connection to satellite, you can drop the item directly into a queue with songs. If it's the first thing in the queue, the first thing Zara will do is enable the satellite button.

OK - am still confused, maybe i have settings wrong. When the Satellite button is out (not activated) the generated tones start the player, and end the player when I want it to - from LOR. But once the player is disconnected from the satellite the Satellite button is actived and will not hear the tones. So what am i doing wrong?

Thanks for your extreme patience.

Lowell

When the satellite connection disconnects, the button rises up and the satellite is no longer active. In this state, no DTMF tones will be heard, ever.

In order to activate the button so the tones can be heard again, you must do one of three things:

* Manually press the satellite button.
* Schedule the satellite button to activate at any time prior to your tones.
* Add a satellite connection to your audio queue which will activate the satellite when that queue position is reached.

So just do anything to activate the satellite button and you will be good. Are you confused on how to activate the satellite without clicking the button manually?

[Papa-LF]

michael.farney wrote:

* Manually press the satellite button.
* Schedule the satellite button to activate at any time prior to your tones.
* Add a satellite connection to your audio queue which will activate the satellite when that queue position is reached.

So just do anything to activate the satellite button and you will be good. Are you confused on how to activate the satellite without clicking the button manually?

Appreciate your patience - and I feel i know / can figure out the scheduling, although I have not been successful in doing so as well as failed the connection in my audio queue. Wonder what other issue i may have. But please feel free to enlighten my soul to your thoughts Michael. What is on your mind. BTW, am using a second audio card SB Live - bringing the satellite signal from the on-board output to the SB Live line input..

BTW, ever see any delay in the audio with this setup - i would hate to have my sound delayed to my LOR show - I have characters that speak and sing, and even a slight delay makes em look funny.



http://www.papasplace.us/video/2007HolidayLightSpectacularMQ.wmv

[Guest wbottomley]

Papa-LF wrote:

michael.farney wrote:

* Manually press the satellite button.
* Schedule the satellite button to activate at any time prior to your tones.
* Add a satellite connection to your audio queue which will activate the satellite when that queue position is reached.

So just do anything to activate the satellite button and you will be good. Are you confused on how to activate the satellite without clicking the button manually?

Appreciate your patience - and I feel i know / can figure out the scheduling, although I have not been successful in doing so as well as failed the connection in my audio queue. Wonder what other issue i may have. But please feel free to enlighten my soul to your thoughts Michael. What is on your mind. BTW, am using a second audio card SB Live - bringing the satellite signal from the on-board output to the SB Live line input..

BTW, ever see any delay in the audio with this setup - i would hate to have my sound delayed to my LOR show - I have characters that speak and sing, and even a slight delay makes em look funny.



http://www.papasplace.us/video/2007HolidayLightSpectacularMQ.wmv

Lowell... that's exactly how mine is working and no problems here.

My setup in the options are follows in Zara....

Satellite: line input on the second board, DTMF, make sure the detector is enabled, output is the second board.