ProppFrexx ONAIR User-Forum

Hi there,

I'm currently evaluating the software to use in our FM broadcast studios (Thank you for a fully functional demo, it helps us evaluate and work all this out without issues!) and I'm struggling to work out how to use this in a life scenario rather than scheduled/pre-recordings.

I've created a playlist with out jingles, music schedules, sweepers, etc, and have that prepared ready for an hour long broadcast. Several questions if I may?
1) I've added a placeholder which is where we'd like the playback to STOP, the DJ can then talk (using external mixer, microphones, etc) and then want to resume the playlist. How can I tell the placeholder to STOP all playout at that point? Should I be adding something different instead of placeholder?
2) What is the 'correct' way of running a playlist like this? So everything is ready and in the playlist view, I want to hit START (somewhere?!) to begin, would that be "PLAY NEXT USE FADING" or "PLAY/PAUSE USE FADING" or which would be the better option to run?

I think those are the main questions, hopefully easy and sorry if I've missed this in the tutorials!
Thank you,
Andy

If you need a temporary, but time limited license (e.g. a few weeks) for even uninterrupted testing, please let me know.
A good source for help could be our tutorial videos, here:
https://www.proppfrexx.radio42.com/foru ... php?t=1018

But now to your question. The typical way to run a playlist is via the 'Manual Live-Assist' button. You define its exact behavior in the general settings, section 'More Stuff' an click on the 'Manual Operation...' button.
This button is basically activates AutoPlay, so you might also only use the 'AutoPlay' button instead (F4 key).

AutoPlay activates the function to automatically play the tracks in a playlist. So that you do not have to start the next track manually.
To manually start the next track manually use typically use the button 'Play Next Use Fading' (F9 key).

If you want to stop an automatically running playlist (which is for example in AutoPlay), and break the AutoPlay mode at a specific location, you can 'Add' for example a so called 'Speech Insert' (the smallest time is actually 30 seconds, but you can interrupt and resume the playlist even before by pressing F9, see above - else the playlist will stop here).
What the Speech Insert is doing is actually setting the following Track Settings (Options), e.g. see the TAG Editor (press ALT+3) and watch the Track Data. The following track 'Options' are automatically set:
- SuppressACPD
- StopAtEnd (this is the most important option)
- SuppressOverlay
- SuppressGlobalLogging
- SuppressPlaylistLogging
- SuppressSongTitleUpdate

So basically the StopAtEnd option makes sure, that at the end of this Speech Insert the AutoPlay is stopped and you manually have to resume this.
To know more about the other options press the '?' icon at the top right in the TAG Editor to get more help.

But you can also set this option (StopAtEnd) with any other track or item, except a Placeholder, which is indeed just a dummy entry in the playlist with no real function. So when using a Placeholder you would need to at least set the StopAtEnd track option on the previous track, so that at the end of that track the AutoPlay ends.

However, I don't know how you do your manual live assist, as normally I would either do all manually or all automatically.
If you do all manually, you just use the Play Next (F9 key) after every track.

I hope, this answers all your questions and maybe a bit more...

Hi Bernd,

Thank you so much for replying to me, yes I've gone through the tutorials and I'm getting the hang of it! We are coming from very simple playout software, so I need to learn it well so that I can tutor all the presenters who just want a simple point and click to play type! The demo is ideal for us as allows me to test the full capabilities.

I see on the Manual Live-Assist and Auto Play. I'm a little unsure of the difference, but AutoPlay seems to do what I want.
So when we start a live broadcast and have our playlist loaded, we click Auto Play. It starts playing the first track.

On a track, I've right-clicked and chosen "Track Settings" > "Toggle StopAtend option" and I can now see that track has "StopAtEnd" in the options shown.
It then stops the playback (Auto play still lit up). I then hit F9/Play next use fading and it starts to play the next track until the next "StopAtEnd" track is found.

PERFECT!

Once last question, at the end of a playlist, how do I stop it going back to the top and repeating when it reaches the end? Just in case somebody makes the mistake!
Thank you for your help, I'll continue to try it out and I think this will do what I need.

Thanks,
Andy

it can be easier with On a track, I've right-clicked and chosen "Track Settings" > "Toggle StopAtend option
see picture
click here on Track option

Oh nice, thanks Tatje that's a quick shortcut to remember. Thank you

By default the playlist option ‚Mark Played‘ is set.
This ensures, a played track is never played again.
But a playlist always stops at the end and doesn’t start at the beginning.