Wide Orbit and Studio Consoles

Background

Audio sent to air (or stream) comes from one of two sources.

The first is Wide Orbit, radio automation software used by WPR. Wide orbit prepares a “log” for the radio station. The log is a list of audio files, system workflows, and any other events that occur during the broadcast.

The second is mixing consoles in broadcast studios. When we say a studio is “Active,” we mean that it’s primary output (called Program 1 or PGM-1) is what is going to air.

When no studio is active, audio from the log itself, or satellite sources switched on from the log (e.g. NPR) go directly to air, when a studio is active, audio from the log must be on a console fader to go to air. Using a fader for log audio will be covered in grader detail on the Live Studio pages.

Wide Orbit

Wide Orbit keeps track of the timing, order, and other attributes of all log entries, and presents them to users to monitor or control progress through the log. It consists of several software components, but Radio Client (RC) is the user-facing application that will primarily be used by UWS Staff and Students for both music and sports broadcasts. Music broadcasts are also managed in a separate application, Music Master, which has its own page in this guide.

Open

Radio Client (shown above) is laid out with several containers, which contain one to multiple widgets. The on-screen arrangement of the widgets is configurable per user. The most commonly used widgets during broadcasts are:

Stack (left): Shows the current time, Active Studio and Log (playlist), and the upcoming entry. Also shows and controls whether the log is running in manual or automatic mode. (most broadcasts stay in auto the entire time)

Playlist (middle): Shows every entry for the day for the selected station, with timestamps, durations, Asset IDs for audio entries, and play status.

Hotkeys (right): user-created buttons to either play audio or run workflows. Hotkey audio has it’s own audio output channel, which is tied to a dedicated console fader. More will be covered on the pages for Live Studio operation.

Library (not shown): Allows the user to browse or search the library of digital audio assets and select them to insert into any of the other widgets (e.g. to add to the stack or playlist, or create a hotkey for that asset).

Manual and Automatic Mode

When the stack is in Automatic Mode (which it is most of the time), when an entry finishes it will move on to the next without user intervention. Some entries (e.g. workflows) have a duration of zero, and will move on to the next as soon as they come up on the stack. Some entries can be configured to have the stack not wait until they are finished, these will also move on instantly in the stack. the “STOP” action used for game broadcasts has an infinite duration, so the stack will stay on that entry until a user advances to the next. Some entries have sync times, if an entry has a “hard sync,” its time will be shown in red on the stack, and it will fire at its time, even if the stack is in the middle of a STOP.

In Manual mode, a single entry will play when fired by the user, and then the stack will do nothing until something else is fired, or until it is put into Automatic mode. In contrast

Login and Setup

Follow the Wide Orbit Configuration Guide for information on logging in, choosing important settings, and configuring widget layout.

Studio Consoles

The mixing consoles in SUP studios A, B, and C all use a technology called AoIP, or Audio over IP. Meaning in addition to physical connections to audio sources or outputs, they take audio from a connected network of audio equipment, and send mixed audio back to the network.

Network Audio Assignment

Each fader on a console can be assigned to any network audio source by clicking the encoder knob on the channel strip and scrolling through the source list. Multiple faders on multiple consoles can receive audio from the same source. However for sources that provide audio backfeed (phones, remote codecs) and sources that have GPIO functions (Log Faders, CD Players), assigning in multiple places will create a conflict.

The consoles have four possible audio outputs to the network (Program/PGM 1-4) and each fader can be assigned to any of the four outputs using the buttons labeled 1-4 on each channel strip. Generally only PGM1 is used, and is the output that goes to air when the studio is active. To be on air, a given audio source (e.g. the Barix at the basketball stadium) needs to be assigned to a fader in an active studio. That fader needs to be assigned to PGM1, turned ON, and faded up.

Monitors and Headphones

Studio monitors and headphones are connected to the audio network as well. The console surface has buttons allowing the user to select the audio source for headphones and monitors. Note also that the console will automatically mute monitor speakers when a microphone is on, and will lower the volume of the monitor speakers if a fader is being previewed (solo/PFL function).

Show Profiles

Fader source assignments, PGM Assignments, and headphone and monitor audio assignments can all be stored in show profiles that can be instantly recalled from the console.