AirTrafficControl Features

NOTE: This page is a general description of ATC and its features. For what's new in ATC 9.0, please see the Home page. Also, not all features described here apply to the new ATC-Lite version. Having said that here are the basics...

On-Air

All modes of On-Air operation, Live, Automated, and Satellite, are presented to the operator using the same screens, and the same basic controls. Switching between modes of operation does not involve switching to different software, or even to a different window. In fact, the system can switch between these modes automatically to match your programming schedule. This unified user interface and easy control almost eliminates the time and expense involved with the learning curve of other systems.

On-Air -- Live Operation:

As a live operator, you can use the system as a simple audio source, or let it run the show, only interacting with it when you want to make a change or open up the mike.

On the main On-Air PlayList screen, you are presented with the event schedule. This can be a commercial (traffic) schedule, a music schedule, or a combination of both ("merged"). With a single keystroke or click you can start the next event, stop the previous event (fade), stop ALL playback immediately (fade), or tell the system to stop after the current event and wait for your cue to begin again. Scheduled events can be moved around in the schedule by simply dragging and dropping them. You can jump ahead, go back, delete items, and add items by typing their file numbers or grabbing them from the "File Picker" library search tool. All the while you have accurate timing information and displays for up to five of the items currently playing, or cued to play next. (The system can do more than five things at once, but we thought five was plenty to look at, additional items are played on hidden players).

Along with the main PlayList screen, there are tools to let you be even more spontaneous and creative. The AirDrop HotKeys allow each jock to fill up a custom panel of bits, effects, beds, whatever would be useful, and have them instantly play on air with just a click or a keystroke.

On-Air -- Automated Music On Hard Drive:

AirTrafficControl has many features to make your station sound live and tight, even when it is unattended. Its normal mode of operation is to play everything you put in its schedule, segueing smartly between all elements by following the exact timing rules you have determined for each one. It won't stop unless you tell it to, and it will sound great.

Our Voice-Tracking module is one of the ways you can raise your automated hours to a new level of quality and a fresh live sound. (More on how that works later.)

On-Air -- Satellite:

AirTrafficControl can interface with satellite equipment and programming providers in many configurations. Available satellite interfaces have 8 to 32 control triggers, and 0 to 32 audio input sources (expandable beyond that, if you find a need). The system can respond to satellite triggers in a virtually unlimited number of ways, with the most common being to play a commercial break, a jock liner, or a Legal ID.

The system is smart enough to know that when you switch from one satellite source to another, the audio input must be switched, and a different set of control triggers may become active. Which audio and which triggers to use for which functions for each "Network" is all configurable in a very flexible and powerful way. As with all system functions, switching between networks can be done manually with a couple clicks or keystrokes by the operator, by an exact time command, by a command placed in the main on-air schedule, or in response to a trigger.

Production

Getting audio into the AirTrafficControl system is simple and straightforward. The system comes equipped with a Recorder window, where you can record and modify your audio files. This is also the place to enter and edit the text information about the audio (Name, Artist, Client, etc.). You can trim the beginning and end of the audio non-destructively, set Intro (post) and EOM (cue) points, and more.

We do not include our own multi-track editor. We feel that there are many inexpensive, professional quality editors available on the market that do that job well, and many people already have their preference. So, instead of duplicating those functions we provide simple audio import/export methods so that you can use the editor software of your choice. For some examples, many of our customers use Adobe Audition, SoundForge, Audacity, and other packages. AirTrafficControl can import files from these editors with a simple drag and drop.

Our production Recorder also includes some unique radio-specific features. The "SFX Deck" can store a list of news actualities, sounders, beds, or whatever you need at your fingertips while you are recording a file into the system. This is a great feature for those regular recording functions, like newscasts and weathercasts, when you always want your background or insert elements handy.

In addition to standard audio files, you can also create and edit Rotation, Macro, and Silent Fill (timer) files, and you can attach Rich Text Notes to any file to provide the On-Air operator with additional information, such as a live tag, contest info about a song, a reminder about this weekend's concert or live remote at a client... whatever!

Scheduling

Traffic (commercial scheduling) and Music Scheduling are areas that also have many fine software products available from well-established companies that specialize in those fields. Rather than attempting to force our users to buy and use new software for these tasks, we let you choose from the many options out there, and AirTrafficControl will use the schedules you produce with them.

Of course, we do include the tools to manually produce daily schedules, and to review and edit your schedules after they are created by any method.

Voice-Tracking

Our Voice-Tracking module straddles across the traditional functions of Scheduling and Production. To voice-track a daypart well, you must record the voice tracks in context with the music or other material scheduled to play, and that is the functionality we provide.

Because of the relationship between these functions, and our goal to always keep things simple, our voice-tracking module is a tiny control panel that is launched from the Schedule Editor screen, and manages the interaction between scheduled items and the voice track itself, which will be recorded in the standard Recorder window. This means that adding voice-tracking to your operation adds very little that has to be learned from scratch... most of the tools will already be familiar to you.

The result is that you can go to an hour in the Schedule Editor, and either add tracks or record pre-placed tracks. Each time you record a track, you will hear the end of the previous song in your headphones, and you can decide when to start your voice, and when to start the next song. If you are happy with it the first time, you are done! If not, you can manipulate the transitions, and listen to the whole series again until you are happy with it, or just start the recording again.

Logging

AirTrafficControl logs all on-air events and any error messages or advisories. Our LogViewer screen allows you to read, search, filter, export, and print these "As-Played" Logs. You can also view daily Reconciliation reports to see a comparison of what played vs. what was scheduled by traffic or the PD.

Other Modules and Functions

All of the features described above, and too many more to describe here fully, are included with every copy of AirTrafficControl (Full Version). In addition we offer various tools and utilities such as a CD-Ripper to grab audio tracks into your AirTrafficControl system, a batch converter for making mass changes to your audio library, clocks for your screen, and more. We know that every station and every company is unique, so if you have a need for something custom, we can handle that too!