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How to set-up internet broadcasting

Topic 62 · 101 responses · archived october 2000
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~aschuth seed
How does this work? What does it take, in terms of software and hardware power? How to get a nice analogue audio output converted into something glitzy digital that works on the web?
~aschuth #1
As some people here already know, superstar has a weekly radio show (more information in http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/public/read/music/59 ). And since this taping and copying of shows is bothersome, I'd like to find a way to achieve the following goals: (A) Webcast the show live. (B) Archive the show on the web, so everybody can replay older stuff. (C) Provide a good format/medium to distribute the show to other radio stations.
~terry #2
The Spring uses a realaudio server. We don't serve up video, you need a more robust server than we have for that.
~aschuth #3
"The Spring uses a realaudio server." Great, how do you do this? Would be enough for me, to stream the show to the web, plus run it into a file for archiving/rerunning/distributing it. Assume that I have a analogue audio signal to work with, and a dedicated PC (perhaps not even in the studio, but at some collaborateur's place within receiving range of broadcaster) with internet access (56k or ISDN). What software is needed? What are the lowest hardware requirements in your opinion (I have some stuff laying around here, but no budget for this)? Any special/unusual gimmicks I'd need?
~terry #4
Just get an NT box set up and download the server from http://www.real.com, there is a whole section there on how to do this.
~aschuth #5
Right. And how does my nice sound get into the NT-Box? Does a standard line-in on any Soundblaster-card do it? And the box - any hint on what specs? I could dedicate either a PC (P133, 32 MB, 540 MB, currently Win98) or a older notebook (486DX2-100, 16MB, 1GB, currently running Win95).
~terry #6
Standard line in should do, get a dual processor Pentium II box if you can. With a stable motherboard like a Gigabyte. And lot's of hard disk space if you're going to save .ra files.
~aschuth #7
Huh, you talk serious money. I only got scrap hardware. "And never the twain shall meet?"
~KitchenManager #8
hey, part of this conversation I completely understand and can relate to!!!
~aschuth #9
But we two, laddie, we two shall always meet again. Terry, how much diskspace - 2 GB enough?
~terry #10
That would be a good minimum. You can always add more drives.
~aschuth #11
Ok, get back to you when I got hold of a disk - got one, even SCSI, but you can't write to it... On Scandisk, it stops spinning, then speeds up and brakes down. Does that until it stopps; perhaps from overheating? Weird. I've got another try...
~aschuth #12
...but that baby has UW-SCSI, and my SCSI-box only does SCSI-II, so I have to wait until the shop gets an adapter and find out if my SCSI controller runs the Ultra Wide disk as regular fare, too. Hey, I've got an invitation from realnetworks to attend a seminar on their technology! As soon as our #13 is off to the printers (right now hacking last articles togetherm while already deep in production...), and I have promotion set up, I want to really get into this. Besides the weekly radio show and the occasional DJing of our superstar club rotation branch, we will have a major event in August. 5 bands on stage, DJs and good fun till sunrise! On August 19th, we'll present another of our "meet your superstar" festivals, again during the world's greatest music expo, Cologne's PopKomm. Only gotta figure out how to set a webcast up... Perhaps find an ISP to cooperate...
~stacey #13
cool!
~KitchenManager #14
ditto!
~aschuth #15
What, the seminar-invitation or that other thang? Or the more than vague prospect to get to see that other thang? Anyway, will post more about it in superstar's very own topic, as soon as this place has calmed down a bit. I don't want to sound off, but we got some really great bands booked... Time: -7 days to print shop.
~aschuth #16
Time: -5 to print shop. Uh-oh.
~KitchenManager #17
*drum roll*
~aschuth #18
Wow, the last two days were cool. I've been to the seminars by RealNetwork, maker of the RealAudio server, player and the whole shebangle. That software is WAY cool. They've shown how you can include pictures, video, static and dynamic text together with audio tracks in your webcast/site, bundling it all with their SMIL file format. Purrty impressive, I must say. If I only had the machine park and mobile means to hook the gear up... Or had a sponsor... (Actually, I met a guy there from Berlin who might try to talk his company into sponsoring us. But I'll never tell anybody about this before it's sure...)
~aschuth #19
(And some things I've seen there ought to be further investigated by our own Wer. I still think he's on to some project... With this stuff, you can do multimedia streaming WITH BILLING)
~KitchenManager #20
much like you, Alexander, time, money and equipment are additional necessities...
~aschuth #21
... of which you stand better chances to get them than I do... Right now, you got a lot of the first, don't need a lot of the second and could perhaps borrow the latter. I mean, I don't have anybody sitting here who would let me put anything I like on his machines... At least not right now... Git to it! Do a plan! Develop a prototype and git it movin', show it around, and see if you could get partnerships going!
~KitchenManager #22
you got the same person sitting around as I do... I do live closer to him than you do, granted...
~aschuth #23
...also that you right now might have some more time to invest than I do? Listen, I've got some very specific idea. Mail me and I tell you.
~KitchenManager #24
sorta...it looks like I might be cooking again, though...
~stacey #25
only do it if it makes you happy...
~terry #26
How's our Realaudio server on access doing?
~aschuth #27
What do you mean, Terry?
~KitchenManager #28
I get sound every time I try...
~stacey #29
i rarely try... .ok damn that return key!
~KitchenManager #30
aw, do I have to?
~stacey #31
it's okay if you don't want to. i understand
~terry #32
What do you mean, what do I mean, Alexander?
~aschuth #33
Well, what does your reply asking "How's our Realaudio server on access doing?" mean? Is anybody (e.g. Wer) working on it, does something change,... (Perhaps it's just because I thought you of all people here ought to know the best, so... Aw, shucks, dunno... Something else - if I had a website at the spring - working at it as you know, with generous help from a certain W. -, how would I get it to play RealAudio files? Get them onto that machine "access" and put a link in my website to it?)
~terry #34
That would be the best way to get your files to play. We have a realaudio server there but I'm not using it currently. We need to play with it.
~terry #35
We'll get you an account on access.spring.net Alexander, if you don't already have one. Just email me with username and password and I'll set it up.
~aschuth #36
William set me up with an telnet and ftp account, so I can get at http://www.spring.net/~aschuth . Does that work for access, too?
~stacey #37
yup
~aschuth #38
Merci bien!
~stacey #39
danke gratis
~aschuth #40
Erstaunlich!
~stacey #41
gnutreaschion!
~aschuth #42
Oh, I didn't know that. I'm sorry. Had I known that, I wouldn't have ever made a single joke about that. Wirklich!
~stacey #43
*laugh*
~KitchenManager #44
(actually, nope...you want me to set you up the same way on access, Alexander?)
~stacey #45
oh lookie what I don't know!
~aschuth #46
See, I said I shouldn't have made fun of it... Wer, I don't have anything to put there yet, but yeah, why not. Got the RealProducer now at last, gonna try and see if the bang of my old notebook is enough to produce content...
~terry #47
Cool, what is your first project?
~aschuth #48
First see if my lowtech is sufficient to work with standard amp line out signal, then git on to certain tapes we've discussed. I may not be able to do realtime webcasts, but I can try stuff nevertheless.
~aschuth #49
Please notice the article posted in a different topic of this conf concerning audio files, links to audio files - even on other servers - and MAJOR legal hustle : http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/public/read/web/42.9
~mrchips #50
I'm lucky enough not to have to set up. I work weekends for a station that broadcasts on the Web, out of Hilo, Hawaii (KWXX-FM, 94.7 on air), on web at http://www.kwxx.com Can also be accessed through http://www.webradio.com I believe at the webradio site you have to go through the "other" format selection, then select "ethnic." Our format is a mix of adult contemporary hits and Island music, which encompasses locally produced music, both ethnic Hawaiian and Hawaiian pop, Jawaiian (a Hawaiian reggae hybrid that often has ukuleles), and reggae, both Jamaican and U.K. I'm on Saturday 12 noon to 5 PM EST and Sunday 12 noon to 4 PM. It once was a career, now it's a pretty cool hobby that also puts a few bucks in the pocket.
~terry #51
Post something Saturday early as a reminder if you care to, I'd like a reminder to tune in!
~mrchips #52
I will but it will be really early because of the time difference when I leave home and on the mainland. I don't have an operational computer terminal in the studio--it crashed and burned. We were taking e-mails and requests long distance on a 486 and the museum piece retired itself. Don't expect a great deal of personality; my boss doesn't want it. But the music should be different than what you're used to. I need to get a shortwave receiver so I can pick up B 92 Radio Belgrade, It sounds fascinati g.
~MarciaH #53
John, post it the night before. That is what I do...because it is tomorrow everywhere else but here. That is why your and my computers will be the only ones talking at the end of Y2K - we are the last to get everything...*sigh*
~MarciaH #54
Oh, and I have a spare SW for you to use....
~mrchips #55
Per Terry, here is my reminder...I will be on air today and tomorrow at http://www.kwxx.com starting times 12 noon EDT 11 am CDT 10 am MDT 9 am PDT 6 am HST (Hawaii never goes on daylight savings time)
~MarciaH #56
I tried at 7am HST and it was not you on my house radio, and I could not get into the KWXX website and the http://www.webradio.com/kwxx/ kept telling me "file not found". John, where are you???
~MarciaH #57
I IS John on my house radio...I just may call the station and see what is wrong with the link at Webradio. But, his golden tones are on the air as I wrilte this.
~mrchips #58
~mrchips #59
If you have trouble getting webradio audio, try clearing your cache. I was on at 6 AM Hawaii time, but apparently you had your dial somewhere else (as do I from time to time). I'll be there at 6 am tomorrow also, but Sunday show is only four hours opposed to Saturday's five.
~MarciaH #60
Well, that is as much as I heard from you on the internet this morning, and your kwxx.com link was dead. But, You sounded great on my little SW radio tuned to AM. What happened?
~mrchips #61
I can't speak for webradio. It's a mainland concern. But again, if problems, try cache clearing.
~mrchips #62
Try our website direct, without going through webradio's site.
~MarciaH #63
OK, but that is not the problem. My cache is emptied (both disk and memory) regularly during the day, and I had no trouble accessing the web broadcast during the week from KWXX. Will try again tomorrow. Btw, I think I got the Drool off of the guys' Babe sites - I opened one for ladies to list their Male Babes.
~mrchips #64
Gee doing it in drool isn't enough for you, is it?
~MarciaH #65
Drool is a world of its own, and a lot of ladies are not comfortable in there. I just used a tiny corner of Babes. We won't make much noise...promise!
~mrchips #66
Drool has so many more entries than babes, I don't know if that dog will hunt!
~MarciaH #67
I dumped both caches and tried KWXX.com directly. After a few moments I get a little box telling me the server must be down and to try later. Can you access it now?
~mrchips #68
I could never access KWXX.com from home, but never had any trouble from Bytes and Bites. If the server is down, it will probably be down all weekend, as Chris Leonard is in Honolulu.
~MarciaH #69
Will try it later in the day. Thanks for telling me. This PC should be able to pick up everything on the net including lint...
~MarciaH #70
John, I just tried again. Same thing...Netscape puts the name on the top of the window as though you were in, but document down show up, and the stoplight turns off. Nothing further happens. Get Chris on it. The lint is here but no KWXX.com!
~mrchips #71
I have the same problem, but he assures me that it is me and each time he calls up the home page, it pops right up for him. It also does the same for me at Bytes & Bites, but not here. I was able to hear the station on http://www.webradio.com/kwxx
~MarciaH #72
The above hotlink works. I spent the weekend listening to it and wondering what the Springizens were thinking of the local-ese which sometimes creeps intoi the spoken stuff. It is like listening to a whole nuther language sometimes. *lol* Too bad they can't hear the county "workers" talking!!!
~MarciaH #73
John is filling in for a DJ who is away...listen to him and some lovely Hawaiian classics and popular music from 8pm till 10pm Austin time. (He comes on in two minutes!) Today!!!
~MarciaH #74
..or is that until 11?!
~terry #75
What's the realaudio address?
~MarciaH #76
Is is not on RealAudio, it is on http://www.webradio.com/kwxx/ and he is on right as I post this for the final hour of this Saturday program.
~terry #77
And the next scheduled program is ???
~MarciaH #78
his usual Saturday and Sunday morning shows. Each and every, as far as i know...
~terry #79
Will you post the url again please sometime between now and Friday? And the exact time and dates!
~MarciaH #80
will do, as soon as i get back into windows.
~terry #81
Cool.
~MarciaH #82
John Burnett's golden tones will be beamed into space tomorrow and Sunday. You can hear his net broadcast at http://www.webradio.com/kwxx/ starting times 12 noon EDT 11 am CDT 10 am MDT 9 am PDT 6 am HST (Hawaii never goes on daylight savings time)
~terry #83
I posted this on the Spring's main page.
~MarciaH #84
Thanks for doing so (could not find it when I looked, but I will assume it is a problem with me or the Notre Dame game replaced it...That same information applies to tomorrow morning, as well.
~MarciaH #85
Just a little reminder that John Burnett holds forth on WebRadio tomorrow: http://www.webradio.com/kwxx/ starting times 12 noon EDT 11 am CDT 10 am MDT 9 am PDT 6 am HST (Hawaii never goes on daylight savings time)
~terry #86
I turned on Realaudio and listened to John's show while I cleaned up my garage Saturday morning and really enjoyed it. I liked the Hawaiian music, it was relaxing to be transported to the islands for a while and John has a great delivery. I'm going to listen to this show regularly on Saturday mornings. It was funny to hear about the boaters who arrived early, before they got the celebration ready. Really good music selection.
~mrchips #87
Those darn canoe voyagers, screwing things up like that! Thanks for the kind words, Terry...
~terry #88
Your program exposed me to very interesting webradio.com, I believe that was the url? And then I heard this morning that they're having an ipo very soon. This looks like a well put tegether network of radio stations. Correct me on that url, if I missed it John.
~mrchips #89
Marcia put up the url, so I'm sure it is correct. Did you hear what the price on the IPO is?
~terry #90
I think it's around $10-11. And it's coming up "real soon"; I just caught a bit on a morning news show. I'll look up the url when I get home for lunch today.
~mrchips #91
url is http://www.webradio.com
~MarciaH #92
more precisely, it is http://www.webradio.com/kwxx
~MarciaH #93
Wow, that's fantastic...I posted the above in telnet and when I got to windows there it was all hot link blue and everything. Isn't this stuff neat? Anyway, John is on tomorrow morning per usual from 6am till they let him go ( which is 11am Texas time till whenever.) Lately, he has been doing double shifts or several more hours than usual...
~MarciaH #94
He has just told me he will most likely be on until Noon Hawaii time (5pm Texas time) or 2200 zulu.
~dorothy #95
is that today or tomorrow (saturday)?
~mrchips #96
Hi, Dorothy. That will be Saturday. Thank you for asking.
~MarciaH #97
John will also be on that URL on Sunday...John Dear, I am internet-listening to Penn State's game because our ABC afffilitate much prefers to show california stuff that a REAL game...BAH! HUMBUG!
~terry #98
Hi Dorothy, welcome on board!
~aschuth #99
Hello Dorothy! Welcome!
~MarciaH #100
Where has she gone? I welcomed her elsewhere and nothing has been heard since. Cannot be that we were dining on garlic and did not offer her any?!
~terry #101
She'll be around.
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