CaB Radio

[Mobbd]

I've also found a freeware playout system called RadioDJ. Is anyone else using it?

its what the station im on uses - it's proven a good bit of kit - though setting up the sql database is  a bit of a pain in the arse at first

Yeah. I couldn't get MySQL to install at all, so I installed MariaDB. I'm really impressed with it. For freeware, it's unbelievably good. There's so often a price to pay. Some freeware does what you want but in an arse about face way, and some doesn't do what you want at all. RadioDJ really does everything I want it to. I'm in the process of building a little studio in my back bedroom based around it. I'll have to hop on here with it one night.

Thanks for mentioning RadioDJ, you two. Off to educate myself. And that's a very interesting project you have there, Lfbarfe.

I don't know if you've done this before, NoSleep and Petey Pate, but would you be willing to tell us about (or show us some pics) of the kit you use to make CaB Radio?

I have caught myself imagining that you use real vinyl and a physical mixing deck, but that's probably because I'm an IDIOT HOLE and the process is entirely digital and on-screen, innit? Even in that case, could you let us in on some technical deets of how you bring CaB Radio to us? Or link us to the posts if you've done this before?

I'm asking in part to improve my imaginings of what a CaB Radio HQ might look and smell like, but also to pick your not-inconsiderable brains. Last December, I had a vague idea to live-stream a lengthy Free Jazz show on xmas day (I don't really like xmas and some of my friends are the same so it would have been a way to interact and have non-festive fun) but I didn't know how to do it. I could have researched it, of course, but it was a classic example of a half-arsed and too-late-in-the-day Mobbd non-plan.

I hope you're well, PP.

[Mobbd]

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[NoSleep]

I don't know if you've done this before, NoSleep and Petey Pate, but would you be willing to tell us about (or show us some pics) of the kit you use to make CaB Radio?

That is the plan. Petey's using Mixxx. I'm on a Mac and have been trying Mixxx out, but the software I've always previously used is Nicecast.

[Lfbarfe]

Thanks for mentioning RadioDJ, you two. Off to educate myself. And that's a very interesting project you have there, Lfbarfe.

I don't know what's taken me so long. Until a couple of weeks ago, I was doing three shows a week at a local community station, using their studios. Then there was a management bust-up and I took the side of the chap who'd kept the station on air for months. I decided to carry on doing my weekly jazz show on Mixcloud, but I was recording the links and knitting it together in Adobe Audition, and it was laborious compared to turning up and hooting my trap off for two hours, so I started looking around for ways of doing it live on the cheap. I used to to CaB Radio years ago, but that was under Windows XP, where the audio side of it was wide open for doing things that it probably wasn't designed to do. Back then, I used Winamp, VLC and Foobar for playout, with my mic coming into the computer through a small Behringer mixer, and the Shoutcast software capturing it all through 'Stereo Mix'.

I don't know if you've done this before, NoSleep and Petey Pate, but would you be willing to tell us about (or show us some pics) of the kit you use to make CaB Radio?

I have caught myself imagining that you use real vinyl and a physical mixing deck, but that's probably because I'm an IDIOT HOLE and the process is entirely digital and on-screen, innit? Even in that case, could you let us in on some technical deets of how you bring CaB Radio to us? Or link us to the posts if you've done this before?

I can't speak for NS or PP, but a physical mixer is a really good steer for me. The system I'm working on building at the moment involves a Behringer DX2000USB mixer. Broadcast desks start at about £1000. This is a DJ desk that does 90% of what a radio desk does, but it's £200. However, you don't need that. My girlfriend was doing a show on the community station and wanted to continue on Mixcloud, so I looked into the options and she got a £30 USB mixer (Behringer again) and a mic. She uses RadioDJ too, with her laptop connected to the mixer via USB. The RadioDJ players are on one fader, the mic is on another, she mixes the two and monitors off the mixer's headphone socket, and the results go back into the computer and are captured by Audacity. The same principle would work with casting. You just choose the input you want to go to the casting software. The thing I'm assembling is an extension of the same principle, but with more flexibility. I have RadioDJ on two faders, so I can mix across. There are three more channels (not including the two mic channels), so I've just acquired a double CD deck of the sort DJs use. The only reason I went for this and not domestic CD players was because the mixer has remote start buttons, and the DJ decks have this capability too. Anyway, the CD machine was £50 on eBay and on the last fader, I'm going to put a turntable. The work surface is a 100x60cm bit of chipboard from the bit at IKEA where they chuck the broken display stuff and invite you to help yourself. I cut a hole in that for the mixer, so it lies flat. I'll post pictures when it's all installed.
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I'm asking in part to improve my imaginings of what a CaB Radio HQ might look and smell like, but also to pick your not-inconsiderable brains. Last December, I had a vague idea to live-stream a lengthy Free Jazz show on xmas day (I don't really like xmas and some of my friends are the same so it would have been a way to interact and have non-festive fun) but I didn't know how to do it. I could have researched it, of course, but it was a classic example of a half-arsed and too-late-in-the-day Mobbd non-plan.

I'd love to hear that show. You should do it.

[NoSleep]

Mixxx can be used entirely on its own to play music in your computer's library. It's DJ software first and foremost, but is fully capable of casting your performance to an internet radio server. It's compatible with using DJ hardware controllers, some of which comes endorsed by the developers because they have tested it themselves, while other users have written scripts to get more equipment running. You don't need external equipment though; it can be controlled by your keyboard and mouse quite easily. Mixx also picks up on your microphone and even allows you to talk over records (and the music ducks down in volume temporarily).

Nicecast is likewise, a completely software based option (albeit no longer supported by the developer, Rogue Amoeba) that links with your usual player software and your audio hardware (so that you can run a microphone). Apparently it's now possible to cast using Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack (haven't tested it, though).

If you want to go the analog hardware route like Lfbarfe there's also the extremely simple solution of BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) which just broadcasts what you plug into your audio interface.

[Petey Pate]

Thanks for the well wishes. I'm fine now, last week was just a temporary bout of exhaustion, and while not confirmed by a more accurate test I doubt it was covid.

As NS says, I've been using Mixxx with a Numark Mixtrack DJ hardware controller (which I suppose counts as a physical mixer - though on CaB Radio the faders are pretty much the only things I touch). You can have external audio inputs routed into Mixxx and assign them to a 'deck', meaning that you can crossfade between an audio file and a CD or vinyl being played live. In at least one CaB show I did have had a cheap portable turntable connected to test this out, but I don't have an extensive (or particularly good) record collection. 

What I would like to play around with is beatmatching a groovebox or drum machine to tracks being played in Mixxx.  I'm sure there must also be house/techno artists who rewire the output of their DAW into Mixxx (or non-free software) for live performances.

[Petey Pate]

Casting now - nothing particularly elaborate planned, so hopefully expect a bug-free evening.

http://s1.myradiostream.com:34552/listen.pls   
http://s1.myradiostream.com:34552/listen.m3u
http://s1.myradiostream.com:34552/listen.mp3

And you can enter the chatroom here: https://chat.mibbit.com/?channel=%23cabradio&server=irc.mibbit.net

Chatroom info if you have an IRC client:

Server: irc.mibbit.net
Port: 6667
Room: #cabradio

[Petey Pate]

Has it really been almost a month since someone last did this?

Anyway, I'll be on tonight. Expect some Brazillian jazz, South African house and at least something with Herbie Hancock.[nb]Incidentally, his birthday was yesterday.[/nb]

[NoSleep]

Any excuse.

[Petey Pate]

Didn't mention a time earlier. Well, that time is now. Am warming up a bit but will properly start around 9pm.

Listening links:

http://s1.myradiostream.com:34552/listen.pls   
http://s1.myradiostream.com:34552/listen.m3u
http://s1.myradiostream.com:34552/listen.mp3

And you can enter the chatroom here: https://chat.mibbit.com/?channel=%23cabradio&server=irc.mibbit.net

Chatroom info if you have an IRC client:

Server: irc.mibbit.net
Port: 6667
Room: #cabradio