What is Simplecast?
SimpleCast takes audio from your line-in,
microphone or even any audio being played
over your soundcard and then encodes this
audio in real-time to be streamed over
the internet to listeners across the world
- all with a single click of a button.
This application is not only easy to use,
but aslo extremely powerful ...
Metadata adaptors allows external applications
to send song and captioning data to SimpleCast.
(Already has native support for most major
automation systems).
Gather real-time statistics from all your
streaming servers so you know how many
listeners are connected at any given time
and generates song history logs.
SimpleCast is perfect for broadcasting
- Sporting events
- Concerts and Live shows
- Live DJ/Night Club appearances
- Private Parties - or audio from any
music system that does not support internet
streaming
SimpleCast v2.5.3: Download
Link
SimpleCast main interface
This is the main display of
the SimpleCast Broadcaster.
First of all you need to start
the Internet Broadcaster with
the "Start/Stop" Button. After
starting you should see the
VU Meter on the right moving
as long has you have any sort
of audio playing. This indicates
that the plugin is sucessfully
grabbing your audio from the
sound card. If do not see the
VU Meter moving altough you
have audio playing, be sure
to setup your windows mixer.
Set the recording options of
the mixer by clicking on the
"speaker" icon in the tray.
Normally you should find expression
like "What you hear", "Stereo
Mixer" or "Wave". This depends
on the sound card you are using.
The buttons "Encoders" and "Statistics"
will show/hide the enocders
and statistic parts of the plugin
which are descriobed below.
In the main display you see
the time you have been streaming
and the current time. Also,
displayed on the main interface
of the SimpleCast Internet Broadcaster
plugin, will be all of your
servers total "Current Listeners"
and "Peak Listeners" combined
from all your separate relays
for you..
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Configuring the Internet
Broadcaster
On the plugins main interface,
select the "Config"
button and you should will first
see the "General options".
Here you can set the general base
encoder options. Select the sound
card from which you want to grab
your audio from and also a location
of the log file. You should also
select "Automatically start
on load" so the plugin will
be started immediately when it
is started.
The next point is the "AudioRealm"
Member Login details window. If
you have signed up at AudioRealm
as a member of their Network,
you will place your "Username"
and "Password in the appropriate
fields. If you choose not to use
these services, simply ignore
these fields. However signing
up with AudioRealm is FREE and
you will instantly receive additional
services and resources that enhance
this plugins abilities as well
as receive FREE listing of your
stations on the AudioRealm .stations
listing directory, which can help
drive potential listenership to
your Broadcast.
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Adding/Removing a Relay
Now you can select "Statistic
Relays" and this window will
appear. To add a Statistic relay,
select the + or (add relay) icon
or if you are removing a relay
entry, select the - or (remove
relay) icon.
Next, select the server relay
plugin "Type" you wish
to use. Then select OK.Be sure
that you already know what types
of servers you are using for your
broadcast and what their associated
details are!! - In most cases
these details will include the
servers IP, the port and the password
to access it. If you are using
a streamimg provider like the
StreamingPulse, we have already
sent you these details.
Types supported include:
- ShoutCast - both older and newer
versions
- Windows Media/MPM
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Adding/Removing Encoder
Instances
Now you are ready to
setup your encoders. Slelec the
Encoders button on the main display.
Now you should see the SimpleCast
Encoders Interface. In the top
menu bar of the encoders plugin
"Click" on the + (add
encoder) or - to (remove encoder).
If you are indeed configuring
an encoder for the first time
- go ahead and select + (add encoder)
and proceed to the next step -
("Select your encoder type")
The "Toolkit" button
will also allow you to configure
your plugin at anytime by selecting
it in the "Status" window
once it has been initially added.
Additionally you can Start and
Stop each of your encoders by
selecting those buttons. Simply
"Select" an encoder
you wish to Stop or Start in the
encoders "Status list"
and click on the desired function/button.
The "Scripting Window"
is the last button on the far
right of the Menu - (red arrow
and document image). This enables
the "Scripting Window"
- We will cover more on this feature
later - but in short it will allow
you to add "In-Stream"
scripting commands and do really
cool things for your listeners
by passing commands directly into
the encoder and then in your stream
to the listener!
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Select your encoder type
There are currently 3
different types in the list:
- WMA (v9 advanced)
- MP3 (mp3pro or plain mp3)
Select the one you wish to use
and click "OK" - it
is now added to your list and
you can now move on to the instructions
for whichever encoder type you've
chosen.
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Adding mp3PRO or mp3 plain
encoder Converter
For mp3PRO and mp3 plain
you will need to click on the
"Choose Format" button
and in the dropdown menu that
appears you will select the mp3
type (pro or plain), the Bitrate
and the samplerate (frequency)
as well as the Stereo or Mono
setting combination you desire.
Then - Select "OK" to
add the setting you chose.
Next, In the "General options"
section, you can set your encoder
to "Auto Start" and
or "Auto reconnect"
within a specific time and also
by selecting "Allow Scripts
in Stream" you will enable
the "Automatic data streaming"
for embedded MP3 players that
support it like that at AudioRealm.com
- *Make sure to have also selected
the "Allow scripts in stream"
option for this to function.
Additionally there will be more
innovative functions coming in
the future for "In-Stream"
scripting - but we'll cover that
later..
Adding Station and Server
Details
Select the "Server Details"
tab and you should now see the
same window as shown in our image.
First you will select your "Server
Type". For mp3pro/mp3 streaming,
this plugin can support many different
types of mp3 server including
ShoutCAST.
Here we will be configuring the
most widely used, a ShoutCast
mp3 server like the ones we use
with our AudioRealm Hosting services.
Simply fill in the details starting
with your Servers IP, Port and
Password information and then
adding your Stations details,
Select your stations "Genre"
and add your websites URL. Optional
are the AIM, ICQ and IRC details.
If you wish to have your station
listed in the associated servers
"Public" listing directory
- you will need to make sure that
you check the box to enable that.
Selecting this option will list
your station on http://www.shoutcast.com/.
Great for listener traffic generation!
However, if you wish your stations
listing to be "Private",
then DO NOT select the "List
on public" option.
If you wish to have your stations
information as well as Song, Artist,
Album and such information displayed
in the listeners player, you must
check the "Enable title streaming"
option!
If you plan on running a ShoutCast
or Icecast server located or running
on the same machine as your Broadcast,
then try and avoid using "localhost"
or 127.0.0.1 ,and if your machine
has an assigned IP best results
will be achieved from using it
instead, however you can use localhost
or 127.0.0.1 - But again, having
the "True" IP is best.
*NOTE - DO NOT use a proxy
IP if you are in fact running
off a Proxy server!!
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Configuring Windows Media
Audio 9 (WMA9)
Setting up a WMA encoder
is pretty straight forward. First
you will need to select your audio
"Profile" or Bitrate/Sampling
settings. There are several pre-defined
settings available in the profile
list and they are generally the
most widely accepted settings
to use. But you are also able
to create your own "Custom"
profiles.
Setting WMA Stream Options
After you have selected your Audio
"Profile", click on
the "Stream Options"
tab. Here you will need to add
your desired "Port"
and "Max clients" information.
By default the PORT is automatically
set for you and in most cases
it will not need to be changed,
however in some cases with firewall's
and proxy servers, they may require
that you use another port. Simply
add it instead.
In regards to the "Max Clients",
this setting is conditional on
how many listeners or WMA servers
you wish to allow connection "Directly"
to your encoder or indeed your
PC machine.
*NOTE -The plugin will actually
allow you to encode and stream
"Direct" to your listeners
without the use of a WMA server
but this is HIGHLY not recommended!
The user will be connecting to
YOU directly and it will have
an adverse affect on the amount
of your Band-width available.
Simply you will be serving the
stream directly - so be sure you
know you have sufficient Band-width
resources to achieve this otherwise
for "Optimal" usage,
you should only use a WMA Streaming
server and set the "Max Connections"
of your WMA encoder to 1 or 2,
or dependent on the amount of
WMA servers you will be using
or allowing connection with.
However you will need to note
that a WMA encoded stream functions
with it's server in a somewhat
different way than the MP3 encoder/server
process.
Basically the WMA server will
need to know "your IP and
port information" as opposed
to setting it in the plugin configuration
itself (reverse of what MP3 Encoder
is). The WMA server will then
look for your WMA encoders IP
and port that each is running
on and connect directly to you,
then serve the stream to your
listeners.
If you are using a Stream Host
provider such as "AudioRealm's",
they will require your IP/Port
info and then assist you with
the servers actual link information
to use to serve your stream.
In the "Scripting" tab
you can select the "Scripting",
"Title Streaming" and
"Allow automatic data streaming"
options
Stream Archive
A nice feature included with the
SimpleCast Internet Broadcaster
plugin (mp3PRO, MP3, WMA, OGG)
is the ability to "Archive"
or save the stream directly to
a folder on your Hardrive in the
format it is being encoded in.
This is very useful specifically
if you have a show or event that
you would also like to have "saved".
For each plugin the process is
the same - simply check the "Save
stream to file" option and
select the directory you wish
it to be saved to, then name the
file using it's associated extension
(i.e.. - .wma, .mp3)
Next, you may
select the "File split options"
depending on how you desire the
file to be saved. Then as soon
as you "Start" or enable
the encoder, the encoded data
will begin to be written and saved
to to the folder on your hardrive
that you selected.
Be SURE to Stop the encoder when
you are finished with the portion
of your Event or Show you chose
to save. The file that is created
will be the same "Bitrate/Sampling"
rate that the encoder was initially
set to.
*NOTE - Be "Extremely"
careful when using this feature
as it will write data continuously
to your drive - be sure to disable
it when not desiring it's use
or you will quickly fill your
Hardrive!
Real Time Statistics
In the main display you can click
on the "Statistics"
button. Now you should see the
Statistic Relays Display. This
statistics tracks "each"
server type and reports each server's
statistics separately but also
combines all the server so you
know the "total" listeners
of all your servers as well as
what your peak listenership is.
You may also
if you like, sign up for "FREE"
to join the AudioRealm Network
as a member of their Internet
Broadcast Community and receive
additional services and resources
that will extend this plugins
abilities. Visit their site for
more information at www.audiorealm.com
Shoutcast Relay
To add a Shoutcast relay - fill
in the "Host" or server's
IP, the server's "Port"
and the password assigned the
server, then select OK. You can
also do this in the "Config"
section (see above). The relay
should now be added to the "Status
Window" of the Plugin. Also,
if you are adding multiple relays
- you can assign them each their
own color for display in the your
stats graph - Do this by clicking
on the "Color" block
and select the color you wish
to associate with the relay.
MPM/WMA(Windows Media) Relay
In the Stats Plugin,
you will notice that we refer
to Windows Media Server relays
as MPM. This is because as previously
explained in this documentation,
MPM or Media Point Manager is
required to be in use in conjunction
with a Windows Media Server.
Assuming you have acquired
a Windows Media host solution
with MPM support or have configured
your "personally" owned
WMA server with MPM - you would
have received a password and username
to connect to an MPM configured
"mount point".
Now add your username and password
in the "Station Information"
fields and then select your Host
provider and or WMA Servers name
that will appear in the "MPM
Host" Drop down menu.In most
cases you will always set the
"MPM Port" to 8008,
but your host provider will give
you these details.
Next in the "Alias"
Drop down menu, select your "Alias"
name given to you by your Host
provider, in most cases this will
generally be your stations name
or something close to it. Then
set the "Bitrate" your
will be broadcasting at, set a
"Color" for display
on the Stats Graph and select
OK. Your new MPM stats relay is
now added to the "Status
Window" of your plugin.
Relays "Status"
Window
If you have successfully configured
and added your relays, then your
"Status" window will
appear like this - also once the
"Relays Plugin" has
connected to your server/servers
- it will report it's "Status"
as "Active(OK)". Your
servers details (IP/Port) will
appear in the Display, also the
audio format you are streaming
, the Bitrate, the server "type"
and of course the amount of listeners
and connection capacity for each
relay you have added.
At anytime that you wish to "Hide"
or minimize the Stats Plugin,
simply click on the "Hide"
button and it will then reside
in your task bar. Mouseing over
the plugins icon will also display
the current and High listener
connections. Right clicking on
this icon will bring up a menu
allowing you to select to "Show"
or "Hide" the plugin.
Statistics Relay
Graph
The graph displays each of your
relay's details in the predefined
color you assigned them. The Statistics
will update automatically every
60 seconds or you can "Force"
an update by clicking on the "Force
Update" Icon in the menu.
With Shift-Drag left mouse you
can drag a box. The graph will
then zoom to that box. Shift-click
on the graph to restore the graph
to normal size. Using Ctrl-Click
then dragging the window in any
direction, you can "Pan the
view" of the graph. This
can be used to browse back a little
into your stats history or to
expand the window to make it larger.
Shift-Click once again restores
the graph to normal.
Statistics Menu
There are 5 Icons that relate
to functions of the plugin -
The first or far left icon is
to open the "Main Configuration"
window.
The + (add relay) icon adds a
relay type.
The - or (remove relay) icon removes
a relay entry.
The "Tools" icon allows
you to selectively configure or
manage a relay.
The "circular" or far
right icon when pressed will "Force
Update" all your relays immediately.
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All information contained within this document is ©1999-2003 Spacial*Audio Solutions
mp3PRO" and the mp3PRO Logo are registered trademarks of Thomson or its subsidiaries.
ShoutCast is a Trademark of Nullsoft, Windows Media is trademark of Microsoft.
Icecast is and open source project - information regarding it's development can be found HERE
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STREAMINGPULSE SIMPLECAST
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