Difference between revisions of "Pre-Recording"

Revision as of 19:54, 24 January 2017

These are step-by-step instructions for pre-recording your show. Please also consider making this pre-record evergreen.

Evergreen Shows

Evergreen means the show is timeless and can be ready to air in any situation. Every DJ should have an evergreen in the can for weather emergencies or other emergencies.
NOTE:

• An Evergreen show may air a second time, but no sooner than 6 months after the initial airing. If an show has aired twice, you are responsible for creating a new evergreen show.
• If it is possible to get a sub that can stick to the format of your show, or possible for Nick to find a sub for your show, that is always prefered over using a recorded show. They should really be for emergencies or if a number of shows will be missed in a short span of time.
  

Evergreen Show Requirements:

• Do not reference the date, time or even “morning”, “afternoon”, “tonight” etc. or weather.
• Do not mention upcoming concerts, events, current events etc.
• Do not mention that an album or song, or really anything, is new.
• Do not mention the show before or after yours.
• Although it’s difficult, do not mention the breaks! It may seem odd, but do not mention “after the break” or "after these words" or any reference to an upcoming spot that runs during your show in Wide Orbit. Replace mentioning the break by succinctly ID’ing yourself, the show and KDHX. There may not always be a break.

Step by Step Instructions for your Pre-Record

1. Scheduling Contact Nick at 314-881-8504 or e-mail nick [at] kdhx.org to reserve Air 2 or Prod 1 to record. We will preferably need at least two weekdays after the session is recorded to have it prepared for automated playout from Wide Orbit. Particularly for the first time, we recommend reserving 3 hours in case of any problems, 4 hours for 3 hour shows. Please reference the KDHX Studio Reservations page to see current studio availability for Air 2 or Prod 1 before requesting available time.

2. Pre-enter your playlist in Spinitron Enter your playlist into Spinitron prior to recording. Even if you don’t typically enter your playlist in advance, this will definitely save time and aggravation so you can focus on recording the show. It is also nearly essential for keeping rough track of time and set breaks every 19 minutes. You will be able to roughly gauge where your set breaks will be and plan for them. Every segment should be roughly 19 minutes. If one segment is over by a minute or two, the next segment recorded should be under by a minute or two, but keep as close to 19 minutes as possible.

• Choose the correct date the show will air in Spinitron. (Evergreen: If you are unsure when it will air, a date will need to be associated with it. Always select January 1, 2000 and the time your show typically airs. -- Later when you know when the show will air you can change the date by clicking playlists>browse>(select Jan. 1, 2000). Then, edit the playlist to the correct air date.)
• Choose the “I'm working on the playlist ‘before my show’” option.
• Choose the "I want manual time-stamps," options so your playlist correlates with the time the songs actually air, not the time it is when you enter them in advance.

3. Check this out for complete instructions on the latest AudioHiJack 3.0 software >> Recording:_Using_Audio_HiJack.

• Name and save your file like this [Show name - Air Date - (EV or NEV)] Add EV for evergreen, if it is not timely and could potentially be aired again after 6 months if you are in a bind. In most cases, it is ideal that all pre-records be evergreen. See the top of the page for what makes a show evergreen. If the pre-record is a holiday or really needs to be timely for some reason, add NEV.

• Quit Audio Hijack from the File menu at the top, or at the bottom of the screen by right-clicking the program icon and choosing “quit.”

4. Just as you do your show live, keep your show running in 19-minute segments. If one segment is over by a minute or two, the next segment should be under by a minute or two. The entire show should run 1:52-1:54 for two-hour shows or 2:47-2:48 for three-hour shows. Do not make reference to any of the Wide Orbit spots. There may not always be a pre-recorded Wide Orbit spot in between segments, this is always true in instances where there would normally be a live read. Do not include any live reads in your recording.

Be sure to leave at least 5 seconds or as long as you need between 19-minute segments. The longer the gap the better for editing.

5. Keeping track of your time using your Spinitron playlist and the timer on the board. Spinitron will often insert track lengths for you or you can update the lengths as you go. Using these rough set breaks in your Spinitron playlist as a guide, you will be able to roughly guess your 19-minute segments. It’s not an exact science, but will be a helpful guide to keep track of which 19-minute segment of your show you are on.

The board timer is an exact science. It is very simple to use, and is located on the bottom-right corner of the board. Just hit “reset” before each segment. Hit Start” when you begin your segment and “Stop” when you end your 19-minute segment. Hit reset and repeat. It’s that simple. You may want to keep track of which segment of your show you are on using scratch paper.

6. Forward announce the last song of each hour and end your show with a song or two that can potentially be faded down. Near the end of the final segment of each hour, back announce previous music, and forward announce the last song. It is always better to go a little longer on the very last segment of your show, than too short. The last track or two of your show should be an instrumental track or a track that would be okay to fade down by the next DJ, if your show runs long at all. This ensures underwriting is played on time, and you can remain respectful of the next show.

7. Double-check your playlist Review your playlist in Spinitron to be sure that it remains correct.

8. *IMPORTANT* e-mail Nick, once completed to let him know that the show is recorded and in the Pre-Records folder on the Desktop. He will need to know:

• The studio where your pre-record audio is saved in the pre-records folder. (Air 2 or Prod 1?)
• The time and date the show should air
• If it is evergreen and could potentially be aired again > 6 months.
• If there were errors (a retake) during the recording, what time of the error and which segment of the show. (1st, 2nd, 3rd segment of the first hour. 1st, 2nd, 3rd segment of the second hour etc.) Fission is audio editing made simple. If you recorded your whole show as one long file and are ready for more control of your pre-record, here's some simple instructions on how to edit the show into segments or chop off any extended pauses at the beginning or end. If you will be editing for the first time, I recommend making a copy of your recording first by right-clicking and selecting "copy." Fission - click for instructions This is optional. If you are not interested in editing sound, this can be handled for you.

Just a reminder that we are not monitoring for FCC violations, as a show programmer, this is always your responsibility.

9. Sign the air room log for the time it will air Finally, sign the bottom of the FCC Log in the air room for the time/day that your pre-recorded show will air, since you are responsible for on-air content at that time. Meter readings will be handled by the DJ leaving as your show begins, so no need to worry about that.

10. You’re Done. Relax.