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BRANSON, Mo. At Hometown radio,
KOMC(AM)-FM and KRZK(FM) in Branson, Mo., the Ultimate Digital Studio
II and DCS combo make the job of operations manager a breeze. Just
don't tell the general manager - he thinks this computer stuff takes a
lot of work. We program two 50 kw FMs: one for country listeners and one
for a large population of adult standard fans. We have a UDS II
system with a Sony 3600 CD changer in each control room. Training is a
breeze. Operators learn one system, then go from station to station,
maximizing our air talent resources. They all love the UDS II
system. Old vinyl-and-tape guys like me pick it up in a flash. Even
people who have never done radio can operate the UDS II with a
minimum of instruction. I have been a happy Ultimate Digital Studio
costomer since our original purchase in 1991. when I heard a new
feature-rich UDS II system was in development in 1994, I was on
the phone to Dallas to get on the list to be one of the first kids on
the block to have one. It turned out to be a sound choice.
Reincarnation
The previous incarnation of the UDS II was a product of TM
Century. TM sold that portion of the company to On Air Digital USA
about a year ago . As a long term UDS customer, I was a bit
uneasy about the deal at first. But the best of the TM team moved with
the product, and service from On Air is stronger than ever. The
reliability of the UDS/DCS combination is impressive. Neither the
UDS II software nor its associated computer have caused me to be
off the air for one minute in the past seven years. The only time it has
been off is when we turned it off to rearrange the studio or when a
power failure ran longer than the UPS backup could hold on. We have
since installed a 4 kW generator to power all components attached to the
UPS., All I have to remember now is to keep the gas tank full and give
it a squirt of Stabil once in a while. The four networked DCS computers
have been similarly trouble-free. We have had to replace a monitor or
two and have managed to beat a keyboard to death, but the system ran on
a while we borrowed what we needed from odd office computers down the
hall. And because the UDS II is PC-based, acquiring replacement
peripherals is a snap with a visit to the local computer store. I often
hear tales of woe from my contract engineer friends about someone's
system locking up, a glitch with some software or a unit mysteriously
fried by some errant static charge. I just smile and say, "Maybe I
should knock on wood. That just doesn't seem to happen at Hometown
Radio." I credit the people who have built these systems with a
commitment to quality. There are some top-drawer developers at On Air
Digital who are continually refining and adding useful features to
the UDS II. Meanwhile, the folks in Lenexa, Kan., at Computer
Concepts (home of the DCS) have established a track record for
reliability as well. Put the two systems together and you get a package
that allows walkaway operation without constantly looking over your
shoulder.
Adding to the mix
The original Ultimate Digital Studio system was a reliable
box, but lacked time-based features that even older proprietary units
could boast. The UDS II came along to address those issues and
added a host of other features. Although the on-screen display did not
change much between the two versions, the entire UDS II software
scheme was rewritten from the ground up. The new software was thoroughly
tested in-house in Dallas and in real-world beta tests in the United
States and abroad. The result is a product that controls a wide range of
audio sources, interfaces with all major music scheduling software
packages and allows the operator to time out every hour with precision.
Control room clutter is kept to a minimum. We have done away with paper
logs, PSA's and liners can appear on screen with a keystroke and even
the weather has an on-screen home. A pop-up countdown timer is handy for
contests, there is a perpetual calendar and a calculator that does basic
math and time calculations. The UDS II makes provisions for RBDS
as well. When recording liners for walkaway operation, we can key in the
run times of your announcements. As these are entered in the playlist,
the Time Update key can display how the remaining hours of the day will
time out. Judicious use of this feature and the voice-tracking
capability of the UDS II has led seasoned radio pros to inform me
they can't tell when I am live or tracked.
Going Awry
Every once in a while, we all make a bonehead mistake that will put
some information on the screen never seen before. But help is only a
phone call away and the answer is right there. I once got confused and
loaded the KOMC (adult) schedule for the ensuing day into the KRZK
(country) machine. When I saw that most of my music had not loaded, I
immediately thought there was a problem with the machine - as they say,
popes and operations managers are infallible. Technical support helped
me check out a few things on the scheduler list. Suddenly I realized I
was looking at the Andrews Sisters instead of the Forrester Sisters on
my country playlist. Reloading the proper schedule put everything right
and the current day's events continued to run like nothing ever
happened. And the tech guy was gracious in trying to make me feel less
stupid for performing the radio equivalent of the square peg in the
round hole. Reliablity, ease of operation, dependable tech support and a
vision to the future make the UDS II a suitable choice. From time
to time, I have suggested features to enhance the UDS II system,
and each time the On Air folks have responded with software that
does the job. I scan their "wish list" of enhancements for other
customers using different source devices and find they are meticulous
about meeting the needs of each client. If you are looking for a system
that will reliably take your station into the 21st century, I would
recommend you look at the UDS II. |
July 8, 1998