MusicMaster System Setup

The MusicMaster Archive File Conversion Utility can be used to convert any existing MusicMaster music schedule to an ASCII text file. The program file LOG2ASC.EXE and the optional configuration file LOG2ASC.DEF must be placed in your MusicMaster program directory. LOG2ASC will always look at the currently selected data set. To change the current data set, use the MusicMaster Datafile Manager (DFM.EXE). The utility will prompt you to select the music schedule you wish to convert. Once you have selected a date, you will see the progress of the conversion on the screen. When the conversion is finished, the program will exit immediately.

Customizing the Output File

The configuration file (LOG2ASC.DEF) controls the format and the destination of the output file. This is an ASCII text file which can be created and edited using any word processor (making sure to save the finished file as straight ASCII, not a word processing document). Once this file is created, it must reside in the same directory as the LOG2ASC.EXE file. A variety of command-line switches are also available for customizing the output file. However, these switches can also be included in the configuration file.

The specific file structure required for LogMerge is as follows:

LOG2ASC.DEF

File Item	Meaning
F:\MUSIC	This is the path to where the ASCII output file is stored.
99,C	Custom field to indicate a music record (type C to DCS/Maestro)
51	Airtime
1,2,4	Cart number field
2	Artist name
3	Song title
22	Runtime
5	Intro time
6	Ending type

The comments in the right column above are not part of the LOG2ASC.DEF file; they are for reference purposes only.

If you have existing cart numbers and current carts are 4 digits change the cart number line to read "1,1,4". The normal configuration when using the global update will place a leading zero and by selecting the starting position as 2 will remove it. However if the cart number is only 4 digits then the starting position should be 1.

For additional information on LOG2ASC refer to your MusicMaster manual under "Automation System Interface".

Keyword Flags

Non-music elements, including other carts - liners, jingles, voice tracks, etc.- and DCS-specific automation information can be entered in the music log as special log notes. A special syntax is used to tell LogMerge that these elements are not standard log notes. Each of the items available must start at the beginning of the note and be entered as documented in the table below.

Keyword / Explanation
CART_VT_????_MMSS
	Direct Cart Call where ???? = Cart Number where MMSS = length of cart Note: Cart numbers can include DCS macro characters, including: % - Day of week (1=Monday, 7=Sunday) ^ - Current hour (1=1 o'clock, C=12 o'clock) ## - Current Voice (01-99)
DIRECTIVE_LR_mm_????_DESCRIPTION (up to 24 characters)
	Load Directive where LR = type of DCS load directive "LR" OR "LP" (load break or load and play break) where mm = minute value where the directive should occur where ???? = minutes and seconds indicating the length of the load DESCRIPTION = user description field. Time approximate can be used by placing a ~ (tilde) character as first element in the description field, time update by placing a $ (dollar sign) character as the first element in the description field.
DIRECTIVE_LW_mm_rr00_DESCRIPTION (up to 24 characters)
	Load Window Directive where mm = minute value where the directive should occur where rr = the relay number of window to load. For Set Voice, use 99 DESCRIPTION = user description field. For Set Voice, use $xx in the description, where xx equals the voice number. For other windows, use $xxxx, where xxxx is the appropriate value for the window contents. Refer to your audio sytem documentation for more information.
FUNCTION_??_mm_DESCRIPTION (up to 24 characters)
	DCS User Function Call Directive where ?? = DCS function number 01-99 where mm = minute at which to execute function where DESCRIPTION is descriptive only

MusicMaster Traffic Interface

To make MusicMaster logs ready to be merged with traffic, merge markers must be included in the MusicMaster log. To add a traffic merge, move to the desired point on MusicMaster clock ( or schedule ). Then, touch the [INSERT] key and select a "T" element. MusicMaster will ask for a merge time (minutes). This must match with the traffic log. As an example, if the traffic island (stopset) on traffic starts at :20, then set traffic merge to :20.

If the traffic merge points to a non-existent time on the traffic log, an error will occur in the merge program. LogMerge will point to the time in the music log that called for the merge.

Traffic merges must exist for all 24 hours to include traffic records in the merged log.

Voice Tracks

Because non-music carts can be placed on the music log, precise placement is possible for voice tracks. Voice tracks can be placed according to the station's format. In addition the announcer preparing the voice tracks can identify the music exactly to intro, outro, etc. Voice track carts are placed in the music log using the keyword flag documented earlier.

To simplify placing these carts on the log DCS macro characters can be used. If you use these macro characters it must be consistent through-out. It is recommended that a grid be drafted showing precisely which cart plays in any given hour.

You may wish to refer to the sample voice track grid in this manual. It represents a chart or grid of a sample of 7 days. You will notice each of the four digits of the cart number has a unique value. Beginning at the left, Position #1 is used to identify these carts as voice tracks, Position #2 represents the day of the week (1=Monday; 7=Sunday). Position #3 is the current hour as a single digit (1=1 o'clock, 9 = 9 o'clock, A=10 o'clock, B=11 o'clock, and C=12 o'clock). The fourth digit represents the position within the hour.

Because the time of day can represent only 12 hours, it is generally accepted that the fourth digit is used to separate the voice tracks into 2, 12 hour groups. Position four can be A to Z and 1 to 9. Splitting these by 2 would allow up to 18 individual carts per hour for voice tracks. If additional carts are needed then by changing position one to a different letter would gain another 18 possible carts per hour.

Talent

LogMerge provides special features for times that are voice tracked. To enable these functions a soft switch is used called VOICE TRACK??.

By placing VOICE TRACK?? on the talent title for any given hour, LogMerge will recognize that hour as a voice tracked hour.

The double question marks (??) represent the announcer voice number ( 01-99). This number should be assigned to each announcer that will be doing voice tracks and must be unique.

Examples:

11pm-3am = 01
3am-6am = 02

The talent lines would be written as:

Norman Konkwest VOICE TRACK01
Guy Weyer VOICE TRACK02

When LogMerge sees the soft switch, it will do the following:

1.	Any time LogMerge sees ## in a cart number it will be replaced with the announcer voice number.

2.	Cart length times will be replaced with the actual AUX length from audio inventory.

3.	Log description will be read from audio inventory.

4.	Any log notes will be stripped, unless the Keep All Log Notes flag has been set in configuration.