MagicRDS + MediaTouch

[tboneonair]

Our company has been using a custom Python script to handle our RDS task for awhile now. Basically what we're doing is parsing the MediaTouch XML file and if music matches our music category of CMU, it'll send the now playing information. But, advertisers who purchase ads and want them to show on RDS, the sales people will load the ads into the COM category and write a campaign message in the album field. This script sees that and sends it to the RDS encoder at the remote tower site. If the ad is in COM but DOESN'T have album information filled in, the script skips over it and displays a generic station message.

I'm hoping to do the same thing with Magic RDS. But, I don't know the proper way to write it out or if it can even do such a thing. I'd also like to take Voice Tracks from our VT category of VTC and display weather.

Is this possible? Has anyone done this and if so what's the way to do it.

Thank you for any help.

[Jan]

It does not sound difficult to me. It would be nice if you can attach a sample XML for each situation and add corresponding instructions what to do. This way we can prepare an instant configuration.

[tboneonair]

Thank you! I can never find my barrings on trying to write something out like this. The python script was written by someone who is no longer with our company, so editing or expanding is a problem. That's why I like Magic RDS. It has a nice clean user interface that's easier to work with but our company would like to keep some of the functions of the old script.

Ad.xml - If category COM and it has album information, send to DPS1 and RT.
Ad.xml - If category COM but no album information is present - Send generic message to DPS1 and RT.

VoiceTrack.xml - if VTC category, send weather from Text Source 2 to DPS1 and RT.
Text Source 2 is a text file generated by our weather application that lives at C:\wx.txt that i'm loading into Magic RDS.

Music.xml - if CMU category, send to DPS1 and RT.

That's pretty much it.

[Jan]

Nicely described. Thank you for using this forum.

Please download latest version at https://pira.cz/rds/MagicRDS_Setup.exe

Then configure the text sources as showed on the images attached.

[Jan]

Important lines are the Output Template in Source 1 and all the Text Replacing lines.

You can copy the Output Template from here:
Now Playing: %1% by %2%[CAT%3%][ALB%4%]

The Text Replacing rules can be imported using File - Restore - Text Replacing. The file is attached.

There are some new features which were originally written for the upcoming version 4 of the Magic RDS. This will be a completely new control software for all PIRA encoders and some other brand encoders but its release is scheduled to end of the year. So you don't need to wait. Please report any issues.

[tboneonair]

This is absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for this.

One last thing, when it detects COM with Album information, I need it to send that Album info only to DPS1 and RT1, don't include Artist or Title. How would I do that?

[tboneonair]

I figured out one way to get it.

I'm parsing the XML again as Source 3, with %1% set as Album.
%2% %3% %4% all blank
When COM comes up with Album information.

%REGEXP%\[CATCOM\]\[ALB.+\] to %CLEAR%%SOURCE3TEXT%%END%

Unfortunately when I tried the same setup with our rock station using VTR as Voice Track and RMU as music category, the text replacement quit working.

[Jan]

Thanks for nice ideas. Please download latest version at https://pira.cz/rds/MagicRDS_Setup.exe

Now you can access directly the XML elements %1% to %4% in the "TO" column. See the screenshot.

Some pieces of the new code were not tested yet in real operation so any feedback is welcome.

[tboneonair]

Happy to help!

[CATVTC] - %CLEAR%%SOURCE2TEXT%%END%
[CATCMU] - %TERMINATE%%END%
%REGEXP%\[CATCOM\]\[ALB.+\] - %CLEAR%%4%%END"
%REGEXP%\[CAT.*\] - %CLEAR%Type default message here%END%

Doesn't appear to be working. When COM + Album comes up it's still continuing to show it as Artist - Title instead of replacing it with Album info only. Also, the VTC category is displaying the Artist - Title information as well which in MediaTouch displays as VOICE TRACK by VOICE TRACK. It should be showing anything in Source 2 which in my case is the Weather file. Any ideas?

I've made sure to update which each new version. I'm on 3.8e

Another idea is when a TALK BREAK or FEED is playing in MediaTouch the XML is blank with only the <PlayList></PlayList> brackets. Is there a way to have it output a generic text when that happens instead of having it just show only: " - " or " by ".

Thanks for nice ideas. Please download latest version at https://pira.cz/rds/MagicRDS_Setup.exe

Now you can access directly the XML elements %1% to %4% in the "TO" column. See the screenshot.

Some pieces of the new code were not tested yet in real operation so any feedback is welcome.

[Jan]

Is there a way to have it output a generic text when that happens instead of having it just show only: " - " or " by ".

Your question contains the answer because any unwanted string can be replaced by another string.

Check all fields, it's working well on my side.

[tboneonair]

Disregard my last post. Appears to have been an issue on my system. I cleared my registry and it started working. :-D

You're awesome. Thank you for adding this functionality to your software.

[tboneonair]

Also make sure if anyone else uses this to not have remove explicit brackets turned on. It'll remove the [CAT] and [ALB] brackets. 

Seems to be working. I'll continue to monitor and give any feedback I can after some production use.