BeatFlow Player - Documentation

BeatFlow Player offers three different variations for use:
•As normal audio player [Mode: AUTO with no scheduling]
Ideal for classic users with no special needs.

•As scheduled audio player [Mode: AUTO with scheduling]
Ideal for small radio stations, coffee shops etc...
Playlists are scheduled by time but can also be played on demand.

•As Live Mixing DJ Tool [Mode: Live DJ]
Fully manual control of the Live program with manual mixing and live audio preview via AUX player

On all three options the audio result can be recorder and broadcasted using BeatFlow Broadcaster.

BeatFlow Player
The main difference of BeatFlow Player from another players is the dual player at any mode [AUTO or Live DJ]
With this feature you can see and change the next song from the current playlist.

AUTO Mode
You can load the songs from the current playlist and hit play .
The mixing is done automatically by the program .
You can change the mixing settings by using current playlist - right-clicking and press "Edit Selected".
Fade in is the fade in timing from the start of each song.
Fade out is the fade out timing from the end of each song.
Fade zone is the time from end of the previous song that starts the next song.
Ex
Song 1 with Duration 3min and Fade zone 20000
triggers Song 2 when Song 1 reaches the Song1 duration-Fade zone
(So in this example 2min and 40sec).

The order of the current playlist can be changed by drag and drop
All playlists have these extra settings / features
Fade in
Fade Out
Fade Zone
SampleRate
Comment
Gain
EQ
Example of an EQ 10band setting :
-100;-41;-19;-3;3;14;35;41;73;100
You can also use the Equalizer Copy button
These extra settings can be stored for each song by saving the playlist as pcsv [recommended option]

The "Upcoming Playlist" tabs shows you the next scheduled playlist if any
The "Create Playlist" can create or edit an older playlist .
The Playlist scheduler has three sections/options
•Repeats : The repeats are the repeated schedulers.
The repeats are used to fill the week program.
After the repeat creation you have to select it from the repeats list and then hit the "Propagate Go" button

•Week program : this is the program of a week
This includes all the scheduled programs of a week

•Daily scheduler : use this to schedule a playlist after the first week.

Ex Christmas Day
The scheduler works on AUTO Mode and only if the is enabled from Settings -> Auto mode -> Scheduler -> Enabled
To ensure that you have the scheduler enabled a red arrow is appeared at the main program clock

Important settings
Settings -> Audio Out
Set the audio out device for players 1+2
Pay attention at the sound latency.
On some situations maybe you have short interruptions of the sound specially when opening playlists while the player is playing .
If this occurs change the latency from 0.08 (default) to 0.5 for example and restart beatflow player.
This will help to eliminate the short interruptions

Use a second audio card or USB audio card in order to set up your AUX player in order to preview your songs.
If you do not want an AUX player set the AUX audio ID the same as the Audio ID of the players1+2

Command line
-p autoplays the loaded songs
You can load via command line songs, playlists and folders of songs
Examples
BeatFlowPlayer.exe C:/Music/song.mp3
BeatFlowPlayer.exe C:/Music/song1.mp3,C:/Music/song2.mp3 -p
BeatFlowPlayer.exe C:/Music/song1.mp3,C:/Music/songs.m3u -p
BeatFlowPlayer.exe C:/Music/ -p

BeatFlow Broadcaster
How to Record:
•Use the "Record" tab from settings to set up your recording.

BeatFlow Broadcaster
How to Broadcast:
•Use "Broadcast" tab to set up your shoutcast/icecast server credentials

•Under "Audio In" you can configure up to two Inputs
ex: Primary ID: "Speakers What you hear" (as output) and
Secondary ID: "Mic"
Usually the Primary ID = -1 and the Secondary should be the Mic ID ex: 2
Under Windows you might need a newer drivers of your soundcard
that enables you to capture your output as input.
Usually can be found from the soundcard manifacturer or www.driverscape.com
Make soure you have something like this
Sound -> Recording -> Stereo-Mix or
Sound -> Recording -> What U Hear
Under Linux the Primary ID should be -1
If you need only one input or you have synch issues
use the same ID to the secondary input
ex Primary ID = -1 and
Secondary ID = -1

•Under "Audio Out" set up your speakers ID.
Usually this is -1
BeatFlow Broadcaster Create a non audible Noise Player at
the mains speakers so icecast server does not interupt
Once set up try to record
If you get MP3 or OGG/Vorbis files at BeatFlowBroadcaster folder
you can proceed with broadcasting

• Tip 1
Avoid lowering Primary Volume or Crossfade bar since this lowers the
Primary non audible Noise player and can cause stream disconnections
You can safely lower the Secondary - Mic volume.
Even better use "BeatFlow Player" to pilot "BeatFlow Broadcaster" safely.

• Tip 2
Under Linux if you have synch issues with the two inputs
use only one input
ex Primary ID = -1 and
Secondary ID = -1
then
place your headphones at your back headphone jack of the PC
PulseAudio volume control > Configuration tab > Analog Stereo Duplex
PulseAudio clients can send audio to "sinks" and receive audio from "sources".
So sinks = outputs (audio goes there speakers headphones)
sources = inputs (audio comes from there mic)
Do via command line
pactl info

a)Create virtual speaker "recording"
pacmd load-module module-null-sink sink_name=recording sink_properties=device.description=recording
[recording]
b) loopback mirrors microphone to virtual speaker "recording"
module-loopback: routes your input(source microphone) to your output(sink speakers)
find your sources using
pacmd list-sources
*alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor
*alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo ---> my mic
pactl load-module module-loopback source=alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo sink=recording latency_msec=1
you get at PulseAudio volume control tab Playback [Loopback from Build-In Audio Analog Stereo on [recording]]
tab Recording [Loopback to recording from [Build-In Audio Analog Stereo]]

c) mirror your speakers to virtual speaker "recording"
find your sinks using
pacmd list-sinks
*alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo
pacmd load-module module-combine-sink sink_name=combined sink_properties=device.description=combined slaves=recording,alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo
this sets output of alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo=recording
you get at PulseAudio volume control
tab Playback [Simultaneus output on recording on [recording] ]
tab Playback [Simultaneus output on Built-In Audio Analog Stereo on [Built-In Audio Analog Stereo] ]

Now from PulseAudio volume control select
playback set your player with [combined]
recording set your recorder with [Alsa BeatFlowBroadcaster [Monitor of recording]]
This records mic and speakers [The user does not hear himself]

use
pulseaudio -k
to clear all modifications and restart pulseaudio

BeatFlow Broadcaster has been tested on these free radio broadcasters with success

caster.fm [icecast2]
listen2myradio.com [icecast2]
free-shoutcast.com [shoutcast]
yanapak.org [icecast2]