What is the purpose of pal scripts ?

[frankallen]

Hi all,

 

What is the purpose of pal scripts ? how do they work ? and what do they do ?

[SmoothJazz]

Pal scripts (Playlist Automation Language) allows for programbility using logic to accomplish playout far above the simple rotation of a "playlist" or predetermined order of tracks or categories. You can make decisions based on Time, play count, songtype, artist, ...etc.. and execute sql statements or pal statements within a PAL. It can also be used to update your database setting values to your desire.

[djgary72]

PAL Scripts. ..... For one thing aren't as useful or easy to write as they are made out to be. Secondly are a complete pain to learn No piece of Broadcasting software should be made as complicated as SAM and it's PAL Scripting interface.

 

I Like Simple and easy to use ..... oh yes RadioDJ!

[countrywesterndj]

PAL scripts can do things that other free software can not do, for example:

• Check the queue. If a song by The Rolling Stones is up next, locate a station Liner by the Stones and play it just before song plays
  
• Check for a listener request. If the next is a requested song, play a special Liner announcing the request is up next.
  
• Play 2 Songs by the same artist in a row + an Artist Liner (2 Fer Script)
  
• Category Rotation - Play specific songs from a genre with liners sandwiched from 1 to xx hours. Also a liner announcing the show and one ending the show
  
• Change the # of requests a listener can use during the day (on the fly)
  

PAL is very easy to use, any 12 year old would have no problems writing scripts.

 

However if you still don't understand, there is a new website for help with PAL scripts:

http://www.palscripts.com

[frankallen]

Thanks very much guys I will have to have a play around with a few.

[djgary72]

PAL scripts can do things that other free software can not do, for example:

 

Play 2 Songs by the same artist in a row + an Artist Liner (2 Fer Script)

 

Category Rotation - Play specific songs from a genre with liners sandwiched from 1 to xx hours. Also a liner announcing the show and one ending the show

 

 

Ahem RadioDJ has a built in event function that can do these quite easily. Without the need for Messy CPU hogging PAL Scripts. The ones i used when using SAM locked the machine up quite frequently and those were the ones written by festerhaed so PAL scripts aren't as good as people make out.

 

Amazing really if you took the time you would know what RadioDJ is capabler of but Alas you don't.

[frankallen]

Ahem RadioDJ has a built in event function that can do these quite easily. Without the need for Messy CPU hogging PAL Scripts. The ones i used when using SAM locked the machine up quite frequently and those were the ones written by festerhaed so PAL scripts aren't as good as people make out.

 

Amazing really if you took the time you would know what RadioDJ is capabler of but Alas you don't.

 

i have used radiodj but to be honest im not a big fan of it, thats not saying its no good more of a matter of my own personal choice

[djsoft]

@garybaldy72uk Aren't you getting tired of advertising your RadioDJ in every single topic?

[cr08]

It should also be noted that it is not just limited to playout routines as countrywesterndj pointed out but a LOT more than that and is one reason why SAM is one of a kind IMHO for this feature. Granted, yes, it comes down to personal preference. But it is one of the most powerful and key features of the product to consider.

 

Couple more examples to run off:

• As in the case of the TuneIn service, while their own provided PAL script only pushes artist and title data, it can be VERY easily modified and push album data but also inform their service when you are running a commercial or likewise track so their player identifies it properly.
  
• One theorhetical station feature that I have ran by in a thread here that is 100% doable and facilitated by PAL scripting is being able to offer automated listener testimonials on-air. Using a properly programmed Asterisk server that records callers and saves to an accessible folder and have PAL go out and download, play, and delete (if necessary) and continue on as normal. Granted I would not run this fully automated due to obvious abuse.
  
• Run pre-recorded segments and want the song titles automatically pushes to the stream server instead of just the segment's name the whole time? PAL can handle it! http://support.spacialaudio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=26747&p=132198#p132198
  
• On a station I ran many years ago I had a simple remote control system set up for basic commands utilizing PAL. Namely being able to trigger the next track button remotely either via web page, SMS, or email. Simply put had a cron'd PHP script which would monitor these sources and if a command came up would put it in SAM's database in a separate table. PAL would run through every 5 seconds or so and upon seeing that would trigger the next track button and erase the command from the database. Good for listening remotely ie: on a smartphone and hearing a track that shouldn't be and being able to quickly skip it without needing full remote desktop access.
  

It is nearly limitless in what it can do and I have not seen another piece of automation kit that has this level of out-of-the-box customization. And it also allows for the very fine tuned playlists to be done completely automated in the case of festerhead's old station. Yeah, you could do all that by hand like the big boys and program playlists by hand. Or have PAL do it all for you on the fly. Hour long segment of top requests? Not a problem.

[SmoothJazz]

It should also be noted that it is not just limited to playout routines as countrywesterndj pointed out but a LOT more than that and is one reason why SAM is one of a kind IMHO for this feature. Granted, yes, it comes down to personal preference. But it is one of the most powerful and key features of the product to consider.

 

Couple more examples to run off:

• As in the case of the TuneIn service, while their own provided PAL script only pushes artist and title data, it can be VERY easily modified and push album data but also inform their service when you are running a commercial or likewise track so their player identifies it properly.
  
• One theorhetical station feature that I have ran by in a thread here that is 100% doable and facilitated by PAL scripting is being able to offer automated listener testimonials on-air. Using a properly programmed Asterisk server that records callers and saves to an accessible folder and have PAL go out and download, play, and delete (if necessary) and continue on as normal. Granted I would not run this fully automated due to obvious abuse.
  
• Run pre-recorded segments and want the song titles automatically pushes to the stream server instead of just the segment's name the whole time? PAL can handle it! http://support.spacialaudio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=26747&p=132198#p132198
  
• On a station I ran many years ago I had a simple remote control system set up for basic commands utilizing PAL. Namely being able to trigger the next track button remotely either via web page, SMS, or email. Simply put had a cron'd PHP script which would monitor these sources and if a command came up would put it in SAM's database in a separate table. PAL would run through every 5 seconds or so and upon seeing that would trigger the next track button and erase the command from the database. Good for listening remotely ie: on a smartphone and hearing a track that shouldn't be and being able to quickly skip it without needing full remote desktop access.
  

It is nearly limitless in what it can do and I have not seen another piece of automation kit that has this level of out-of-the-box customization. And it also allows for the very fine tuned playlists to be done completely automated in the case of festerhead's old station. Yeah, you could do all that by hand like the big boys and program playlists by hand. Or have PAL do it all for you on the fly. Hour long segment of top requests? Not a problem.

Very well said, I just didn't want to post EVERYTHING it can do, be here ALL day LOL. PAL is a powerful scripting tool that NO other "affordable" radio automation system has.

[frankallen]

@garybaldy72uk Aren't you getting tired of advertising your RadioDJ in every single topic?

 

I think personally he should promote his software as much as he likes just the same as internet/amfm station owners are able to promote the stations as much as they like. its not a bad piece of software in fact its actually pretty good just not my personal choice.

[djgary72]

I think personally he should promote his software as much as he likes just the same as internet/amfm station owners are able to promote the stations as much as they like. its not a bad piece of software in fact its actually pretty good just not my personal choice.

 

It's not my software project although it's one i believe could well have a great future in the automation market!

 

Still think that PAL scripts aren't all they claim to be!

[frankallen]

ok so i have a pal script that will enter a jingle randomly, the question is where does it find the jingle ? is there a fold i should be in or do i need to create a folder ?

[SmoothJazz]

ok so i have a pal script that will enter a jingle randomly, the question is where does it find the jingle ? is there a fold i should be in or do i need to create a folder ?

Honestly we are not mind readers post the script and we can point out where it pulls from.

[frankallen]

Honestly we are not mind readers post the script and we can point out where it pulls from.

 

Instead of sarcasm a simple " paste the code here and we can see where is points to " would have been enough, This is why members come and leave so fast.

 

Thanks anyway but i will find out the answer else where..

[shoutcaststreaming]

The jingle can either be pulled from a Category:

CAT['liners'].QueueBottom(smRandom, NoRules);

or from a file:

Queue.AddFile('E:\music\liners\LINER - LH-1.mp3', ipTop);

[djgary72]

Instead of sarcasm a simple " paste the code here and we can see where is points to " would have been enough, This is why members come and leave so fast.

 

Thanks anyway but i will find out the answer else where..

 

Unfortuanately that is the Type of response you usually get whan asking for help with SAM Broadcaster. The Spacial Mods don't seem to give a damn they only care about them selves!

 

Guess that's why PAL scripts are so hard to use because they don't want to give you help with them....

[frankallen]

The jingle can either be pulled from a Category:

CAT['liners'].QueueBottom(smRandom, NoRules);

or from a file:

Queue.AddFile('E:\music\liners\LINER - LH-1.mp3', ipTop);

 

Thanks very much that was very helpful