The DRS 2006 Virtual Cart Machine (04/28/02)
The Enterprise version of DRS 2006 Virtual Carts supports cutting edge technology, supplying the user with PFL functionality, (Pre Fade Listen) via a second (or dual output) sound card installed on your system.

Below we will show you what each function is and how to use them for maximum effect.


Setting up Virtual Carts                                                                                   Setup: Allows the user to set up fast switching preset playlists (Cart Sets). For
example at the start of a Jock’s show, he/she may not wish to spend valuable
time loading up the tracks needed for the start of their show. E.g. Weather bed, Sweeper, Show Ident. With virtual carts it is easy to pre-create a show beginning and quickly access that show start via the 'Load Cart Set' or the drop down box (see illustration below).

When you click on the 'Setup' button the window shown below will pop up.

Quick Link Name: Assigns a name of your choice to an individual fast switching playlist.

Quick Link File: By default this is set as 'none' until you browse to the location of your saved playlist file and assign a name which you activate by clicking 'Add Quick Link'.  You may remove a cart set at any time by clicking 'Remove Link '.

Fast Switching Playlists

The box above allows the user to quickly load a preset playlist, created using   the combination of the cart system and withing setup, even while the current playlist is playing out. Caution, you will no longer be able to see the outgoing playlist but merely the ready to play playlist, it's a use your ears type thing.

The 'timer' next to it displays the countdown of the currently playing item.  If you want to take the slower way of loading a playlist (cart set) then 'Load Cart Set' is the way for you. 'Save Cart Set' is as it sounds, saves a playlist that you have created, to use again and again as many times as you wish, example a show start/end.

Re-Cue All: Turns the played carts green again, signifying to the user that these carts are ready to play once again, if you so desire.

Remove All:  Removes all active carts within the display, don't worry there's a 'Are you sure?' dialog box that pops up if you accidentally hit this button by mistake.

The double digit and left and right green arrows is your cart fade out time, set this to your desired preference.

Next to this is 'Auto Fade Out' and 'Manual Fade Out' checks, giving the user a little more control over DRS 2006 doing the work or you.

Info and Prelisten:
This is a really cool feature allowing the user to  gather information about a particular song, and even prelisten to any of your songs within the Search Engine Window (entire Database). 

When you click on the button labled 'Info & Prelisten' the window shown above will open up. This window gives you quick access to various information about a title. Click on 'Prelisten' to activate the DRS 2006 Prelistening Engine.

This advanced prelistening module is excellent for previewing a track before going to air. The Currently selected cart number is set as '00' by default when prelistening to items in the database.  But when you have activated this module via any of the 28 main carts it will display the cart number specific to the cart chosen.  To do this click the 'P' button to the left of any cart. Once this module is open you can with the green arrows select any cart of our choice.  The slider above this allows for previewing of the beginning, middle, and even the end of the song, to give you that perfect clue to how your mix will sound.  

Hook 
This feature is activated by checking the small check box to the left of the carts and above the 'P'. When enabled and the hook has been set in Audio Manager,  the cart will only play the specific section you have chosen to play. Example this may be 22 seconds of audio chosen from anywhere within a song.

Category Filter

Allows for quick and easy access to the few or many categories of music you may have within your database.  By typing 'All' in the category filter box, will display all your database items in the search engine window. For example if you choose 'Rock' it will display only those items pertaining to rock, which have been set via 'Audio Manager'. To refresh this screen and return to view all database items click 'Reset & Refresh'.

Sort After Column

Again the same for this filter, giving you the option to view songs by year or intro for example, displaying those in the search engine window.

Text Search In Current Columns
By entering a few characters of a title or artist of a song, the DRS 2006 powerful search engine will immediately display all songs that have those characters contained within the filename.  For example typing: auto, will display Automatic Taxi Star - She's a bit, and any others containing the word auto.  Can't remember the Artist, no problem, just type in what you know and let DRS 2006 find the matches for you. It is worthy to note to activate the search you must click the 'Search' button below the Filtered items digits.

Quick Filter
For filtering very quickly through your database via artist or title, choose artist or title above the alpha buttons and hit an alpha button. This will display all artists or titles beginning with that letter.

Playing songs in DRS 2006
As with all cart based modules within DRS 2006, select the song within the search engine window and move your pointer to a cart of your choice and with the left mouse button click once on that cart, this will insert and cue the item ready to play. The right mouse button will remove the item from the cart. To play, click on the cart with your left mouse button.