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Cue tones

Are cue tones even necessary? I mean automation is computerized these days, and computers begin an internal countdown when you start a file. The computer knows TO THE SAMPLE when your segment ends, so what's the cue-tone for? For older automation?
 
I still need 'em, a live show I run doesn't follow an exact set clock, only the break lengths are fixed so the host sends a tone when he goes to break, automation drops to local for a 5-6 minute break and then returns when finished (and it sounds pretty solid!).
 
Cool. I was just curious if there was much need for 'em any more. I don't use them on my show "Saving the 70s" http://www.savingthe70s.com and no station has asked for them (as pointed out, they'd be easy enough to add, as I produce in Adobe Audition 3.
 
Yep, in the case of computer files played by an automation software package like mine, it just jumps to the next file in the playlist (that being commercials and then a station ID before "rejoining" the program in progess.

If you send the show to someone on CD who intends to use an automatic system to play it back (instead of ripping the CD to computer for playback) that's the only situation where I can think of tones being needed.

I remember reading that back in the day many reel to reel automation systems had a subaudible 50hz tone on song fadeout to trigger the dumb systems of the day to play a cart or segue to the nex reel machine :)

By the way Mike I love your show and my listeners do as well!
 
Radio912--

If you have a copy of Audacity, it also has a tone generator. If you need cue tones you can also use that programme/function to make them.

(And if you don't have a copy of Audacity, by all means get one!! ;o)
 
With reel-to-reel, some systems utilized 25 Hz with the start of the tone starting the next event, and the end of the tone stopping the tape deck.

Some used 25 Hz on left or right channel to get multiple types of closures. 25 Hz left only would trigger one thing, 25 Hz right only triggers something else, and 25 Hz both channels same time triggers yet another. In some cases that would be expanded to use two different frequencies, like 20 and 30, along with the combinations noted.

Adobe Audition has some great tools. If you need to deadroll something into a system which starts recording on audio, you can generate a 20 Hz tone at a low level, add silence, and voila, you've got something that will deadroll and work with automation. But the greatest thing since sliced bread on some of these digital editors is the ability to stretch and shrink without pitch change. You can trim every commercial to exact length... what did we ever do before this stuff was invented (other than be more precise with our original production)?
 
Not just reel to reels. You could also place secondary or tertiary tones on carts. I remember purchasing a tone generator for a station to build a book tape to run during satellite hours. At the end of the stop set, I would hit the tone and that would cue the system back to the bird.

Most syndicated programming on the "bird" has gotten away from the 25-35 khz tones and now uses contact closures instead.
 
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