CookbookChapter02
From Rivendell Wiki
Who’s On First?
Where files live, sync, and play
Unlike several other automation systems, Rivendell “owns” its audio assets (aka audio files). With some of those other automation systems, one simply points the “library manager” (or player) to a folder full of audio files. Rivendell is different. You must first import the audio assets into the Rivendell Library. It works this way for several reasons:
- audio quality
- Rivendell transcodes your audio files into a professional-grade audio format; you set this format on a “per-host” basis, then all audio files are converted to this format when you import audio (note, that, while it is unusual, you can have a Rivendell audio library containing files in different formats)
- organization
- importing audio assets affords you the opportunity to organize your library and make sure things like metadata are in proper order before putting an asset into production
- work flow support
- many stations have adopted a work flow in which they import audio into a “holding tank”, or temporary category (Group in Rivendell terms); this gives staff (volunteers) a chance to preview the audio (for things like explicit language), clean up the metadata, and set Markers (like segue points, talk points, fades, etc.) before placing the audio into production
- data integrity
- Rivendell keeps track of the integrity of the audio files by maintaining a SHA1 Hash of all the audio files‘ contents; this hash is stored in the Rivendell database
Asset (Audio File) Storage
Rivendell users (show hosts, traffic managers, music directors, etc.) don’t really need to know this, but as a Rivendell administrator you should know where the audio files “live”. True to the Linux tradition of flexibility, the audio library can physically reside anywhere on your network. By default, Rivendell expects audio assets to reside in the folder (directory) /var/snd.
This folder may represent a physical disk partition or a volume shared over your network (with any Linux-support network file system, like NFS, CIFS, IPFS, etc.).
(Temporary not by drew Roberts: I am fuzzy, but I think the safe bet is NFS. I think I recall seeing that CIFS/SMB can get you in trouble as it lacks abilities Rivendell uses. I don't recall seeing IPFS mentioned in relation to Rivednell)
(Temporary note by drew Roberts: I am fuzzy, but I think the safe bet is NFS. I think I recall seeing that CIFS/SMB can get you in trouble as it lacks abilities Rivendell uses. I don't recall seeing IPFS mentioned in relation to Rivednell)
Metadata Storage
Rivendell audio files DO NOT contain metadata. All the data about the audio tracks (e.g., title, album, composer, record label, etc.) is stored in the Rivendell database.
This separation of metadata from the audio assets has consequences.
- consistent metadata editing
- using the Library manager, it is simple and straight-forward to change metadata for individual tracks or groups of tracks
- sharing with other apps
- it is difficult, though not impossible to share the Rivendell audio library with other (non-Rivendell) audio applications. You will have to be comfortable with the idea that you have to use Rivendell in order to play a track in the Rivendell library
Playing Audio
Rivendell supports several ways to output your audio:
-
- this is the “normal” way to play audio; that is, it is the most common way to play Logs that have been prepared using RDLogManager or RDLogEdit (the Rivendell playlist creation tools)
-
- allows you to programatically schedule playout of audio
- RDPanel
- a dedicated “panel” of buttons used to play specific tracks (or fire specific Macros)
- Advanced: rdvairplay
- this is Rivendell’s so-called “headless” player -- it is functionally equivalent to RDAirPlay, but has no graphical user interface with which to control the player; as of early 2020 this player is relatively new to the scene: while you can control some aspects of its operation more Macros are needed to fill out the control side of this player
