This is just a suggestion, and probably something for the distant future.
How about mAirList automatically assigning a ‘Cart Number’ to each and every track that gets played through it? The cart wall can be changed into an ‘audo wall’ (like on Myriad) and have previous and next page buttons, where you can jump to a cart, play it straight off the audiowall, or edit its options, etc…
I dunno. Just a thought, but I don’t think it should be too hard, with databases or flatfiles?
I don’t think cart-numbers are good idea. A list/folder view of songs seems sufficient to me… I dare say the Browser could be enhanced with columns for extra data like length/intro etc. The new database that Torben is working on will probably have “record numbers”, but I doubt offering that kind of interface to the user would make mAirList any more efficient.
When using Myriad (or DARP, for that matter), I for one do not like seeing audio “all over the place”. Although both offer an Explorer-style A-Z search and browser - I find it cumbersome and limiting. If you want a cartwall, I’ve got 3000 NAB carts in storage if you want some ?!
I’ll quote an e-mail from the sales person at a very well-known playout software company for you: “if you want xxx to perform like xxx, why don’t you buy that instead?”… As a result, I’ve stopped recommending that particular software now 
I have to agree 100% with Charlie here.
Perhaps if one is the BBC or a simlarly large organisation, there might be an argument for assigning an ‘acquisition number’ or ‘cart number’ to each piece of audio; but for most people it’s an unnecessary and often confusing PITA.
There is a slightly less justifiable argument for then saying that (e.g.) 1–2000 are your jingles, 2001–5000 are your ads., etc., etc. Personally, I would not want to artifically ‘limit’ where I could use a piece of audio in that way. It’s my #1 pet hate about Myriad, for example.
I suspect the entire ‘cart number’ idea was born out of database programmers testing their programs by displaying the internal database record numbers on screen and someone else thinking ‘what a good idea!’ I confess that I’ve never understood how or why anyone would ever think it is a good idea?
BFN
CAD
I must admit that “item IDs” are sometimes handy. In particular, when you want to write down references to items. For example, record labels provide you an information sheet with every promo CD you receive. You could then sort and archive these sheets according to the item number. Or how about “Hey, Mr. Head of Music, I noticed that some MP3 files are broken, these are the IDs: 87, 95, …”?
A future mAirList database will also be able to display these IDs as a reference. However, I see no point in listing your items sorted by these IDs in everyday life.
Regarding the requests for certain features or behavior, I must admit that I try to satisfy most of them, within certain limits of feasibility. I think this is one of the reasons for mAirList’s success - you can configure and use it the way you like. The only definite exception is requests for features found in well-known “out-of-the-box software-based radio” packages. That is, there will be NO microphone input control and no push-to-talk voiceover etc. in mAirList. People who want to work without a mixing desk (phew!) should use other software.
Torben
OK Torben, item IDs can sometimes be useful for a few limited things, such as those you’ve suggested. I still would not like to see them on screen in mAirList, and certainly I would NOT want the item IDs to ‘dictate’ where a piece of audio can be played.
If I want to (for example) put a music track into a Cartwall player, I don’t want software popping up a MsgBox saying ‘This is not allowed because the item number is not in the range of item numbers for Cartwall items.’ That sort of thing REALLY gets me annoyed!
One could also spend (i.e. waste) a LOT of time renumbering things in such systems if ‘someone’ decides to change the ranges, or when one runs out of numbers in a particular range (!).
) but I would hope that a presenter WOULD be able to remember the name and artist, and not have to use an ID number!BFN
CAD
But surely it’s easier, when you’ve got 45 seconds to the TOTH and you’ve realised that you’re running 30 seconds short - and you need to put in a sweeper to fill it up - to type ‘14132’ into a box than go to 'insert files -> C drive ->realise you’re in the wrong drive so go back to my computer -> S drive -> radio -> imaging -> sweepers -> general use -> monday mornings -> namestab.mp3 ?
Well, in a future database, you would just take the Database browser and select one of the files from the “Sweepers” folder
Ooh yeah, that was something I wanted to mention - when you add a folder to the default folders in the config, the subfolders arent shown. Is there an option to show these?
You mean, you want a directory tree browser instead?
This is possible, but you have to manually edit the mAirList.ini file for that. Just look for the line with the directory name and add a plus sign at the beginning of the folder name:
Item0=+C:\wherever\music\This is undocumented. I shall add another “add directory tree” button to the config dialog.
Torben
If you go into the mairlist.ini file - File the HOTDIR entry, and put a + symbol next to a top-level folder, ie:
Item0=+D:\SongsThis would, for example, allow sub-folders of D:\Songs to be shown in a tree-view. The last time I looked, this wasn’t available in the Config util, so quite “hard” to find/use without a bit of direct editing.
PS: Just seen Torben’s reply… Great minds and all that!
Good to know that there are other people than me who know mAirList well enough to help others with these tricky issues
But surely it's easier, when you've got 45 seconds to the TOTH and you've realised that you're running 30 seconds shortAnt, our station and presenters are not NEARLY as disciplined or 'professional' as that! :) But we are working on it, slowly.
Though to take your example, wouldn’t you already have a custom Cart Set (MLC file) loaded for your show, or quickly call up the SWEEPERS Cart Set from your Favourites dropdown on the Cartwall toolbar?
BFN
CAD
We should do, really. But we don’t.
I’m fiddling with the cartwall thing this week because it’s my week off and if it all works out, I’ll mirror it in the studio.