Sonifex Net-Log User manual

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Net-Log Network Audio Logger
•From their desktop, the sales team can check to make sure that advertising
was played on time and can create audio files to email to customers.
•Program controllers can snoop on their presenters, checking performance
and checking that scheduled music was played.
•Station managers can check up on their competition and compare it with
the sound of their own station.
•The production team have much easier access to recorded audio from past
radio shows for the preparation of future stings & trailers.
The Net-Log is a new way to record and play audio. The Net-Log overcomes the
inherent unreliability of PCs for long-term recording by providing a dedicated
hardware recording platform that uses a simple network connection for audio
playback. Playback software on a network connected PC streams the audio to the
desktop where it can be played out or saved as a file. It has the following advantages :
Net-Log

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Net-Log Network Audio Logger
•High reliability for continuous operation.
•High quality audio (mpeg compressed).
•Compatibility with existing broadcast
& Windows based systems (bwf files can
be saved).
•Automatic operation with very simple
to use software.
The Sonifex Net-Log is a 4 channel audio logger which can record weeks of
programming on a large internal hard-disk. The unit was designed as dedicated
hardware for reliability reasons, i.e. there’s no PC motherboard in this machine.
Although PC based systems are great for playback, they generally aren’t robust
enough for continuous recording 24/7/365. The Net-Log was designed from the
ground up to offer :
Net-Log Audio Logging Machines – Hardware

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Net-log - Win Software
•Net-Util - A utility mainly used to
initially configure the Net-Log and
solve connection problems.
•Net-Log-Win - This is the application
used on a day to day basis to control
recording and playback.
•Auto-Archive - This is used to
automatically archive/backup files to
an IP server.
Playback software on a network connected PC streams the audio to the desktop
where it can be played out or saved as a file. There are 3 PC applications used to
configure and control the Net-Log :
Net-Log Audio Logging Machines –Software

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Net-log Key Features
•Dedicated reliable multi-channel hardware.
•Easy to use Windows based playback software.
•Four audio channels arranged as independently configurable channel pairs.
•Up to 250,000 recordings per channel.
•High quality MPEG Layer 2 recording up to 384kbps.
•Audio files compatible with Windows Media Player.
•Fail-safe alarm indicators and remotes.
•Password protection with user security rights.
•Automatic archiving to a network destination.
•Streamed audio playback or file download for local playback.
•Built-in client for Sonifex Mentor Time Server software.
•Emails status or alarms to your System Administrator.
Net-Log

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Net-Log-Win Software & Licensing
•Net-Log-Win software is required to control or
playback the audio from a Net-Log or Net-Logs.
•Each Net-Log requires a two or five stream
license to allow control or playback through
Net-Log-Win.
•Only one license is required for multiple
Net-Logs on the same network if connected
as Master and Slave machines.
•Net-Log-Win software can be put on multiple
PC’s. However the license only allows 2 or 5
concurrent connections at any time.
•Two connections can be used up by one user if
they have archive and playback rights.
•The Net-Log license is a one-time only payable
license fee.
Net-Log Software

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Recording
Recordings are made with the current date
and time as the track title.
Independently configurable channel pairs
allow flexible recordings to be made, for
example 2 channels of low quality audio can
be configured together with 2 channels of
high quality audio.
Net-Log Software

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Recording Control Methods
• Remote closing contacts.
• Front panel switch.
• Programs using Net-Log-Win
software.
• Manually using Net-Log-Win
software.
• Audio level detection.
Audio recording can be started by the following methods:
Net-Log-Win program record screen
Net-Log Software

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Playback
• Streamed from a Net-Log and played
out through a PC sound card for
instant access to the current audio.
• Downloaded as a file from a Net-Log
to be played out through the PC
sound card.
• Streamed from an archive to be
played out through the PC sound
card.
• Scheduled to playback.
The Net-Log allows audio playback without interrupting recording.
Using Net-Log-Win software selected audio can be:
Net-Log Software

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Archiving
•The Net-Log also offers the ability to create
long term backups of a recording, by
streaming audio to a separate server disk
for archival purposes.
•For each recorded channel you can define
an IP address and directory to save files to,
and Net-Log can create files in that
directory in the same way that they were
recorded, or in files of a certain length
e.g. 1 hour.
•The Auto-Archive utility allows multiple
Net-Logs to be archived simultaneously.
•Auto-Archive can display multiple Net-log
status information and automatically email
it to your desktop.
Net-Log Archiving

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Multi-Channel Recording & Archiving
NETWORK SWITCH
ARCHIVE STORE
NETWORK PC’S
Net-Log 1 ch 1 to 4
Net-Log 2 ch 5 to 8
Net-Log 3 ch 9 to 12
Net-Log 4 ch 13 to 16
Net-Log N ch n to n
IP addressable Net-Logs
make multi-channel
recording & archiving easy.
Net-Log Archiving

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Net-Log Applications
• Radio station logging.
• Court room logging with audio
transcription using Sonifex D:Scribe
software.
• Interview recording.
• Air traffic control logging.
• Conference recording.
• Security recording.
• Call centre logging.
Net-Log Applications

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D:Scribe Audio Transcription System
D:Scribe transcription systems consist of two products - D:Scribe Standalone is a
package of PC transcription software together with a 3 pedal foot-controller, for
simple, fast and effective transcription of pre-recorded audio files. D:Scribe Client &
Server software can be used where you are recording using multiple Net-Logs and
you want a database system to store, retrieve and transcribe audio.
D:Scribe Audio Transcription System

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D:Scribe Standalone
D:Scribe Standalone is the perfect transcription package to use for quick, simple
voice-to-text conversion which can be used either with its own text editor, or which
can “float”on top of another application, such as MS Word™.
D:Scribe Audio Transcription System
•D:Scribe Standalone has all the
transcription features of the full Client
& Server version, but doesn’t have the
management database structure for
multiple clients.
•The audio controls for D:Scribe
Standalone are the same as for the Client
& Server version. A foot-pedal is supplied
as standard with this package which
controls the Play/Pause, Forward &
Rewind buttons.

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D:Scribe Client & Server
D:Scribe Client and Server is a database system which can be used to categorise,
transcribe and then file audio recordings with their transcripts. Applications include
transcriptions for police interviews, law courts, solicitors offices & council meetings.
D:Scribe Audio Transcription System
•D:Scribe Client and Server operates
seamlessly with the Sonifex Net-Log
audio logger.
•Audio recorded on one or more
Net-Logs can be archived to a
defined server IP address where
audio files can be stored and logged.
•The audio files automatically appear
in the database structure of D:Scribe
Server with the recorded time and
date available.

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D:Scribe DS-FPS3
The D:Scribe DS-FPS3 is a foot-pedal (3 pedals) with a 9 pin serial connector and
the D:Scribe DS-FPU3 is a foot-pedal (3 pedals) with a USB connector.
D:Scribe Audio Transcription System
•Both are used with D:Scribe software
and can control the Play/Pause,
Forward & Rewind buttons.

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Sonifex Mentor Server & Client
The Mentor Time Server is software which runs on a MS-Windows
95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista™ PC and synchronizes a number of MS-Windows
95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista ™ PC client machines or Sonifex Net-Log units to its
time. The client PCs or Net-Logs read the server time and have their time set using
TCP/IP at regular intervals.
Time Server
Clock Sources
Mentor Server can be synchronised
to these reliable time sources:
•NTP (Time servers on the Internet).
•Global Position Satellite (using
Sonifex GPS-1 Antenna).

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Sonifex GPS-1 Antenna
The GPS-1 antenna is a small, light weight and portable ready to use high power
GPS antenna.
Time Server
•Magnetic mount integral to the unit.
•Water resistant.
•LED to show it is powered.
•Powered from a PS2 (keyboard)
connector.
•Communicates with Mentor Server
via RS-232 serial port.