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<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>MegaSeg 1.4 Manual</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgcolor=ffffff> <BLOCKQUOTE><BLOCKQUOTE> <CENTER><IMG SRC="images/manual0.jpg"></CENTER> MegaSeg 1.4 Manual Welcome to MegaSeg! Thank you for choosing MegaSeg DJ automation software! This quick guide will tell you everything you need to know to get started. However, if you have any questions, please e-mail us for assistance at <a href="mailto:sales@megaseg.com">sales@megaseg.com</a>, or call (877) MEGASEG. What's New? Please read the What's New section in the "Read Me!" file for a detailed report of all new features and bug fixes in MegaSeg 1.4. But here are the headlines: <UL> <LI>QuickTime VIDEO! MegaSeg now supports QuickTime movies -- including Full Screen! A new Video Menu has been added with various options. Also MegaSeg's video window supports multi-monitors (Read: S-Video output on PowerBooks!) <LI>New database format with media limit increased to 5000 files! <LI>MegaSeg now supports multiple folders. <LI>Edit window now shows the path and filename of each song, and will allow you to re-link the file. <LI>Edit window has a new "Notes" field that can contain text about the particular media file. <LI>All info in database is saved in the actual media file. AIFF, QuickTime, MP3, or any supported file will be tagged with all the info for the file from the MegaSeg database. If the file get's moved to another MegaSeg system, it will retain it's complete info when imported. It's also a great backup for the Database file. <LI>Pop up categories selector is now multi-select aware. Command-click to select multiple categories you want displayed in the Library. <LI>Added new Voice Over checkbox to Edit Window. Allows a file to override the fade-out during a segue. <LI>By popular demand, playback control buttons for current playing song. <LI>Added new report dialog to display all encountered missing media when loading a Playlist. <LI>Added options to eject cd and/or alert user when finished importing. </UL> System Requirements MegaSeg requires a Mac OS-based computer with a 180 MHz or greater PowerPC processor, running Mac OS 8.0 or later, QuickTime 4.1 for VBR MP3 support, 16-bit built-in sound, and 3 to 11 MB free disk space per 4 minute song depending on compression. (A 10 GB iMac can hold over 900 CD-Quality songs and over 2000 MP3 songs when dedicated to MegaSeg.) Installing MegaSeg A demo version of MegaSeg is available for downloading from our web site (<a href="http://www.megaseg.com">http://www.megaseg.com</a>). The full version can also be downloaded and unlocked separately. It is recommended to install and run MegaSeg on the same drive where you intend to store your music, but it is also possible to import files from external hard drives. This procedure will be covered later in the manual. Getting Configured A few adjustments in the Mac OS will make for a better MegaSeg experience. The first steps deal with the Appearance control panel, which can be found in the Apple Menu, under Control Panels. <IMG SRC="images/manual2.gif"> If you’re using Mac OS 8.0 or 8.1, skip this paragraph about system sound effects. In Mac OS 8.5, Apple added sound effects to the mouse and window operations. If you are using MegaSeg at a professional event, you should turn off the sound effects to prevent the bells and whistles from interrupting the music. Open the Appearance control panel, click the ‘Sound’ tab, and select ‘None’ from the Sound Track pop-up list. <IMG SRC="images/manual3.gif"> Because MegaSeg is designed to be used in dark environments, the interface is mainly black and dark blue/purple with light blue text to help prevent eye-strain. With the Mac OS default highlight colors, any highlighted text in MegaSeg may be hard to read. To make the text more legible, change the highlight color to a dark or contrasting color by opening the Appearance control panel and clicking the ‘Appearance’ tab in Mac OS 8.5, or the ‘Color’ button in Mac OS 8.0. When you see an option for Highlight Color, select ‘Other...’ from the pop-up menu, change it to a dark color using the color picker, and click OK. You may need to change the color back when not using MegaSeg because of an opposite effect with black text on white. <IMG SRC="images/manual4.gif"> The Mac OS 8.0 - 8.1 Appearance control panel <IMG SRC="images/manual5.gif"> The Mac OS 8.5 Appearance control panel NOTE: All the default Mac OS 8.5 highlight colors are light colors because using dark highlight colors with black text produces fuzzy highlights when “Smooth all fonts on screen” is on. The trade off solution is to turn off font smoothing, or switch the highlight color back to a Mac OS default when not using MegaSeg. Now open the Monitors and Sound control panel, also found in the Control Panels folder. Once open, click the ‘Sound’ button and locate the slider for “Computer System Volume”. Move the slider all the way to the right for the best sound output into a sound system or P.A. system. Also set the “Sound Output Quality” pop-up menu, if available, to 44.100 kHz. <IMG SRC="images/manual6.gif"> NOTE: If you are using the computer’s built-in speakers, set the volume to a comfortable level. You can also set the computer volume using the Control Strip, if installed. MegaSeg also includes it’s own volume control on the main interface, but it is pre-system volume. It’s recommended to maximize the main system volume using the Sound Control Panel or Control Strip, for the best output quality and signal to noise ratio. Hooking up a Sound System All Apple PowerMacs come with built-in high quality 16-bit sound outputs. Some older Mac’s actually have RCA jacks for output, but today Apple’s systems use an 8" stereo mini-jack for audio out. To hook up your system, you may need an 8" stereo to RCA cable. If your computer generates a hum in your sound system when connected, a "Ground Loop" is the likely culprit. A ground loop is caused by the way the electrical system is wired in combination with how your audio cables are connected in the sound system. It can be a mess to figure out. But there is hope! Your local Radio Shack or electronics store may carry a "Ground Loop Isolator" cable, which puts a transformer in the audio line to prevent the ground loop from occurring. The isolator cable has little side-effect on the sound quality, but some audio purists will want to rewire the house before going this route. The Mac OS can support multiple sound cards, and some upgrade to even higher quality gear than the built-in sound output. MegaSeg uses the Mac OS Sound Manager to play audio, and can be routed to any sound card by using the ’Sound’ (or ’Monitors and Sound’) control panel. Starting MegaSeg Once installed and set-up, double-click the MegaSeg program. If it’s your first time running MegaSeg, a short registration form will be presented for you to complete. When you are registered, MegaSeg will continue to launch by greeting you with an intro screen and will ask if you are upgrading from a previous version. If you are upgrading, click Yes, and continue with the short 2 step instructions. Once complete, it will present the main interface. <IMG SRC="images/manual7.gif"> The Main Interface The main MegaSeg screen is designed to fill the screen when your monitor resolution is set to 640x480. If you want to see part of your desktop while using MegaSeg, switch to a higher monitor resolution, using the Monitors & Sound control panel, or the Control Strip. NOTE: If you want to work on something else while listening to MegaSeg in the background, use the finder’s ‘Hide MegaSeg’ option under the Application Menu (far right of the menu bar). When you want to see MegaSeg again, select MegaSeg from that same menu. Two lists are displayed on the main screen. The left list is your Library of songs. The right list is your Playlist. Above the Song Database, the two “text buttons” are used to select different views of the database. Click ‘Title Sort’ to switch among the lists of alphabetized titles, alphabetized artists, and numerical beats per minute (BPM) within the category of songs selected. <IMG SRC="images/manual8.gif"> Click the text button “All” to see a pop-up list of categories. Double-click a category to display the songs in that category, sorted by your choice of title, artist, or BPM. <IMG SRC="images/manual9.gif"> To the right of the category text button, a number displays the total number of songs in the current category. A number above the Playlist window displays the total number of songs cued-up. The five buttons between the two main lists are used for adding, removing, and moving songs in the Playlist window. If you are using MegaSeg for the first time, you won’t have any songs in your Library, so let’s add a new song now. Importing new songs MegaSeg allows you to import your audio CDs into your hard drive, or import any sound file Quicktime supports. (MP3, MOV, AIFF, WAV, etc.) Make sure you’ve upgraded to QuickTime 4.1 or greater for VBR MP3 support, which can be done using the QuickTime Updater application found in the QuickTime Folder inside your hard drive. It can also be <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime">downloaded</a> from Apple’s site. NOTE: To import from CD, you need to download the "Full" install of <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime">Quicktime</a> which excludes the Quicktime authoring tools. Put an Audio CD in your CD-ROM drive, click the ‘Import’ button on the left side of the screen, and “Enter password” will pop-up. <IMG SRC="images/manual10.gif"> The Song Database password is for your protection. In order to add a song, you need to enter Administration Mode, and your password is your protected key to that mode. However, if you’re using the demo, just press Return to use the demo password. If you’re using MegaSeg for the first time after unlocking the demo, then “no password is set” will be displayed. You may proceed into the Administration Mode without a password, if you wish. Just press Return, and the Add Song window will pop-up. (To select a password, use the ‘Change Password’ button.) In Administration Mode, you can use the Edit, Add, and Delete buttons freely. To exit Administration Mode, select ‘Administration Mode’ from the Library Menu, and it will become unchecked. Now, let’s add a few songs... The Import Options window has buttons for either importing from CD, from any folder on any hard drive, or refresh all known media folders currently in the Library. If you have a folder full of MP3 files, you can select Import Folder to import all the files at once into any category you choose. Otherwise, let's try importing from an audio CD. Click Import CD Tracks and the next screen will ask for artist and album information. If each track you’re importing shares this info, type it on this screen to avoid having to type the shared info for each track when editing later. Click ‘Continue...’ to display the available tracks to checkmark for importing. <IMG SRC="images/manual11.gif"> NOTE: To preview the CD tracks, use the “AppleCD Player” from the Apple Menu, or use the Control Strip’s CD control, if installed. Once you’ve selected the tracks, click OK to extract the audio from the CD and save it in CD quality files using IMA 4:1 compression by default. If you haven't chosen an import folder to save the audio files into, then a dialog box will popup asking you to choose or create a new folder to store the files. A good location for your MegaSeg media folder is the root of your hard drive, or a new folder inside your documents folder called "Songs" or "MegaSeg Music" for example. Once this is set, MegaSeg will remember your CD Import folder, but you can change it at any time in the Import CD Tracks window. You can even use external hard drives to store your music if desired, or split your library across multiple folders and hard drives. After importing a track from CD, and the compression process is finished, the Edit Song window will pop up for each imported track asking for more information, for example the desired cue-in time and segue time (end time) for each track. On most G3 based systems, the import time per song is 4x faster than the length of the song. The compression process, which follows automatically, takes only 10 to 20 seconds per song. The default compression MegaSeg applies when importing from CD is IMA 4:1, which compresses the sound file to 1/4th its original size while retaining its CD quality sound. Although some types of music are affected more than others, the quality lost by MegaSeg’s default compression is imperceptible to most listeners. Overall we have found IMA 4:1 superior sounding to MP3 at most bit rates. IMA 4:1 is about the same size and quality as MP3 at its highest setting, 320Kbis. Moreover, IMA 4:1 does not require a fast processor to decode it, so older PowerMac’s that have problems playing MP3’s will be in good shape. Besides the default IMA compression, MegaSeg has an ’Options’ button on the Import CD Tracks window that allows you to select other compression formats that QuickTime supports. Among them are options for QDesign Music, uLaw 2:1, and None or Uncompressed. The 2:1 compression is similar to IMA 4:1, but renders files twice as large. Audio purists with all the hard drive space in the world may choose 2:1 for certain music that sounds a little scratchy to some ears with IMA 4:1. None, or Uncompressed will import the CD audio without adding compression. However, a 4 minute song will take 40MB of hard drive space. On the other end of the spectrum, The QDesign Music Codec compresses extremely small sound files that are designed for internet streaming. The downside to the QDesign Music Codec is that an extremely small file takes an extremely long time to compress. QDesign also sells a professional upgrade which allows you to encoded QDesign format files at higher bit rates for better quality. (The resultant slightly larger files are more on par with most 128kbis MP3’s). "I want my MP3!" If you enjoy smaller sound files, and don’t mind sacrificing a little quality, many good Mac MP3 encoders are available, including <a href="http://www.n2mp3.com/">N2MP3</a> and <a href="http://www.soundjam.com">SoundJam</a>. You can import the MP3 files created with these encoders by dropping them in the songs folder and then selecting the Import Files option. However, not all MP3's will play. Some MP3 encoders have options for ID3v2 tags. QuickTime 4.0 may not play files encoded with the ID3 tags option turned on in certain encoders. Upgrade to QuickTime 4.1 to solve the problem. To test files and settings for compatibility with MegaSeg, use Apple’s QuickTime Player as a guide. Anything QuickTime Player will play, MegaSeg can play. You must have QuickTime 4.1 to play "VBR" MP3’s. (VBR stands for Variable Bit Rate.) Download the QuickTime 4.1 update from Apple site, <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime">http://www.apple.com/quicktime</a> Another common problem is that MP3 files don’t have their "file type" set correctly, as evidenced by the "plain white document" icon. To solve this problem, included in the MegaSeg package is an AutoTyper application which converts those "plain icon documents" into QuickTime MP3 files. To use, simply drag all the files you want changed at once into the MP3 AutoTyper application. (It will not affect AIFF or MOVIE files.) This does not affect the content of the file, just the type, so QuickTime can recognize the file. Files imported by MegaSeg have filenames that are user friendly... simply the title of the song followed by the artist’s name up to 31 characters. If you need to find a song file in the Finder, open your media folder and type the first few letters of the song’s title. It should jump right to it. If you're not sure what folder it's in, use the Edit window in MegaSeg to see the "path:filename" information displayed. You can also use an external hard drive or network server for more music storage. Previous versions of MegaSeg required the use of Mac OS Alaises to link to files on external hard drives. However, now you can link to the media directly in MegaSeg using the new Import Folder option, which allows you to choose any folder on any hard drive to import from. MegaSeg will remember this folder, and allow you to "refresh" it's contents with the Refresh Folders import option. This will scan all known MegaSeg folders for new files to import. NOTE: Using songs across an ethernet connection should only add a slight start delay to music. (Typically a 1/10 to 1/5 of a second.) You can also run MegaSeg directly from external drives or separate partitions. NOTE: The Library can now hold a maximum of 5000 media files, up from 2000 in previous versions of MegaSeg. <IMG SRC="images/manual12.gif"> Edit Song In the Edit Song window, the Segue Time tells MegaSeg when to fade out the song you’re editing and start the next song in the Playlist. To set the Segue Time, press the Play End button to hear the last :20 seconds of the song. When you hear the point where you want MegaSeg to auto segue into the next song, click the Set button next to the Segue Time text box. This time tells MegaSeg when in AutoSeg mode when to start the next song over the current song. You need to set the Segue Time before the song fades out in order for MegaSeg to blend songs together while in AutoSeg mode. Every song is different, and requires a custom set Segue Time that can only be set with human ears. <IMG SRC="images/manual13.gif"> The ‘Play End’ of song button. You can continue this process for the Intro Time. The Intro Time setting is used to set the intro countdown timer display when the song starts to let the DJ know how long before the vocals in the song start. In other words, how long the DJ has to talk over the intro of the song. This "Intro Time" is displayed in front of the Segue Time in the Library and Playlist displays, and is also countdown in real time when the song starts using the big display time at the top of the main interface. The Cue-In Time is used to cut off the beginning of a song, usually because of dead space at the beginning before sound starts. Use the Test button next to the Cue-In Time for previewing the song using the current Cue-In Time. The regular play button will always start from the beginning of the sound file. If you clip the beginning of a song, start from the beginning and try again, or you can manually type in the time values. The format must be “minutes:seconds.hundredths” (“00:00.00”). The Volume text box and slider control allows you to adjust the volume of individual songs in the database. Since some CD’s are recorded softer than others, use this control to boost the volume of a softer song to match other songs you have added. Be careful not to distort a song by cranking it too high. Most often, the default volume of 256 is appropriate. To set the categories for your new song, click the Category Set button. A new window will pop up with a list of categories. Note the options to add, rename, and delete category names. To add a category, type the name in the box using no more than 20 letters, and click Add. To delete a category, click to select it from the list, then click Delete. When you rename a category, MegaSeg will perform a "find and replace" throughout the entire Library of songs, renaming the category for each song previously assigned to the old category. To merge two or more categories, simply rename the categories you want to merge using the same name as one of the existing categories, or by typing a new category name for all. Click on the category you want for your new song, or put the song in two or more categories by holding down the Command key while clicking the categories (Command-Click). Click OK to complete the sequence. <IMG SRC="images/manual14.gif"> The B.P.M. setting indicating the Beats Per Minute or tempo of each song will be displayed when you sort by BPM in the Library. B.P.M. settings are of course crucial for future MegaSeg versions that feature beat matching; however, it is still useful for determining the mood of a song in this version of MegaSeg. To set the BPM, start the song, and click the Set button next to the BPM textbox. A window will pop up asking you to tap the spacebar 16 times to the beat of the music. If you get off beat, just click Reset and start over. The BPM Tapper window will measure the time between the 1st tap and the 16th tap, calculate the BPM, and display the BPM setting in the Edit Song window. Once everything is set, click Save in the Edit Song window. You can edit a song at any time. Just click it once to highlight it, then click Edit or select File->Edit Song from the menu (Command-E). To delete a song from the song database (and delete the sound file from the hard drive), click the song once to highlight it, then click Delete (File->Delete Song, or Command-D). This procedure will permanently delete the sound file and can’t be undone, unless you used an alias to link it to a sound file elsewhere, in which case it will only delete the alias. To remove a song from MegaSeg, without deleting the actual sound file, simply remove the sound file from the folder it is located before you select Delete to remove it. (If you don’t delete the song, the next time MegaSeg starts, it will report the missing file and give you the option to remove it from the database. This makes it easy to remove many files at once by temporarily moving or renaming a folder that contains many files you want to remove from the database without deleting the actual media.) Searching the Song Database To search for songs, type a keyword in the textbox above the Find button and press Return or click Find. The resulting titles will appear in the Library display and the category text button will change to “Matched” followed by the number of matches. Click Find again (or press Command-F) to clear the search results and return to the category display. When you type in the textbox without pressing Return or clicking Find, the Library display will jump to the song title or artist name that most nearly matches the word you’ve typed, depending on your sorting choice of Title or Artist. This search is referred to as a "Jump Find". NOTE: The search is not case sensitive; however, what you type in the find textbox will do an absolute match search of the database. e.g. typing "Mr Mister" will not find "Mr. Mister" because of the missing period, but "mister" will find "Miss Mister" and "Mr. Mister" as well as "Mister Mystery Man". <IMG SRC="images/manual15.gif"> Adding songs to the Playlist With a few songs added to your Library, you can start building a Playlist! When you double click a song in the Library, it jumps over to the Playlist, cued up and ready to go. To remove a song from the Playlist, double click the song in the Playlist display. You can also use the buttons in between the displays to add and remove songs. When you add a song to the Playlist, a red line appears along the right side of the song in the Library. This red line indicates the song has been added to the Playlist, and gives you an easy way to tell what songs haven’t been added yet. If you remove a song from the Playlist, and it doesn’t appear multiple times, the red line will clear. Clearing the Playlist clears all the red lines. You can also add all the songs from the current Library display to the Playlist by Option-Clicking the Add button. You may then randomize the Playlist by selecting from the menu, Playlist->Randomize Playlist, (Command-R). This can also be used to mix different categories of music together. For example, you can display your Disco category, and Option-Clicking Add will add all of your disco songs to the Playlist. Follow that by displaying your Country category, and Option-Click Add to add all of your country songs to the Playlist. Randomize the Playlist with Command-R, and you’ve got a wonderful mix of disco and country songs. Enjoy. NOTE: In previous versions of MegaSeg, the Playlist was limited to 600 songs, but that limit has been removed. <IMG SRC="images/manual16.gif"> To insert a song anywhere in the Playlist, first single-click the place in the Playlist display where you want the song to go, then single-click the song from the Library display. Now press the ‘Insert’ button between the two displays, and the song will insert itself in the Playlist. To move a song around in the Playlist, select the song with one click, then use the up and down Move buttons located between the two lists. Either of these buttons can be held down to speed up the movement of a song after moving it 5 positions. Option-Clicking the up or down Move button, will jump the selected song to the top or bottom of the Playlist. This option is useful if a song you want to play next is scheduled later in your Playlist, or you want to move a song to the bottom, out of the way, without removing it from the Playlist. At the bottom of the two displays, are buttons for navigating around the lists. The double arrows are used to “page” the displays, while the single arrows scroll the displays one song at a time. Use the Top, Mid, and End buttons to jump to the top, middle, or end of the lists. Note: On the Playlist, the NEXT song is always displayed at the top, so only 4 songs can be seen at a time while scrolling or paging through the Playlist. Below the Playlist display are the Playlist Position arrow buttons. These buttons allow you to back up to songs already played or skip forward in the Playlist. The arrow buttons make it convenient to play songs out of sequence without actually changing the order in the Playlist. By means of the arrow buttons, a music bed or sound effect can be replayed as often as you like, without actually inserting it into the Playlist. The Add 5 Random Songs option from the Playlist menu (Command-5) will add 5 songs randomly selected from the current category displayed in the Database. Because of the “no repeat filter”, at least 6 songs are required for this procedure to work. This filter calculates 75% of the total number of songs available in the category and scans that many songs from the bottom of the Playlist, thus preventing any close song repeating. For example, with 100 songs already cued up, this option scans the last 75 songs of the Playlist to prevent any repeats while it adds the 5 new songs. You can also Randomize the entire current Playlist with Command-R, the Randomize Playlist command. However, if a song is repeated in the Playlist, this command may place the repeated songs close together. <IMG SRC="images/manual17.gif"> To clear the Playlist, select Playlist->Clear Playlist from the menu (Command-K). Starting the Playlist Now that you have some songs cued up, let’s start kickin’ it! Click the Start Playlist button at the bottom of the MegaSeg screen (or from the menu Playlist->Start Playlist, Command-G). Instantly, the first song in the cue will play while MegaSeg counts down the time to the next song it will autoseg into. The special keyboard commands for Playlist control, Command-[ for exclusive Start Playlist and Command-] for exclusive Stop Playlist, work perfectly with the Keyspan Remote Control for wireless control of MegaSeg! (Command-G is used for "toggle" Start/Stop Playlist control.) Since MegaSeg defaults to autoseg mode, as indicated by the flashing button on the top right, MegaSeg will autoseg to the next song and fade out the previous song automatically! The default fade-out time is 2 seconds, and the default fade-in time is 0 seconds. You can change both of these times in the Settings window (Command-T). You can manually segue at anytime by pressing the Segue button (Playlist->Seg To Next Song, Command-/ or Command-Spacebar). This will instantly start the next song and fade out the previous song. Sometimes it’s desirable to fade the current song a little before starting the next one. You can do this by using the Start/Stop Playlist button. Stop the Playlist for a second, then start it up again quickly for the desired effect. The Segue button works in Autoseg mode or Manual mode. When in Manual mode, MegaSeg waits at the end of a song for you to press the Segue button before continuing with the Playlist. Once the Playlist is in motion, the Start Playlist button changes to Stop Playlist. If pressed, it will fade out the current song and halt until you start the Playlist again. Loading and Saving Playlists You can load and save your Playlists with the buttons on the right of the Playlist display. The songs in the Playlist are stored by name, so if you add or delete a song in the database, don't worry about matching database record numbers. The song numbers are for navigation feedback only. Unlike most radio station automation systems, which use "cart numbers" to keep track of music, the database record numbers have no attachment to the songs themselves. MegaSeg will also allow you to import playlists from professional radio station music schedulers. The only requirement is the output log format has the title starting at the first charter of the line, and the artist appears anywhere on the line. All other info on the log line will be ignored. To import the playlist, place the ASCII based text file in MegaSeg's Playlists folder. <IMG SRC="images/manual18.gif"> In the Load Playlist window, there are buttons for Delete, Add, and Load. Either double click the filename, or single-click to select and then click Load to clear the current Playlist and load the selected one. If you wish to add the selected Playlist to the end of the current Playlist without clearing, click Add instead of Load. The Delete button erases a selected Playlist. If you load a Playlist that contains songs you deleted from the database after the Playlist was saved, MegaSeg will alert you to the problem and report how many times songs are skipped in the Playlist. This reported number is the total count of skips. For example, one deleted song may be skipped multiple times. A report window will pop up with the actual text from each missing track from the playlist file. Keyboard Shortcuts Following is a list of useful keyboard shortcuts for MegaSeg. <ul> <li>Command-Spacebar and Command-/ both perform a Segue to the Next Song. <li>Option-Click Add Button adds all songs from the current Library display to the Playlist. <li>Option-Click Segue will save the exact time clicked as the new Segue Time for the song. <li>Command-F activates the Find textbox. Return performs search and reactivates keyboard arrow keys. <li>Left/Right Arrows change display list focus for other keyboard commands. <li>Up/Down Arrows control selection and scroll. <li>Page Down/Page Up/Home/End do what you would expect. <li>Command-Up/Down Arrows moves selected song in Playlist. <li>Command-Right Arrow adds selected song in the Library to the bottom of the Playlist. <li>Command-Left Arrow removes selected song in the Playlist. <li>Option-Right Arrow inserts selected song in the Library before the selected song in the Playlist. <li>Option-Up/Down Arrows moves the selected song in the Playlist to the top or bottom of list. <li>Command-; and ' controls the Playlist Position buttons. </ul> The Log File Each time you start MegaSeg, a new Log File is created in the Logs folder inside the MegaSeg folder. This file will log every song that is played, as well as the time and date it was played. Songs in the Playlist that are missing from the hard drive will be skipped and marked as such in the log. You can view the current log at any time by clicking the Log button (or Playlist->View Playlog, Command-L). The log files are ASCII text files that can be opened and printed with SimpleText or any word processor. <IMG SRC="images/manual19.gif"> To prevent unnecessary buildup in the Logs folder, delete any dispensable logs. For example, sort the folder chronologically by Date Created in the Finder, then trash the oldest logs. The Notepad It’s always handy to have a place to type in a quick note or two, so we built a note pad right into MegaSeg. It’s nothing fancy, but it does the trick for jotting down a quick song request, or remembering the bride’s and groom’s names. To view the MegaSeg Notepad, select File->View Notepad (Command-N) from the menu. The notepad will save the text when you quit, and remember the text when you restart MegaSeg. The MegaSeg F.A.Q. <a name="1"> <h4>Q: Can MegaSeg play MP3 files?</h4> A: Yes! Since MegaSeg 1.1 you can play imported MP3 files. It will also play any file QuickTime 4 supports. QuickTime 4.0 does not support "VBR" MP3's, but Apple's QuickTime 4.1 update adds VBR support. <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/">Download the update</a> from Apple's web site, or use the QuickTime Updater program located in the QuickTime Folder on your hard drive. (VBR stands for Variable Bit Rate) By default, MegaSeg imports from CD using IMA 4:1 compression for better quality. If you wish to use MP3 there are many Mac encoders out there, including <a href="http://www.n2mp3.com/">N2MP3</a>, <a href="http://www.proteron.com/mpegger/">MPegger</a> and <a href="http://www.soundjam.com">SoundJam MP</a>. Some MP3 encoders have options for ID3v2 tags. QuickTime 4.0 will not play files encoded with SoundJam if this tag information option is turned on. Un-check this option for QuickTime and MegaSeg compatibility. (However, QuickTime 4.1 will play MP3's with ID3v2 tags.) To test files for compatibility with MegaSeg, you can use Apple's QuickTime Player as a guide. <a name="2"> <h4>Q: Can MegaSeg beat mix between songs?</h4> A: We are working on a beat mixing version. Currently MegaSeg cross-fades between songs "radio style". <a name="3"> <h4>Q: Can I use an external hard drive or network server for more music?</h4> A: Yes, with MegaSeg 1.4 you can now link directly to any file on any external or network drive. Before MegaSeg 1.4, you needed to use Mac OS Aliases from audio files on external or network drives and place them in MegaSeg's Songs folder. Now you can link directly without the need for alases. <a name="4"> <h4>Q: How do I hook my Mac into an amp?</h4> A: You'll need to pick up an "1/8 inch stereo to RCA audio cable" from your local stereo store. Radio Shack sells a "ground loop isolator" audio cable, which costs a little more (around $15-$20), but removes pesky ground loops (hum) that sometimes haunts audio equipment. You should only need this if there's a hum using a standard cable. <a name="5"> <h4>Q: Do you make a PC version of MegaSeg?</h4> A: Not currently. We are concidering a PC version. Please <a href="mailto:sales@megaseg.com">contact us</a> if you want to be notified on developments. <a name="6"> <h4>Q: Should I run a "clean" System, and turn off unnecessary extensions?</h4> A: Not necessarily, it depends if you are having problems with your current setup, and what you are using MegaSeg for. If your are planning on using MegaSeg in "mission critical" situations, then by all means, try and optimize your system system as much as possible by removing any unnecessary system extensions and control panels. And easy start is by using the Extension Manager control panel and select the "MacOS Base" setting. Then turn off any extra extensions you don't need, and save a new "extension set" for MegaSeg. You can then switch between your MegaSeg set and your normal set, depending on what you're doing. <a name="7"> <h4>Q: Can I have my own categories?</h4> A: Yes. MegaSeg allows you to customize your own categories. You can even put a song in multiple categories. This is available by clicking the Category Set button in the Edit Song window. <a name="8"> <h4>Q: I'm having an import problem on my PowerBook or iBook. Why does it seem to freeze or pause when importing CD Tracks?</h4> A: If you are using a PowerBook to import from CD, the Energy Saver Control Panel has an option for "Processor Cycling" under the advanced settings. When running the PowerBook on battery power, this option is checked by default. Turn this option off, and it should work fine. The other solution is plug-in the powerbook, and you'll notice the "Settings For:" setting switches to "Power Adapter", and the Processor Cycling should be unchecked. (If not, un-check it... there's no need for processor cycling while plugged in.) Processor Cycling allows the processor to slow down when it detects the user is not typing or using the mouse after a short time (like a screen saver). This helps save battery power. When importing, after 30 seconds or so it senses you have stopped "using" your computer, and goes into this power savings mode, which "cycles down" the processor to nearly a halt. <a name="9"> <h4>Q: Is MegaSeg compliant with music licensing laws?</h4> A: We have a common sense answer for you. Transferring your own CD's to your hard drive is like making a backup copy of a software program. If you get rid of your original CD, you are required by the license to delete the copy. When you make a cassette tape of your favorite songs from your own CD's to play in the car, it's for your own use. As long as you don't give that tape to anyone, nothing is wrong. Just the same, the sound files extracted from your CD's are personal copies of the music you own for your own use. <a name="10"> <h4>Q: When I add a song from CD, it attempts to import, but fails. Any ideas?</h4> A: MegaSeg requires Quicktime 3.0 or greater. If you are using <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/">Quicktime 4</a>, you need to download the "Full" install, that includes the authoring tools for importing from CD. Also, not all CD-ROM drives support audio extraction. Any Apple brand Mac with an original Apple CD-ROM should have no problem. If you still have problems, please let us know! NOTE: There seems to be a conflict with the SoundJam Extension on some systems. This prevents MegaSeg from recognizing there is a CD in the CD-ROM drive. If you are having problems, try disabling the SoundJam Extension. <a name="11"> <h4>Q: Have compatibility tests been run for PPC clones?</h4> A: We have tested StarMax 3000/4000's, in addition to iMacs, iBooks, PowerBook G3s, PowerMac G3 and G4s, 8x00/7x00 PowerMacs, and a few Performas with no problems. Please let us know if you have problems with other systems. We will add them to this FAQ, and try to resolve the problems. <a name="12"> <h4>Q: Is there a minimum hard drive speed?</h4> A: Most hard drives should be fine. Compressed audio uses a very small amount of bandwidth. <a name="13"> <H4>Q: Is MegaSeg Mac OS 9 compatible?</h4> A: Yes. MegaSeg has been tested and works fine with Mac OS 8.0 - 9.0.4 <a name="14"> <H4>Q: How's the database formatted?</h4> A: The database is a single flat file (text file) located in the Database folder inside the MegaSeg folder. It is loaded during startup, and then only accessed and modified when songs are added, edited or deleted. <a name="15"> <a name="16"> <h4>Q: Is the Playlist Setting's fade out time saved with the song?</h4> A: The fade out time is global and defaults to 2 seconds. We are working on expanding this feature with more options, including custom override times. <a name="17"> <h4>Q: What is the maximum number of songs the database can handle?</h4> A: With MegaSeg 1.4, it's now 5000 songs. <a name="18"> <h4>Q: Can MegaSeg play songs directly from a CD?</h4> A: No, but you have two options... 1) Open the AppleCD Audio Player, and manually start a track off the CD after a song is done playing in MegaSeg (with autoseg off, or nothing else cued up). Then return to MegaSeg after that song is done. The Control Strip is a handy way to control the Mac's built-in Audio CD Player. 2) Quickly import a track off the CD while MegaSeg is playing a song. This is more dangerous, and requires a fast Mac, because if the compression isn't done before the current song is playing, you'll have "dead air" until it's finished compressing. But with a 266 MHz iMac, a 4 minute song shouldn't take more than a few minutes to import. There's also the possibility of audio skips during the import due to Quicktime's buffer running low. Certain Macs have no problem with this. <a name="19"> <h4>Q: What are the issues with MP3 playback and QuickTime?</h4> A: There are a few issues concerning MP3 and QuickTime... * QuickTime 4.0 will not play VBR format MP3's. Upgrade to QuickTime 4.1 or better. * VBR MP3 format may cause pauses in audio at intermittent times. MegaSeg 1.4 improves this, as will the next upgrade of QuickTime to be released. * Any MP3 over 5 minutes in length may have an audio drop-out (pause for 1 second) at a consistent time. This is due to a bug in QuickTime with how it uses it's audio buffer. The next release of QuickTime should solve the problem. <a name="20"> <h4>Q: Are Upgrades Free?</h4> A: Since version 1.0 through 1.4, we have not charged for an upgrade. In other words, we don't normally change for upgrades within the same version number (any 1.x). <a name="21"> <h4>Q: I noticed there wasn't a "pause" function in the program. How do I pause a song?</h4> A: MegaSeg 1.4 now has a pause button for the current playing song in the upper right hand corner of the interface when a song is playing. <a name="22"> <h4>Q: My mp3s are in separate sub-folders based on their category. Can MegaSeg import them into categories based on their folders?</h4> A: Yes, but not automatically. In MegaSeg 1.4, you can import one folder at a time, and it will ask if you want to assign a category to all the files in that folder as a whole. <a name="23"> <h4>Q: Does MegaSeg support skins?</h4> A: We are not a big believer in skins. Looking at the consumer apps that have that feature shows how wrong it can go. In the future, we may offer different looks to the established MegaSeg interface, but nothing too drastic. <a name="24"> <h4>Q: The main issue for me anyway is the inability to import mp3s from sources other than the "Songs" folder. Any plans to change this?</h4> A: Yes. MegaSeg 1.4 has full support of importing from any folder on any hard drive natively. No longer necessary to use aliases or keep all the files in the "Songs" folder. <a name="25"> <h4>Q: Is there any way to print the Playlist or Library?</h4> A: Yes, all saved Playlists are SimpleText files stored in the Playlists folder. You can print them using SimpleText. To print out the Library, use the Export Library command in the File menu. It will save an AppleWorks spreadsheet which can be printed in AppleWorks. <a name="26"> <h4>Q: What is the function of the "Intro Time" field in the Edit window? It counts down when played, but has no effect I can hear.</h4> A: The Intro Time is used to count down the time before the vocal starts in a song. It's useful if you talk over the intro of a song (radio style) and like to see how much time is left before the singing starts. <a name="27"> <h4>Q: I purchased MegaSeg and was wondering what happens if I loose the program file? Can I redownlad it without paying again?</h4> A: Yes. Please contact us a sales@megaseg.com with your name and serial number, and we will send you a download link. <a name="28"> <h4>Q: Is the software available on CD ROM? Or, can I use the "unlocking code" more than once for future hard drive upgrades, reformatting, other systems, etc?</h4> A: Currently MegaSeg is only available online via our website. The unlock code can only be used once to get the installer file, but the installer can then be backed up for a reinstall after reformatting, etc. <a name="29"> <h4>Q: Can you advance to the tail of a song to test the mix while playing the playlist?</h4> A: Yes. MegaSeg 1.4 adds this feature with the "Play Ending" button on the main interface. <a name="30"> <h4>Q: Does MegaSeg install any files into the System Folder?</h4> A: No. MegaSeg utilizes QuickTime which is already installed on all Macs. <a name="31"> <h4>Q: Is there a way to set a "cold" segue? I need a cold ending on some songs to get right into the next song.</h4> A: Yes. Set the Segue Time at the exact time of the cold ending. MegaSeg will start the next song at this exact time. MegaSeg's fade out of the previous song is activated after the next song starts, so it won't cut off the cold ending song. <a name="32"> <h4>Q: Can MegaSeg stream audio directly to the Internet from one computer?</h4> A: MegaSeg can generate an audio mix for an online station, but not handle the encoding or steaming. You can stream your mix with an audio streaming server, such as the Quicktime Streaming Server software (part of MacOS X Server). If your server is at a remote location, such as an ISP, you can use Sorenson Broadcaster to send your stream to the server. The Log file that MegaSeg generates could then be accessed by the web site's backend software to show the current song playing. <a name="33"> <h4>Q: What is the maximum length of a playlist?</h4> A: Before version 1.3, it was 600 songs. But since 1.3 the limit is virtually unlimited! OK, there's a limit, but it's 100,000... that's nearly a years worth of music cued in the playlist. Longer than your power company can keep the power on. <a name="34"> <h4>Q: I would like to use MegaSeg with my 1400 powerbook. It runs at 133mhz. Is this fast enough?</h4> A: We recommend at least a 180Mhz system. It will run on a 133Mhz, but MP3 playback is the first major concern, because of the extra speed required to decode MP3 audio. QuickTime may not be able to keep up, and cause audio drop outs. If you stick with MegaSeg's default AIFF IMA 4:1 audio format, you shouldn't have a problem, because IMA 4:1 requires less processor time to decode. <a name="35"> <h4>Q: It makes me nervous relying on computers instead of CD players. What if it crashes or freezes?</h4> A: We have had wonderful success with stability in MegaSeg and the Mac OS. DJ's have use it nightly without fail. But with computers, there's always the chance of a crash. As a safety net, it's a good idea to keep a MiniDisc, or portable CD player handy so you can play a song during a reboot, just in case. <a name="36"> <h4>Q: Can I change the name of audio files with no problems?</h4> A: MegaSeg keeps track of the audio files in the database by path and filename. If the filename or folder gets renamed or moved, then MegaSeg will give a missing file error, and allow the user to find the missing file using the standard open file dialog. If it's just a folder that got renamed or moved, then MegaSeg will find other missing files inside the folder once the first missing file is found. This is similar to the way many video editing programs handle external media files. <a name="37"> <h4>Q: Can megaseg access and play music files extracted and saved at CD quality (i.e. AIFF files saved raw at 44.1 mHz, 16 bit sound) rather than just compressed music?</h4> A: Yes. Since version 1.3, MegaSeg has the ability to choose any supported QuickTime compression, including "None" which allows for uncompressed audio imported from CD. <a name="38"> <h4>Q: Can megaseg make compressed files from uncompressed AIFF files rather than from the CD itself?</h4> A: Not currently. There are other shareware applications available to do conversions. Check www.versiontracker.com for downloads. <a name="39"> <h4>Q: Why doesn't MegaSeg cross-fade songs when in AutoSeg mode?</h4> A: AutoSeg mode tells MegaSeg to auto advance the playlist using the preset Segue Time settings for each song. If you do not customize the proper Segue Times for each individual song, then MegaSeg will use the default time to segue, which is the end of the sound file. This causes MegaSeg to let the song play to silence before starting the next song. Use the Edit window to customize the proper Segue time for each song in your Library. <a name="40"> <h4>Q: Why doesn't MegaSeg just use a preset Segue time of 10 or 20 seconds before the end of the song?</h4> A: Every song is different and requires a human to set it's proper Segue Time. Some songs end "cold" and require the Segue Time to be very close to the end of the sound file, while other songs fade out for 30 seconds, and require a Segue Time nearly 30 seconds before the end of the actual sound file. Another reason for this is you don't want to segue in the middle of a musical phrase or vocal line, so it's important for the user to set the Segue Time custom for each song. This is how professional radio stations set up their automation systems. <a name="41"> <h4>Q: Will a hard drive with 5400 RPM work for music? Also on USB or FireWire Ports?</h4> A: Yes. Audio uses a small amount of bandwidth. Any 5400 RPM drive should be fine. We have also had good reports of USB and FireWire hard drives, although USB is slower and can limit the speed of random access to audio, for example, fast forward and rewind functions will not be as smooth, and may not play back audio during the operations with USB drives... however that would not affect normal playback. <a name="42"> <h4>Q: Are there any plans to incorporate an MP3 encoder into MegaSeg?</h4> A: MegaSeg currently uses QuickTime to import and compress audio from CD using any QuickTime supported compression. Currently our default setting is IMA 4:1 for it's quality, however the QDesign Music Codec can also be used if desired. QuickTime 4.1 doesn't currently support MP3 encoding, but QuickTime 5.0 will... As soon as QuickTime 5.0 is released by Apple, MegaSeg will allow MP3 encoding natively. <a name="43"> <h4>Q: I'm experiencing brief audio pauses in the playing song when I add another song to the NEXT position. What is wrong?</h4> A: This is a known problem with VBR MP3 files. If a VBR MP3 file is placed in the Playlist's NEXT position, it may cause the audio to drop out for a second on some Macs... mostly slower ones. The problem is that QuickTime must calculate the duration of VBR MP3 files when opened, and during this calculation, the computer can't do anything else. If this calculation takes longer than a second or two, it may cause the audio to stop. The solution is not to use evil VBR format MP3 files, or you could use QuickTime Player (Pro version) or the old MoviePlayer 2.5 to save the VBR MP3s into a self-contained Movie file, in which QuickTime will store the duration in the Movie document, removing the need for QuickTime to calculate the duration each time it's opened. NOTE: We are working on a fix for this problem if possible. If your question wasn't answered here, <a href="mailto:sales@megaseg.com">e-mail us</a>. The End That’s it! We hope you enjoy using MegaSeg. MegaSeg, and the MegaSeg swirl are trademarks of Fidelity Media, Inc. Apple, Macintosh, QuickTime, and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged. Copyright © 2000 Fidelity Media, Inc. </BODY> </HTML>