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Showing posts with the label Spacial

25 Years Of Being Into Internet Radio (1999-2024)

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WOW Just WOW! Its dawned on me I've been into Internet radio since 1999. It all started with me playing around on a friends computer and I tuned into a LIVE365 station. Cyndi Lauper All Through The Night was the first song I heard It was 2001 before I was able to afford my first computer and I set about learning How To Stream on the Internet. I've lost count of how many different bits of software I've tried in 25 years some of them were GREAT some of them were PANTS Oddcast, Edcast, Altacast, Jazler, MB Recaster, BUTT, Zara Radio, SAM Broadcaster & Winamp with DSP Encoders Early versions of some software would crash if you tried adding a large folder of music to it. Some software just didn't have great stability which was Sad because the software looked promising. I lost a position on an Internet radio station because of software issues. I spent a LOT of time FIGHTING with sof

8 Reasons To Not Use SAM Broadcaster Pro

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I can think of a few reasons WHY you might want to choose an alternative to  SAM Broadcaster Pro or Studio 1) Lousy Customer Support: When SAM Broadcaster goes wrong (and it will) don't expect to get much help from Spacial Audio: The Spacial support department sends users the same old canned replies without actually helping anyone. Spacial Audio like to play BIG Corporate with their Small Support team that have never even used the software The Customer service manager is rude to users on a regular basis Even the forums and social media accounts are staffed by people who don't really care about the software. People have even taken to Social media to vent their frustrations at not getting much in the way of support. @Spacial Audio are the worst software company I have EVER come across @spacial Customer Support makes me feel more like a Victim, than a Customer Pointless you keep asking for

How To: Destroy a Software Company

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For the past 13 years I've been trying to get across to people just how Flaky Spacial Audio software is. Fact: SAM Broadcaster Pro Crashes A Lot! My Blog posts have saved users from the Hell that is SAM Broadcaster I used SAM Broadcaster from 2001 to 2010 and believe me I know all of its little QUIRKS and ISSUES Rather than take the Criticism of SAM Broadcaster on board Spacial Audio appear to have completely retreated into a corner. I've never known another Software company who are so outwardly PARANOID They've built a wall around them and won't help people or enter into conversations about how AWFUL their software offerings are. AFAIK Spacial have only 1 developer when they do a release its for stuff thats stopped working in previous versions. Spacial Audio rarely introduce new features into SAM Broadcaster Pro I'm utterly amazed people still buy into SAM Broadcaster

A Fool And Their Money Are Soon Parted!

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Most people know I dislike a program called SAM Broadcaster Pro made by Spacial Audio solutions Let me explain a little as to why I hate it so much: I discovered Internetradio in 2000 when I first started using the Internet Although It was 2002 before I got the chance to DJ online I played with SAM Broadcaster v1.3 in 2000 when I first looked into Internet radio my station never really got off the ground. Early versions of Streaming Audio Manager required Winamp as a backend player and it was absolute pants. SAM wasn't great when you went to add a music folder It would crash & lockup before it imported half of the songs. In 2002 one of the stations I listened to was advertising for DJ's so I signed up & I ended up with a regular weekly radio show. They supplied SAM Broadcaster v2.7.9 & the keys to the software which I presumed were DJ seat keys. Despite being talked through the setup of the program it was fiddly/awkward/annoying to setu

Streamlining Our Services (Spacial Audio)

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The usual bullshit email from Spacial Audio dropped into my email yesterday. They start off the email by saying news letters will be a quarterly thing rather than a monthly thing. Then they go onto say they've made the support forums a read only resource. (I reckon) They've done this to Scupper my blogging so I cant see customers blowing their stack at Spacial support. This isn't Spacial Audio Streamlining Its Spacial Audio finding even more ways not to SUPPORT users Spacial seem to have ditched most social media but I still see pissed off SAM Broadcaster users posting somehwere every now and then. If I didn't know better I'd say Spacial Audio are struggling for sales of their SAM Broadcaster Pro software. I guess if they're "Streamlining" that means they'll probably have laid off support staff. YET MORE REASONS NOT TO DO BUSINESS WITH SPACIAL AUDIO

Turn Your Firewall Off?

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Read a Tweet from another user having issues getting support from Spacial Audio They've told this user to switch their Firewall & Security off. My radio station has been off for 3 weeks I contacted Spacial customer service They told me to switch the Firewall and Security off Thats dangerous advice from Spacial Audio the Firewall & Security protects a users computer. As to why their SAM software doesn't play nicely with the Windows Firewall is anyones guess. The CODE of SAM Broadcaster Pro/Studio is Awful at best and still crashes time after time. RadioDJ FREE radio Automation doesn't require the Firewall or Security to be switched off. Spacial Audio Support really do NOT know their Arse from their Elbow

Spacial Audio Fired Us!

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Yes its another post about how Lackluster Spacial Audio Support are. I've been watching a thread on Twitter where a user was simply told to go find another service by the Support desk at Spacial. His Crime? Asking Spacial Audio Support for help. We were *trying* to work with @spacial but when we asked them for help @spacial "fired" us! Seriously? If Spacial keep pissing customers off they'll soon have no customers to support. Spacial Audio have recently found another way not to give help. They've made the SAM BROADCASTER forums READ ONLY. Spacial do not help you their website is not working there is no links for tech help Why anyone does business with Spacial Audio is beyond me They LIE, They Cheat and the support desk doesn't help anyone. I really hope they go out of business one day Spacial Audio Solutions LLC are a STAIN on the Internet Radio Community

Spacial Audio Are Taking The Piss AGAIN!

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So its a new year and I've just looked at the SAM Broadcaster Read Me for 2022 To all intents and purposes Spacial Audio have done BUGGER ALL to their SAM Broadcaster software in 2022. All the while Spacial Audio are still taking money for their software. The developers at Spacial Audio have always been lazy They're allowed to get away with blue murder When a new release of SAM does appear its usually BUG FIXES for things they screwed up in a previous release. There doesn't seem to be any passion from the Spacial Audio developers they're lazy and overpaid IMHO. Spacial Audio are seen as something of a JOKE by a lot of broadcasters. I saw this tweet on Twitter a couple of years back now about Spacial Audio & it didn't surprise me to be honest. They don't give refunds once you purchase SAM Broadcaster related software. When SAM Broadcaster goes wrong (and it will) don't expect to get

You Won't Get Support And You Certainly WON'T Get A Refund

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Theres a SAM Broadcaster user kicking off on Social Media about not being able to get a refund from Spacial Audio. Not happy with the evaluation of service? TOUGH! Spacial Audio will take your money and give you Zero support You can Shout, You can Scream, You can talk to a Brick wall BUT YOU WILL NOT GET A REFUND People are unable to get a refund on a product they purchased In GOOD FAITH Spacial Audio won't answer messages asking for money back It says in the EULA that If you have tested the demo they assume you are satisfied. We DO NOT offer refunds because of our 14-day free trial version which allows users to try the product for free and make sure they are satisfied with it Even when we purchased SAM Broadcaster in 2010 there was a NO REFUND policy. Its why Software companies sometime SUCK and its another reason I now avoid paid for software. Spacial Audio don't like giving support after they've taken your MONE

Spacial Audio Disreputable?

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Spacial Audio Solutions LLC is ran and managed by people who just DON'T CARE about $$$ paying customers. I saw this tweet on Twitter a couple of years back now about Spacial Audio & it didn't surprise me to be honest. We've been trying to tell people this for years now. Once you buy software from Spacial Audio you won't get help when something goes wrong and Spacial software does go wrong. @spacial very very disappointed after 20 years of being customer Your customer service is so poor! The support team appear to send the same old canned replies that aren't usually of any help to the person having the issues. That's IF you're lucky enough to have your support ticket answered. @spacial please answer our emails, or dm's or just let us contact you somehow. please. we just want to talk Don't even bother with the support forums either they're just as bad. IF YOU cancel any Spacial Audio service keep an eye

I Guess It Leaves Me With NO Other Option (SAM DJ)

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I look at the Spacial Audio SAM Broadcaster/SAM DJ forums regularly. I witnessed a post from a user whom it appears is having subscription issues with SAM DJ (Formerly SAM PARTY DJ) I guess it leaves me with no other option then. Seeing that I paid for my copy of Sam DJ I really feel cheated because I never expected Spacial Audio to be so Deceptive This is not the first time Spacial Audio have been called out for being SHYSTERS The subscription model that Spacial Audio use is AWFUL at best and the activation servers keep locking genuine users out. I don't like software that has online activation requirements or keys. This user could do worse than use RadioDJ it has a better crossfade & stability than SAM DJ. IF I were still doing discos I'd probably be using RadioDJ to run my set with. There is better software than SAM DJ well better than anything SPACIAL AUDIO CODE. 1) Mixxx (FREE) 2) Virtual DJ 3) Traktor

Sam Broadcaster Crossfade Problems

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As hard as I tried I could never get SAM Broadcaster to transition smoothly between songs. I'd either end up with a few seconds of dead air or a complete car crash of a crossfade. All my files were ripped properly and volume levelled so that wasn't the issue. It happened with every version of the software from v2.7.9 through to the newer versions. So it's not just a problem confined to one version of SAM Broadcaster but every single version of it. The default settings would cut the end of songs off & jingles and station ID's would never fade/play properly. I even tried settings suggested by Festerhead on the SAM Broadcaster forums but that only made the issue worse. We think Spacial Audio ripped off a Winamp DSP plugin called SQR Crossfade to make the fadeout feature in SAM. I need a little help with cross-fading when there is a voice-track or Station ID SAM Broadcaster cuts off the last second of the track Where would I deal with that? Can

You Shouldn't Have To Keep Reinstalling Software (SAM Broadcaster Pro)

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One of the BIGGEST bug bears I have about SAM Broadcaster Pro is that when something goes wrong it goes BADLY WRONG. When SAM goes Boom & Bust you have to prat around uninstalling and reinstalling the software just to get it to function. Almost ready to go LIVE again SAM Broadcaster reinstalled Database rolling and adding music files & Jingles AGAIN I witnessed SAM Broadcaster do a disappering act many a time in my 10+ years of using the software. Because SAM Broadcaster Pro doesn't come with a database backup tool you have rebuild your song database and categories. Googling the error suggests a Delphi problem SAM is written in Delphi The fact it is still happening in the 2021 versions should be sounding alarm bells to anyone thinking of purchasing SAM. This little nugget was recently shared on the Spacial forums: SAM Broadcaster Pro crashed after four hours of use Just for the record the record Uptime for Radio

Memory Leaks Are An Inherent Problem SAM Broadcaster Pro

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As the title of the post SAM Broadcaster Pro suffers with Memory Leaks. More so If you are running PAL = Playlist Automation Language Scripts. Memory Leaks are an inherent problem of how the PAL engine is designed If you design bad PAL scripts you get memory leaks It's easier to design a bad PAL script than to design a good one It's not like Memory Leaks were an unavoidable problem They've had years to get the code in SAM Broadcaster Pro BUG FREE give or take a few GUI changes its the same as it was 20 years ago. When I first tried running PAL scripts in 2002 SAM would regularly do a disappearing act or it would stutter and FREEZE. This is a from a user who is having issues with the latest 2021 version. [CORE] Unhandled exception (Out of memory while expanding memory stream) I stopped some of the scripts and the problem still occurred The memory leak PAL Script crashed SAM Broadcaster The PAL Scripting inter