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StationPlaylist Scripts 5.11 User Guide

Build 20

Copyright 2016, Hartgen Consultancy

Introduction

Thank you for using the JAWS scripts for StationPlaylist Studio and associated products.

StationPlaylist Studio is a simple to use on-air broadcast automation playout software package for the studio and/or DJ. It plays all your media files with manual or intelligent automatic crossfading. It can play jingles, commercials, news and songs. Live streams, live inputs from your soundcard, satellite feeds and so on. It includes an Internet stream encoder, voice track/song ramp overlapping, microphone button with music fade, many automation and Live Assist features such as cart slots for instant jingles, and much more.

Sttation Playlist Studio is an extremely accessible application. Almost all of the functions can be activated using the keyboard. However, as with many applications, it is useful to have keystrokes to read important parts of the screen succinctly or to hear pertinent information automatically. Particularly in a broadcasting situation where gaining an awareness of what is happening quickly is imperative, these powerful scripts provide productivity enhancements so you can concentrate more on what is happening in your programme rather than using the JAWS screen review mode to locate the information you need.

This document is designed to run in your web browser of choice which is useful so you can refer to it while keeping StationPlaylist Studio open at the same time.

The StationPlaylist Studio scripts contain:

Direct interaction with StationPlaylist Studio. Rather than gathering information from the screen by using the JAWS Cursor or similar methods, where possible data is retrieved direct from the application. This is ideal if you do not have the window maximised or if other applications are open as you will gain accurate reporting of events;
A function to set focus to StationPlaylist Studio when located within any other application;
Logical keystrokes for accessing all special functions. When appropriate, keystrokes are used with which you should already be familiar, such as JAWS Key+T to read the title;
Intelligent handling of time segments, reporting on-screen data in minutes/seconds format;
The ability to hear relevant track information without having to enter its properties, such as the artist/title name, length and full path. This information can also be placed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer;
Keystrokes to read important information quickly, such as remaining time of main players, voice track player and cart player;
The ability to notify you when an introduction is about to end. You can enter your preferred number of seconds for the warning;
A countdown timer shown on a Braille display when introductions are being played;
Notification of the ending of a music track. You can enter your preferred number of seconds for the warning which is given even if focus is not within the StationPlaylist Studio application;
Sounds or alternative speech messages to indicate important events;
A timer which counts down on the Braille display the end of a track;
Messages or sounds to indicate the microphone status;
A special “search facility” to find a song in a Playlist;
Notification of when jingle carts have stopped playing;
Keystrokes available from within any application so as to control various aspects of StationPlaylist Studio;
A keystroke to report the amount of time for the track to play which can be used from within any application;
The ability to hear the status of Check Boxes before track information;
Notification of track categories such as whether the focused item is a track or spot;
Flexibility to move through columns in the Playlist and then to move down a particular column to hear only the data within it;
Configurable special options using either keystrokes or through the Adjust JAWS Options/Quick Settings Dialog Box. Help text to describe each function in the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box is provided;
A count-up timer which is visible on the Braille display for notifying a broadcaster of the current time in minutes and seconds;
A bookmarking facility so you can mark a spot in a Playlist and return to it quickly;
The ability to enable and disable Metadata streaming with quick keystrokes and to verify the status;
A facility which enables a broadcaster to make notes quickly and to be able to refer to them during the program, sometimes used for identifying song requests and dedications;
Lists providing the JAWS and application keystrokes;
Concise messages using the correct contextual voice relative to the information being requested;
Special support for the Track Tool;
Braille support;
Additional help for fields in the StationPlaylist Options Dialog Box;
Intelligent reading of time-based Edit Fields such as those found in the "Set Temporary Cue" and "Insert Track" utilities;
Additional benefits for users of the Sam Encoders from Spacial Audio;
Extremely comprehensive User Guide and Keystroke Summary;
An easy method of installation and internet activation with no special setup requirements;
Support for JAWS versions 11 through to 17, not just the latest
And much more.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the configuration of all options is kept simple.

Please note that where we refer to "The JAWS Key", typically using the Desktop layout this is the Insert key and with the laptop layout it is the Caps Lock key.

If you are using a demonstration copy of the scripts downloadable from the website, messages will be announced periodically by the JAWS software. These messages can be removed by purchasing an activation file at a cost of $25 US. Details of how to purchase the scripts are given by activating the link at the top of this document. In accordance with the Licence Agreement, (which you can view when you install the software), upgrades and support are provided at no cost to you for a period of one year following the date of purchase.

This documentation does not teach you how to use StationPlaylist. The documentation accompanying StationPlaylist Studio is excellent and a mailing list is available, (details of which are given at the end of this User Guide), through which people are willing to answer questions. This User Guide only describes the special JAWS functions which have been created as part of the scripts.

If you wish to learn how to use the StationPlaylist products in combination with JAWS, please Purchase our comprehensive audio tutorial!

Technical Support

Should you require Technical Support or guidance in the use of these scripts, this can be obtained by sending an e-mail message to jaws@hartgen.org.

Additional support can be provided to licence holders through a discussion Email list. If you would like to be added to the list, (for the purposes of receiving support or suggesting features for future upgrades), please send a message to jaws@hartgen.org.

Installation

The JAWS scripts for the application have been tested with StationPlaylist Studio version 5.10 only in conjunction with JAWS version 11.0 through to 17.0. Later versions of JAWS are likely to function more optimally.

You can download the installation program for the StationPlaylist Studio scripts (and obtain the latest information development of them) from this website

Quick Install

For a quick and easy installation, please follow the steps below, whether you are upgrading your existing scripts or installing them for the first time. Prior to proceeding with the installation of a new build, you can make a backup of your JAWS settings in the event you wish to restore them at a later date. With StationPlaylist Studio in focus, press the Grave Accent key, followed by Control+Shift+B. Into the Edit Field now in focus, type the drive letter for the backup, such as "C", then press Enter. Do not add a colon to the drive letter.

When the backup is complete, on the specified drive you will find a folder entitled "JAWSScripts", inside which will be a sub-folder with the settings files pertaining to the JAWS version which was being used at the time of the backup.

To say again, this backup procedure is an optional step you may wish to take and is by no means essential. Please proceed now with the installation of the scripts.

Launch the executable file entitled "SPL510.exe" (or similar) you have downloaded from the Internet.
The next screen is the "Licence Agreement". Be sure to read this agreement as proceeding with the installation assumes you agree with its terms and conditions. You can read the agreement in the focused Edit Box with the Up and Down Arrow keys. Assuming you accept the terms of the agreement, press Tab to reach the two Radio Buttons, and press Down Arrow until the "Accept" Radio Button is selected. Press Enter to proceed.
Press Enter repeatedly to move through the screens. You will be requested to select the version of JAWS into which the scripts should be installed. Arrow down to select the required JAWS version and press Enter to accept.
The next screen requires that you select a language folder into which the scripts should be installed. Press the Down Arrow key until "US English" is selected, although this should be the default option. Press Enter to proceed.
The next screen confirms the location where the scripts will be installed on the computer. This is important for those people using JAWS in "Roaming Mode".
After a pause of a few seconds, the "Finish" screen will be brought into view. Press Enter to activate the "Finish" Button.
When prompted, please restart the computer. If you do not wish to restart the computer, simply select the Radio button to confirm this is not what you wish to do. Restarting JAWS, however, will then be necessary.

Please note that, unlike older versions of the scripts, it is no longer necessary for the installer to make modifications to the JAWS default files, nor is this required to be done manually. However, the final stage in the process is to launch StationPlaylist Studio for the necessary keystrokes to be written to the default files. Please go ahead and do this now. The keystrokes will quickly be written in the background and will take less than a second to achieve.

Activating the Scripts

If you have purchased a licence for the StationPlaylist Scripts, you will need to activate them for each JAWS version you wish to use.

Your licence is included in a special Authorisation file. When you purchase an Authorisation file, it is encoded with your JAWS for Windows serial number. There are two methods for bringing the StationPlaylist Scripts Authorisation File into your JAWS local settings folder in order that you can use the product, Internet activation and manual activation.

For general operation, the StationPlaylist Scripts use a key on the keyboard which we refer to as the StationPlaylist Key. This Key is the Grave Accent Key, situated to the immediate left of figure 1 on the QWERTY keyboard. We will describe its location again later together with fully detailing the role of the StationPlaylist Key.

Internet Activation

In most situations, the StationPlaylist Scripts can be activated using the Internet and, as a consequence, the StationPlaylist Scripts Authorisation File will be placed in your JAWS settings folder relative to the Windows account you are using.

Please carry out the following steps in order to activate the StationPlaylist Scripts via the Internet.

Please ensure that the version of JAWS into which you have installed the scripts is running and that you have an active connection to the Internet.
With StationPlaylist in focus, press the StationPlaylist (Grave Accent) Key. JAWS will say “Studio”, indicating that the StationPlaylist Key has been pressed.
Release the StationPlaylist Key.
Press Control+Shift+A together.
A Dialog Box will appear which will ask if you would like to activate the StationPlaylist Studio Scripts using the Internet. If you would like to go ahead with the activation, press the letter “Y” or click the “Yes” Button. If you change your mind and do not wish to activate the product at this time, press the Escape Key to click the “Cancel” Button or choose the "No" button by pressing the letter "N". In addition, any of the controls in this Dialog Box can be reached by pressing the Tab Key and the focused Button can be activated by pressing the Space Bar.
If the “Yes” Button was activated, JAWS will then check its serial number against any licences which are currently available on the Hartgen Consultancy server. If a valid licence is found, the Authorisation File will be downloaded from the Internet and you will be prompted to re-start JAWS in order that the product can be successfully activated. A Dialog Box will appear which will ask if you would like to re-start JAWS for Windows. Press the letter “Y” or click the “Yes” Button. In the unlikely event that JAWS does not restart, the easiest way to accomplish this is to restart your computer.

Manual Activation

If you attempt to activate the StationPlaylist Studio scripts using the internet and you receive a message stating that an "Activation file is not available", or alternatively if the Authorisation File does not download to your computer correctly, please send an Email message to jaws@hartgen.org. You can be provided with a Link to an installer program which will place the Activation file on your computer for you.

Checking for Product Updates

You can check for updates to the scripts at any time by pressing the StationPlaylist Key then Control+Shift+U. You will not harm the installation of the scripts if you download and install an update over an existing one and any settings you have implemented will be retained. The "Check for Updates" facility can also be found on the Windows "Start Menu", "All Programs", "StationPlaylist Scripts".

Critical Changes to StationPlaylist Studio and the Windows Operating System

In order for some functions of the scripts to work correctly, it is necessary to make a change within StationPlaylist Studio itself.

Launch StationPlaylist Studio, usually from the Shortcut on the Windows Desktop.
Press Control+O for "Options".
Press the Right Arrow key once to reach the "Advance" Tabbed Page.
Press the Tab key repeatedly until you reach a Check box for "Accessibility Mode".
Press the Space Bar to check the box.
Press Escape to close the "Options" Dialog Box.
Press ALT+Control+X to close down StationPlaylist Studio.
Start the StationPlaylist Studio program again in the usual way.

Now we will make the adjustment to Windows itself. This involves ensuring that the StationPlaylist Studio program is displayed in the Windows System Tray.

First, open the Windows “Control Panel” by pressing the “Windows” key to activate the “Start Menu”, and into the Edit Field which is revealed type “Control Panel”. JAWS announces “Control Panel, Programs Group” to confirm the “Control Panel” has been located. Using Windows8, JAWS says “Control Panel App”. Press “Enter” to activate this option.
From “Control Panel”, press “Control+E” to focus upon the “Search” Edit Field.
Into the “Search” field, type “Notification Area Icons” and press ”Tab”. You should hear the words “Notification Area Icons Link”.
Press “Enter” to activate the Link.
Press “ALT+A” to move to the “Always Show All Notifications on the Taskbar” Check Box and Check it by pressing the “Space Bar”.
Press “Tab” to reach the “OK” Button and press the “Space Bar” to activate it.

If you wish to reset all script settings to their defaults, with StationPlaylist Studio in focus press Insert+V to access the Verbosity options, and press the Space Bar on the item which invites you to reset all settings.

Getting Help

This User Guide (together with the "What's New" document and "Keystroke Summary") can be found under the "Programs" group off the "Start Menu", under "StationPlaylist Scripts". It is also available by pressing Insert+F1 from within StationPlaylist Studio.

There are a number of additional ways to obtain immediate help.

Hotkey Help, Insert+H. This brings into view a list of special JAWS keystrokes which can be used within StationPlaylist Studio, displayed within your default web browser in HTML format. This means you can have the keystroke summary open at the same time as StationPlaylist Studio.
Read the User Guide, Insert+F1. This brings into view this User Guide displayed within your default web browser in HTML format. This means you can have the User Guide open at the same time as StationPlaylist Studio.
Window Keys Help, Insert+W. This is a Virtual Viewer-based screen containing a list of keystrokes which are part of the application and as such were implemented by the developing company. The most commonly used keystrokes are listed first.
Adjust JAWS Options, JAWS Key+V. When within the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box for controlling special functions, from the list of selectable choices press Tab to reach a help window displayed alongside each option. The text in this window describes how you can use the selected function, the options available and the default setting.

A Note About Braille

All messages which are spoken by JAWS and which are described below are automatically output to a Braille display if you have one. Where "Flash Messages" have been used, the prefix denoting the type of message has been disabled so as to conserve space on the display.

Additional Braille-related special functions are described later in this document.

The Role of the StationPlaylist Key

In order to avoid keyboard conflicts with other applications, we have adopted a layered key approach with the StationPlaylist scripts to support many of the functions. The concept is that you press a key on the keyboard, release it, then press another key to execute the function.

The key we have chosen for this purpose is the Grave Accent key. On a standard desktop computer keyboard, this is situated to the immediate left of figure 1 on the numbers row.

For example, to hear the number of listeners who are hearing your internet stream, press the StationPlaylist (Grave Accent) key, release it, then press the letter L. Following the pressing of the StationPlaylist key, if sounds are enabled you will hear a “beep” sound to indicate the key has been pressed. If sounds are disabled, the word “Studio” is spoken instead.

Sounds to Indicate Events

Many people prefer sounds to be played as a substitute for hearing speech prompts. There are a number of key areas within the scripts for StationPlaylist Studio where sounds can be set to convey important information.

To enable the playing of sounds:

Press JAWS Key+V to bring into view the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box.
Press Down Arrow until you reach the option entitled “Sounds”.
If JAWS says sounds are disabled, press the Space Bar to enable this option.
Press Enter to save the settings.

To learn what the different sounds mean, try our "Sounds Tutorial". Press the StationPlaylist Key, then Control+Shift+T. This brings into view a list of Links. The text on each Link is a description of what happens when a particular sound plays. Press Enter on the Link to hear the sound. Press Escape to return to StationPlaylist Studio.

Please note some of the sounds contained within the scripts are under copyright and should not be distributed and used in other projects.

Playlist Viewer

The Playlist Viewer is the hub of the StationPlaylist Studio application into which you insert your music tracks, Spot Groups, Voice Tracks and more. This is typically achieved using the "Insert" Dialog (Control+I), or by pasting from Windows Explorer. When the item is copied with Control+C from Windows Explorer, focus upon StationPlaylist Studio's Playlist Viewer and press ALT+P.

The best way to learn how to work with the Playlist Viewer is by working through the exercises in our audio tutorial. However, in brief, use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move through the items you have placed there. First letter navigation is not possible.

As of August 2015, you will find that when using Braille, it will take a second for the display to refresh its output so as to display the newly selected item information. There have been a number of difficulties ensuring JAWS interacts successfully with SPL Studio 5.1 since its release but it is our view that the access at the time of writing is of a good standard. An update to further improve the problem with Braille it is hoped will be released later this year.

The following is a brief description of all the options available in the Playlist Viewer window supporting tracks and Playlists.

Extended Screen-Reading Mode

Ordinarily, when tracks are displayed, pressing Up and Down Arrow keys will cause JAWS to read the text on screen, usually the artist name (if it exists) and song title. JAWS will in addition announce if the item is Checked or Unchecked. Press the Space Bar to change the status. If you have a Braille display, when a Check box is checked you will see the letter "X" in between a less than and greater than sign which is very helpful when broadcasting.

However, it is often important to hear additional information relating to the track, and so a function has been provided entitled Extended Screen-Reading mode. This mode can be activated by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key then E, which toggles the function from being enabled to disabled and vice-versa, or
From the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with the JAWS Key+V.

Changing the status of the mode is permanent and will remain in place even if the computer is re-started until it is changed again.

When Extended Scrreen-reading Mode is enabled, pressing Up and Down Arrow keys will cause the following information to be announced including column headers:

The state of the track, whether it is checked or unchecked;
Artist name;
Title;
Time duration;
Whether the introduction of the track has been marked and, if so, its length. Please refer to the later section of this User Guide concerning marking track introductions;
Whether the outro of the track has been marked and, if so, its length;
The category;
The year;
The album;
The genre;
The mood;
The energy;
The tempo;
The beats per minute (BPM);
The gender;
The rating;
The path of the file, I.E. the directory where the file is located;
The time at which the track is scheduled to play.

The same information is output if the Say Line command is used, (JAWS Key+Up Arrow).

It is suggested that you use this mode only if you really need to as it is quite verbose. It is used primarily for confirmation purposes.

Hearing Column Titles

Ordinarily, as you move through the items in the Playlist Viewer, JAWS will speak details of the focused item automatically. JAWS will speak the artist name (if it exists) , the song title and whether the item is checked or unchecked.

If you wish to hear the details of just one column, press Control+Insert+1 through to Control+Insert+6. JAWS will report the column header and then the details, such as "Artist, The Beatles". Press any one of the six keys twice quickly to send the information about the column to the Virtual Viewer for closer inspection, such as to check the spelling of an artist name or song title.

Please note as reported previously, StationPlaylist Studio provides 18 columns for the focused item and keystrokes are not available to read all of these. Users of StationPlaylist Studio prior to 5.1 are used to the most important elements of a track being displayed, and so the keystrokes of Control+Insert+1 through to Control+Insert+6 do not necessarily represent the physical location of the columns on screen. Instead, they output data which could be important for quick review when broadcasting. These are:

The artist or group name;
The track title;
The track duration
The intro time if it exists;
The category type, such as Spot or Manual Track;
The full path to the file containing the track.

If you wish to view the items in the remaining columns, you should use "Enhanced Arrow Key" mode on a temporary basis. Please refer to the section of this User Guide relating to "Enhanced Arrow Key Mode". Alternatively, press ALT+Control+Right Arrow repeatedly until the appropriate column is reached.

Hearing the Status of Check Boxes First

When JAWS recites information relating to each item in a Playlist, the status of the Check Box pertaining to it is announced last. If you are in a hurry and wish to find something quickly, this can slow you down. An option is available to announce the status of the Check Box first before any other information. This function operates whether Extended Screen-Reading mode is enabled or disabled.

This mode can be activated by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key then X which toggles the function from being enabled to disabled and vice-versa, or
From the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with the JAWS Key+V.

Changing the status of the mode is permanent and will remain in place even if the computer is re-started until it is changed again.

Hearing the Status of Categories

As you move through a Playlist, it could be important to hear whether an item is a Track, Spot or whether it belongs to a specified Category, such as those generated through StationPlaylist Creator. JAWS can be set to advise you of this.

This mode can be activated by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key then Y which toggles the function from being enabled to disabled and vice-versa, or
From the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with the JAWS Key+V.

Changing the status of the mode is permanent and will remain in place even if the computer is re-started until it is changed again.

Hearing Top and Bottom of List Notifications

As you move through a Playlist, it could be helpful to hear when you have reached the top or the bottom of the list. By default, JAWS is set to play a sound (if sounds are enabled), or speak a message, when you have reached the top or the bottom of the list.

This mode can be activated or deactivated from the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with the JAWS Key+V.

Changing the status of the mode is permanent and will remain in place even if the computer is re-started until it is changed again.

Enhanced Arrow Keys

As you look at a Playlist displayed in StationPlaylist Studio, as described previously visually it is divided into 18 columns:

The state of the track, whether it is checked or unchecked;
Artist name;
Title;
Time duration;
Whether the introduction of the track has been marked and, if so, its length. Please refer to the later section of this User Guide concerning marking track introductions;
Whether the outro of the track has been marked and, if so, its length;
The category;
The year;
The album;
The genre;
The mood;
The energy;
The tempo;
The beats per minute (BPM);
The gender;
The rating;
The path of the file, I.E. the directory where the file is located;
The time at which the track is scheduled to play.

If you have a lengthy Playlist, it may be helpful just to hear the information contained within one column, such as track titles only. To accomplish this, you should enable Enhanced Arrow Keys.

Enhanced Arrow Keys can be activated by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key together with the Control Key, which toggles the function from being enabled to disabled and vice-versa, or
From the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with the JAWS Key+V.

Changing the status of the mode is permanent and will remain in place even if the computer is re-started until it is changed again.

Note that enabling and disabling the Enhanced Arrow Keys has been placed on a keystroke which can easily be pressed with the left hand as it is possible you will want to change the status of this function quickly.

When Enhanced Arrow Keys are enabled, the four Arrow Keys, together with the Home, End, Control+Home and Control+End keys have the following effect:

Right Arrow moves forward through columns. The column header is spoken first, then the cell data, to give you some orientation.
Left Arrow moves back through columns. The column header is spoken first, then the cell data, to give you some orientation.
Up and Down Arrow keys will move through the items in the Playlist, however only the selected column will be announced.
Home will move to the leftmost column in the table and the cell data will be announced. Typically, this is the name of the artist if it exists. While using Enhanced Arrow Keys, if you wish to use the Home key to set focus in the list to the playing track, press Home twice quickly. When this mode is disabled, pressing the Home key once will always set focus to the playing track.
End will move to the rightmost column in the table and the cell data will be announced.
Control+Home will set focus to the top of the Playlist and the desired column will be announced.
Control+End will set focus to the bottom of the Playlist and the desired column will be announced.

To hear all the titles in a Playlist only as you press Up or Down Arrow keys:

Press Control together with the stationPlaylist Key and JAWS will announce that the Enhanced Arrow Keys are enabled.
When focused within a Playlist, press Right Arrow until JAWS announces that the title field is active.
Press Down Arrow repeatedly to hear all the titles in the Playlist.

If there is no data in a column, such as "Intro", JAWS will say "blank".

Column Browsing in the Playlist Viewer

This feature is similar to Enhanced Arrow Key Mode except that you do not need to enable and disable the feature while viewing items in a playlist. The standard JAWS Table Navigation keys are used instead.

ALT+Control+Right Arrow moves forward through columns. The column header is spoken first, then the cell data, to give you some orientation.
ALT+Control+Left Arrow moves back through columns. The column header is spoken first, then the cell data, to give you some orientation.
ALT+Control+Up Arrow and ALT+Control+Down Arrow keys will move through the items in the Playlist, however only the selected column will be announced.
ALT+Control+Shift+Left Arrow will move to the leftmost column in the table and the cell data will be announced. Typically, this is the name of the artist if it exists.
ALT+Control+Shift+Right Arrow will move to the rightmost column in the table and the cell data will be announced.
ALT+Control+Shift+Up Arrow will set focus to the top of the column and it will be announced.
ALT+Control+Shift+Down Arrow will set focus to the bottom of the column and it will be announced.
ALT+Control+Home will set focus to the top of the Playlist and the first column will be announced.
ALT+Control+End will set focus to the bottom of the Playlist and the last column will be announced.

To hear all the titles in a Playlist only as you press Up or Down Arrow keys:

When focused within a Playlist, press ALT+Control+Right Arrow until JAWS announces that the title field is active.
Press ALT+Control+Down Arrow repeatedly to hear all the titles in the Playlist.

If there is no data in a column, such as "Intro", JAWS will say "blank".

Reading Keys

The following keys can be used to obtain information quickly. Please note that, when JAWS is speaking information relating to timed events, (such as the elapsed time of the playing track), JAWS converts the information to a format which is easier to understand rather than relying upon a literal interpretation of the screen data. For example, if 3 seconds have elapsed, JAWS will say "3 seconds", and if 1 minute and 34 seconds had elapsed, JAWS will say "1 minute 34 seconds".

To hear the elapsed time of the playing track press ALT+Shift+T.
To hear the remaining time of the playing track press ALT+Control+T or Control+Windows+Dash.
To hear the time for which the currently selected track is scheduled to be broadcast press StationPlaylist Key then S, very useful when StationPlaylist Studio is in "Automation Mode".
To hear when a track will be played based on real time press StationPlaylist Key then W, very useful when in "Live Assist".
To hear when a track will be played based on predicted time press StationPlaylist Key then S, very useful when in "Automation Mode".
To hear the number of tracks in the Playlist press StationPlaylist Key then P. This keystroke in addition causes JAWS to announce the currently focused position relative to the total, such as "2 of 40".
To hear the name of the currently playing track press JAWS Key+T. If no track is playing, this keystroke causes the title of the next upcoming track to be spoken. Note that StationPlaylist Studio uses three internal players. The first two players play tracks alternately, the third is for the Voice Tracks if you have any. JAWS will speak the number of the player which is currently being used.
To hear the name of the upcoming track press StationPlaylist Key then N.
To hear the total number of minutes and seconds for which music tracks fill the hour press StationPlaylist Key then T.
To hear the number of minutes remaining in the current hour press StationPlaylist Key then H.
To hear the remaining number of minutes in the Playlist press StationPlaylist Key then R. Please note that following this information, JAWS will output the word "plus", followed by a second value in minutes and seconds. This indicates whether the Playlist runs over the scheduled hour and by how much.
To read the current temperature (assuming this option is configured within StationPlaylist Studio) press Control+Windows+5.
To hear whether Automation Mode is enabled or disabled press Control+Windows+6.
To hear the microphone status press Control+Windows+7.
To hear the line-in status press Control+Windows+8.
To hear the Record to File status press Control+Windows+9.
To hear the Cart Edit status press Control+Windows+0.
To read listener statistics from any application press StationPlaylist Key then L.
To hear the listener count for an individual server as monitored by Studio press StationPlaylist Key, 1 through to 4.
To read the Status Line containing important information press JAWS Key+Page Down.
To output the "popup information" relative to a track in the JAWS Virtual Viewer press the StationPlaylist Key then V. The "popup information" displays information on the screen when the mouse is moved over a track icon in a Playlist. Note that the information which is output is controlled from within StationPlaylist's "Options/Track Info and Logging" Dialog Box.
To hear the remaining time of the playing Voice Track press Control+Windows+1.
From within any application, to hear the remaining time of the playing cart press Control+Shift+1.

Information Keys

Keystrokes now exist to report the total time which would elapse if specific music tracks were played without interruption. Note that these functions will only operate if you have manually inserted tracks into a playlist using the above described method. If StationPlaylist Creator has created a playlist for you using categories, there is no value in trying the below procedure.

From within the Playlist Viewer, select the track to be used as the starting point.
Press ALT+Control+Windows+1. JAWS will say, "Starting point is", followed by the item which has the focus.
Move to the item in the playlist to be used as the ending point.
Press ALT+Control+Windows+2. JAWS will announce the time it will take for all the items to be played from the starting point to the focused track.

Moving on from this, if you wish to establish the total running time for music in the playlist (excluding Spot Groups, commercials, voice intros etc), press ALT+Control+Windows+3.

Finally, to hear the running time for all music in the playlist up to the focused music track, press ALT+Control+Windows+4.

Searching for Tracks

The StationPlaylist scripts provide some useful assistance when using the "Insert Tracks" dialog Box, activated by pressing Control+I.

This dialog Box contains fields for locating songs within your music library. As you press Tab repeatedly, JAWS announces each item in turn, which are the fields through which searches can be carried out. Examples would be "Artist" and "Title".

Type text into any one of the fields. For example, type "Abba" into the "Artist" field. You can press ALT+C to move to the first Edit Field in the Dialog Box, ALT+A for the "Artist" Edit Field and ALT+T for the "Title" box.

Pressing Enter will, after a very short pause, cause JAWS to output the number of results found, (if any), and will automatically set focus to the list of tracks which have been located.

Pressing Tab past the "Title" and "Album" Edit Fields will focus upon the "Time Duration" fields, of which there are two. The first field of note is entitled "Duration From" and the second is "Duration To". Each of these fields contains three columns - "Hours", "Minutes" and "Seconds". You can press the Left or Right Arrow keys to move through each of the columns in turn. As you move to each column, JAWS will speak its name. Pressing the Right Arrow key past the "Seconds" column will move back to the "Hours" field. You can type values into these Edit Fields or use the Up and Down Arrow keys to increment or decrement the values within them.

Imagine you are broadcasting on air and you need a song which runs for 4 minutes 15 seconds. You can use these fields to easily find a song within the time frame. Our objective is to locate a song with a minimum duration of 4 minutes and a maximum time of 4 minutes 15 seconds.

Press the Tab key within the "Insert Tracks" Dialog Box until you reach the field "Duration From".
Press the Right Arrow key repeatedly until JAWS says a value followed by the word "Minutes". Usually you will only need to press this key once.
Type the figures "04" into this Edit Field, representing 4 minutes of time.
Press the Right Arrow key once to reach the "Seconds" column which JAWS will confirm once it has spoken the current value contained there. Note that the figures "00" are probably already displayed which in our example is correct, since we are wanting to find a song which runs between 4 minutes and 4 minutes 15 seconds. If you require an alternative value to that shown here, please type it into this field. Similarly, to work through our example, if the figures "00" are not spoken, please type them now.
Press the Tab key once to reach the "Duration To" Edit Field.
Press the Right Arrow key repeatedly until a value is spoken followed by the word "Minutes". If the figures "04" are not already spoken, type "04".
Press the Right Arrow key once more and JAWS will announce a value followed by the word "Seconds". Type the value "15" into this field to represent 15 seconds.
Press Enter. After a short pause, results will be revealed in a List View containing all songs between 4 minutes and 4 minutes 15 seconds.

Try to be as specific as possible when entering the time values. If you have a large music library, you are probably going to retrieve many results within the time frame you have specified. So, if possible, use a number of fields within the "Insert Tracks" Dialog Box in combination with each other. For example, enter an artist such as "Abba" into the "Artist" Edit Field and then specify your time values in the "Duration From" and "Duration To" boxes. This will narrow the search results considerably, since you will then only see a list showing all songs by Abba within the time frame.

Similarly, you can use further fields in this Dialog Box to refine the results, such as "Title", "Year", "Genre" and so on. Note that the audio files must have been tagged with this information prior to you carrying out such a search, otherwise StationPlaylist Studio will not have this information available.

Reading the Time

When pressing the JAWS Key+F12, (the command within JAWS associated with speaking the time), JAWS will announce the time including the number of seconds, such as “4:53:28”. Pressing the keystroke twice quickly, if you have a Braille display, will cause the display to refresh each second to show the new time including the updated second count.

If you press the Windows Key+F12, this will cause the time to be spoken by JAWS as each second passes. Press any key within StationPlaylist Studio to stop it.

Jingle Cart Machines

StationPlaylist Studio provides you with 48 (96 in Studio Pro) jingle cart machines with shortcut keys. These are:

F1 through to F12;
1 through to equals sign;
Shift+F1 through to Shift+F12;
shift+1 through to shift+equals sign;
Control+F1 through to Control+F12;
Control+1 through to Control+equals sign;
ALT+F1 through to ALT+F12;
Alt+1 through to ALT+equals sign.

You can hear the remaining time of the cart at any time by pressing Control+Windows+1.

Ordinarily, pressing any one of these keys will cause the appropriate cart to play the item associated with it.

As you can imagine, it could sometimes be difficult to remember which cart contains which jingle, music bed or insert. The scripts therefore provide you with Cart Learn mode.

Cart Learn Mode is activated or deactivated by:

Pressing the StationPlaylist Key then C. This is a toggle action which enables or disables the mode. However the setting is not retained if JAWS is re-started;
Adjusting the option from the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with JAWS Key+V.

When Cart Learn Mode is enabled, pressing any one of the cart activation keys once will instantly cause JAWS to announce the name of the file associated with it and the jingle will not be played. Pressing the key twice quickly will cause the item to be played. This is ideal for ensuring that you are about to broadcast the correct jingle or insert!

Before Cart Learn mode can be used however, you need to “teach” JAWS which file is associated with each keystroke. For new carts you assign, this is not a problem since JAWS will automatically detect this as and when you create it. However, for carts which already exist, there is a little work to do which can be achieved in any of the following two ways.

You can either:

Press Control+T to ensure that Cart Edit mode is enabled. JAWS will confirm this.
Press a keystroke associated with one of the carts. You will enter its properties.
Tab repeatedly until you reach the Edit Field containing the name of the cart.
Press Tab to move away from this field, preferably until you reach the “OK” or “OK and Finish” Buttons and press the Space Bar. The training process for this cart is complete.

Alternatively, if you already know the names and keystrokes associated with your carts, you can manually put these in place. You need to locate the “StationPlaylist.ini” file which can be found in the “Settings” folder of the version of JAWS you are using. You should go to the Start Menu, All Programs, JAWS X (where "X" represents the JAWS version number you are using), Explore JAWS, Explore My Settings.

In this folder, you will see the “StationPlaylist.ini” file. Open up this file in an application such as Microsoft Windows Notepad.

In the file, you will find a section entitled “Carts”. You should adopt the following syntax to indicate the cart keystroke and name:

Keystroke equals CartName

Such as

F1=Request

Then, save the file by pressing Control+S and exit the application by pressing ALT+F4.

Jump to Cart

When JAWS has been trained as to the location of each cart, you can bring all the carts into a vertical list. This is very useful so that you do not have to remember the keystroke associated with each cart!

Press the StationPlaylist Key then J. A Dialog Box will appear containing a list of assigned carts. Press Down Arrow (or more probably use first letter navigation) in order to set focus to the name of the cart you wish to play. Next, press Enter to play the cart.

Announcement of When a Cart Has Completed Playback

JAWS can be set to advise you when a jingle cart has completed playing.

The Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box contains an item entitled "JAWS will announce when a cart stops playing". If enabled by pressing the Space Bar, when a cart has ceased to play JAWS will announce the words "cart stopped". If sounds are enabled, a “chime” sound will be heard.

Finding a Track in a Playlist

You are likely to come across situations where you want to find if you have a music track, spot group or other item included within a Playlist. For example, you may have a music track further down the Playlist to the item you are currently playing and wish to move it up the list.

You can use the Find facility in order to do this. Press the StationPlaylist key then F (or the StationPlaylist Key then Control+F to search back from the current location). A Dialog Box will appear asking you for the text you wish to search for. It is suggested that a track title or artist name should be typed and then the Enter key should be pressed to carry out the search.

If the item is found, focus will be set to it. If it is not located, JAWS will advise you of this.

An example of how you may use this feature would be as follows:

Press the StationPlaylist key then F.
Type the title of a song you know to be further down the Playlist into the Edit Field.
Press Enter.
The track is located. Press Control+X to cut it to the Windows clipboard.
Press the Home key to move focus to the track which is currently playing.
Press Down Arrow to highlight the next track in the Playlist.
Press Control+V to paste the track into the Playlist. This will ensure that the item is next to be played.

In addition, pressing the StationPlaylist Key then F3 will find the next occurrence of the item previously searched for. So if you searched for the Beatles, and the first item located was not correct, press the StationPlaylist Key then F3 to find the next occurrence. Press the StationPlaylist Key then Shift+F3 to "find again" in the reverse direction.

Setting Focus to StationPlaylist Studio

It is possible to set focus to StationPlaylist Studio from within any other application. This is very useful if you wish to read Email or interact with a program other than StationPlaylist and then quickly return to it.

In order to set focus to StationPlaylist Studio, press Control+Windows+4.

Introduction Monitoring

Using the StationPlaylist Track Tool, it is possible to insert a mark in the properties of each of your music tracks in order that you are aware when the introduction is complete and when vocals are to begin. The StationPlaylist studio scripts take full advantage of this feature, and allow you to monitor for introductions and give you advanced warning of when the vocals are about to commence. As a user of the scripts, you can configure how much of a warning you will receive by specifying a value of between 1 and 9 seconds prior to the vocals commencing. For anyone who has a Braille display, the scripts include a separate and independent mechanism for providing tactile feedback of the progress of the introduction.

Marking the Introduction Ending Point

It is necessary to use the StationPlaylist Track Tool to mark the end of the introduction as follows:

Ensure that a music track within the Playlist Viewer is selected.
Press Control+K to activate the Track Tool.
When the Track Tool is loaded, press Insert+H to remind yourself of the keystrokes you can use within it. Press Escape to exit the Virtual Viewer and return to the Track Tool.
Press the letter P to begin playing the file.
At the same time as the vocals begin, press the letter I. The audio will fade out.
Press Control+I to test the introduction. If marked successfully, the vocals should commence at exactly the same time as you press this keystroke.
Press ALT+F4 to close the window and return to the StationPlaylist Studio primary window.
You can always determine if a song has an introduction value specified by locating it in the Playlist Viewer and then pressing Control+JAWS Key+4. This will announce the number of seconds for the introduction, such as 4.8.

Please note that scripts are included for the Track Tool. These provide useful keyboard shortcuts for notifying you if a track introduction has already been stored, together with the ability to sort tracks in various ways. Press Insert+H to obtain a list of the keyboard shortcuts.

Monitoring for Introductions

Before you monitor for the end of an introduction to a song, you need to instruct JAWS how many seconds between 1 and 9 you would like to hear the warning.

Press StationPlaylist Key then O and, when prompted, into the resulting Edit Field type a value between 1 and 9 to represent the number of seconds for the warning. Press Enter and a confirmation message willl be spoken to confirm the number of seconds. You can activate the monitoring of introductions through the JAWS scripts, by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key then M. This is a toggle action and enables or disables the function permanently until it is changed, or
Changing the option in the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, JAWS Key+V.

When enabled, and when the warning level is reached which you have set, JAWS will advise you of this by saying the word "complete". If sounds are enabled, a “beep” sound will be heard.

Viewing Introductions with Braille

Another mode exists for your Braille display to monitor when introductions are being played.

You can enable or disable this mode by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key then B. This is a toggle action and enables or disables the function permanently until it is changed, or
Changing the option in the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, JAWS Key+V.

When this mode is enabled, JAWS constantly is monitoring for introductions. When an introduction is being played, its countdown time is being shown on the display. This gives you an excellent way of knowing for how much longer you need to speak.

Monitoring for Track Endings

Just imagine a situation where you have started the playing of a track, and then you need to examine your Email, Twitter or other applications so as to interact with your listeners. You need to be aware of when the track is about to end! This is the purpose of monitoring for track endings and is, we would suggest, the most important feature of the scripts as a whole.

Before you monitor for the end of a track, you need to instruct JAWS how many seconds before the end of the song is reached you would like to hear the warning.

Press StationPlaylist Key then U and, when prompted, into the resulting Edit Field type a value to represent the number of seconds for the warning. Press Enter and a confirmation message willl be spoken to confirm the number of seconds. Values can be entered between 1 and 59.

You can activate the monitoring of introductions through the JAWS scripts, by:

Pressing StationPlaylist Key then G. This is a toggle action and enables or disables the function permanently until it is changed, or
Changing the option in the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, JAWS Key+V.

When enabled, and when the warning level is reached which you have set, JAWS will advise you of this by saying the words "Approaching end of song", even if you are not focused within the StationPlaylist Studio application. If sounds are enabled, a “beep” sound will be heard. If through the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box you have enabled the option for a countdown timer to be shown on the Braille display when the track is about to end, this will be shown. This can also be enabled or disabled by pressing the StationPlaylist Key then A.

If you are focused within an application other than StationPlaylist Studio, and you wish to be reminded of how much time the track has to play, press Control+Windows+Dash.

Playlist Bookmarks

You can set a bookmark to mark a position within a Playlist and return to it later. This is very helpful if you are moving tracks around within a Playlist, or alternatively if you are listening to (or working on) a Playlist and you wish to return to a position within it the following day, since your bookmark is retained across computing sessions. So if you restart your computer, you can still locate your bookmark.

To mark a position within a Playlist, use the Arrow keys to move to the point in the Playlist you wish to mark and press the StationPlaylist Key then Control+K. To relocate the position press the StationPlaylist key then Control+Shift+K.

Microphone Status

Using the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, you can enable the playing of sounds (or speaking of messages) when the microphone is enabled or disabled. In addition, a "microphone alarm sound" (or spoken message) can be set to warn you if the microphone has been left active following a number of seconds you specify.

The option is entitled "JAWS will announce when the microphone status changes". If enabled, and the letter M key is pressed to toggle the condition of the microphone, when active an ascending series of tones is played and when off a descending series of tones can be heard. Messages are spoken if sounds are disabled.

By default, a "microphone warning” will not be given if the microphone is continuously left active. However, if you wish to set a value, press the StationPlaylist Key then the letter K. You will be asked to enter the number of seconds warning you would like before the alarm sounds. For example, a 3 minute period would be 180 seconds. Type in 180 and press Enter. This value is permanently set until you change it.

Request Notifications

If you are working on producing a busy show and getting a large number of requests for songs, unless you write them down you may forget which person has requested a particular track.

Request notifications is a feature which will assist. You could also use it to attach notes to a piece of music which you could in turn convey to your listeners. If you move tracks around in a Playlist, the request notifications will go with the songs.

Request Notifications can be activated or deactivated by:

Pressing the StationPlaylist Key then Control+Shift+R;
Adjusting the option from the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with JAWS Key+V.

There are three settings for this feature:

“Hear request announcements, disabled”. This is self-explanatory.
“Hear request announcements, notifications only”. Whenever you focus upon an item to which a request (or note) is attached, either the word “request” will be spoken or a sound will play if the sounds scheme is enabled. Sounds can be enabled and disabled through the Adjust JAWS Options dialog box. If you are using a Braille display, the word “request” is output to it.
“Hear request announcements, spoken automatically”. Whenever you focus upon an item to which a request (or note) is attached, the details of the request are spoken automatically . If the sounds scheme is enabled, a sound will play in addition to the details being spoken. If you have a Braille display, the word “request” will be output to the display followed by the note.

To use this feature:

Focus upon an item (such as a music track) you would like to attach a request to.
Press the StationPlaylist key then Control+R.
A Dialog Box appears asking for the details of the request. Type the details and press Enter.
JAWS will confirm the details have been saved.

When focused upon an item which has a request note attached to it, assuming you have been advised of this, either:

Press the StationPlaylist key then ALT+R to hear the details,
Press the StationPlaylist key then Control+V to output the details to the JAWS Virtual Viewer so you can read the note line by line, or
Press the StationPlaylist key then Control+D to delete the request. JAWS will confirm the item has been deleted.

To delete all requests press the StationPlaylist key then Control+A. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm that you wish to delete the requests. Select “Yes” to do so.

Streaming Metadata

Up to 4 stream servers may be updated with the track title information (metadata) so internet radio listeners can see what is playing on their media player. In addition, when using a stream encoder DSP attached to Studio, this is the most simple way to send metadata. The metadata is included within the stream itself and sent along with the audio. If you have our audio tutorial, you will know that configuring any of these options is not absolutely essential. Even using StationPlaylist Streamer, you can send metadata information to the internet without needing to use any of the options described in this section. This has the advantage that metadata is only going to be streamed to your chosen provider when you connect to it. For further advice, please consult the audio tutorial or the station staff with whom you are working.

The JAWS scripts provide a number of convenient features to manage the four stream servers and the output to DSP encoder.

Automatic Announcement if Metadata Streaming is Enabled

The Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box contains a function entitled "Provide Warning of Metadata Streaming when Studio is Launched". If enabled, and when StationPlaylist Studio is launched, a message will be spoken to warn you that metadata streaming is enabled. It can (if necessary) be disabled from the "Options" Dialog Box of StationPlaylist Studio, or conveniently by using one of the keystrokes described below.

Disabling Stream Metadata Automatically

Within the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, you will find an option entitled "Turn Off Metadata Streaming Upon Exit". When enabled, and when you exit StationPlaylist Studio by pressing the keystroke ALT+Control+X, metadata streaming will automatically be disabled.

Enabling and Disabling Metadata Streaming Manually

Keystrokes have been provided to activate, deactivate and to verify the status of metadata streaming for each of the four stream servers and the output to DSP encoder.

Pressing ALT+Windows Key+1 through to 4 will cause a Dialog Box to appear, asking if you would like to enable metadata streaming for server 1 through to 4. Pressing ALT+Windows Key+0 will cause a similar Dialog Box to appear relating to the DSP Encoder output. The Dialog Box contains Buttons labelled "Yes" and "No". Activating the "Yes" Button will enable metadata streaming and selecting "No" will disable it. Press shortcut keys "Y" or "N". Alternatively, press Tab to reach the appropriate Button and press the Space Bar to activate it.

To verify the status of metadata streaming for each of the four servers press Windows Key+1 through to 4. To verify the status of output to DSP Encoder press Windows Key+0. A confirmation message will be spoken as to whether the streaming is enabled or disabled.

Scanning Your Music Library

JAWS can be set to give you notification regarding the progress of scanning your music library within StationPlaylist Studio. This can be very helpful if you have a large library which could take some time to scan.

There are three options regarding scanning which are controlled through the Adjust JAWS Options Dialog Box, activated with JAWS Key+V.

Report progress of library scan, disabled. This is self-explanatory.
Report progress of library scan, ending notification. JAWS will only announce when the scanning has concluded.
Report progress of library scan, periodic notification. Throughout the scanning process, every ten seconds a message will be spoken or a sound is played.

To begin a scan of your library:

Press Control+I to bring into view the "Insert Tracks" Dialog Box.
Press Control+Shift+R to begin the scanning process.
Optionally press Escape to dismiss the "Insert Tracks" Dialog Box. Irrespective of the computing application which has focus, you can still hear notification from JAWS regarding the library scan. You can if you wish press the StationPlaylist Key then ALT+T from within any application in order to hear the number of tracks scanned.

Adding Track Details to a Text File

You may wish to create a text file containing the song artists and titles of tracks in a playlist. The method used to create text gives flexibility, since you can determine which items get added to the file.

In future releases of the scripts, this feature will be expanded so as to optionally include album or disc name together with additional information.

To use this feature:

Press Control+Shift+Grave Accent twice quickly to clear the text file of any unwanted items. JAWS will confirm that the text file has been cleared.
Focus upon a song in the playlist you wish to add to the text file.
Press Control+Shift+Grave Accent once. The item will be added and focus will move to the next item in the Playlist Viewer.
Repeat the process until all songs have been added to the text file.
To view the contents of the text file, press ALT+Control+Grave Accent. The file will open and you can read the text, copy it to the clipboard, and so on.

Note that the text file contents will be presented in the following format:
Artist. Artist name.
Title. Song title.

Copying the Entire Playlist to a Text File or the Clipboard

If you wish to copy the entire Playlist to the Windows clipboard, or a text file, please follow these steps:

With your playlist in focus, press ALT+Control+Windows+C. A List Box will appear, offering you various ways in which the playlist information should be copied, for example artist and title only.
Select the option you would like with the Up and Down Arrow keys and then press Enter to activate.

You should now find that your chosen playlist format is now on the Clipboard.

There is a further option you may like to consider using, which writes the entire Playlist to a text file in a location of your choosing. This may be of benefit if you wish to keep a permanent copy of it, or alternatively, you can have it placed in a Dropbox or similar cloud storage location, for someone else to see.

To tell JAWS where to place the file, navigate to the folder in Windows Explorer and then press Enter to open it. When it is opened, press ALT+Windows+F and the folder name will be captured.

To create the file, with your Playlist in focus go back into the text file creation dialog by pressing ALT+Control+Windows+C and choose the final option. The file will be written to your chosen location.

Setting a Temporary Cue

If you have a song which you do not wish to commence playing from the start, you may wish to set a Temporary Cue point. For example, if you wanted the track to begin playing at 15 seconds from the beginning, this is the facility you would use. Note the term "Temporary Cue". When you restart StationPlaylist Studio, or re-load the track into the Playlist Viewer, the Cue is lost and the song will begin playing from the start once more.

To set a Temporary cue:

Ensure that a music track within the Playlist Viewer is selected.
Press Control+Shift+C to enter the "Set Temporary cue" Dialog Box.
The Edit Field in focus contains three columns - "Hours", "Minutes" and "Seconds". You can press the Left or Right Arrow keys to move through each of the columns in turn. As you move to each column, JAWS will speak its name. Pressing the Right Arrow key past the "Seconds" column will move back to the "Hours" field. You can type values into these Edit Fields or use the Up and Down Arrow keys to increment or decrement the values within them. This "Time" Edit Field is used for setting the "Temporary Cue" point.
Assuming we want to begin playing at 15 seconds from the start of the track, press Right Arrow, (probably twice), until JAWS announces a value followed by the word "Seconds".
Type the figures "15" or a value of your choosing.
Press the letter "C" to set the "Temporary Cue" point.
Press the letter "T" to test the "Temporary Cue" point. Audio playback will begin from the new position.
Press the letter "S" to stop playback.
You can press the letters "T" for "Test" and "S" for "Stop" as many times as necessary to repeat the start of the playback position.
If the starting point is not satisfactory, when playback is stopped press Tab once until focus is set to the "Set Temporary Cue" Edit Field. The focus will be in the column in which you were previously located, which in our example is "Seconds".
Enter a new value and repeat as necessary.
When the desired starting point is correctly located, and tested using the letter "T", press ALT+O to activate the "OK" Button or press Tab repeatedly to reach it and press the Space Bar. The cue point is now set.

Timer Functions

A comprehensive set of timer functions have been included. The purpose of the timer functions is to remind you of specific events, such as when you should be getting ready to stop broadcasting, or maybe you need to make an announcement at a specific time of day.

All the timer functions described below can be operated globally, that is to say you do not need to be focused within StationPlaylist Studio in order to use them.

To set a reminder for a specific time of day, press ALT+Control+Windows+5. A Dialog Box will appear inviting you to enter the time in the 24 hour clock format, in the form of Hours colon Minutes colon Seconds, with each parameter comprising two digits. So if you wanted a reminder at 4.59 PM and 56 seconds, you would type 16:59:56. Press Enter when the time value has been typed into the Edit Field.

The timer will now be running. The amount of time remaining can be checked by pressing ALT+Control+Windows+7. It can be stopped by pressing ALT+Control+Windows+6.

As the target time draws closer, periodic announcements will be given by JAWS. For example, when the final minute approaches, the time will be spoken every 10 seconds. When the final 10 seconds are reached, an announcement will be given every second until the target time.

Ifv you prefer, you can set a timer for a number of minutes in advance, rather than entering a physical clock time. Press ALT+Control+Windows+6 when a timer is not running. You will be prompted to enter the number of minutes for which the timer should be set. Type it in and press Enter. JAWS will announce the new clock time for which the timer is now set.

Global Keystrokes

You can now operate specific functions of StationPlaylist Studio no matter the application you are in. This is helpful if you are reading e-mail for example, and you need to quickly interact with Studio. Alternatively, you can complete a Skype call and instantly start the playback of the next track without having to focus upon Studio first.

Press the StationPlaylist Key then:

To play the next track press ALT+1.
To stop the track with a fade press ALT+2.
To instantly stop the track press ALT+3.
To skip to the next track and fade press ALT+4.
To start the next track without a fade press ALT+5.
To pause the audio playback press ALT+6.
To restart the audio playback after pausing press ALT+7.
To activate the microphone with the song fading press ALT+8.
To deactivate the microphone press ALT+9.
To activate the microphone without the song fading press ALT+0.

Reproducing Twitter Hash Tags

Some broadcasters use a "Hash Tag" on the Twitter social media site as a means of people being able to follow it and thus take part in the conversation which is ongoing relating to the programme. In order to save time, a script has been provided to type the Tag for you when you are composing a tweet. Please note that the function will work in any Edit Field, so the Twitter client you use is not relevant.

Before reproducing the Tag, you need to tell JAWS what it is. This is remembered even if the computer is restarted and is a global keystroke, meaning it can be used anywhere.

Press the StationPlaylist Key then ALT+Control+Windows+Enter. When prompted, type the Tag (without the "Hash" sign) and press Enter. An example of such a Tag might be "YNMC" without the quotation marks.

To reproduce the Tag at any time, set focus to an area where it should be typed, such as the Edit Field of your Twitter client. Type your tweet, and immediately prior to sending it, press ALT+Control+Windows+Enter. The Tag is reproduced and JAWS will speak it back. This time, in addition to typing the text, the "Hash" sign (#) is also entered. Now go ahead and send the Tweet in the usual way, perhaps by pressing Enter.

Using the EveryHit Website

EveryHit.Com is an excellent website for retrieving single or album information and chart positioning. While the site is no longer updated, it does provide a very useful resource for obtaining such information from the start of the UK singles chart in 1952 until 2011.

The two features described here can be used from within any application, (so they are global functions), although if StationPlaylist Studio is focused there is an additional advantage. The first allows you to retrieve the release year and highest position scored on the UK chart for a specific song or album, while the second will bring back an approximate top 40 chart for a date you specify.

Please note: the first time you launch one of the scripts listed below, Windows may advise you that an external program is trying to run. This is because a form has been constructed for you to input the information which needed to be built outside of the JAWS program. In order not to have this message display every time, please press the Tab key until you reach a Check Box. Please uncheck this box with the Space Bar whereupon you will not be reminded again. Then, press Tab to the "Run" Button and again press the Space Bar.

Searching for a Single or Album

To search for a specific artist, group, song title or album name, please follow these steps.

Press ALT+Control+Windows+9. A form will appear through which you can move by pressing the Tab key. The form consists of "Artist" and "Title" Edit Fields, and a group of two Radio Buttons for specifying whether a single or album should be searched for. If a track within the StationPlaylist Studio Playlist Viewer was focused at the time of pressing the keystroke, (or if a music track was highlighted within the "Insert Tracks" Dialog Box), the "Artist" and "Title" fields will automatically be populated with the details of the item. These can be changed, and is sometimes necessary. This to some extent will depend upon the effectiveness of your music track tagging. For example, if the focused track was labelled with the artist of "The Carpenters" and the track as "Goodbye to Love", this would not match details on the Everyhit website because the group's correct name is "Carpenters".
If you are happy with the contents of the Edit Fields, and the desired selection has been made from the group of Radio Buttons previously mentioned, press Enter. After a short pause, JAWS will speak the word "Ready", whereupon you can browse a Virtual Viewer-based screen containing the details you have requested. Press Escape to exit this screen.
Alternative searches can be made. For example, you could place the word "Love" in the "Title" Edit Field only and have all songs retrieved with this word in the title, or find out details of all songs recorded by Abba by typing just the group name into the "Artist" Edit Field.

Viewing a Top 40 Chart

This script retrieves an approximation of the top 40 singles chart. By entering a date for the chart you wish to retrieve, the closest week matching your entry can be viewed. It should be borne in mind that holding precise charts on a website is illegal and so what you will see is an approximation of a chart listing for a particular week.

Press ALT+Control+Windows8. When prompted, type a date for the chart to be retrieved, such as 29/04/1953. JAWS will advise you whether you need to enter the date in the American or UK format depending upon your Windows regional settings.

When the date has been typed, press Enter and after a short pause, JAWS will announce the word "Ready" and the chart will be displayed in the JAWS Virtual Viewer screen. Within the text, the term "Rise" means that the song scored a higher position on the chart for the selected week as opposed to the previous one, while "Fall" represents the fact that the song scored a lower place.

It may be helpful to select the text in the Virtual Viewer and copy it out to a text file so you can refer to it while broadcasting.

Dropbox Notifications

From within any application, press ALT+Control+Windows+D to hear whether the Dropbox (file syncing) application is up-to-date or whether files are being uploaded or downloaded.

Miscellaneous Items

The StationPlaylist Studio "Options" Dialog box

Press the Control+O keystroke to move into the StationPlaylist Studio "Options" Dialog box. This Dialog Box contains a number of Propety Sheets, (which JAWS identifies as Buttons), including "General", "Folder Locations", "Input", "Output" and so on. When you reach one of the Propety Sheets, press the Left and Right Arrow keys to move through them. Please note that the "Output" Propety Sheet has several inner Property Sheets for controlling various aspects of the audio output, including "Microphone", "Mixer", "Main Player" and "Cart Player".

As you press Tab to move through the fields in a Propety Sheet, JAWS will give you specific information relative to many of the fields. For example, you will be advised whether to enter a value in minutes, seconds or pixels if necessary.

Please pay careful attention to the inner Propety Sheets within "Options, Output", referred to above. Press the Tab key to move through the fields within the inner Property Sheets and listen to the information spoken in order that you are aware of the purpose of the fields. In particular, when you reach the "MP Reduction" slider, (used for the purpose of instructing the software of the volume level music should be reduced to when the microphone is active), percentages are spoken together with minus decibal values. Use the Left and Right Arrow keys to change the values accordingly. As you do so, JAWS will announce the newly selected value.

Additional Items

When audio playback keys are pressed, such as Enter to play a track, U to pause it, S to stop and fade, T for instant stop and E to stop a cart playing, if typing echo is enabled the key labels are not spoken as this can be distracting.

Pressing the JAWS Key+Q will output the scripts version and build number.

A number of people use StationPlaylist Studio in combination with the SPL or Sam Encoders from Spacial Audio. Script files are included which provide useful facilities for use with these encoders. When the encoders are focused pressing Insert+H will provide a list of keyboard shortcuts.

If you wish to reset all script settings to their defaults, press Insert+V to access the Verbosity options, and press the Space Bar on the item which invites you to reset all settings.

StationPlaylist Creator

StationPlaylist Creator is music and spot scheduling software. It is used to design your station format using rotations of music categories and spot groups (jingles, ads, etc).

Rotations may be scheduled for specific hours of the day giving you full control over what types of music or programs are scheduled for different
times of the day or days of the week.

Creator is capable of producing much more controlled and sophisticated scheduling than a basic random shuffle of your music. Your listening audience
will appreciate the difference. Indeed, it is possible to run an entire radio station with superb audio quality hosted using StationPlaylist Creator and Studio. Many people do this.

For a description of many of the features of StationPlaylist Creator, you may like to consider purchasing the audio tutorial referred to at the start of this document. To listen to a radio station entirely hosted using the StationPlaylist products Please activate this link.

The scripts for StationPlaylist Creator, which you have access to as part of this software package, provide an enhanced experience when using JAWS. As you work through many of the controls within the Tabbed Pages, you will find that useful information is spoken along with the control name itself. A good example would be in the "General" options, where JAWS announces the purpose of Edit Fields such as the number of hours and days required for playlists to be created. The "Move Up" and "Move Down" Buttons within screens, such as for managing a rotation, are also labelled, together with many other items.

Pressing ALT+O within any screen will activate the "OK" button if it exists, as is the case with StationPlaylist Studio and the Track Tool.

Remote Voice Tracking

Remote Voice Tracker enables you or your DJ's to record voice tracks and edit playlists from home, or while away from the studio. It will upload the voice tracks and modify the playlist logs back at the station.

If configured optimally, voice track recording enables an automated show to sound 100% live when using Studio Pro automation software, with just a small percentage of time required, by recording voice tracks between the songs that have been selected by Creator, the scheduler.

The JAWS scripts provide functions for making the most of the Voice Track client. The server, (required for station management), still requires attention, although all of user management and configuration is very achievable, just a little time consuming.

This document does not contain details of working with the client or server. The paragraphs below only provide usage details within the context of how the JAWS scripts enhance the experience.

The primary working area consists of three controls. There are two Combo Boxes to select the day and hour to be voice tracked, each of which is now announced by JAWS. The third control is a List View which is automatically refreshed so as to display the content for the selected hour.

When within a list of songs and station idents, the following keystrokes will undoubtedly assist you:

Enter plays the selected item.
ALT+F4 closes the playing item, returning focus to the List View.
Control+Insert+1 through to Control+Insert+7 reports columns 1 through to 7. Control+Insert+4 provides the number of seconds of the song introduction.
ALT+1 will report the scheduled time for which the focused song will play.
ALT+2 will report the rotation name which has been selected for the hour.
As you move through the hour sequentially, JAWS will report if the newly focused song or station ident is within the scheduled time or if the hour has passed.
Control+R will launch the SPL Recorder, which is the preferred method for recording voice tracks.
Letter C, while in the recorder, will allow you to configure its settings. Of particular importance is the volume slider for the audio output of the voice tracks. It is also possible to apply audio compression to the recordings. Opinion differs as to whether it is useful to apply such compression, but our company view is that increasing the volume as far as possible but avoiding the distortion, and not applying such compression, is preferable. The quality of audio reproduction is far superior if this approach is adopted.
Letter R starts and stops recording. Be sure to start and stop speaking immediately when this key is pressed to avoid unwanted silence or extraneous noise within the voice tracks.
While inside the recorder, ALT+3 will report the details of the song just played together with the upcoming song.
ALT+F4 will close the recorder and prompt you to save. It maybe that you would rather retake the voice track, in which case feel free to select the "No" option.
While in the voice track editor, Control+S will save and upload all playlist modifications and voice tracks.
Insert+H, while in the voice track editor, will provide a list of useful keystrokes.
ALT+Enter, when focused on an item, will allow you to change its properties, such as tag information or timing preferences. When in this Dialog Box, ALT+O will activate the "OK" Button.
Standard cut, copy or delete commands are available while working through an hour, assuming you have appropriate permission to modify the playlist.
Control+I will allow you to insert a spot or song. A file can be uploaded from the local machine by selecting the "Add or Insert File" Buttons, however more likely you will wish to search the existing songs in the station's library. To do this, ensure the "Category" Radio Button is selected, (which it is by default), and press ALT+Y. Focus is placed in a Combo Box of categories. Select the appropriate category by pressing Down Arrow, then Press ALT+A to search by artist, or ALT+T for title, just as you would in StationPlaylist Studio. Type in your search and press Enter. JAWS will set focus to the results list, whereupon you can press Enter to insert a track into the playlist.

Closing Comments

We hope you enjoy using the StationPlaylist Studio scripts. If you have any questions or comments, please Email them to: jaws@hartgen.org

The official website for StationPlaylist can be found here

The support Email list for StationPlaylist can be
subscribed to by sending a message to: stationPlaylist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks go to everyone who has made suggestions for ongoing script improvements and features. They are very much appreciated.

Thanks go to Gordon Luke for additional essential code.

A final credit must go to the StationPlaylist company who implemented functions at our suggestion to assist screen-reader users. Without their help and support, the scripts would not be as feature-rich as they are.

Latest News

Important Messages, such as Service Disruption and Opening Times.

StationPlaylist Scripts 5.11 User Guide

Build 20

Copyright 2016, Hartgen Consultancy

Introduction

Technical Support

Installation

Quick Install

Activating the Scripts

Internet Activation

Manual Activation

Checking for Product Updates

Critical Changes to StationPlaylist Studio and the Windows Operating System

Getting Help

A Note About Braille

The Role of the StationPlaylist Key

Sounds to Indicate Events

Playlist Viewer

Extended Screen-Reading Mode

Hearing Column Titles

Hearing the Status of Check Boxes First

Hearing the Status of Categories

Hearing Top and Bottom of List Notifications

Enhanced Arrow Keys

Column Browsing in the Playlist Viewer

Reading Keys

Information Keys

Searching for Tracks

Reading the Time

Jingle Cart Machines

Jump to Cart

Announcement of When a Cart Has Completed Playback

Finding a Track in a Playlist

Setting Focus to StationPlaylist Studio

Introduction Monitoring

Marking the Introduction Ending Point

Monitoring for Introductions

Viewing Introductions with Braille

Monitoring for Track Endings

Playlist Bookmarks

Microphone Status

Request Notifications

Streaming Metadata

Automatic Announcement if Metadata Streaming is Enabled

Disabling Stream Metadata Automatically

Enabling and Disabling Metadata Streaming Manually

Scanning Your Music Library

Adding Track Details to a Text File

Copying the Entire Playlist to a Text File or the Clipboard

Setting a Temporary Cue

Timer Functions

Global Keystrokes

Reproducing Twitter Hash Tags

Using the EveryHit Website

Searching for a Single or Album

Viewing a Top 40 Chart

Dropbox Notifications

Miscellaneous Items

The StationPlaylist Studio "Options" Dialog box

Additional Items

StationPlaylist Creator

Remote Voice Tracking

Closing Comments

Acknowledgements