If you listen to Radio Paradise you may have noticed that the highest
quality 192kbps mp3 stream is not available currently and you need to run
the Octoshape plug-in. 

I usually create a shortcut on my (Windows XP) Desktop which brings up the Radio Paradise
stream straight away.  However to use the Octoshape stream you need to run
the Octoshape plug-in before selecting Radio Paradise in your Media Player. 
(You could have Octoshape running every time your computer boots up to avoid
this but I don't like programmes loading if I am not using them).

When I Googled looking for a one click solution I didn't find one.  So after
a litle bit of lateral thinking I came up with a Batch file which
with one (double) click first ran the Octoshape
Client and then opened the Radio Paradise stream in Foobar2000.

It worked but was not very elegant.  So I asked for advice on the Radio Paradise forum and this simple solution was presented.

Create an Internet shortcut on your Desktop with the URL "octoshape:PARADISE.stream1_mp3"
(you need the inverted commas when filling the Location box when you create the Shortcut).
Works a treat!
 
The advantage of using Foobar2000 instead of Windows Media Player is that you get the song title and artist displayed as well as hearing the stream.

The ongoing saga of what is to happen to our PMSE (Programme, Music and Special Events) shared frequencies in 2012 has taken a disconcerting turn. (These frequencies are available across the UK to licensed users and are the bread and butter frequencies of Production Sound Mixers, Sound Recordists, News Crews etc.)

Having accepted that we must vacate out present home in Channel 69 to make way for big business we were anticipating a phased change over to our new home in Channel 38. This move will require people with older equipment to completely re-equip and people with newer equipment will need to have it retuned. Everyone will need to buy new ancillary gear such as aerials.

Obviously this is a mammoth undertaking. We had been hoping that this switch over could start very soon, not least to provide business for our world renowned Radio Microphone manufacturers who have seen their orders almost dry up due to this uncertainty over frequencies.

Now it appears that Ofcom are proposing that Channel 38 not be released for unrestricted shared frequency use until 1st January 2012 – the same day that they are taking Channel 69 from us! How do we change thousands and thousands of radio mics from Channel 69 to Channel 38 overnight? Will there be any manufacturers left by then to carry out the work?

As if that wasn't bad enough Channel 38 is currently occupied by Radio Astronomy who I believe are not leaving Channel 38 until September 2012. Until they go we cannot use the channel within 95km of Jodrell Bank or Cambridge. I am sat writing this in the North West of England 20km from Jodrell Bank. As things stand even if I could get new gear organised for the switch over day of 1st January I wouldn't be able to use it for 9 months.

I can't see many of my clients being happy to go back to the days of a mic cable trailing down the trouser leg!

Ofcom are holding open consultations on the PMSE radio mic issue. Currently they are inviting responses to their proposals for a new Band Manager for Channel 69/38 here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/bandmanager09/

They will be holding a consultation on what form any financial arrangements may take within the next few weeks. This will be crucial for the industry.

A few months ago it looked like sanity was about to prevail with talk of phased switch overs and financial remuneration. It feels a little like we are back to square one.

Thanks to the representatives from AMPS (The Association of Motion Picture Sound) and IBS (Institute of Broadcast Sound) along with BEIRG for representing PMSE users in negotiations with Ofcom. You can make your feelings known on the BEIRG group at www.linkedin.com

Other useful links are:

Sandy's blog on the AMPS website here.

JFMG the current Band Manager here

and BEIRG here

I've been running with software version 6.01 (and its predecessor 5.99) for 5 weeks now with no problems. 

The new output matrix is handy for preventing ISO tracks being played back over a PA output when you go back to check your mix!  The Mirror section now includes a disc space remaining indicator.

This latest build appears to be much happier to talk to the Lacie Sam Hecht external firewire bus powered DVD-RAM burner.

Currently the software is available in the Deva User Group Files section.

Update:  27th July 2009.  Version v6.03 has been stable for a good few weeks now.

Welcome to the dhsound blog.  Here you will find news of updates to this site and links to other sites of interest.

I've updated the second of my living with a Deva articles to include my recent addition of an Ambient ACL203 Lockit to provide a synchronising signal.  My Deva's 4 years of wandering off on its own are over!

www.dhsound.co.uk/pages/devaarticle2.html