As we saw in the hardware section, there are two parts to any computer system: The hardware, and the software. Software is the term used to describe the programmes (or sections of computer code) that we use on the computer. The programme is a set of instructions that instructs the computer in how to execute a given task: This could be typing a word on the screen, or manipulating audio or anything that that you want the computer to do. Both hardware and software are very important, and we need the right hardware and software if we want to get anything useful done with a computer.
Different software for different uses
There are different software programmes or packages that perform different functions. For example to type and edit a script, or a letter, you need a word processing programme such as Microsoft Word or Open Office Writer. For accounts, budgets and spreadsheets, there is a wide variety of software you can use to make accounting easier, like Microsoft Excel, or OpenOffice Calc. Graphic designers use software packages for design and layout, like Adobe InDesign, or CoreDraw! or OpenOffice Draw. We also use internet browsing software such as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer for accessing the Internet; and e-mail software such as Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird for sending and receiving e-mail.
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Proprietary, Freeware, Shareware and Open Source
Software can be proprietary (meaning it has to be purchased before use); freeware (meaning it is free to access and install); or shareware (where you can install it, but should pay for it if you continue to use it beyond a fixed amount of time). When software is purchased, you are basically licensing a copy of the software for use; and this license may limit the number of computers you can install the software on.
Over the last several years there has also been a worldwide movement to create and use software where anyone can access the basic code and make changes to suit their own purposes. This is called the Open Source movement, and it has resulted in a large variety of freely available and customizable software that perform nearly all the functions that proprietary software was once invariably required for - including audio editing and manipulation. Many open source software packages today are available for download directly from the Internet - but be careful while doing this, because people pirate or make illegal copies of proprietary software as well. This is not only illegal, it is unfair to all those who make a living by writing the software.To go into all the kinds of software used on computers for various tasks is more than can be covered in this manual. So we'll focus first on the important software that we may use on a computer used for radio and audio related work.
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1. Operating Systems (OSs)
The operating system controls all of the computer's hardware and provides a base upon which other software can be used. The operating system manages the hardware for the user, and provides onscreen images that you can understand when you are working on the computer. On PC based computers, the popular OSs are Microsoft Windows (Windows XP SP2 is common, with Windows Vista now preinstalled on many computers), as well as many variants of the GNU/Linux open source OS (including variants like Red Hat, Fedora and Ubuntu, some of which must be paid for). On Apple Macintosh computers, often used for professional audio and video work, the current OS used is Apple OS 10.5, also popularly known as Tiger.
Many computers still use older variants of Windows, such as Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 or ME. It's usually a good idea to get as new an edition of the OS you select as possible, as it will have updated controls and software for the hardware that you install on the system.
Some OSs are written specifically to facilitate multimedia and audio work on a computer. One such freely downloadable OS is Ubuntu Linux Studio, which comes bundled with audio processing and editing applications that work seamlessly in tandem with each other.
2. Audio editing and processing software
Audio editing and processing software is used to record, input, adjust, trim and refine audio from a variety of sources to make a programme. In the radio production studio, software programmes such as ProTools, Cakewalk Pro, Peak, Nuendo, and Audition are the common proprietary software choices. The open source preferred choice is usually SourceForge's Audacity. Other possible choices are Solition II, Audioblast and Reaper.
A screen capture of Nero Wave Editor, a simple audio editing software bundled with the Nero Ultra CD burning tools package.
As audio editing is usually graphical based - the software displays pictures of the sound waves you are working with - this often makes it easier to work with the sound, as opposed to the laborious manual work one had to do in studios once upon a time. Software can emulate most of the expensive hardware that audio studios once used to be equipped with, because the software can now manipulate the audio in exactly the same way - an important consideration in making radio more accessible to communities.
Most audio editing softwares also let you save the final version of the audio in a variety of audio file formats: MP3, WAV, AIFF, and so on.
3. Playout software
Stations that use computers in the broadcast studio will use playout software. Playout software provides a way for presenters to quickly access audio files stored on the computer and then to play them on the air. Programmes such as Netia, On the Air, Wavecart, Radiohost and many others have been especially designed for use in the radio studio.
There are free and open source counterparts like ZaraRadio that can be used for playout as well; and many small radio stations use simple audio player software like WinAmp to queue audio for playing.
| Using playout software may require more sophisticated sound and computer hardware, as well as considerably higher expense. |
4. CD burning software
As noted in the section on CD writers, there are specialized softwares that can help you with the process of organizing and burning your files onto CDs for archiving or for playout. These include versions of Nero Burning ROM, Alcohol, Toast (for Macintosh), or CD Burner XP. Most will give you advanced functionality like leaving the disc unfinalized, or making a CD-R multisession.
5. Audio playback software
Most Windows OS based computers come equipped with a version of Windows Media Player, a playback software which you can use to play audio. But a variety of software is available to play audio on a computer: These range from WinAmp and Realplayer to Quicktime Player and Jet Audio.
Your choice of software depends on the scale you want to work at, how much you want to automate the process - and what kind of a budget you have. There may be differences in functionality between many of these softwares - but then again, you may not need much of the pro functionality or controls to achieve many of the things you require as a CR station.
Your choice of software depends on the scale you want to work at, how much you want to automate the process - and what kind of a budget you have. There may be differences in functionality between many of these softwares - but then again, you may not need much of the pro functionality or controls to achieve many of the things you require as a CR station.
Don't invest blindly in expensive software without exploring availability, support, usability, and functionality.
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