ABSTRACT
This chapter covers a broad range of station automation features and explores the wide variety of options available to network, store, share and protect digital audio assets. These general discussions should provide a framework with which to evaluate specific station automation needs. The personal computer is capable of providing all of the key functions required for a powerful station automation system in a single box: random access high-quality audio, database operations, communications capabilities, programmability, user-friendly operator interface and file redundancy. Most professional sound cards are available with either analog, digital, or both analog and digital inputs and outputs. An automation environment is far more efficient when each workstation is referring to the same databases and sharing a common set of resources. The electromechanical marvels were capable of automatically sequencing several days' worth of programming. The quality of Unshielded twisted pair cable in use is vital to system performance and must meet certain specifications based on the Ethernet standard in use.
