The windows standalone version

These directions should work for Edcast as well as the older Oddcast standalone version in Windows.

Installation

Run the installer.

After you accept the license agreement, be sure to click that you wish to install the LAME encoder so you can stream MP3 file format.

You will be directed to a web page for the Lame encoder. I suggest you download the latest non-alpha or non-beta "bundle" and install it in your Program Files directory which is usually on the C: drive.

After Edcast is finished installing, copy the file lame_enc.dll from your Lame installation to the directory where Edcast was installed.

Configuration

Now you are ready to test out your Edcast installation. Click on the Edcast icon that is on your desktop or run the standalone exe file in the Edcast directory.

You will see a screen like this:

Select the audio device you want to use for your stream. It may be different from the MOTU device shown on my example. You can see the meters operate if you have a signal. Sometimes when the device is configured incorrectly or there is no input to the device you'll see the meters at full scale. Ignore the Live Recording button and the slider unless you have a standard Windows sound card with DXI drivers.

When the VU meters do not show any signal you may have to click in them to make them work.

Then click on the Add Encoder button and a line will appear in the text area below the Encoder Settings heading. Double click on that new line and the configuration windo will appear, looking like this:

Note, your port number and password will be different. Clear out the Mountpoint field because it is not used for MP3. Make sure the Encoder Type is MP3 Lame and the server type is Shoutcast.

Now click on the YP Settings Tab at the top of the configuration window. You'll see this:

You can use a different stream name if you wish, to describe your event.

Next, click on the Advanced Settings tab:

This is optional, but if you check of the two check boxes and include a directory you will be able to make a simultaneous recording of your stream. If you don't click Save as WAV it will save the MP3 file.

Next, click OK and return to the main Edcast window. Click on the Connect button and see if you connect to the server. If it keeps trying and not getting through, then recheck your settings making sure you have the port and password correct. There is a chance that the http://radio.electro-music.com server is down. To check, use this URL http://radio.electro-music.com:8070 but replace 8070 by your port number. You should see the Shoutcast D.N.A.S. screen.

Almost finished now...

If everything is working, check the AutoConnect box. This will automatically reconnect if something causes a disconnect during your stream.

Finally, Click on the Edit button next to the word Metadata near the top of the window. This is where you put in the title of your performance. Put that in the Metadata field - leave the rest of the stuff alone.

You can edit the metadata anytime you want while you are streaming. If you are streaming a concert you may want to make the metadata identify who is performing.

Alternatively you can use a file to specify your meta data.

The location of the stream title metadata is in the file C:\Program Files\edcast\streamtitle.txt

Please put something about your content in this file. I put a shortcut to that file on my desktop.

When all is working well, you will see something like this:

The Winamp plugin

Installation

First download and install the latest version of WinAmp onto your Windows computer. As of this writing, 5.12 is the newest. You don't need the PRO version; the free version has all the features you'll need. Get WinAmp here: http://www.winamp.com/player/ You can find installation WinAmpinstructions on that site.

In order to broadcast to a running SHOUTcast server using the winamp plugin, you will need the SHOUTcast Source for Winamp 2.x DSP Plug-in, a piece of software which adds SHOUTcast broadcast ability to the Winamp software. (Don't worry about the word source in that title, it is pre-compiled and ready to run). The DSP Plug-in acts as a bridge between your Winamp software and a SHOUTcast DNAS server (which electro-music.com is running to broadcast).

To obtain the latest copy of the plugin, please click here. Instructions are included with the installer. Installing the plug-in is easy, configuring it is a bit tricky. One tip, make sure Winamp is not running when you install the plugin. Use the default installation options.

The following is from the plug-in configuration instructions, but edited a bit to be more relevant for electro-music.com streaming:

Configuration

Once you've installed Winamp and the DSP, you're ready to configure the plug-in.

• After the plug-in has been installed, launch Winamp.
• Enter the Winamp preferences menu by pressing Ctrl-P or using the pull-down menu.
• Click on the DSP/Effect section in the left pane of the preferences window.
• Select Nullsoft SHOUTcast Source DSP v1.8.2 [dsp_sc.dll] on the right.
• A window pops up labeled SHOUTcast source.
• Click Close on the Preferences window to close the Winamp Preferences window.
• Bring the SHOUTcast source window to the front by clicking on its titlebar.
• Click on the Input tab and ensure that the correct Input Device is selected, in our case use Soundcard - NOT Winamp. This is because we will use the soundcard for our live broadcasts.

(It isn't necessary to use the soundcard mixer in the bottom part of this configuration window. This works only for commercial PC sound cards. If you have a professional audio interface, like a Firewire MOTU 828 or something, that mixer section won't even work.)

Note: on the windows below, we set up two outputs and two encoders - one for 128 kbps and one for 24 kbps:

• Click on the Encoder tab, select Encoder 1 on the left, and select the bitrate options 128 kbps - stereo.
• Click on the Encoder tab again, select Encoder 2 on the left, and select the bitrate options 44.1 kbps - stereo.

• Click on the Output tab, then select Output 1 on the left.
• Click on the Connection button to bring up the settings for the SHOUTcast DNAS you will be connecting to. Enter the URL radio.electro-music.com under Address. Use the Port number, broadcasting password set on the server, and select 2 under the Encoder pulldown menu. (Yes, that's right - Output 1 uses Encoder 2, and Output 2 uses Encoder 1. It's a quirk with Winamp - sorry.) Enter the first port number and password given to you by a stream operator.
• Optionally, place a checkbox in Automatic Reconnection on Connection Failure if you want the DSP to reconnect in the event of a Internet connection failure. (recommended).
• Click on the Yellowpages button above to change the description information for this server.
• Enter a Description of the station you're broadcasting (make this relevant to your jam/performance, a URL of a website with more information about your music, and the Genre(s) (electro-music) your server is broadcasting.
• Optionally, you may enter an AIM name if you use AOL Instant Messenger, your ICQ # if you use ICQ, and an IRC channel if you use EfNet IRC. This information helps listeners locate you as a broadcaster.
• If you want this station to appear in the Station listings for Shoutcast.com, Winamp radio, and Apple Computer's iTunes, do not check the Make this server public checkbox.
• If you want the DSP to connect to the server whenever Winamp starts, check the Connect at Startup item above. (not reccommended)
• Click again on the Output tab, then select Output 2 on the left and repeat the above steps for the Output 2. Use the 2nd port number you were given, and use Encoder 1 (yes, Output 1 uses encoder 2). Be sure to change the Yellowpages fields as well.

Hopefully, these screen scans will help a bit...

Note: the port numbers you will be given are most probably not the one shown on these screen shots.

• Make sure the electro-music.com DNAS is running, that the soundcard input and mixers are correctly configured and that you are using Soundcard Input mode. Then click Connect (button on upper right) to connect to your server and start broadcasting.

There is more information in the README file that comes with the plugin. Read it if you are interested.

Additional tooling

Jasper's LineIn plugin for WinAmp can be a very usefull addition. It enables you to select other sound sources than the primary line in or microphone in as the source for broadcasing. For instance not all sound 'cards' may be used without it.

See : http://home.hccnet.nl/th.v.d.gronde/dev/lineinWA2/doc/index.html

Once you have that plugin installed it will show up amongst WinAmp's Input plugins. When you double click on it you should be able to select all of your sound devices, and it's even possible to make presets.

For this the Shoutcast plugin for WinAmp must be configured a bit different from what was outlined above. Under Input configuration/Input device you'd want to select "WinAmp (reccomened)" instead of the usual "SoundCard input" selection. The Line In plugin will run your selected input through WinAmp.

The drawback of this is that when WinAmp is installed as your default music player and you click on some music link or file that one will open up in WinAmp and you'll be streaming that instead of what you intended to stream. So it could be useful to set up another media player as your default music player when you are streaming out using WinAmp.

The Linux version

Configuration