Takeover Clock Setup

This article outlines how to set up a clock in your music scheduler for Takeover. A Tether license (or a legacy LDR1, #engage, or Takeover license) is required to make Takeover actually function in your automation system. These instructions will also work for a Takeover Countdown feature.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Elements needed

You'll set up the following elements (see the table under each element for details on your automation system):

In most cases, you'll want to create these elements before building your clocks. If you're using WideOrbit with MusicMaster, it'll be easier to create the elements directly on the clocks themselves.


If you use GSelector, your commands can be created either as Breaknotes (under Clocks) or as Links (under Linker). If you see fields configured under Interface > Export > Schedule > Breaknote, then you can use Breaknotes for your Tether commands. Otherwise, you must use Linker.


If you don't see your automation system or music scheduler listed, Futuri VIP Support can help you to determine how to add these elements.


Begin Song Replacement

The Begin Song Replacement is the command that turns on Takeover.


Automation SystemMusic SchedulerHow to create
NexGenGSelectorIt can either be set up as a Breaknote (under "Clocks") or as a Link (under "Linker"). The text Begin Song Replacement goes in the title field, and the Media field should be 20. All other fields can be blank.
Selector V12 (DOS)Set up in Linker with the title text Begin Song Replacement and the Media field 20. Note the Link's ID number so you can add it to the clock later.
MusicMasterSet up as a Lognote with the following syntax: ^20^^Begin Song Replacement
SS32, Audiovault, MaestroSelector V12 (DOS)During your initial setup, you should have created an audio cart in your automation system called "Begin Song Replacement." You'll need to create that audio cart in Selector as well so that you can schedule it in a clock. Check your automation system for the cart number/cut ID. This can be added either as a song or a link in Selector.
MusicMasterDuring your initial setup, you should have created an audio cart in your automation system called "Begin Song Replacement." You'll need to create that audio cart in MusicMaster as well so that you can schedule it in a clock. Check your automation system for the cart number/cut ID. Once you have created the item in MusicMaster, you'll need to note its file number so that you can schedule it as a "Forced" element in your clock.
StratusDuring your initial setup, you should have created an audio cart in your automation system called "Begin Song Replacement." You'll need to create a breaknote in Stratus as well so that you can schedule it in a clock. Check your automation system for the cart number/cut ID. The syntax (for the breaknote's "notes" field) is  ,,607,DA9600,"Begin Song Replacement",,00:10,,,, (using your own category / cut ID).
ZettaGSelectorAfter Zetta has been configured and you have synced your Macros with GSelector, the Control element called Macro (Begin Song Replacement) should automatically exist.
WideOrbitSelector V12 (DOS), MusicMasterCreate a link (in Selector) or a lognote (in MusicMaster) with the following syntax: ,,,..,"Begin Song Replacement",,,,,,
PowergoldIn the Automation Command Editor (under Edit > Commands | Automation), create an element with the title Begin Song Replacement, and put two periods (..) in the Source field (to identify the element as a memo).
OpXStratusCreate a song element with the title Begin Song Replacement and the cut ID FUT06.


End Song Replacement

The End Song Replacement is the command that turns off Takeover.


Automation SystemMusic SchedulerHow to create
NexGenGSelectorIt can either be set up as a Breaknote (under "Clocks") or as a Link (under "Linker"). The text End Song Replacement goes in the title field, and the Media field should be 20. All other fields can be blank.
Selector V12 (DOS)Set up in Linker with the title text End Song Replacement and the Media field 20. Note the Link's ID number so you can add it to the clock later.
MusicMasterSet up as a Lognote with the following syntax: ^20^^End Song Replacement
SS32, Audiovault, MaestroSelector V12 (DOS)During your initial setup, you should have created an audio cart in your automation system called "End Song Replacement." You'll need to create that audio cart in Selector as well so that you can schedule it in a clock. Check your automation system for the cart number/cut ID. This can be added either as a song or a link in Selector.
MusicMasterDuring your initial setup, you should have created an audio cart in your automation system called "End Song Replacement." You'll need to create that audio cart in MusicMaster as well so that you can schedule it in a clock. Check your automation system for the cart number / cut ID. Once you have created the item in MusicMaster, you'll need to note its file number so that you can schedule it as a "Forced" element in your clock.
StratusDuring your initial setup, you should have created an audio cart in your automation system called "End Song Replacement." You'll need to create a breaknote in Stratus as well so that you can schedule it in a clock. Check your automation system for the cart number/cut ID. The syntax (for the breaknote's "notes" field) is  ,,607,DA9600,"End Song Replacement",,00:10,,,, (using your own category / cut ID).
ZettaGSelectorAfter Zetta has been configured and you have synced your Macros with GSelector, the Control element called Macro (End Song Replacement) should automatically exist.
WideOrbitSelector V12 (DOS), MusicMasterCreate a link (in Selector) or a lognote (in MusicMaster) with the following syntax: ,,,..,"End Song Replacement",,,,,,
PowergoldIn the Automation Command Editor (under Edit > Commands | Automation), create an element with the title End Song Replacement, and put two periods (..) in the Source field (to identify the element as a memo).
OpXStratusCreate a song element with the title End Song Replacement and the cut ID FUT05.


Empty Song Slot

Empty Song Slots are placed in the log where you want Takeover to insert songs.


Automation SystemMusic SchedulerHow to create
NexGenGSelectorIt can either be set up as a Breaknote (under "Clocks") or as a Link (under "Linker"). The text Empty Song Slot goes in the title field, and the Media field should be 81. All other fields can be blank.
Selector V12 (DOS)Set up in Linker with the title text Empty Song Slot and the Media field 81. Note the Link's ID number so you can add it to the clock later.
MusicMasterSet up as a Lognote with the following syntax: ^81^^Empty Song Slot
SS32, Audiovault, MaestroSelector V12 (DOS), MusicMasterCreate a link (in Selector) or a lognote (in MusicMaster) called Empty Song Slot. The ID number does not matter. The Empty Song Slot link will be replaced by placeholder carts when you export your log, and Echo will insert winning songs into those placeholder carts.
StratusYou'll create a breaknote in Stratus using the following syntax (for the breaknote's "notes" field): ,,LDR,DA9998,"EMPTY SONG SLOT",,03:30,,,, The Empty Song Slot element will be replaced by placeholder carts when you export your log, and Echo will insert winning songs into those placeholder carts.
ZettaGSelectorUnder Goals, create a song category group and a subordinate song category, which contains no songs. This is used to create Unscheduled Song positions in your clock.
WideOrbitSelector V12 (DOS), MusicMasterCreate a link (in Selector) or a lognote (in MusicMaster) with the following syntax: ,,.,..,"Empty Song Slot",,,,,, and specify a duration of 3:30 on that element.
PowergoldIn the Automation Command Editor (under Edit > Commands | Automation), create an element with the title Empty Song Slot, give it a duration of 3:30, put a period (.) in the Time Synch field, and put two periods (..) in the Source field (to identify the element as a memo).
OpXStratusCreate a song element with the title Empty Song Slot and the cut ID FUT03.


Start Voting (OpX Only)

The "Start Voting" command is required only for OpX stations, to tell the automation system to start fetching winners for Takeover.


Automation SystemMusic SchedulerHow to create
OpXStratusCreate a song element with the title Start Voting and the cut ID FUT04.


Clock structure

When building Tether clocks, we recommend making copies of existing clocks first (from the same position in your assignment grid) and then modifying those copies. You'll likely have three different clocks for Takeover:

The hour before Takeover starts

To build a Takeover clock, you'll place your Begin Song Replacement in the clock wherever you want users to start voting. This must be at least a few minutes before the first song you want to insert, so most stations place this command near the last stopset of the previous hour (and pair it with imaging to promote Takeover starting at the top of the next hour). Below is an example of this type of clock setup:



If your station uses OpX, you will place your Start Voting command right next to your Begin Song Replacement command. If you don't use OpX, you don't need that command at all.


The Takeover hour(s)

NOTE: Many NexGen stations choose to schedule their Takeover hours directly in NexGen, rather than in GSelector, because NexGen will typically delete Empty Song Slots after a music import. For more information on executing Takeover entirely through NexGen, click here.

Everywhere you want Takeover to insert a song, you'll place your Empty Song Slot (or, for Zetta stations, you'll schedule the empty category you created in the steps above). The rest of the hour is built like a normal clock, with imaging, voicetracks, and stopsets wherever they would normally go.


It's a good idea to stack some extra Empty Song Slots at the end of the hour, in case the hour coincidentally fills with your playlist's shortest songs.


It's also possible to place scheduled songs in a Takeover hour. We'd recommend against doing this more than once or twice per hour, since it sort of defeats the purpose of Takeover and can confuse users when the #1 song in the queue is not the next one to play, but here are some good reasons stations sometimes pre-schedule songs during Takeover:

  • To serve as a buffer between turning Takeover on with the Begin Song Replacement, and attempting to fill the first Empty Song Slot
  • To serve as a buffer after a sync, since some automation systems may not be able to react fast enough after syncing to plug in a winning song right away
  • To give voicetrackers a pre-scheduled song to talk into or out of

The hour after Takeover ends

When you want to turn Takeover off, place the End Song Replacement command in a clock. We typically recommend placing this at the top of the first hour AFTER Takeover, rather than at the end of the Takeover hour, to make sure it's not synced out.


If the End Song Replacement is synced out, Takeover will stay in the "on" position on your website and will be misleading to users, so that's why it's helpful to place it in the NEXT clock instead.


Automation notes

See the following articles for specific notes on executing Takeover in these automation systems:

You may also want to check out our articles on Takeover separation goals and Takeover playlist exports for more information on those setup steps.


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