BSI Simian 2.3 Pro Automation

• New 64bit/32bit compatible audio engine – Use Simian 2.3 on Windows 7 64 bit, Windows 8 32/64 bit, Windows 8.1 32/64 bit, and Windows 10 32/64 bit
• Simian File Sync Utility – Sync and backup your audio files and logs, trigger sets, hotkey sets,and more, all automatically, and without third-party software.
• New Weather and Forecast Background Service* – New built-in utility to automatically retrieve weather and forecast information. You no longer need to deal with the GETWEATHER and GETFORECAST macros!
• Configurable Segue Fader Curve – Set the shape of the fade on segue. Now cross-fading is also an option in addition to simple fade-out.
• New Hardware Connector Functionality* – Add-on Hardware Connector background services for integration between Simian and third party hardware. Hardware Connectors are currently available at the time of writing this document for Axia console/GPIO nodes/PC Audio Driver and for GatesAir PR&E Oasis console. Hardware Connectors for other hardware may be made available in the future.
• New Email Notification Engine* – Receive email notifications when there is a playback/AutoReplace error, program log is changed by user, CHAIN macro error, crash recovery was engaged after a restart, Simian is closed by the user, program or hardware options are accessed by user, or the security options window is accessed by the user.

Simian 2.3 PRO is an advanced automation system for use by Radio Broadcast professionals and Advanced Internet Broadcasting. It has all the features of our Simian LITE program plus features specifically for the more demanding Radio Station environment.

These features include:

• Ability to connect to optional Simian Gateway/Remote clients
• Closure handling for satellite rebroadcast
• Relay control for outboard devices
• Incoming and Outgoing Serial communications
• 16 configurable pass-through mixers
• Record Decks for timed or on-the-fly records
• Backtime and FlexTime Features
• Ability to retrieve and announce weather and forecast information
• 83 available Automation Macros for ultimate versatility

For peace of mind, we strongly suggest that you consider a fully configured system direct from BSI that is ready to operate out of the box.

While Simian 2.3 uses no proprietary hardware, just an ordinary Microsoft Windows 7 Professional® 32bit or 64bit, Windows 8/8.1® 32bit or 64bit, or Windows 10® 32bit or 64bit; equipped PC, it is very important to have off-the-shelf machines configured and optimized professionally for multimedia performance and long-term reliability.

Purchasing a complete system of hardware and software from BSI means that you benefit from our years of in-house expertise as we carefully select hardware components and then custom configure all the computers we sell for reliable and robust multimedia playout.

These systems are built using Dell computers and include a 3-year On-Site Warranty; or we can customize a 19″ Rack Mounted solution for you using carefully selected and tested branded components.

Our recommended hardware platforms are detailed on our computer systems pages. If you are sourcing your own computers & hardware, please ensure that all the hardware is fully compatible with the motherboard – and pay particular attention to memory and cooling.

Pitfalls to Avoid:

We have put together a list of some of the major pitfalls to avoid when building your own system:

• Any server based operating system (including Windows 2003, 2008, 2012), Windows Vista, or any OS older than Windows 7; our supported operating systems are Windows 7 Professional 32bit or 64bit, Windows 8/8.1 32bit or 64bit, or Windows 10 32bit or 64bit. No other operating systems (including any version of Windows Home or Media, or any of the Vista versions) are supported.
• File should be played off the LOCAL PC’s hard drive, not across a network or from a file server
• A file server is neither desired nor required, may decrease performance and introduces a single point of failure. We supply configuration instructions for a fully redundant networked system, with software file-mirroring suitable for an Air and production system, or multiple workstations.
• Intel Celeron, Pentium, or AMD Processors (or emulated PCs) – use Genuine Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i series, or Xeon series or above CPUs
• USB, Firewire or other external storage devices
• SCSI or IDE drives – use SATA 6Gb/s drives for best performance; using seperate hard-drives for Windows and Audio Files can also help in a number of ways.
• Software RAID Arrays – these can be detrimental to performance, place additional requirements on your computer system, and often make it more difficult to rebuild or restore a machine. They also do nothing to Protect against viruses or accidental deletion of files (our Second Copy software file mirroring keeps multiple copies of deleted files safely).
• SSD Drives – Using SSDs in an automation computer is known to cause playback issues because of the way they function. SSDs are not made for the constant read/write functionality required of an automation system. To reduce wear on the memory cells, SSDs purposefully move around written data and reduce read/write bandwidth and will over the course of hours or days reduce bandwidth so severely that the buffering of audio data can not occur at a rate faster than playback requires, causing stuttering audio or delayed performance and responsiveness. BSI does not support running software on a computer that has SSDs for any of its drives. Only conventional HDD systems are supported.
• ‘Cheap’ or non-branded memory – make sure you use a brand recommended by your motherboard manufacturer. 2GB is enough for basic operation on Windows 7 or above with no other applications running (even in the background), but we’re now fitting 8GB as standard to the machines we supply.
• Flimsy, thin cases with little RF shielding (often consisted mainly of plastic and with poor air circulation). A good technical ground is essential in a professional broadcast environment.
• Consumer Grade Audio Cards – BSI products are designed and tested to work with AudioScience and IP Audio drivers–such as Axia, WheatNet and Dante–to ensure reliable 24×7 operation.
• USB/Firewire external audio devices
• Drivers or Software Updates not yet certified by BSI. Manufacturers will often make newer drivers and utilities available on their web sites prior to them being fully tested by BSI. You can find the latest recommended drivers and utilities listed on our Latest Drivers web page.

For optimum performance, we also recommend that for music-on-hard-drive stations, two PCs be used… one for Air, the other for production. When purchased together and configured correctly, the production license is enabled as a Hot Standby Redundant Backup that can be used for backup Air (as well as production) use, during the validity of your Tech Care Plan. If you do not renew your Tech Care Plan, the play decks will be disabled which will limit usage to basic production duties (including Voice Tracking) only.