ProScan Date And Time stamp as synchronized text tags when recording audio?

[johnbednarski]

Hi everyone, I've been researching forum entries to answer my question. I was hoping to get some pointers from our forum experts on approach and feasibility. I'm running ProScan with a Uniden BCD536HP and am recording mp3 audio files with great success. I'm interested in preserving the date and time a transmission was received and saved to that stream's mp3 file.

In reviewing ProScan's documentation, it sounds to me that I will need to invoke synchronized text tags as part of the mp3 file's contents.

I've seen references to two applications, MiniLyrics and Abbysmedia's "Multi-Channel Recording System (MCRS), as two platforms that may support the creation of synchronized text tags.

If anyone could point me to a forum entry or similar that talks about an approach to preserve timestamps like this, I can take the ball and run with it. I appreciate any suggestions or lessons learned you may wish to share with me. Thank you.

 

[DC31]

I can’t help on the ”text tags” but I think you could write a script that speaks a time stamp at one minute (or whatever) intervals and then mix the audio streams.

 

[jonwienke]

You don't need to do anything, other than make sure the PC clock is set correctly. If the created and modified timestamps in every file aren't good enough, you can incorporate the date and time into the file and/or folder name.

 

[johnbednarski]

I can’t help on the ”text tags” but I think you could write a script that speaks a time stamp at one minute (or whatever) intervals and then mix the audio streams.

That's in interesting idea, @DC31. That may be just the ticket. Thank you for suggesting.

You don't need to do anything, other than make sure the PC clock is set correctly. If the created and modified timestamps in every file aren't good enough, you can incorporate the date and time into the file and/or folder name.

Appreciate that point, @jonwienke. My issue has been that each data source from my scanner creates its own audio file, once daily. So, say my local fire department is one of those sources. If there was, say, an incident at 12 noon that day, I will need to track down that event by searching the recorded audio file manually. As far as I've been able to tell, there is no time stamp within the audio stream to tell me whether I'm listening to traffic at noon, versus some other time of day. This is why I'm interested in having the timestamp embedded as a text tag. That should make it much easier to find an event of interest.

 

[jonwienke]

No. If you use ProScan to record, every transmission is stored in a separate file, and in addition to the normal file-level timestamps, you can incorporate the date and time if the transmission. That's a far more elegant solution than trying to insert metadata into a single file with an entire day's worth of traffic.

 

[DC31]

There are lots of ways to skin this cat. You might even try a stereo feed with the audio on one channel and the timestamps on the other. Adjust the balance to control whether you hear the timestamps or not.

Even easier, broadcast to the Calls platform where each audio transmission is timestamped.

 

[johnbednarski]

No. If you use ProScan to record, every transmission is stored in a separate file, and in addition to the normal file-level timestamps, you can incorporate the date and time if the transmission. That's a far more elegant solution than trying to insert metadata into a single file with an entire day's worth of traffic.

Hello @jonwienke, I appreciate your insight. Yes, your solution does sound more elegant for the problem I'm trying to solve. I think that having separate files for each transmission will add difficulty to me reviewing a source over a period of time, wouldn't it? I'd have to open each file individually. If a new file is created each time a transmission is received, doesn't it become cumbersome to open and close each file in sequence?

 

[johnbednarski]

There are lots of ways to skin this cat. You might even try a stereo feed with the audio on one channel and the timestamps on the other. Adjust the balance to control whether you hear the timestamps or not.

Even easier, broadcast to the Calls platform where each audio transmission is timestamped.

Hello @DC31, thanks for the ideas. Your suggestion to use stereo feed with time stamps on one of the two channels sounds cool. I see your snip comes from my neck of the woods in Franklin County. That's awesome.

For your "even easier" idea, are you suggesting I publish a feed to Broadcastify and obtain the time stamps from that entity that way, via my broadcast? I wasn't sure that's what you have in mind with the "Calls Platform."

 

[DC31]

Hello @DC31, thanks for the ideas. Your suggestion to use stereo feed with time stamps on one of the two channels sounds cool. I see your snip comes from my neck of the woods in Franklin County. That's awesome.

For your "even easier" idea, are you suggesting I publish a feed to Broadcastify and obtain the time stamps from that entity that way, via my broadcast? I wasn't sure that's what you have in mind with the "Calls Platform."

Here is the link to the calls platform: Broadcastify Calls

it requires a premium account to utilize. If you provide a feed to the calls platform or to bcfy you get a premium account.

yes, I was suggesting that you provide a feed. Of course, unless the agency that you are interested in already has a feed in place. Then you would just need a premium account.

TTD Pi web page

 

[jonwienke]

Hello @jonwienke, I appreciate your insight. Yes, your solution does sound more elegant for the problem I'm trying to solve. I think that having separate files for each transmission will add difficulty to me reviewing a source over a period of time, wouldn't it? I'd have to open each file individually. If a new file is created each time a transmission is received, doesn't it become cumbersome to open and close each file in sequence?

Not if you use the right software. Proscan plays audio files sequentially without having to click on each one separately, and there is a guy in the forums here doing a scanner-specific audio player that displays the call metadata from fies recorded on the scanner SD card.

 

[DC31]

@johnbednarski , if you set up a Zello feed (if one doesn’t already exist) that records the audio and timestamps each transmission. Timestamped recordings are available on your smartphone or tablet. The Zello app is free.

 

[johnbednarski]

Not if you use the right software. Proscan plays audio files sequentially without having to click on each one separately, and there is a guy in the forums here doing a scanner-specific audio player that displays the call metadata from fies recorded on the scanner SD card.

Thank you, @jonwienke, that's an interesting lead.

 

[johnbednarski]

@johnbednarski , if you set up a Zello feed (if one doesn’t already exist) that records the audio and timestamps each transmission. Timestamped recordings are available on your smartphone or tablet. The Zello app is free.

Another cool idea, @DC31. Looks like I've got a number of things to try here. Thanks!