The most feature rich version of Simian ever, with all new streaming and metadata features.
See our What's New page for information on the changes in this version.
Proven Reliability
During our own in-house tests (using our recommended hardware and network configuration) Simian has been running fully automated, performing a number of standard tasks, in excess of 500 days without error or reboot.
Some of our customers find Simian more reliable than their local power company!
Customer Comment: I get about 120 days between power company supplied reboots.
Professional Grade
Simian 2.1 is a fully featured, professional radio automation and computer playout system for Radio, Internet and Satellite Broadcasting.
Customer Comment: Just wanted to say that Simian is ROCK SOLID!! I'm asking it to do a hell of a lot and it hasn't let me down once.
Cost Effective
Simian 2.1 PRO comes at very affordable price. View our Purchase Page for pricing information.
These features include:
• 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
• 69 available Automation Macros for ultimate versatility
Industry Class Support:
Customer Comment: Great software and Support
Available 24/7 Emergency Telephone Support, optional remote Internet login directly to your machine from our technical staff together with a fast-response Support Ticket Center and thousands of on-line hints, tips and tricks in our User Forum make Simian 2.1 one of the best support radio automation Products availble with a range of different Technical Care Plans.
System Requirements
While Simian 2.1 uses no proprietary hardware, just an ordinary Microsoft Windows XP professional® or Windows 7 Professional® equipped PC, it is very important to have off-the-shelf machines configured and optimized professionally for multimedia performance.
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); our supported operating systems are Windows XP professional with SP2 or newer, and Windows 7 Professional 32bit. No other operating systems (including Windows XP 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.
* Windows 7 64-bit - Although Simian is supported on the Windows 7 Professional 32-bit OS, Windows 7 64-bit is currently undergoing extended testing by BSI, and is not currently supported. We currently only support AudioScience sound cards on the Windows 7 32-bit platform.
* Intel Celeron or AMD PROcessors (or emulated PCs) - use Genuine Intel Pentium 4 or above CPUs
* Disable Hyper-threading and, where applicable, Dual-Core CPUs . Neither are required nor utilized by Simian 2.1 and owing to the way in which they operate, can have a detrimental effect on long-term reliability.
* SCSI or IDE drives - use SATA 3Gb/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).
* 'Cheap' or non-branded memory - make sure you use a brand recommended by your motherboard manufacturer. 512MB is enough for basic operation on Windows XP, but we're now fitting 2GB 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 - Simian 2.1 requires an AudioScience 6xxx series card to enable all available features.
* 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 utilites listed in our Support Forum.
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.