Getting Started

This chapter covers:

• What Forge Radio Station is and how it relates to Forge Live Studio.
• System requirements, downloading and installing the program.
• First launch: choosing a language and signing in with your ForgeOcean account.
• The ForgeOcean account window, signing out and signing in with another account.
• The differences between the Free plan and Premium.
• The areas of the main window (in the Dark DJ and Forge themes).
• Every item in the main menu.
• The Settings window: the General, Audio, Recording, Shortcuts and DJ Control Panel sections.
• The interface language, the theme and resetting the window layout.
• Quitting the program and the exit confirmations.
• The About window and third-party licenses.

The detailed tasks are explained in the following chapters; the goal here is to get to know the program and get ready for your first broadcast.

What is Forge Radio Station

Forge Radio Station is a live radio and DJ broadcasting program for Windows. Everything you would find on a radio desk is in a single window:

• Decks and mixer: two or four decks, per-channel gain, tone controls, filter, crossfader and headphone pre-listening.
• Music library: your music folders, BPM and key analysis, playlists.
• Microphone and jingles: the music ducks automatically when you open the microphone; jingle and sound effect pads.
• Sources: audio and video files, music folders, a browser, the audio of a program running on your computer, audio devices, a camera and tablet audio.
• Broadcasting: broadcasting to your own radio server or to your own station on ForgeOcean, listener count, listener chat and requests.
• Automatic broadcasting and the Queue: tracks play one after another with transitions even when you are away from the desk.
• Recording: a recording of the audio that goes on air, saved on your computer.

All the work happens on your own computer: the audio is mixed on your computer and the broadcast goes straight from your computer to the server.

How it relates to Forge Live Studio

Forge Radio Station is one of ForgeOcean's products. It has the following in common with Forge Live Studio, the video live streaming program:

• A single ForgeOcean account. You sign in to Forge Radio Station with the same account you use in Forge Live Studio. The sentence in the sign-in window says exactly this: "One account, all products."
• Windows with the same layout. The sign-in, ForgeOcean account, Support and update windows have the same layout as the ones in Forge Live Studio.
• The Forge theme. Forge, one of Forge Radio Station's two themes, uses Forge Live Studio's colors and typography. If you use both programs, you get a familiar look.

The two programs are still separate programs: they are installed separately, updated separately and their settings are stored separately. Installing, updating or removing Forge Radio Station does not touch Forge Live Studio or its settings.

Forge DJ Control Panel

Forge DJ Control Panel is the Android tablet remote for Forge Radio Station. The tablet connects over the same Wi-Fi network as your computer and lets you control the decks, the mixer, the jingles, the microphone, the library and the broadcast panel from the tablet. For setup and use, see the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

System requirements

If the font used by the Dark DJ theme is not on your computer, the theme is drawn with the standard Windows font. The look is slightly different; the functions do not change.

Downloading the program

1. Open forgeocean.com in your browser.
2. In the top menu, go to Products > Forge Radio Station.
3. Press the Download for Windows button. The page scrolls down to the download section at the bottom.
4. Press the Download Setup (.exe) button. Your browser downloads the setup file. You do not need to sign in to download the setup.

Download the program only from forgeocean.com. Forge Radio Station is legally distributed only through forgeocean.com; a setup file from anywhere else may have been modified.

The Download Forge DJ Control Panel (APK) button in the same download section is for the tablet app and requires Premium (see the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter).

Installing the program

The steps of the setup wizard

1. Double-click the setup file you downloaded.
2. Windows asks whether you allow the program to make changes to your computer. Answer Yes. Setup asks for administrator permission because the program is installed in the Program Files folder and adds a Windows service.
3. Language selection. Setup first asks for a language. There are 12 languages in the list: Türkçe, English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Polski, Português (Brasil), Русский and 中文. The language you choose here also becomes the program's language; the program does not ask for the language again on first launch. You can change the language later in Settings (see "Interface language").
4. Welcome page. The title reads "Forge Radio Station version Setup". The page asks you to close any open Forge Radio Station windows. Go on to the next step.
5. Installation folder. The default folder is the Forge Radio Station folder under Program Files. Most users do not need to change it.
   • If you choose another folder and its name does not end with "Forge Radio Station", setup automatically adds Forge Radio Station to the end of the folder. For example, if you choose D:\Programlar, the program is installed in D:\Programlar\Forge Radio Station.
   • Why: The installation folder belongs to the program alone. Updating and uninstalling replace or delete this folder entirely. If you had installed the program directly into the folder that holds your music archive, your own files would also be at risk. This rule protects your own files.
6. Start the installation. If Forge Radio Station is open while setup runs, it is closed. If you are broadcasting or recording, stop them before you start the installation.
7. Finish page. It reads "Forge Radio Station is installed." If you finish the wizard with the Run Forge Radio Station box checked, the program opens right away.

What setup does on your computer

• Shortcuts: A Forge Radio Station shortcut is added to the desktop and the Start menu.
• Firewall permission: An allow rule is added to Windows Firewall so that the Forge DJ Control Panel tablet can connect to your computer. The rule applies only on private networks (networks marked as home or work networks); it stays closed on public networks. The rule appears with the name "Forge Radio Station (Forge DJ Panel)". Updates only renew this rule; they do not touch the "allow" decision Windows asked you for.
• Update service: A Windows service is installed to download and install program updates. For details, see the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.
• Programs list: The program appears in Windows' list of installed apps with the name Forge Radio Station and with "Forgeocean" as the publisher.

If setup cannot finish

If setup stops halfway, this warning appears:

Setup could not finish. The previous installation is unchanged; close open programs and run setup again.

Setup first writes the new files to a separate place and swaps them in for the old installation only once they are all written. That is why an interrupted setup does not break your working old program. Close the open programs and run setup again.

Opening the program while setup or an update is running

If you open Forge Radio Station while an installation or update is running, the program waits up to 2 minutes for the installation to finish and then opens. This way it never starts from a half-written folder.

Updating and uninstalling

How the program is updated and how it is uninstalled is explained in the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

First launch

Startup order

When the program is opened for the first time, the following happens in order:

1. The Choose your language window (only if the setup language is unknown; see below).
2. The Sign in with ForgeOcean window. The program cannot be used without signing in with a ForgeOcean account. This also applies to the Free plan.
3. After a successful sign-in, the main window opens: the Dark DJ theme, the 2 Decks layout and a 1440 × 860 pixel window.

On later launches, the language and theme are remembered; the window opens where and at the size you last left it (and fills the screen again if it was filling the screen).

The Choose your language window

The language you chose in the setup wizard is the program's language, and this window does not appear. The window appears only once, on first launch, when the program cannot tell the setup language.

• What it shows: All of the program's languages, each under its own name (for example Türkçe, Deutsch, 日本語). Your computer's Windows language is preselected; if your Windows language is not in the list, English is selected.
• Selecting: Click a row. A highlight bar appears on the left of the selected row and a check mark on its right. The window's texts switch to the language you selected right away.
• Continue: Saves the selection and moves on to sign-in.
• X or Esc: Does not close the program; it continues with the selected language.

You can change the language later from main menu > Settings > General > Interface language.

Opening it again while the program is already open

Forge Radio Station runs only once at a time. If you click the shortcut again while the program is open, no second window opens; the open window comes to the front (and is restored to its previous size if it was minimized).

On every launch

• The microphone starts off. The program opens with the microphone off every time, so no audio goes on air by accident (see the Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapter).
• Decks come back where they were but do not play. The tracks loaded on the decks when you closed the program are loaded again at the positions where they stopped (see the Decks and Mixing chapter).
• If the previous session closed unexpectedly, a short notification appears: "The program closed unexpectedly last time. You can report the problem with Support in the main menu." (see the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter).
• Announcement. If ForgeOcean has published an announcement, an Announcement window may appear at startup (and in the check that runs every half hour while the program is open). An announcement can contain text, an image or a video; the video's sound plays only through your own speakers and does not go on air or into the recording. If you check the Do not show this again box and press Close, that announcement is never shown again; if you close it without checking the box, it does not appear again in that session. The announcement window does not open while you are broadcasting or recording, or while the sign-in window is open; it comes when they end.
• Update check. The program checks for a new version at startup and then every hour (see the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter).

Signing in with ForgeOcean

Forge Radio Station works with your ForgeOcean account. If you do not have an account, you can create one on the page that opens during sign-in; you do not need to go to the site separately.

The sign-in window

The window's title is Sign in with ForgeOcean. From top to bottom:

The window has no e-mail or password box; signing in with e-mail also happens on the page that opens in the browser.

Signing in step by step

1. Press the Sign in / Sign up with Google (browser) button.
2. The button's text changes to Waiting for browser... and the button dims; Cancel appears below it. The ForgeOcean sign-in page opens in your default browser.
3. On the page in the browser (titled "Sign in with ForgeOcean"), choose your account:
   • Continue with Google: You sign in with your Google account. Google asks you which account to use.
   • E-mail and password: Type your e-mail and password and press Sign In.
   • Create new account: If you have no account, type your e-mail and a password of at least 8 characters and press this button.
   • If the page asks for a security check ("Complete the verification to continue."), complete it first.
4. When sign-in succeeds, the browser sends you back to the program and shows a page that reads Signed in: "You can close this tab and return to Forge Radio Station." You can close the tab.
5. The sign-in window in the program closes by itself and the main window opens.

Good to know:

• You are asked for the account at every sign-in. Even if you are already signed in to ForgeOcean in your browser, the page does not connect you to that account automatically; you choose the account every time. That way, if you have several accounts, you never sign in to the wrong one.
• There is no time limit for waiting. The program waits for the browser to return until you press Cancel. If you closed the browser or gave up, press Cancel and click the button again.
• The browser's reply to the sign-in is received locally. The browser sends the sign-in result back to the program on your computer. If a firewall blocks this, the sign-in does not complete (see the table below).

Warnings you may see in the sign-in window

The sign-in page in the browser can also show these warnings: if the password is wrong, "E-mail or password is incorrect."; if there were too many attempts in a short time, "Too many attempts. Try again in a few minutes."; if the site cannot be reached, "Could not reach the server. Try again a little later."

Closing the sign-in window

In the sign-in window at first launch, the Quit button, the window's X and the Esc key close the program. You cannot reach the program's interface without signing in.

When the session ends

If your session ends on the server while the program is open (for example because someone signed in with your account on another device), the sign-in window opens again and the status line gives the reason:

Your session ended or you signed in on another device. Sign in again to continue.

• This window does not open while you are broadcasting or recording. Your broadcast and recording continue without interruption; the window opens when the broadcast and recording end.
• In the sign-in window that appears after the program has been opened once (when the session ends or when you sign out yourself), Quit, X and Esc do not close the program right away. A confirmation window titled Quit appears first: "Close Forge Radio Station?"
  • Go back: You return to the sign-in window.
  • Exit: The program closes.

The ForgeOcean account window

This window shows which account you signed in with, your plan and the state of your subscription.

To open it:

• Main menu > ForgeOcean account
• The account button in the top bar (a person icon and the short name of your account; see below)

If you are not signed in, both of these open the sign-in window.

What the window contains

The buttons in the bottom strip:

What does Signed in - permission not verified mean? You are signed in, but the document that verifies your plan has not been received by the program yet. Most of the time this is caused by a brief loss of internet access. Press Refresh; if that does not fix it, ask for support as described in the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

The account button in the top bar

When you are signed in, a button with a person icon appears in the top bar. It shows the part of your e-mail address before the @ sign; long names are shortened with "…". Pressing the button opens the ForgeOcean account window.

Signing out

There are two ways to sign out: main menu > Sign out, or the Sign out button in the ForgeOcean account window.

• No confirmation is asked. The sign-in window appears immediately; if you pressed it by mistake, just sign in again.
• The program does not close. You can sign in with the same or another account from the sign-in window. In this window, Quit, X or Esc first ask for an exit confirmation (see "When the session ends").
• You cannot sign out while broadcasting or recording. The menu item and the button in the window appear dimmed; hovering over them shows "Cannot sign out while a stream or recording is running." Stop the broadcast and the recording first.
• The station logo in the top bar disappears when you sign out; when you sign in again, the account's logo is loaded.

Signing in with another account

Forge Radio Station stores some data per account and some per computer. When you sign in with another account, the per-account data is replaced by that account's own data; the per-computer data stays the same.

Why: Two DJs sharing a computer should not see each other's library, server passwords and jingles. On the other hand, audio devices and the window layout belong to the computer's hardware; there is no reason for them to change when the account changes.

When the account changes, the decks are emptied; the tracks the new account left on the decks come back once its library is loaded.

You cannot sign in with another account while broadcasting or recording. If you try, this notification appears: "You can't sign in with another account while streaming or recording." The account change is applied when the broadcast and recording end; until then, the broadcast continues with the account that started it.

Free plan and Premium

You can use Forge Radio Station for free. Some features require Premium. Two plan names appear in the program's Premium messages:

• Radio Premium: Forge Radio Station's Premium plan.
• All Products: the plan that combines ForgeOcean's products in one subscription.

Either of these turns on Premium in the program. Prices are on the Pricing page at forgeocean.com.

What is included and what is Premium

The details are in the relevant chapters: for decks see Decks and Mixing; for jingles, effects and noise removal see Microphone, Jingles and Announcements; for servers, broadcast quality, the station and the camera see Broadcasting and Station; for the tablet see Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts.

How locked features look

• A lock icon sits next to the 4 Decks button.
• A lock icon appears on the tabs of the Jingles panel; clicking a pad plays no sound.
• In the broadcast server form, "· Premium" is written next to the bitrates above 128 kbps.
• In the microphone settings, "· Premium" is written next to the Noise Removal row.

When you try to use a locked feature, the Premium window opens.

The Premium window

Its title is Subscribe to Premium. Inside, a single sentence describes the feature you tried. For example:

• "4 decks are available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• "Jingle and effect pads are available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• "Broadcasting to a Forge station is available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• "Broadcasting to several servers at once is available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• "Noise Removal is available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• "DJ Control Panel comes with the Radio Premium or All Products plan."

If you pick a locked option while a form is open (a bitrate above 128 kbps in the broadcast server form, Noise Removal in the microphone settings), no separate window opens; the same sentence appears as a warning line inside the form. For example: "Broadcast quality above 128 kbps is available with Radio Premium or All Products."

Buttons:

The window also closes with X or Esc.

After you buy Premium

The program fetches your plan from the server again at certain moments:

• A few seconds after startup, and then at regular intervals.
• Every time the Premium window opens.
• When you come back to the program's window within half an hour of going to the pricing page with Open subscription page.
• When you press Refresh in the Premium window or in the ForgeOcean account window.

So when you finish paying and return to the program, Premium usually turns on by itself. If it doesn't, press Refresh. As soon as Premium arrives, the locks are removed.

When Premium ends

• Nothing gets locked while a broadcast or recording is running. 4 decks, effects, multiple servers and high broadcast quality last until the end of the broadcast. The locks take effect once the broadcast and recording stop.
• Your settings are not deleted. Your jingle and effect pads, your 4-deck preference, your noise removal setting and your server settings stay saved; when Premium comes back, they return as they were.
• If you are in the 4-deck layout, the view goes back to 2 decks; tracks playing on decks 3 and 4 are paused.
• Noise removal is not applied, even if it was left on.
• A server set above 128 kbps broadcasts at 128 kbps on the next broadcast; the server's saved setting does not change.
• The ForgeOcean station server is not put on air.

Invited DJ

If a station owner with Premium has added you to their station as a DJ, you can broadcast to that station with your Free account too. The program's other Premium features (4 decks, jingles, multiple servers, and so on) stay off in this case as well. For details, see the Broadcasting and Station chapter.

The main window

Forge Radio Station has two themes: Dark DJ (the theme on first launch) and Forge. Both themes do the same things; only their look and the arrangement of the panels differ. Every setting you make in one theme also applies in the other. To change the theme, see "Theme".

In the Dark DJ theme, headings and top bar labels are written in capital letters (for example, the Start Broadcast button appears there as START BROADCAST). In this guide, names are given in normal spelling.

Deck colors are the same in both themes: A cyan, B pink, C green, D orange.

Dark DJ: top bar

The strip at the very top of the window. From left to right:

Dark DJ: panels

Below the top bar:

• Left column: Chat and Requests. Two tabs: Chat (listener chat) and Requests (listeners' track requests; the tab shows when there are unread requests). At the bottom there is a message box and a send button. Chat only works while you are on air on a ForgeOcean station. For details, see the Broadcasting and Station chapter.
• Waveform strip: At the very top on the right, a strip showing the waveform of each deck's track in the deck's color (see Decks and Mixing).
• Deck row: Deck A on the left, Deck B on the right, the mixer in the middle. In the 4-deck layout, A and C sit on the left and B and D on the right, one above the other; the mixer is in the middle (see Decks and Mixing).
• Bottom row, from left to right:
  • Library: your music library (see Music Library).
  • Sources: audio files, music folders, browser, application audio, audio devices, camera, tablet audio. The header has + (Add source), a trash can (Remove selected source) and a gear (Selected source settings) (see Microphone, Jingles and Announcements).
  • Schedule and Queue: the schedule of what has played on air and the upcoming tracks; the header has the Auto switch (for Schedule see Broadcasting and Station, for Queue Music Library, for Auto Decks and Mixing).
  • Jingles and Microphone: jingle and effect pads at the top, the microphone panel below (see Microphone, Jingles and Announcements).

Dark DJ: status bar

The thin strip at the very bottom of the window. From the left:

On the right, three indicators show On or Off:

• Noise Removal: the microphone's noise removal. Without Premium it always shows Off.
• Compressor: the microphone's compressor.
• Limiter: the limiter on the broadcast's main output; it is always On.

Forge theme: layout

In the Forge theme, the areas are arranged like this:

• Title strip (at the very top, thin): the Forge Radio Station mark and name; the window buttons on the right.
• Top bar, from left to right: Main menu, the logo spot (station logo or the Forge Radio Station mark), a server card for each broadcast server, +, Now Playing; at the right end 2 Decks / 4 Decks, DJ Control Panel, the account button and Settings.
  • A server card shows the server's name, its format, its status (Live with the broadcast time, Connecting… or Off), the listener count or a short error text, and a three-dot mark. Clicking the card opens the server menu.
• Left column: Chat and Requests.
• Middle: the decks and the mixer at the top (on the decks, a cassette with spinning reels appears while a track plays); the Library, Sources and Audio Mixer panels below. The Audio Mixer shows the sources' levels and buttons in a separate panel (see Microphone, Jingles and Announcements).
• Right column: the Broadcast Schedule and Queue tabs at the top (with the Auto Broadcast switch in the header), Jingles in the middle, Microphone at the bottom.
• Status bar (at the very bottom): on the left CPU, RAM, Latency, Drops, Listeners, Peak and Loudness (their meanings are above, in the Dark DJ status bar); in the middle the broadcast time counter (it changes color while on air); on the right the Start Recording / Stop Recording and Start Broadcast / Stop Broadcast buttons. While recording, the recording's duration and size are shown to the left of the Stop Recording button.

The Dark DJ waveform strip does not exist in the Forge theme; the track's waveform appears below the cassette. The noise removal, compressor and limiter indicators in the status bar are also only in Dark DJ.

Resizing panels

The gaps between panels are splitters. When you move the mouse over a splitter, the cursor changes and the splitter lights up as a line in the accent color.

• Drag: the panels on both sides change size. Each panel has a minimum size; the splitter does not go past that limit.
• Double-click: that splitter goes back to its default position.
• Dark DJ has seven splitters: the width of the chat column, the three panel borders in the bottom row, the height of the waveform strip, the height of the deck row, and the border between jingles and microphone. The Forge theme also has seven splitters: the widths of the left and right columns, the height of the deck area, the two borders in the bottom row, and the borders between schedule and jingles and between jingles and microphone.
• Panel sizes are stored separately for each theme and saved when the program closes.
• To return all panels to their defaults at once, see "Reset window layout".

If content does not fit in a panel (requests, sources, schedule, queue), scroll with the mouse wheel.

Moving, resizing and minimizing the window

• Move: Grab an empty spot on the top bar and drag (in the Forge theme, the title strip works too). You can't drag from buttons and chips; clicking them does their own job.
• Resize: Drag the window's edges or use the maximize button.
• Scale: As the window size changes, buttons, text and fixed-size items grow or shrink in proportion to the window; flexible panels share the remaining space.
• Minimized: Minimizing the window does not stop the program. Broadcasting, recording, Auto Broadcast, starting the next track from the Queue and commands from the tablet continue.
• The window's position, size and whether it is maximized are saved when the program closes.

Notifications

Short information and warnings appear at the bottom center of the window, in a box that stays for a few seconds. Information notifications have a green frame, warnings a yellow one. For example, audio device notifications (see the "Audio" settings) and the crash notification are shown this way.

Main menu

It opens when you press the three-line icon at the far left of the top bar. The rows from top to bottom:

Sign out and Quit are separated from the rest of the menu by a line.

The Settings window

To open it: Main menu > Settings, or the gear in the top bar (Dark DJ) / the Settings button (Forge).

Layout and behavior of the window

• On the left is the section strip; on the right are the rows of the selected section. The sections: General, Audio, Recording, Shortcuts and DJ Control Panel.
• There is no Save button. Every choice is applied and saved instantly.
• If a row has a description, it appears as a tooltip when you move the mouse over the row's name.
• The window can be moved and resized; it closes with X or Esc.
• The list of audio devices is read when the window opens. If you plug in a device while the window is open and don't see it in the list, close the window and open it again.

General

Audio

Why are the main output and the headphones separate? A DJ listens to the next track in the headphones and prepares it before putting it on air. For that, the speakers and the headphones must be separate devices. If you have only one audio device, leave Headphones at Off; pre-listening is not available, but the broadcast is not affected.

How do you choose the audio latency?

• Normal (20 ms) suits most computers.
• Low (10 ms) reacts to the controls faster, but can cause crackling and dropouts when the computer is busy.
• Safe (40 ms) is the choice if you hear crackling or broken sound. The response is a little slower; the sound is uninterrupted.

If a device is not plugged in: If the output device you chose is not plugged in, the row keeps showing it under its saved name. If the selected microphone is not plugged in, the row says Microphone not connected. While the program runs, these notifications appear for device problems:

Recording

For details about recording, see the Recording chapter.

Shortcuts

For details about shortcuts, see the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

DJ Control Panel

Shows the pairing information for the Forge DJ Control Panel tablet and the connected tablets. For details, see the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Interface language

Forge Radio Station is available in 12 languages: Türkçe, English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Polski, Português (Brasil), Русский and 中文.

• First language: The language you chose in the setup wizard. If the setup language is not known, the Choose your language window appears on first launch (see "First launch").
• To change it: Main menu > Settings > General > Interface language. Pick a language from the list.
• The change applies instantly; you don't need to restart the program. The choice is saved and used on later launches too.
• The ForgeOcean sign-in page that opens in the browser during sign-in also opens in the program's language.

Theme

The program's look is chosen from two themes:

There are two ways to change it:

• Main menu > Theme > Dark DJ or Forge
• Main menu > Settings > General > Theme

The change applies instantly; no restart is needed. The choice is saved. Changing the theme while a broadcast or recording is running does not affect the broadcast, because the theme only changes the look.

The themes your listeners see on your ForgeOcean station page are a separate matter from these two program themes; for those, see the Broadcasting and Station chapter.

Reset window layout

Main menu > Reset window layout returns all splitters to their default positions.

• The panel sizes of both themes are reset together.
• No confirmation is asked; the change shows right away.
• The window's own position and size do not change; only the sizes of the panels relative to each other are reset.
• To reset just one splitter, double-clicking that splitter is enough.

When to use it: If the panels got jumbled from dragging, or you shrank a panel so much that you can no longer see its content.

Exiting the program

You close the program in three ways: the window's close button (X), Main menu > Quit, or Quit in the sign-in window.

While a broadcast or recording is running

If you try to close the window or the program from the menu while a broadcast or recording is running, the program does not close right away; it asks for confirmation:

If you choose Cancel, the program stays open and the broadcast and recording continue. If you press the close button, the broadcast and recording are stopped cleanly and the program closes.

If there is no broadcast or recording, the program closes without asking.

While in the sign-in window

• In the sign-in window on first launch, Quit, X and Esc close the program right away.
• In the sign-in window that appears after the program has opened (when the session ends or when you sign out), a Quit confirmation is asked first: "Close Forge Radio Station?" Go back or Exit.

What is saved on closing

When the program closes, the decks' state, the mixer controls, sources, microphone settings, jingle pads, servers, the Queue, the window's position and size, the theme and the panel sizes are saved. On the next launch, everything comes back as it was. Most of these settings are also saved within a few seconds while the program is running; even if the program closes unexpectedly, most of them are kept.

About and licenses

Opens with Main menu > About. The window can be moved and resized; its content is long, so it scrolls.

From top to bottom:

• Forge Radio Station and the program's version number.
• Website: forgeocean.com. Clicking it opens the site in the browser.
• Legal information: that Forge Radio Station is a closed-source product of ForgeOcean with all rights reserved; that it is legally distributed only through forgeocean.com; that the user is responsible for content created, uploaded or broadcast through the program and the user panel; that AI tools were used in development; that no source code of other radio software was used, and that the third-party components distributed with it are listed separately.
• Contact: [email protected]. Clicking it opens your email program.
• Shipped with the program: the names and license types of the third-party components that come with the program.
• Licenses button: opens the Third-party licenses window. This window shows each component's name, license type and the full license text. The texts are read-only.
• At the very bottom, a notice belonging to a third-party technology used in the program.

Getting ready for your first broadcast

After installing the program and signing in, do this for your first broadcast:

1. Choose your audio devices: Main menu > Settings > Audio. Set Main output to your speakers, Headphones to your headphones if you have them, and Microphone to your microphone.
2. Add your music: Add your music folder to the Library panel (see Music Library).
3. Load a track onto a deck and try it: Load a track onto Deck A, play it and set the channel level (see Decks and Mixing).
4. Try the microphone: Turn on the microphone from the microphone panel and set the level; decide how much the music is turned down when you speak (see Microphone, Jingles and Announcements).
5. Add your broadcast server: With + in the top bar, add your own radio server or your ForgeOcean station and try it with Test connection (see Broadcasting and Station).
6. Set up recording if you like: Main menu > Settings > Recording (see Recording).
7. Go on air: Press Start Broadcast.

Music Library

This chapter covers:

• What the library is and what it does to your music files (it moves, copies and deletes nothing).
• Every part of the Library panel: the header strip, the left tree, the search box, the filter chips, the columns, the row colors.
• Adding music: a folder, individual files, dragging and dropping from File Explorer. Supported file formats.
• How scanning works, stopping a scan, deleted or moved files, removed drives.
• Track analysis: BPM, key, beat grid and waveform. When they are measured, where they appear, what they are for.
• Searching, filtering by BPM and harmonic key, sorting by columns.
• Selection, keyboard shortcuts and right-click menus.
• All the ways to load a track onto a deck.
• Playlists, Play History and the Queue.
• Where the library is stored and what happens when you change account.
• Common situations and their solutions.

Using the decks (playing, cue, loops, SYNC, transitions) is covered in the Decks and Mixing chapter. This chapter stops once the track reaches the deck.

What the library is

The library is the program's list of the music files on your computer. When you add a folder, the program finds the audio files in it, reads their names and durations, and then analyzes each track in the background (BPM, key, waveform). Thanks to this information you can search tracks, filter the ones whose tempo and key match, and load them onto a deck with one click.

The basic rules you should know:

• Your files stay where they are. The program does not copy, move or rename music files, and does not change their tags. Removing a folder from the library does not touch the files on disk either.
• The library only keeps where the files are and the information measured about them. If you move or delete a file on disk, the library shows it as missing (see "Deleted or moved files").
• The library belongs to the account you are signed in with. When someone signs in with another account, that account's own library opens (see "Library storage and your account").
• The library has no settings of its own. The Settings window has no library option. Everything is managed from the Library panel.

The Library panel

The Library panel is in the main window. The program's two themes (Dark DJ and Forge) draw the panel differently, but the functions are the same. The differences are noted separately below. To change the theme, see the Getting Started chapter.

The panel has three parts:

• Header strip (at the top): the panel's name, the scan and analysis status, the add and rescan buttons.
• Left tree: where you choose what to list (all tracks, recently added, a folder, a playlist, the play history).
• Track list (on the right): the search box, the filter chips, the column headers and the tracks.

Header strip

From left to right:

The status text shows one thing at a time. The order of priority: scan, then analysis, then the unreadable-files warning. If no job is running and there are no unreadable files, the header shows only the panel's name.

Left tree

Clicking a row replaces the track list with that row's content and scrolls the list to the top.

Folder rows:

• When you hold the pointer over a folder row, the folder's full path appears as a tooltip. This is how you can see names that are cut off in a narrow panel.
• If the folder can't be reached (for example, a USB drive was removed), the row shows a warning icon, the name is dimmed and not found is written next to it. The tooltip also shows not found next to the path.

Search box and filter chips

Above the track list there is a search box with a magnifier icon and, to its right, two chips:

• BPM chip: filters by tempo. While a track is loaded on a deck, the chip also shows the range, for example BPM 118–130.
• Harmonic Key chip: filters by key.

The chip that is on is drawn highlighted. The filters are explained in detail under "Searching, filtering and sorting".

Columns

In the Dark DJ theme, each row is a single-line table:

In the Forge theme the rows have two lines: the track's title on top and the artist below in a dimmer color. The columns are TRACK, BPM, KEY, TIME, LOAD. This theme has no # and ARTIST columns.

Long names that don't fit in a column are cut off.

Row colors and icons

If the same track is loaded on several decks, the row takes the color of the deck that is playing.

Automatic scrolling: when a new track starts playing on a deck and that track is in the open list, the list brings it to the top. If you scroll the list by hand in the meantime, your position is kept until the next track starts. Pausing and resuming does not count as a new track.

Scrolling

• Each notch of the mouse wheel scrolls the list by three rows.
• If the list doesn't fit in the panel, a thin scroll indicator appears on the right edge. The indicator only shows the position; you can't grab and drag it.
• While dragging a track, if you bring the pointer to the top or bottom edge of the list, the list scrolls in that direction by itself.

Short messages

The result of library actions (for example "5 tracks added", "Deck A is playing — can't load") appears in a small box at the bottom center of the track list for 2.5 seconds and then disappears. Important situations (for example, the library file being opened from a backup) are shown instead as a general program notification.

Adding music

Supported file formats

• It doesn't matter whether the extension is written in upper or lower case.
• Files with other extensions (for example .ogg, .opus, video files) are silently skipped when a folder is scanned. When you drag and drop them, the warning "This file type can't be added (MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, FLAC, WMA)" appears.
• Files are opened by Windows' own audio decoders. A file Windows can't open, even with a suitable extension, counts as unreadable in analysis (see "Unreadable files").

Adding a folder

If you keep your music in one or a few folders, this is the easiest way.

1. Click the + button in the Library header.
2. Choose Add music folder.
3. In the Windows folder picker that opens, select your music folder and confirm.
4. The folder appears in the left tree under the FOLDERS group. The "Scanning … / …" counter advances in the header.
5. When the scan finishes, "Analyzing … / …" starts in the header. Meanwhile the tracks appear in the list and can be loaded onto a deck. Tracks with … in the BPM column have not finished analysis yet.

What you should know:

• Subfolders are scanned too. For example, if you add the Music folder, all the artist and album folders inside it are included. Subfolders you don't have read permission for are skipped.
• If you add a folder that is already in the library again, no second row is created. The program rescans that folder.
• Don't add nested folders. If you add both Music and Music\Pop inside it separately, the files in Pop appear twice in the library. Adding the parent folder is enough.
• For the same reason, if you later add the folder containing a file you added individually, that file may appear twice.
• No separate confirmation or warning appears when you add a folder. You follow the result with the scan counter in the header.

Adding individual files

When you want to add just a few tracks instead of a whole folder:

1. Click the + button in the Library header.
2. Choose Add files.
3. The Windows file picker opens. The file type filter is set to Audio and shows only the supported formats.
4. Select one or more files. For several files, click while holding Ctrl or Shift.
5. When you confirm, a message such as "5 tracks added" appears. If all the files you selected are already in the library, it says "These tracks are already in the library".

Individually added files are gathered in the left tree in the Added Files row inside the FOLDERS group. A file already in the library (same path; upper/lower case doesn't matter) is not added a second time.

Dragging and dropping from File Explorer

You can drag files or folders from File Explorer straight into the program's window. What happens depends on where you drop them:

Details about dropping on a deck:

• The program waits 30 seconds for the file to be scanned and loaded onto the deck. A file that doesn't get into the library within that time is not loaded onto the deck (it stays in the library).
• If that deck is playing at the moment, nothing is loaded and the message "Deck A is playing — can't load" appears.
• When you drop an unsupported file, it says "This file type can't be added (MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, FLAC, WMA)".

Where the track title, artist and duration come from

During the scan, the program reads this information for each file from Windows' file properties (what you see when you right-click the file in File Explorer and open Properties > Details):

• Title → the TRACK column.
• Contributing artists → the ARTIST column. If there are several artists, they are written separated by commas.
• Length → the TIME column. If Windows can't report the duration, it is measured and filled in during analysis.

If the file has no title, the file name (without extension) is used. If the file name is in the form Artist - Track (with a space on each side of the dash) and the file has no artist information either, the name is split in two: the part before the dash becomes the artist and the part after it the track title.

• Album, genre, year and cover art are not kept in the library and are not shown in the list.
• The program can't change tags. To correct a track's title or artist, edit its tag outside the program (for example, if the file format allows it, on the Properties > Details tab in File Explorer). The program notices that the file has changed at the next scan and picks up the new information (see "Changed files").

How scanning works

First scan

When you add a folder:

1. The program goes through the folder and all its subfolders and counts the supported audio files.
2. When the count is done, "Scanning 0 / N" appears in the header. Each file's title, artist and duration are read, and the track enters the list right away. This stage is fast because the files' audio is not decoded.
3. When the scan finishes, analysis starts (see "Track analysis").

In a very large folder (for example a whole drive), the count in the first step can take a while. While it runs, no counter appears in the header yet.

At startup and with Rescan

• At startup, the library is read from disk as it is, and then all folders are rescanned in the background. This scan only rereads files whose size or date has changed. Nothing is done for unchanged files, and their analysis is not repeated.
• The Rescan button (the circular arrows in the header) does the same for all folders right away.
• To rescan a single folder, right-click it in the tree and choose Rescan.

Important: the program does not watch your folders continuously. If you copy a new file into a folder or delete a file while the program is open, the change reaches the library only at the next scan (Rescan or reopening the program).

• Clock change: on FAT32-formatted USB drives, Windows shifts file dates by exactly one hour when daylight saving time starts or ends. Files whose size is the same and whose date has shifted by exactly one hour count as unchanged. So when the clocks change, your USB library is not analyzed all over again.

Stopping a scan

If you added a very large folder by mistake, or the scan keeps the drive busy during a broadcast:

1. Click the × button to the right of "Scanning … / …" in the header.
2. The scan stops at once. Other folder scans waiting in line are canceled too.

The result of stopping:

• Tracks found up to that moment stay in the library.
• Files that were not scanned do not count as missing. Tracks that are still in place but were not seen in this scan are not marked as not found.
• To complete the scan later, press Rescan. If you don't want the folder, right-click it and remove it with Remove folder.

If you remove a folder while a scan is running, that folder's scan stops at once too, and its tracks no longer enter the library.

Changed files

When you edit a file's tag or replace the file with a new one of the same name, its size or date changes. At the next scan:

• The track's title, artist and duration are read again.
• The hot cues and saved loop you stored for that track are kept.
• The track goes back into the analysis queue. Until the new analysis finishes, the old BPM and key keep showing; when it finishes, they are replaced with the new ones.
• The track stays in place in playlists and in the play history.

Deleted or moved files

If a file is no longer where it was on disk (deleted, moved or renamed), the track is marked missing at the next scan:

• The row is dimmed, and a warning icon replaces the row number.
• On hover, the tooltip "File not found" appears.
• If you try to load it onto a deck, the message "File not found" appears and nothing is loaded.
• The automatic flow skips missing tracks.

The track is not deleted from the library: its hot cues, loop, BPM and place in lists remain. If the file comes back to the same path, the track becomes usable again by itself at the next scan.

• What you should know: if you moved the file elsewhere or renamed it, the program can't match it with the old track. The file in its new place (if that folder is in the library) enters as a new track and is analyzed from scratch; the old track's cues don't carry over to it. There is no way to delete the missing old entry from the library on its own; see "Common situations".

Removed drives

If a library folder is on a USB or external drive and the drive is not plugged in:

• not found is written next to the folder in the tree, and a warning icon appears.
• All tracks of that folder are marked missing (see above).
• The program tries to reach the folder again about every 10 seconds. When you plug the drive back in, the folder is rescanned by itself and the tracks come back. You don't need to do anything for this.

• What you should know: if Windows mounts the drive with a different drive letter this time (for example F: instead of E:), the old path can't be found and the folder stays not found. Change the drive back to its old letter in Windows Disk Management. If that isn't possible, remove the old folder and add it again with the new path (read what removing deletes below, under "Removing a folder").

Unreadable files

Some files can't be decoded even though their extension is right: the file is damaged, has no audio track, is in a format Windows can't open, or the track is very short (shorter than about 2.3 seconds).

• Such a file counts as unreadable in analysis and is not shown in the list (in no view: All Tracks, folders, playlists, Play History).
• The header shows "3 files couldn't be read and were skipped" in the warning color.
• It is not tried again as long as the file doesn't change. If you repair the file or replace it with a new one, it is analyzed again at the next scan.
• There is no list showing which files could not be read. To find where the number comes from, you can look at the log file described in the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

Removing and rescanning a folder

When you right-click a folder row in the tree (or Added Files), a two-row menu opens:

Removing a folder

When you choose Remove folder, a confirmation window titled Remove opens:

Remove the "Pop" folder? 42 tracks, 7 playlist entries and their cues will be removed. The files stay on disk.

The numbers in the window are that folder's actual effect: how many tracks will leave the library and how many times these tracks appear in playlists.

• Cancel: nothing changes.
• Remove: the folder and its tracks leave the library.

When you remove it, the following are deleted and cannot be brought back:

• All of the folder's tracks (their entries in the library).
• These tracks' BPM, key and waveform information, hot cues and saved loops.
• These tracks' entries in playlists (the playlists themselves remain).
• These tracks' entries in Play History.

The following are not deleted:

• Your music files on disk. The program does not touch your files.
• Playlists (only this folder's tracks are taken out of them).

If you add the same folder again later, the tracks enter as new tracks: they are analyzed from scratch, and the old cues and list entries don't come back.

Track analysis

What is measured

How the deck uses this information is described in the Decks and Mixing chapter.

When and how it is done

• Analysis starts after the scan finishes. While the scan runs, analysis waits; this way the same drive isn't loaded by two jobs at once and the scan finishes much faster, especially on USB drives.
• Analysis runs in the background with low priority. A quarter as many tracks as your processor has cores are analyzed at the same time (at least 1, at most 4). This way the broadcast and playback don't stutter while analysis runs.
• The header shows "Analyzing 40 / 250", and the line along the bottom edge fills. Tracks waiting for analysis show … in the BPM column.
• Each track is analyzed once. The results are stored with the library; analysis is not repeated when the program reopens. It is only redone if the file changes.
• For analysis, the track's audio is decoded from start to finish. That is why long tracks and very large libraries take time. You can play tracks without waiting for the analysis.

A track loaded onto a deck before analysis finishes

You can load a track that has not been analyzed yet onto a deck:

• After opening the track, the deck calculates the BPM, key and beat grid itself and writes them to the library. This can take a few seconds; meanwhile, no tempo shows on the deck.
• The waveform is created when the background analysis reaches that track, and then appears on the deck by itself.

BPM

• The BPM is found from the pattern of beats in the track.
• The tempo found is brought into the range of roughly 80 to 160 BPM. Faster tracks show at half tempo, slower ones at double tempo. For example, a 170 BPM track shows as 85, and a 70 BPM track as 140. This keeps tracks of the same genre consistent when filtering and matching.
• In the list, the BPM is rounded to a whole number. Internally the program keeps the tempo much more precisely; the deck shows the tempo with one decimal.
• If no tempo is found, the BPM column shows —.
• There is no way to correct the BPM by hand.

Key and key code

The program shows a track's key not by note names but with a key code: a number from 1 to 12 and a letter.

• A = minor key, B = major key.
• The purpose of the code is to find compatible keys without memorizing anything.

The note equivalents of the key codes:

Compatible keys: the program considers two keys compatible in these cases:

• The same code (for example 8A and 8A).
• The same number, the other letter (8A and 8B: the minor and major built on the same notes).
• The same letter, one number up or down (8A with 7A and 9A). 12 and 1 are neighbors (12A is compatible with 1A).

Example: if the playing track is 8A, the compatible keys are 8A, 8B, 7A, 9A.

• Key analysis is an estimate. In particular, a track's minor and major counterparts (same number, different letter) can be confused; since these two count as compatible anyway, this causes no problem for mixing.
• There is no way to correct the key by hand.

Waveform

• The track's sound level is stored at 20 points per second, separately for three frequency bands (bass, mid, treble). The colored waveform strip on the deck is drawn from this data.
• The waveform data is stored with the library. When a folder is removed, the waveform data of its tracks is deleted too.
• The automatic flow uses this data to find where the track's sound starts and ends: it skips silence at the start and begins the transition before the silence at the end. For details of the transition, see the Decks and Mixing chapter.

Loudness

The track's loudness (LUFS) is not measured in the library analysis and is not shown in the list. Loudness is measured by the deck when the track is loaded onto it and opened, and is used to balance the level between tracks. Details are in the Decks and Mixing chapter.

Searching, filtering and sorting

Search, filters and sorting work together and apply to whichever view is selected in the left tree (All Tracks, a folder, a list, Play History …). When you switch to another row in the tree, the search text, the active filters and the sorting are kept.

These settings are not saved when the program closes. Each time it opens, the program starts with All Tracks, an empty search, filters off and the natural order.

Search

The list is filtered as you type in the search box. You don't need to press Enter.

• The search runs on the track title and the artist name written one after the other. For example, for a track titled "Midnight Hour" by the artist "Blue Band", typing midnight, hour blue or band finds it.
• Upper and lower case don't matter. When the program language is Turkish, I/ı and İ/i match correctly.
• The text you type is searched as it is, as a single piece. Word order matters: typing blue midnight does not find the track above.
• Accented letters count as separate letters: typing o does not find names containing ö.
• Album and file names are not searched.
• To clear the search, delete the text in the box.
• If no track matches, the list shows "Library is empty". This doesn't mean your library has been emptied; clear the search or the filters.

Searching from listener requests: the + button (Search the library) next to a request in the Requests list writes the request's track and artist name into the search box, switches the view to All Tracks and scrolls the list to the top. Requests themselves are described in the Broadcasting and Station chapter.

Reference deck

Both filters work relative to the reference deck:

• If a deck is playing, it is the reference (if several are playing, the first in the order A, B, C, D).
• If no deck is playing, the first deck with a track loaded is the reference.
• If no deck has a track, the filter chips appear dimmed and can't be clicked.

As the reference deck changes (for example, when the other deck starts playing), the filtered list updates by itself.

BPM filter

• Left-clicking the BPM chip turns the filter on or off. The chip shows a range based on the reference deck's tempo: for example, if the reference is 124 BPM, BPM 118–130.
• While the filter is on, only tracks whose BPM is within this range are shown. Tracks whose BPM is not yet known (waiting for analysis or no tempo found) are hidden.
• The deck's actual current tempo is used as the reference. If you sped up the track with the deck's tempo slider, the range shifts too.
• Right-clicking the BPM chip opens the range menu: ±3 BPM, ±6 BPM, ±10 BPM. A mark sits next to the selected one. The default is ±6 BPM. The choice is not saved when the program closes.

Harmonic Key filter

• Clicking the Harmonic Key chip turns the filter on or off.
• While it is on, only tracks in keys compatible with the key of the track on the reference deck are shown (see "Key and key code"). Tracks with an unknown key are hidden.
• The track's key from the analysis is used as the reference.

The two filters can be on together: then tracks matching both tempo and key are shown. This is the quickest way to pick the next track.

Sorting

Clicking a column header sorts the list by that column:

1. First click: ascending order (A to Z, smallest to largest). A small arrow appears next to the header and the header is highlighted.
2. Clicking the same header again: descending order.
3. Clicking another header: ascending order by that column.

Returning to the natural order: in the Dark DJ theme, click the # header. The natural order is the view's own order: the order of addition in All Tracks and folders, newest first in Recently Added, the list's order in a playlist, newest first in Play History.

• The Forge theme has no # column. In this theme, once you have sorted, you need to close and reopen the program to return to the natural order. Since the Forge theme also has no ARTIST column, you can't sort by artist there.

Selection, shortcuts and right-click menus

Selection

Ctrl + A and Delete only work if your last click was inside the Library panel and you are not typing in a text box (for example the search box). This way the library isn't affected by accident while you work in another panel.

When several tracks are selected and you grab and drag a row within the selection, the whole selection is dragged together. The drag label shows "5 tracks selected". If you release without dragging (just click), the multiple selection is cleared.

The track row's right-click menu

Right-clicking a track selects the row and opens this menu:

The Play History view has no Remove from list row.

"Remove from list" does not delete from the library. In the All Tracks, Recently Added and folder views, this command and the Delete key only hide the track for that session: it is for tidying the list when you don't want to play that track in this broadcast. The track keeps appearing in playlists and in Play History, and comes back to all views when the program reopens. The only way to remove a track from the library permanently is to remove the folder it is in.

Folder and playlist menus

• Right-click on a folder row: Rescan, Remove folder (see "Removing and rescanning a folder").
• Right-click on a playlist row: Rename, Delete (see "Playlists").

Loading a track onto a deck

Ways to load

Which track Play on an empty deck plays:

1. If there is a multiple selection, the first track of the selection in the list. The rest of the selection is added to the Queue.
2. Otherwise the selected row (if it is visible in the list).
3. If nothing is selected, the first track visible in the list whose file is in place.
4. If that track is already loaded on the other deck, the next suitable track after it in the list is chosen. The same track is never loaded onto two decks at once.
5. If there is no suitable track, the message "There are no tracks in the library to play" appears.

Loading rules

• Nothing is loaded onto a playing deck. To prevent the track playing on air from being changed by accident, the message "Deck A is playing — can't load" appears. Stop the deck first or choose an empty deck.
• A track whose file can't be found is not loaded ("File not found").
• A newly loaded track starts from the beginning on the deck. The hot cues and loop you saved for that track earlier come with it (see Decks and Mixing).
• When you load a track, the program remembers the list visible on screen at that moment (including search, filters and sorting). The automatic flow takes the next track from this list (see "The library and the automatic flow").

Playlists

A playlist is a named list you build from library tracks in the order you want. For example "Morning show", "Weekend", "Slow ones". Lists don't hold copies of the tracks, but links to the tracks in the library.

Creating a list

1. In the left tree, click the + button to the right of the PLAYLISTS heading.
2. A list named New list is created and its name becomes editable right away (the text comes selected).
3. Type the list's name and press Enter. Clicking outside the box also saves the name.
4. If you press Esc, the name doesn't change; the list keeps the name New list.

Spaces at the start and end of the name are removed. An empty name is not saved (the previous name stays).

Adding tracks to a list

1. Grab the track (or a multiple selection) from All Tracks, a folder, Play History or another list.
2. Drag it onto the target list's name in the left tree. The list name is highlighted with a frame.
3. Release. The tracks are added to the end of the list.

• Adding to a list has no equivalent in the right-click menu; drag and drop is the only way.
• The same track can be added to a list more than once. The program doesn't prevent it.
• You can't duplicate the open list by dropping it on its own name: the name of the list that is open at that moment is not a drop target.

Changing the order within a list

1. Select the list in the tree.
2. Grab a row and drag it up or down. Where it will be dropped is shown by a line in the accent color between the rows.
3. Release.

Reordering only works under these conditions, because only then is the order on screen the list's real order:

• The sorting must be in natural order (not sorted by a column).
• The search box must be empty.
• The BPM and Harmonic Key filters must be off (or ineffective because there is no reference deck).

Removing a track from a list

Open the list, right-click the track and choose Remove from list. Only that row leaves the list; the track stays in the library. This is permanent and no confirmation is asked. The Delete key doesn't work in this view.

Renaming and deleting a list

Right-click the list's name in the tree:

• Rename: the name becomes editable inside the tree. As when creating it, Enter or clicking outside saves, Esc cancels.
• Delete (red row): a confirmation window titled Delete opens:

Delete the "Morning show" list? Tracks stay in the library.

Cancel or Delete. A deleted list can't be brought back. The tracks and their analysis and cues stay in the library.

What appears in a list

• Tracks whose file can't be found appear dimmed in the list (their place is kept).
• Unreadable files are not shown in the list.
• Tracks that were played to the end or hidden with Remove from list in this session keep appearing in playlists.

Managing playlists from the tablet is described in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Play History

Play History, under the RADIO group in the left tree, is the list of tracks that started playing on the decks.

• A track is written to the history as soon as it starts playing on any deck. You don't have to be on air.
• A file played from the program's file or folder sources is also written to the history if it is in the library too.
• The list is sorted newest first. If the same track was played several times, it appears once, at its most recent position.
• The history is stored with the library and is not deleted when the program closes. The last 500 play entries are kept; older ones drop off by themselves.
• You can load tracks from the history onto a deck, drag them, and add them to the Queue and to lists, as in the other views. This view has no Remove from list and no Delete.
• There is no way to clear the history by hand.

The Broadcast Schedule, kept with times during a broadcast, is something else; it is described in the Decks and Mixing chapter.

Queue

The Queue is a short waiting list where you line up the tracks you want to play next. The difference from a playlist: a track in the Queue drops off the Queue once it is loaded onto a deck. When a track ends, the automatic flow looks at the Queue first.

The Queue is the second tab of the schedule panel in the main window. In the Dark DJ theme the tabs are called Schedule and Queue, in the Forge theme Broadcast Schedule and Queue. When the Queue is empty, the panel shows "Queue is empty".

What appears in the Queue

Each row shows the position number, the track title, the artist below it and, on the right, the track's BPM and duration (in the Dark DJ theme inside a box in the form 124 · 3:47, in the Forge theme as two numbers side by side). If the Queue is long, scroll with the mouse wheel.

Adding tracks to the Queue

• Right-click the track and choose Add to queue. With a multiple selection, the whole selection is added.
• Drag the track from the library and drop it inside the Queue tab. This only adds the track you are holding; for several tracks, use the right-click menu.
• Drag a multiple selection onto a deck: the first goes to the deck, the rest to the Queue.
• Play on an empty deck with a multiple selection: the first plays, the rest go to the Queue.
• From the tablet (see Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts).

New tracks are added to the end of the Queue. The same track can be added more than once.

Taking from the Queue to a deck

• Double-click a row: the track is loaded onto the first deck that is not playing and drops off the Queue. If all decks are playing, the message "Deck A is playing — can't load" appears and the track stays in the Queue.
• Drag the row onto a deck: the track is loaded onto that deck and drops off the Queue.
• Automatic flow: when a track ends, the first track in the Queue is loaded and played (see "The library and the automatic flow").

Editing the Queue

Right-click a row:

The program has no one-button way to empty the Queue; take the tracks out one by one with Remove. Managing the Queue from the tablet is described in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Persistence

• The Queue is saved when the program closes and comes back unchanged at the next launch.
• Like the library, the Queue belongs to your account.
• If the folder of a track in the Queue is removed from the library, … appears in place of the track title in that row. Take this row out with Remove.
• What you should know: if the file of the track at the top of the Queue can't be found (missing), that track can't be loaded and doesn't drop off the Queue. In this case the automatic flow doesn't move on to the rest of the Queue; it continues from the library list. If a track at the top of the Queue looks dimmed or shows …, take it out with Remove.

The library and the automatic flow

While the Auto Broadcast switch in the schedule panel (AUTO in the Dark DJ theme) is on, when the track on a deck ends, the program loads and plays the next track by itself. How the transition is done (crossfade, durations, order between the two decks) is described in the Decks and Mixing chapter. Here only where the next track comes from is explained.

The next track is looked for in this order:

1. If the Queue is not empty, the first track in the Queue.
2. If the Queue is empty, the first suitable track after the finished track in the list as it was when the finished track was loaded. "The list" is the list visible on screen when you loaded the track: whichever view was open (for example a playlist or a folder), with the search, filters and sorting as they were. Changing the list afterwards doesn't break this order.
3. If no suitable track is left in the list, the list counts as finished and no new track is loaded.

Unsuitable tracks are skipped: tracks whose file can't be found, unreadable tracks and tracks removed from the list in this session.

A played track leaves the list: when the track on a deck plays to the end (or hands over to the next one through an automatic transition), that track leaves the All Tracks, Recently Added and folder views for this session, and doesn't come up in searches either. This way the same track isn't played twice in one broadcast. This also happens while Auto Broadcast is off. The track:

• Keeps appearing in Play History and in playlists. If you want to play it again, load it from there.
• Comes back to all views when the program reopens.

An unreadable track is skipped: if a track loaded by the automatic flow can't be opened (for example, a USB drive was removed or the file was deleted), the program shows the notification "…" couldn't be read and was skipped and tries the next one. The broadcast doesn't go silent. If a track you loaded by hand can't be opened, the deck shows this itself (see Decks and Mixing).

While Auto Broadcast is off, no new track is loaded or played when a track ends. You manage the gap yourself, for example to talk.

Library storage and your account

Where it is stored

The library's record (folders, tracks, analysis results, hot cues and loops, playlists, Play History) and the waveform data are kept on your computer, in the program's own data folder, in a subfolder reserved for your account. Your music files themselves always stay where you put them.

• Changes are saved automatically within a few seconds. You don't need to save separately. The last pending changes are also written when the program closes.
• The record is written safely: the new record is first written completely to a separate file and flushed to disk, and only then replaces the old one. With each write, the previous record is kept as a backup.
• If the record can't be written (for example, the disk is full), the program tries again a few seconds later. The old record is not damaged.

If the library file gets damaged

If the computer shuts down while the record is being written (a power cut, for example), the library record can get damaged. The program notices this at startup:

The notification appears once at startup, for about 10 seconds.

When you change account

The library belongs to the forgeocean.com account you signed in with on that computer:

• When someone signs in with another account, the library switches to that account's own library. If the account is used for the first time, the library opens empty.
• The previous account's library is not deleted. When you sign in with that account again, its library (folders, lists, analysis, cues) comes back as it was.
• The library used while signed out belongs to no account; it is kept separately too.
• Whether the email address is written in upper or lower case doesn't matter; it counts as the same account.
• If the account changes while a broadcast or recording is running, the library doesn't change right away. The switch happens after the broadcast and recording end. This way your decks and lists aren't emptied in the middle of a broadcast.

Which information belongs to the account and which to the computer:

Your music files belong to no account: they stay on disk and are not affected by an account change. You can use the same music in a new account by adding the same folder; the analysis is done again for that account.

• Coming from earlier versions: if you updated from an old version in which the library was not stored per account, at the first sign-in your library from back then is copied to the account you sign in with. This is done only once, and a backup is taken beforehand.

Free and Premium

In the library itself there is no difference between Free and Premium: there is no plan limit on folders, tracks, playlists or Queue length; analysis, search, filters and sorting are the same in every plan.

The only effect of Premium visible in the library is the number of decks. The 4-deck layout comes with the Radio Premium or All Products plan. In the 4-deck layout, the C and D buttons also appear in the LOAD column, and the Load to Deck C and Load to Deck D rows in the right-click menu. For the deck layout, see the Decks and Mixing chapter.

The library appears on the tablet through Forge DJ Control Panel; which plan unlocks the tablet controller is described in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Common situations

Decks and Mixing

This chapter covers:

• The path sound takes from a deck to the speakers, headphones, broadcast and recording.
• Switching between 2 and 4 decks, and the Premium condition for 4 decks.
• Loading a track onto a deck, and every display and button on the deck.
• Play/Pause, CUE, 8 hot cues, loops, beat jumps, jumping to a position.
• Tempo, Key Lock and SYNC (tempo and beat matching).
• What happens when a track ends and when a file can't be read; how the decks come back when the program reopens.
• Mixer: Gain, Filter, Treble/Mid/Bass, channel fader, channel meter, crossfader and its curve.
• The main meter, Main output loudness (LUFS), the Limiter indicator and automatic per-track level.
• Pre-listening in headphones and the headphone balance.
• Auto Broadcast: automatic transitions between tracks, and how it relates to the Queue.
• Audio output devices: Main output, Headphones, Audio latency, Crossfader curve and device notifications.

The microphone, Duck Music, jingle and effect pads are covered in the Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapter; the library, search and adding tracks to the Queue in the Music Library chapter; using the decks and mixer from the tablet in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

The basic idea first: where does the sound go?

In Forge Radio Station, music plays on the decks, is mixed in the mixer, and from there splits into three separate paths:

The practical consequences of this split:

• The microphone doesn't go to the speakers. Your voice goes only to the broadcast and the recording, so it doesn't come back from the speakers and cause echo. If you want to hear your own voice, listen in the headphones (for details, see the Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapter).
• Pre-listening is only in the headphones. That's why the listeners don't hear the deck whose headphone button you pressed; what the listener hears is decided by the fader and the crossfader.
• The broadcast has its own limiter. At the end of each of the main output, broadcast and headphone paths, a separate peak limiter runs (see the Limiter heading below).

The order a deck's sound passes through

1. Automatic level (measured when the track is loaded, target −14 LUFS).
2. The Gain knob (±12 dB).
3. The Filter knob.
4. Treble / Mid / Bass (EQ).
5. Here the pre-listen branch splits off: if the headphone button is on, the sound goes to the headphones from this point.
6. The channel fader. The channel meter shows the sound at this point.
7. The crossfader.
8. The music sum: while the microphone or a guest is talking and Duck Music is on, this sum is turned down.
9. Jingles and effects are added without being turned down; then the Limiter and the Main output.

What this order means:

• Pre-listen is taken before the fader and the crossfader. You still hear a deck in the headphones even with its fader fully closed; this is how you prepare the next track without the listeners hearing it.
• The channel meter measures after the fader and before the crossfader. The meter of a deck left at the other end of the crossfader moves, but that deck doesn't reach the listener. To know whether a deck is really heard, look at its fader and the position of the crossfader.

decks or 4 decks

The 2 DECKS / 4 DECKS choice in the top bar sets the number of decks on screen.

• Free: Only 2 decks. A lock icon sits next to the 4 DECKS button. If you click it, the Subscribe to Premium window opens: "4 decks are available with Radio Premium or All Products." Open subscription page opens the plan page in the browser; Refresh updates your account's permissions right away (use this if you have just paid). The layout stays at 2 decks.
• Premium (Radio Premium or All Products): 4 DECKS opens right away. Your choice is saved; when the program reopens, it starts with the same layout.
• If Premium ends: The screen goes back to 2 decks, and tracks playing on decks C and D are paused. Your 4-deck preference isn't deleted; when Premium comes back, the layout returns to 4 decks by itself. While a broadcast or recording is running, this switch waits until the broadcast/recording ends.
• Switching to 2 DECKS by hand while you have Premium: Tracks playing on decks C and D are paused; a deck you can't see doesn't send sound to the broadcast. The tracks stay loaded on the decks, and when you go back to 4 DECKS you can continue where they left off.

Decks get smaller with 4 decks

In the 4-deck layout, each deck is drawn at half height, in a compact form. Some controls aren't shown in this mode:

The setting of a control you can't see isn't deleted: for example, Key Lock turned on in 2 decks keeps working in 4 decks; only its button isn't shown. You reach these controls by going back to 2 decks.

Loading a track onto a deck

The ways to load a track from the library onto a deck (double-click, Load to Deck A … Load to Deck D in the right-click menu, drag and drop) are described in the Music Library chapter. What you need to know on the deck side:

• Nothing is loaded onto a playing deck. The message "Deck A is playing — can't load" appears. Stop the deck first.
• A track whose file isn't in place isn't loaded: "File not found".
• Dropping a file from Windows File Explorer onto a deck: The dropped audio files are added to the library, and the first one is loaded onto that deck as soon as it appears in the library (within 30 seconds). Dropped folders are added to the library. An unsupported file shows "This file type can't be added (MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, FLAC, WMA)". While you drag, the target deck's border is highlighted.
• The Play button on an empty deck: Pressing Play while the deck is empty loads a track from the library and plays it right away. Which track is chosen:
  1. If several tracks are selected in the library, the first is loaded onto this deck and the rest are added to the Queue in selection order.
  2. If one track is selected, that track.
  3. If nothing is selected, the first track visible in the library list whose file is in place.
  4. If the chosen track is already loaded on the other deck, the next track in the list is taken.
  5. If there's no track to play, it says "There are no tracks in the library to play".
• During loading: The deck opens the track into memory in the background; you can start playing before this finishes. The track's hot cues and saved loop come with the load. The CUE point is set to the start of the track (0:00) on every load.
• BPM and key come from the library analysis. If the analysis hasn't finished yet, the deck calculates them itself while loading; the waveform appears when the analysis finishes. BPM values are shown in the 80–160 range.
• Length limit: A deck holds up to about 3 hours 6 minutes of audio; anything in a longer file after that point isn't played.

How the deck looks

Each deck has a letter (A, B, C, D) and its own color; the letter and color are the same in the mixer, the waveform strip and the library rows. The playing deck's frame glows.

Title row

Vinyl and waveform strip in the Dark DJ theme

• Vinyl (left side): A mark that spins while playing, a colored fill on the outer ring showing how much of the track has played, and the deck letter and current BPM on the center label.
• Overview waveform (thin strip under the title): The whole track. The played part is dim, the rest bright; the white line is the play position; colored lines are hot cues.
• Waveform strip (very top of the screen): The waveforms of all decks, one below the other, scrolling. The white vertical line in the middle is the play position; the sound flows from the left of the line to the right. The visible window is ±9 seconds around the position with 2 decks, ±7 seconds with 4 decks.
  • Colors: deck color = bass, orange = mid, white = treble region. The played part is dim.
  • Thin vertical lines are the beat grid; every fourth beat is more prominent. If the lines of two decks are aligned, the beats overlap.
  • Hot cues are shown at the top with a colored triangle and line.
  • The deck letter and track title are written at the top left of each strip.
  • You can change the strip's height by dragging the splitter below it.

Cassette in the Forge theme

In the Forge theme, a cassette is drawn instead of a vinyl: the deck letter on the label, reels that turn at playback speed, and tape that passes from one reel to the other as the track plays. The slot below the cassette holds the track's overview waveform (the played part in the accent color, hot cues marked). The Forge theme has no scrolling waveform strip.

Jumping to a position

If you click the overview waveform (in Dark DJ the thin strip inside the deck, in Forge the waveform under the cassette), the track jumps to that position; if you hold and drag, the position follows the mouse. Each jump uses a soft 5 ms transition, so you don't hear a click. If SYNC is on, the beats are realigned after the jump.

Playing, pausing and CUE

The bottom row of the deck has three large buttons: CUE, Play/Pause (play or pause icon) and SYNC.

Play / Pause

• Plays a stopped deck, pauses a playing deck. When pausing, the sound fades out in 5 ms; there's no click.
• While playing, the button fills with the deck color and glows.
• It doesn't respond on a deck whose file can't be read.

CUE

The CUE button is a press-and-hold button; what it does depends on the deck's current state:

Typical use:

1. Load the track; the CUE point is at the start.
2. Get to where you want to come in, by clicking the overview waveform or by playing and pausing.
3. Press CUE while the deck is stopped: this spot becomes the CUE point. As long as you hold it, you hear from that point.
4. Release; the deck returns to the CUE point and waits.
5. When the moment for the transition comes, press Play.

Note: The CUE point isn't permanent; when you load the track again, it goes back to the start. For a permanent mark, use a hot cue. The CUE preview also passes through the mixer: so that listeners don't hear it, that deck's fader must be closed or the crossfader at the other end. To listen in the headphones, turn on that deck's headphone button (see Headphones and pre-listening).

Hot cues

Each deck has eight hot cue pads numbered 1 to 8 (only 1–4 in the Forge theme with the 4-deck layout).

• Clicking an empty pad: Sets a hot cue at the play position. The pad takes on its own color; in the 2-deck layout the position (e.g. "1:23") is shown under the number.
• Clicking a filled pad: Jumps to that position. If the deck is playing, it keeps playing; if it's stopped, it waits there. If SYNC is on, the beats are realigned.
• Right-clicking a filled pad: Deletes the hot cue.
• Hot cues are marked in the pad's color on the overview waveform and the waveform strip.
• They're permanent: Hot cues are written to the library together with the track; they're still in place when the track is loaded on another deck or on another day.

Loops and beat jumps

A loop plays a section of the track over and over without a break. The length is in beats and snaps to the track's beat grid.

The loop row

Hovering over the Back and Forward buttons shows the tooltips "Jump back (by the selected loop length)" / "Jump forward (by the selected loop length)".

How it works

• Clicking a length while the loop is off: Sets up a loop of that length starting from the beat nearest the play position and turns it on right away. If the track has no beat grid, the loop starts exactly at the play position.
• Clicking another length while the loop is on: The start of the loop stays put and the end changes to match the new length. If the play position is past the new end, it wraps back into the loop.
• The Loop button:
  • If the loop is on, it turns it off; the track leaves the loop and carries on normally from where it is.
  • If the loop is off and the track has a saved loop, it turns that loop back on; if the position is outside the loop, it jumps to the loop start.
  • If there's no saved loop, it sets up a new loop of the selected length at the play position.
• Jump back / forward while the loop is on: The loop itself moves by the same amount. This way you can move the loop through the track beat by beat.
• If the BPM is unknown, one beat counts as half a second (120 BPM).
• It's permanent: The loop start and length are written to the library together with the track. Whether the loop is on or off isn't saved; when the track is loaded again the loop comes in off, and you turn it on with the Loop button.

The loop boundaries aren't drawn on the waveform; you can tell the loop is on from the highlight on the Loop button.

Tempo and Key Lock

Tempo

• Range: −8 to +8 (percent), in steps of 0.1. The default is 0.
• Dark DJ: A vertical TEMPO slider on the right edge of the deck; the value is shown below it (e.g. "+2.0"). Pushing the slider up speeds up, pulling it down slows down.
• Forge: A horizontal Tempo slider next to the transport buttons; the value in the middle ("+2.0%"), "±8" on the right. Right speeds up, left slows down.
• With the mouse: Clicking anywhere on the slider sets the tempo to that point; pressing and dragging follows the mouse.
• Resetting: Double-click the slider or click the value text below it / in the middle of it.
• Changing the tempo by hand turns SYNC off.
• The BPM display and the beat grid in the waveform strip update to match the tempo.

Key Lock

• Off (default): When the tempo changes, the pitch changes too; a sped-up track sounds higher, a slowed-down one lower.
• On: The pitch stays the same even if the tempo changes; only the speed changes.
• To turn it on or off, click the Key Lock box in the deck's title row. It's only visible in the 2-deck layout.
• When to turn it on: When you move the tempo by a few percent and don't want the vocals to change. At tempo 0, Key Lock has no effect on the sound.

SYNC

SYNC matches the deck's tempo to another deck and, if the other deck is playing, also lines up the beats.

• Turning it on/off: Click the deck's SYNC button. The button is highlighted when on.
• Which deck it matches: Of the other decks, the one with a known BPM that has been playing the longest. If none is playing, the first loaded deck with a known BPM (in the order A, B, C, D).
• Half and double speed: Matching is done at a 1:1, 2:1 or 1:2 ratio; whichever fits within the tempo range (±8) is used. For example, an 85 BPM track can be matched to a 170 BPM track.
• Beat alignment: If the other deck is playing, the beats are aligned. If the offset is larger than a tenth of a beat, the deck jumps to the right place in one go; small drifts are closed in about a second with speed corrections too small to hear (at most 0.5%).
• If the other deck is stopped, only the tempo is matched; the beats are left alone.
• The tempo display shows the matched speed while SYNC is on.
• When you turn SYNC off, the deck stays at the matched tempo; the tempo slider moves to that value.
• Moving the tempo by hand turns SYNC off.
• Out of range: If the speeds of the two tracks don't fall within ±8 at any ratio, SYNC turns itself off and the warning "BPM difference exceeds the tempo range (±8)" appears in the deck's title row for 3 seconds.
• Jumping to a hot cue or clicking the overview waveform realigns the beats while SYNC is on.

A typical transition:

1. A is playing and on air. Load the next track onto B.
2. Keep B's fader closed (or leave the crossfader at the A end).
3. Press SYNC on B, then press Play. B locks onto A's tempo and beat.
4. Check B in the headphones (B's headphone button).
5. Open B's fader or slide the crossfader toward B.
6. Stop A.

When a track ends and when a file can't be read

• When a track reaches the end, the deck stops and the position stays at the end. If Auto Broadcast is on, the next track comes in automatically (see Automatic transition below).
• A track that played to the end is removed from the library list for this session; it comes back when the program reopens. A track you stopped by hand stays in the list.
• If the file couldn't be read (damaged file, removed USB drive, unsupported content), the deck's artist line shows "File couldn't be read" with a warning icon; the BPM, key, duration and waveform are cleared. Hovering over the top edge of the deck shows the full text of the warning as a tooltip. Play and CUE don't respond on this deck; load another track. The sound of the other decks isn't interrupted.

Decks when the program reopens

• When the program opens, the decks come back with the track from the previous session, its position, tempo and Key Lock state, but they don't play. Press Play to play.
• If the position is within the last 3 seconds of the track, the track starts from the beginning.
• If the track isn't in the library or its file isn't in place, that deck opens empty.
• Decks C and D only come back with the 4-deck layout and Premium.
• The deck state is saved every 10 seconds and when the program closes; if the program closes unexpectedly, at most the last 10 seconds of changes are lost.
• The deck state is saved per account: when you sign in with another account, that account's decks are loaded.
• The positions of the mixer knobs, the faders, the crossfader and the headphone balance are saved too; they're in place when the program reopens. Changes are written 1 second after the last touch.

Mixer

The mixer sits between the decks. Each deck has a channel strip; there's the MAIN meter in the middle, the crossfader below and the Main output row at the very bottom.

Channel strip

The deck letter is shown at the top of the strip. From top to bottom:

In the Dark DJ theme, Gain and Filter sit on the top row and High/Mid/Low side by side on the second row, and the names are written in capitals. In the Forge theme, Gain and Filter sit at the top as a small pair ("Gain · Filter"), and High, Mid and Low are large knobs one below the other.

Gain

• What it's for: Fine-tuning the track's level in the mixer.
• Recommended: Leave it in the center (0 dB). The program already brings every track to the same loudness target when it loads it (see Automatic level below). Only use Gain if a track sounds clearly too loud or too quiet to your ears.
• If set wrong: Too much gain makes the limiter on the main output kick in often, and the sound gets flattened.

Filter

• In the center (the middle 4% of the knob), the filter is completely bypassed.
• Turning it left: Low-pass filter; the highs are cut and the sound gets muffled. The cutoff frequency drops from 20 kHz to 50 Hz at the far left.
• Turning it right: High-pass filter; the bass is cut and the sound gets thin. The cutoff frequency rises from 20 Hz to 12 kHz at the far right.
• The filter fades smoothly when it engages and disengages; there's no click.
• When to use it: Pulling the bass out of the outgoing track in transitions (right), making a section sound "far away" (left).

High / Mid / Low

• Each band raises or lowers its own region separately. Because the split between the bands is steep, turning a band fully left almost completely silences that region (cut).
• With all three knobs in the center, nothing colors the sound.
• When to use it: A classic technique to keep the bass of two tracks from piling up during a transition is to cut the incoming track's Low and bring it back as you close the outgoing track.

Channel fader

• The fader's effect isn't linear: at the halfway position the channel plays at about −12 dB, at the quarter position about −24 dB; at the bottom it's completely silent. This gives fine control in the upper half of the fader and a fast fade in the lower half.
• Clicking anywhere on the fader moves it there; pressing and dragging follows the mouse.

Channel meter

• Shows −48 dB to 0 dB. In the Dark DJ theme it's green up to about −22 dB, yellow up to about −3 dB and red above that; in the Forge theme it also goes from green to yellow to red.
• It measures after the fader and before the crossfader (see The order a deck's sound passes through).

Using the controls with the mouse

The mixer has no keyboard shortcuts.

Crossfader

• The horizontal slider at the bottom of the mixer. A is shown at the left end (A·C with 4 decks) and B at the right end (B·D with 4 decks). All decks are assigned to the crossfader: A and C to the left side, B and D to the right side.
• Default: Center. Double-click brings it to the center.
• Its position is saved.

Crossfader curve

Chosen in main menu > Settings > Audio > Crossfader curve:

The choice applies immediately and is saved.

MAIN meter

The MAIN column between the channel strips has two meters, for the left and right channels. It shows the sound going to the main output, after the limiter. Since the microphone doesn't go to the main output, it doesn't appear on this meter.

Main output row and loudness

At the very bottom of the mixer it says Main output, and next to it the main output's loudness appears in LUFS (e.g. "−14.2 LUFS"). This value is the average of the last 3 seconds and measures the mix on the main output (excluding the microphone). With no sound it shows "—".

• LUFS is a unit that measures how loud a sound seems to the ear; unlike the peak level, it's weighted by the sensitivity of human hearing. The closer the number gets to zero, the louder the sound.
• Recommended: While music is playing, the value should hover around −14 LUFS. The program already brings tracks to this target; if the value is clearly higher, review your gain settings and EQ boosts.
• The loudness of the sound going to the broadcast (including the microphone and jingles) appears separately in the status bar at the bottom as Loudness.

Limiter

• At the end of each of the main output, broadcast and headphone paths there's a peak limiter that is always on. Its ceiling is −1 dB true peak. At normal levels it never kicks in and doesn't touch the sound; it only prevents crackling (clipping) when two loud sounds pile up. Because it engages smoothly 1 ms before the peak arrives, it doesn't produce clicks.
• The Limiter box to the right of the Main output row is an indicator, not a button: it lights up the moment the main output's limiter pushes the sound down and stays lit for at least 0.3 seconds. Hovering over it shows "The limiter is always on; this indicator lights up whenever the sound hits the ceiling".
• The Limiter line in the status bar always shows On; it can't be turned off.
• If the indicator lights up often: Lower the gains and EQ boosts, and don't play two decks at full level at the same time. The limiter prevents clipping, but if it works constantly the sound becomes squashed and flat.

Automatic level

Each time a track is loaded onto a deck, the program measures the loudness of the whole track and applies a gain that brings it to −14 LUFS. This way, when tracks with very different recording levels (an old recording and a new pop track) play one after the other, the listener doesn't have to turn the volume up and down.

• The correction applied is limited to between −24 dB and +12 dB.
• It has no separate control in the interface and can't be turned off; the Gain knob is added on top of this correction.
• The measurement is made after the track has been fully opened into memory; until then the correction is 0 dB. If you play a track the moment you load it, the level may change in the first few seconds. Loading the track a little before the transition avoids this.
• This correction is only applied to tracks playing on the decks.

Headphones and pre-listening

Pre-listening means listening to a track in the headphones without the listeners hearing it.

A headphone device is required

For pre-listening, first choose the output device your headphones are connected to: main menu > Settings > Audio > Headphones. The default is Off.

• If you press a channel's headphone button while no headphone device is selected, the button doesn't turn on and "No headphone device — choose one in Settings > Audio" appears below the mixer for 3 seconds.
• Choose a different device for Headphones than for Main output. If you choose the same device, the track you're pre-listening to also plays through the speakers.

The channel's headphone button

• The button with a headphone icon on each channel strip. Hovering over it shows "Pre-listen in headphones".
• When on, it lights up yellow in Dark DJ and in the highlight color in Forge.
• Several channels' buttons can be on at the same time; the selected channels are summed in the headphones.
• Pre-listen is taken after Gain, Filter and EQ, and before the fader and crossfader: you hear EQ changes in the headphones, and a channel with its fader closed still plays in the headphones.
• If the headphone device is unplugged later, the buttons that are on stay on; when the device is plugged back in, pre-listening continues automatically.
• While Solo is on for a source, the decks' headphone buttons send no sound to the headphones; only the solo source is heard in the headphones.

Headphone balance

Sets the ratio between pre-listen and the main mix (the music the listener hears) in the headphones. The slider is on the Headphones row of the Microphone panel; Cue is written on its left and Main on its right.

• Full Cue: Only the channels you've set to pre-listen are in the headphones.
• Full Main: Only the main mix is in the headphones.
• In between: The two are mixed at constant power.
• Default: Close to Cue (mostly pre-listen, with the main mix faintly in the background).
• How to use it: While preparing a transition, keep the slider on the Cue side and listen to the incoming track; now and then slide it toward Main to check how the two tracks sound together.
• Clicking or dragging the slider changes the value.

The headphones can also carry off-air guest audio and, if Hear myself in headphones is on, your microphone; these are covered in the Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapter. The headphone path has its own limiter too.

Automatic transition (Auto Broadcast)

When Auto Broadcast is on, the program plays tracks one after another without you touching anything and makes a smooth transition between them. This way the broadcast doesn't go silent even if you step away from the desk for a while.

Where the switch is

To the right of the Broadcast Schedule panel's header: the switch labeled AUTO in the Dark DJ theme and Auto Broadcast in the Forge theme. It's on by default; your choice is saved.

Where the next track comes from

1. If there are tracks in the Queue, the one at the top. It leaves the Queue when it's loaded onto a deck.
2. If the Queue is empty, the track after the current one in the library list as it was when the playing track was loaded. In other words, whichever view was open in the library when you loaded the track (a playlist, a folder, a search result, a sort order), the flow continues from that list. Tracks whose files aren't in place and tracks that have already played to the end in this session are skipped.
3. When the end of the list is reached, the flow stops.

To add tracks to the Queue, see the Music Library chapter.

Automatic transition between A and B

The automatic transition is done between decks A and B (C and D don't take part in it, even in the 4-deck layout).

1. Preparation: If B isn't playing while A plays, the next track is loaded onto B about 21 seconds before the sound of A's track ends. Silence at the start of the track is skipped; B waits where the sound begins.
2. Transition: B starts 6 seconds before the sound of A's track ends. During the transition A's fader is lowered and B's fader is raised (at constant power, so the overall loudness doesn't drop). The transition lasts 6 seconds; if less time is left in the track, it lasts as long as what's left (at least 1 second).
3. Crossfader: If side B is turned down because of the crossfader, the crossfader moves to the center; otherwise it stays where it is. The crossfader is never locked to one end.
4. End: A stops and A's fader returns to where it was before the transition. Then the same thing repeats from B to A.

Details:

• "Where the sound ends" is calculated by leaving out the silent or very quiet part at the end of the track; if you've changed the tempo, the remaining time is calculated accordingly. This way the transition happens while the music is still going, not in the track's silent tail.
• The track the DJ loaded is kept: If you loaded a track onto B yourself while A was playing, the program doesn't replace it; in the transition that track starts from where you left it (for example from your CUE point).
• It doesn't interfere if you're playing by hand: If you're playing the other deck yourself, no automatic transition is made.
• Taking over the transition: If you touch the fader of either deck or the crossfader during a transition, the automation stops right then and the transition is yours; the faders stay where you left them. Turning the switch off during the transition has the same result.
• If the incoming track doesn't play: If B doesn't start playing within half a second (the file couldn't be read), the transition is undone, the faders and crossfader return to where they were, and A keeps playing.

When a track ends

When the track on a deck plays to the end:

• If the switch is off: Nothing is loaded or played. For example, if you want to talk after the track, turn the switch off.
• If the switch is on and the other deck has been prepared (only between A and B): The prepared deck starts right away (the crossfader comes to the center if needed, and that deck's fader opens if it's closed).
• Otherwise: The next track is loaded onto the same deck, the silence at its start is skipped, and it plays. If another deck is playing at that moment, the track is loaded but doesn't play; it waits for you.

Unreadable track

If a track loaded by the automatic flow can't be read, the notification "“Track title” couldn't be read and was skipped" appears for 6 seconds, the track is removed from the list for this session and the next one is tried. The broadcast doesn't go silent. If a track you loaded by hand can't be read, the warning appears on the deck (see When a track ends and when a file can't be read).

The trail in the Broadcast Schedule

While broadcasting, the tracks played are written to the Broadcast Schedule list with their times; tracks brought in by the automatic flow that have finished are marked AUTO. For a track on a deck to count as "on air", the deck must be playing and its fader and its side of the crossfader must be open.

About effects

For shaping the sound on the decks and in the mixer there are Filter and High/Mid/Low; apart from these, there's no separate sound effect applied to a deck. The sound effect pads (applause, horn and so on) are on the Effects tab of the jingle panel, and the microphone's Echo setting is in the Microphone panel; both are covered in the Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapter. Jingle and effect sounds are added to the main mix without being affected by Duck Music; they go to the speakers, the broadcast and the recording.

Audio output devices

Main menu > Settings > Audio (or the gear icon at the top right). Every choice on this page applies immediately and is saved; there's no Save button.

If a selected device isn't plugged in at the moment, it keeps appearing in the box under its saved name.

Main output

• The device your speakers are connected to. The main mix (excluding the microphone) plays from here.
• System default: If the default output changes in Windows, the program switches to the new default too.
• A specific device: If the device is unplugged, the sound switches to the Windows default output and the notification "The selected audio output was not found; switched to the Windows default output." appears. When the device is plugged back in, the program returns to it: "The selected audio output is connected again." Most devices are recognized as the same device even when plugged into a different USB port.
• Important – the broadcast doesn't depend on the speakers: If the main output device becomes unable to play sound (the device can't be opened, it went to sleep, another program took it over exclusively), the broadcast and recording carry on with the program's own clock. If this lasts longer than 2 seconds, the notification "The audio output device couldn't be opened - the broadcast continues, but there's no sound from the speakers." appears; when the device takes sound again, it shows "The selected audio output is connected again."

Headphones

• The device your headphones are connected to, for pre-listening and the headphone balance (see Headphones and pre-listening).
• With Off selected, the headphone path doesn't run at all and the channel headphone buttons don't turn on.
• Unlike the main output, when the headphone device is unplugged it doesn't switch to the default (so that pre-listening doesn't leak to the speakers). If the selected device isn't ready for more than 2 seconds, the notification "The headphone output is not connected." appears; when it's back, "The headphone output is connected again."

Audio latency

• Sets how far ahead sound is prepared for the audio device. With a low value, the time between pressing a button and the sound changing is shorter; with a high value, the sound is more resistant to dropouts.
• The row's tooltip: "If you hear crackling, choose Safe."
• Recommended: Normal (20 ms). If the sound is clean and your computer is powerful, you can try Low; if you hear crackling, clicking or broken-up sound, switch to Safe.
• When you change it, the main output and headphone devices are reopened with the new value.

Audio format

The program sends 48 kHz stereo audio to the devices; if a device runs at a different sample rate, Windows converts it. There's no setting for this.

Common situations

For logs, support and general problems, see the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

Microphone, Jingles and Announcements

This chapter covers:

• Every button and display on the microphone panel: turning the microphone on and off, level, Duck Music, the Headphones balance.
• Every row of the Microphone window: device, gain, on/off shortcut, music return time, Noise Removal (Premium), noise gate, compressor, Voice Tone, Echo, hearing your own voice in the headphones.
• The microphone's self-protection behaviours: starting off when the program opens, turning off when the cable comes out.
• How the music is turned down while you talk; what is turned down and what isn't.
• The Sources panel: adding sound to the broadcast from outside the decks (audio and video files, a music folder, a browser, a running app, an audio device, a Forge DJ Control Panel tablet, a camera).
• The Broadcast only switch: sending an app's sound to the broadcast without hearing it from the speakers.
• Voice call (guest): putting a guest on air and taking them off air.
• The Jingles and Effects pads: assigning a sound to a pad, playing, stopping, keyboard keys, levels, the Premium gate.
• The Announcement window: news that ForgeOcean sends to the program.

The decks, the crossfader and the deck mixer are covered in the Decks and Mixing chapter; going on air and the station page in the Broadcasting and Station chapter; recording in the Recording chapter; using the program from the tablet and the full list of shortcuts in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Two themes in the program: where the buttons are

The program can be used with two themes: Dark DJ and Forge (main menu > Settings > General > Theme). The functions are the same in both themes; only the position and look of some buttons change. Where there is a difference, this chapter describes the two themes separately.

Some headings and button labels are shown in capital letters in the theme (for example MICROPHONE, ON AIR). In this guide they are written in normal case to make them easier to read.

Microphone panel

The microphone panel is where you manage the microphone. In the Dark DJ theme it sits below the Jingles panel; in the Forge theme it has its own tab (Microphone).

Parts of the panel

From top to bottom:

Hovering over the gear shows the Microphone settings tooltip; clicking it opens the Microphone window (below).

Large button: turning the microphone on and off

Each click on the button turns the microphone on or off. When the microphone is on, it goes to the broadcast and the recording; when it is off, it doesn't.

The button's label shows the state:

• Turning on and off is smooth. The sound fades in and out over 20 milliseconds; no "click" goes to the broadcast when you press the button.
• The microphone starts off every time the program opens. Even if you left it on in the previous session, your microphone doesn't go to the broadcast when the program opens. Remember to press the button before you talk.
• The "Microphone not connected" warning stays on screen until your next click. It disappears when you turn the microphone on again. For when it appears, see the "The microphone's self-protection behaviours" heading below.

You can assign a shortcut to turn the microphone on and off from the keyboard (below, On/off shortcut).

Level

Shows the current level of the microphone sound. The scale runs from −60 dB to 0 dB. The number on the right is the current peak value (for example "−18 dB"). If no sound is coming in, it shows "−∞".

• The meter shows the sound after the gain and all the microphone settings. When the noise gate closes, the meter drops too; when the compressor is pressing down, it shows the compressed sound.
• The meter can move even while the microphone is off: while the Microphone window is open, the program listens to the microphone so you can try the settings without going on air. The sound doesn't go to the broadcast during this time. With the window closed and the microphone off, the meter shows "−∞".
• If the tablet microphone is selected, the meter moves only while the microphone is on (the tablet isn't listened to even if the window is open).

Duck Music

Turns the music down automatically while you talk and brings it back up when you stop. In radio it is used so that the host's voice is heard comfortably above the music.

• Switch: Turns ducking on or off. The default is on. When it is off, the slider looks dimmed.
• Slider: How much the music is turned down while you talk. The range is 0 dB to 30 dB, the default is 12 dB. The text on the right shows the amount (for example "−12 dB"). You adjust it by clicking and dragging the slider; the value changes in whole-decibel steps.
• Double-clicking the slider sets the amount back to 12 dB.
• If the switch is on but the slider is at 0 dB, the music isn't turned down.

For when ducking starts, how long it lasts and what it affects, see the "How music ducking works" heading below. How long the music takes to come back up is set in the Music return time row of the Microphone window.

Headphones (Cue — Main)

Sets what you hear in your headphones. The further you move the slider to the left (Cue), the more you hear the decks and sources you put into pre-listen; the further to the right (Main), the more you hear the main mix the listener hears; in between you hear a mix of both. The default position is close to the left (about one third).

This slider is the same setting as the deck mixer's pre-listen setting; pre-listening is described in detail in the Decks and Mixing chapter. A headphone output must be selected: main menu > Settings > Audio > Headphones.

Quick buttons (Forge theme)

In the Forge theme there are four buttons at the bottom of the panel: Noise Removal, Compressor, Echo, Voice Tone. Each click turns the related setting on or off; a button that is on looks highlighted. They are the same as the switches in the Microphone window. The detailed values (threshold, ratio, echo type, etc.) can only be changed in the window.

If the panel gets narrow, the buttons wrap to the next line.

On a free account the Noise Removal button doesn't turn the setting on; clicking it opens the Premium window (see "The Premium window").

Indicators in the bottom bar (Dark DJ theme)

In the Dark DJ theme there are three indicators on the right of the status bar at the very bottom of the window: Noise Removal, Compressor and Limiter, each followed by On or Off. The first two show your microphone settings. On a free account Noise Removal always shows Off, because noise removal isn't applied. The Limiter indicator belongs to the deck mixer (Decks and Mixing chapter).

Microphone window

Opening the window

• Click the gear in the heading of the microphone panel.

The window's title is Microphone. You can move and resize the window; while it is open, you can keep using the rest of the program.

There is no Save button. Every change is applied and saved immediately. You can make the settings by trying them out by ear. You close the window with the X at the top right.

The rows, from top to bottom, are as follows.

Device

• What it does: Chooses which audio input is used as the microphone.
• Options:
  • Default (Windows) — The microphone selected as the default in Windows. This is the default value.
  • The input devices on the computer, with their real names.
  • Tablet microphone – tablet name — Appears at the end of the list if there is a tablet running Forge DJ Control Panel and connected to this computer. It isn't in the list while no tablet is connected.
• If the saved device isn't plugged in, the box shows Microphone not connected. When you plug the device back in, the selection comes back by itself.
• The change is applied immediately. If you change the device while the microphone is on, the sound starts coming from the new device.
• Recommended: If you have more than one input device (camera microphone, headset microphone, sound card), select your microphone by name. With "Default" selected, the program turns the microphone off for safety when the Windows default changes (below); this doesn't happen when you select it by name.

The same setting is also in the main menu > Settings > Audio > Microphone row. Both write the same value.

About the tablet microphone: When you turn the microphone on with the tablet microphone selected, the program sends the tablet a "prepare the microphone" request. The program waits 3 seconds for the sound to arrive. Using the program from the tablet is described in detail in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Gain

• What it does: Raises or lowers the microphone sound before all other processing.
• Options: −12 dB to +12 dB. The default is +0.0 dB (the sound is left untouched).
• How to set it: Look at the Level meter while talking at a normal volume. The peaks should move at a comfortably readable level and not hit 0 dB. First bring the microphone level in Windows to a reasonable point, then fine-tune it here.
• Note: Gain is at the very start of the chain. If you change the gain a lot, the behaviour of the noise gate and the compressor changes too; set those thresholds after setting the gain.
• Relation to Duck Music: Ducking starts when the microphone sound goes above a certain level (below). If the gain is very low, the music may not be turned down when you speak quietly.

On/off shortcut

• What it does: Lets you turn the microphone on and off with a single key. Each press of the key turns the microphone on or off (you don't need to hold it down).
• It works even when the program is in the background. The microphone turns on or off when you press the key even while another window is in front. The row's tooltip says this too: "Works even when the program is in the background."
• There is no default key. The box shows Assign key.

Assigning a key:

1. Click the box that shows Assign key. The box shows Press a key… (Esc: cancel).
2. Press the key or key combination you want to use. You can use combinations with the Ctrl, Alt, Shift and Windows keys.
3. The key's name appears in the box (for example "Ctrl + Shift + F9").

• To cancel, press Esc or click the box again.
• The Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Windows and Caps Lock keys on their own and the mouse buttons can't be assigned.
• Removing the shortcut: Press the X button on the right of the box (tooltip: Remove).
• If the key is used by another program, a yellow warning appears: "This key is used by another program. Choose another key." In this case the key isn't saved.
• Recommended: Choose a combination with Ctrl, Alt or Shift (for example Ctrl + Shift + a function key). Because the shortcut applies across all of Windows, the key you assign doesn't do its normal job in other programs while the program is open; if you assign a single letter or number key, you can't type that key in other programs.

The same setting is also in the main menu > Settings > Shortcuts > Microphone · On/off shortcut row.

Music return time

• What it does: When Duck Music is on, sets how many seconds the music takes to return to its previous level after you finish talking.
• Options: 0.2 to 5.0 seconds. The default is 0.8 s.
• Short time: The music comes back quickly; between sentences the music may "dip and rise".
• Long time: The music comes back slowly, without being noticed; for hosts who talk often it gives a calmer result.

This setting and the Duck Music settings are shared by the microphone and the guests (below, "Voice call (guest)").

Row switches

Each of the processing rows below has a switch on its right. When the switch is turned on, that processing's settings appear in the same row; when it is off, the settings are hidden but their values are kept.

Noise Removal (Premium)

• What it does: Removes non-speech sounds such as fans, air conditioning, keyboard clicks and street noise from the microphone.
• Options: Switch on / off. The default is off.
• When on, in the same row:
  • Engine choice (appears only if NVIDIA's audio noise removal package is installed on the computer): RNNoise (CPU) or NVIDIA Maxine (GPU). If the package isn't there, this box doesn't appear and noise removal runs with the CPU engine.
  • Strength: 0% to 100%, the default is 100%. It is the mix ratio between the cleaned sound and the raw sound.
• Recommended: Turn it on if you are in a noisy room or use a mechanical keyboard. If your voice sounds metallic or "underwater", lower the strength a little.
• If the GPU engine can't start, noise removal continues with the CPU engine by itself; your microphone doesn't go silent.

Premium: Noise Removal is unlocked with the Radio Premium or All Products plan.

• On a free account the row's name appears as Noise Removal · Premium. When you try to turn the switch on, it stays off and a yellow warning appears below the row: "Noise Removal is available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• In the Forge theme, the Noise Removal quick button opens the Premium window on a free account.
• If your Premium ends, your saved setting is not deleted, but noise removal is not applied and doesn't show as on. When your plan becomes active again, the setting comes back.
• On a free account it can't be turned on from the tablet either.

Noise gate

• What it does: Closes the microphone when the sound drops below a certain threshold. When you aren't talking, room hum, breathing and distant sounds don't go to the broadcast.
• Options: Switch on / off (default off). When on, the same row shows the Gate threshold slider: −80 dB to −20 dB, default −40.0 dB.
• How it works: When the sound passes the threshold, the gate opens very quickly (about 2 ms; the first syllable isn't lost), and when the sound drops it closes smoothly (about 80 ms). The closing point is 4 dB below the threshold; a sound hovering around the threshold doesn't keep opening and closing the gate.

Setting the threshold:

1. Set the Gain first.
2. With the gate off, stay silent and look at the Level meter. The value you see is your room noise.
3. Talk at a normal volume; watch the places where you speak most quietly.
4. Turn the gate on and put the threshold a little above the room noise and below your quiet speech.
5. Try long words and a quiet voice. If the ends of syllables are cut off, lower the threshold by a few dB.

• Threshold too high: Quiet words and the ends of phrases are cut off.
• Threshold too low: The gate never closes, and the noise still goes out.
• If Noise Removal is on, you often don't need the gate; noise removal runs before the gate.

Compressor

• What it does: Presses down sound that exceeds the threshold by a set ratio; it narrows the difference between loud and quiet speech. It gives a more even sound that doesn't blast when you shout and doesn't get lost when you speak quietly.
• Options: Switch on / off (default off). When on, two more rows appear below the row:

• The threshold transition is soft (a 6 dB soft knee): compression starts gradually, not all at once.
• Recommended: The defaults are a good starting point for speech.
• If it still blasts when you shout: Increase the ratio or lower the threshold.
• If the sound "pumps" (goes down and up on every word): lengthen the release and lower the ratio.
• If the sound is squashed and lifeless: Raise the threshold or lower the ratio.
• The compressor only presses sound down; it doesn't raise it back. Set the overall level with Gain.

Voice Tone

• What it does: Raises or lowers the low, mid and high ranges of the sound separately.
• Options: Switch on / off (default off). When on, the same row shows three sliders; each ranges from −12 to +12 dB, default 0:

• Recommended: Small adjustments (a few dB). If you are very close to the microphone and the sound is muffled, lower Low a little; if the sound is dull, raise High a little.

Echo

• What it does: Adds room reverb to your voice.
• Options: Switch on / off (default off). When on, in the same row:
  • Echo type: Room, Studio, Hall. The default is Room.
  • Amount: 0% to 100%, the default is 25%. At 0% no echo is heard.
• Recommended: If you use it, start with a low amount. A high amount makes speech hard to understand.

Hear myself in headphones

• What it does: Lets you hear your microphone in the headphones.
• Options: Switch on / off. The default is off.
• Tooltip text: "You hear yourself with a short delay. It never goes to the main output (speakers)."
• The sound you hear in the headphones has passed through all the microphone settings (noise removal, gate, tone, compressor, echo).
• It is heard only while the microphone is on. When the microphone is off, it doesn't reach the headphones either. To try settings without going on air, keep the microphone off and look at the Level meter.
• It isn't heard if no headphone output is selected (main menu > Settings > Audio > Headphones: Off).
• Why is it off by default? Hearing your own voice with a slight delay can be confusing while you talk.

The order the sound passes through

The microphone sound is processed in this order:

1. Gain
2. Noise Removal (Premium)
3. Noise gate
4. Voice Tone
5. Compressor
6. Echo

Then the microphone button (on/off) is applied and the sound goes to the broadcast. The Level meter and Duck Music's speech detection use the sound at the end of this chain.

The microphone's self-protection behaviours

Where the microphone goes

• The microphone goes to the broadcast and the recording.
• The microphone doesn't go to the main output (speakers). You don't hear your own voice from the speakers; this prevents a feedback loop (howling) between the speakers and the microphone.
• If you want to hear your own voice, you can hear it only in the headphones (Hear myself in headphones).

If the cable or device is removed

If no sound comes from the device for 1.5 seconds while the microphone is on (the cable came out, the USB microphone was unplugged), the program turns the microphone off and the button shows the Microphone not connected warning. This way the program doesn't silently switch to another input in the middle of the broadcast.

The first 1.5 seconds after you turn the microphone on (3 seconds for the tablet microphone) aren't checked; the program waits for the device to start.

When you plug the device back in, the microphone doesn't turn on by itself. Turn it on again by pressing the button.

If the default changes while "Default (Windows)" is selected

If Windows' default microphone changes while Default (Windows) is selected in the Device row and the microphone is on (for example, you unplugged the USB microphone and Windows switched to the laptop's built-in microphone), the program turns the microphone off and shows the Microphone not connected warning. This way room sound or the wrong microphone doesn't go to the broadcast.

If you select your microphone by name in the Device row, this doesn't happen.

Off at startup

Every time the program opens, the microphone starts off. All your settings (device, gain, processing settings, shortcut) are kept; only the on/off state isn't saved.

How music ducking works

When it ducks

The music is turned down in these cases (if Duck Music is on):

• While the microphone is on and the sound from the microphone rises above about −30 dB (that is, when you talk).
• While a guest source is ON AIR, isn't muted, and the guest talks (see "Voice call (guest)").

While the microphone is off, your talking doesn't duck the music.

How it ducks

1. When speech starts, the music goes down by the amount you set within about 50 ms.
2. When speech ends, the program waits 300 ms (so the music doesn't dip and rise between sentences).
3. Then the music returns to its previous level within the Music return time.

What is ducked and what isn't

Setting the ducking amount: If your speech is easy to understand above the music, the amount is right. If the music is still competing with your voice, move the slider to the right; if the music almost disappears while you talk, move it to the left.

Additional audio sources (Sources panel)

The Sources panel is where you add sound to the broadcast from outside the decks: an audio or video file, a music folder, the sound of a web page, the sound of a program running on the computer, a second input device, the sound of a Forge DJ Control Panel tablet, and a camera.

Sources stay in place when the program is closed and reopened (except the ON AIR state of guests; below).

Panel layout

Dark DJ theme: There is a single Sources panel. Each source is a row; the level slider and buttons are inside the row. In the heading, from right to left: gear (settings of the selected source), trash can (remove the selected source), + (add a source).

Forge theme: There are two panels:

• Sources: the list of sources. In the heading, from right to left: +, trash can, gear, Move up, Move down (move the selected source one place in the list).
• Audio Mixer: the sources' level sliders, meters and audio buttons. In the heading, + and gear. The camera doesn't appear in this panel (it has no sound).

Tooltips of the heading buttons: Add source, Remove the selected source, Settings of the selected source, Move up, Move down.

• When there are no sources, the panel shows No sources added.
• Clicking a row selects that source (its frame is highlighted). The trash can, the gear and the arrows act on the selected source.
• If you press these buttons while no source is selected: if there is only one source, it is selected; if there is more than one source, a "Select a source in the list first" notification appears, and if there are no sources, a "No sources added" notification appears.
• If the list doesn't fit in the panel, you scroll it with the mouse wheel; a thin scroll indicator appears on the right. If the wheel is over a level slider, it changes the level instead of scrolling.

Source row

In the Dark DJ theme a row contains:

• The type icon on the left (each type has its own colour).
• The source name and next to it a dimmed status text (if any; see the table below). States that need a warning are written in yellow with a warning icon.
• The Mute button (speaker icon), or the ON AIR / OFF AIR button for guest sources.
• The Headphones button.
• The Eye button (far right): turns the source on or off.
• For file and folder sources, Play/Pause and Loop buttons on a second line.
• The level slider and the dB value to its right.
• A thin meter at the very bottom.

In the Forge theme:

• The row in the Sources list: type icon, name, status text, Play/Pause for file sources, the eye on the far right.
• The row in the Audio Mixer: name and dB value; below them the level slider, the Mute, Headphones and S (solo) buttons (for guest sources ON AIR / OFF AIR instead of S); the meter at the very bottom.
• In the Forge theme the Loop button isn't in the list; you turn it on in the Loop row of the source's settings window.

Level slider

• The source's level going to the broadcast and the main output.
• Range: Far left is off (−∞), then from −60 dB to 0 dB going right; about four fifths of the way along the slider is 0 dB, and far right is +6 dB. The value is written in the row as "+0.0 dB".
• Default: 0 dB (every newly added source).
• Adjusting: Click and drag the slider, or turn the mouse wheel over the slider.
• Double-clicking the slider sets the level back to 0 dB.

Mute, Headphones and Solo buttons

• Mute: Takes the source out of the broadcast and the main output. When on, the icon turns into a crossed-out speaker and looks highlighted. You can still put a muted source into pre-listen in the headphones.
• Headphones: Puts the source into pre-listen in the headphones. Pre-listen gives the sound before the slider: you hear it in the headphones even if the source's level is low or it is muted. This is for listening to a sound before you send it to the broadcast.
• S (Solo, Forge theme only): In the headphones you hear only the sources put on solo; meanwhile the pre-listen of the decks and the other sources goes silent. It has no effect on the broadcast.
• If no headphone output is selected, Headphones and S don't turn on; the warning "No headphone device — choose one in Settings > Audio" appears for 3 seconds.

Eye: turning a source on and off

The eye at the far right of the row turns the source off without deleting it. Its tooltip says Turn source off when the source is on, and Turn source on when it is off.

A source that is off:

• Gives no sound; its row looks dimmed.
• If it is a file or folder source, it waits in place (the playback position is kept).
• If it is an app or device source, capture stops.
• If it is an app marked Broadcast only, the app's sound is heard from the speakers again.
• If it is a camera source, the camera turns off (in the camera row, the eye glows while the camera is on air).

All the source's settings are kept; when you turn the eye back on, they come back exactly as they were.

Adding a source

Press the + button in the heading. The menu that opens has eight items:

The added source goes to the end of the list and starts at a 0 dB level.

Audio File and Video File

1. Choose + > Audio File (or Video File).
2. Select the file in the Windows file window that opens.

• The source is added with the file's name (without the extension).
• The source is added without playing. To play it, press the Play button in the row; the same button becomes Pause.
• If Loop is on, the file starts again from the beginning when it ends.
• With a video file only the sound is used; the picture doesn't go to the broadcast.
• If the file is moved or deleted, the row shows the File not found warning.

When to use it: For long sounds that you don't want to play on a deck, such as background music, a recorded announcement or a recorded interview.

Music Folder

1. Choose + > Music Folder.
2. Select a folder in the window that opens.

• The source is added with the folder's name.
• All audio files (mp3, m4a, aac, wav, flac, wma) in the folder and its subfolders are played in file name order. When one track ends, the next one starts.
• When the list reaches the end:
  • If Loop is on, it starts again from the beginning.
  • If Loop is off, playback stops and the first track is loaded at the start.
• Files you add to or delete from the folder later are rescanned when the list reaches the end.
• If the folder doesn't exist or has no audio files in it, the row shows the File not found warning.

When to use it: For interlude music, a playlist that runs all night, or background music under speech.

Browser

1. Choose + > Browser. The Browser window opens.
2. Type the page's address in the Address (URL) box (the box is ready for typing as soon as it opens).
3. Press Add. (While the address is shorter than 3 characters, Add stays dimmed.)

• The source is named after the site's domain name (for example "example.com"). You can change the name later in the settings window.
• The page opens invisibly inside the program; its picture isn't used, only its sound is taken.
• The page's sound doesn't go from Windows straight to the speakers; it passes through the program's mixer (the level, mute and headphone buttons act on this sound).
• If the page can't be opened, the row shows not connected.
• You can't change the address later. For another page, add a new Browser source.

When to use it: To send a web radio station or a web page with sound to the broadcast.

Running App

Takes the sound of a single program running on the computer to the broadcast; the sound of other programs doesn't get mixed in.

1. Choose + > Running App. The Running App window opens.
2. Select the program in the Open apps list.
3. If you like, set the two switches at the bottom:
   • Voice call (guest) (below).
   • Broadcast only (not heard on this PC) (below).
4. Press Add. (Until an item in the list is selected, Add stays dimmed.)

The list: It shows the programs that currently have a window and the programs that have opened an audio session on one of the computer's active audio outputs; it is sorted by name. The program name is written from the file name with its first letter capitalised. The list is prepared once when the window opens; for a program you started while the window was open, close the window and open it again.

Behaviour:

• The sound of child processes started by the program also comes into the same source.
• While the program is closed, the row shows waiting. When the program is opened again, the source continues picking up its sound by itself; you don't need to add it again.
• Auto level starts on for this source: the program's sound is brought to the same loudness as the decks automatically (below, "The source settings window").
• Important: This source takes a copy of the program's sound. If Broadcast only is off, you keep hearing the program's sound from the speakers too. To send the program's sound only to the broadcast, use the Broadcast only switch.

Broadcast only and Silent output

The Broadcast only (not heard on this PC) switch is available only for Running App sources. It is in both the add window and the source's settings window.

What it does: The program's sound keeps going to the broadcast, but it doesn't come out of your speakers. To do this, the program uses Windows' "per-app output" setting to route that app's sound to an unused audio output on the computer. Capture continues, the speakers go silent.

Tooltip text: "The app's sound goes to the broadcast but not to your speakers: Windows routes it to an unused output. Use the source's headphone button to listen. It goes back when you turn this off or close the program."

The Silent output row (visible while the switch is on):

• Automatic — The program itself picks an output that isn't the Windows default and whose name contains "Digital Output", "S/PDIF" or "dijital". When it finds one, the option's name appears as Automatic: output name.
• The other outputs in the list — The active, non-default audio outputs on the computer. Choose an output that has no speakers connected and can't be heard.

Warnings (yellow text with an Open Windows sound settings button below it):

The state also shows in the source row: No silent output or Couldn't mute locally (yellow warning).

Undoing: Windows keeps this setting permanently per app. Before routing, the program saves the app's previous output setting and writes it back in these cases:

• when you turn the Broadcast only switch off,
• when you remove the source or turn its eye off,
• when you close the program.

If the app is closed when the setting is written back, the setting is kept pending and the app returns to its previous state the next time it opens (while the program is open). If the program closes unexpectedly, pending undos are carried out the next time it opens.

When routing happens: Windows applies this setting only to an app that is playing sound. Routing happens by itself when the app starts playing sound.

To listen yourself: Turn on the source's Headphones button (a headphone output must be selected).

Audio Device

Adds an input device (a second microphone, a sound card's line input, a turntable or the output of an external mixer) as a source.

1. Choose + > Audio Device. The Audio Device window opens.
2. Select the input device in the list.
3. Press Add.

• The source is added with the device's name.
• If the device is unplugged, the row shows not connected; when it is plugged back in, the source continues picking up sound by itself.
• Normally this source is treated like music: it goes to the main output and the broadcast, and it is ducked while you talk.
• For a second microphone (for example the microphone of your guest in the studio), turn on the Voice call (guest) switch in the source's settings window. It is then treated like a microphone (below).

Voice call (guest)

The guest switch is available for Running App, Audio Device and DJ Control Panel sources. It makes a source a "speech input": a guest in a voice call program, a second microphone in the studio, or the tablet.

When the switch is turned on:

• The ON AIR / OFF AIR button replaces the Mute button in the source row (in the Forge theme it replaces the S button).
• The source's Compressor and Auto level settings turn on by themselves.
• For a Running App source, Broadcast only also turns on by itself: the guest isn't heard twice, from your speakers and from the broadcast.

ON AIR / OFF AIR button:

• The transition is smooth (about 300 ms); the guest doesn't suddenly "burst" onto the air.
• Every time the program opens, guests start OFF AIR.
• Audio Device and DJ Control Panel guests never go to the speakers (like the microphone, only to the broadcast and the headphones); this way no howling occurs between the speakers and the guest's microphone. Tooltip text: "Like the microphone, it goes to the broadcast only and doesn't play from the speakers; music ducks while someone talks."
• A Running App guest, on the other hand, is also heard once from the program's main output (speakers) while ON AIR; while OFF AIR, it is heard only in the headphones.
• Tooltip of a Running App guest: "Off air, heard only in headphones; music ducks while they speak."
• The guest counts as talking when their sound rises above about −30 dB.

A guest broadcast step by step (with a voice call program):

1. In main menu > Settings > Audio > Headphones, select your headphones.
2. + > Running App > select your voice call program, turn on the Voice call (guest) switch, press Add.
3. The guest row starts OFF AIR; you hear the guest in the headphones.
4. When you are ready, press the OFF AIR button; it becomes ON AIR.
5. When the call ends, press it again to switch it to OFF AIR.

DJ Control Panel (tablet audio)

Brings the sound played by apps on your Forge DJ Control Panel tablet (music, video) into the broadcast.

1. Choose + > DJ Control Panel. The DJ Control Panel window opens.
2. Select the tablet in the Connected tablets list (if only one tablet is connected, it is selected automatically).
3. Press Add.

• If no tablet is connected, the list says: "No tablet connected. Open Forge DJ Control Panel on the tablet and connect it to this computer." A tablet that connects while the window is open appears in the list by itself.
• The window has two info texts: "Sound played by apps on the tablet (music, video). Android 10 or later; apps that block sharing their sound come through silent." and "Sound arrives once sending is started on the tablet: the tablet shows Android's consent window. Removing the source or turning off its eye stops sending on the tablet."
• The source is added with the name "tablet name · Tablet audio".
• The same tablet can't be added twice: "This tablet source is already added".
• Status texts: not started on the tablet (the tablet is connected but sending hasn't started), not connected (the tablet isn't connected).
• The tablet's microphone isn't chosen with this source but from the Device list in the Microphone window (Tablet microphone – name).

Connecting and using the tablet is covered in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

Camera

The camera source is the only source without sound: it sends the camera image to the station page. Broadcasting with a camera is a Premium feature, and the details are in the Broadcasting and Station chapter. Only adding it and its row are covered here.

1. Choose + > Camera. The Camera window opens.
2. Select the camera in the Connected cameras list (if there is only one camera, it is selected automatically). If there is no camera, it says "No connected camera found".
3. Press Add.

• Only one camera can be added. If you try to add a second one, the notification "Only one camera can be added" appears.
• The camera row has the name, a status text and the eye. The eye turns the camera on or off; while the camera is live, the eye lights up. The camera doesn't appear in the Audio Mixer panel.
• The camera's settings window has Position on the page (drag the box to move it, resize it from its bottom-right corner), Corner rounding and Default position.

Statuses you may see on the camera row:

The source settings window

Select the source and press the gear in the header (in the Forge theme, the gear in the Sources or Audio Mixer header). The window's title is the source's name.

There is no Save button; every change applies instantly.

Rows (depending on the source type):

Auto level works in two ways:

• On a Running App source that isn't a guest (music or video sound): it brings the sound to the same loudness as the decks. It measures loudness over a 3-second window and settles it in about 2 seconds; it raises by at most 24 dB and lowers by at most 12 dB. That way, for example, video sound from a browser doesn't come through much quieter than the decks. On this source it is on by default.
• On other sources and on guests: it is a slow-acting level balancer suited to speech.

When you turn the switch off, the gain returns to zero at the same rate, not all at once.

Removing a source

1. Select the source.
2. Press the trash can in the header.
3. The Remove window asks Remove the "name" source? Press Remove (or Cancel to back out).

The source and its settings are deleted. To silence it without deleting, use the eye button.

Status texts

Jingle and effect pads

The jingle panel is a grid of pads for playing short sounds with a single click: station IDs (jingles), transition sounds and effects such as applause or laughter.

Premium

Jingle and Effects pads are both Premium: "Jingle and effect pads are available with Radio Premium or All Products."

On a free account:

• A lock icon appears next to the Jingles and Effects tabs.
• Clicking the tabs, the bank/page buttons, the gear or a pad; right-clicking a pad; dropping a file on a pad or pressing the pad keys (1 … =) doesn't play any sound but opens the Premium window.
• Pads you filled earlier while on Premium are not deleted; they come back unchanged once your plan is active.

Panel layout

• Tabs: Jingles | Effects.
• Bank / page buttons (to the right of the header): banks A, B, C on the Jingles tab; pages 1, 2, 3 on the Effects tab. The selected one is highlighted.
• Gear (far right): opens the Jingles window (levels). Tooltip: Jingle settings.
• 12 pads: 4 columns × 3 rows in the Dark DJ theme, 3 columns × 4 rows in the Forge theme. In the Dark DJ theme, each pad has its own color according to its position.

Each pad shows:

• Name (shortened if it doesn't fit).
• Time (for example "0:05"). While playing, the remaining time counts down in the form "−0:03" and the pad fills from left to right.
• The pad's key in the top right (1, 2, … 9, 0, -, =).
• An empty pad says Empty.

Jingles tab

This is where you put your own sounds: 3 banks (A, B, C) × 12 pads = 36 pads. You switch between banks with the A / B / C buttons in the header.

Effects tab

Built-in sound effects and empty slots for you to fill are laid out as 3 pages (1, 2, 3) × 12 pads. The built-in effects come first; after them, 10 empty slots are yours.

• The built-in effect set is downloaded from ForgeOcean to Premium accounts.
• The sound of built-in effects can't be changed or removed; only the name can be changed.
• You put your own sound into the empty slots just like Jingle pads.

Putting a sound on a pad

There are three ways:

Clicking an empty pad:

1. Click an empty pad. (Tooltip on hover: "Empty pad: click to choose an audio file (or drag one from the library or File Explorer)".)
2. Choose the audio file in the window that opens (mp3, m4a, aac, wav, flac, wma).

Drag and drop:

• Drop an audio file from Windows File Explorer onto the pad. If you drop several files, only the first is used.
• Drag a track from the music library onto the pad. While you drag, the pad under the pointer is highlighted.
• Files can't be dropped on built-in effect pads.

Right-click menu: Right-click the pad and choose Choose file.

• Putting a new file on a filled pad replaces the old one.
• The pad is named after the file (without the extension). A track dropped from the library comes with its name in the library.
• A pad sound can be at most 60 seconds long. A longer file is assigned to the pad but doesn't play; the pad looks faded.
• While the file is being prepared, "…" is shown instead of the time.
• Sounds are loaded into memory, so the pad plays without delay every time you press it.

Playing and stopping

• Clicking a filled pad plays the sound.
• Clicking a playing pad again stops it (with a 10 ms soft fade-out; there is no "click").
• Pads are independent of each other: several pads can play at the same time. Pressing one pad doesn't stop the others.
• A playing pad shows a highlighted frame and a filling progress bar.

Keyboard keys

The 12 pads of the bank or page shown on screen can be played from the keyboard:

• The keys work only while the program is in front and you aren't typing in a text field. They don't work while a window or menu is open, or while Ctrl or Alt is held down.
• Pressing a key is the same as clicking: it plays a pad that isn't playing and stops one that is.
• Only the pads of the bank/page shown on screen play. To play a pad in another bank, switch to that bank first.
• These keys can't be changed. They are listed in main menu > Settings > Shortcuts on the Jingle keys row ("Work while the program is in front and you're not typing.").

Right-click menu

Opens when you right-click a pad:

Rename window: type the new name in the box and press Save or Enter. Cancel discards the change.

Jingles window (levels)

Press the gear in the panel header. The window's title is Jingles; it has two sliders:

Changes apply instantly, including to sounds playing at that moment.

When to change them: if your jingles sound much louder or quieter than the music, adjust Jingle level; if the effects drown out your voice, adjust Effects level.

Pad states

Clicking a pad with a warning doesn't play any sound. Right-click the pad and assign a new file with Choose file.

Where the jingle sound goes

• Jingles and effects go to the main output (speakers), the broadcast and the recording.
• They are not ducked while you speak: even with Duck Music on, your station ID and effects are heard at full level. So if you are going to play an effect while speaking, set Effects level accordingly.
• Every pad played from the Jingles tab is written to the Broadcast Schedule with the label "Jingle". Pads played from the Effects tab aren't written to the schedule. The Broadcast Schedule is covered in the Broadcasting and Station chapter.

Jingles from the tablet

The Forge DJ Control Panel tablet can also play, stop, rename and empty pads and change the levels; Premium is required on the tablet too. Details are in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

The Premium window

Opens when you try to use a Premium feature (jingle/effect pads, the Noise Removal button in the Forge theme, etc.) on a free account.

• Title: Subscribe to Premium
• Text: Which feature is available with which plan (for example "Jingle and effect pads are available with Radio Premium or All Products.").
• Open subscription page: opens ForgeOcean's pricing page in your browser.
• Refresh: re-reads your account's entitlements right away. If you've just paid, press this to get Premium into the program. While it reads, the button says Working....

Announcements

The Announcement window shows news that ForgeOcean sends to Forge Radio Station users (new version, promotions, maintenance information, etc.). There is nothing for you to set in this window; you read it and close it.

When it appears

• The program checks for announcements at startup and then every 30 minutes in the background. The check doesn't hold up the program.
• If there is a new announcement, the window opens by itself.
• While you're on air, while recording, or while the sign-in or language selection window is open, the announcement doesn't open; it waits. It appears once the broadcast or recording ends. That way no window pops up on your screen in the middle of a live broadcast.
• If there is no internet connection, the check is skipped silently; any announcement received earlier stays valid.

What the window shows

The window's title is Announcement. The content can come in three forms:

• Text.
• Image and text: The image is fitted to the window's width, keeping its proportions; the text is below it.
• Video: The video plays inside the window. You can click the play, pause and volume buttons with the mouse and scroll with the wheel. The video's sound plays from the main output (speakers); it doesn't go to the broadcast or the recording.

If the image or video can't be downloaded, the announcement is shown as text.

While the announcement window is open, you can't click other parts of the program; close the window first.

Closing the window

In the window's bottom strip:

• The Do not show this again box.
• The Close button (the X in the top right does the same).

When the window closes, the video stops too.

Broadcasting and Station

This chapter covers:

• Where the broadcast goes: the Forge station and External server cards.
• Adding, editing and removing servers; connection details and how passwords are stored.
• Audio format and bitrate; the difference between Free and Premium.
• Starting and stopping the broadcast, status indicators, listener count.
• What happens when the connection drops, and error messages.
• How the current track and its cover reach listeners; the station logo in the top bar; the broadcast schedule.
• Camera broadcasting.
• Listener chat and track requests.
• The Radio panel on forgeocean.com: opening a station, settings, authorizing DJs, Auto DJ, live status.
• The listener page and share links.
• Radio Premium.

Recording is covered in the Recording chapter; managing the broadcast from a tablet in the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

The basic idea: where the broadcast goes

Every place your broadcast goes sits in the top bar as a server card. There are two kinds of card:

The cards marked Include in broadcast all go on air at the same time when you press Start Broadcast. You choose which cards go on air from the card menu.

The sound that goes on air is the program's broadcast mix: decks, microphone, jingles and sources enabled for broadcast. Mixing is covered in the Decks and Mixing and Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapters.

Free and Premium

If you click something locked, the Subscribe to Premium window opens. It states the reason and has two buttons:

• Open subscription page: opens the forgeocean.com pricing page in your browser.
• Refresh: asks for your account details again right away. If you have just paid, press this to unlock Premium. While the request runs, it shows Working....

Broadcast items in the top bar

The program has two themes (Dark DJ and Forge). The broadcast items sit in different places in each theme:

The Dark DJ theme shows top bar labels in capitals. In this guide, button names are written as in the interface text.

The server card

Each card shows the card's name and a status dot:

• In the Dark DJ theme, the format and bitrate appear on the right of the card (for example MP3 · 128). While connecting you see Connecting…, during a long drop a duration such as Connecting (3 min), and on an error a short error text (in red).
• In the Forge theme, a format badge sits at the top right of the card, and the bottom line shows a status pill (LIVE · time, CONNECTING, OFF) and the listener count (12 listeners) or a short error text.
• The name of a card that is not included in the broadcast is shown dimmed.
• Hovering over a card shows a tooltip: Click for settings: Include in broadcast, Edit, Remove. If the card has an error, the tooltip shows the long description of the error.
• The error stays on the card after the broadcast stops, so you can read what happened later. It is cleared on the next broadcast.

Listeners and Peak

• Listeners: the total listeners across all servers that are live at the moment. If no server reports a number, — is shown.
  • On a Forge station, the station reports the number in real time.
  • On an external server, the program reads the number from the server's public statistics page every 15 seconds. If the server doesn't provide that page, the number is unknown.
• Peak (in the status bar): the highest listener total seen during this broadcast.

The other indicators in the status bar (Latency, Drops, Loudness, CPU and memory) are covered in the Getting Started chapter (Dark DJ: status bar).

Now Playing

The NOW PLAYING box (Now Playing in the Forge theme) shows the title and artist of the track the listener is hearing right now. The program picks the track like this:

• The track on the deck whose post-fader sound is strongest among the playing decks.
• So that the text doesn't flicker during transitions, it switches only after the new candidate has stayed ahead for 3 seconds.
• If no deck is playing (for example, you are only talking), the last track stays.
• Jingles and effects don't count.

If there is no track, the box shows —. The same information goes to listeners too (see How the current track and cover reach listeners below).

Adding a server

Press the + button in the top bar (tooltip: Add a broadcast server). The menu that opens has two rows:

• External server: opens the external server form.
• Forge station: opens the Forge station form. On a free account (and if you aren't an invited DJ), a Premium chip sits next to the row. Clicking it opens the Premium window: "Broadcasting to a Forge station is available with Radio Premium or All Products."

If you press Start Broadcast when no server is included in the broadcast, this menu opens by itself with the warning "Add a server before going on air." above it.

Step by step: adding a Forge station

You first need a station on forgeocean.com, or a station owner must have authorized you as a DJ (see The Radio panel on forgeocean.com below).

1. Make sure you are signed in to the program with your ForgeOcean account.
2. + > Forge station.
3. The window asks for the stations you can broadcast to (Loading stations…).
4. In the Station list, each row shows the station name and address (forgeocean.com/radyo/address). Select the station you will broadcast to. The first station comes preselected.
5. In the Format row, choose the audio format and bitrate (see Format and bitrate below).
6. If you like, choose a Station page theme (see Station page theme below).
7. Press Add. The card appears in the top bar.

Instead of the list, the window may show one of these messages:

While the list is empty, Add stays dimmed.

If you are an invited DJ: a free ForgeOcean account is enough. The program checks whether you are invited at sign-in and, on a free account, every 10 minutes. If you have just been invited and still see the Premium chip on the Forge station row, wait a few minutes or close and reopen the program.

Step by step: adding an external server

1. + > External server.
2. Fill in the form:

1. If you like, press Test connection (see below).
2. Press Add. If the address or password is empty, the warning "Address and password are required." appears and the card is not added.

Cancel closes the form without saving.

Pasting a full address into the Address box

If your hosting service gave you a single-line address (for example http://radio.example.com:8000/live), you can paste it as-is into the Address box. When saving, the program:

• Strips prefixes such as http:// and https:// at the start.
• Moves a port such as :8000 in the address into the Port field.
• Moves a path such as /live in the address into Mount point, if that field is empty.

Test connection

Test connection connects to the server with the details in the form and sends 1 second of silence. You find out whether the server really accepts the stream without going on air. Listeners don't hear this silence, because the broadcast hasn't started.

• While it runs, the button is dimmed and shows Testing….
• If it succeeds, a green Connection successful appears.
• If it fails, the long description of the error is shown in red (see Error messages below).
• If the address or password is empty, no test is made and "Address and password are required." appears.

If you press Add (or Save) after a successful test, the program stores the connection method it found together with the card. On later broadcasts it connects directly that way.

Connection method

The external server form doesn't ask for the server type. The program finds the right connection method by itself:

• If you entered a mount point: it first tries the newer connection type with a mount point, and if that fails, the older connection type with the same mount point.
• If the mount point is empty: it first tries the password-only connection (for this type the program uses the port one above the stream port, for example 8001 for 8000), and if that fails, a connection with the root path (/) as the mount point.
• If the server explicitly rejects the password, or the mount point is in use, no other method is tried. The error is shown right away.

The program doesn't mark the stream for publication in the server's public stream directories.

Format and bitrate

The Format row has two choices side by side: the format and the bitrate.

• The default for a new card is MP3, 128 kbps.
• The stream is sent at 44.1 kHz stereo.
• On a free account, Premium bitrates show · Premium next to them. If you pick one, the bitrate doesn't change and this warning appears inside the form: "Broadcast quality above 128 kbps is available with Radio Premium or All Products."
• When you change the format and the selected bitrate doesn't exist in the new format (for example, switching from MP3 320 to AAC), the bitrate returns to 128 kbps.

Which to choose:

• Choose the format that works with the players most of your listeners use. MP3 is the most widely compatible format.
• At the same bitrate, AAC usually sounds better.
• A higher bitrate needs more internet upload speed. If you broadcast to several servers at once, each server uses that speed separately.

How passwords are stored

• Server passwords are not written in plain text to the settings file. They are stored wrapped in Windows' per-user encrypted store. Only the same Windows user on the same computer can open them.
• Passwords are not written to the log file.
• When you remove a server, its password is also deleted from the settings file.
• If you move the settings file to another computer or another Windows user, the passwords can't be opened. Edit the cards and enter the password again.

The server list belongs to your account

Your server cards are stored in the folder of the ForgeOcean account you are signed in with. If you sign in with another account on the same computer, that account's server list appears. When you return to your own account, your own list comes back.

The server card menu

Clicking a card opens a menu:

• Include in broadcast: if checked, the card goes on air with Start Broadcast. If you check it during a broadcast, the program connects to that server immediately. If you uncheck it, that server's connection closes immediately. If you uncheck the last server on air, the broadcast ends.
  • On a free account, checking a second card opens the Premium window: "Broadcasting to several servers at once is available with Radio Premium or All Products." Uncheck the other one first.
  • On a free account, a newly added second card arrives with Include in broadcast unchecked.
• Edit: opens the card's form with its saved details. The button becomes Save.
• Remove: asks for confirmation: "Remove the server "…"?" If you choose Remove, the card is deleted. If a broadcast is running, that server's connection closes.

Going on air and stopping the broadcast

Step by step: going on air

1. Check that at least one card has Include in broadcast checked.
2. Press Start Broadcast.
3. The cards show Connecting…. As soon as any server is live, the button becomes Stop Broadcast and the broadcast time starts counting.
4. The live card's dot turns green.

If Record when going on air is on, recording starts together with the broadcast (see the Recording chapter).

On a free account, settings left over from Premium are not deleted; they are only limited during the broadcast:

• Forge station cards are not put on air (unless you are an invited DJ). If the only card included in the broadcast is a Forge station, the broadcast doesn't start and the Premium window opens.
• If several cards are included in the broadcast, only the first one in the list goes on air.
• A bitrate above 128 kbps is used as 128 kbps on air. The value saved on the card doesn't change.

While connecting

While connecting, pressing the button a second time abandons the connection without asking for confirmation. Be careful not to click twice by accident.

If the broadcast doesn't start

If every server included in the broadcast has been tried once and none could be connected, the Broadcast did not start window opens: "Could not connect to any server. Hover over a server card for details." Press Close and hover over the cards to read the reason.

Stopping the broadcast

1. Press Stop Broadcast.
2. The Stop Broadcast window asks: "Stop the broadcast? Listeners will be disconnected."
3. Stop ends the broadcast. Cancel keeps it running.

Connections are closed in the background. Even if a server doesn't respond, the program doesn't freeze.

Closing the program during a broadcast

If you try to close the program while a broadcast is running, the Broadcast in progress window opens: "If the program closes, the broadcast stops."

• Stop broadcast and close: ends the broadcast and closes the program.
• Cancel: the program stays open and the broadcast continues.

If a recording is also running, the window opens with the title Broadcast and recording in progress ("If the program closes, both the broadcast and the recording stop.", button Stop and close).

Changing settings while on air

During a broadcast you can change a card with Edit and press Save:

• If only the Name changed, or on a Forge station only the Station page theme, the connection is not interrupted. The theme is passed to the listener page right away.
• If the address, port, mount point, username, password, format, bitrate or station changed, that server reconnects with the new settings. That server's listeners hear a short interruption.

Disconnection and reconnection

If a server's connection drops during a broadcast, the broadcast doesn't stop. The card turns yellow and the program tries to reconnect by itself:

• The first attempt is made after 2 seconds. After each failed attempt the wait doubles, up to 30 seconds.
• Once the drop lasts more than 1 minute, the card shows the duration: Connecting (1 min), Connecting (2 min)...
• The broadcast time is not reset. The other servers stay on air.
• For a server that has been live once, the program never stops trying. Even if the internet or the server comes back hours later, the broadcast resumes by itself. This matters for long unattended broadcasts.
• On a Forge station, if the session appears to have expired, the program rereads your session details from the account on every attempt. If the station temporarily can't be found or the Premium renewal is late, it retries at 5-minute intervals.
• On permanent errors, such as the password no longer being accepted, retrying stops and the card stays red.

A server that has never been live (for example, a card you newly included in the broadcast while it was running) is retried for 10 minutes on temporary errors. After that, the card shows Could not connect.

If the connections of all servers on air end permanently, the Broadcast stopped window opens: "No server can be reached."

Error messages

The card shows a short text; hovering over the card shows the long text.

Another DJ on a Forge station

Only one DJ can be live on a station at a time.

Connecting while another DJ is live

• If you connect as the station owner while another DJ is live, the Another DJ is live window opens: "… is live right now. Do you want to take over the broadcast?" Below it: "If you take over, … is dropped; the station's auto DJ plays until your audio arrives."
  • Take over: the other DJ is dropped and you connect.
  • Cancel (or closing the window with X / Esc): you don't connect. The card turns grey.
• If the take-over question doesn't come, the card shows the Another DJ is live error.

If your broadcast is taken over or cut off

• The Taken over window: "… took over the broadcast on this station." The card stays red and the program doesn't reconnect to this station. If other cards of yours are on air, they continue.
• If the station owner removes you with Take off air in the panel, the card shows the Refused error.
• If the station owner removes your DJ access, a persistent window opens: Your DJ access was removed / "The station owner removed your DJ access; you can no longer broadcast to this station." The card stays red.

Station page theme

In the Forge station form, the Station page theme row chooses which theme the station page shows while your broadcast is running.

• The row shows the theme's thumbnail and name. The note below it: "Shown on the station page only while you are live. When you go off air, the page returns to the station theme."
• Change opens the theme grid (the button becomes Close). The first card is Station: it doesn't change the theme the station owner chose in the panel (the row shows Station theme (no change)). The other 28 themes are laid out with their numbers and names.
• Clicking a theme selects it and closes the grid. The choice is saved with Add / Save.
• If you change the theme and save during a broadcast, it is passed to the page without interrupting the connection.

The station's own theme is chosen in the panel (see Station tab below).

How the current track and cover reach listeners

The program reports the track in the Now Playing box to the servers:

• Forge station: the track title, the artist and the track's cover image are sent. The listener page shows them.
  • The cover is taken from the image embedded in the track file (MP3, M4A, FLAC, WMA) and scaled down to at most 320 pixels.
  • If the cover isn't ready within 1.5 seconds, the track info is sent without a cover.
  • If the file has no cover, the station page searches for a cover by the track title. If none is found, the station logo is shown, and if there is no logo either, a plain disc.
• External server: text in the form Artist - Title is sent (just the title if there is no artist). No cover is sent.
• The track info is sent after the first audio has gone on air.

Station logo

In the logo spot on the left of the top bar, the station logo you uploaded in the panel is shown. If there is no logo, the Forge Radio Station mark stays.

• The program refreshes the logo from the site at sign-in and every 30 minutes. After changing the logo in the panel, wait up to 30 minutes or restart the program to see it.
• When you sign out, the logo is removed.

To upload a logo, see Station tab below.

Broadcast Schedule

The Schedule tab of the right panel (Broadcast Schedule in the Forge theme) lists, with times, what went to the listeners during the broadcast. The Queue tab in the same panel and the Auto switch (Auto Broadcast in the Forge theme) are covered in the Decks and Mixing chapter.

• The list fills only while a broadcast is running and starts over with every new broadcast. When there is no broadcast it shows Schedule is empty.
• The newest row is at the top. Up to 300 rows are kept. Scroll with the mouse wheel.
• A track is written when it starts playing with its deck's fader and crossfader share open (that is, when it is actually heard). Pausing and resuming doesn't add a new row.
• Files played from file or folder sources are also written.

Each row shows the time, the track title, the artist and duration below it, and a badge on the right:

Broadcasting with a camera

Your camera picture is shown to listeners on the station page while you are live on a Forge station. Nothing is recorded; it can only be watched live. The picture is not sent to external servers.

When to use it: when you want to show your studio, yourself or a live performance. You don't need it for a music-only broadcast. The audio broadcast is independent of the camera.

When the camera goes on air

All of these are needed at once:

• There is a Camera source in the Sources panel and its eye is on.
• You are signed in to the app.
• You are connected live to a Forge station.
• The station's camera time for this month has not run out.

If you are live on more than one Forge station, the camera goes to the first live station.

Adding a camera source

1. In the Sources panel, + (Add source) > Camera.
2. In the Camera window, pick your camera from the Connected cameras list. If there is only one camera, it is already selected.
3. Press Add.

• If the computer has no camera, the list says No connected camera found.
• Only one camera source can be added. If you try to add a second, the "Only one camera can be added" notification appears.
• The camera source produces no sound. It is for picture only.
• To take the camera off the broadcast temporarily, turn off the source's eye (Turn source off). The audio broadcast continues.

Status messages on the camera row

Position and look on the page

Open the camera source's settings (select the source and press the gear button, tooltip Settings of the selected source). In the window:

• Name: the source's name.
• Position on the page: a small preview of the station page. The preview's background is the picture of the station page theme selected on your Forge station card. The box with the purple frame is where the camera goes. While the window is open, your camera's live picture shows inside the box.
  • Drag the box to move it.
  • Resize it by dragging the handle in the bottom-right corner. Each side of the box can be at least 8% of the page.
  • The note below it: "Drag the box to move it and resize it from the bottom-right corner. On phones the camera appears in place of the cover art."
• Corner rounding: from 0% (sharp corners) to 100% (most rounded). The default is 16%.
• Default position: returns the box to its default place in the top right and its default size (32% of the page).
• At the bottom of the window: "Camera time is 40 hours per station per month; when it runs out the camera turns off and the audio broadcast continues."

Changes apply immediately. If you move the box during a broadcast, it moves on the listener page right away too.

Picture quality

There are no picture settings. The app opens the camera at up to 1280×720, 30 frames per second, and sends it at a fixed quality. If the camera gives a larger picture, it is scaled down keeping its aspect ratio.

Time limit

• Camera time is 40 hours per station per month. Time only counts while the camera is actually on air.
• When the time runs out, the camera turns off and the audio broadcast continues. The row shows This month’s camera time is used up (40 hours).
• If you turn the camera off and on again (eye button), the app tries once more.
• If you are broadcasting as an invited DJ, the camera depends on the station owner's subscription. Premium is not required on your account.

If the camera freezes or disconnects

• If the camera gives no new picture for 3 seconds (a loose cable, another program took the camera), the app closes the camera stream and reopens the camera 5 seconds later. This way listeners don't watch a frozen frame and your time isn't used up for nothing.
• If the video connection drops, it is set up again after 5 seconds.
• If the graphics card driver is reinstalled, the camera reopens immediately.

How listeners see the camera

• On a computer: on the page, in the position and size you chose.
• On a phone (narrow screen): in place of the cover art.
• The picture is delayed by a few seconds so that it appears in sync with the sound.
• A listener can hide the camera with the box's × button. The choice is remembered in their own browser. Show camera brings it back.

Listener chat and requests

The app's Chat panel shows your Forge station's listener chat and track requests. The panel has two tabs: Chat and Requests.

Chat tab

• Chat works only while you are live on a Forge station. Otherwise the panel says Chat is only available on Forge stations and the text box is dimmed.
• If there are no messages yet, it says No messages yet.
• The newest message is at the bottom. Scroll up with the mouse wheel.
• Listener names are written in fixed colors, with the avatar they chose next to them. These colors are the same as on the listener page.
• DJ messages appear with a DJ badge, inside a red-tinted box.

Writing a message

1. Type in the Write a message box at the bottom.
2. Press Enter or the send button on the right.

• Your message goes out with a DJ badge. The station owner writes under the station name, an invited DJ under the DJ name given in the panel.
• A message is at most 200 bytes. Accented letters and special characters take up more space, so long messages are cut off at the end.
• If you are live on more than one Forge station at the same time, your message goes to all of them.

Message menu

Right-click a message:

• Delete message: deletes the message from the chat. It is also removed from the listener pages. If you delete a DJ message, the copies of the same message on the other stations are deleted too.
• Mute …: mutes that listener for this broadcast. This item is not on DJ messages.
• Unmute: on a muted listener's message, this item appears instead of Mute ….

More than one station

If you are live on more than one Forge station, each message and request starts with the station it came from.

Requests tab

Track requests that listeners send from the station page are listed here.

• The number of unread requests shows as a badge on the tab title. A request counts as read once it appears on screen while the tab is open.
• Each row shows, on top, the station (with more than one station), the requester's name and the time; below, the track name and artist; if there is a note, it is on a third line.
• The two buttons on the right of the row:
  • + (tooltip Search the library): writes the track name and artist into the library search box and marks the request as handled. A handled request appears dimmed.
  • Trash can (tooltip Remove request): removes the request from the list.
• If there are no requests, it says No requests yet. Scroll the list with the mouse wheel.

Searching the library is covered in the Music Library chapter.

When the broadcast ends

When the broadcast ends, the chat and the request list in the app are cleared. The next broadcast starts empty.

The Radio panel on forgeocean.com

You open and manage your station from the panel on forgeocean.com.

Getting to the panel

1. Sign in to forgeocean.com with your account.
2. Click Dashboard at the top.
3. Click the Radio row in the panel.

The top strip of the panel shows your station's address.

Without Radio Premium

If you don't have a Radio Premium or All Products subscription, the tab says "Radio stations come with Radio Premium." and shows a See pricing button.

If you had a station before, the deletion date appears below it: "Your station and auto DJ files will be deleted on …. Renew Radio Premium and everything picks up where it left off." The station and its files are deleted 14 days after Premium ends. If you renew within that time, nothing is lost.

When Premium ends, the station page shows Off air and nobody can broadcast to the station.

Station Terms of Use

Before opening a station, changing settings or uploading files, you must accept the Station Terms of Use. The terms open in a full-screen window:

1. Read the text.
2. Tick the I have read and accept box.
3. Press Accept and continue. The action you started (for example opening a station) continues by itself.

Cancel closes the window and nothing is done. If a new version of the terms is published, the panel asks again once. For an action that needs acceptance, the warning "To continue, you need to accept the Station Terms of Use." may also appear.

Step by step: open your station

If you don't have a station yet, the Open your station card appears.

1. Display name: your station's name (2-40 characters).
2. Address: the part after forgeocean.com/radyo/. This is the address listeners will go to.
3. Press Open station.

Address rules:

• Only lowercase letters (a-z), digits and hyphens. Uppercase letters are made lowercase, other characters are removed automatically.
• Between 3 and 30 characters.
• Starts and ends with a letter or digit. Two hyphens cannot be next to each other.
• Some names that clash with the site's own pages (for example radyo, admin, panel, destek) cannot be taken.
• An address used by another station, or released by one within the last 30 days, cannot be taken.

If the address cannot be taken, it says "This address is taken". This warning also appears when the address breaks the rules.

Each account has one station.

Station tab

If your station is open, the panel has three tabs: Station, Auto DJ, Live status. The tab you selected last is remembered in this browser.

Fields on the left card of the Station tab:

The note under the link boxes: "Paste the stream address into the radio boxes in game rooms and apps; it plays without pressing a button. If a game can't open the https address, use the http one." When you press Copy, the button briefly says Copied.

Press Save to keep your changes. Logo and Station theme are saved immediately with their own buttons; Save is not needed.

Changing the address:

1. Type the new address in the Address box and press Save.
2. The The address is changing window asks: "forgeocean.com/radyo/old will become forgeocean.com/radyo/new. The old address redirects to the new one for 30 days; after that another station can take it."
3. Change confirms, Cancel doesn't save.

When the address changes:

• Listeners who open the old address are redirected to the new one for 30 days. Listeners who have the page open move to the new address by themselves.
• The old /stream address keeps playing for 30 days.
• The Forge station card in the app picks up the new address by itself the next time the app opens.
• Replace the links you shared with the new ones within 30 days.

Logo:

1. Press Upload and choose a PNG, JPEG, WebP or GIF file.
2. Large PNG, JPEG and WebP images are scaled down in the browser before sending, so the long side is 800 pixels (to keep the listener page light). Animated GIFs are not scaled down.
3. The logo is saved immediately.

The logo appears at the top of the listener page, in place of the cover for tracks without cover art, and in the app's top bar. Remove deletes the logo.

Station theme:

1. Press Change. The Choose station theme window lists 28 themes with thumbnails.
2. Click a theme. It is saved immediately and Theme saved. appears.
3. Cancel, Esc or clicking outside the window closes it without changes.

The note on the row: "When no DJ is live (auto DJ or off air), everyone sees this theme. DJs can pick their own theme in the app while broadcasting." If the live DJ picked their own theme, the page shows that theme for the whole broadcast (see Station page theme above).

Deleting the station:

1. Press Delete station. The note under the button: "Permanently deletes the station together with all its MP3s, jingles, folders, logo and DJ access."
2. The Delete the station permanently? window opens: "The station address, all MP3s, jingles, folders, the logo and DJ access are deleted permanently; any live broadcast is cut off. This cannot be undone."
3. Type your station address in the To confirm, type the station address: … box. Once the address matches, the Delete station button becomes active.
4. Press Delete station. The Station deleted. notification appears and the panel shows the Open your station card.

The deleted station's address is freed immediately. A station closed by an administrator cannot be deleted ("A station closed by the administrator can't be deleted.").

Authorizing DJs

From the Authorize DJs card on the right of the Station tab, you add the DJs who may broadcast to your station. The card's note: "DJs you invite can broadcast to your station with a free ForgeOcean account. The app's other Premium features need their own subscription."

Step by step:

1. Email: the email address of the DJ's ForgeOcean account.
2. DJ name: the name shown in the chat and on the page (2-20 characters).
3. Press Add.

• Up to 3 DJs can be authorized ("At most 3 DJs can be authorized").
• If there is no account with that email, it says "No ForgeOcean account with this email". Adding your own email gives the same warning: the station owner can already broadcast.
• The DJ name cannot be the same as the station name or another DJ's name (case does not matter).
• If you add an email that is already on the list with a new name, the DJ's name is updated.
• In their app, the DJ sees your station in the list via + > Forge station (see Adding a Forge station above).

Each DJ's name, email and a Remove button are shown in the list. If the DJ you remove is live at that moment, you are asked first: "… is live right now" / "If you remove them, their broadcast stops right away and they can no longer broadcast to your station." If you choose Remove, their broadcast, chat permission and camera are cut off immediately.

Auto DJ tab

When no DJ is live, Auto DJ plays the MP3s you uploaded to the server in shuffled order. This keeps the station on air 24/7. Your computer doesn't need to be on.

Top row:

• Auto DJ switch (tooltip Auto DJ on): when it is off and no DJ is live, the station shows Off air.
• Auto DJ plays: chips: All or one or more folders. Click to select or deselect.
• Refresh: immediately restarts the selected folders in a new shuffled order, including newly uploaded songs ("The selected folders restarted in a new shuffled order."). Dimmed while Auto DJ is off.

Storage:

• The Storage bar shows used / total space. The Plan row says Radio Premium · 10 GB.
• Storage is 10 GB and at most 3000 tracks. When full, it says "Storage is full".

Jingles:

• Play a jingle: Off, Every 3 songs, Every 5 songs, Every 10 songs. Auto DJ plays a random one of your jingles at the chosen frequency.
• Upload jingle: choose one or more MP3s. Up to 50 jingles ("You can upload up to 50 jingles.").
• Show jingles (n) / Hide jingles (n) opens and closes the list. Each jingle has a Delete next to it. If the list is empty, it says No jingles yet.
• Note: "While a jingle plays, the station page shows your station name."

These jingles belong to the station's Auto DJ. The jingle pads in the app are covered in the Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapter.

Folders:

• The strip shows All, your folders (with their track counts) and + New folder. The first folder is General.
• + New folder: type a Folder name and press Create. Up to 30 folders ("You can create up to 30 folders."). Names must be unique ("A folder with this name already exists.").
• While a folder is selected, Rename and Delete folder appear.
• Delete folder: if the folder is empty, it asks for confirmation. If not: "The “…” folder has … tracks. You can move them to another folder before deleting." Choose the target folder and press Move and delete folder, or Delete with tracks, or Cancel.
• The track list opens when a folder (or All) is selected. Clicking the same chip again closes the list.

Uploading MP3s:

1. Select a folder. Nothing can be uploaded while All is selected ("Choose a folder to upload to.").
2. Press Upload MP3 and choose one or more files.
3. The files are uploaded one after another and the progress bar fills.

• Only MP3 is accepted (MP3 (32–320 kbps)). A file must be at most 100 MB and longer than 1 second.
• An invalid file shows "This file is not a valid MP3", a file that is too large shows "File is too large.". The name of the failing file is shown at the start of the warning and the upload stops there.
• The track name is taken from the file's tags, or from the file name if there are none.

Track list:

• Columns: Track, Length, Size. The Search songs box filters the list ("No matching songs.").
• Each row has Move (folder choice) and Delete.
• When you select several tracks with the row checkboxes, a … tracks selected strip appears at the top: choose a Move to folder and press Move, or Delete. The checkbox in the header selects all.
• Deleting asks for confirmation: "… tracks will be deleted. This can't be undone."

Live status tab

• Playing: a colored dot and the status: Live · DJ name, Auto DJ or Off air.
• Listeners: the current number of listeners.
• While the tab is open, the information refreshes every 15 seconds.

The Take off air button appears only while a DJ is live:

1. Press Take off air.
2. In the window that opens, choose:
   • Only stop this broadcast: the DJ is dropped from the air but keeps their access.
   • Stop and remove DJ access: the DJ is dropped and removed from the DJ list. Removing access does not apply to your own broadcast.
3. Confirm with Take off air, or Cancel.

If the station was closed

If an administrator closes a station for breaking the rules, the panel says "Your station was closed for violating the rules. For details: [email protected]." The listener page shows "This station has been taken down."

Panel warnings

Listener page

Listeners listen to your station on the forgeocean.com/radyo/address page. The page works on computers and phones; no app is needed. The page opens in the language the listener chose on the site, or otherwise in their browser's language.

Items on the page

• Header: the station logo and name; the ON AIR badge during a live broadcast, the AUTO DJ badge while Auto DJ plays; the LISTENERS count.
• Play / pause button (shaped like a disc). The cover of the playing track appears in the middle of the disc.
• When nothing is on air, it says Off air.
• NOW PLAYING: track name and artist.
• Request a song: appears only during a live DJ broadcast.
• Volume slider (70% at start) and a mute button.
• The CHAT section and the Write a message button. For visitors who are not signed in, a Sign in link.
• A Report button in the corner of the page.
• The Forge Radio Station · Start your own radio link.

Automatic playback

The broadcast starts by itself when the page opens. If the browser blocks autoplay with sound, the broadcast starts on the listener's first click or key press on the page.

Joining the chat

1. The listener presses Write a message.
2. In the Join the chat window, they choose Your nickname (2-20 characters), Gender (Woman, Man, Prefer not to say) and Your avatar.
3. Pressing Join opens the text box. A message is at most 200 characters.

• The nickname and avatar are remembered in the listener's browser.
• If the nickname is not accepted, the window opens again and another nickname must be chosen.
• If the station owner or an invited DJ is signed in on the site, they write from the page with the DJ badge. No nickname is asked.
• Chat and song requests open during a live broadcast. When a new live broadcast starts, the chat on the page is cleared.

Requesting a track

1. The listener presses Request a song.
2. The Request a song window: Song (required), Artist (optional), Note (optional). If they haven't chosen a nickname yet, Your name is also asked.
3. Send. If it succeeds, it says "Your request has reached the DJ."

• A listener who sends requests too often gets the warning "Wait … minutes before your next request."
• A muted listener gets the warning "You can't send requests during this broadcast."
• The request lands in the Requests tab in your app.

Report

With Report, a listener can report the station to the management: Reason (Copyright infringement, Inappropriate content, Other), Description, Your email (optional). After sending, it says "Your report has reached us. Thank you." At most 3 reports per day are accepted from the same place.

Theme

The page's look changes with the theme. Which theme is shown:

1. If the live DJ picked their own Station page theme, that one.
2. Otherwise, the station's theme chosen in the panel.
3. If there is none, the first theme (Original).

Page states

If the connection drops, the page reconnects by itself.

Sharing links

You get all three with the Copy buttons on the Station tab of the panel.

Radio Premium

Radio Premium (or All Products for Live + Radio) unlocks:

• The app's Premium features: 4 decks, sound effects, broadcasting to more than one server at once, quality above 128 kbps.
• 10 GB of Auto DJ storage.
• 24/7 live and Auto DJ broadcasting.
• The forgeocean.com/radyo/your-station address.
• Up to 3 authorized DJs.
• Listener chat.
• Camera broadcasting: 40 hours per station per month.
• The Forge DJ Control Panel tablet app (Android).
• 28 station page themes; the DJ on air can pick their own theme.

You subscribe on the Pricing page on forgeocean.com. You can see your plan on the Your plans card in the Account section of the panel.

Invited DJs don't need Premium: the station owner's Radio Premium is enough. If an invited DJ's own account has no Premium, the app's other Premium features (4 decks, multiple servers, above 128 kbps) stay locked.

When Premium ends

• The station page shows Off air and nobody can broadcast to the station.
• The deletion date appears in the panel. If you renew within 14 days, the station, files and settings carry on where they left off.
• Your settings saved in the app are not deleted; only broadcasting is limited (see Step by step: going on air above).

Common problems

Recording

This chapter covers:

• What the recording captures: which sounds go into the file and which don't.
• Starting and stopping a recording (in the Dark DJ and Forge themes).
• Recording automatically with the broadcast: Record when going on air.
• Every row in Settings > Recording: recording folder, format, automatic recording.
• The difference between MP3 and WAV, file sizes and long recordings.
• File names, where files are written and how to find them after recording.
• What happens when the disk fills up or the folder can't be written to.
• What the program holds back while a recording is running, and what it asks when you close it.
• The state of your recording file if the program closes unexpectedly.
• What the program remembers about recording.

What the recording captures

The recording writes exactly the same sound that goes to the broadcast to your computer as an audio file. Whatever mix the listener hears on your station is what goes into the file: the mix of the decks, your microphone, jingles and effects, and the sources going to the broadcast. The sound passes through the same peak limiter it goes through before reaching the broadcast.

What goes into the recording and what doesn't

In practice:

• The recording isn't affected by your speaker volume. Even if you turn the speakers down or mute them in Windows, the recording is written at the same level.
• Pre-listening doesn't leak into the recording. While you listen to the next track in the headphones, the recording contains only the sound that's on air.
• The recording continues even if your audio output device isn't working. If the speaker device can't be opened, the program shows the notification "The audio output device couldn't be opened - the broadcast continues, but there's no sound from the speakers." Meanwhile, both the broadcast and the recording continue without interruption. When the device comes back, it shows "The selected audio output is connected again."

Which sound goes to the broadcast is explained in detail in the Decks and Mixing and Microphone, Jingles and Announcements chapters.

It's independent of the broadcast

• You don't need to be on air to record. You can record even if you haven't added any server. Use it to prepare a mix in advance, record a show without going on air, or test your sound.
• The recording quality doesn't depend on the bitrate you chose for your broadcast servers. Even if the broadcast goes out at 128 kbps, the recording is written at the quality you chose in Settings > Recording > Format.

Free and Premium

Recording is the same on the Free plan and on Premium. Both the MP3 320 kbps and WAV (lossless) formats, as well as automatic recording, are available on the Free plan. The program sets no limit on recording length. The limit is the free space on your disk.

Starting and stopping a recording

Where the record button sits depends on the theme you've chosen (to change the theme: main menu > Theme). In both themes the button does the same job: press it when nothing is recording to start a recording, and press it while recording to stop.

In the Dark DJ theme

On the right side of the top bar, to the left of Clock, is the REC button with a red dot.

• When not recording: the button reads ● REC.
• While recording: the button's label turns into the elapsed time and file size, for example 01:12:34 · 166 MB. The button's border turns red, and the dot on the left pulses.

In the Forge theme

At the right end of the bottom status bar, to the left of the red Start Broadcast button, is the ● Start Recording button.

• When not recording: the button reads Start Recording.
• While recording: the button's label changes to Stop Recording and the button fills with color. The elapsed time and file size (for example 01:12:34 · 166 MB) are shown just to the left of the button.

Time and size display

• Time is in hours:minutes:seconds format and shows the time elapsed since the recording started.
• Size is the total data written to disk for this recording. Below 100 MB it's shown with one decimal place, above that as a whole number. Long WAV recordings are split into several files (see below). The display shows the total of all parts.

Step by step: making a recording

1. Check once where and in which format the recording will be written: main menu > Settings > Recording (described below). The defaults suit most uses.
2. Press REC in the Dark DJ theme, or Start Recording in the Forge theme.
3. Watch the time and size advance on the button. If the size is growing, the file is being written.
4. To finish, press the same button again (Stop Recording in the Forge theme).
5. The "Recording saved: …" notification appears at the bottom center of the screen for five seconds. If you click the notification, the file opens selected in its folder.

The notification when recording ends

When the recording stops, a notification with a green border appears at the bottom center of the window:

Recording saved: Forge Radio 2026-11-03 21-05.mp3 Open folder

• The notification stays visible for 5 seconds, then disappears.
• Clicking the notification opens Windows File Explorer in the recording folder and shows the file selected. That way you can copy, move or open the file right away.
• The notification appears when you stop the recording manually, when automatic recording ends with the broadcast, and when you stop the recording from Forge DJ Control Panel.
• If the recording stopped on its own because the disk filled up, a warning window opens instead of this notification (see "If the disk fills up and other errors").

If you missed the notification, you'll find the file in the recording folder (see "Finding recording files").

Recording from the tablet

If Forge DJ Control Panel is connected, you can also start and stop the recording from the tablet. It controls the same recording as the button in the program: you can stop a recording started on the tablet from the computer, and the other way round. A recording started from the tablet also uses the recording folder and format set in Settings > Recording. For details, see the Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts chapter.

The program has no keyboard shortcut for recording.

Recording with the broadcast: Record when going on air

If you want a recording of every broadcast, you don't have to start the recording manually. Turn on the main menu > Settings > Recording > Record when going on air switch. It's off by default.

When you hover over the switch, this tooltip appears: "Start Broadcast also starts recording; Stop Broadcast also stops it."

Exactly when it starts and when it ends

• Start: the recording starts not when you press Start Broadcast, but when the broadcast actually goes live (when it connects to at least one server). If no server can be reached and the broadcast doesn't start, the recording doesn't start either.
• End: when the broadcast stops, an automatically started recording stops too and the "Recording saved" notification appears. This applies both when you stop the broadcast yourself and when the broadcast stops on its own because it can't connect to any server.
• Short dropouts don't split the recording: when the connection drops, the broadcast is considered to be running while the program tries to reconnect to the server. During this time the recording isn't interrupted and continues as a single file.

Behavior in different situations

Recommended: if you want to archive every broadcast, leave the switch on. That way there's no risk of forgetting to start the recording.

Recording settings

You can reach the recording settings in two ways:

• Main menu (the menu button at the top left) > Settings > Recording in the strip on the left.
• The gear button on the right of the top bar in the Dark DJ theme, or the Settings button on the top bar in the Forge theme. Both open the same Settings window. Select Recording in the strip on the left.

This section has three rows:

Good to know:

• This window has no Save button. Every change you make is applied and stored immediately.
• If you change the folder or the format while recording, the current recording isn't affected. The new setting is used for the next recording.

Changing the recording folder

1. Main menu > Settings > Recording.
2. Press the Browse button in the Recording folder row.
3. In the Windows folder picker that opens, select a folder and confirm.
4. The new path appears in the box. From now on, recordings are written to this folder.

• If you cancel the folder picker, the old folder stays.
• If the folder you chose doesn't exist yet or is deleted later, the program creates it itself when a recording starts.
• Choose a disk with plenty of free space as the recording folder. Long WAV recordings take up hundreds of MB per hour.
• There's no separate button to return to the default folder. You can select the Forge Radio Station folder in your Music folder again with Browse.

Format: MP3 or WAV

Recommended: for most uses, MP3 320 kbps is enough. If you'll edit the recording and convert it to another format, choose WAV (lossless) and make sure you have space on your disk.

File names and the recording folder

Default folder

If you haven't changed the folder, recordings are written to the Forge Radio Station folder inside the Music folder in your Windows user folder. This folder is created automatically on the first recording. The Settings > Recording > Recording folder box always shows the full path of the folder in use.

File name

Each recording is named with the date and time of the moment it started:

Forge Radio 2026-11-03 21-05.mp3

The pattern: Forge Radio YYYY-MM-DD HH-MM, followed by .mp3 or .wav depending on the format. The time is your computer's local time.

• If a second recording is started in the same minute, the existing file isn't overwritten. A sequence number is added to the new file's name: Forge Radio 2026-11-03 21-05 (2).mp3, then (3), and so on.
• When files are sorted by name, they're also in date order. You can find the recording of a broadcast by its date and time.

Splitting long WAV recordings

WAV files have a size limit of 4 GB. Before reaching this limit, at about 3.9 GB, the program closes the file and continues the recording without interruption in a new file:

• No sound is lost between parts. The end of one part joins the start of the next.
• Each part holds about 5 hours 38 minutes of audio.
• The "Recording saved" notification shown when the recording ends gives the name of the last part. The earlier parts are in the same folder, under the same name without a number and with lower numbers.
• If you want the parts as a single file, you can join them one after another in an audio editor.

MP3 recordings aren't split; they're a single file for the whole recording.

Finding recording files

• Right after recording: click the "Recording saved: …" notification at the bottom of the screen. The file opens selected in its folder.
• Later: open the path in the main menu > Settings > Recording > Recording folder box in Windows File Explorer. If you haven't changed the folder, it's the Music > Forge Radio Station folder on the left side of File Explorer.

Using the recording file

• The recording file is a standard MP3 or WAV file. It opens in any audio player on your computer and can be copied to a phone or another computer.
• The file contains only audio. The list of played tracks, track names or cover art aren't written separately.
• You can share the MP3 recording as it is, upload it to a podcast service or offer it to your listeners as a replay of the broadcast.
• You can open the WAV recording in an audio editor, trim the silence at the start and end, adjust the level, and then convert it to any format you like.
• Since recordings are the very mix that goes to the broadcast, the rights to the music in them are the same as on air. Before sharing a recording publicly, make sure you have the right to share the music in it.
• The program never deletes or moves your recording files on its own. You decide when to delete old recordings. To free up space on your disk, move old recordings to another disk or a backup from time to time.

If the disk fills up and other errors

Free space check

While recording, the program checks the free space on the disk holding the recording folder every two seconds.

• If free space drops below 200 MB, the recording stops on its own. This margin prevents the disk from filling up completely and leaving Windows and other programs stuck.
• The part recorded up to that moment stays intact. The file is closed properly and can be opened.
• A warning window titled Recording appears on screen: "Recording stopped: the disk is full. Saved part: Forge Radio 2026-11-03 21-05.mp3". Close the window with Close.
• If the disk already has less than 200 MB free when the recording starts, the recording doesn't start at all and the same warning appears. In this case - appears in place of the file name.
• If any other write error occurs while writing to the disk (for example, if the USB drive you're recording to is removed), the recording stops the same way and the same warning is shown.

If an automatically started recording stopped because the disk filled up, it doesn't restart on its own, even if the broadcast continues.

Possible warnings

If you see the warning "Recording could not start: the MP3 encoder could not be opened. Set the recording format to WAV and try again.", the MP3 encoder couldn't be opened on your computer. Set Settings > Recording > Format to WAV (lossless) and try again. WAV recording doesn't need this encoder. If the problem persists, ask for support as described in the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

Very long MP3 recordings and USB drives: on FAT32-formatted disks (common on older or small USB drives), a file can't be larger than 4 GB. An MP3 recording on such a disk reaches this limit after about 29 hours, and the recording stops with the "disk is full" warning. For continuous recordings lasting days, choose a recording folder on your computer's own disk.

How the program behaves while recording

So that your recording isn't cut off halfway, the program holds back or blocks some actions while recording.

When closing the program

If you press the window's close (X) button or main menu > Exit while recording, the program doesn't close right away; it opens a confirmation window. The window depends on what's running at that moment:

• Cancel closes the window; the recording (and the broadcast) continues.
• The close button stops the recording properly, closes the file, then closes the program. Your file stays complete.
• Because the program closes right away, you won't see the "Recording saved" notification. The file is in the recording folder.

Before shutting down the computer

While recording, before shutting down or restarting Windows, stop the recording manually or close the program with the confirmation above. That way the file is closed properly.

If the program closes unexpectedly

If the program suddenly closes because of a problem, the recording file isn't deleted. The recording written up to that point is in the folder:

• MP3 recording: the file can be opened and played as far as it was written. The last few seconds may be missing.
• WAV recording: the program updates the WAV file's header information every second. Thanks to this, the file can be opened. At most about the last second is missing.
• Some players may show the wrong total length for such a file. The audio can still be played from start to finish.

When the program reopens, the recording doesn't resume on its own. To continue recording, press the record button again. The new recording is written to a new file with the date and time of that moment. The file from before the interruption stays where it is.

To ask for support with sudden program closures, see the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

What the program remembers about recording

The program stores these three recording settings and restores them every time it opens:

• Recording folder
• Format
• The state of the Record when going on air switch

These settings belong to this computer, not to your ForgeOcean account. Signing in with another account, or signing out and back in, doesn't change your recording folder or recording settings. Your recording files aren't affected by an account change either.

Keep in mind that the program doesn't remember whether a recording was running: when the program is closed and reopened, recording starts off. If Record when going on air is on, recording starts automatically again when the next broadcast goes live.

What the program remembers in general (where the decks left off, audio settings, panel layout, account-specific data) is described in the Troubleshooting, Support and Maintenance chapter.

Common problems

Forge DJ Control Panel and Shortcuts

This chapter covers:

• What Forge DJ Control Panel is, what it needs and how it relates to Premium.
• Downloading, installing and updating the tablet app.
• Every row of the DJ Control Panel window in the program.
• Pairing the tablet with the computer: by QR code or with a manual code.
• The screens, tabs and buttons of the tablet app.
• Sending the tablet's own audio and microphone to the program.
• What happens when the connection drops (including push to talk and CUE).
• Security: how pairing is protected and how to remove an unwanted tablet.
• DJ Control Panel problems and their solutions.
• All of the program's shortcuts: jingle keys, the microphone on/off shortcut, library keys and mouse shortcuts.

What Forge DJ Control Panel is

Forge DJ Control Panel is the app that lets you control Forge Radio Station remotely from an Android tablet. The tablet connects to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer and lets you do most of the program's work from the touchscreen: playing the decks, mixing, turning on the microphone, playing jingles and effects, managing sources and chat, and starting and stopping the broadcast and recording.

The tablet is not a "second program". Every button you press on the tablet does the same job as the same button in the program. Sound isn't played or processed on the tablet; all the sound stays on the computer, in the program. The tablet is only a remote control (you can also send the tablet's audio and the tablet's microphone to the program; see below).

What you need to know:

• DJ Control Panel is a Premium feature. Both the account using the program and the account signed in to the app on the tablet need the Radio Premium or All Products plan. Being an invited DJ on a station isn't enough for the tablet; your own account that you sign in with on the tablet must have the plan.
• The tablet and the computer must be on the same local network. You can't connect over the internet, from another home.
• At most 2 tablets can be connected at the same time.
• The app is for Android only.

Requirements

Downloading and installing the app

The installation file (ForgeDjControl.apk) is downloaded from the ForgeOcean website.

You'll find the download button in three places:

• The forgeocean.com/djcontrol page. This address is also written at the bottom of the DJ Control Panel window in the program: "Download the Forge DJ Control Panel tablet app (Android) at forgeocean.com/djcontrol."
• The Download Forge DJ Control Panel (APK) button in the download section of the Forge Radio Station page on the website (with a PREMIUM badge next to it).
• The Forge DJ Control Panel card in the Account section of the website panel. The card shows the app's version, the file size and the line Signed by Forgeocean · SHA-256. If your account has no plan, the card shows a Get Premium button instead of the download button.

The download is only available to an account that is signed in and has the Radio Premium or All Products plan:

• If you aren't signed in in the browser, you're first sent to the sign-in page. Once you sign in, the download starts by itself.
• If your account has no plan, you're sent to the pricing page.

Step by step: installing on the tablet

1. Open forgeocean.com/djcontrol in the tablet's browser.
2. Tap the Download Forge DJ Control Panel (APK) button. Sign in if asked.
3. Open the downloaded ForgeDjControl.apk file.
4. Before installing an app that comes from the browser, Android may ask you to allow that source. Allow it and confirm the installation.
5. Open the app. The sign-in screen appears (see "Signing in on the tablet").

You can also download the file on the computer and copy it to the tablet with a cable; the installation is the same.

In-app update

The app checks for a new version by itself: every time it opens and every time you return to the app on the tablet (at most once an hour). It doesn't check while you're on the sign-in screen.

1. If there's a new version, the Update window opens: "A new version is available: … (your version: …)." Buttons: Later and Update.
2. When you press Update, the file downloads: "Downloading Forge DJ Control Panel …", with the downloaded and total size and the speed below it. Cancel stops the download and deletes the partial file.
3. The downloaded file is checked for integrity. If it doesn't match, the file is deleted and not installed.
4. Android's own installation confirmation appears. On the first update, Android asks you to allow the app to install apps (a settings screen opens; once you allow it and go back, the installation continues).
5. When the installation finishes, a "Forge DJ Control Panel updated to …" notification appears. Tapping the notification opens the app.

Possible warnings:

Android doesn't install silently: a confirmation window appears with every update.

The DJ Control Panel window in the program

The pairing details are in the DJ Control Panel window in the program. It opens in two ways, and the contents are the same:

• The DJ Control Panel button on the right of the top bar (opens a separate window).
• Main menu > Settings > the DJ Control Panel section on the left. You can also open the Settings window with the gear button in the top bar.

Rows:

The app's download address is written at the bottom of the window.

If the code and address aren't ready yet (e.g. the server is starting), these rows show ------.

What's inside the QR code: all of the computer's local network addresses, the port, the pairing key, the 6-digit code and your computer's name. The Address row, on the other hand, shows only one address. If your computer has several network connections, using the QR code is more reliable, because the tablet tries all the addresses in turn.

The program re-reads the computer's network addresses every few seconds. If the network changes, the QR code updates by itself too.

Without Premium

If your account doesn't have Radio Premium or All Products:

• A PREMIUM chip appears next to the rows. Hovering over it shows the reason: "DJ Control Panel comes with the Radio Premium or All Products plan."
• An empty gray square is drawn instead of the QR code; the code and address become ------. New code is dimmed.
• A Get Premium button appears at the bottom of the window. Pressing it opens the Premium window.
• The server the tablets connect to doesn't run. If Premium ends during a session, the server closes at that moment and the connected tablets are disconnected.

When the server starts

The program starts the server the tablets connect to by itself; you don't need to press a button:

• The first time: when you first open the DJ Control Panel window (or its section in Settings). From then on, the pairing information is saved.
• On later launches: automatically when the program opens, if there's a saved pairing and Premium is active. You don't need to scan the tablet again each time.
• If the server can't start, red error text appears in place of the QR code. As long as the window stays open, the program tries again every few seconds.

Signing in on the tablet

The first time it opens, the app asks you to sign in with your ForgeOcean account. There's no password box: sign-in happens in the browser.

Sign-in screen

• Description: "Sign in with your ForgeOcean account to control Forge Radio Station from your tablet."
• The Sign in with ForgeOcean button opens the sign-in page in the tablet's browser.
• A note below it: "Sign-in opens in the browser; when it is done you come back to the app."
• The Language: … button chooses the app's language (see "The app's language").

After you sign in, the browser brings you back to the app. Possible warnings:

Premium screen

If the account you signed in with has no plan, no part of the app opens. Instead, a screen with a lock icon appears:

• Title: "DJ Control Panel opens with Premium"
• "This account has no Radio Premium:" with the account's email address below it.
• "Being an invited DJ on a station is not enough; your own account needs the Radio Premium or All Products plan."
• Go Premium: opens the pricing page in the browser.
• Check again: if you've bought a plan, queries the account again and opens the app.
• Use another account: signs out of this account and returns to the sign-in screen.

The app checks your account's plan every time it opens and every time you return to it. If there's no internet connection, the plan is assumed to be present for 24 hours after the last successful check. If the plan ends, the Premium screen appears at the next check.

Pairing

Pairing introduces the tablet to a computer. It's done once and is permanent: every time you open the app, the tablet connects by itself to the computer it last paired with.

After you sign in, the pairing screen appears. It shows your account's email address, the Scan QR code button, the ENTER THE CODE MANUALLY section and this note: "The tablet and the computer must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Pairing is permanent; the tablet connects by itself when the program opens."

Step by step: pairing with the QR code

1. On the computer, open Forge Radio Station and press the DJ Control Panel button in the top bar.
2. On the tablet, open Forge DJ Control Panel and tap Scan QR code.
3. The first time, Android asks for camera permission. Allow it.
4. Hold the camera up to the QR code on the screen. The screen shows the tip: "Point the camera at the QR code in Forge Radio Station (Settings › DJ Control Panel)."
5. When the QR code is read, the app switches to the main screen and connects. The connection chip turns green: Connected · <computer name>. The Tablet 1 row appears in the program's window.

Camera-related situations:

• If you denied camera permission, only an Allow access button remains on the screen. If you denied the permission permanently, this button opens the app's Android settings; once you grant camera permission there and come back, the camera opens by itself.
• If the tablet has no rear camera, the front camera is used.
• If the camera is being used by another app, "The camera could not be opened." appears.
• If the code you scan isn't a DJ Control Panel QR code, "This is not a DJ Control Panel QR code." appears.

With the tablet's own camera app

The QR code is actually a web address (it starts with forgeocean.com/djcontrol). You can also scan it with the tablet's own camera app or with any QR code reader:

• If Forge DJ Control Panel is installed, the address opens the app directly and pairing takes place.
• If it isn't installed, the forgeocean.com/djcontrol page opens in the browser. The page has an Open in Forge DJ Control Panel button and a button to download the app. Install the app and scan the QR code again.

The pairing information is in the part of the address after the # sign. Browsers don't send this part to the website; your pairing information doesn't go to ForgeOcean's servers.

Step by step: pairing with a manual code

If the tablet has no camera or the QR code won't scan:

1. In the program's DJ Control Panel window, look at the Address and Manual code rows.
2. On the tablet's pairing screen, type the address into the COMPUTER ADDRESS box. You can leave out the port (the number after the : sign); the tablet tries all the ports the program uses by itself.
3. Type the 6-digit code into the CODE box (without spaces).
4. Tap Connect or press the done key on the keyboard.

If the address is empty or the code isn't 6 digits, the warning "Enter the computer address and the 6-digit code." appears.

Manual pairing is just as permanent as pairing with the QR code.

Manual code attempt limit: if someone repeatedly tries to connect with a wrong code, the program stops accepting manual code attempts from that address for a while. The wait starts after 5 wrong attempts from the same device and gets longer with each wrong attempt (up to 10 minutes). During the wait, even the correct code isn't accepted; the tablet shows Connecting… and tries again every few seconds. If no wrong attempt arrives for 15 minutes, the counter resets. Tablets paired with the QR code aren't affected by this limit.

Generating a new code

The New code button in the program renews both the QR code and the 6-digit code:

• The old QR code and the old code become invalid.
• Tablets that are connected right now are not disconnected. However, these tablets aren't let in the next time they connect (when the app is reopened or the connection drops). The tablet shows the warning "The pairing code changed — scan again." and the app returns to the pairing screen.
• Tablets that scan the new code pair again.

When to use it: if you think your QR code or code has ended up in a screenshot, on a broadcast or in someone else's hands; if you want to remove a tablet permanently (see below).

Removing a tablet (Disconnect)

The Disconnect button cuts that tablet's connection at that moment. Caution: Disconnect on its own doesn't keep the tablet away. A tablet whose pairing is still valid reconnects by itself within a few seconds.

To remove a tablet permanently:

1. Press New code.
2. In the row of the tablet you want to remove, press Disconnect.
3. When the tablet tries to reconnect, its old pairing is rejected and it returns to the pairing screen.
4. Scan the new QR code with the tablets you want to keep.

The two-tablet limit

At most 2 tablets can be connected at the same time. When a third tablet connects, the connection of the tablet that connected first is cut. The disconnected tablet tries to reconnect by itself a few seconds later; so don't keep three tablets paired with the same computer open at the same time. Close the app on the tablet you're not using, or remove its pairing as described above.

If the same tablet reconnects (e.g. the Wi-Fi dropped and came back), it isn't counted: its old connection is closed and the new one is accepted.

Tablet main screen

After pairing, the app opens on the main screen. The screen doesn't dim while the tablet app is open.

Top strip: tabs and connection chip

The top strip has nine tabs that can be scrolled from left to right: LIBRARY, SCHEDULE, DECKS, MIXER, JINGLES, EFFECTS, MICROPHONE, SOURCES, CHAT & REQUESTS. The first time, the app opens on the Decks tab; after that it remembers the last tab you opened.

The connection chip sits at the right end:

On narrow screens (e.g. when the tablet is held upright), the chip shows only the colored dot and the text is hidden.

While not connected, the tab contents look dimmed and the buttons do nothing.

Connection chip menu

Tapping the chip opens a menu:

• Reconnect: appears only while not connected. Sets up the connection from scratch. Use it to try again after the red chip states.
• Pair again: deletes this tablet's pairing and returns to the pairing screen. Use it to connect to another computer.
• Language: …: chooses the app's language.
• Sign out: signs out of the account and returns to the sign-in screen.

Bottom bar

The same bar sits at the bottom of the screen on every tab:

• On the left, the broadcast status: ON AIR and the broadcast time (red), or OFF AIR (dimmed).
• While on air, the number of listeners (… listeners) and the playing track (Playing: track · artist).
• Microphone: turns the program's microphone on/off. It turns green while on.
• ● Rec / ● Stop Recording: starts/stops recording in the program.
• Start Broadcast / Stop Broadcast: starts/stops the broadcast.

Stopping the broadcast asks for confirmation. When you press Stop Broadcast, the question "Stop the broadcast? Listeners will be disconnected." appears; the broadcast stops only if you confirm with Stop Broadcast. This is so that a single wrong tap doesn't cut the broadcast. Starting the broadcast doesn't ask for confirmation.

If you tap the area showing the broadcast status (ON AIR / listeners / playing), the Broadcast panel opens. Tap it again to go back to the Decks tab.

Screen orientation

The app works whether the tablet is held horizontally or vertically. When the orientation changes, the screen is rearranged for the new orientation; the connection doesn't drop. Holding the tablet horizontally shows more controls at once.

The app's language

The first time it opens, the app uses the tablet's language. The Language choice (on the sign-in, Premium and pairing screens, or in the connection chip menu) selects one of the program's 12 languages; the Tablet language option returns to the tablet's system language. The choice is permanent. When the language changes, the app's screen is rebuilt and reconnects to the program.

Tablet tabs

Each tab corresponds to a panel in the program. Values and rules are the same as in the program; their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant chapters. Here you'll find what is where on the tablet.

Common rules for sliders and knobs:

• Dragging a knob up or to the right increases the value.
• Double-tapping a slider or knob returns it to its default value.
• While you're dragging a slider, values coming from the program don't move it; when you let go, the final value goes to the program.

Library

The tablet version of the program's music library. For details, see the "Music Library" chapter.

• On the left, the tree: All Tracks, Recently Added, Folders, Playlists (+ New list), Radio > Play History. Individually added files appear as Added Files. When held upright, the tree becomes a selection button.
• In the middle, the Search track or artist box, the BPM range and Harmonic Key filters; the rows show track, artist, BPM, key and duration. The A / B (A–D with 4 decks) buttons on a row load the track onto that deck, and + does Add to queue.
• Tapping a row opens a menu: Load to Deck A … Load to Deck D, Add to queue, Add to playlist, and Remove from list while in a list view. From Add to playlist you can start a new list with Create playlist.
• Deleting a playlist asks for confirmation: "Delete the "…" list? Tracks stay in the library."
• When held horizontally, the Queue and deck status (Playing, Ready, Empty) are on the right.

Nothing is loaded onto a playing deck. So that the track on air isn't cut, the tablet only lets you load onto decks that aren't playing. If a playing deck is chosen, "Deck … is playing — can't load" and "The track on air must not be cut: a playing deck can't be loaded. Load it to a deck that is not playing." appear. If all of them are playing, "All decks are playing".

The library is sent to the tablet once when it first connects and is refreshed whenever the library changes. Meanwhile, "Loading the library…" appears.

On the computer only: adding folders or files to the library and rescanning.

Schedule

The program's Queue and Broadcast Schedule panels:

• On the left, Queue: number of tracks and total duration, Clear (asks for confirmation: "Clear the whole queue?"). On a row, move up / down and remove; tapping a row gives Load to Deck A–D, Move to top, Remove. At the bottom, Load next to a free deck and + Add from library.
• On the right, Broadcast Schedule: time, track and tag (ON AIR, Auto, Jingle, Live, Played); a progress line on the row that's on air.

Decks

The tab where you manage the decks. For how the decks work, see the "Decks and Mixing" chapter.

In the 2-deck layout, two full cards sit side by side (one above the other when held upright). In the 4-deck layout, four small cards appear; a small card has only CUE, play/pause, SYNC and the first 4 hot cues. Tapping a small card opens that deck full screen; you go back with ‹ Back. You choose the number of decks in the program; the tablet follows the program.

On a full card:

Mixer

The tablet version of the program's mixer. For what the controls mean, see the "Decks and Mixing" chapter.

One strip for each deck:

• Knobs: Gain (−12 to +12 dB), Filter (LP to the left, HP to the right, off in the middle), High, Mid, Low (fully cut at far left, 0 dB in the middle, +6 dB at far right). The value is written below the knob. Double-tapping returns it to the middle.
• A vertical fader with level meters on both sides. Double-tapping returns it to the top.
• Headphones: puts that deck into pre-listen or takes it out; lights up yellow while on.

The card in the middle:

• The Main Out level meter with the loudness value below it.
• The Limiter indicator: lights up red if the program's limiter is holding back the sound at that moment. It's only an indicator; it can't be turned on or off.
• The Headphones: pre-listen ↔ main control.
• Crossfader: with 2 decks, the ends read A and B; with 4 decks, A·C and B·D. Double-tapping returns it to the middle.

With 4 decks the order is A, B, middle card, C, D. If it doesn't fit on the screen, it scrolls sideways.

The meters update only while the Mixer tab is open.

Jingles

The tablet version of the program's jingle pads. For the pads themselves, see the "Microphone, Jingles and Announcements" chapter.

• At the top, the A, B, C bank buttons. If a pad is playing in another bank, that bank's letter lights up red.
• 12 pads (4 columns horizontally, 3 vertically). Tapping a pad plays it; tapping it while it plays stops it. The pads are independent of each other, and several can play at the same time. A playing pad shows its progress and … left.
• An empty pad reads Empty · tap to add. When you tap it, the file picker opens on the computer's screen (because the files are there); the tablet shows "The file picker opened on the computer."
• Holding a pad opens a menu: Choose file on computer, Rename, Remove. The tip at the top: "Hold: edit · remove".
• Pad states: File not found, Longer than 60 s, Can't be read.
• At the side, the Jingle level slider (−30 to +6 dB), Stop all and + Add jingle. + Add jingle asks for a file for the first empty pad in the selected bank; if there's no empty pad, "No empty pad here." appears.

Effects

The program's built-in sound effects and the effects you've added, on one page:

• The built-in sounds first, then the added ones, and the + Add box at the end.
• Tapping plays / stops.
• Holding opens a menu: on an added effect, Choose file on computer, Rename, Remove; on a built-in effect, Rename and (if you've changed its name) Restore default.
• At the side, Effects level (−30 to +6 dB), the Now playing list, Stop all and + Add sound.

Microphone

The tablet version of the program's microphone button and the Microphone window. For what the settings mean, see the "Microphone, Jingles and Announcements" chapter.

On the left:

• Turn Mic On / Mic On: the large on/off button. It turns green while on. Press it once to turn it on, and once more to turn it off.
• Push to talk: the microphone stays on as long as you hold it and turns off when you let go.
• If no microphone device is plugged in for the program, "Microphone not connected" appears.
• The Level meter and the Gain slider (−12 to +12 dB).

On the right (scrollable):

A note at the bottom: "Microphone device and keyboard shortcut are set on the computer."

The difference between push to talk and the on/off button:

• When you let go of Push to talk, the microphone always turns off. If you first turned the microphone on with Turn Mic On and then press and release Push to talk, the microphone turns off.
• If the tablet's connection drops while push to talk is held, the program turns the microphone off by itself (see "When the connection drops").
• A microphone you turned on with the Turn Mic On button (or with Microphone in the bottom bar) stays on in the program even if the tablet disconnects. It's assumed you turned the microphone on deliberately.
• Pressing Push to talk while not connected to the program does nothing.

Sources

The tablet version of the program's Sources panel.

• On each source row: the eye (turns the source on/off without deleting it), name and status, a level slider (double-tapping returns it to 0 dB), M (mute), headphones, S (solo), Broadcast only (not heard on this PC) on an app source, ON AIR on a guest source, play and loop on a file source, and remove. Removing asks for confirmation: "Remove the "…" source?"
• Add source: Camera, Running App, Audio Device, Browser, Audio File, Video File, Music Folder and This tablet's audio. Note: "File, folder, app, device and camera are chosen on the computer; a browser address can be typed here." You type the browser address on the tablet and press Add; the other selection windows open on the computer's screen.
• While a camera is selected, the Position on the page preview (drag the camera box to move it, drag its bottom-right corner to resize it) and Corner rounding.
• If there are no sources, No sources added appears.

On the computer only: choosing the silent output device, and the compressor and automatic level settings of the sources.

Chat & Requests

The program's Chat and Requests panels:

• Chat: messages, the Write a message box and Send. Holding a message gives Delete message and Mute …. Chat works only on a Forge station; otherwise "Chat is only available on Forge stations" appears. If there are no messages, No messages yet.
• Requests: the listener's name, track, artist, note and time. Search library marks the request as handled and opens the Library tab with that search. Remove takes the request off the list. If there are no requests, No requests yet.

Broadcast panel

Opens when you tap the broadcast status in the bottom bar.

On the left, Broadcast servers (with the note "Adding and passwords on the computer" next to it). One card for each server:

• Name and type (Forge station or External server), status (● Live, Connecting…, error text or Not connected), format, number of listeners and address.
• Include in broadcast switch: whether this server takes part in the broadcast. The rule is the same as in the program (see the "Broadcasting and Station" chapter).
• On an external server, the Test connection button; the result appears next to it: Testing…, Connection successful or error text.
• On a Forge station, the Station page theme: … button: chooses the theme used for your broadcast on the station page. Station theme (no change) uses the station's own theme.

If there are no servers, "No broadcast server yet - add one in the program on the computer." appears.

On the right:

• The Status card: Latency, Drops, Peak, Loudness; below them, Noise Removal: On/Off · Compressor: On/Off and Limiter: On (· limiting now, in red, if it's holding back the sound at that moment).
• The Recording card: recording information or Not recording; ● Start Recording / ● Stop Recording.
• Start Broadcast / Stop Broadcast (stopping asks for confirmation).

Things done only on the computer

The tablet doesn't do these jobs; they're done in the program on the computer:

Tablet audio and tablet microphone

The tablet isn't only a remote control; it can also be two sound sources:

• Tablet audio: the sound played by apps on the tablet (music, video). It's added in the program as a source.
• Tablet microphone: the tablet's microphone. It's chosen in the program as the main microphone's device (it isn't a separate source).

In both cases, you start the sending on the tablet; the program only asks for it. The sound is sent uncompressed (about 1.5 megabits per second), so a solid Wi-Fi connection is important. If the Wi-Fi stalls, silence goes to the program at that moment; when the connection recovers, the sound starts flowing again.

Step by step: making the tablet's audio a source

1. Make sure the tablet is connected to the program.
2. In the program, choose DJ Control Panel from the + menu of the Sources panel. The window that opens shows the Connected tablets list (if there's only one tablet, it's selected automatically).
   • If no tablet is connected: "No tablet connected. Open Forge DJ Control Panel on the tablet and connect it to this computer."
   • Notes in the window: "Sound played by apps on the tablet (music, video). Android 10 or later; apps that block sharing their sound come through silent." and "Sound arrives once sending is started on the tablet: the tablet shows Android's consent window. Removing the source or turning off its eye stops sending on the tablet."
3. Select the tablet and press Add. The source is added with the name "<tablet name> · Tablet audio". It isn't added a second time for the same tablet: "This tablet source is already added".
4. The source row shows not started on the tablet. On the tablet, a yellow strip appears below the tabs: "The program wants this tablet's audio as a source." and the Start sending button.
5. Tap Start sending. The first time, Android asks for microphone permission (and, on Android 13 and later, notification permission too); then Android's screen / audio recording consent window appears. Confirm it.
6. The strip turns green: "This tablet's audio is being sent to the program." The Stop next to it stops the sending.