For years, many RCS users have relied on NexGen for their automation needs. As technology continues to evolve, it’s time to upgrade to Zetta, RCS’s modern radio automation solution. Since it’s conception over 15 years ago, Zetta allows radio professionals to evolve with the growing industry. Between Zetta’s innovation, user simplicity, remote capabilities, modern features, and evolving technologies, it’s no wonder why countless NexGen users have upgraded to Zetta.
This week, we were joined by Jeff Zigler, RCS Senior Sales Engineer, to talk about some of these evolution improvements and features. Starting with Zetta’s innovation, we outlined the differences between NexGen and Zetta from the typography and configuration point of view. NexGen was very computer centric, whereas Zetta is more of a “we” or shared environment. If you need to move licenses in NexGen, engineers had to take the machine apart and move a physical dongle, while Zetta relies on uncomplicated Internet Licensing. As many stations continue to scale up by purchasing HD signals, translators and Internet or app channels, if your Zetta was licensed for 5 stations and now there’s 6, just relicense and Zetta will display the new quantity of 6 for the engineer to continue to setup the air chain. Analog or Audio over IP (AoIP), Zetta handles both, including controlling Axia, WheatNet, SAS source routing and more natively via direct TCP/UDP commands, including additional HTTPS, Serial, Feed Through Routing features and more. Zetta also includes multiple levels of reliable redundancy, like Zetta Hot Spare, which moves play steams – not computers – Local Audio Storage and Zetta Cloud Based Disaster Recovery.
But what about the everyday user? Zetta was designed to keep workflows simple and straightforward. Between drag and drop, customizable modules and layouts, advanced Hot Keys, and GSelector and Aquira live integration, Zetta maximizes a user’s efficiency. No matter if you’re an advanced user that has all of Zetta’s modules open or a weekend part-timer, who wants a basic, clear-cut locked layout that includes only what they’ll need to broadcast, Zetta caters to all types of skillsets. Incorporate GSelector and Aquira live integration and you automation, music scheduling and/or traffic software work as one. Now programmers are adding a song once, a schedule change is reflected in both Zetta and GSelector or Aquira, with instant GSelector reconciliation. Since Zetta is an enterprise solution, from a single studio chair, users can pivot between stations and roles for maximum fluidity. Let’s say that you’re on the air in Station A’s Control Room, that same talent can switch to their Production Layout to record a spot for Station B and then use Site Replication or Z-Cast to share that new spot to another market or multiple markets. Zetta also includes a modern detached playout, or a sequencer service that can be assigned to any Zetta computer(s). This detached playout allows administrators to create safe, after hour workflows like triggering a Hot Key when the talent is done for the day that will disable the board, put Zetta in Auto (overnight) mode and they’re told to close Zetta. This way, if anyone maliciously comes in after hours, they can’t affect the on-air product. When the morning show talent arrives the next morning, they log into Zetta with their username and password, opening their default morning show layout, click on the enabling studio Hot Key and Zetta will enable the board, put Zetta in Live Assist mode and the morning show is ready to kick off the show. That’s right, Hot Keys can include unlimited Hot Keys Banks that contain both unlimited audio and non-audio triggers.
Speaking of Zetta’s detached playout, by allowing a server to oversee the on-air playout, this allows remote users to control Zetta from anywhere via Zetta2GO, a URL that can be accessed from any browser with a VPN. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Mac, PC, Apple or Android – if you can access the Internet, you can run Zetta2GO. Programmers can remotely control the on-air sequencer, manipulate the log, add or edit new audio, fire Hot Keys, voice track, and monitor their stations from anywhere with Zetta2GO. If your morning show hosts a weekly live remote, instead of paper logs and board operators back in the studio, now they can see their live station and continue to work remotely with Zetta2GO. Or, other morning shows have used Zetta2GO on an iPad or tablet to acts as a quick Zetta Client, without having to purchase and install another Zetta instance. With Zetta2GO, turn that old school car dealership call in into an intentional, great sounding break by voice tracking your live drops – transitioning, backselling and hitting the post of the next element. Plus, administrators can incorporate amazing remote talent by granting them access to Zetta2GO, allowing anyone with proper VPN security to voice track. Outside of your everyday broadcast requirements, there are countless way users interpret and benefit from Zetta2GO.
Aside from remote capabilities, Zetta also includes a wide array of modern features that many NexGen users are implementing at their stations. Engineers can connect multiple markets and share audio, metadata, voice tracks and more with Site Replication (“we” activity as both sites are in sync), and/or ZCast (push/pull of audio, metadata, and voice tracks). If you have a program that cannot run on the Internet stream or want to broadcast a morning show across multiple stations with different traffic logs, many programmers can achieve modern programming deliveries with Zetta Splits, a second sequencer that follows and then splits away for secondary content. Add API communication and HTTPS to the mix and now engineers can quickly and efficiently incorporate evolving third-party radio products. Zetta also includes a sophisticated background recorder and a budget friendly built-in Multitrack Editor.
Of course, there’s also the elephant in the room: cyber security. Although many engineers don’t want to acknowledge cyber-attacks or feel they’re 100% protected, cyber security is front and center on a lot of network and IT professional’s minds. With Zetta, RCS continues to evolve with the latest Microsoft operating systems, SQL instances and cyber security threats. In addition, Zetta’s security and access continues to expand by incorporating Active Directory, Single Sign On (where applicable), virtualization and modern API communication. Plus, Zetta doesn’t have to run with administrative rights, although it does include a full hierarchy of user rights and restrictions. Of course, we can’t forget about Zetta Cloud – a true cloud solution, written for and on AWS, following best practices and securities. Zetta Cloud Disaster Recovery allows programmers to back up their audio, metadata, schedules and SQL backups in a safe and secure third-party cloud location. If there’s a natural disaster, like a fire or flood, or a cyber-attack, rest assured that you can be back online in a matter of minutes with Zetta Cloud’s built in encoder with Revma’s content delivery network for additional distribution. There are even programmers who are utilizing Zetta Cloud to establish a hybrid radio environment, having Zetta handle terrestrial programming and tapping into Zetta Cloud to quickly build a spontaneous station or channel that can be heard from anywhere.
As you can see, time and technology has allowed users to evolve from NexGen to a more modern solution in Zetta. Jeff Zigler correctly states, “Compared to NexGen, Zetta is different – but better.” Find out more reasons why you should make the upgrade to Zetta and schedule a demo by reaching out to your local RCS Sales Representative or emailing sales@rcsworks.com. If you wanted to review other Zetta videos, including how to’s, setup and helpful tip videos, check out our RCS Live Archive. Outside of the RCS Academy, we’re still hitting the road for the rest of 2024, including stops in Texas, Ontario, Ohio and more. If you’re attending a radio conference, reach out and schedule some time with RCS Academy for one-on-one assistance. Otherwise, we’ll see you again on our socials for our next RCS Live.