First test version with no database (using xml files instead). More info to follow...

Get it HERE

The new version of LCDJ (v1.2) has a number of enhancements over the previous version. Here is a short list of what has been changed (minor bug fixes, as always, are not included in this list):

• Added an option to stream only Aux Inputs to Shoutcast/Icecast servers. This should be helpful for those who use an external mixer.
• Added an Event calendar of sorts for full radio automation. 2 different kinds of events can be added; Individual titles (for things like TOTH) and random (which allows you to select a folder to pull random songs from). The random option allows you to also set a time interval and tracks from your selected folder will be pulled at random from that folder over x minutes. These titles are added one at a time to the play queue. Whenever a new event begins, the play queue is first cleared of any pending songs. The Repeat option at the top of the tab will set whether or not the entire calendar should repeat when the end of the calendar is reached. The pull-down menu allows you to choose between the 3 different calendars and each of those calendars can contain as many events as you like. There are still a number of changes that will likely need to be done with this to improve performance and add more flexibility but, it is at least a start.
• Winamp DSP plug-in support. Allows for adding many of the popular Winamp DSP plugins to LCDJ. 2 options are also available in the Plugin tab. They are; Remember and Open on Startup. Remember will simply store the path to your chosen plugin while "Open on Startup" will (as its name implies) set your chosen DSP to open with LCDJ. Currently it allows for only one plugin at a time to be used, but future changes will likely include multiple plugin support.
• Waveforms on each player. Waveforms are displayed at the bottom of each player for each song. A left mouse click on the waveform will set a start point and a right click will set a stop point. This start/stop setup is still a bit buggy at the moment and does not always work properly.
• 10 band EQ on each player. Underneath each player is a down arrow button which (when clicked) will open the EQ for that player. Click the same button again to hide the EQ. Settings for each band are from +15 to -15 db. The "R" button will reset all band levels to 0.
• Added more options to encoder bitrates.
• Added OPUS encoder and playback support. The encoder is untested at the moment however. If anyone has an Icecast OPUS stream setup and tests this encoder, please let me know how it worked out for you.

Additional planned improvements are too many to list really. But one thing I will mention is this. After a lot of thinking (and testing), I have decided to make 1 very important change to the way LCDJ works. I will be removing the database all together and switching to XML files as a database of sorts. This may sound strange to many folks here, but I have a few reasons for attempting this change.

1. XML is portable and platform independent (it's really nothing more than a formatted text file.)
2. XML can be treated like a database for programming purposes anyway.
3. Eliminates the necessity for users to install any database at all.
4. If you are running LCDJ on a server directly, the xml files can be parsed (i.e. via php) and integrated into a web page much more easily than a database. Eventually, I could add an option to ftp the xml files to a remote server as well.

In LCDJ v1.2a1, the Events section is setup using xml instead of a database already and seems to be working pretty well so far.

I still have quite a bit of testing to do on this, but I believe it to be worth a shot. Since I am not sure yet how it will effect the overall performance of LCDJ, this is certainly not written in stone. If it doesn't work out, well, I'll just scrap the idea. But, at least I will have tried.

A couple of items with v1.2a1 that have been brought to my attention that will be fixed for the 1.2a2 release.

1. Song title updates aren't working properly (only artist being sent instead of both artist and title).

2. Crashing with a Framework error (if someone would please send me the entire error message, I should be able to fix the problem)

3. Timers (Remaining, played, etc.) may be in too dark of a font making them difficult to read. This will be adjusted for the 1.2a2 release.

Please post any further bugs/issues in the forum or via the bug tracker. This will help me to track the progress.

Just remember this is an Alpha release and WILL have some bugs/typos/yada yada yada...

Download v1.2a1 Here

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. Starting with this version, Lunarcaster DJ requires you to have BOTH .NET 4.0 and Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 SP2 installed! If you don't have them already, here are the links to where you can get them from Microsoft (Don't worry, both are Free):

• Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 SP2: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5783
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17851

2. Vista & Windows 7 users:

• Vista users may find it necessary to install LunarCaster DJ to a location outside of your Program Files directory. I have found out that due to certain security "enhancements" made for Vista and possibly (not sure) Windows 7 as well, some features may not work properly if installed under Program Files. Some features that may or may not be effected by this issue are; Settings, anything using the database (like the playlist or server settings for encoders), and file drag-drop to anywhere in the program. So, again, I highly recommend Vista users install to a location outside of "Program Files". Windows 7 users who experience issues with any of the features I mentioned may also want to try re-installing to a different location.

• I have changed the installer to install to AppData instead of Program Files by default. LunarCaster DJ is actually quite portable (as long as SQLCE and .NET 4 are installed on the machine you use it on), and the eintire folder can be even placed on a thumbdrive and run from there if you so choose.

3. Here is a list of changes that have been made:

• Stuttering of local playback while streaming during network issues corrected...finally! ;)
• Microphone bug fix (mic would drift out of sync during streaming).
• Added audio support for numerous filetypes. Audio for the following filetypes should now all be playable: mp3, wav, ogg, aac, mp2, mp1, aiff, m2a, mpg, mpeg, aif, mp3pro, bwf, mus, mp4, m4a, m4b, wma, wmv.
• Added countdown timer for soundFX.
• Encoders now need to be placed in the Encoders folder.
• Updated to .NET 4.0
• Lots and lots of tweaking of the Queue drag-drop funktionality.
• Added direct file drag-drop support for the Players, Playlist and Queue.
• Added a pull-down menu for quick switching of playlists for those using multiple playlists. (pulled from the newly added playlist folder)
• Search & Random song adding in the Queue will now update when music is adding to or removing from the playlist without the need to restart the program.
• Configuration changes no longer require a restart.
• Aux inputs completed and have been tested.
• Removed Database selection button (not really needed)
• Removed About button (still available from the ? button next to the X in the top right corner).
• Added a click event to the picture boxes for the players. When a file is playing, and you click on the picture box for that deck, the song info will be displayed.
• A confirmation box for server (encoder) deleting.
• Added links to where encoders can be found if they are discovered missing in the encoders folder when attempting to connect to a server.
• Drag-Drop for Playlist/Search/History to Queue. Still needs work on exact drop location in the Queue.
• Clicking Play on one of the Decks with nothing in the Play Queue will now automatically pull a random song from the Playlist to play.
• While in Autoplay mode, if the Play Queue runs dry (empty) songs will be pulled at random from the Playlist. This means that while in Autoplay mode, music will continue to play nonstop even while unattended.

Well, that's about all I can think of that I have changed since v1.0.11 (I left off numerous minor bug fixes and code cleanup stuff that nobody will notice anyway.).

LunarCaster DJ v1.1.0.5b

Ok, so, what's next?

Well, the problem right now is, I don't have a road map per se...more a list of future improvements and new features to add.

Here's my list as it stands today:

Note: These are in no particular order. I have no idea, at the moment, of which items will be completed - or even started on - first.

Where to begin with this one?...

NUMEROUS bug fixes

Multi-server support

Facelift from hell...lol

Improved Search feature

Added Local volume control

Added volume control for sound effects

Bigger clock ...

I'm sure there was quite a bit more, and I'm sure there are at least a couple bugs to find...but hey, that's what I have you folks for right? ;)

Don't forget, in the main menu here, under Support/HelpDesk, you can submit bug reports. For more direct assistance, use the forums or see if you can catch me

on our IRC channel ( irc://bluemoon-radio.de #LunarCaster )

Download version 1.0.11 Here!

This is a re-release of version 1.0.10 in order to remove an issue with the uninstaller which casued a false positive Trojan recognition in Avira (Kazy.30127.1).

I'll write more about the release as soon as I can find the time. I've been quite busy lately.

 Click here to download.  Don't forget, you need to register to download. ;)

Hello LunarCaster users!

What is planned for the next version of LunarCaster DJ?

First let me start by saying thanks to users SetepenRa, Tablettaxi, RFD Blacky, and polo for their bug reports and improvement suggestions. I have spent most of my time working on the bugs first of course. ;) I have now begun trying to implement some of the suggestions.

Welcome to LunarCaster!

What is LunarCaster DJ?

LunarCaster DJ is a Client application for connecting to and DJing on Shoutcast (tested), Icecast (untested), and WMACast (untested). The software has been in a closed Beta testing phase for a number of months and I have now decided to open up the Beta testing to everyone. Please keep in mind however, this is still in BETA TESTING. There WILL be bugs, typos, etc.

Encoders (i.e. LAME.exe for MP3 encoding and enc_aacplus.exe/enc_aacplus.dll for aac encoding) which are needed to broadcast to servers like Shoutcast, must be aquired separately. Licensing this application for MP3 etc. would be far too expensive. A quick google search for the encoders should make it easy enough to find them. Copy these files into the root directory where LunarCaster is installed. After that, everything should work fine. I will be adding some video tutorials soon to help explain the installation and usage better.

History

LunarCaster DJ was born out of necessity. I was in need of an alternative to the rather cumbersom WinAmp Shoutcast plugin way of DJing and Spacial Audios SAM broadcaster as well as Virtual DJ were, well, too expensive.