The F.A.Q.’s
Browse common questions and answers.
Is MegaSeg compatible with Mac OS X Lion 10.7?
How do I backup my Mac & MegaSeg?
Will MegaSeg run on Macs with Intel chips?
How do I get my DVD music videos into MegaSeg?
Can MegaSeg play FLAC, Ogg, WMA, Flash, DivX, MPEG-2, AVI, and other video and audio files?
Can MegaSeg play music files purchased via Apple’s online music store? (AAC/MPEG‐4)
Is there a MegaSeg badge for my website?
Is it possible to send just the video out to a projector without showing the MegaSeg screen?
What features does the Apple Remote provide within MegaSeg?
I want to use MegaSeg for podcasting. How do I record my show with MegaSeg?
How do I use a microphone with MegaSeg?
Can MegaSeg play MP3 or other audio format files?
Can MegaSeg beat mix between songs?
How do I use my headphones for cue?
Can I use an external hard drive or network server for more music?
How do I hook my Mac into an amp?
Do you make a PC version of MegaSeg?
Are there any wireless remotes that I can use to control MegaSeg?
Can I specify a time a file (an ad, promo or station ID) will play?
Why do some of my MONO audio files not play out of my audio output device?
Is MegaSeg compliant with music licensing laws?
What is AutoSeg Trim? Why are tracks ending early?
Is MegaSeg Mac OS X compatible?
Is the Playlist Setting’s fade out time saved with the song?
What is the maximum number of songs MegaSeg can handle?
What are the issues with MP3 playback and QuickTime?
Can MegaSeg print the Library and Playlists?
How do I record my mix to an Audio CD?
What happens if I lose the program file? Can I re‐download it without paying again?
Is the software available on CD ROM?
Does MegaSeg install any files into the System Folder?
Can MegaSeg stream audio directly to the Internet from one computer?
How do I use MegaSeg to stream video on the Net?
It makes me nervous relying on computers instead of CD players. What if it crashes or freezes?
Can I change the name of audio files with no problems?
Are 5400 RPM external hard drives fast enough for music?
Is MegaSeg compatible with Mac OS X Lion 10.7?
Yes! MegaSeg 5.7 is fully compatible with the OS X Lion system upgrade, and is a free update for MegaSeg 5 users. (Select “Check For Updates” in MegaSeg’s menu to get the update.) Version 4.5.1 and older does not support Lion. Please upgrade to MegaSeg 5 for Lion compatibility. The Version History page lists improvements and new features in MegaSeg 5.
If you use any 3rd-party products such as MIDI controllers or FireWire audio devices, you may need to download updated drivers for Lion compatibility. As with any major system upgrade, it is wise to proceed with caution if you are using your system in a “mission critical” situation. For example, you can install Lion on an external drive to test it out before upgrading your system’s internal drive.
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How do I backup my Mac & MegaSeg?
One way is to use an external USB or FireWire hard drive, and use the new Time Machine backup feature included with your Mac (if you have Mac OS X 10.5 or later). Just plug in the drive and select it in the Time Machine settings in your System Preferences. After Time Machine has finished the initial backup, it only needs to copy new or modified files each time you connect the drive.
If you are using an older version of Mac OS X, there’s other good software that can backup in a similar way to Time Machine. Synk Backup is a program that can select exactly which folders you want to keep backed up. This can be useful if you’re tight on external drive space, or want to keep a “mirror copy” of your main drive rather than a Time Machine style backup. Synk can be set to backup the entire system, just your home folder, or a set of specific folders, with the ability to only copy new or modified files.
The Western Digital
3TB My Book Studio External Hard Drive
is a great backup drive option. It includes FireWire 400/800 compatibility for excellent speed and plenty of room for either incremental Time Machine backups, or Synk mirror copies. Or if you have a huge library or need to store music videos as well, you might consider the
4TB My Book Studio II
, which can also run in a 2 TB mirrored mode for additional safety when used as your primary library drive.
Finally, if you have two or more Macs you want to keep in sync with the same music for a “hot backup”, you can use the Synk program described above to handle the syncing of files between them directly. You can connect any two Macs together using a FireWire cable (for fastest speed), and restart one of the systems. When you hear the startup chime, hold down the “T” key which will enable Target Disk Mode. This allows the Mac’s internal drive to be used as a virtual external FireWire drive for the other Mac it’s connected to. You will then see the drive appear on the desktop as an external FireWire drive. Then just use the Synk program to update the entire volume, or specific music folders as described above.
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Will MegaSeg run on Macs with Intel chips?
Yes! MegaSeg runs natively on all Intel and PPC based Macs. In other words, it’s a Universal Binary that runs full‐speed on all Mac systems, new and old. (Older versions of MegaSeg (v3.1.6 and older) will run via Rosetta emulation on Intel‐based Macs.)
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Can MegaSeg play FLAC, Ogg, WMA, Flash, DivX, MPEG-2, AVI, and other video and audio files?
Yes, it is possible for MegaSeg to play many additional audio and video formats when you install free plug‐ins for QuickTime. First up is Perian, which adds support for many codecs including MS‐MPEG4 v1 & v2, DivX, 3ivX, FLV1, FSV1, VP6, VP3, HuffYUV, ffvhuff, MPEG‐2, FRAPS, Windows Media Audio v1 & v2, Flash ADPCM, Xiph Vorbis, libavformat, AVI, FLV, MKV, and AC3 audio. Next is XiphQT which adds support for Vorbis and FLAC audio (Perian supports Vorbis as well). There's also Flip4Mac for Windows Media compatibility. And finally, Apple's own MPEG‐2 Playback Plug‐in ($20 from the Apple Store) for playback of various MPEG2 format files.
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Can MegaSeg play music files purchased via Apple’s online music store? (AAC/MPEG‐4)
Yes! Music purchased via Apple’s iTunes Music Store is in a format called “AAC” (Advanced Audio Coding). This is the audio compression (codec) of the MPEG‐4 file format (files with an .m4p and .m4a extension). With the latest QuickTime installed, MegaSeg has the ability to play all AAC protected files. Learn more about the iTunes Music Store, and how to buy your music online, ready for MegaSeg playback.
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I upgraded iTunes and now my purchased music won’t play in MegaSeg. A message says I’m not authorized. What do I do?
When you upgrade to the latest iTunes, Apple frequently changes the FairPlay DRM protection system, so you must also upgrade to the latest free QuickTime version in order for purchased music to play in MegaSeg, QuickTime Player, and other apps besides iTunes. If you’ve already upgraded QuickTime and still have this problem, you should de‐authorize your entire computer, then re‐authorize it using the menu commands found under the Store menu in iTunes 8 & 7 (or the Advance menu in iTunes 6). Another thing to watch out for is having two or more accounts with iTunes (multiple usernames). You may need to de‐authorize and authorize all accounts.
Note that Apple recently announced they are removing all DRM copy‐protection from the iTunes music store. This means any new tracks you buy will be in “iTunes Plus” format which is DRM‐free and uses a higher quality bit rate (256 kbps vs 128 kbps). This is a welcome change in the industry, and will eliminate potential authorization problems as described above. As more tracks are available in iTunes Plus format, you can upgrade your existing purchased music for a small fee per track using the iTunes Store’s “Upgrade to iTunes Plus” option found in the “QUICK LINKS” menu. If you decide not to upgrade, your DRM‐protected tracks will continue to play in MegaSeg just fine.
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Do you have a badge for my website?
Yes! Copy the HTML code for a badge below and paste it into your site.
"MegaSeg DJ Software" (169x57)
"Broadcast Powered By MegaSeg" (169x57)
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If I import my music from iTunes, how can I update the MegaSeg library when I change a track’s name, artist, album, genre, or BPM?
Make sure you are viewing all songs you want to update in the Library view (selecting “All Categories” will display all songs imported), then go to File —> Library Tools —> Import ID3/AAC Tags. Then, either accept the default checked items, or select those you wish to update and click Process. This will take several minutes depending on the size of your library. (Note the ‘time’ field takes the longest to process.)
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How do I get my DVD music videos into MegaSeg?
There are several programs to convert DVD music videos for playback in MegaSeg. A free program called Handbrake does both DVD extraction and encoding into MPEG‐4 (mp4) format. Another free program called MPEG StreamClip can convert extracted VOB files from DVD into either an MPEG‐4 or a QuickTime movie. However, to use MPEG StreamClip, you will need to buy Apple’s MPEG‐2 Playback Plug‐in for QuickTime ($20 from the Apple Store). MPEG Stream Clip + Apple MPEG Plugin duo allows you to choose from more export options, but requires more steps.
There are also some commercial apps for both extracting and converting DVDs with more options. These include RipIt, Cinematize and DVDxDV. With Cinematize it’s possible to extract the raw MPEG‐2 DVD video and encapsulate it into a QuickTime movie file (.mov) that will play in MegaSeg. This bypasses the conversion step to MP4 (MPEG‐4 codec) that Handbrake does, allowing you to play the video in its native MPEG‐2 format without re-compression (no loss of quality). However you will find that Handbrake’s video looks nearly identical to the original DVD quality at a much smaller file size. If you wish to use the MPEG‐2 method, it also requires the MPEG‐2 Playback Plug‐in from Apple (see link above). Once that is installed, here are settings for Cinematize:
Cinematize Settings for Native MPEG‐2 QuickTime Output
First select the DVD disc, and then the Video Title Set, then click Select VTS. In the Segment tab select the appropriate Title (containing the chapters for individual music videos; not necessarily Title 1). Then select the chapter (video track) you want to import...
Video tab
- Video Stream: Main Video Stream
- Decoding: MPEG‐2 Program Stream
Audio tab
Default settings are fine
Output tab
- Save Chapters: Together As One Segment (will combine multiple chapters into one file)
- Save QuickTime As: Self‐Contained, Files With All Data
- Output Format: QuickTime File
Note, unless you have Apple’s MPEG‐2 Plug‐in installed, the QuickTime output options will be grayed out. You can then only export to MPEG‐4 (.mp4) format, same as using Handbrake.
You can also create a native MPEG‐2 QuickTime file using MPEG Stream Clip, but it requires many more steps. Once you get the video in MPEG Stream Clip, export using the Demux video and audio to AIFF option. You then end up with two files (both should have the same name, but different extensions). QuickTime then syncs the audio and video files together when you open the video file. You can then use QuickTime Player to save them together as a Self Contained Movie, and delete the two source files.
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I have audio issues that I was not experiencing before. Has something effected my system’s performance?
There are a number of things that could cause performance slowdowns or stalls, for example memory or swap file fragmentation, disk corruption, software and hardware conflicts, or “run‐a‐way” processes. The good news is Macs rarely suffer from these issues. However if a problem does arise, here are a few things to try...
Check Internal Drive Space
If your internal boot drive is running low on space, it can cause system performance issues. It is generally good to have at least 2 GBs free on your drive. To check, select your boot volume in the Finder (normally called Macintosh HD) and then choose Get Info from the File menu (or press Command–I). Under Get Info’s General section you should see the amount of available space left.Keep Your MacBook Cool
If you notice problems start after a few hours of constant use, but may be an overheat issue with the internal drive or processor. This is especially possible if you have a 7200 RPM drive installed which runs hotter than typical 5400 RPM drives. Try propping up the laptop so there’s airflow underneath and a small fan to assist in cooling. You might also try a special laptop cooling pad.Properly Vent External Drives
If you use an external hard drive, some models may overheat with continuous use, which may cause erratic behavior. Make sure your drive has adequate ventilation. One example is the MyBook drives from Western Digital. They’re designed for great ventilation when upright (like a book on a shelf), but if you lay them on their side, they may overheat when the vents are on the sides instead of the top.Experiment With WiFi Turned Off
Try turning the Mac's WiFi (AirPort) off in the System Preferences under Network to help troubleshoot if the problem is network related. (If the problem goes away, see other network items below.)Be Wary Of Compact External Drives
Compact “pocket” external drives may also cause problems, which are not typically designed for constant audio/video playback. We recommend full-size (3.5" size) drives with dedicated power instead of compact bus‐powered pocket‐size drives.Eject Optical Media
Make sure to eject any CD or DVD's you may have in your optical drive, as sometimes the system may try to access the disc at random times and cause a delay as it waits for the drive to spin up. Most optical drives are slow to respond in these cases.Use Recommend USB Ports (MacBooks only)
For external USB audio devices, do not use the right hand USB port on some MacBook models, because it is also connected to the same hub as the trackpad. It is best to use the left-side port for audio outputs and reserve the right-side port for other peripherals.Uninstall Conflicting Backup Software
Mac OS X includes a great backup system called “Time Machine” that works with any external hard drive you buy. However some drive manufacturers, such as Western Digital (aka “WD”), include their own backup software (i.e. “Backup Anywhere”). We recommend uninstalling this and simply use Time Machine which is better designed to work with the Mac.Power-cycle External Drives
If you have any external USB or FireWire devices connected, disconnect them and power‐cycle them if they are self‐powered to make sure they have a fresh restart. Then reboot the Mac and plug them back in.Verify Disks and Repair Permissions
Run Apple’s Disk Utility app found in the Utilities folder inside your Application folder. This program can verify and repair your drive’s directory and data. If any of your drives need to be repaired due to disk corruption of some sort, it could be causing system slowdowns and dropouts. Disk Utility can repair a disk in two ways; One is called “Repair Disk Permissions” which only works on your internal startup (boot) drive, and checks to make sure all applications and system files have the proper permissions to run correctly. The other type repair is to check the disks integrity by clicking the “Repair Disk” button on the right side, which will report or repair actual errors in the directory tree or files. You can only verify the startup drive, but if you need to repair it, you can startup from your Mac OS X install CD and select Disk Utility from the menu. Use the “Verify Disk” button on all connected hard drives too ensure they are in good health, then use “Repair Disk” if necessary. If Disk Utility reports it can not repair a disk because of an error, the disk corruption is beyond what Disk Utility can handle. We recommend using a stronger disk repair program called DiskWarrior in this situation.Run Periodic Tasks Via Terminal
There are special maintenance tasks which Mac OS X runs nightly at 4:30 am to improve performance, but if your computer is not awake at that time, the maintenance tasks do not run. However you can force these tasks to run manually via the Mac OS X Terminal utility (found in your Applications folder inside the Utilities sub‐folder).
When you run it and get a command prompt, enter the command:
sudo periodic daily weekly monthlyIt will then ask you for your administration password once you enter the command. Then it will take several minutes for it to finish (possibly up to a half‐hour). There is no progress bar displayed when using Terminal, so you’ll just have to wait for the command prompt to appear again to know it’s done.
Disable iDisk and Other Network Volumes
If you subscribed to Apple’s MobileMe service, make sure you don’t have your remote iDisk mounted when using MegaSeg. Currently we do not support using iDisk at the same time as MegaSeg. You might also try un-mounting any other network drives or servers you have connected.Disable MacBook's Sudden Motion Sensor
When playing load music especially near a subwoofer, the vibrations may trigger the laptop's Sudden Motion Sensor used to protect the hard drive in case it is dropped. The "SMS" can be disabled in these cases to prevent the vibrations from parking the hard drive and causing a delay. Apple has an article describing the procedure.Adjust Energy Saver Settings
Open your System Preferences, and click on the Energy Saver icon, and try unchecking the “Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible” option. Note in contrast we recommend you disable the “Keep All Drives Spinning” option under the General tab of MegaSeg’s preferences unless you use an external hard drive.
On some Macs there is a pop‐up menu called “Optimization” which you can try setting to “Better Performance”. On older systems under the Options tab, there is a preferences for “Processor Performance”, which you can try setting to “Highest”. (Note on laptops, using these settings will run down the battery faster.)
If your system does not have an “Optimization” or “Processor Performance” setting in the Energy Saver settings, you may still be able to change it using the command line (Terminal application). To do so, open Terminal (found in the Utilities folder), and enter “sudo pmset dps 0” at the prompt. It will ask for your administration password. When set it will simply show another prompt. You can now Quit Terminal.
Disable Unnecessary Sharing Services
In System Preferences click the Sharing icon. Under the Services tab, try turning off any services you do not absolutely need to be active. Sometimes these services will use extra processing power and can cause system delays depending on network status. Printer Sharing and Internet Sharing can be culprits, for example.Quit All Dashboard Widgets
Some widgets use a lot of RAM and may even grow in size over time as they are open, which can cause system slowdowns. Others may constantly access the network which could cause a stall if the WiFi signal becomes weak or the network bandwidth degrades. Try closing all open Dashboard widgets by clicking the + button on the bottom left corner while your Dashboard is displayed, then click the X next to each open widget.Trim and Optimize Your Fonts
Check your installed fonts to see if you have too many fonts enabled at once. This may cause your system to slow down. Apple’s Font Book application can be used to manage your fonts.Check For Rogue Processes
Open the Activity Monitor application found in your Utilities folder, inside the Applications folder. Once open, make sure the pop‐up menu above shows “All Processes” (the default is set to “My Processes”). You can now see every process running on the system, including many hidden ones used by the Mac OS and the core UNIX OS. Click the “% CPU” column header until the list is sorted from highest to lowest processor usage. Note if you see any apps that are taking up too much processor time for too long. If you see a process that is using 80–100% of the processor, it could be a run‐a‐way process. An example of this would be a printer driver that is not compatibility with the OS version or has a bug. There was a case of this happening a few years ago to a certain brand of printer. Try “googling” the name of the process to find out more about what it is and if anyone else has reported the same problem. (Be sure to include “Mac” or “OS X” in the search.)Remove Login Items
In the System Preferences, click Accounts. Select the account you use on the left column, then click Login Items from the tabs. Check to see what apps (some may be invisible processes) you have checked to automatically launch when you startup. Some 3rd party software may install “Agent”, “Helper”, or “Daemon” software that runs in the background. One of these may be incompatible with your current OS version, or cause slowdown issues if your network connection degrades. You can test by selecting them and pressing the minus button (or Delete key) and restarting. Note the checkbox does not disable them, you must remove it from the list — The checkbox simply sets the app to be hidden. The only common item should be Apple's “iTunes Helper” which launches iTunes when you connect an “iDevice”.Run Software Update
Use the Software Update command in the Apple menu to make sure you have the latest versions of Mac OS X and QuickTime. Sometimes a fresh update and the system optimizations it performs after installing can clear up an issue.Format External Disks For Mac
We’ve had a recent report that using external drives formatted for Windows (PC‐DOS, FAT32, etc) may cause dropouts. We highly recommend you check your external drives to see if they are formatted for “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” (the default Mac-native format). Although the Mac is capable of using a drive formatted for Windows FAT-32 or NTFS, it is better to use the native Mac OS X format. Select the drive in the Finder (either on the desktop or within the Finder window), and press Command–I or select Get Info from the File menu. The info window will display the format. If it is formatted for PC you should consider reformatting it using Disk Utility (in the Application/Utilities folder.) This of course will erase the disk, which means you’ll need to backup the data first and then restore it after formatting.Check For Excessive Console Errors
The Mac logs errors that happen in a “system.log” file you can easily inspect with the Console utility. Startup the Console inside the Applications/Utilites/ folder and it will show the most recent activity. It may be cryptic, and most of what is listed is not a problem. What you should look for is an error or something that repeats over and over (every 10 seconds for example), or possibly something that appears during the problem in question. You can then search online for info about what is displayed.Re-download MegaSeg and Trash Preferences
You may want to try re‐downloading a fresh copy of MegaSeg, as well as trashing the MegaSeg Preferences file located in your home folder's Preferences folder (located inside the Library folder). Note you will need to reset MegaSeg’s settings, but this will not remove your library, playlists, logs, or events. Here’s a list of paths to MegaSeg Preference files:
~/Library/Preferences/com.fidelitymedia.MegaSeg.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.fidelitymedia.MegaSegDJ.plist
~/Library/Preferences/MegaSeg Prefs (*older versions only)~ = your home folder (i.e. Macintosh HD/Users/...your username.../)
Note: If you have OS X Lion 10.7+, your Library folder is hidden. But you can get to it by holding down the Option key while selecting the “Go” menu in the Finder.
Cold Boot The System
Finally, restart your Mac by first shutting down completely. This will clear the RAM and allow swap files to reset. Sometimes a fresh start is all it takes after the computer may have been running for weeks or months and only going to sleep between each use.
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What features does the Apple Remote provide within MegaSeg?
The Apple Remote's Play/Pause button will immediately transition to the next song; holding it down will stop the Playlist.. The + and - buttons (top and bottom of the ring) will adjust the volume. The FF/REW buttons (left and right of the ring) allow you to go back or forward in the Playlist by track. Holding down FF/REW buttons will fast forward or rewind the current playing track. The Menu button will toggle AutoSeg mode on/off (AutoSeg means to automatically segue into the next song in the playlist when the current song ends). Note all these functions will only work when MegaSeg is the frontmost window.
Summary:
Play/Pause = Segue into next song
Play Held Down = Stop Playlist
Left/Right = Playlist Cue Position
Left/Right Held Down = FF/REW current track
Up/Down = Volume
Menu = AutoSeg toggle on/off
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Is it possible to send just the video out to a projector without showing the MegaSeg screen?
Yes, just open System Preferences, click on Displays, and then turn off the option called Mirroring. This will give you two discrete desktops, the main desktop with the menu bar on your main computer’s screen, and another secondary desktop that can be used for MegaSeg’s video playback. If you do this before starting MegaSeg, it will automatically detect you have two displays and show the videos on the 2nd display. Otherwise you can set MegaSeg’s Video window to Normal Size, and move the video window to the 2nd desktop, and then select the Full Screen video option again. Note, you can also turn the Mirroring option on and off from the menu bar if you enable the “Show Displays in Menu Bar” option in the Displays preferences.
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I have an older iBook and iMac... how do I output video “dual screen”, so I can see MegaSeg’s interface at the same time?
There is a patch that modifies the firmware of certain older iBooks and iMacs so they support “Desktop Spanning” (note all newer Mac’s support this natively). This will allow you to play videos on the 2nd output while the main LCD screen shows MegaSeg. Apple’s PowerMacs and PowerBooks have the dual screen feature standard. You can download the patch and test it out. A list of supported systems is on their site. This 3rd party patch is not supported by Apple.
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Will videos purchased from iTunes work with MegaSeg?
Yes. If you buy the new “iTunes Plus” format music videos from iTunes, they will play in MegaSeg. However some older iTunes videos may still be DRM‐protected and not play in MegaSeg (shows only a gray screen with no sound). Apple announced they removed DRM copy‐protection from all their audio and music video content in 2009. While MegaSeg is able to play the older DRM audio‐only files, Apple never allowed third parties access to their DRM copy‐protected video files (most likely due to separate contract issues with the movie industry). The new iTunes Plus DRM‐free content is a much welcomed change.
If you have previously purchased a protected DRM music video, Apple gives you a way to upgrade it to iTunes Plus (DRM‐free) for a fraction of the original cost. To do so, from the iTunes Store home page, select “Upgrade to iTunes Plus” from the “QUICK LINKS” menu on the right. There they give you a way to upgrade everything in your library (audio and video files) together for one price, but you can upgrade individual video files by clicking the “MUSIC VIDEOS” link that appears right below the “BUY ALL” button.
Again, you do not need to upgrade any of your audio‐only DRM tracks, since they can play in MegaSeg as is — however the iTunes Plus format does double the bit rate to 256 kbps for both MegaSeg and iTunes playback.
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I want to use MegaSeg for podcasting. How do I record my show with MegaSeg?
One option is to use Apple’s free GarageBand program to record MegaSeg using a direct audio “patch” via the free Soundflower utility. Think of it as a “Patch Bay” of sorts. What it does is install a new sound input and output device that can be set as MegaSeg’s output and GarageBand’s input for a direct digital connection between the two.
Another option is to record MegaSeg using a program called Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba. It has options to record directly from any app into many audio formats, and also supports plug‐ins for effects. It can also be setup to record the entire “system audio” rather than just MegaSeg.
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How do I use a microphone with MegaSeg?
MegaSeg has a Mic On/Off button which automatically attenuates the master music volume, and also enables a software play‐thru from any audio input to any audio output you select in MegaSeg’s preferences. For example, you could use the built‐in microphone and have MegaSeg send the audio to an external USB audio output, or the built‐in speakers.
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Can MegaSeg be used with Apple’s Airport Express or AppleTV to work with remote speakers like AirTunes/iTunes?
Yes. If you use a program called AirFoil from Rogue Amoeba, you can send MegaSeg’s audio directly to your wireless Airport Express output.
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Can MegaSeg play MP3 or other audio format files?
Yes! MegaSeg can play MP3 files, as well as nearly any other QuickTime supported file format, including AIFF and WAV.
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Can MegaSeg beat mix between songs?
Yes! MegaSeg has beat mixing features, including support for multiple sound outputs for Preview and Cue. Click the Mixer button to the right of the Playlist for full manual mixing controls. Read about multiple output options here.
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How do I use my headphones for cue?
You’ll need to use a second sound output, such as the inexpensive Griffin USB audio adaptor. MegaSeg has two ways of using the second output for cue and preview...
Option 1>
Using one output as “Program” and the other output as “Cue”. Either the built‐in output or the iMic can be used as the main “Program” output; use the other output for your headphones. This method works great for basic Previewing and Cueing, and is the default setting.
Option 2>
Select MegaSeg’s “Discrete Output Mode” in the Output Settings window (in Preferences) to use both outputs as “Program” channels via an external mixer. This is like having two CD Players or turntables. A track stays on one sound output throughout the duration of the track. This mode works great for beat mixing.
[read more about Audio Outputs]
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Can I use an external hard drive or network server for more music?
Yes, with MegaSeg you can import files directly from any external or network drive. However we do not recommend using “pocket size” drives, as they are typically not designed for heavy multimedia use such as constant playback and mixing of music.
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How do I hook my Mac into an amp or PA?
You’ll need to pick up an “1/8 inch stereo to RCA audio cable” from your local stereo store. If you experience a hum or buzz in the audio, Radio Shack sells an audio cable “ground loop isolator” which help eliminate the hum caused by pesky ground loops. You should only need this if you hear a hum or buzz using a standard cable.
Also check out this Apple tech note on how to solve ground loop problems.
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Do you make a PC version of MegaSeg?
Not currently. Please contact us if you want to be notified on any developments. MegaSeg’s stability and reliability builds off of Mac OS X (and its solid UNIX foundation). Since Apple makes both the hardware and OS, everything runs smoothly... which is difficult on Windows (due to the large number of PC hardware, software, and driver combinations out there). This means fewer tech support problems for us, and all around better software for you.
Also consider that today’s Macs run on Intel chips, and can actually boot XP, Vista or Windows 7 in addition to Mac OS X if needed. So if you have a Mac, it’s the best of both worlds. You can boot into OS X to run MegaSeg, and boot into Windows when you want to run your older software. (With Parallels or VMware Fusion, you can even run both Mac and Windows at the same time!)
Another thing to consider is Macs are replaced less often than PCs. A typical Mac stays in operation years longer than most PCs. Fewer tech repairs and longer use — that’s money saved.
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Are there any wireless remotes that I can use to control MegaSeg?
Yes, there are both RF (radio) and IR (infra‐red) based remotes available. MegaSeg works with the Apple Remote
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Can I have my own categories?
Yes. MegaSeg allows you to customize your categories. You can even put a song into multiple categories. This is available by clicking the Category Set button in the Edit Song window.
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Can I specify a time a file (an ad, promo or station ID) will play?
Absolutely. MegaSeg incorporates powerful Scheduler and Events features. You can create schedules (like Playlist Hot Clocks based on categories/genre) and then use the Events feature to play them at certain times, or insert promos/IDs/jingles/sweepers at certain intervals (every 3 segues, every 15 minutes, 59 past the hour, Tuesdays at 10:30 PM, etc).
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How do I transfer MegaSeg to a new computer and be sure all the categories and music transfer correctly?
You can connect your two Macs together using a FireWire cable, and then when you restart one of the computers, hold down the “T” key, and it will enable “FireWire Target Disk Mode”. This is a fancy way of saying that it turns that computer into an external hard drive. This is the fastest method of transfer between two Macs. It will mount on your other computer as a drive right on the desktop, and you can copy your music and applications very quickly using this method. Alternatively you can turn on File Sharing in the System Preferences, and copy files over the network (using an Ethernet cable is faster than WiFi). This method is slower than FireWire Target Disk Mode, and usually more troublesome. Another option is to use an external hard drive to transfer files, but this method requires you to copy files twice (to and from the transfer drive).
To assist in the actual copying of files, you can use Apple’s “Migration Assistant” application to copy everything over automatically. The Migration Assistant is located in the Applications folder inside the Utilities folder.
If you use the Migration Assistant, it will copy your home folder, including the Music folder (where MegaSeg stores its database, playlists, logs, and events), as well as your Documents folder, your user accounts, settings, and other info such as emails.
If you decided to do things manually, you can just copy the music and then copy the MegaSeg data folder found in the Music folder.
When you are done, MegaSeg will start up with all the same info and songs. It should be able to link and play the music without any missing files as long as the music can be found in relatively the same location as was on the old system (inside the Music folder for example). If that’s not the case, you may need to use MegaSeg’s Remove Folders command in the File menu to remove all the tracks and re‐import them fresh. This should not cause the categories or segue times to reset as all the metadata is stored in both the library database and the files as a backup, specifically for a situation where you need to re-import files.
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Why do some of my MONO audio files not play out of my audio output device?
This is most likely an issue with how you have your device configured for surround sound channels. QuickTime 7.0 introduced support for surround sound (e.g. 5.1 Surround), and many other multichannel arrangements. By default, if you are using a sound output device that supports multiple channels, it will send any mono tracks to the 3rd output connection for the 5.1 “center speaker”. This is very easy to change using Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup program, that allows you to define the speaker arrangement for any sound output device...
- Open Audio MIDI Setup (found in the Utilities folder).
- Click on the Audio Devices tab.
- Select the output device you use with the “Properties For” pop‐up menu.
- Click the Configure Speakers button
- Click on the Multichannel button
- In the pop‐up menu, Select “Stereo”. (It was probably set to “5.1 Surround”)
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Is MegaSeg compliant with music licensing laws?
MegaSeg is a playback and mixing program, similar to a CD player and mixer. Using iTunes you can transfer your CD’s to your computer and then import and play them in MegaSeg. Transferring your own CD’s to your hard drive is like making a backup copy of a software program. If you get rid of your original CD, you are required to delete the backup copy too.
Another example is when you make a mix CD of your favorite songs from your own CD’s to play in the car. It’s for your own use (as long as you don’t give that CD to anyone). Just the same, the sound files extracted from your CD’s are personal copies of the music you already own.
When it comes to public performance, the venue or station you perform at should be ASCAP or BMI licensed, but this has nothing to do with MegaSeg or the playback medium.
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What is AutoSeg Trim? Why are tracks ending early?
MegaSeg’s “AutoSeg Trim” feature will subtract time from the end of a track that has not had a custom end time (“Segue Time”) set. The default Trim time is 7 seconds, which can be adjusted in the preferences. This feature is good to “catch” for songs that have not been set to a specific (i.e. perfect) segue time... but it is still recommended to set a custom segue times in the Edit Media dialog for each track. When a track has a Segue Time that is different (less than) the default length of the sound file, MegaSeg knows this is now custom set — and the AutoSeg Trim feature is disabled for that track. For example if the sound file is 32.24 seconds long, but the actual voice of the announcement ends at 29.67, make sure to set the segue time to 29.67. But even if you set it to 32.14 (00.10 seconds less than the default end time), MegaSeg will play it out to exactly 32.14 (without using the AutoSeg Trim feature).
Note, MegaSeg 3.0 and greater does not enable the AutoSeg Trim feature for tracks under 65 seconds in duration (for example commercials and jingles) to prevent cutting off those elements.
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I am getting “Kernel Panics” where a message appears asking me to restart in several different languages. How do I solve this?
One common cause of a kernel panic is a RAM chip going bad. If you installed additional RAM, it could be that it does not conform to Apple’s specs, or just a faulty module. Some brands may be temperamental in your model of Mac. If you have two RAM slots filled, try removing one and running for a while to see if the problem goes away. If not, swap the RAM chips and try using only the other one for a while. You may narrow it down very quickly.
Another likely cause of Kernel Panics is a Mac OS X system file becoming corrupt on disk. This can be solved by reinstalling the OS from the original discs, or sometimes just doing a system update (using Software Update in your Apple menu). But if this doesn’t help, then bad RAM is highly suspect.
A less likely cause of a Kernel Panic is a driver conflict for some 3rd party hardware you may have added. If you’ve installed a piece of hardware that requires a driver of some sort, try uninstalling or downloading a newer version.
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Is MegaSeg Mac OS X compatible?
Yes! MegaSeg is fully OS X native. It currently requires Mac OS 10.4 or newer.
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How’s the database formatted?
The database is stored in a text file located in the MegaSeg data folder inside your Music folder. It is loaded during startup, and then only accessed and modified when songs are added, edited or deleted. This makes it easy to “power edit” using a standard text editor if necessary. You can also export and import the Library as a tab delimitated text file to edit using a spreadsheet such as Numbers or Excel.
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Is the Playlist Setting’s fade out time saved with the song?
The fade out time is global and defaults to 2 seconds. Each song does have its own custom segue time (or end time), and allows you to override the fade‐out with the “Fade‐out Override” checkbox. You can use the fade override to keep a voice track from fading out when starting another song underneath. Try setting the segue time for the Voice Over to ‘00:00.00’ and check the Fade‐Override checkbox, and place the voice track before a song with an intro, then if in AutoSeg mode, it will start the voice track and the following song at the same time, and the voice track will not fade and play over the intro of the following song.
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What is the maximum number of songs MegaSeg can handle?
There is no set Library size limit. MegaSeg will try to handle as many files you throw at it. Although there is some practical limit depending on available RAM and drive space.
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What are the issues with MP3 playback and QuickTime?
Some VBR-encoded MP3 files over 5 minutes in length may have an audio pause at a consistent interval due to a bug in QuickTime, however MegaSeg has a patch to fix the problem. Only non-iTunes encoded MP3s are affected. It also does not affect other any formats such as AAC (m4a, mp4). If you only have problems with a few MP3 files, instead of enabling the MP3 Patch setting, you can use iTunes’ Advance Menu to re‐encode the file into a fresh MP3 or AAC file, which will solve the problem.
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How much are upgrades?
Updates are free (version 5.0 to 5.1 for example). Major version upgrades (x.0 or x.5) will be a fraction of the full price. See our order page for current pricing.
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Can MegaSeg print the Library and Playlists?
Yes, MegaSeg has a Print command in the File menu that allows you to print either the currently selected Library or Playlist. Just click to select the list and then choose Print from the File menu and then check the fields you want included in the list.
Alternatively, all saved Playlists are text files stored in the Playlists folder. You can print them using a text editor or spreadsheet like Excel or iWork’s Numbers and reformat as necessary. The Library can also be exported as a text file by using the ‘Export Library as Text’ menu command. The tabbed text file can open in a spreadsheet program, such as iWork’s Numbers or Excel.
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Tracks in my Library are linked to the wrong files (Play Error -1). How do I clear my Library to reimport?
MegaSeg keeps track of files using Mac OS Alias technology. This means that even if a file is renamed or moved on the drive, MegaSeg will still be able to find and play it. However if you swap hard drives, or transfer your files to an external drive, it’s rare but possible for it to get confused and cross‐link to random files. It is simple to solve this however by reimporting the files. Note all your database info will remain intact, since MegaSeg tags each file with “metadata”.
Here’s how to clear out your library and re‐import:
- First it’s a good idea to backup your current database, just in case you want to revert back to it. Open MegaSeg’s Preferences, and click on the General tab. There note the path to the MegaSeg data folder. Typically this is ~/Users/yourlogin/Music/MegaSeg/
- Find that folder on your drive with the Finder. Select the folder, and select Duplicate from the File menu. This create a backup of your current library and playlists.
- Return to MegaSeg, and select Remove Folders from the File menu. This shows a window with the names of all the hard drives that have files and folders imported into MegaSeg. Select the first hard drive listed, and click the Remove button. Continue to remove all hard drives listed until this list is empty. Note, this only tells MegaSeg to remove the files from MegaSeg library... it does not delete or trash the files and folders themselves.
- You should now have an empty MegaSeg Library. You should now quit and restart MegaSeg to be sure everything has a fresh start.
- Once restarted, select the Import button, and then the Options dialog on the lower right corner of the dialog. Make sure the Scan sub‐folders, and Use MegaSeg Tags options are checked. Then click OK.
- Select the Import Folder button, and navigate to your main music folder, and select that folder to import. MegaSeg should bring everything back into the library, with all the same saved info (due to the MegaSeg Tags). Repeat for any other master music folders on other hard drives, etc.
You should now have a fresh re‐linked library. This will solve the problem of cross‐linked files or “Play Errors -1”.
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How do I record my mix to an Audio CD?
You can record MegaSeg in real‐time using a program called Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba. It records to uncompressed AIFF or directly to MP3 or AAC formats, which then you can bring into iTunes or Toast to burn to a CD‐R. Audio Hijack Pro also has built‐in effect processing features to add dynamic compression or EQ for example.
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What is the function of the “Intro Time” field in the Edit window? It counts down when played, but has no effect I can hear.
The Intro Time is used to count down the time before the vocal starts in a song. It’s useful if you talk over the intro of a song (radio style) and like to see how much time is left before the singing starts.
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What happens if I lose the program file? Can I re‐download it without paying again?
Absolutely. Please contact us with your name and serial number, and we will send you a download link.
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Is the software available on CD‐ROM?
Currently MegaSeg is only available online via our website. The installer can then be backed up for a reinstall after reformatting, etc. If you ever lose your copy of MegaSeg, you can contact us with your name and serial number for a replacement download.
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Does MegaSeg install any files into the System Folder?
No. MegaSeg utilizes QuickTime which is already installed on all Macs.
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Is there a way to set a “cold” segue? I need a cold ending on some songs to get right into the next song.
Yes. Set the Segue Time at the exact time of the cold ending. MegaSeg will start the next song at this exact time. MegaSeg’s fade out of the previous song is activated after the next song starts, so it won’t cut off the cold ending song.
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Can MegaSeg stream audio directly to the Internet from one computer?
MegaSeg can generate an audio mix for an online station, but not handle the encoding or steaming. You can stream your mix with an audio streaming server, such as SHOUTcast, Live365.com, or Quicktime Streaming Server software (part of Mac OS X Server). You would then use a program to encode the stream, such as Nicecast (a SHOUTcast and Icecast compatible encoder), Studio365 Live, or QuickTime Broadcaster, and send your stream to the server.
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How do I use MegaSeg to stream video on the Net?
There are a few options which involve using a second video capture card or device. For example, MacBooks have a video output which can act as a second “desktop” display which MegaSeg uses to output full screen video. Then you can hook this video output to a video input on a video capture device or card, optionally connected to a second Mac or PC running streaming video encoding software.
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It makes me nervous relying on computers instead of CD players. What if it crashes or freezes?
We have had wonderful success with stability in MegaSeg and Mac OS X. DJ’s and radio stations have use it without fail. But as a safety net, it’s a good idea to keep a MiniDisc, iPod, or portable CD player handy so you can play a song during a reboot, just in case. It’s also a good idea to have a backup FireWire drive that has all your music, in case a drive goes bad.
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Can I change the name of audio files with no problems?
Yes, MegaSeg keeps track of the files using a special FileID. This means you can move or rename a file on the same drive and MegaSeg will be able to relocate it automatically. MegaSeg also keeps track of the audio files in the database by path and filename. It will check this first, so if you want to replace a file you can easily. If for some reason it can’t find a file, then MegaSeg will give a missing file error, and allow the you to find or remove the missing file manually.
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Are 5400 RPM external hard drives fast enough for music?
Yes. Audio uses a very small amount of bandwidth and 5400 RPM drives work fine. USB 2.0+ and FireWire hard drives also work well. We do recommend using full‐size external drives instead of compact “pocket size” drives, due to the fact the smaller drives are not typically designed for constant multimedia access and may overheat easily.
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If your question was not answered, please e‐mail us.