cliffb wrote:
Hi,
I have a playlist that when viewed in Notepad shows the <feedto> tag always as "Deck A". How can I get it to use the Decks in an A, B, A, B... order when using Autoplay? Without the switching capability, it kind of https://zumbaliciouscrew.com/en/zumba-online-class defeats the purpose of auto playback and the cueing of the next track.
I suppose I could edit the XML file to change the <feedto> tag value but that would be tu a real pain.
Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Cliff
Hi Cliff,
It sounds like you're dealing with a playlist file in XML format, and you're looking for a way to alternate tracks between "Deck A" and "Deck B" when using Autoplay. You’re right that manually editing the <feedto> tag for each track in a large playlist would be tedious, so let's explore a more efficient way to accomplish this.
Understanding the Problem:
The <feedto> tag in your XML file is controlling which deck each track is sent to, and by default, it's always set to "Deck A." For a smooth auto-playback experience with cueing on alternating decks (A and B), the goal is to modify the playlist so tracks alternate between Deck A and Deck B.
Possible Solutions:
Automated XML Editing with a Script: Instead of manually editing each <feedto> tag in Notepad, you could use a simple script to automate the process of alternating between Deck A and Deck B. This could be done with a programming language like Python or even some powerful text editors that support macros or regular expressions (like Notepad++).
Here’s an example of how you could do this using Python:
python
Copy code
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
Load your XML playlist file
tree = ET.parse('playlist.xml')
root = tree.getroot()
Get all <feedto> tags and alternate their values
deck = "A"
for feedto in root.iter('feedto'):
feedto.text = f"Deck {deck}"
# Alternate between A and B
deck = "B" if deck == "A" else "A"
Save the updated XML file
tree.write('updated_playlist.xml')
This script would alternate the <feedto> tag between "Deck A" and "Deck B" for each track in your playlist.
Playlist Software Settings: Many professional DJ software programs (such as Serato, VirtualDJ, or Traktor) have built-in features that handle deck switching automatically during autoplay. If you're using software that supports autoplay, there may be settings that enable automatic deck switching. I’d recommend looking into the autoplay or playlist management settings in your software to see if there's an option to alternate decks during autoplay, which would eliminate the need for editing the playlist manually or through a script.
Text Editor with Macros or Find/Replace: If you're comfortable using a powerful text editor like Notepad++, you could use a find-and-replace function or a macro to alternate the <feedto> tags:
Open the XML file in Notepad++.
Use a macro to cycle through the <feedto> tags and replace them with alternating values for "Deck A" and "Deck B."
This method might require a bit of trial and error but can save time compared to manual editing.
Conclusion:
If your software doesn’t handle deck switching automatically, writing a script or using a text editor with automation features would be the most efficient way to alternate the <feedto> tags between "Deck A" and "Deck B" in your XML playlist. This will allow the playlist to switch between decks as expected during autoplay, ensuring seamless cueing of the next track.
Let me know if you’d like help with any of these approaches!