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CBS-FM Audio Tweaks?

B

bigtom101

Guess they read the boards...the audio has been tweaked yet again. Cleaner, but still getting blown out of the water loudness wise from B101 here in Central Jersey.

Swing, and a miss....
 
How many months has this been going on now? Glad to read - I heard it about an hour ago but came in during spots. Didn't stick around to check out the music. During spots, it still sounded like it has nowhere near the high end that it should.

The loudness is an issue, especially in Central Jersey. I'm surprised no one recognizes the fact that competitively loud, undistorted audio will bolster their signal in an area that should be able to hear it with minimal difficulty. The signal has been difficult to pick up of late, but I am unsure how much that has to do with their quiet processing or atmospheric conditions.
 
There is a difference, although it is indeed not spectacular. As the OP noted, swing and a miss. Was out in LA a few weeks ago - they should fly in the engineer from KRTH. What an amazingly processed station!
 
One more thing - the reverb is back on the terrestrial signal on everything...BUT, it is only noticeable on dry voice. And still doesn't sound like the reverb on the old CBS-FM.

Let's see if it gets any better over the next few days.
 
Turnpike Tuner said:
One more thing - the reverb...is only noticeable on dry voice.
Click to expand...
Reverb should only be used on the mic channel.
The DJ is supposed to sound as he, she, or it is in the lavatory.
 
ai4i said:
Reverb should only be used on the mic channel.
The DJ is supposed to sound as he, she, or it is in the lavatory.
Click to expand...

I agree...sidechain it. But this was set up wrong and sounded flat, and the opposite of what WABC had - not rich/full at all.

Still sounds off...hopefully they can dial it in
 
Turnpike Tuner said:
Guess they read the boards...the audio has been tweaked yet again. Cleaner, but still getting blown out of the water loudness wise from B101 here in Central Jersey.

Swing, and a miss....
Click to expand...

We want to be clean on the dial=we don't know how to get it CLEAN and LOUD. And yes it's possible. Listen to Kool -fm in Phoenix. Not only do they have the processing perfect but when they break away to internet spots the levels are perfectly matched with the on air stream. Plus no cut offs.

I agree about the audio on KEARTH. HOT!
 
Let me assure you that a radio station CAN be both clean and loud! There's nothing special about how to do it either- you have to optimize the entire FM broadcast chain to work together as an optimized SYSTEM, as opposed to a bunch of equipment thrown together.

At many stations, you can tweak an audio processor until you go deaf -and things will not get better - because the problem isn't the processor! It's bad sounding audio going IN to the processor (garbage in/garbage out), or a poor Studio/Transmitter link or something wrong with the FM exciter or a mis-tuned transmitter or antenna, any of which can cause bad sounding audio at a station.

It never ceases to amaze me that at this point in FM (FM is a very mature medium - it is pushing 70 years old) stations still sound bad - because there is simply no reason to with today's broadcast technology!

There simply is no reason for it - other then incompetence.
 
LA_Guy said:
Let me assure you that a radio station CAN be both clean and loud!
Click to expand...
If you fail to maintain a wide dynamic range, this song will never, ever, ever sound any good.
 
LenoxAve said:
And if you process a station the way they're processing CBS-FM, ALL of the songs will never, ever, ever sound any good!
Click to expand...

The mics sound awful as well...the whole place needs to be re-tweaked from stem to stern.

Really, end all this madness - call up Erickson and just have him fix it. Simple as that.
 
Turnpike Tuner said:
LenoxAve said:
And if you process a station the way they're processing CBS-FM, ALL of the songs will never, ever, ever sound any good!
Click to expand...

The mics sound awful as well...the whole place needs to be re-tweaked from stem to stern.

Really, end all this madness - call up Erickson and just have him fix it. Simple as that.
Click to expand...

I don't think the reverb is there anymore, either. Sounds even worse than small market stations. There must be a skilled engineer up there who could help the deaf one who works at CBS-FM. There are 5 stations in that building and hopefully more than just one engineer. Why did CBS-FM get the short end of the stick with this person?
 
It is unlistenable. Flat, no high end sounds like Muzak's processing (no joke). Then the tighter music mix and I've just about tuned out. CBS-FM used to sound great both musically and technically, now it's sounds like garbage.
I bet I'm not the only one tuning out either. I hope CBS isnt using this for a reason to kill the oldies and put 1010 on 101.1!
 
or an easier switch with no change in call letters...NewsRadio 88 to 101.1
 
Went to a local coffee shop today that usually has 101 on and has for years, and they switched to Lite. I joked with the person behind the counter about it, and they said the station sounded like it was playing music underwater and sounded crappy over the store speakers recently.

If non radio people are noticing, Hudson Street, we have a problem...
 
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