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KHLX Audio---YIKES!

M

Michael Rivers Kramer

I'd like to give the engineering department at CC on Ethan Way the benefit of the doubt. What's wrong with the audio at KHLX? Is your STL down? Are you using a back up telco line to get the audio to the transmitter?

The station sounds awful with no highs. It sounds like a radio does when you place a pillow over the speaker. I noticed it last night when driving into town.

The audio of KHYL, KGBY and KQJK sound great.
 
CC Sacramento has a new CE, a good friend of mine and I can assure you that he knows his stuff. If there's a problem with the audio he'll correct it, but as we all know that sometimes takes time, especially when you've lost part of your crew to downsizing and you've got that many stations to take care of. Plus, someone from programming should catch it first and alert engineering as they can't be tuned in to all of their stations all of the time. I'd say, give a few hours and it should improve.
 
KHLX processing has been awful since they signed on almost 3 months ago. I can't believe it hasn't been fine-tuned in that amount of time. Oh wait, this is Cheap Channel...I forgot.

Tune into KCCL/92.1 and compare the difference in audio...same stick and only 6kw sounding louder and clearer than 93.1! Ouch..

I do like the signal though...came in strong in the east bay last weekend!
 
Bryan Simmons said:
Haven't spoken to Gregg yet, but I'm thinking now that he set up the processing the way the PD wanted, but it's just a guess.
Click to expand...

One PD for all four FM's...Don Alias

I think the AM guy may be in charge of operations.




Bryan...I'm not negating the abilities of you friend who I am sure is well qualified. You should hear the station. It's REALLY REALLY OFF. I've NEVER heard an FM station that sounds better online than it does over the air until yesterday.
 
Michael Rivers Kramer said:
Bryan Simmons said:
Haven't spoken to Gregg yet, but I'm thinking now that he set up the processing the way the PD wanted, but it's just a guess.
Click to expand...

One PD for all four FM's...Don Alias

I think the AM guy may be in charge of operations.




Bryan...I'm not negating the abilities of you friend who I am sure is well qualified. You should hear the station. It's REALLY REALLY OFF. I've NEVER heard an FM station that sounds better online than it does over the air until yesterday.
Click to expand...

It's cool, I believe you. We have a station in our cluster that has audio I've always thought was terrible, so I understand. Funny thing is, I was there on vacation last week and I didn't listen to that station. Now I'm wishing I had. Hopefully he'll get my voice mail soon and take a look at the audio chain.

B~
 
Anyone listen to the KHLX HD-1 channel? How's the audio there?

Bryan Simmons said:
Haven't spoken to Gregg yet, but I'm thinking now that he set up the processing the way the PD wanted, but it's just a guess.
Click to expand...

I can't see any PD being satisfied the current sound, especially if their entire audio chain is new state of the art equipment. With a format like classic hits... they definitely need more of a variance between highs and lows that gives the music a "newer" sound that is refreshing, even though the listener has heard the song thousands of times in the past. I've heard it done at a handful of stations and it really makes the music more listenable.
 
Michael Rivers Kramer said:
I'd like to give the engineering department at CC on Ethan Way the benefit of the doubt. What's wrong with the audio at KHLX? Is your STL down? Are you using a back up telco line to get the audio to the transmitter?

The station sounds awful with no highs. It sounds like a radio does when you place a pillow over the speaker. I noticed it last night when driving into town.

The audio of KHYL, KGBY and KQJK sound great.
Click to expand...

I'll go one step further. ALL the am stations in Sac are average at best. KFBK is so low on the dial and the hiss from HD is awful. My parents live fairly close to KFBK's transmitter and it sounds distant!! 1380 is ok but over-limited/Clipped. KSTE is just average. Many engineers have difficulty in adjusting Digital processors. You would think with all the factory pre-sets you could make it sound good. As for FM: Oy Vey!
 
BossJock1947 said:

I'll go one step further. ALL the am stations in Sac are average at best. KFBK is so low on the dial and the hiss from HD is awful. My parents live fairly close to KFBK's transmitter and it sounds distant!! 1380 is ok but over-limited/Clipped. KSTE is just average. Many engineers have difficulty in adjusting Digital processors. You would think with all the factory pre-sets you could make it sound good. As for FM: Oy Vey!
Click to expand...

Um, isn't 1530 "high" on the dial? Do you mean low volume, or is there another KFBK I'm unaware of?
 
calguy said:
BossJock1947 said:

I'll go one step further. ALL the am stations in Sac are average at best. KFBK is so low on the dial and the hiss from HD is awful. My parents live fairly close to KFBK's transmitter and it sounds distant!! 1380 is ok but over-limited/Clipped. KSTE is just average. Many engineers have difficulty in adjusting Digital processors. You would think with all the factory pre-sets you could make it sound good. As for FM: Oy Vey!
Click to expand...

Um, isn't 1530 "high" on the dial? Do you mean low volume, or is there another KFBK I'm unaware of?
Click to expand...

Low in VOLUME
 
Bryan,

Thanks for the support.

Way too much to do these days. As it turned out the new Nautel NV20 has several power level presets that ALSO configure other transmitter paramerters including biasing and audio parameters such as pre emphasis. Last week we had an HVAC issue with the room temp running near or over 100 degrees. I have NBautel on the phone and troubleshooting the transmiter via remote connection.

The transmitter is completely controlled via computer interface in fact there are no buttons on the front f the transmitter just a touch screeN. What we learned today was that the Nautel Engineer changed to a different preset, adjusted audio levels aalong with the PA bias setting so that the transmitter would run more efficiently and COOLER! What we didn't notice was that the preset he used did not have Pre emphasis activated. I listened in my truck for a few seconds as we left the site but listening conditions were not good and I just listened to here if it was on but did not give it the critical listen I probably should have.

I now manage 6 stations with a small staff. I spend more time pushing paper or emails than really engineering anymore. Thanks for covering my back with all the back seat drivers on this site. Any one of them could have made a call. I did not have one complaint from management or staff. Just this forum that you wer so kind to alert me too. Well at least you and I still have jobs...

Best,

Gregg
 
GreggGarcia said:
Bryan,

Thanks for the support.

Way too much to do these days. As it turned out the new Nautel NV20 has several power level presets that ALSO configure other transmitter paramerters including biasing and audio parameters such as pre emphasis. Last week we had an HVAC issue with the room temp running near or over 100 degrees. I have NBautel on the phone and troubleshooting the transmiter via remote connection.

The transmitter is completely controlled via computer interface in fact there are no buttons on the front f the transmitter just a touch screeN. What we learned today was that the Nautel Engineer changed to a different preset, adjusted audio levels aalong with the PA bias setting so that the transmitter would run more efficiently and COOLER! What we didn't notice was that the preset he used did not have Pre emphasis activated. I listened in my truck for a few seconds as we left the site but listening conditions were not good and I just listened to here if it was on but did not give it the critical listen I probably should have.

I now manage 6 stations with a small staff. I spend more time pushing paper or emails than really engineering anymore. Thanks for covering my back with all the back seat drivers on this site. Any one of them could have made a call. I did not have one complaint from management or staff. Just this forum that you wer so kind to alert me too. Well at least you and I still have jobs...

Best,

Gregg
Click to expand...

Gregg,

I'm sorry if my comments earlier offended you. If you notice above, I said I'd like to give the benefit of the doubt. I was flabbergasted that nobody would notice. Of course I could have called the station. I used to work there in from 1988-2000. What bothers me is that nobody at the station noticed enough to mention it to you. At least one person there should be paid to care.

The people on Ethan Way are obviously spread too thin and it speaks volumes about the state of radio in some quarters.

Like I said earlier. KGBY, KQJK and KHYL all sound great.

Good luck, it sounds like you have your hands full.

Michael
 
Michael Rivers Kramer said:
GreggGarcia said:
Bryan,

Thanks for the support.

Way too much to do these days. As it turned out the new Nautel NV20 has several power level presets that ALSO configure other transmitter paramerters including biasing and audio parameters such as pre emphasis. Last week we had an HVAC issue with the room temp running near or over 100 degrees. I have NBautel on the phone and troubleshooting the transmiter via remote connection.

The transmitter is completely controlled via computer interface in fact there are no buttons on the front f the transmitter just a touch screeN. What we learned today was that the Nautel Engineer changed to a different preset, adjusted audio levels aalong with the PA bias setting so that the transmitter would run more efficiently and COOLER! What we didn't notice was that the preset he used did not have Pre emphasis activated. I listened in my truck for a few seconds as we left the site but listening conditions were not good and I just listened to here if it was on but did not give it the critical listen I probably should have.

I now manage 6 stations with a small staff. I spend more time pushing paper or emails than really engineering anymore. Thanks for covering my back with all the back seat drivers on this site. Any one of them could have made a call. I did not have one complaint from management or staff. Just this forum that you wer so kind to alert me too. Well at least you and I still have jobs...

Best,

Gregg
Click to expand...

Gregg,

I'm sorry if my comments earlier offended you. If you notice above, I said I'd like to give the benefit of the doubt. I was flabbergasted that nobody would notice. Of course I could have called the station. I used to work there in from 1988-2000. What bothers me is that nobody at the station noticed enough to mention it to you. At least one person there should be paid to care.

The people on Ethan Way are obviously spread too thin and it speaks volumes about the state of radio in some quarters.

Like I said earlier. KGBY, KQJK and KHYL all sound great.

Good luck, it sounds like you have your hands full.

Michael
Click to expand...

Why are you flabbergasted nobody would notice? I come here just about every weekend to visit my aging parents and like I said in an earlier post about AM stations sounding bad. KFBK too low on dial. Every weekend I hear some really crappy syndication on KSTE. Dream Weaver on Sat Nights is just plain bad. It's distorted like crazy too. Don't people care anymore? When I'm in Long Beach (where I live) I listen to KFBK in the afternoon and they NEVER get to the network on time. Day after Day they screw up. Makes me want to get back in radio and show these people how to do it right. Or do they care?
 
Boss: I've got to agree with you it's like they just don't care because the owners of the stations are just too far away in New York or wherever else they hang their hats. And the employee's are just there to push the buttons and told to just shut up and be glad your STILL getting to be here to do that and get paid for it! It is a sad state for radio.

By the way, it's great that you take care of your parents the way you do! A lot of sons and daughters don't care!
 
Tuned in last night around 10pm. The audio was 'skipping' - like a scratched CD. Stereo pilot was solid so must be with the delivery to the station. And this is not the first time I've heard it either. Tuned in again around 11:30pm and still the same.

How is Premium Choice delivered? Satellite, T1?? They need to get it on a local hard drive and voicetrack at the least. C'mon this is market 27!
 
Big D said:
Tuned in last night around 10pm. The audio was 'skipping' - like a scratched CD. Stereo pilot was solid so must be with the delivery to the station. And this is not the first time I've heard it either. Tuned in again around 11:30pm and still the same.

How is Premium Choice delivered? Satellite, T1?? They need to get it on a local hard drive and voicetrack at the least. C'mon this is market 27!
Click to expand...

Everything is off of their local hard drive. The generic tracks and music logs are all imported into the local hard drive from where ever they come from around the country.


I have a feeling everyone is overworked and spread thin.

You would think that if everything sounded perfect, corporate would think that people around there have too much time on their hands and cuts need to be made. Don't pay too much attention to detail otherwise you'll will be seen as someone who wastes time.

It's a shame about the skipping... especially in market 27.
 
93.1 KHLX is a Clear Channel "throw away" station, and that is truly a shame! The source material (music library) sounds like audio garbage, downloaded from CC's corporate server of low bit-rate MP3's. 93.1's format is also a complete waste of a signal. The is NO room for this format in Sacramento! Anyone with half a brain knows that 93.1 should have signed on with a Modern Rock format, not Classic Hits. Those in charge of this mess, need to get a clue!
 
Staying with in reaches of the original discussion.

It came in rather well yesterday with all the weather.Same drive and all.Sounded better.
 
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