Louisville Ancient History

[radiohawkins]

Due to management's insistence on cranking the bass frequencies too high on the processors, WLOU sounded muddy and almost distorted a lot of the time, whether they were using their old GE tube transmitter or the newer one (I believe they had a Harris MW-5...check me on this). To their credit, WDGS' processors were brand new CRL units, and more importantly, they were properly set up through a broadbanded system driven by a Harris SX-1 solid state transmitter-they always sounded clearer and sharper than WLOU.

Yep, it was an MW-5 which has, thankfully, been replaced with a Nautel Ampfet 5. Still has the old RCA BC1A as a backup (and it still works). The SuX-1 is still being used for 1570 with the same processors most likely. WLOU is using an Optimod 9000 that's driven lightly. The wideband AGC just touches -5db compression.

OH so it's The Light that's making WLOU sound like that? I've always wondered that. I've also noticed that on some of WLOU's local spots. That's the only station I hear that on.

 

[kyscott]

Don't just take their airtime money and slap it on the air...give 'em some help.

I would like for them to burn everything to wav files on CD's. Then they could be directly imported into the automation system. But again, we are talking about people that don't know what they are doing in the first place. Cassettes are so 80's!

I took care of a station in Georgia that had a preacher do a 15 minute devotional weekdaily. The drive was getting to be too much for him, and getting a telephone line was out of the question. I showed him how to record his sermons in his computer using a very basic recording setup (his office was surprisingly quiet), then using his Compuserve email account send them to the radio station. They were able to convert them and insert them in the Phantom playlist. This was 13 years ago when things were not as easily done that way as they are today. He loved it since he could record in advance and not have to leave his work study. At one point he was three weeks ahead when we had to tell him to slow down!

 

[kyscott]

OH so it's The Light that's making WLOU sound like that? I've always wondered that. I've also noticed that on some of WLOU's local spots. That's the only station I hear that on.

It's a daily struggle to get them to watch their levels in the production room. I don't know how the mid day girl, Morgan Dukes, does her show. I think she voice tracks it. I can sit there and watch the levels on her mic alone peg the meters, yet the music seems to be fine. I can't turn down the levels on the satellite receiver too much.

 

[radiohawkins]

Don't just take their airtime money and slap it on the air...give 'em some help.

I would like for them to burn everything to wav files on CD's. Then they could be directly imported into the automation system. But again, we are talking about people that don't know what they are doing in the first place. Cassettes are so 80's!

I took care of a station in Georgia that had a preacher do a 15 minute devotional weekdaily. The drive was getting to be too much for him, and getting a telephone line was out of the question. I showed him how to record his sermons in his computer using a very basic recording setup (his office was surprisingly quiet), then using his Compuserve email account send them to the radio station. They were able to convert them and insert them in the Phantom playlist. This was 13 years ago when things were not as easily done that way as they are today. He loved it since he could record in advance and not have to leave his work study. At one point he was three weeks ahead when we had to tell him to slow down!

LOL!!! Compuserve is old school! The last time I was at WLLV or WLOU didn't have automation.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Due to management's insistence on cranking the bass frequencies too high on the processors, WLOU sounded muddy and almost distorted a lot of the time, whether they were using their old GE tube transmitter or the newer one (I believe they had a Harris MW-5...check me on this). To their credit, WDGS' processors were brand new CRL units, and more importantly, they were properly set up through a broadbanded system driven by a Harris SX-1 solid state transmitter-they always sounded clearer and sharper than WLOU.

Yep, it was an MW-5 which has, thankfully, been replaced with a Nautel Ampfet 5. Still has the old RCA BC1A as a backup (and it still works). The SuX-1 is still being used for 1570 with the same processors most likely. WLOU is using an Optimod 9000 that's driven lightly. The wideband AGC just touches -5db compression.

An Optimod 9000 on WLOU? Last time I went through Louisville the stereo light lit up on 1350.

As far as advising churches on audio, good luck! In almost every case those system are run by folks who claim "I are teh audio injuneer expert!!111" and they are far from it. I've been asked to consult many churches on their audio issues and find a cluster***k wiring job of spliced up shielded cable, main outputs split off several times to feed the mains, the screaming room (nursery) and the $99 cassette deck, and other audio craziness producing all sorts of unwanted noise.

 

[kyscott]

An Optimod 9000 on WLOU? Last time I went through Louisville the stereo light lit up on 1350.

Yes, and you are the first person to notice that. The Nautel has a C-Quam stereo generator. Soon as I can find another Marti STL pair, it will be in true stereo. However, I thought I had turned the pilot back off. And I mistyped in the first message, it's not a 9000, It's a 9100B2

 

[BobOnTheJob]

As far as advising churches on audio, good luck! In almost every case those system are run by folks who claim "I are teh audio injuneer expert!!111" and they are far from it. I've been asked to consult many churches on their audio issues and find a cluster***k wiring job of spliced up shielded cable, main outputs split off several times to feed the mains, the screaming room (nursery) and the $99 cassette deck, and other audio craziness producing all sorts of unwanted noise.

97.9 in Anderson, Indiana...a decade ago. There was a sudden RF problem with the radio station coming in over a church PA system. The Chief at that station went over to speak with the tech at the church. During the inspection, it was noted that all of the ground pins were removed from the sound equipment. Not coincidentally, the problem started concurrent with that pin removal. When asked why the pins had been removed, the tech proudly reported that 33% of the electricity flows through each pin & he was able to cut the electrical consumption by 1/3 simply be cutting all of those ground pins. That guy simply must be related to the above referenced church injuneer.

 

[The King Bee]

RadioHawkins, your reference to the lack of automation at WLOU/WLLV reminds me of their longtime practice of not running any local IDs at all on their evening and overnight satellite service. They also don't cover local mandatory fill time on the hour clock-just dead air until the net rejoin.

This is truly a weird situation. What self-respecting OM, PD or GM would stand for such? I wonder why the FCC hasn't gotten on their tail for not ID' ing these two stations properly for so long? And secondly, why don't they at least have a music and ID fill cart loaded into a cart player which is remoted to the satellite tone decoder's relay contacts? This is the simplest way I know to stay legal and prevent citations. Unattended operation is just that, operation...not a virtual abandonment of the facility every evening.

Perhaps Davidson Media knows what they are lacking in managerial skill at these stations and won't trust them with the investment in the massive technical re-working those studios need badly. Perhaps they are waiting for a chance to consolidate WLOU, WLLV and WTMT into a new combined facility. In any event, they really need to get some kind of basic automation system together if they care about the sound of their stations 24 hours a day.

 

[radiohawkins]

I've always heard legal ID's and I've always heard instrumentals playing instead of dead air.

 

[The RadioFan]

I've always heard legal ID's and I've always heard instrumentals playing instead of dead air.

During the overnight hours, WLLV broadcasts the same satellite network (SGN"The Light") as WLOU. However, WLLV doesn't air any legal ID's, liners, etc. during the overnight hours. WLOU's avoidance of Legal IDs during SGN broadcasts diminished about a year ago when they began to rely on the SGN satellite network for other dayparts besides overnights.

 

[radiohawkins]

A while back, probably 2 years ago, the ID was a simulcast ID. I've always heard an ID on WLOU overnights.

 

[kyscott]

In any event, they really need to get some kind of basic automation system together if they care about the sound of their stations 24 hours a day.

Problems for the most part have been fixed. A BSI Simien was installed about a year ago and was hooked up to satellite contact closures where the station now IDs when they fire the contacts. The Light airs soft fill music in the local avails. The only time there is dead air now is when someone isn't paying attention and the Simien does not rejoin the network.