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Signal and Processing of WYAY vs. WSBB

B

BarryATL

I tuned in to WSBB last night at 6:30 PM because the Georgia Tech basketball game started on WYAY. In the Midtown/Buckhead area, I was surprised that the 95.5 (WSBB) signal was so much clearer. Not as much static. Also, the processing was hands down better than WYAY (106.7).

I looked at the coverage maps, and its I am a bit confused. It would appear that WYAY should have a better signal across Atlanta, but WSBB seems stronger. Is there a terrain issue that I do not know about?

As for processing, why is there such a difference. WSBB is clear and pleasant to listen to. It seems quiet compared to WYAY. WSBB is not as quiet as WABE, but is in that direction. WYAY seems loud and brash in comparison.
 
Just to clarify, I am talking about WYAY's analog processing. They are doing something very different with the HD processing which is a bit jarring when in an area where the radio keeps switching back and forth between HD and analog.
 
I'll agree that the processing on WSBB is better; WYAY is improved but still sounds a little tinny and compressed, and left over from the AGH days.

As I said on the other thread, WSBB has a lot of (adjacent channel?) spit on it downtown. WYAY is clearer when you aren't having to contend with the multipath.
 
Roddy you may like the processing on 92.9 but the programing stinks. One of the worst sports stations I have ever heard. 680 the fan has nothing to worry about.
 
Okay... technical question for the engineering types... I live on Cheshire Bridge Rd, so that is my "sphere of influence". As I move around my sphere of influence, why does 106.7 have more multi-path issues than 95.5?
 
In the Cheshire Bridge Road area, I would expect the opposite, due to 94.9 and 96.1 right next door to 95.5. (and to a lesser extent, all of the other Ninety point whatevers in the area. 106.7 in theory, sits in a relatively uncrowded part of the band.

106.7 is still turning stereo on and off, depending on what source is on the air. When the stereo comes on, there will be more tendency toward multipath. Maybe that is what is taking place. One other thing, 106.7 has an Aux at the Richland/Shep tower farm, perhaps the exciter squirts thru the PA Cavity a bit even though the PA is off. Its is amazing how far some of that leakage thru the PA and IPA can travel.

95.5, 93.7 and 92.9 are all in glorious monophonic. It makes sense, voices do not need to be in stereo, so why take a substantial noise hit by turning the stereo pilot on?
 
I am happy that 106.7 has HD turned on, however it is processed very differently than the analog. It sounds like the overall volume is lower than the analog. So, when the radio switches, it sounds like the volume drops or increases. I don't think the volume is lower, I think it is not as compressed. Part of the quietness of 95.5 is the processing does not seem to push too hard (only words I can think of).

HGR1290, I had forgotten about the stereo pilot on 106.7. It does not make sense to keep turning it off and on.
 
It appears Cox is finally going to get the go ahead to move 95.5's transmitter into downtown. The 95.5 signal, for obvious reasons, will be far superior to the 106.7 signal in most parts of Atlanta - the exception will be east and northeast of Atlanta.
I wonder if Cox will stick with the simulcast or split WSBB from WSB when that happens.
All of the Cox properties sound excellent, technically. It starts with mics.....WSB/WSBB studios use Shure SM7B mics which are smooth and silky sounding. The engineering staff then uses reasonable processor settings - they don't make an egotistical attempt to be the loudest station on the dial.
It's funny how some people like loud and grungy and others like soft and sweet.
Different strokes for different folks........
 
I would love for WSB am 750 split off once 95.5 moves. I can hear it now, True Oldies on am 750 ;D BTW...KMOX runs Route 66 on Sat. night blasting some great oldies. At least there is WSB HD 2 in The Big A
 
Cox has always run conservative processing..even on the urban offerings. Always clean, and easy to listen to, but not flat..pretty good. When I worked at White Columns at B98.5 we were using Beyer Condenser mics with an Orban programmable mic processors. Sounded great.

Clear Channel always has had aggressive processing, especially on their AMs and the Jacor days really cranked!

ABC/Cumulus are sort of on a market by market basis, and some are great. cincinnati's processing on WGRR is outstanding.

I have yet to tune to WYAY (I do the GA Tech staff announce duties for football and basketball for IMG) and never have I seen the stereo pilot OFF! This causes a real range problem.
 
Is this the processing crap that is a holdover from WYAY's True Oldies days, or is this new processing crap especially tailored for all news?
???
 
The processing has changed, however I don't think it is much better. I was listening to WABE the other day and the signal switched from HD to analog a few times and I could barely tell the difference. With WYAY, it is like someone pushed the quiet button when the signal goes from analog to HD. WSBB and WABE both seem to know how to set up quality processing. Even Clear Channel has done okay with their comedy translator (and we know what a train wreck a translator can be). Why can't Cumulus get the processing to sound at least as good as WSBB?
 
IIRC 106,7 was a Citadel station. Citadel was "broke" after the ABC radio purchase. Citadel cut their "facilities" (radio station) repair budget in and effort to save money. They even were going to let a successful AM (actually had a positive cash flow) somewhere up in PA go dark because they could not afford to repair the transmitter. So basically what ever was in place when ABC / Disney sold that was it.

Cumulus is has a good but small engineering staff in Atlanta. They will get around to tweaking audio when time allows. IIRC The engineering crew in the past year or so have moved 101.5 studios to the Cumulus complex, then rebuilt the studio for 106.7 all news. Then they moved 106.7 to the Cumulus complex. They have been busy.
 
Supposedly.....the Director of Engineering for Cumulus and John Dickie set up the processing for all Cumulus stations. The local engineering staff is NOT allowed to touch audio setup - the equipment is password protected.
 
WYAY doing the mono/stereo flip flop really makes little practical sense, and as you move more towards fringe areas it becomes especially apparent.

There was a time in my former life as a PD when people sought out my chain details and Optimod settings, but to me the key was always to be more conservative than most believed was the case. Paul Williams, at the original 106.7 when owned by Jacobs taught me that and he knew how to build and maintain a clean, bright and vibrant chain and output.

Two other stations in this market's history, at least to my ear, were big standouts for top notch processing. The original incarnation of WKLS 96 Rock, and the first few years of 97-1 The River. Both were open and wide in reproduction range, while having just enough compression to come near peak loudness without risking getting into the hard/distort/fatigue range. 97.1 has been toyed with at times over the last few months, and while it's still good (as all Cox properties generally are, as mentioned above), they really should have left it alone as they had a world class sound for the given content.
 
Bob Hellbush created the infamous 96 Rock sound before Jacor bought the station in 1996. 96 Rock had a simple air chain in those days - just an Optimod 8100 and a XT chassis. Neumann U47 mics, no mic processing, and not a single piece of processing in the production rooms.
The most important element was management who kept their fingers out of the "processing stew" and let Bob make his magic.
 
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