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Sound processing Cleveland stations

"14K" did use reverb in their early years (mid 80s), but towards the end of their all-live years -- and definitely when they went mostly with the automated "The Oldies Channel", I don't recall hearing the reverb at all.

Now that I look back at the rise and fall of WHK's foray into oldies, it's interesting to note that towards the end, they were getting killed by their own sister station WMJI after Majic slowly transitioned from AC -- to AC by day/Denny Sanders' oldies show at night -- to all oldies.
WHK flipped to a business format which left the door open for WMJI, then AC Oldies, to go all oldies. Gorman and Sanders were brought in to do this. WMJI was patterned after Boston's RKO, which John and Denny grew up listening to, and CKLW and WIXY.
 
I remember when WTAM had that reverb effect applied to their processing. WMJI even did this as well, though it was likely applied at the studio as it only affected the DJs when on the air.

I've noticed that WAKR AM 1590's processing sounds a bit harsh. As one of the few AMs left with a music format, I believe that their digital processor is not set correctly for music on AM, or that it can't replicate the sound or curves of an older analog processor. I have some tapes from another AM station that date back to 2000, and the processing sounded very good and pleasing to the ear. However, over the years, the frequency response slowly started to degrade, and it was likely switched out with a digital one in 2006 when the station launched their IBOC carrier.
WMJI's reverb, as I posted above, the Harmonizer H3000B, an analog FX box. We also used it in production to add reverb to imaging and commercials. The on air 'verb was applied to the entire signal at the studio then sent to the transmitter, as it should be. NEVER apply 'verb to just the mic. Why? Can hear it go away when the mic is turned off. Sounds terrible.
 
Reverb was used because properly done it can sound really cool on an AM top 40 station (personal opinion). IIRC a lot of the Nationwide top 40 stations had reverb at one time or another. This is a Cleveland site so I bet anyone who lived there pre 1980 has heard it on 1220 at on time or another.

With derailing the thread to engineering, back in the day it was believed the AGCs have a little "extra" low audio to hold on to and would try to "pump up" so the average seemed higher.
A gentlemen I worked with in Raleigh, Chris Shebel - Top 40 peeps will know Chris, he put on Energy in Chicago, and more - he was OM of CHR WDCG/G105 for about two years. We were chatting one day and he REALLY wanted to add 'verb to G105 b/c Chris always loved how it sounded on WNCI. He never got to it... as he "exited" a few months later.
 


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