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Still more music tweaking at DRC-FM

I suspect the heat affected DRC FM's primary transmitter and switched to the back-up yesterday because the sound was the worst I've heard from them. Also, when I was in the van, the call letter display (I believe it's known as "RDS") was blank. Oh yeah, the stereo light was intermittent as well.

Regards,

DJ Jim Wayne
 
DJ Jim Wayne said:
I suspect the heat affected DRC FM's primary transmitter and switched to the back-up yesterday because the sound was the worst I've heard from them. Also, when I was in the van, the call letter display (I believe it's known as "RDS") was blank. Oh yeah, the stereo light was intermittent as well.

Regards,

DJ Jim Wayne
Click to expand...

I remember somebody stating (perhaps in this very forum) that DRC-FM uses landlines for an STL instead of a microwave, or perhaps this is what they feed the backup transmitter with. I would suspect they must have a more than minor problem, especially if the RDS is out. It would be interesting to know if their HD channel is off the air as well.

Bill
CapitalRadio.us
 
Just past Midnight Sat morning, they do sound good. Best I think I've ever heard the audio EVER (12 years of listening on and off).
 
DJ Jim Wayne said:
As of 4pm today, I think they are back on their Main & they sound pretty good . . . Maybe they really do care!!
Click to expand...

I was listening for a while this evening. "Baker Street" and "I Hear a Symphony" sounded very good, "Downtown" and "Come Back When You Grow Up" didn't. Maybe things got better as the night went on.

Another thing I've noticed this week is that the playlist seems to have been pruned severely. Looks like the same 100 to 150 songs are getting two or three spins a day, with "variety" tracks thrown in maybe two or three times an hour -- usually '50s or early '60s songs. And it's not just standard "power oldies," either. Songs like "Georgy Girl" and "After Midnight" and Junior Walker's version of "How Sweet It Is" are getting multiple plays. Maybe something happened to the hard drive that stores the music during that heat wave as well.
 
I took a listen while driving out to and back home from a dinner date and I noticed that there seems to be a reasonable improvement on the audio. I heard Abba's "Dancing Queen", which the last time I hear it sounded like a low-quality mp3 file, and it sounded reasonably decent. The other songs I heard during the drive sounded ok as well so maybe they're actually making an effort in trying to improve things.

Bill
CapitalRadio.us
 
If I had a dollar for every time I've tuned in DRC-FM and heard something different audio-wise (and usually unlistenable as anything other than background music) I'd be a rich man by now. As I stated in another thread, I'll take a listen when I get back to CT, but I am by no means expecting miracles.

However, there is always the possibility they actually listened to all our complaining and finally decided to do something about it...
 
Funny thing was, very early today the audio was back to the "crap-ola" sound like they were on their backup or their STL failed again. I got out of an appointment in Danbury about 10:25am and it sounded they fixed the problem as the audio was "less-crappy" than before. Good thing, as they were heavily plugging their HD audio. Maybe they're trying to get more people to buy HD radios by sounding like garbage on their analog signal?

Then again, maybe they don't really care!


Bill
CapitalRadio.us
 
I must say that after listening with more focus and concentration, I think They're doing the best they can. Do we all not agree that the air product can only be as good as the source??
Example:
*Gary US Bonds = trash
*3 Dog Night = nice
Of course, there is a never ending amount of formulas or examples or comparisons. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the same songs that sound bad on my system don't seem to air well either. Am I comparing apples to oranges? Probably. Do I have a lot to learn about the tech side of radio? Yes, but I find myself learning more here than I ever did at CSB back in '74. I look forward to your responses.
 
Granted, there's some pretty crummy source material out there (the first version of TM Century's GoldDiscs with all the phase issues and the "Oldies But Goodies" series of CDs come to mind) but if there were to put an effort into their product that could improve their air product. I don't remember the music that wasn't sonically great sounding that trashing on CBS-FM when compared to DRC-FM. Maybe it's the resources that CBS-FM had or maybe they just cared more to create a better product.


Bill
CapitalRadio.us
 
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