SRP said:
David Reaves said:
There is something about the concept of audio processing that is really ego-controlled.
You nailed that one, David. The perfect preface to the two pages of back-n-forth between Mike (someone who knows his stuff) and "LA_Guy" (someone who wants us to think he knows his stuff but won't "man up" and say what station is running his "magic box").
Can't wait to see how this turns out.
Actually, processing isn't ego controlled at all-and there are no magic boxes. What there is is a 'systems' approach to how a radio station works. WGLI intimated that the weak link at WCBS-FM "was the Harris consoles". I believe him (and agree with him)-which is why that would be the first place I'd start! See, an audio processor is only as good as what goes INTO it (garbage in-garbage out). So, if the board doesn't sound good then how can the radio station? By the way, I've NEVER seen any analog console that whose sound could not be improved BIG TIME-EVER!
These days the rage is a one box solution-but this is really nothing new. Orban was the first manufacturer to put the audio processor and stereo generator in the same box-and by doing so was able to optimize the interface between the individual parts-but that doesn't mean that many others weren't doing this with individual components years before he did. As an example, look at an Audimax, a Volumax and a Wilkinson SG-1E stereo generator (a unit that ate the stereo generator in the 8000 for lunch by the way) . The Audimax has input transformers, input and output level controls and output transformers. Now, let's get rid of the output level control and output transformer.-as they really aren't needed (we'll set the output of the Audimax at 0 dbm). Next, let's look at the Volumax. There is an input transformer, pre-emphasis, limiter, de-emphasis, output control and output transformer. Finally, let's look at the stereo gen-there's input transformers and pre-emphasis. Do you see what can be removed? Certainly we don't need the de-emphasis in the Volumax-nor do we need the pre-emphasis in the stereo gen-and we can get rid of three more sets of transformers as well (Volumax in and out and stereo gen input).
THIS is how the systems approach works-and let me assure you that many were doing this as early as the late 1960s.
How many of you are feeding telco program lines directly from a console, compressor, PPM encoder or DA output? If so, you are likely screwing up the line's response because the typical differential output is 100 ohms-yet the telco line has been equalized to work with a 600 ohm source impedance. Yet time after time I see this. Just this ONE anomaly can trash your bass response-and NO magic box audio processor can put back in what isn't there to begin with! Using a Tellabs 4008 equalizer on your lines? Not only is your audio going through a 741 opamp (probably the worst ever made for audio) but thanks to a design flaw that unit has almost 3/4 of a percent distortion below 100 hz. Yet at one time hundreds of stations used them! The cure is to lift one end of a resistor, solder a 2 inch piece of wire to the resistor and connect the other end of the wire to another area of the circuit. Just this one mod knocks the distortion down by a factor of 50.
There IS no magic box-there's just common sense and understanding how the various parts work together as a SYSTEM. ...and a couple other tricks I still play close to the vest (can't give EVERYTHING away for free after all).
Finally, one more thing. Anyone who claims that their on air sound is is good as their program sound is only demonstrating how BAD their board sounds, yet this is a common claim.
