WDRC-FM Audio

[Voiceguy123]

I finally dug out a tuner and hooked it up after about a year sabatical from listening in the house to FM radio on the big system. Currently listening to DRC-FM, I find the audio overly squashed and congested. As I recall Tom Ray and crew recently revamped the audio processing with a new Omnia 06ex and if I recall correctly an Arianne in front. And It sounded good. Now, it just sounds like mud.

Anyone have a decent high-end system they can listen on and comment?

 

[Voiceguy123]

Nobody?

I think it's pretty sad when Cox-owned PLR and Scar 99.9 sound better (audio wise) than a national anthem flamethrower like WDRC...

 

[Tom_Ray]

First, we never installed an Arianne. Never had one in house.

Second, there have been no changes to the audio processing or the transmission system since we installed the new processor last year. Don't know what you're hearing, but it sounded pretty good to me when I was up there last week.

Tom Ray
Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio
ham Call: W2TRR

 

[Voiceguy123]

No worries, Tom. I know you are a very competent engineer. We both know there are an insurmountable number of obstacles including source material and operator error. It's just a little dense for my taste (and take that with a grain of salt because after all, it IS just MY opinion). I like the general balance but I just think it digs in a little too hard and could stand to be a little brighter, and more open. Listening on a GM/Delco factory radio in a 2000 Blazer with Kenwood 3-ways throughout (as we both know, hardly good speakers) it definitely cuts through the noise, but it's Dense Dense Dense.

Here in the house I'm using both a Fisher FM273 and a Pioneer TX-9100, receiving horizontally polarized on a home-made loop. The system layout is relatively simple, Klipsch KLF-20 one per side, 3-way actively crossed. Xovers are Ashly XR1001, one per side. Amps are:

High: Hafler P-1000
Mid: Hafler P1500
LF: Hafler P3000
Sub: Velodyne FSR-1800RII

I apologise for my mistaken recollection of an Arianne in the chain... I mistook that for WEBE where Ed put one in front of a 6EXi.

It would be an absolute JOY to find you on the air and ragchew about audio processing on any of the following frequencies:

Find me on:
144.450
145.710
146.580
146.505 +1.000 PL77
146.445 +1.000 PL77
And of course Dana's 147.345

No offense meant and hopefully none taken,

de N1UJU

 

[Tom_Ray]

No issues.

You know, these manufacturers have been putting "brilliance" controls on processing for at least 10 years now. I have turned them up to max (no one does "11")....but the jocks don't seem to get any smarter. )


Not this week, but maybe next week, I'll have another 2 meter rig in the car. I'll let you know when I'm in the area. The present rig is tied up with APRS.

73
Tom Ray
de W2TRR

 

[bigtom101]

No issues.

You know, these manufacturers have been putting "brilliance" controls on processing for at least 10 years now. I have turned them up to max (no one does "11")....but the jocks don't seem to get any smarter. )


Not this week, but maybe next week, I'll have another 2 meter rig in the car. I'll let you know when I'm in the area. The present rig is tied up with APRS.

73
Tom Ray
de W2TRR

Jocks causing audio issues? Why I never....

Ever had a jock who ran audio so low it triggered the silence sensor and turned off the transmitter? When I ran it the studio, the deer in the headlighs jock had no clue that the volume in his headphones did not correspond to the audio levels on the board.

Pitfalls of college radio and heavy processing I guess. I do love hearing them complain on air about the reverb and how it throws them off.

Oh, the topic - when I heard DRC-FM on my trip out to the Hamptons, it sounded like there was a nice balance, and the HD sounded on nice and clean. Just wish the signal was more stable to hear the HD-2. And of course WOR sounds amazin' in HD.