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Will Analog radio go away in time?
- Thread starter jras20
- Start date
Analog radio will NOT be going away anytime soon. There's hundreds of millions of receivers that would not work if it were to.I'd give it 20-25 years (on the FM side) if HD catches on. AM will probably forever be analog, unless they decided to just abandon the band altogether.jras20 said:
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autopaint
Guest
"Analog radio will NOT be going away anytime soon. There's hundreds of millions of receivers that would not work if it were to."While I won't state that IBOC will rid the world of standard analogue transmissions any time soon, think about the recording industry. There were at least as many record players as there are radios and today you'd be hard pressed to find a record shop selling current materal. Sure you can buy some upscale turntables and cartridges for sale but their numbers are minimal. Technology moves fast, and over the past 10 years I've replaced my computers numerous times and gone from dos to XP Pro and even XP is becoming yesterdays platform. The older computers can be used effectively as door stops in todays world. I'd say 25 years from now the world will be a completely different place and possibly analogue, as we know it, in any form will be seen as something from the past, as cylinder records are viewed today.
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autopaint-1
Guest
While I don't see IBOC going the way of AM stereo and IBOC offers much more for the listener than any of the AM stereo systems did, you have to understand, most people under the age of 30 never listen to AM radio. It has to do something to survive. These stations aren't on the air so that they can be DX'd. Younger people won't listenb to an AM stereo station because in the end the audio quality is poor, even under ideal conditions. FM IBOC is great with it's multiple formats capability on a single channel. I live with 25 miles of a major market and don't suffer any of the interference that people in here complain of. Forgive me for being less than sympathetic for people trying to listen to deep fringe stations for whatever reason. Many are the same people telling IBOC proponents that they should use the internet to listen to radio. May I turn the tables, if you're at home and have high speed why listen to a weak signal from a radio station when you can probably hear that station loud and clear on your computer. While I'm no fan of country music, if you are a fan and you are living in the NY market you can listen to a nice stereo high fidelity country broadcast via WKYU's HD 2 channel. At least in this part of the country people usually don't travel very far from home and the loss of IBOC signals in the car isn't a major problem. Each market has it's own issues and given time these issues will be addressed. While many in here say people will go to the Sats if IBOC is implimented, may I suggest that many more will go that route if IBOC and the possibility of new formats doesn't come to pass.
you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. every major electronics retailer in baton rouge la sells turntables. abd you can find a ton of new vinyl..see www.vvinyl.com www.tower.com and many many independant record stores around the country.there are hundreds of turntables still available today. as well as brand new tape decks. even balck and white tvs are still in production. hd is going nowhere. the only people athat even know about it is industry people.!!autopaint said:
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autopaint-1
Guest
"you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. every major electronics retailer in baton rouge la sells turntables. abd you can find a ton of new vinyl..see www.vvinyl.com www.tower.com and many many independant record stores around the country.there are hundreds of turntables still available today. as well as brand new tape decks. even balck and white tvs are still in production. hd is going nowhere. the only people athat even know about it is industry people.!!"How anyone can be so ill informed amazes me. I work in NYC and the Tower records there has no vinyl for sale. People in cities like NY don't have to do their shopping On Line. The only 45's manufactured are for Juke Box use and they are not readily available either. You'll excuse me if I'm not up on the buying habits of the Baton Rouge market. I suppose you are talking cassette tapes because Reel To Reel is not being manufactured in the US any longer. Even blank video tapes are getting harder to find. I have a SVHS recorder and finding tapes is nearly impossible today. DVD's have replaced VCR's or the average person. In the broadcast industry Try to purchase new carts or cart tape. You can't because it's not manufactured any longer. Find a 19 inch or larger black & white television at your local Best Buy or Circuit City. Radio Shack is just starting to carry HD radios. The evolution is upon us. Oh and before you start telling me what I do and do not know, let me fill you in, I have been employed by one of the major networks as an engineer since 1978. I am a member of the local SBE and have attended an IBOC seminar with Iboquity and Harris. How many IBOC facilities have you seen in person? NYC might not be the whole world but it is far and away the largest market in the country with over 15 million people.
and out of the 15 million about 15 people have hd radio vs. the thousands that have xm and/or sirius. sorry but i do not believe hd radio will take off. just like AM stereo did not! oh and how far away is this from new york?51 Lafayette Rd.Fords, NJ 08863(732)-225-7717 thats vintage vinyl records..a full service record store..not just online..tower new orleans has vinyl..this is some of the vinyl out now.Featured Vinyl of the Week! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wolfmother -self-titled - brand new gatefold LP! Belle & Sebastian - "The Life Pursuit" - brand new full-length LP on 180-gram vinyl! Mastodon - "Call of the Mastodon" - Newly reissued LP! Electric Wizard - "We Live" - Brand new LP on green vinyl, with bonus 7"! Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - "Rabbit Fur Coat" - Brand new LP Cat Power - "The Greatest" - new LP on 180 gram vinyl! Mars Volta - "Scab Dates" - A brand new live album on picture disc! HIM - "Dark Light" - A brand new live album on picture disc! Ryan Adams - "29" - His newest record on 180-gram vinyl Tool - "Lateralus" double picture disc LP Kate Bush - "Aerial" - Her latest full-length album, on double LP! Cream - "Royal Albert Hall" - brand new live triple LP recorded this year - in a deluxe box set! Sufjan Stevens - "Illinoise" - brand new double LP Animal Collective - "Feels" - new LP in gatefold cover Tim Burton's "The Corpse Bride" - soundtrack by Danny Elfman on 2 LPs! Paul McCartney - "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" - double vinyl LP in gatefold sleeve Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - "Jacksonville City Nights" - double vinyl LP with exclusive bonus tracks! Iron Maiden - "Death on the Road" - double picture disc LP! Neil Young - "Prairie Wind" - double 200 gram vinyl with bonus interview! Earth - "Hex: Or Printing In The Infernal Method" - double grey vinyl Opeth - "Ghost Reveries" - 2 LP set! Neil Young - "Greatest Hits" - double high-quality vinyl LP set includes a bonus 7" EP on colored vinyl! Foo Fighters - "In Your Honor" - special edition 4 LP box set! System of a Down - "Mezmerize" - Limited edition picture disc - Now in stock! Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - "Cold Roses" - brand new double 12" vinyl! yep no new vinyl out today...
oh yea like johnny cash??http://www.towerrecords.com/Music/D...rrecords.com/Music/Default.aspx?format=Vinyl&
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dbdigital
Guest
Wow! I didn't realize that there is a vinyl revival going on. I knew that, for years, club DJ's had been getting new vinyl for their gigs but I didn't know that this is now spilling over into the home listener. Obviously a digital backlash. Glad to see it. I've always felt that with a good turntable and cartridge, LP's sounded way better than CD's. Sure, LP's are a little more hassle to play but they're worth it. And, of course, it's still the easiest audio format to cue up.db
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autopaint-1
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This argument is silly. For every LP sold theere are probably 100,000 or more CD's purchased. You can purchase vinyl in Manhattan too, who ares? I know Fords and it's in Central Jersey, not NYC and what is the difference? One is a majot marekter and one is a specialty shop. I still have my turntable and thousands of records, all said this has nothing to do with whether HD radio will take hold.
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JasonW
Guest
Having done A/B comparisons between LP records versus CDs and 1/2" reel-to-reel tapes, the LP records and 1/2" tapes sound better than CDs. While they do sound clear and crisp, CDs have a dry, sterile, "over-crisp" sound (similar to FM audio) that is lacking in richness and warmth. Neil Young commented that a CD re-release of one of their old LP albums "washed over him like a wave of ice cubes" as far as the audio quality was concerned.Another thing LP records have in their favor is the cover art, which just doesn't have the same visual impact on those tiny insert sheets inside the CD cases. A few years ago I was on a metro bus in Miami, and a teenage passenger was admiring the artwork on a new-release Hip-Hop LP album he had just bought. Even the C. Crane company has added a new Teac turntable/AM/FM tuner to their product line.Vinyl records will never replace CDs, but they will never go away any more than horses did after the automobile--they both have their niches. Today you can even still buy newly-made parts for old Edison *cylinder* phonographs and the old one-sided Edison "diamond disc" record players. -- Jasondbdigital said:
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autopaint-1
Guest
"Having done A/B comparisons between LP records versus CDs and 1/2" reel-to-reel tapes, the LP records and 1/2" tapes sound better than CDs. While they do sound clear and crisp, CDs have a dry, sterile, "over-crisp" sound (similar to FM audio) that is lacking in richness and warmth. Neil Young commented that a CD re-release of one of their old LP albums "washed over him like a wave of ice cubes" as far as the audio quality was concerned"Let's see, This is a radio board right? For a minute I thought this was a Absolute Sound message board. My home equipment consists of a Mac MA 6100, A Dennon DP 60L table with a Sumiko moving coil cartridge, Silver Litz headshell wiring, All high end interconnects, a MCI reel to reel, a Tascam DA40 dat machine, a Rotel CD player, What was the top of the line Sony cassette recorder (3 heads, 4 motor, Dolby s and more) Monster cable speaker wiring, Infinity reference standard 2 speakers (Floor standing with 7 elements in each enclosure) as well as a high end tuner and a 78 RPM turntable. My collection goes back to brown wax cylinders with machines to play them as well. I've heard all the arguments. In the end vinyl is dead and CD's (for the moment) rule the industry. With the advent of IPODs and other digital player, MP3's/AAC are taking over. That's the world we live in.We aren't talking niche programing. We are talking about a technolgical revolution. This is the IBOC board. By the way, I own a Columbioa BK and a Edison B Home (with four minute adapter) and a Victrola 14. They all work and are in excellent condition. I'll bet we can count the number of people who listen to antique phonographs within 25 miles of me on one hand. You don't hold technology back because a few people enjoy cranking their cars by hand.
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dbdigital
Guest
Oh, lighten up! Besides, there's nothing new on the HD radio board anyway. The pros and cons of this defective technology laughingly referred to as HD radio have been discussed to death. At the end of the day, those who religiously love it, like yourself, are still going to love it and those who see it for what it is are still going to hate it.So lighten up.dbautopaint-1 said:
prosessed fm and even xm remind me of one thing..8 track tapes! fm never sounded worse than it does now. the processing makes it sound like crap. and the only reason i like xm is content. if it was the same lame programming thats on most clear channel stations i would drop it in a heartbeat! my record collection sounds great to me. even my cassette tapes sound better than all this digital stuff! oh well i guess i will stay in 1978. radio was better than anyway ;D
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JasonW
Guest
I don't know if I'd pass such a harsh judgement against 8-track tapes. They always sounded as good as cassettes to me (although 1/2" reel-to-reel tapes have a more "full-bodied" sound). My main complaint against them was the random nature of song access, where you would jump into the middle of another song when changing tracks.Speaking of FM, from what I've read and been told by "old timers," Major Armstrong's original 48 MHz - 50 MHz FM system sounded much better than today's FM equipment. I'm sure that part of it was due to the fact that it was all tube equipment on both ends of the signal (tube radios have a warm, rich sound), but he also took great care to optimize each stage in the audio chain from source to transmitter. He demonstrated things such as broadcasting dead silence (try *that* with AM!) and faithfully reproducing sounds such as "fizzing" carbonated water being poured in front of the studio microphone. When TV vacates the VHF band, maybe a few audiophiles/radio enthusiasts can set up Part 5 experimental high-fidelity analog FM stations in the old 48 MHz - 50 MHz FM band...we could listen on our analog TV sets. -- Jasonsmashedcd said:
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autopaint
Guest
"I don't know if I'd pass such a harsh judgement against 8-track tapes. They always sounded as good as cassettes to me"The problem with 8 track tapes was track crosstalk and tape wear. Both 8 Tracks and Cassettes use the plastic shell as part of the tape path, as opposed to R/R or the Old Elcassette where tape is run across a stationary head along a aligned tape path. Even with the best cassette decks the chance of out of alignment conditions (Take a stereo cassette and play it back in mono. It usually causes an out of phase problem do to azmuth misalignment). "(although 1/2" reel-to-reel tapes have a more "full-bodied" sound)."I assume you mean 1/4 inch. 1/2 inch is muti track tape and not intended for home use."Speaking of FM, from what I've read and been told by "old timers," Major Armstrong's original 48 MHz - 50 MHz FM system sounded much better than today's FM equipment. I'm sure that part of it was due to the fact that it was all tube equipment on both ends of the signal (tube radios have a warm, rich sound), but he also took great care to optimize each stage in the audio chain from source to transmitter."Because the Armstrong FM transmission wasn't using subcarriers for stereo operation (Crosley Multiplex), FM sound would appear to be quieter. I believe if you duplicated Armstrongs system except used current technology for the broadcast chain, I'll bet the audio quality would be better. I know what you mean about the "tube" sound. My Mac has it yet it's solid state. I own a Armstrong era FM radio (Philco) and it's a nice wood boxed radio and have listened to the current tests from Alpine on it."He demonstrated things such as broadcasting dead silence (try *that* with AM!) and faithfully reproducing sounds such as "fizzing" carbonated water being poured in front of the studio microphone. When TV vacates the VHF band, maybe a few audiophiles/radio enthusiasts can set up Part 5 experimental high-fidelity analog FM stations in the old 48 MHz - 50 MHz FM band...we could listen on our analog TV sets. -- Ja"WA2XMN is ocassionally on the air with an experimental license for 42.8 Mhz Or MC if you prefer. http://www.wa2xmn.ar88.net/The Armstrong 50th event was fantastic for those of us who were at the event. If I had the opportunity on this site I'd post some pictures from that day.
That had to be a wonderful event. I would have loved to have been there. I wonder if the old 40 Mc band could ever be resurrected for broadcast use? Maybe that would be an appropriate place for community broadcasting, LPFM, etc. I'm not sure how much public service radio is still using those frequencies. In most areas, it has all moved to VHF or usually UHF trunked systems, but the band may still be pretty busy in parts of the country. When the TV stations turn in their old channels, possibly some public service radio will be allowed move into those unused frequencies, clearing out the lower band. Of course, Congress wants the FCC to auction it all off to the highest bidder, so that may be realistic. If it could be worked out, it would be an appropriate tribute to Major Armstrong to bring broadcasting back to those frequencies.autopaint said:
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JasonW
Guest
No, I meant 1/2" reel-to-reel tapes (Revox made a home 1/2" tape deck, although the 1/4" units were more common).I'm with you about the tube equipment--when I worked at the Miami Space Transit Planetarium, we used Peavey and Dynaco tube amps (which they still use) to feed the Altec "Voice of The Theater" speakers behind the dome. The words "rich" and "sweet" best describe the audio, which almost caressed one's ears.THANK YOU for that WA2XMN link! I love their station ID card--the little drawing of Major Armstrong doing his famous acrobatics on one of the arms of his Alpine tower is a great touch. I'm gratified to see that this Part 5 experimental FM station is doing this on his original band. The old 42 MC - 50 MC FM band *would* be a nice place for LPFM, and there wouldn't even be an immediate need to produce new receivers for it, as TV audio radios and TV sets can already receive it. -- Jason
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