ratio
Newbie
Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
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| De-Radio |
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If u record a song from the radio, when u play it back it still sounds radio-like. What effects / equalisation can u do to make it sound normal again? |
Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:57 am |
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wailingalleycat
Forum Manager
Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 694
Location: Jersey C.I (UK) |
| De-radio?? |
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Umm, Garbage in, garbage out.
If you record a song from the radio its always going to be poor quality
You could use EQ to make it sound more to your taste, maybe run some noise reduction, but you cant really improve the quality more than that.
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If In Doubt...Hit It With a Hammer, If Still In Doubt... Find a Bigger Hammer. |
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Sat Jul 02, 2005 10:09 am |
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ratio
Newbie
Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
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I'm pleased with the quality of the sound, thats not my problem.
The problem is what it actually sounds like, the radio recording still has that echoey-radio sound to it which i want to get rid of.
Is there anyone in the radio industry that knows what effects and processors the sound goes through before being put out on air so that i can reverse them and obtain the original sounding music. |
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Wed Jul 06, 2005 6:25 am |
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wailingalleycat
Forum Manager
Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 694
Location: Jersey C.I (UK) |
| Radio Compression |
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Firstly radio stations use a large amount of compression, up to 10:1 in some cases!
So first thing would be to run it through an expander and get some of the dynamic range back. Then you just have to EQ it. bare in mind that radio stations may use a high pass filter, as most radio's cant produce very low frequencies. Keep tweaking the EQ until it sounds nice basically.
_________________
If In Doubt...Hit It With a Hammer, If Still In Doubt... Find a Bigger Hammer. |
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Wed Jul 06, 2005 12:05 pm |
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Yapz
Newbie
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
Posts: 3
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I am assuming that you are talking about FM broadcast ... and we can also assume that the station in question is also stereo.
First of all, the legal frequency response bandwidth of FM stereo is 50-15,000 Hz. So say sayonara to rich deep bass and glistening, "air EQ" highs. They aren't there, by law.
Then there's the quest for LOUDNESS, and there are plenty of magic boxes on the market to give any given transmitter that extra dB the PD and GM think will make for higher ratings, and therefore more spot sales. It's insane. And some stations just don't use ONE ... they stack 'em.
The grandaddy of them all is the Optimod ... but some people also prefer Audio Prisms, and other similar loudness boosters from Dorrough. I've even seen a few stations with an Aphex Compellor in the signal chain before the transmitter. All seem to use "multiband compansion" and the like, and those settings are adjustable (supposedly by the engineer) ... which is why some stations seem bass-heavier & others have a more pronounced high end.
What's funny is what's happening inside the building of some horrific conglom owner (and we all know their names) that has eight stations inside one physical plant ... and therefore, eight sets of these loudness boxes. All of them are set differently, in accordance with what the consultant of the week says is psychographically accurate for the target audience. So ... "Black Water" by the Doobies sounds completely different on the oldies station, the classic rock station, the album station ... and nowadays, let's not forget "smooth jazz" ... all coming from the same building!
The end result is a definite crunching of the dynamic range ... and the top end does seem to suffer horribly. A lot of boxes also employ "smart clipping" to prevent transmitter overmodulation -- and the overall result of THAT is a real top-end response ceiling of around 12,000 Hz!
Ironically enough ... depending on what music you're trying to record, if it is available on the public radio station in your market, you might get the best sound quality there -- since most public stations tend to take a "minimalist" approach to processing, so as not to damage the dynamics of classical music. I've heard, for instance, "Black Water" on several public radio stations, and it sounds the most like the CD.
We haven't even gotten into the reverb or echo effects that are also employed by some commercial stations (for whatever reason) ... so, that having been said:
Record off the radio? What music are you seeking that isn't available through commercial (or friendship) means on compact disc ? Commercial FM broadcast isn't going to give you what was on that disc originally ... you can take that to the bank!
Hope you didn't mind the rambling ... good luck! |
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Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:21 am |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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Yapz, I didn't mind the rambling, quite enjoyed it, what's your background?
Welcome by the way.
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:56 am |
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Yapz
Newbie
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
Posts: 3
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Howdy, AudioCourses Production Advisor ...
Yapz background:
Broadcast announcer for 30 years with an FCC First Phone license ... owned a voiceover production house for 10 years ... mentored by a fine, now retired audio engineer from ABC-TV/Hollywood in a lot of realities, truisms, and bogus debunking ... who was a disciple of Lou Burroughs. Great book, by the way: "Microphones: Design & Application."
Hence, I'm one of those types who starts out with an omnidirectional microphone for a lot of things, and seems to be very happy with the decision. First grab: RE55, hands down. Why? It works. Not a glamorous, fashion-statement microphone ... it just works. It's a shame EV doesn't make them anymore. Phenomenal, natural, accurate articulation and clarity. Everyone within the seeing distance of these words should take note: Never underestimate the value of quality gear that can be dropped & remain within specs.
I'm old enough to appreciate the greatness of my 77DX and BK5B & Ampex 406/456, love using my pair of LA-3As ... but open-minded enough to see the convenience of MP3s.
I am noticing that a lot of engineers seem to have rediscovered dynamic mics as of late. Condensers that were just right for the warmth and mellowness of analog tape may be proving themselves to be a tad too bright, harsh & peaky for digital -- even with the better AD/DA conversions taking place today.
For vocals, there are those who have said, in effect, "If you have an SM-7, M88, and RE20 in your closet ... stop buying microphones. You have enough." Upon mentioning the RE55 as a possible fourth, the response has been ... "Ooh. Forgot about it. Yeah, absolutely." Case in point:
A colleague who ran the satellite uplink sound truck for either the Emmys or Grammys a couple of years back said the announcer was yapping into a badly service-distressed RE20, through a Mackie 1402-VLZ (but without the "XDR" mic pres) ... straight into the Avid interface, flat & uncompressed. Everything sounded marvelous on the air -- which is what counted. Point being ... the "big boys" don't necessarily spend the biggest bucks to get the job done.
Glad you enjoyed the rambling. Probably more to come if I see a subject that piques my verbose tendencies. You can see how easy it is for me to write something ... hopefully entertaining & informative. |
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Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:29 pm |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Great stuff |
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Great to have you on board, we'll get on well 
p.s. I send a private message
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:42 pm |
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