Recent Posts
Studio Move in Four Days? No Problem!
When a relocation project involves splitting one console into thirds, building studio furniture that moves to accommodate the announcers, and completing the work in just four days, you know it's going to be an interesting story. The tale of Skala.FM's move does not disappoint.
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SMPTE 2015 with Stephen Wilkinson
Live from Sydney, Australia, we’re meeting with broadcast engineers and manufacturers at SMPTE 2015. From audio production tools to a look inside a new, solid state FM transmitter, we’re taking you inside this popular show. Stephen Wilkinson from Hope 103.2 joins Kirk Harnack on This Week in Radio Tech.
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Alex Kosiorek, Recording Engineer
Recording techniques and tools are still evolving - and some truly exciting Immersive Surround tech is emerging right now. Recording engineer, Alex Kosiorek, joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack with lessons in modern recording technique, why 96kHz sampling is important, and what jobs are demanding skilled audio engineers.
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The Dawn of Plug and Play
The advent of modular electronics was a great leap forward for broadcast maintenance. Many of us remember the Gates Solid Statesman line of consoles - the Executive, Stereo Statesman, Gatesway II, Dualux II, and Diplomat, as some of the first items of studio gear that had plug-in modules. The amplifiers, power supplies and muting control could all be swapped around, which was a great aid in isolating troubles, repair, and staying on the air.
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Wyoming Public Media: Bringing Wild Wyoming the World
From its studios in the Outreach School on the UW campus in Laramie, Wyoming Public Media (WPM) reaches out across the Equality State with a network of 24 transmitters and 7 translators. The public broadcaster delivers three channels of programming. The main stream, Wyoming Public Radio, contains NPR and local news programs, while Classical Wyoming and Jazz Wyoming provide music. Content is delivered via analog FM, HD Radio, and through web streams.
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Live Mixing for Engineers with Larry Wilkins
More radio stations and larger podcasters are building and using performance studios. Mixing live audio is once again a needed skill. Indeed, it’s critical for the performers’ monitors, in-studio audience, and for the live broadcast itself. Larry Wilkins is retired from a broadcast engineering career and now teaching the fundamentals and the fine points of live audio mixing.
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Vintage Audio: Ampex TU-40 Flutter Meter
In the digital age of WAV files and hard drives, sound appears as if by magic from a PC or iPhone. But it wasn't that long ago that audio reproduction involved something going around, be it a turntable platter, tape or cassette reel, cart hub, or film reel.
Read MoreIntroducing the VOCO 8
The Omnia VOCO® 8 Networked Microphone System combines 8 high performance preamplifiers with up to 8 channels of comprehensive Omnia.S4 3-band microphone processing including analog, AES, and Livewire+/AES67 Audio over IP connectivity with full IP remote control in a compact 2 rack unit high package.
Vintage Audio: National Radio NC-HFS VHF Receiver
During a recent Found in the Attic we visited Malden, Massachusetts while discussing the Millen 90651 grid-dip meter. Malden was also the home of National Radio Company. It occurred that after about 25 installments of FitA, no NRC equipment has ever been hauled down from the great upstairs for a write-up. Easy to remedy. The only challenge was finding something a bit unusual. Almost hidden behind a stack of National shortwave receivers was a 1949 NC-HFS VHF radio. Yes, that will do.
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Vintage Audio: Heath IT-28 Capacitor Checker
This edition of Found in the Attic might better be called Found on the Workbench, because that is where this item lives. The Heathkit IT-28 capacitor checker is an incredibly useful device, particularly when working on vintage gear. Most modern test equipment, even inexpensive items, can run circles around older test and measurement devices. But there are a few items that have a timeless design that enables them to thrive in the digital age. The IT-28 is one of them; there are things you can do with it that can't be done with digital devices. Of course, the IT-28 is a vintage device itself, dating from the late 1960s.
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