Adventures in Engineering: Radio is OK GO! in Oklahoma

Studio projects come to us for a variety of reasons.

For Rich Hardy, a contract engineer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a recent project came via inheritance. “Another contract engineer had designed a six-console Axia build out, but he passed away before construction began, so I inherited the project. I didn't know much about Axia or Livewire, so I started reading up on it.” Hardy liked what he read, and soon plans were being finalized.

And then came more…

As ISDN is Slowly Phased Out, IP Audio Emerges

Voice Actor Barry Zate writes: “I am a user of the Telos Xstream. I love it. But [my ISP] is working hard at ditching ISDN [and] I am paying $360 a month. I am wondering if Telos has talked with [ISPs] about ISDN… I am wondering if they could offer ISDN to save the service.

Are you working on promoting the Z/IP product? It sounds like a solid alternative. ISDN is just dying here. HELP!”

Managing Talk Show Callers and Content with the Telos Hx6

Producing great talk shows and call-ins requires a smooth workflow to get guests and callers on and off the air. It's difficult to present natural sounding conversation to your listeners when you're fussing with controls and settings. Or when audio quality varies audibly from caller-to-caller.

What's needed and how can you best get the job done right?

Omnia.9 Undo - A Cease Fire in Radio's Loudness Wars

We've all heard about loudness wars on the airwaves, but you may not be aware of the loudness war in the music industry, or at least not how far it has progressed.

Nobody wants to release a song quieter than other contemporary releases. Few want to just match the loudness, most seem to want to release their music louder than other contemporary releases. The reasons are not clearly known. Perhaps there is a misconception that a loud release will cut through better on the radio. Perhaps it's human nature. Perhaps some people think their music will be a bigger hit if it's louder.

Topics: broadcast audio processor

Dave Supplee on Radio Studio Wisdom

Dave Supplee is the market engineer for the Cumulus radio stations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He’s also a key go-to guy when new studios need to be built or refurbished. From studio design to wiring techniques, Dave shares his years of studio-building wisdom, plus transmitter site advice on this episode of This Week in Radio Tech.

Connecting Two Z/IP ONEs on a Closed IP Network

Sim Johnson of Broadcast Bionics wrote us posing this question: "What is the best way to establish a call between two Z/IP ONE codecs over a private network with no access to the Internet? Would you suggest using SIP, or is there a way to make a direct connection without a ZIP Server?"

Updating your Axia Driver

Axia support guru Bryan Jones says "When updating the Axia IP Driver, make sure you have your license code and license key on hand". From there, Bryan explains the process is rather straightforward. The update process for the Axia driver requires the existing driver to be uninstalled before the new version can be installed. In doing so, the License Key and Code are removed from the computer. When you re-install the updated version it will ask you for the License Code and Key again and you cannot complete the installation without it.

Vintage Audio: HP 5512A Electronic Counter

A frequency counter is an essential tool on the electronic technician's test bench. For most of us, a reliable 1 Ghz counter is something that we take for granted. Early frequency counters however, were large, expensive, and their frequency range was only a few hundred kilohertz. But it was a start.

This month's attic discovery is an early 1970s HP 5512A Electronic Counter, a 300 Khz, 5-digit device that uses Nixie tubes for the display.

3 Reasons Piloting a Plane is Like Radio Engineering

Most of my friends in the industry know that I’ve flown small airplanes for a number of years. As I’ve learned, I share this passion with a lot of folks in the industry. This got me thinking a bit. I asked myself, “Why are so many radio technical types also involved in aviation.” I have a few ideas about what those who excel in both fields have in common:

Tejas Broadcasting Pours on the Hot Sauce

Processing by Omnia spices up the airwaves

Tejas Broadcasting Ltd. is committed to Omnia audio processors. The guy behind it all is Director of Engineering Mark Earle. Working from company HQ (located in the Corpus Christi, Texas area), Mark manages engineering for all of Tejas’ stations in Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana.