TWiRT 355 - The Way We Do Things

Let’s examine a couple topics and explore “how we do them”. Chris Tobin discusses mics, pre-amps, and techniques for recording live music at WBGO-FM.  Then we see how PC platforms have moved into the equipment space that was only purpose-built equipment. And just how far is that concept going?

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

It’s All About the Audio Tour 2017!!

Recently, I had the pleasure to have lunch with a good friend, Gary Katz. If that name sounds familiar - it should - Gary produced just about all of the albums for a little ol’ musical group you may know… Steely Dan! We were comparing notes about audio in the broadcast field, as well as life in the world of recording and music producing. He expressed how it has always been critical and vital for recording engineers, producers, and even the musicians to ‘hear’ the latest and greatest in technology. This is a practice that is still very common today.

Omnia.9sg Sounds Harder in Tilburg

The city of Tilburg in the Netherlands hosts the biggest fair in the country every year. One of the big draws is pop-up radio station Kermis FM 105.9 that broadcasts for the duration of the fair. Each year several celebrities appear as on-air guests during the fair, attracting listeners and live look-ins from fairgoers alike. Last year, the station wanted its broadcast audio to sound even better for the annual fair broadcast, but without losing audio quality. The solution? The Omnia.9sg Broadcast Stereo Generator.

Topics: broadcast audio processor

 TWiRT 354 - Vintage Microphones with John Holt

The first microphones were invented as far back as the 1870’s, but that’s before there were any tube amplifiers! We’ve come a long way, though most mic inventions occurred 70 to 90 years ago. John Holt is an expert on vintage microphones and gives us a fascinating look and lesson.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

Vintage Audio: Atwater Kent Model 84

From the dawn of broadcasting in the early1920s through the mid-1930s, the name Atwater Kent was synonymous with top-quality radios. Their commitment to excellence, in both cabinet construction and electronic assembly, is one of the reasons so many of their sets are still around and in working condition. There are several A-Ks in the attic, but none have been featured in FitA. Until now. This month, the 1932 Model 84 will be showcased, along with a history of the man and his company.

Topics: Vintage Radio Technology, Vintage Electronics, Radio History

The Bisset Brief: Cutting the Cord

Veldon Leverich is the Director of Engineering for Salem Media’s Sacramento cluster. Veldon recently installed an AXIA IQ 8-fader console with a 6 channel Telephone Expansion Chassis, pictured in figure 1. One of the impressive features of AXIA’s patented AoIP Livewire+ system is the elimination of lots of wire. Livewire+ is really a paradigm shift for engineers – no more distribution amps, endless punch blocks, or even TRS patch bays.

TWiRT 353 - The Beauty and Value of a Bird's Eye View 

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems or “drones” are quickly getting popular with broadcast engineers and consultants.  A bird’s eye view can help us better visualize our antenna systems, plus there’s real value in catching visible problems before sending a tower crew to troubleshoot.

Chris and Kirk show video examples of aerial tower shots, plus Chris describes bringing Internet access to a Boy Scout camp in New York State.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, Streaming Audio, audio, audio quality

Axia on a Roll in the Twin Cities

You can't take your Axia studio with you. Or can you? Some would say no, but Steve Smit, Director of Engineering for Salem Media's Twin Cities operation figured out a way to do just that, and it has made his job a lot easier. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, Salem Media operates five stations AM 1280 The Patriot, AM 980 The Mission, AM 1440 KYCR Wall Street Radio Network, The Fish Twin Cities, and Wellness Radio 1570. One station was recently added, and studio renovation/construction projects are ongoing. There needed to be an oasis of order in the midst of the temporary chaos that accompanies any studio rehab.

Meet Warrick Marais: Audio Processing Expert

Warrick Marais is the new in-house Broadcast Engineer specializing in audio processing with our friends at New Zealand-based AVC Group, a major Telos Alliance dealer across the South Pacific, India, the Middle East, and beyond. Warrick’s background runs the gamut of audio, from audio production in the pro audio arena and film, to audio processing for radio and television, to live performance audio. So when AVC was looking for someone with a high level of expertise in the realm of audio, the range of experience Warrick brings to the table–not to mention his familiarity with AVC from past work–made him the ideal choice.

We sat down with Warrick recently for some insight into his wide-ranging career, and his thoughts on the different aspects of working in the audio industry.