Clipper Systems, Distortion Cancelling, and Too Many Bands!

Present-day audio clipping systems all employ methods to control distortion. Of interest is that each of these use a static method to mask harmonic distortion when clipping is active. Intermodulation (IMD), due to added presence and high frequency spectra, has overtaken the problem that once was dominated by harmonic distortion. Suffice it to say, all clipping methods must employ some form of harmonic distortion control, or they will not operate sufficiently enough to generate competitive sounding on-air audio. Modern content now requires additional processing means to reduce induced IMD.

Dubai DJ Gets in Over his Head for Record-Breaking Broadcast

One of the great things about being a broadcaster is that you occasionally have a chance to be involved in some unique broadcasts. But while some broadcasts are memorable for the events they cover, others are so unique that the broadcasters themselves become the story.

Such was the case recently with the crew at Channel 4 FM in Dubai, when the marketing team thought it might be fun to do a live 5-10 minute broadcast segment from the Ambassador's Lagoon outside the iconic Atlantis the Palm Resort, more or less as a publicity stunt to promote the exotic location. We’re not talking poolside, mind you, but broadcasting from within the pool – an underwater broadcast from a pool that hosts a variety of sea life!

Topics: Broadcast History, Broadcasting, Dubai

Problem-Free Studio Build a Different Experience

It's an all-too-common problem. You buy a product and soon discover its limitations. In the world of broadcast engineering, this can lead to potentially major roadblocks, especially when installing new studio gear.

With a wide range of experience, Dave Wilson, Director at Worldwide Network Services (WWNS) in Nashville, is sometimes recruited for setup of IP networked broadcast studios, and he's run into just that problem one too many times over the years. Here, Dave (who admits WWNS could easily be confused for a radio station in the phone listings), tells how he's had quite a different experience with Axia.

Meet Tom Nielsen: Studio Geek and Proud of it!

It hasn't quite been two years since Minnetonka Audio joined the Telos Alliance, but in that time we've come to learn that our colleagues in the Land of 10,000 Lakes really have a passion for audio, and the term "audio geek" or "studio geek" are taken as compliments. This holds true for the most recent addition to the Minnetonka team as well, Technical Support Representative Tom Nielsen. We sat down with Tom find out what makes the newest on-staff audiofile tick.

TWiRT 349 - Translators and Main Studios with Larry Fuss

The FCC is proposing to eliminate the Main Studio Rule. Sounds good to many, but what are the consequences? And FM translators are in the news again, with a window opening this summer for AM stations to apply. Larry Fuss is with us to explain what this means. And - as is often the case - you won’t believe where Chris Tobin is!

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, audio, audio quality

Spokane Public Radio Sets AoIP on Fire

When Spokane Public Radio / 91.1 KPBX moved into a new facility, that new facility was actually anything but new. In fact, it was a historic firehouse, and therefore the station needed to meet certain requirements that would not only maintain the integrity of the structure, but allow Spokane Public Radio to update to an all AoIP studio, including a VoIP broadcast phone system, AoIP console, and IP infrastructure. 

“Part of the reconstruction was that we had to maintain the building's historical look, so we couldn’t run huge cable bundles," says Chief Engineer Jerry Olson. "We were interested in getting a more modern facility—where we were before was an analog plant. For the new facility, we wanted to go with Audio over IP.”

TWiRT 348 - VO Mics & Studios with Joe Cipriano

How does a top-shelf voice-over artist work on the road?  He makes a “MacGyver studio”! Joe Cipriano joins us to talk mics, pre-amps, processing, and how voice-over work gets done today.

Chris Tobin is here, too, from a hot transmitter room!

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, audio, audio quality

What the Heck, Where's the Tech?

ATSC 3.0 Next Generation Audio (NGA) System Demystified

Technology truly is a train that just keeps on rolling. With the world preparing for yet another advancement in personalized entertainment experience, acronyms are being thrown around like dice on the craps table. What does it all mean and how will any of it benefit the consumer?

Let’s take a deep dive into what a Next Generation Audio System can really do by looking at what’s happening in South Korea.

Topics: Television Audio, Linear Acoustic AMS, Next Generaton Audio

TWiRT 347 - Jeff Welton - IT Security and 400 Kilowatts

Canadians may be polite, but most don’t want you hacking their Internet-connected stuff.  Jeff Welton from Nautel offers advice for IT security at the transmitter site, plus describes hand-on a 400 kW AM transmitter, and what tools to keep handy nowadays for solid-state transmitter maintenance.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, audio, audio quality

TWiRT 346 - Live at NAB 2017

It was the last day of NAB 2017, but before it was over, Kirk Harnack and Chris Tobin brought us some of the best radio broadcast tech at the show. Simon Jackson with flow batteries at transmitter sites in Fiji, Telos Alliance CEO Frank Foti, Mark Persons, Fritz Golman, and more!

Topics: Broadcast Engineering, audio, audio quality