Vintage Audio: Uher 4000
Back in the days when every radio station worth its salt had a news department, broadcast equipment catalogs had a section for remote news gathering equipment. Included were items like the indestructible EV-635A microphone, mic flags, NiCad batteries and chargers, telephone couplers and of course, portable recorders.
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Vintage Audio: Taberamp Record Electronics
From the late 1950s through the 70s, Ampex 350 and later 440 recorders were a staple at practically every radio station in the country. They were legendary for their battleship-quality construction and long life. Ironically, that was also part of the problem. 350, and later 440 record-playback electronics were alive and well for many years after their audio specs had passed their prime.
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Vintage Audio: RCA Victor 45-J-2 Turntable
An earlier installment of Found in the Attic examined the ATC-Collins P-190, the first commercially produced cart machine. The point was made that the fast-paced Top-40 format would not have been possible without this device. The same can be said for 45 RPM records. The difference is that the cart machine was designed for radio from day one, while the 7-inch record began as a consumer medium. It wasn't long though, until it became the mainstay of Top 40 music.
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Vintage Audio: Unlikely Portables
The advent of the transistor made radio a truly put-it-in-your-pocket device. The earlier suitcase radios of the 1940s got radio out of the living room, but weren't really portable by today's standards. The first transistor radios were AM receivers. As the technology improved, short wave bands, and then FM were added to the mix. By the mid-1970s, AM-FM portables of various sizes and styles were ubiquitous. There were also radios with other bands included. These were never hugely popular, but they are still an interesting chapter in the history of portable radios. This Found in the Attic is a twofer, and features the Lafayette Radio Electronics Guardian 11 and the Panasonic RF-1104.
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Vintage Audio: Ampro TTP-S Turntable Preamp
The lowly turntable preamp was one of those things that got no respect at most stations. It was often left in the dark, hanging by the wires inside the turntable pedestal. Stations that would spend a princely sum on a new console, audio processor and transmitter would simply move the old preamp into the new studio. As the drive for better audio quality ratcheted up, that began to change, but slowly.
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Capturing Audio for Podcasts with Mike Phillips
If it sounds sketchy, distorted, or muffled, they won’t listen. Podcasting studio guru, Mike Phillips, divulges his secrets for capturing clean, clear audio. Mics, pre-amps, consoles - what he recommends and how to use them. This is a must-watch for podcasters and any audio content creators!
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POWER101 Goes Digital with Axia iQ & AoIP
Sean Martin may like to joke about holding the title of 'Head Tea Boy' at POWER101 in England's Exeter / Devon region, but as Director of Business Development for Talk Productions Ltd (POWER101's parent company), he's got his hands in just about everything at the area's coolest local broadcast station.
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Naughty or Nice? Christmas Gifts for Engineers
Who’s the engineer on your Christmas list? Perhaps it’s you! From network and audio analysis tools to weather stations, cameras, and stocking stuffers, Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack check out some gift ideas for us engineers to put on our wish lists.
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Smooth Sailing at River Radio
In the future, the battle for the hearts and minds of listeners will be fought on smartphones and in connected cars. Matt Levin, Chief Engineer of One Connection Media Group is one of the engineers who gets it. And he's got the streams for 104.9 the River and 89.3 the River running with the Omnia Z/IP Stream 9X/2. 104.9 The River serves Columbus and Central Ohio, while 89.3 The River reaches out to Chillicothe, Newark and Southeast Ohio. Both stations have a Contemporary Christian format.
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Adaptive Streaming Details with Ioan Rus
We’ve covered Adaptive Multi-Rate Audio Streaming extensively. But new streaming methods bring other advantages, too. Ioan Rus, Lead Developer for Telos Alliance streaming products, explains how new features in today’s streaming encoders really improve the listener’s experience.
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