thousandshirts
Member
Hello, prodigal folk: I have a few questions.
To preface, I have been approached by my local University radio station, and asked to help with equipment. As a former student I know some of the people there, and they recalled that I do Ham radio and work on tube amplifiers. They expressed an interest in improving their current equipment, and I stopped by to have a look at the way things worked.
The station currently broadcasts solely on the internet. Upon learning this (I had never tuned in to a broadcast), I reflexively reminded the folks at the station who were showing me their gear that regardless of improvements made to their equipment, they would still be facing a quality issue on the receiving end, strictly by virtue of their broadcasting format. They did go on to say, though, that radio towers for three campus locations had been brought up, as well as the rental of tower services from a local telecom provider, and that one of these two alternatives would be put into play in the near future. They insisted that they were interested in tube signal processing gear, and I reminded them that even with actual radio towers, they were looking at improvements (by buying or having me put together) tube gear that would primarily be only for their own enjoyment, and comparatively less to the benefit of folk on the listening end.
Anyways, I should be able to help them out with equipment, and in most regards I can understand what they are after, but I am curious about compressors for radio broadcast of music. As I understand it, it may be the limiting aspect that they are most after, as opposed to a pure compressor. Perhaps a radio broadcast compressor is like a mixdown or mastering compressor?
I seem to remember reading that the Fairchilds (660/670) were developed for radio use. Does anybody have any experience here?
Many thanks.
To preface, I have been approached by my local University radio station, and asked to help with equipment. As a former student I know some of the people there, and they recalled that I do Ham radio and work on tube amplifiers. They expressed an interest in improving their current equipment, and I stopped by to have a look at the way things worked.
The station currently broadcasts solely on the internet. Upon learning this (I had never tuned in to a broadcast), I reflexively reminded the folks at the station who were showing me their gear that regardless of improvements made to their equipment, they would still be facing a quality issue on the receiving end, strictly by virtue of their broadcasting format. They did go on to say, though, that radio towers for three campus locations had been brought up, as well as the rental of tower services from a local telecom provider, and that one of these two alternatives would be put into play in the near future. They insisted that they were interested in tube signal processing gear, and I reminded them that even with actual radio towers, they were looking at improvements (by buying or having me put together) tube gear that would primarily be only for their own enjoyment, and comparatively less to the benefit of folk on the listening end.
Anyways, I should be able to help them out with equipment, and in most regards I can understand what they are after, but I am curious about compressors for radio broadcast of music. As I understand it, it may be the limiting aspect that they are most after, as opposed to a pure compressor. Perhaps a radio broadcast compressor is like a mixdown or mastering compressor?
I seem to remember reading that the Fairchilds (660/670) were developed for radio use. Does anybody have any experience here?
Many thanks.