cparmerlee
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How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
In this world where we have such amazing tools for compression and limiting, I continue to be amazing that virtually every radio outlet that takes listener calls or does interviews with guest over the phone has absolutely crappy levels. Invariably you can hear the host at normal levels and any of the outside parties are less than half the volume -- often WAY less than half the volume. It is so annoying that I can't stand to listen most of the time. This is true of local sports stations, national talk programs, and even NPR. I have observed this consistently across Sirius/XM and now IHeartRadio. it is everywhere.
Why doesn't every radio station have software that automatically balances the levels for them?
And if they don't have that, can't they at least find an engineer that can turn the knob a little?
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craigb
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/13 21:27:51
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There are still radio stations? 
Time for all of you to head over to Beyond My DAW!
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sharke
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/13 21:58:16
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It's like those mixing tutorials you watch where the music volume is completely at odds with the instructor's voice. Where's the one place you would expect levels to be set right?
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cparmerlee
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/13 22:14:40
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craigb
There are still radio stations?
I got it. But if there is one thing they should be able to get right ...
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Moshkito
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/14 09:53:49
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Hi, I would suggest that levels are tough when any group, or personality gets started, when they are trying to figure out what works or not, and how to talk and adjust things. All in all, as time goes by, and one gets more comfortable on the air, the "mistakes" slow down and the levels tend to even themselves out. However, there is a tendency, and in this case ESPN is the worst, where the commercials are intended to be louder than the voices of the announcers.
post edited by Moshkito - 2016/01/15 09:55:08
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craigb
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/14 12:46:55
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You do know that he's talking about audio levels, right? There should only be two factors: Getting the volume to match with the correct amount of compression.
Time for all of you to head over to Beyond My DAW!
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cparmerlee
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/14 16:44:37
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craigb
There should only be two factors: Getting the volume to match with the correct amount of compression.
Right, and I would have thought this would all be automated by now.
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Moshkito
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/15 09:41:12
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craigb
You do know that he's talking about audio levels, right?
There should only be two factors: Getting the volume to match with the correct amount of compression.
That was an ooooppppssss, and it's cleaned up. Thanks for the heads up
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bitman
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/15 09:53:12
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My take: Those in charge of "critical systems" are insufficient due to those in charge of those systems being brought up on the wrong baby food (internet, video games, social networking & smart phones). We went to the moon on vacuum tubes and duct tape. Today we can seem to get anything right. Talk radio levels or otherwise, as old "Bert" has long since retired or died and nobody thought to care about what he did. Has anyone noticed that GE is trying to get selfie kids interested in real science? And the NFL is pleading with to go out and play. Were so dead.
post edited by bitman - 2016/01/15 10:07:06
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bitflipper
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/15 10:42:15
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☄ Helpfulby tlw 2016/01/16 14:11:56
It's not impossible. Listen to the NPR or BBC podcasts and radio programs to hear how it's supposed to be done.
Those organizations have a history and culture of technical excellence. More importantly, most of their content is not live, but recorded and then carefully edited. No automated processing can possibly match competent hand-editing. They are also typically recorded in well-treated purpose-built rooms and attended by experienced engineers. You don't find that at local radio stations where most sports and political talk radio originates.
But I think the main reason talk radio sounds so bad is limitations of the telephone and Skype connections they rely on. More and more, interviewees are talking over cell phones and there's only so much an engineer can do to mitigate the dreadful audio quality of cell phones. Quite often, when you're listening and thinking "turn it up!" it's really because noise, excessive ambiance and restricted frequency response are interfering with intelligibility. Compression can't help with that.
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cparmerlee
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/15 11:58:53
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bitman
Has anyone noticed that GE is trying to get selfie kids interested in real science?
I really like those GE ads. They are doing it to raise the GE brand image of course, but as you noted they inadvertently (or maybe intentionally) are making quite a strong social commentary.
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cparmerlee
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/15 12:02:49
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bitflipper
It's not impossible. Listen to the NPR or BBC podcasts and radio programs to hear how it's supposed to be done.
That is true for the main programs (Morning Edition, etc) But one of the very worst sound engineering jobs I have heard was on an NPR program called Live Wire Radio. I love the program, but the audio is excruciatingly bad. Actually I think it is getting a little better lately. And most of the NPR "call in programs" like "A Way With Words" actually take their calls in advance and then produce the whole program to sound as if it were a live call-in when it isn't. The live call-in shows are really horrible across the board.
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jude77
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/15 13:53:25
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"We went to the moon on vacuum tubes and duct tape."
@bitman: That is the quote of the week!! Not to hijack this thread, but it's amazing what ingenuity can do in the face of limited technology. As has been observed more than once, Sgt. Pepper was recorded on two four track tape machines. It just tells me that often our recordings aren't bad because we lack the right plugins/amps/mics; but because we lack creative insight.
Thank you for your indulgence, now I return you to the thread concerning audio levels.
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Moshkito
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Re: How come audio levels on talk radio are so crappy?
2016/01/16 11:50:35
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bitflipper ... It's not impossible. Listen to the NPR or BBC podcasts and radio programs to hear how it's supposed to be done. ... I do think that, both of these had a higher dedication to RADIO, than what is out there today, though, specially in America ... where you can tune in to a FM station here in Portland, and it is definitly louder than the other FM station that does Country and Western here in Portland, and both are louder than many other (comparatively speaking) AM stations. BBC, specially, has at least 60 to 70 to probably about 100 years of broadcasting experience and they are very tight in their procedural side of things, and they know about recording, specially when it comes to voice, comedy and the use of effects ... which was huge in the days of The Goons, and later with Monty Python. bitflipper ... But I think the main reason talk radio sounds so bad is limitations of the telephone and Skype connections they rely on. More and more, interviewees are talking over cell phones and there's only so much an engineer can do to mitigate the dreadful audio quality of cell phones. Quite often, when you're listening and thinking "turn it up!" it's really because noise, excessive ambiance and restricted frequency response are interfering with intelligibility. Compression can't help with that. In many cases, I just call this pure amateurism. There was (maybe still is) a station here that did nothing but just start a beat and let anyone add whatever on top. I wanted to go beyond that and actually play music, and they didn't want me to do that, so they would not have to pay any rights on it ... but I could do weird things with stuff (play backwards and such) so it would be unrecognizeable. The idea was interesting, but not being able to do more than just .... "nothing" was not appealing to me, and not on an ego like level ... I am more about the music, and the arts, than me. it's strange, but obviously a new idea and concept for what radio might do or not do. But in talk, and news, and the like, most radio stations are just simply unprofessional and a bunch of kids and hackers playing around with the knobs. I have not found, in both major FM stations in Portland, a single professional in there, that knew what they were doing other than bringing in young girls to have sex with in trade for a new album/cd they want. It was always like that!
Music is not about notes and chords! My poem is not about the computer or monitor or letters! It's about how I was able to translate it from my insides!
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