[BC] Achieving good S/N

[Robert Orban]

At 05:45 PM 12/26/2005, you wrote:
>From: "Steve" <shnewman at alaweb.com>
>Subject: Re: [BC] Achieving good S/N
>To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Message-ID: <00aa01c60a71$0d14ffa0$7402a8c0 at wildblue.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>Hi Bob:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Robert Orban" <rorban at earthlink.net>
>To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Sent: Monday, December 26, 2005 4:18 PM
>Subject: Re: [BC] Achieving good S/N
>
> > Yep...it had first rate audio.
>
> > The Conax was a clever device for its time (it was essentially a dual-band
> > processor with a clipper in the HF band only),  but current processor
> > technology could do far better in terms of HF clarity while still
>retaining
> > as much dynamic range as the broadcaster desired.
> > the Conax would have a lot of problems with the HF content on
> > today's CDs. As program material gets brighter, one can no longer rely on
> > clipping alone to control HF energy.
>
>Oh, yes, I would have to agree with you on the Conax vs. the high end
>processing we need today for CD's. Absolutely. Entirely different kind of
>energy. Now, advancing in time when I was PD at KDFC (when it was owned by
>Ed) in 1980, we had the Optimod and the station sounded great. I remember
>(boy was I brave) during our Sunday night program "Direct-To-Disc" setting
>the Optimod in bypass mode. I held my breath when I played the D to D
>version (Telarc, I believe) of  The 1812 Festival Overture with REAL
>cannons. I'm surprised I didn't launch the transmitter into outer space! I
>was sweating while riding gain as skillfully as possible. Saw a few flashes
>from the Mod Monitor but we made it through without blowing the rig.

Funny you should mention the "1812 Overture." I happened to be in the KDFC 
studios on top of Mt. Beacon for Steve Waldee's farewell show (somewhere 
around midnight." In an unusual move for KDFC, Steve played some vinyl live 
to air (and also did a bit of "personality radio"--a definite 
format-breaker for KDFC) , including the infamous Overture. Steve and I 
discussed whether it was worth the risk, and Steve finally went for it. Lo 
and behold, the first cannon shot threw the stylus entirely out of the 
groove and the tone arm went skittering across the record...all live on 
air. IIRC, they had Stanton cartridges installed, and they just couldn't 
track that kind of stuff. The Shure V15 of that era, of course, had no 
problems.


> > I'm quite familiar with  the Conax; we had one on WPRB when I was active
> > there while in college. It  replaced a Gates pre-emphasized clipper (I
>forget what
> > its actual marketing  name was) that splattered on every "ess." The Gates
>only lasted a week
> > on-air before I sent it back.
>
>It wasn't the "Level Devil" was it? Talk about pounding the audio within an
>inch of its life! And the pumping! Gates sold a quite a few of those if
>memory serves me.

Now that I've had a little more reminiscing time, I think it was called the 
"Top Level." Being a pre-emphasized clipper, it was intended for FM only.

Bob Orban