[BC] Re: It's Eureka over IBOC down under

[Paul Christensen]

> The processing wars are the real culprit here.

Amen.  I am still overwhelmed by how good analog FM can sound when 
aggressive high frequency limiting and clipping is backed down to reasonable 
levels required to maintain simple peak control.  The perceived competitive 
market pressures have produced the processors and associated algorithms we 
have today.  I can't fault the manufacturers - they're responding to supply 
and demand market forces and as such, they're compelled to produce 
processors that are inherently very good, but have the capability of 
destructive results.  Perhaps if we rid ourselves of the junkies, the 
dealers will go away?

I've proably stated this before, but when you remove yourself from the 
day-to-day business for a while and you become a listener like everyone 
else, the "louder is better" philosophy seems meaningless and infantile. 
Today, I cannot tolerate listening to most FM stations, particularly the 
stations that employ far too much high end equalization.  Why is it that 
every cymbal I hear on the air today has to sound like the consonance 
produced when vocalizing the letter "F?"

Given the high dB differential of the 75 us pre-emphasive curve, just how 
much high-frequency processing is needed?  The industry's answer is that 
it's needed in order to try and re-balance an otherwise dull high-end after 
excessively raising the average level of low and mid-band audio.  But, 
physics fights back and wins in the end.

Without a 75 us pre-empahsis curve to wrestle with, hopefully HD Radio can 
avoid the loudness wars, but it's probably just wishful thinking on my part.

Paul

====================================
Paul Christensen, CPBE, CBNT
LAW OFFICE OF PAUL B. CHRISTENSEN, P.A.
3749 Southern Hills,  Jacksonville, Florida 32225
Office: (904) 379-7802    Facsimile: (904) 212-0050
pchristensen at ieee.org