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

[Robert Orban]

At 11:56 AM 10/21/2005, you wrote:
>Subject: Re: [BC] Re: It's Eureka over IBOC down under
>To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Message-ID: <00a301c5d65d$ae0f2d60$093ca8c0 at OfficeDell>
>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>         reply-type=original
>
> > 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.

The good news is that the same processing that creates the current 
oversquashed sound will, if simply backed off, sound much better than older 
technology processing at this same "backed off" level. The technical 
advances in processing necessary to create the current "competitive" sound 
will continue to perform when backed off, minimizing subjective HF loss and 
distortion.

Now all we need are PDs the political courage to turn the processing down. 
FM analog would sound dramatically better if everyone in the current 
overprocessed markets were just 3 dB quieter than they are now.

I often think that the long-suffering listeners in these markets listen to 
the radio despite the processing, not because of it. (and folks, to ring a 
slight change on the THX slogan, "the audience is leaving"). No other 
branch of the entertainment industry (movies, television, etc.) 
intentionally degrades its product the way all too many broadcasters do. 
It's nuts.

Bob Orban