Comments on: Ratings: Eastern Idaho returns

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:53:04 +0000

Wrabbit: You are right on about the processing of current music. Most of the current music from the record companies is massively compressed and does have a square wave form.

Many think I am crazy, but if you want to listen to some great recordings, go back to what was produced in the late 50’s and early sixties. You had true stereo separation, not pseudo-electronic crap. Stereo separation was acheived by actual microphone and studio placement, most of the mics were still ribbon cartridge, and the limiters used were full of tubes, offering a warm image from the “push-pull” circuits.

If you get a chance, listen to some of Esquivel’s recordings from 58-62. He was very innovative with the use of stereo. You can get many re-issued on CD thanks to the lounge music craze that started back in the 90’s.

A while back, I was with a friend and we decided to compare the sound of carts, vinyl, cd’s and digital audio. Surprisingly the vinyl and carts won the fidelity war! Digital is o.k. and convenient, but it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. I hear the new blu-ray music discs will have a much higher bit rate and will ultimately take over the market, but for the mean-time they are above my pay grade. I’m not saying that I pine for the days of carts that never recued, warbled or were so worn down that the high end was blitzed. I do however believe we’ve been sold a bill of goods when it comes to compressed audio.

By: busted if writing from work

busted if writing from work — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:53:07 +0000

magic 931 used to run the omnia 6. not sure if they still do…

By: Wrabbitt

Wrabbitt — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:30:26 +0000

It’s very unfortunate that record companies process the audio on CD’s. It’s very difficult to process music on FM properly when it’s already been hit by bad engineering at the source. Radio needs it’s own separate unprocessed copy of the music being released.

The oldies stations have an advantage if they rip their library from the old CD’s, not much if any pre-processing was done. Take a look at a good rip of any new CD. Square waveforms. Distorted and badly processed. It’s no wonder radio sounds like a crappy Ipod.

I totally agree on the Omnia. Sweet box!

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:29:44 +0000

There are a few stations over there that don’t even use mic processors on the air or in their production rooms. Kind of scary in this day and age!

As for my personal favorite in Boise: K-Hits! That station just sounds AWESOME the way it is processed. While we are on the processing issue, what are everyone’s favorites?

If you have to go analog, I’ve set up chains starting with a Sonic Maximizer, Aphex Compellor, Audio-Prism and then into a good Optimod.

As for digital, Omnia has really come out with the best on the market. Frank Foti’s dsp coding is heads and shoulders above what has come out elsewhere. Although the latest Optimod models set in look-ahead mode, causing some latency, don’t sound bad.

And while I’m on it, I’ve come up with a setting for the free Sound Solutions processing DSP for WINAMP that sounds like 80’s FM on steroids, but with a huge stereo image. It really kicks and is clean, but LOUD. If you’d like it, drop me a line. I’ve sent it out to a number of my radio friends and they all say it’s been years since they’ve heard anything like that.

By: RDS

RDS — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:03:18 +0000

I usually try to avoid negative comments, but a recent trip (two weeks ago) to East Idaho has left me wondering — How do those stations keep any listeners? Someone up there needs to get a clue about audio processing. Every station I listened to was harsh and edgy. Like fingernails on a blackboard. Out of the entire dial, I only found one that was anywhere close to smooth. That’s the FM band. The AM band was another disaster. Either smashed, or muffled. A couple were way underprocessed and noisey. And the couple of Spanish stations I listened to on AM — so over modulated they covered the next two adjacent frequencies. Someone up there please get a clue and fix this! I like to listen to the radio when I drive, but I found once I passed the Twin-Falls / Burely area, I was better off with it turned off.

By: Radio god

Radio god — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:57:19 +0000

I bet Pacific Empire would have rated higher, but the 145 listeners they have don’t have have a phone or are currently doing time in prison.

By: P.M.

P.M. — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:41:11 +0000

Actually the agencies will take a serious look. KUPI 5.3
we don’t even begin to take off until north of Bingham county. NA-DA in Bannock. Bonneville North that’s our strong point always has been and always will be. Anyway, listen sometime to local/national ratio. Could always be better, but ton’s on air! Now I would love to see a Bonneville, Jefferson, Madison book. BTW, Bannock and Bonneville I think should be seperated. My 2c’s.

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:06:27 +0000

Only to a certain point. You get down into the 300’s and the agencies won’t take a serious look at you. But then again, agencies are not taking a serious look at radio anymore, anyway!

By: Ratings FYI

Ratings FYI — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:11:08 +0000

FYI…some of those radio stations are exclusively Idaho Falls or Pocatello stations and do not have reception in the other towns…so breaking them down to either Bannock or Bonneville counties makes sense…

By: Idaho Radio Buff

Idaho Radio Buff — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:21:53 +0000

Interesting, Eastlan is still surveying Twin-Falls/Jerome, Burley-Rupert… also, it seems odd that an Idaho Falls-Blackfoot-Pocatello make up would exclude rapidly growing and population center Rexburg/Madison County.

Do clusters and agencies buy the three breakouts or just the combined MSA ratings?