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Quote of Note
- Eric Porterfield
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Kindle-ing the flame of IP
Steve Church & Skip Pizzi's definitive book now on Kindle
 We admit - we're still fond of the feel of a book in our hands. But we'll also own up to being increasingly enamored of the versatility and easy portability of e-readers.
So we're especially pleased that Focal Press has chosen to make Steve Church & Skip Pizzi's Audio Over IP: Building Pro AoIP Systems With Livewire available as an e-book for Amazon's Kindle e-reader.
Inside you'll find a clear, concise explanation of exactly how AoIP works, why it's easier to deploy than 'most any other networked system (and even plain old analog!), and step-by-step instructions on how to plan for, assemble, and deploy your own AoIP studio network. There are even chapters on integrating VoIP and IP codecs into your studio systems.
If you're a Kindle user and you don't have a hard copy already (perhaps even if you do!) you might want to pick up the e-version; you can download it here.
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FM Stereo Single Sideband discussion takes off
 | | Omnia's Frank Foti |
FCC grants experimental authority requests
If you've been following the news, you're likely aware that Omnia founder and President Frank Foti is pretty excited about the idea of transitioning FM radio from its existing double-sideband suppressed carrier (DSB-SC) method of FM Stereo baseband transmission in use since 1961 to a single-sideband suppressed carrier (SSB-SC) method. Frank has authored a peersuasive article on this subject, first published in the October, 2010 issue of Radio World Engineering Extra, and available to read online here.
Whether you are a proponent of this idea or not, there can be no doubt that it's caused substantial discussion within the US broadcast industry, with his suggestion that adopting SSB-SC will reduce multipath significantly and could result in up to 4 dB of stereo SNR improvement and reduce HD Radio interference with analog signals - certainly an audible difference, even if you don't have "golden ears!"
To further the discussion, Frank wrote the FCC to update the Commission on the progress of SSB testing. Subsequently, he's been told that experimental authority requests to the Commission are being granted - good news for anyone who wants to test SSB for themselves.
Frank will be detailing the benefits of single-sideband operation to the NRSC at the upcoming Radio Show in Chicago. In the meantime, if you're one of those with an inquisitive bent and want to try SSB-SC on your station, Omnia's processing uber-geeks have implemented an SSB-SC option for the stereo generator function in our Omnia.11 FM audio processor. Just obtain your FCC experimental authorization, and turn on SSB using the option on the main menu, then join the discussion armed with your own findings!
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News from the Field
Who's getting new gear?
New Telos VX Broadcsat VoiP Talkshow Systems are taking callers at:
- AT&T, Basking Ridge,
New Jersey - California Lutheran University's KCLU-FM, Los Angeles
- CBS Radio's WCBS-AM, New York, New York
Omnia ONE is processing audio at:
- HEH Broadcasting's KSAM-FM, Huntsville, Texas
- Truth Broadcasting's WTRU-AM, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Mel Wheeleer's "K92," WXLK-FM, Roanoke, Virginia
Axia Radius IP consoles areheading for air at:
- Southern California Public Radio's KPCC-FM, Los Angeles
- Univision Radio's KBNA-AM,
El Paso, Texas - TWiT.tv's "The Tech Guy" with Leo Laporte, Petaluma, California
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Get the 2011 catalog
100 pages of broadcast-y goodness.
Click here to get a copy mailed to you! |
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When is being a TWiT a good thing?
When you're Kirk Harnack, host of This Week in Radio Technology
 Call most people a TWiT, and they might take offense. Kirk Harnack will just smile and say "thank you." That's because, in this case, TWiT is the acronym for "This Week in Technology," and TWiT.tv is the company behind the well known syndicated call-in show The Tech Guy show, hosted by the amiable Leo Laporte and heard on hundreds of Premiere stations every week. And Kirk hosts his own weekly webcast for TWiT.tv, This Week in Radio Tech, which is about to celebrate its second anniversary.
Yes, Kirk is The Telos Alliance's Executive Director of Sales and Marketing. But he's also a broadcaster and an engineer, first and foremost. We sat down with Kirk for a little chat about radio, technology and some other stuff.
Kirk, tell us how you got into broadcasting. As an elementary school child, I had a profound stutter. Did you see, "The King's Speech"? I literally could not say my name in front of other people. After years of speech therapy, and about the time girls quit having "cooties", I made up my mind that I would positively overcome stuttering - and I would do it by becoming a DJ on the radio. I was actually pretty good on-air, but I was better at fixing things around the station. I dove into Contract Engineering in 1983. Since then I've built a couple dozen new radio stations, repaired hundreds of transmitters, STLs, audio consoles, cart machines and so on. How did you come to have a show on TWiT.tv? I knew Leo Laporte from his work on TechTV about 10 years ago. When Leo started the TWiT Network with a single podcast, "This Week in Tech," the audio quality sometimes wasn't so good, so I suggested that Axia loan him an Element audio console, and we'd talk about IP-Audio technology from time to time. While helping install the console, I told Leo my dream about doing a podcast for radio engineers. He thought it would be a great niche show for TWiT! Can you tell our readers a little about This Week in Radio Tech? TWiRT is a weekly video podcast with news, trends, and education about radio engineering; it's available either live or by download, or on-demand streaming in audio and two different video bit-rate formats. I'm the host of the show, and three co-hosts, Tom Ray, Chris Tobin, and Chris Tarr, join in for most episodes. We sometimes have guests with a lot more expertise in a certain area of radio engineering. Some of our guests have included Frank Foti, Skip Pizzi, Bill and Kimberly Sacks, Tony Thimet, Mark Persons, and Greg Ogonowski. Broadcast engineers are busy guys. Why should they watch TWiRT? Firstly, because we have fun while talking about technical subjects for radio engineers. Secondly, we aim to educate our friends and colleagues. Our co-hosts and guests actually say some smart things that will help any radio engineer do a better job and have more fun doing it! We get feedback on a lot of subjects, but IP streaming and HD radio audio processing are among the key areas where TWiRT is helping engineers who are implementing these technologies. Got any good engineering stories to share? What's the funniest thing you've had happen on-site? Funny you should ask that. Every 10th episode is a "War Stories" show, where we dredge up stories that may not have been funny then, but certainly are now - any TWiRT episode number that ends with a "0" (30, 40, 50, etc.). All of the episodes we've ever done are available at http://thisweekinradiotech.com. The more recent episodes are also hosted in audio and video formats at http://twit.tv/twirt, where you may easily click to subscribe to the weekly download via iTunes, WinAmp, Google, Zune and RSS. You can also watch or listen live on Wednesdays at 8pm Eastern Time at http://live.twit.tv. Folks can participate in the chatroom, too, by browsing to http://irc.twit.tv. 
Naturally, Telos, Omnia and Axia are sponsors of TWiRT. By the way, TWiT.tv just moved to expansive new studios ("The Brick TWiT House") and took the opportunity to expand their Axia network with a new Radius AoIP console. You can read all about it by clicking here. |
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Tech Tip of the Month
 Configuring Patton telco gateways for use with Telos VX systems
Telos VX (shipping now) is the world's first VoIP phone system designed specifically for broadcasters. Naturally, being a VoIP system, it works directly with SIP Trunking services - but what about ISDN and POTS telephone services? VX works with these through the use of any standard Telco gateways, from companies like Patton, Grandstream and Cisco.
To make easy work of configuring these gateways, Telos development partners Broadcast Bionics have posted a web-based configurator for Patton gateways that will allow you to produce configuration files for several different gateway models. Just select your gateway and type of telco connection, enter a few config details, and presto! a config file is sent to your email address. It's pretty slick, and our hat's off to the Bionics crew for this useful tool.
Got a tech tip to share or a question you'd like answered? Email us - if we use it in eNews, we'll send you a free copy of Omnia A/XE desktop audio processing software for Windows. Don't forget to include your mailing address when you write.
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Tech Updates
New manuals, app notes and software for your downloading pleasure
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Discrepancy Sheet
Turntables built to withstand the Apocalypse
 Nearly all of us "of a certain age" in the Radio business will remember Russco turntables, founded by Modesto, California's Russ Friend in 1945. Built like the proverbial tank, Russcos, with their stepped-shaft / idler wheel drive arrangement, were standard issue in US radio stations for 40 years. The ubiquitous sky-blue Studio Pro B, with only a little maintenance, soldiered on for years providing rock-solid record playback for innumerable stations small to large. (And, as a young production director, your editor found that the heavy machined aluminum platter, removed from its housing, could be held by its bearing shaft and struck along the rim to produce a lovely "fight bell" sound effect.) If you're still a fan of Russco turntables - which are surprisingly popular in the audiophile community - and are looking for parts, restoration services, check out RusscoTurntables.com, run by Skeeter Nash. Skeeter has a love for these workhorses too; so much that he purchased the remaining stock and parts supply of Russco and now offers parts and refurb services from his HQ in Jonesboro, Arkansas. And don't forget to put it in neutral when you're finished!
Until next time, stay well!
Clark Novak
with Denny Sanders & Angi Roberson
for Axia, Telos & Omnia
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About Us
eNews is published whenever there's news to share. Looking for a link or a story from a back issue? Click here.
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