This Week In Radio Tech (TWiRT)

Vacations are important - for our well-being, sanity, restfulness, and more. But Shane Toven just can’t stop thinking and talking about broadcast engineering and the technologies that attend it! From the enormous cruise ship, “Majestic Princess,” Shane joins us via SES satellite link using their O3b Networks technology. So, what do you talk about with a man on vacation? Food? Ports of call? Tracking tags? Tower sites? Staying connected to work? Satellite data transport technology? Yes!

Show notes:

* O3b Networks (Wikipedia) - Global coverage Internet access from medium earth orbit satellites* O3b mPOWER web site from SES* O3b mPOWER site explaining rationale for medium earth orbit coverage* “SES” is an acronym for Société Européenne des Satellites* Live map of the Majestic Princess* Another live map of maritime traffic along the West Coast of Mexico* Article about wearable RFID tags for cruise passengers and more

Guest

Shane Toven - Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media Foundation

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com.

Many broadcast engineers have implemented "structured wiring" within their facilities. Some, like TWiRT host, Kirk Harnack, haven’t really jumped into the best practices yet. Ed Bukont, owner of E2 Technical Services, both consults and integrates facilities. His vast experience with structured wiring in broadcast plants makes for solid information that we engineers need to know. And, he's got Kirk convinced to "do it right" on his next project.

Show notes:

* E2 Technical Services* Nice structured wiring catalog from CableToGo (PDF)* Ed mentioned “Top of Rack” cabling - here’s info on cabling approaches* TIA568B pinout standard* TruCable offers instruction on many structured wiring and cable topics* Video playlist covering structured wiring in a commercial setting* CableSupply.com has good videos on every aspect of structured wiring

Guest

Ed Bukont - E2 Technical Services

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.

Necessity may be the "mother of invention", but Gordon Carter never thought necessity alone was good enough. As Chief Engineer at classical station, WFMT in Chicago, Gordon's broadcast audio systems had to sound impeccably great, yet withstand the rigors of 24/7/365 broadcasting in America's 3rd largest radio market, Chicago. Let’s learn together from Gordon’s pursuit of audio excellence in FM broadcasting.

Show notes:

* WFMT’s Notable Technological Achievements* Gordon Carter’s web site - gcarter.us* Gordon Carter’s published works* Apt Holman phono preamplifier - review* Gordon mentioned Siliconix CMOS analog switches (PDF)

Guest

Gordon Carter - Retired Director of Engineering at WFMT

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

In our radio broadcasting world 100% modulation (or more?) has been the goal for decades. However, we now find ourselves entering a new paradigm where consistency and quality eclipse loudness as an audio level objective. What do units of audio loudness mean? If 0 dB isn’t the goal, then what is? -16 LKFS? John Kean is a leading expert on perceived audio loudness, plus he’s a prominent broadcast engineer. Let’s hear from John and understand what this world of audio loudness sounds like and find out why it’s changing.

Show notes:

* AES Technical Document AESTD1008.1.21-9* BS-1770: Algorithms to measure audio programme loudness and true-peak audio level* Dolby: Guide to Loudness in Media* More information on BS-1770 loudness measurement from Meterplugs.com* ProTools: AES Update Loudness Recommendations For Audio Only Streaming

Guests

John Kean - Kean Consultants, LLC

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless ...

Common Alerting Protocol. Doesn't sound exciting, but what it's doing for people in many countries is sometimes life-saving. We might think of CAP as a new-ish way to receive emergency messages, such as Child Abduction Emergency notification. Or we may consider CAP as just another input source to our broadcast EAS systems. There’s a lot more to CAP than this, however. Interestingly, the USA and Canada are using CAP a bit differently. Rob Hopkins from OpenBroadcaster in Canada, and Vincent Maggard, a software developer, join Kirk Harnack to explore and explain what CAP really is and how it’s used.

Show notes:

* Emergency Alert Broadcast Automation from OpenBroadcaster* Common Alerting Central on GitHub* 2021 Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Implementation Workshop Info

Guests

Rob Hopkins - Radio Enthusiast at OpenBroadcasterVincent Maggard - Chief Executive Officer at SEKYVP, LLC

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in

Many radio engineers are talking about “cloud” and “cloudified” broadcast infrastructure, and inroads are being made right now. One group of broadcast technologists and developers is now running over 100 radio stations in Germany, fully with cloud-based infrastructure. Radio.cloud is designed to supply a backbone of audio programming from data centers, with local customization for each market. Some of that customization is done with Artificial Intelligence, or “AI”. Christian Brenner, Jim Hammond, and Tony Lorino join us, each with a different perspective on Radio.cloud’s technology and capabilities.

Show notes:

* radio.cloud - Home Page* Throwback Nation Radio

Guests

Christian Brenner - Managing Director / CINO (Chief Innovation Officer)Tony Lorino - CEO at Throwback BrandsJim Hammond - CSO at Radio.cloud

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

"Shane has turned off the 'Fasten Seatbelt" sign; you are now free to move about the country." Probably the best way to become an expert in anything is to work your craft in different places. Shane Toven is Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media Foundation K-LOVE & Air1 Media Networks. We can each learn from his recent engineering exploits!

Show notes:

* Snapmaker 3-in-1 3D Printer* Radio DNS - Hybrid Radio - Broadcast+Internet* Crown Broadcast RFBA Triple EAS Tuner* TinkerCAD - Free online 3d modeling

Guest

Shane Toven - Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media Foundation

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

How did you get started in broadcast engineering? Through Amateur Radio? Building a Heathkit? Perhaps an electronics chapter in high school science? Let’s turn the page to today’s inspiration and learning opportunities. Sean McMahon is a Robotics Team Head Coach, while Bill Bennet is a "Recovering Broadcast Engineer". We're looking into STEM / STEAM programs where the next generation of media engineers will come from.

Show notes:

* First Inspires - A Global Robotics Community Preparing Young People for the Future

Guests

Sean McMahon - Robotics Team Head CoachBill Bennett - “Recovering Broadcast Engineer” & Robotics Mentor

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts.Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Jim Addie has had a career in broadcasting that spans 45 years. With engineering positions at notable stations like WFMT, WGN, and WJMK (CBS/Infinity), Jim and his top-shelf engineering colleagues designed and built some impressive custom equipment for critical broadcast audio. Jim Addie joins us on TWiRT to share some delightful and amazing radio engineering stories.

Show notes:

* AddieTech - Jim Addie’s Engineering & Consulting Services* Room EQ Wizard - free audio analysis software* FMX - FM stereo noise reduction* Knight-Kit - web site for information on the classic electronic Knight Kits* Jim’s spouse, Jo Addie, worked on the 1979 movie, “Somewhere In Time” with the late Christpher Reeve. This website is all about that movie.

Guest

Jim Addie - Radio & Audio Engineer / Consultant

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in

Most of us in radio wax nostalgic about how radio was early in our careers. Todd Edwards waxes poetic about the analog radio automation systems he worked with at the end of the 1970s and into the 1980s. Names like SMC, Scully, Ampex, Otari, ITC, and Drake-Chenault are peppered throughout our conversation and tour on this week's episode. Todd recalls his first bloody automation injury and describes using a station's automation system as his excuse to go on the air live.

Show notes:

* Online web station, TRIK FM* Online web station, Frontier Country Online* Otari ARS 1000 (information brochure)* SMC Carousel (brochure)* Drake-Chenault (information web site)* Auditronics 210 audio console (BGS catalog page)

Guest

Todd Edwards - Analog Enthusiast

Host

Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

Sponsored by

Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in