how to optimize the sound for a radio show

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-- how to optimize the sound for a radio show

Posted by olwenskatha on Feb-20-2008 07:05:

how to optimize the sound for a radio show

hello there:

Im new to this forum, but i�ve been reading a couple of posts and i think you guys could help me out, im broadcasting a radio show, on a live365 server of trance, a set of an hour every tuesday but somehow, i still need to improve the sound quality, im using ableton live to record the show but still, it does need some better sound quality so i wonder if anyone of you could give some advice, thanks in advance the mixer i�m using is a pioneer djm 400

Olwenskatha

Posted by Storyteller on Feb-20-2008 07:59:

Getting a better soundcard to record the set with is often a good start.

Posted by Jink on Feb-20-2008 08:30:

quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller
Getting a better soundcard to record the set with is often a good start.

chris girard - rideau street (storyteller remix)

amazing work. love it. [/off-topic]

on-topic:

i agree.

Posted by Storyteller on Feb-20-2008 09:01:

Thanks

Posted by montana on Feb-20-2008 13:08:

quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller
Getting a better soundcard to record the set with is often a good start.

that and getting your hands on the almighty id&t compressor.

Posted by olwenskatha on Feb-20-2008 22:51:

all right, thanks so much im going to try look for one ..

and by the way

Gabriel batz- besoin d aimer (storyteller rmx) --- what a tune�� really love it

Posted by miamitranceman on Feb-21-2008 01:44:

quote:
Originally posted by montana
that and getting your hands on the almighty id&t compressor.

Do you mean the ASOT-style sound? There was a plug-in for winamp a while back that did that.

Posted by Storyteller on Feb-21-2008 09:20:

The ASOT show is just compressed/limited fairly hard which makes it sounds loud and powerfull .

This could help too of course, but if the recordings somehow sound flat and or muffled the soundcard should really be replaced for a better kind.

Posted by olwenskatha on Feb-21-2008 09:24:

quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller
The ASOT show is just compressed/limited fairly hard which makes it sounds loud and powerfull .

This could help too of course, but if the recordings somehow sound flat and or muffled the soundcard should really be replaced for a better kind.

ok thanks m8 im going to practice adding a compressor to see how i can work it out also im looking for some books to understand better the compression function but i really appreciate your advise ...

Posted by Storyteller on Feb-21-2008 09:25:

quote:
Originally posted by olwenskatha
Gabriel batz- besoin d aimer (storyteller rmx) --- what a tune�� really love it

Stop the off-topics!

Thank you too

Programs such as adobe audition feature simple limiters which function very well in my opinion. Just fill in the boosting volume and in general it takes care of the rest (Tip: Just boost it enough so the limiter cut's of a lot of peaks in volume, not the whole recording ).

Posted by olwenskatha on Feb-22-2008 00:11:

quote:
Originally posted by Storyteller
Stop the off-topics!

Thank you too

Programs such as adobe audition feature simple limiters which function very well in my opinion. Just fill in the boosting volume and in general it takes care of the rest (Tip: Just boost it enough so the limiter cut's of a lot of peaks in volume, not the whole recording ).

all right thanks a lot... from now on im going to improve the sound lol thanks all of you

Posted by Dr. DAS on Feb-23-2008 15:19:

Watch your compression, especially if you're new to the concept/practice...one of the worst things you can do is overcompress the signal and kill it's dynamic range. The radio station will have a limiter in thier broadcast chain.

If you overcompress, you will lose all breathing room in the track, your low end will get muddy and the top end will get very wet and slashy, all of which sounds like garbage.

To start with, I suggest:

Ratio: 3:1

Fast attack, med release (if these are too fast, the track will 'pump' when compression kicks in)

The threshold should bet set so that you see gain reduction on the peak transients, not the whole program.

Once you're set, turn up the output (makeup) gain until you get the appropriate level into the broadcast mixer.

Posted by Stu Cox on Feb-23-2008 15:26:

Use a professional studio

Which would be great if the tech guy for the studio I use wasn't a complete idiot and didn't keep breaking all of the cables - when I got in to do my show this week, there weren't enough working cables left to patch both the CD decks into the DJ mixer!

Had to do a strange combination of mixing with the DJ mixer (with the one CD deck I could patch through) and with the main desk (which really isn't design for beatmatch mixing at all) haha

Next week I shall take my own cables I think...

Posted by Storyteller on Feb-24-2008 09:37:

some of you, please read. He's talking about a live365 server. It's just a web stream server that broadcasts whatever you put into it. So there will not be any compression by the station... just his, if he decides to use it.

Posted by Boomer187 on Feb-24-2008 14:39:

Izotope Ozone 3

Its a plugin that masters your mixes. I used to have the exact same problem, but after finding this plugin and using just the presets...my mixes sound sooo much better, not like the transitions, but the sound quality is amazing.

Posted by olwenskatha on Feb-25-2008 02:34:

ok, here are the updates after doing some research and reading some books, i think pretty much i found what i was looking for, i�m going to use the izotope plug-in i think that for me that is the best for the resources of the cpu, and the improvements it makes for the mix, but anyway thank you guys for all the help it really has been so handy

i love this website jejej