It may sound silly, but I have spent most of my life enduring cheaply-made, inadequate microphone stands. One day recently, I decided to change that. To my surprise, it opened a new world of options that I had missed before.
Video-capable DSLR and mirrorless cameras are notorious for poor audio quality and flimsy connectivity. Since these cameras appeared on the market less than a decade ago, thousands of man hours have gone into creating workarounds for professional audio. Now, those problems have been solved.
Consumer off the shelf technology (COTS) is providing broadcast TV facilities an economical foundation for technical growth in all directions.
In this second part of his loudspeaker series, John Watkinson considers the importance of the time domain to human hearing.
For more than two decades audio professionals have relied on peak meters to monitor and adjust audio levels. The problem with peak reading meters is that, while they are great for warning against the potential for overload in a channel, they are also a terrible indicator of loudness as the audience hears it. This over-reliance on peak indications has led to problems of inconsistent loudness on both the radio and television airwaves.
In this new series, John Watkinson discusses loudspeakers from several aspects including; how they work, the way they are perceived by the listener, the psychoacoustics of speakers. We’ll conclude this multi-part series by considering the psychology of selling and owning them. As with any technology, myths abound. If, in this series, the opportunity arises to dynamite a few, then so be it.
There is a lot of discussion about implementing facility-wide all IP infrastructures. Even so, there are good reasons why selecting hybrid SDI/IP video/audio over IP gear offers a smoother and more cost-effective transition to the all-IP future.
What’s old is new again. The first broadcast mass medium, radio, is back again — this time as personalized, targeted audio for audiences on the go. From books to long form text articles, audio-only programming is gaining listeners fast in a constantly evolving media world.
