The Digital Radio Station Part One - What's in a Digital Radio Studio?

• Report rights infringement
• published: 29 Jul 2015
• views: 538

What's in a Digital Radio Station (Part 1) - http://www.clydebroadcast.com/new-radio-license/ Transcript: Part One What’s in a Digital Radio Studio At the heart of the studio is the broadcast mixer. Its function is to control the individual levels of the various ‘sources’ which are connected to it, and to ‘mix’ these to form a combined output. In a broadcast studio this output is used to feed a transmitter or a streaming server. In a production studio the output feeds some form of recording device, with the ability to replay the recording at a later date, usually as part of a broadcast. ‘Sources’ typically include: • Microphones, for the presenters and guests • The outputs from studio CD players and other ‘replay’ devices • Feeds from outside of the studio, such as phone-calls, links from outside broadcast vehicles and remote locations (which are collectively called ‘outside sources’) • Feeds from other studios and most significantly, • Feeds from computerised storage , which accounts for an increasing proportion of pre-recorded content The studio will also have loudspeakers and headphones for monitoring, indicators to warn that microphones are ‘live’ (so be careful what you say!), a synchronised clock and ‘on-air’ indicators. In addition to ‘live’ content, which comes from microphones and outside sources, pre-recorded content comes from CD payers and computer storage, as mentioned previously. The level of sophistication of computerised ‘playout systems’ varies considerably, and has a major impact on the types of programs which can be produced and broadcast, and the extent to which advertisements can be inserted and thus revenue streams generated. Selection of the most suitable playout system is one of the most important decisions, as it affects almost everyone within the station. The playout system is a combination of hardware and software. The hardware is used to convert feeds from the mixer into a format which can be stored on a hard drive (or something similar), and can then be replayed, as a source via the studio mixer, at a later date. This usually takes the form of a high-spec PC, with multiple sound cards, with some form of interface to allow the mixer to initiate and control playback of the pre-recorded content. Different software ‘tools’ are required to undertake the various processes associated with the acquisition, production, scheduling and broadcasting of complete programs. The way in which these tools work together has a huge impact on the station’s workflow.