Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with audio and radio

New stereo amp to replace my broken one.

misterpatrick — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:28:05 -0800

My amplifier/receiver died. I need something inexpensive (~$200) but powerful to replace it. I am not an audiophile but like my music to sound good. Should I get a simple amplifier and an HD radio tuner or troll eBay for a used receiver? I have two sets of speakers plus woofer and need about 100W per channel. Need three or four inputs. Don't need fancy 5.1 or anything. Recommendations? The receiver I am replacing is a Sony STR-DE525. Worked fine for me but our radio reception isn't great here and the stations we listen to broadcast in HD, so one reason to just get an amp and an HD receiver. My other inputs are the computer (iTunes), cable, DVD player and turntable.

radio rookies, redux!

puckish — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:44:33 -0800

Three days, four to six kids, let's learn how to write a radio story. Go! I'm imagining three sessions -- one where we brainstorm, settle on story ideas / interview subjects, and come up with a list of 10 questions. Second session -- field recording! Third session audio editing (with me doing a lot of the legwork, logging, setup in between, so they can go directly to editing). Something like a cross between radio rookies and 826 -- really simple and low maintenance (we're running the workshop out of our living room) -- the idea, mostly, is to give kids microphones and see what happens.

I'm really excited about this but kind of lost on the details (never done this with kids -- only sort of done it on my own -- brand new territory!). This would be with four to six kids in the 8-14 range. A few questions: 1) Does it make sense to do one story or three? (we're going to have three recorders, so they'd probably need to pair up) 2) "Stories" or "interviews"? (the second is easier -- but just doing oral history type stuff sounds kind of boring...) Ideas? 3) What to write about?? I'd love to do something where we interview random people -- a "vox pop" thing (asking a dozen people on the street the same set of questions) -- what would you do with a million dollars? Do you know your neighbors? (maybe something more awesome than that?)

Help!

Suite in F Major, with Garrison Keillor

opsin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:52:07 -0800

Does anyone happen to have, or know where I can get a recording of a very old Prairie Home Companion featuring (well it's what I'm after it for) a piece about a couple leaving a dinner party with friends, set to Handel's Water Music? My google fu fails me, and I'm not even sure it's out there to find anymore...
I had it on cassette for years, and it must have been the very late eighties it was recorded.

I've been looking for it for years, and the other thing I've been looking for for about as long just showed up, so figured I should see if anyone here might have it hidden away.

Substantive Conservative Talk?

keith0718 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:10:25 -0800

What are the most substantive conservative talk radio/podcasts? I've been podcasting Laura Ingraham for a good while now, but I've grown tired of the hysterical ranting and I now I want more substance. I switched to listening to Bill Bennett's show and am really enjoying the calm, substantive discussion. I'm wondering if there are any conservative talk radio/podcast hosts that parse the issues in an agreeable and intelligent manner--while actually referring to the conservative ideas articulated by greats like Burke, Kirk, Lincoln, Chesterton, Chambers, Buckley, Reagan, etc.?

40 channels on a radio tuned to static

mippy — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:11:57 -0800

Looking for interesting podcast recommendations from outwith iTunes - comedy, books, current affairs and anything else to satisfy an autodidact who's curious about everything. I'm finding that all the crafting I'm doing right now is eating into my reading time - I can't listen to speech on headphones whilst reading on the tube, but it's good to have something to amuse me whilst working with my hands. Currently I like The Moth (short stories from spoken word nights), Kermode and Mayo's film reviews (which kept me sane during a 1hr wait for a bus t'other week with their review of Terminator: Salvation Army) and Collings and Herrin (even if there's occasionally a bit too much bumming talk for my tastes). I need something amusing, or literary, or something that will teach me something. There's not that much on iTunes unless you like sport, video games or Twilight. I know I could go and spend the Selfridges voucher I got for my birthday on a DAB plug-in for the iPod, but discovering something new would be more fun. Any suggestions?

Is there a radio to receive DTV audio?

ThyroidBob — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:49:45 -0800

Posting for a friend:

"I own a Sony ICF-C113V bedside clock-radio that receives television signals from the soon to be obsolete VHF channels (2-13). Does anyone know if there is a clock-radio solution on the market yet that receives the audio portion of the DTV television signals in a clock-radio footprint? I have an iHome which I use as my primary clock-radio for alarms and music (iPod), but would still like the option to listen to television periodically."

Lite Rock, Less Talk? I'd like neither, please.

strangecargo — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:59:16 -0800

(Electronics|Stereo)filter: What is causing this infuriating noise in my preamp and how do I fix it? Links to sound files and long list of symptoms in extended. I have this preamp and ever since moving to my current apartment in San Francisco, it generates a really loud noise that sounds like a combination of 60 Hz hum and FM radio broadcasts. The noise is loudest when the volume knob is turned all the way down, but it doesn't go away when you turn the volume up. And this is what it sounds like when you go from zero gain to full gain and back. The noises don't sound that loud when played back on a computer, but that level of noise is pretty dang loud when sent to the input of a power amp.

The maybe pertinent facts (numbered because there are a lot of them):

1. I recorded the linked sound files by plugging in the output of the preamp into the line in of a MacBook Pro. No mixing or diddling with the file other than that.

2. You can clearly hear the station identifier for KOIT in the first sound file I linked. This is an FM station. What the heck? I was under the impression that FM was way too complicated for equipment to randomly pick up unless it was designed specifically to, you know, receive FM radio.

3. Changing the vacuum tubes inside the preamp doesn't change the nature of the noise.

4. I have other audio equipment (both solid-state and tubed) that doesn't make this sort of noise.

5. The noise is generated independent of what I have connected as an input or output (or if there's anything connected at all).

6. I can't seem to reproduce this noise outside of my apartment (friends' places, hifi shops, etc). Whenever I try, the preamp is noiseless and dead silent.

7. Physically moving the preamp around my apartment doesn't seem to change the noise either.

8. I live in an old apartment without grounding in most of the electrical sockets, but the noise doesn't change if I plug the preamp into a grounded outlet. I've checked that the grounded outlets in my apartment are indeed grounded with one of these devices.

9. I live sort of near Sutro Tower (but who in SF doesn't?). Wikipedia tells me that KOIT broadcasts from Sutro Tower. I also live right next to the N Judah MUNI line. Sometimes my lights dim when it goes by. I suspect the power is probably kind of dirty.

10. Using a different power cable doesn't do anything.

11. For what it's worth, here's a look at the circuitry inside the preamp.

I've been investigating this problem on and off for the last year or so and I still haven't figured out what's causing the problem. Do any electrical engineer types have an suggestions for further testing or solutions to this problem? I have a digital multimeter and oscilloscope at my disposal for the collection of further data.

I'm quite attached to this preamp (more so when it isn't making this noise), so please don't tell me to replace it.

Manual for obsolete test equipment wanted.

kc8nod — Thu, 29 May 2008 08:20:28 -0800

I need a manual for a Panasonic VP-8121B AM-FM Stereo Signal Generator. This is an obsolete piece of test equipment that Panasonic doesn't support anymore. Apparently, they're out of the test equipment business altogether.
There are a few used equipment dealers like http://www.testequipmenthq.com/ and http://www.alternativetest.co.uk/ who will sell me a (like) new unit, but won't sell me just the manual.
I have also tried:

http://www.manualsplus.com/

http://www.ebaman.com/

http://bama.sbc.edu/

http://www.consolidatedsurplus.com/

I would hate to have to replace this thing only for the lack of a manual. Help!

Podcasts in het Nederlands/Dutch Podcasts

ponystyle — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:38:07 -0800

Welke Nederlandse podcasts kun je me aanbevelen? Ben op zoek naar nederlandse podcasts van hetzelfde caliber als mijn favoriete engelstalige podcasts, zoals:

In Our Time
All in the Mind
This American Life
Radiolab
Start the Week
Thinking Allowed
Street Stories

Maar omdat ik al jaren niet meer in NL woon, ben ik niet op de hoogte van wat de nederlandse radio tegenwoordig te bieden heeft (ik heb overigens nog wel mooi Het Bureau mee weten te pikken).

[Translation: Looking for podcasts in Dutch similar to the english-spoken ones I love]

Looking for a "YouTube for Audio"

jurczyk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:43:16 -0800

I'm looking for the audio equivalent of YouTube. That is, where can I post and share radio interviews at no cost? I'm working for a local political candidate who has recorded a lot of radio interviews, but the space on our web site is limited. Plus I want the material to be searchable and available to the general public.

What other hardware do I need when my stereo is XM Ready?

jackypaper — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:47:36 -0800

Car Audio Filter: If I have a Pioneer deck that is "XM ready," what other hardware do I need when subscribing to XM Radio? The more basic, the better. And will I need a professional to connect this stuff to my existing deck? Thanks!

Breaker! Breaker!

Drexen — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:50:19 -0800

I want recordings of people communicating over the radio, especially in a military or astronautical context. Gimme. I'm not looking for radio-show broadcasts. Recordings of police dispatchers, military transmissions (especially in the field), transmissions to and from spaceships, or ocean-going ships, airplanes... things like that, are all good. Heavy noise/distortion, jargon, and a sense of urgency (or emergency) are a bonus.

Ideally these would be available for free over the net, but I'd be interested in other options too. LiveATC is quite well-suited, but I need more! I'm looking for them partly out of curiosity/fascination, and partly to sample for music.

Home Audio 101

10ch — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:49:09 -0800

What components do I need to buy to have a solid stereo system for my home? I know nothing about home audio and I want to buy a quality turntable for playing records (including 78s) as a gift for my one and only.

I took a look at other mefi questions about turntables and found some good resources, but I quickly realized that there's a lot of vocabulary and hip-bone-connected-to-the-assumptions going on that leave me clueless. I need someone that isn't trying to sell me something to help me figure out what I need.

Fer'instance... am I better going with separate parts (and if so, what are those parts specifically) or with a "home system" (I want to avoid crappy parts just to get the 78 feature, for example).

Here are the things I'd like the system to do, in priority:

- Cost around $500
- Sound good
- Play records (78s, 33s and 45s)
- Play cds
- Play cassettes
- Play FM/AM radio
- BONUS, BUT NOT REQUIRED: Record across the above (ideally on CD)
- BONUS, BUT NOT REQUIRED: Be aesthetically pleasing

Speak jargon as long as you provide clarification (parenthetically). Links and specific make/model recommendations are appreciated. I'll be happy to converse in thread if I'm leaving details out. Thanks for your help.

calling up the internet

parmanparman — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:02:26 -0800

Has anyone had any success doing radio-quality interviews with Skype or Vonage? Has anyone been really successful in getting broadcast-quality audio from an internet phone service like Skype or Vonage? And if so, how did you capture the audio, and in what form?

For the last three weeks, I have been increasingly frustrated trying to use the expensive JK Audio Broadcast Host that my office gave to me to do phone interviews. I am at the end of my rope in getting a phone line to work with the little box and am out of options, as we are now facing a shortened timeframe for program delivery each week.

For technical note: I am broadcasting on AM radio and my broadcast delivery medium is 44.1 16bit mono wave.

How do I shot dsp

cellphone — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 07:57:50 -0800

Does anyone know a good linux/freebsd dsp plugin besides the sc_trans one from nullsoft? It does what I need, which is take a list of mp3s and shuffle them, but it won't play nice with id3 tags. I just need a commandline dsp plugin that'll shuffle a bunch of mp3s and send the title (based on id3) to the shoutcast daemon. Any ideas? The point of all this is to get around needing to have a real copy of winamp streaming crap to shoutcast all the time. Thank you in advance!

Help me find a clear frequency for my Ipod.

rongorongo — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:23:35 -0800

I hook my Ipod to my car stereo using an FM transmitter. Before setting out I'd like to choose a frequency that's not going to compete with local radio stations en-route. Is there a simple list of frequencies likely to be safe from interference? Alternatively has anybody done yet built some kind mash-up website that would give me a frequency for a given journey? I am in the UK but would be interested if this has been done anywhere. This existing thread is related but does not cover the issue of frequency choice.

Shows similar to This American Life?

Tlogmer — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:20:00 -0800

Listening to This American Life (and motown) keeps me sane at my data entry job. Are there any other podcasts similar to TMI?

Radio Arcade?

joe_from_accounting — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:01:15 -0800

Audio Drama Filter: Radio Arcade? I'm looking for info and/or a recording of a four part audio drama dating from about 1989 entitled "Radio Arcade." I remember listening to it on local public radio in Minnesota when I was a teen and really enjoying it, but I can't find any info about the drama's production (other than it was produced by "E Radio Theater") or where one might find a copy of it on The Internet(s). Any ideas/info?

How to record a radio program with a MacBook Pro?

Dasein — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 08:59:21 -0800

How do I record a radio program from my tuner to an audio file on my MacBook Pro? (Free copy of Wagner's Ring Cycle to anyone who can help me.) Starting next week, CBC is broadcasting live the COC production of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle. I would like to record the performances from the radio.

I have on older (but perfectly functional) radio tuner that uses RCA outputs to connect to my amplifier. My amplifier has a 1/4 inch headphone jack, if that is relevant. I also have a MacBook Pro (1.86 GHz). What connectors and (free or cheap) software do I need to record from the radio to (ultimately) MP3 format?

While I have faith in the selflessness of AskMe, I would be happy to mail a CD with the end product to anyone who can help me make this happen.

Make it stop!

squirrel — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:42:31 -0800

Why is my Mac G5 picking up radio signals? My dual-2ghz G5 (running OS X 10.4.7, FWIW) seems to be sending an unintended audio signal to my amplifier through the built-in soundcard.

I run a standard Monster stereo-miniplug-to-RCA line from the back of my G5 to a Sansui 331 receiver. I started noticing little audio artifacts in between tracks when the receiver is turned up, so I cut the iTunes and cranked the Sansui's volume to max and could plainly hear a Christian radio broadcast.

At first I thought it was bleed-over from my Sansui's radio, but 1) the dial is tuned to NPR, and 2) when I mute the G5 via the keyboard mute button, the radio sound disappears. Strangely, when I lower the G5's volume all the way instead of muting it, (with iTunes, etc not playing) the radio audio doesn't change. So, only toggling the G5's mute on and off makes the radio appear and diappear.

Also, moving the Monster minipug line from port on the back of the computer to the headphone jack on the front makes the radio audio disappear.

So, in summary, I have isolated the source of the radio sound to only the stereo-mini out port on the back of the G5, and I can control it's appearance with the mute button, but on the sound volume buttons.

Has anyone here experienced or heard of this phenomenon? I'm looking for fixes (I have a work-around) but I'm also looking for insight.

Here are the details on the two built-in soundcards. I'm not sure which controls what exactly:

Built In Sound Card:

Devices:
Burr Brown PCM3052:
Inputs and Outputs:
Line Level Input:
Controls: Mute, Master
Playthrough: No
PluginID: Onyx
S/PDIF Digital Output:
Controls: Mute
PluginID: Onyx
Headphones:
Controls: Mute, Left, Right
PluginID: Onyx
Internal Speakers:
Controls: Mute, Master
PluginID: Onyx
Line Level Output:
Controls: Mute, Left, Right
PluginID: Onyx
Formats:
PCM 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
PCM 24:
Bit Depth: 24
Bit Width: 32
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
AC3 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: No
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz

Built In Sound Card:

Devices:
Crystal Semiconductor CS84xx:
Inputs and Outputs:
S/PDIF Digital Input:
Controls: Mute
Playthrough: No
PluginID: Topaz
Formats:
PCM 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
PCM 24:
Bit Depth: 24
Bit Width: 32
Channels: 2
Mixable: Yes
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz
AC3 16:
Bit Depth: 16
Bit Width: 16
Channels: 2
Mixable: No
Sample Rates: 32 KHz, 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 64 KHz, 88.2 KHz, 96 KHz

What should I listen to?

serazin — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:48:31 -0800

I spend most of my work day listening to interview and essay type radio shows on the internet. My favorite, of course, is This American Life. I also love Fresh Air . I've checked out Radio 4 a little, and sometimes I listen to Democracy Now and even more rarely Air America. Keeping in mind what I already like, what else would you recommend I listen to? (It's probably obvious that I have lefty politics and I love moving or creative storytelling. I hate call in shows)

Also, any specific show recommendations on the BBC or Air America are welcome.

Where in Northern Virginia should I go for a new car radio?

callmejay — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 07:54:42 -0800

Where in Northern Virginia should I go for a new, installed car radio? My old one's broken. I don't want anything fancy, just something with either a tape deck or an aux in for my ipod. I assume that having the guys at Best Buy do it is a little risky, but I don't want to pay a ton of money, either. Ideas?

best mini or micro tuner?

flummox — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:35:42 -0800

What are the best mini or micro radio tuners? The PAL radio by Henry Kloss is good, but to big. Some thing that can be carried on ones person would be good.

I miss my AM radio.

verytres — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:07:14 -0800

I miss my AM radio. Help me find a unit that actually receives it. I love my NPR. Really, I do. I just miss the more eccentric side that AM radio offers.
Sadly, though, my medium-priced stereo doesn't pick up a single AM station, hardly even AM static, and the stations I want don't offer webcast (though that wouldn't really help me...I want bedside availability.)
Difficulty-- Downtown Baltimore, with three hospitals within a mile or so, semi-skyscrapers all around, and a Supermax prison, too, if that matters (No, really, this is a nice neighborhood! )
So do I simply buy another clock radio, or do I buy shortwave (I know nothing about this; forgive if I sound noob ) or some sort of AM specific expensive thing GoogleAds push?
Jeez, finding free wifi is easier.

File transfer help

dcinrhode — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 00:57:11 -0800

I need an efficient and lost cost way to allow my clients to download audio files I have created. I do radio production. 1-4 MB files not unusual. Suggestions?