1. So what are some of the reasons other than stoping the F* word from going over the air is a delay used in broadcasting? 2. How is it technically accomplished?
The only reason I know of for having the 7-second delay on talk shows is to prevent unwanted language from reaching the air.
And I say "7-second delay" because that's the way its always described... that must be a reasonable length of time for the board operator to react and cut the audio, yet close enouh to real-time to be almost live.
Originally it was done by a loop of magnetic tape that kept recording over itself, reaching a playback head 7-seconds later, then going back to the erase head.
Now I guess there are digital audio devices that delay audio by the required amount, maybe even software so a computer can do it...
It'll be interesting to hear how it's done.
Its done with a digital hardware box. There is no other reason for audio delay unless the station is using DSP processing, digital stl, or HD Radio.
The delay was done by using a reel to reel tape deck with the audio play back head that was situated in a position that the recorded audio reached it with a slight delay.
The original first head was the tape erase head, then the record head, then the play back head.
The tape was not a continuous loop type, but a reel to reel type tape, the recorded show could be played back at a later time, archived or the tape reused for another show.
A brief press of a button cut the audio feed until it was released again to block profanity or other unwanted comments.
A continous loop tape would have worn out quite quickly if you think about it.
Bruce.
Unairable comments....racizm, naming something that can't be named(lawsuits)
Other unairable opinions that are against rules for on air conduct.
Mark
A couple of other reasons beyond "keeping it clean" come to mind. One is that signals sent via satellite have a delay as the pearls of wisdom on radio travel 23000 miles up and back. This is only noticable with two way conversations.
Another is managing modulation. It is much better to delay the audio and set the levels according to the peaks than to try to do so in real time. By the time the hardware has recognized an overmodulating peak it is too late...the best that can be done is to lower the gain so successive peaks don't cause trouble. If the audio is delayed the hardware can lower the gain before the offending peak(s) enter the transmitter.
Neil
There are more offending peaks under the new administration.
I hope the 7-second delay can prevent nuclear peaks.
You want a "broadcast profanity delay" box.. Keep an eye on ebay http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xprofanity+delay.TRS0&_nkw=profanity+delay&_sacat=0 , sometimes they just call them "broadcast delay", but be sure to look into it closely because some broadcast delays actually serve a different function altogether and would be of no use for what you want.
I don't see any inexpensive ones one ebay right now, but they do turn up.. I was able to pick up a mono Eventide BD941 unit that providess a six second delay for about $130 about five years (maybe longer) ago. I haven't ever actually used it on the air, but I did test it out numerous times and it works like it supposed too.
http://end80radio.com/equipment/images/eventide-delay.jp g" alt="" />
There is also a software drlay that does basically the same thing called called "ARSE" http://www.profanitydelay.com/index_inside.html but the pricing is insane in my opinion
Oh.. Here's one that just popped into my mind.. I had to search it out. I recall downloading it about 10 years ago, but not sure if I ever got around to actually trying it out.. It was actually created to delay sports game on the radio so you could sinc it to your tv veiwing of the game (I don't actually get it), but it appears to me it might be able to be utilized to serve the purpose as a profanity delay.. At least that's the impression I get.. You have to look into it and experiment yourself. It's called Radio Delay and it's free software
Free download:
http://www.daansystems.com/radiodelay/
---EDIT... I see on the linked tutorial page it suggest using a Roku 4 device as an easier method.. but I don't think that idea will be any good as a profanity delay, but if you scroll down the page it then shows you the "old method" using the software above.
Let us know how it works out for you
I use the freeware described at our LPFM.
The delay is adjustable from .1 to 30 seconds.
It simply mutes audio for the set time.
how you going about it?.. I'm assuming by utilizing virtual audio cables?.. Not sure if you already have, but a tutorial spelled out in the ALPB would be cool...
My thoughts have a delay that varies from minutes to days, and I notice some other people think faster than I do.
I hear eating tree bark can be beneficial, but I also heard some trees are toxic.
Alex Jones has Brain Force Plus formula capsules but that didn't help him win his custody battle, so I'm hesitant to try it.
In general part 15 hobbyists have very healthy minds and think quite a bit, but I'm not sure where I heard that.
Probably to sync things so that you can watch TV but listen to the radio broadcast of the same game rather than the TV announcers. Historically the radio guys do a much better job of explaining things and offer more trivia and insight than TV guys, who know you are watching as well so they don't need to say as much.
However, the radio broadcast usually leads the telecast by quite a bit. I assume it's because things on TV get delayed further going through cable TV systems and all the digital rigamarole involved. Keep in mind, I'm NOT a sports fan in any way. Could care less. But on Sunday afternoons during the season I wind up seeing the last 10-15 minutes of a Vikings football game, as when the game ends I record part of the post game show to get audio that we use in the morning in the sportscast (at my work station, not my Part 15 LOL). So we usually flip on the TV downstairs so I know when the game is ending and I go up to the studio to start the recorder. So, long story short if I'm in the studio listening on the radio and someone, say, makes a touchdown, I can come downstairs and tell my wife "Hey, that guys gonna make a touchdown on this play" and he does! That's because I heard it on the RADIO 30-45 seconds BEFORE it happened on the TV! You could really freak people out with a small in ear monitor running to a radio in your pocket and tell everyone watching the game in the bar what's gonna happen!
Bottom line -- if you're hearing it on the radio you're hearing it sooner than the TV watchers. So, you'd have to delay the radio broadcast or your brain might explode.
Another reason people do this is when they're watching an away game and they'd rather hear their own team's announcing staff call the game than the network guys.
TIB
I've only had delay on the air in two instances in 44 years of broadcasting.
On purpose tape delay simply to create live tape echo when I was doing the "Record Dungeon" program for Halloween (I've made that show available here via download). I actually did that show live on the air,and ran the board output into a Magnecorder reel to reel deck, then fed the reel back into the board through another channel. The distance between the record and play heads in the machine created the echo which I could control by how much of the tape feed I mixed back in through the board. You can actually listen if you like, as the show is still uploaded. This was done 100% live on the air 26 years ago! And that is live tape echo mixed as I talked on the air. The show is at:
http://www.ironrangecountry.com/recorddungeon.mp3
The only other delay I've ever dealt with is also at work, live. Our audio runs to the transmmitter, about 4 miles, on a live, balanced, equalized, amplified phone line, analog. It has for 50+ years. We HAD a CRL audio processing system installed. About 3 years ago I installed a new digital, fancy pants Optimod. This processor takes a bit of time for the a audio to come in, get processed, and go on to the transmitter. It's only a fraction of a second. BUT, with the old processor it was not an issue to listen live off the air in the headphones while you were talking on the air. With the delay in the new processor you go insane if you listen off the air in hour headsets as the delay creates an echo effect between hearing yourself speaking in your own head, and hearing yourself come back into your head phones a fraction of a second later! It's crazy!
Even though I take live callers on my show every morning (and have for decades) I've never used any sort of caller delay. I don't do a talk show, but take a lot of callers for prize giveaways, interviews, and lots of other spontaneous stuff. Maybe it's just because of "Minnesota Nice" as we call it, or maybe it's because everybody knows everybody and they'd take a lot of guff from everyone in town LOL.
TIB
Even though I take live callers on my show every morning (and have for decades) I've never used any sort of caller delay. I don't do a talk show, but take a lot of callers for prize giveaways, interviews, and lots of other spontaneous stuff.
Well, my little town is very much a bar town.. there must be at least 30 bars in a two mile area (a dozen of them within a two block area of where I sit) and people walk the sidewalks with drinks on hand all day and night.. so if I ever do get around to having live callers on the air, then I'll feel a lot more secure about not having objectional language on the airwaves.
That's why I kept an eye on ebay until one came up for sale that was budget priced