Carl Blare

In these modern times, a radio station residing on a computer has got to more-or-less re-invent or re-discover the audio science from the past, for maximizing the quality of AM, FM or streaming.

In these modern times, a radio station residing on a computer has got to more-or-less re-invent or re-discover the audio science from the past, for maximizing the quality of AM, FM or streaming.

That sounds like the opening for a book, and I only meant to write a paragraph, regarding the fact that today I changed the bit-rate and sampling rate of my streaming station.

Some good blogs are written all the time about stereo AM and mono FM and the component devices like Innovonics 222, and this goes to the diversity of methods for achieving good sound.

Here in the KDX toolshed it’s all very simple. We do mono because the human voice is monaural, and we are mostly talk. But the music we have is important so it pays to enhance the quality.

When I say “enhance,” I’m not talking about torture, and I hope our programming doesn’t torture anyone.

For awhile we’ve been set for 24-kbps 22.05kHz, and that’s not bad. But I did some sampling to learn what big radio stations do with their streams.

KCAA 24 22
WKXW 32 22
WICC 50 44
WTMJ VBR 44
WARP 32 22
WJOL VBR 44
WJOB 24 22

VBR stands for “Variable Bit Rate”, and I like the way that sounds, but I don’t think my SAM Encoder Plugin can do VBR. It does CBR, “Constant Bit Rate.”

All in all, I liked the way 32-kbps 22kHz sounded, so that’s what I’m using now.

It seems smoother. Silkier. Just a tad more “present.”

Oh, and a very important chunk of the recipe is Hans van Zutphen’s Stereo Tool Plugin, an exceptionally professional toe-to-toe head-to-head match for Innovonics or any other processor.

What say you?