[WillStG]

On Aug 7, 10:41*pm, Murray wrote:
Hi Guys,
I have become involved in Community Radio as a Technical Operator. The
training is a bit sparse (very sparse). *There's a lot of live reading
of Newspapers etc, interspersed with sponsor promos etc and it's main
purpose is to support print handicapped people.

So my questions a

What makes a good mix?

From the operator's perspective, a mix that is intelligible with
the TV or Radio set at low listening levels, that isn't harsh, ugly or
overly ambient, and that has levels constant enough to not disappear
into the noise floor (in a car or someone's living room) or to
suddenly jump out and startle the listener. How to accomplish this is
another question. Overall, I use the Opening and closing music as a
guide for where everything else in the mix should be, and match the
Billboards and the Talents' mics to that level.

Yyou can't get a good mix just moving the faders to zero, you'll
have to listen. In TV we actually have EQ's, and they let us use
compressors. limiters, etc. As I understand it, this is not
universally true in radio. But there are EQ curve settings built into
some microphones like EV RE20's. If you were doing TV, having audio
video timing match would also be an issue.

Be prepared, quickly monitor sources prefade so you know how loud
they are going to be and that the caller is still there (I prefer
mixers with a pull down prefade listen function), hit your cues
promptly, and most importantly never upcut a commercial. If you
occasionally upcut a studio mic because there is no way you could have
known to open a mic, that they may forgive. But upcut a commercial
and Sales likely has to make good on the whole thing, and in some
markets the advertiser is paying a whole lot more for one commercial
than they are paying an audio Op. I'll cheat a commercial or a
Billboard Cart, track it a bit before the Director calls it, because
even if a Director calls it late you'll take heat if you blow a
commercial.

Good luck.

Will Miho
NY TV/Audio Post/Music/Live Sound Guy
"The large prinnt giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits



What could I learn (heaps) and where can I get some guidelines to what
other use as goals for program quality etc to AIR.

I already know -
1 Avoid Dead Air
2 Plan Ahead
3 Adequate levels - and avoid clipping.
3. Pre cue everything and always have something as backup to go to
air.
4. Monitor, monitor, monitor.

But I am more on what I can do as far as mixing, background music,
intro's and Outro handling to make it sound as though I know what I am
doing.

(BTW I do have a background in audio systems from an Air traffic
control environment; but lack insight into professional and broadcast
techniques and equipment).

Any thoughts appreciated.
Murray