april 1998 an intertec /primedia publication ...computer integration within a facility makes sense....

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FEATURES

32 Sessions, trends and views of NAB98by Chriss Scherer and Skip PizziThe NAB sessions are always a source of goodconversation.

46 Architectural acoustics: A primer for radioby Richard SchragAcoustic design elements are important in studiodesign and function.

DEPARTMENTS6 Editorial

by skip PizziLiterary lessons for tomorrow's questions.

8 Viewpointhi Chriss SchererLet's get real.

10 Contract Engineeringby Kevin McNamaraComputer integration within a facility makes sense.

16 Managing Technologyby Skip PizziA lesson in coping with Moore's law.

20 RF Engineeringby John BattisonGet the most life out of your tubes.

24 Next Waveby ariss SchererAn update on DAB in the U.S.

30 FCC Updateby Harry MailbzThe FCC considers a microradio proposal.

59 BE Radio.com60 New Products66 News68 Reader Feedback70 Business/People78 Preview78 Classifieds80 The Last Byte

by Skip l'izzzSerial buses, part 2: USB

April 1998Volume 4, Number 4

ON THE COVER: The technology presented at the NAB98 sessions can be thought provoking and provide fodder forconversations off the show floor. Cover design by Michael J. Knust.

32

4 BE Radio April 1998

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The crystal and the flame

Ihad known the work of author Italo Calvin, but hadnot read his Six Memos for the Next Millennium(Harvard University Press, 1988) until it was given to

me recently by a colleague. She recom-mended it on two counts - for its intendedpurpose as a commentary on literature, butalso as an unexpected guide to approaching new media.

With that curious endorsement, I launchedinto the short book,and soon understood. Six Mem-os... is a collection of essays orig-inally intended as lectures for theCharles Eliot Norton series atHarvard University. Each lecturedeals with a specific element thatCalvino finds critical to literaryexpression, but it also providesgood advice for professionals inany field of communications.

The essays are each titled by asingle word, and a listing of them

creates a mantra for excellence in today's telecommuni-cations environment: Lightness, Quickness, Exactitude,Visibility, Multiplicity and Consistency.Some illumination on Calvino's intent drives the essays

home: In Lightness he refers to the attribute of nimblenessor "unheaviness," by which he recommends divestingoneself of unnecessary inertia and encumbrances. Theclose corollary of Quickness adds agility and strength.This provides the speed and reflexive motion necessaryto adapt to today's fast -changing media milieu. Exact'tude tempers the pure speed with requisite accuracy.

Visibility is more aptly titled "visualization" in todaycontext. It is commonplace terminology for seeing some-thing real in one's mind as a precursor to making ithappen, and Calvino recommended it long before TV adsor bumper stickers did.

Multiplicityconcerns the ability to be comfortable in twoor more distinct environments simultaneously -a formof mental multitasking that is valuable to broadcasterstoday as they contemplate coexistence in multiple mediamarketplaces (e.g., on -air and on-line).

Consistency is self-explanatory. Doing something wellon an ongoing basis is essential to success. But we are left

to guess how Calvino would connote the term, for this lastlecture was never written. On the eve of his departurefr( )11 tt.11y for Cambridge to begin the lecture series,

Calvino died sud-denly. The lectureswere never pre-sented, and theironly legacy is thisposthumously pub-lished book.

Such brutal condensation of his work, and its appropri-ation to another science are an affront to the mastery ofthe original lectures, so I recommend Six Memos. . . to youin its entirety, as my friend did to me. Here's an exampleof what you'll encounter:

In Exactitude, Calvino contrasts the ultimate structureand slow, controlled growth of the crystal with the wildvariation and rapid consumption of the flame. He pre-sents them as two opposing models of development andchange. Each expends the matter surrounding it to createvastly different products of "perfect beauty."

Provocative notions come quickly when reading such arich text, empowering new and unconventional thinking.A little aesthetic recharge is good for the technology-

ridden soul now and then. In this case, some valuablelessons are included.

e answeiTyou get from literature-Am

depend upon the questions you pose."

- Margaret Atwood

Skip Pizzi, editor -in -chief

DERESPONSEE-mail: [email protected]

FAXback: 913/967-1905


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Real radio

jiust for a moment, let's think about radio broadcast-ing. Every day we're surrounded with ideas andissues that affect our jobs and lives. When you go

through the day and phrases like consolidation, DAB, theInternet, computer network and time management popup, it's easy to lose sight of what you're doing.

Most radio engineers don't get into broadcasting be-cause they want to get rich. Most don't get into it for fame.All the radio engineers I know, myself included, becameradio engineers because they enjoy the challenge of the

job. For the most part, this chal-lenge has always been an audiopath (from microphone to on -airprocessing) and an RF path (STLand transmitter). The stuff thatreal radio is made of.

I remember working on an AMtransmitter with a three -towerdirectional array one weekendwith three other people. Two ofthem were co-workers, the otherwas a friend from another station(who was there voluntarily be-

cause of his passion for radio). We were taking theweekend to clean and tune-up the main transmitter. It wasnot an emergency situation, and we had a rare opportu-nity to go through the system with a fine-toothed comb,get the dust and bugs out, and investigate some of the littleproblems the station was having.

As the work progressed, we got deeper and deeper intothe machinery. What started out on Friday night as aplanned three-hour outage became a thorough investiga-tion and repair project that continured on to Saturday andSunday nights. We split the team up and one groupworked on the transmitter while the other group went outto the ATU doghouses and cleaned out five years of dirt,dust, insects and all the other fun things that showed upwhen the previous owner had neglected the site.

We worked through the next two nights and put it allback together for an early morning sign -on the next day.When early Monday morning rolled around and we hadfinished the final adjustments on the phasor, we steppedback and admired our work. All the readings were exactlywhere they were supposed to be. The transmitter sound-ed better than ever. We had our little pile of defectivecomponents that were going to be a show -and -tell for the

general manager later (before being used as a referencefor a replacement spare parts order). We were all dirtyfrom climbing in, out and around the transmitter anddoghouses. There were a few minor scrapes on our handsand knees from the acrobatics. Another of my co-workers(and also a good friend) looked at us and our accomplish-ment and remarked, "This is radio. This is real radio." Weall smiled and agreed.

Everything we used was analog test equipment. Rags,now blackened from dirt, filled the trash can. Thesoldering iron was still smoldering. There was no digitalhere. There was no computer control. We did not have toestablish a protocol or load a driver. It was real radio.The job of the radio broadcast engineer changes every

day. The responsibilities of a chief engineer today com-pared to those of five, 10 or 20 years ago have obviouslychanged - in technology and staff.

The challenge of our jobs changes every day, and wemust change to keep up with it. There are still some basicelements that remain constant: the tools we use every day.Electronic fundamentals and troubleshooting proceduresare the same today as when they were invented.

The opening session at the Broadcast EngineeringConference - Radio Boot Camp - brought many ofthese ideas to mind. Working on transmitters and basicaudio concepts are areas that are always a part of the joband always will be. Many of us wonder where the nextgeneration of radio engineers will come from. Whoeverit is, they will start from the same basic building blocks wedid and move up to the complex structures and digitalprotocols that are shaping radio for tomorrow.

Chriss Scherer, editor

IESPONSEE-mail: [email protected]

FAXback: 913/967-1905


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Engineering

Computer integration, part 1By Kevin McNamara, CNE

Consolidation in this industry is finally solidifyingand the realization that advertising revenues do notnecessarily increase proportionally with the num-

ber of stations owned is sinking in. Station owners arenow looking for solutions to increase efficiency andreduce the cost of operating these "clusters." The price toimplement technological solutions has come down to apoint where the return on investment in many cases canbe measured within months.

Consider that an engineer can assemble a PC with a"pro" quality audio card and the appropriate software tocreate a fully functional,eight -track digital audioworkstation for less mon-ey than the cost of a pro-fessional two -track quar-ter -inch reel-to-reel tapemachine. Does it makesense to build (or rebuild)a facility based on analogtechnology? Probablynot. Chances are that youhave already integratedcomputer technologyinto your facility. If youare planning to rebuild,or even thinking aboutit, keep reading for somebasic information onhow to integrate com-puter technology.

Generally speaking, the amount of money allocatedfor technical projects is usually only sufficient to coverspecific items (i.e. a new digital audio storage system,or a new processor). This has the net effect of creatingpiecemeal technology deployment throughout yourfacility. The more important issue is that the infrastruc-ture used to connect these items tends to be builtaround those devices. In the analog world, that infra-structure probably consists of one or more runs of ashielded twisted -pair cable.

However, in the digital domain, you have a lot more tothink about - standards, data speed, data protocols,transmission media, etc. Manufacturers using proprietarydata communications and file format standards can fur-

ther aggravate this problem. There is a lot to think about,but the good news is that a properly designed datacommunications infrastructure will most likely enduremany of these problems now and in the future.

Establishing needsmei) bad. t I oni utu day-to-day routine and take a close

look at how your total facility functions. Analyze howinformation flows to and from each department; thenconsider the type of information. Next, answer someessential questions:

Consolidating the traffic and music scheduling systems can cutdown on time and paper. Here, a bridge has been establishedbetween an AS -400 and Novell/Win95 network.

Is a PC generally re-quired to create the in-formation? Who uses it?Who needs it? How is itdispersed (i.e. written,disk, network, e-mail)?

Does any employeeneed shared resources(i.e. printers, modems)?How PC literate is theemployee?

Is a computer -basednetwork in place? Is thenetwork available at allnecessary desk positions?

What software is inplace? Is the softwarestandardized throughoutthe facility? Are versionscurrent?

What hardware is in place? Is it adequate for theapplication?

Will outside access be required (i.e. Internet, e-mail,fax or remote dial -in)?

How "mission critical" is this information (i.e. traffic,accounting or on -air storage/playback)?

Will information be routinely shared with a corporateoffice or other stations (i.e. e-mail, financial data, audio/video, telephone)?

Once this exercise has been completed, you should havean excellent idea of your present situation. Then you cancreate a needs analysis that will form the basis of yourcomputer integration plans. Assuming you have the ap-provals to implement your plan, let's plan the system.


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Contract EngineeringThe infrastructure

Although most stations have at least some PC -basednetwork in place, let's assume you are designing/rebuildinga facility that has only minimal PC -based resources avail-able. The first step is to design a network infrastructure. Theinfrastructure is fundamentally defined by your choice ofnetworking protocols; however, in "real world" terms, theinfrastructure determines the type of physical hardware andcabling you will ultimately need to purchase, install andconfigure. The type of data and the speed at which it passesthrough your network will ultimately determine this choice.

Network operating systemsYou will need to determine the network operating

system(s) necessary to operate the applications. There aretwo types of networks: peer -to -peer and dedicated serv-er. Peer -to -peer networks consist of two or more comput-ers connected together over a network. In a properlyconfigured peer -to -peer, each computer will be able toshare the files and resources of another computer that isalso connected to the network. Dedicated server typenetworks use one or more computers dedicated to handlingspecific tasks, like hosting the network operating system,storing files or communicating with other resources.

Operating systems like as Lantastic, Windows for Work -

groups and Windows 95 can be configured to operate aspeer -to -peer networks. As peer -to -peer networks are

easy to manage, relatively low in cost, or already includedin your existing operating system, you should considerthem for workgroups of about six users or less. Dedicatedserver network operating systems are more expensive,typically priced by the total users needing to access thenetwork at once. Dedicated systems offer increasedspeed, flexibility, redundancy and - perhaps mostimportantly - security. Novell and Windows NT serversare the two most popular dedicated network operatingsystems. Your choice in some cases will be determined byyour specific application (i.e. a digital audio storagesystem), though it is not unusual to use more than oneserver implementing different operating systems.

How many servers?Another important consideration in designing the net-

work is how you will deal with different departmentalneeds within the scope of your integration project. Ofcourse, one approach is using a single server on yournetwork. In most cases this will give you what is neededin terms of having the appropriate information availableto the various users in the facility. A better approach is toadd a file server for each key business function - traffic,business, programming, promotion and/or technical. Awell -designed multiple -server approach has some bene-fits. First, an essentially separate Ethernet network can beestablished for separate departments, eliminating poten-

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Contract Engineeringtial crashes that will take down theentire network. Second, an enhancedlevel of security can be attained bydenying total access to critical serverson the network. Third, data traffic onthe network "backbone" can be de-creased by routing only data that isintended for another server. This netsa huge increase in total networkthroughput, particularly important ifyour network carries streaming datathat can tie up network traffic.

Networking datacommunications primer

Data that is intended to be transmit-ted over a network is broken into"packets." These packets are pack-aged between several bytes of newdata called the header. The headercontains information about the rout-ing of each packet of data in order forit to be passed to the appropriatedestination. There are generally twotypes of network protocols, Ethernetand token -passing.

Ethernet networks are by far the

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How much speed\ ou NN III need to determine the

speed at which your network willoperate. While 10Mb/s was the pop-ular choice for Ethernet networks inthe past, standards now exist for100Mb/s. In fact, a new standardcalled Gigabit Ethernet is emergingthat will operate at one gigabit persecond. Chances are you won't bebuilding a Gigabit Ethernet network,but the effect of its introduction is thatthe price of 100Mb/s network hard-ware is falling.

Cabling issuesmosi cuncuti) designed Ethernet

networks operate over a cable madeup of four individually twisted pairwires. Also called category five orCAT 5 cable, these are tested andcertified to pass data at speeds of at

least 10Mb/s at distances of up to 328feet. There are new specificationscalled extended category five, whichallow data speeds beyond 100Mb/sup to Gigabit Ethernet. The pointhere is to purchase cabling that israted for as much data bandwidth aspossible. Token passing networks re-quire two signal paths: signal in andsignal out. For this reason, either aspecial coaxial cable using two innerconductors - called Twinax- or dualfiber optic media are used. In any case,you need to exercise care in deployingthe cables, as there are total lengthlimits for runs of cables that depend onthe network topology selected.

Next month, we'll expand on thesepoints and expand our efforts bydiscussing the options available forconnecting your facility to the outsideworld.

Kevin McNamara, CNE, BE Radio's con-sultant on computer technology. is presidentof Exegesis Technologies, a consulting firmin New Market. MD. He can be reached at(888) EXE-GESIS.

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Technology

Coping with Moore's LawBy Skip Pizzi, editor -in -chief

As radio's operations migrate to computer -basedsystems, one of management's greatest challengescomes from the relatively fast capital -equipment

replacement cycles common to the PC environment. Moore'sLaw tells us that CPUs double in capability about every 18months, and many leading -edge users replace or upgradetheir hardware after every one or two of these cycles.

Broadcast facilities are certainly not used to replacingany equipment with such frequency, so some compro-mises are clearly required. What follows are a few tips andtechniques for broadcasters in dealing with this dilemma.

Separating audio from administrationThe ultimate goal of a computer -based radio station is

complete integration of the administrative and the audiooperations on a common com-puter -based system. Buthardware replace-ment/upgrade cy-cles may not nec-essarily be in com-plete synchronyacross the busi-ness and produc-tion processes.There may be timeswhen administrativeplatforms require up-grades but audio opera-tions remain adequate, orvice versa.

High -quality audio oper-ations are far more CPU -intensive than most corporate operations. Keep thesereplacement -cycle distinctions in mind as you establishcapital equipment budgets.

Viewing the big pictureWhile capital purchases may happen at a greater -than-

traditional rate in the computer -based radio facility, theaverage cost of each item is less. In the past, a majorhardware upgrade for a production studio could easilyrun into the high five figures, but it was rarely performedmore than once or twice a decade.

So although hardware purchases will happen more

Communica

End -userIS costs

18% HardwareDevelopment& Software6% 11%

Figure 1. Total cost of operations (TCO) analysis for Windows -

based systems, as reported in a recent study. Note that only 11%of costs come from hardware and software purchases. (Source:Interpose. Inc.. and Microsoft Corp.)

frequently, the total capital dollarshypothetical decade (for a well -designed system) willprobably not differ substantially from past practice. Theprocessing power increase that comes from eachcomputer -based upgrade will likely be greater than withtraditional systems, as well, resulting in a higher "dB-per -dollar" ratio (the mythical term used by some engineers toimpute the performance value of a particular purchase).The distributed nature of work that computer -based

audio allows also factors into cost-effectiveness, bothpositively and negatively. More spaces can be productive,so "parallel" production can take place (as opposed to the"serial" queuing up for studio time in a single productionroom). But this may require more expensive environ-mental treatment in a greater number of rooms or a

larger overall area. These im-provements include qui-

eter air-conditioningand cleaner/morereliable powerthroughout the fa-cility. Neverthe-less, such infra-structure costs aregenerally one-

time expenses, andcan be amortized

over the long term.Another big -picture is-

sue involves maintenancecosts. Moving to comput-er -based operations prob-ably won't save you much

in maintenance staff costs. Your mileage may vary, but it'slikely that you'll probably just be trading expertise inaudio engineering for expertise in computer mainte-nance, so it will probably be a wash. (Ideally, you'll keepsome of each.) Unfortunately, Moore's Law does notapply to support personnel. If anything, the same supportlevels cos more rather than less over time. Goodcomputer support staff are highly prized, and hanging onto your best people can get rather expensive. The morethey know, the more valuable they become - to you andto everyone else looking for competent support staff. Likealmost everything else in broadcasting, human resources

spent across that

16 BE Radlo April 1998

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Managing Technologyare the most pivotal elements in any operation's success,and you get what you pay for.

One area where the change will have a positive impactis in your spare parts stock, however. Converting tocomputer operations should result in a significant netreduction for this line item.

Platform trickle -downAs your conversion progresses, you'll identify opera-

tional areas where higher -performance computer hard-ware is the most beneficial. These are the places wherethe best new computers should go first. Any olderhardware being replaced can then "trickle down" to thenext most needy area, and the computers replaced therecan in turn be ceded to the next most critical operation,and so on. Computers replaced at the bottom of thefood chain can be donated to a needy cause or soldon the used market.

This allows several (if not all) departments to benefitwhen only a few new high -end machines are purchased.Each affected group takes a step forward in computingpower even though the company only purchases newhardware for the most CPU -intensive applications.

Of course, there is a downside to this process. Everyworkstation receiving a new or trickled -down platformmust be reconfigured for its new use and user, incurringlabor costs and user downtime. This trauma is likely tocontinue to some extent for the first week or two after thenew platform is up and running, as well, which can cause a

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substantlii, ripple in productivity throughout the operation.The trickle -down process also implies that the only new

purchases made will be high -end products, which are stillrelatively expensive. But, if these platforms truly do maketheir way through the facility, you'll maximize value overthe life of the hardware.

Perhaps the toughest part of the trickle -down process isthe judgment required in deciding when it's time to makean upgrade, who inherits what down the line, and whenit's time to send an older item to the big legacy -LAN in thesky. Having some hard depreciation rules for computerequipment can help here, but again be careful not to forceadministrative computing rules on audio productionequipment.

CPU vs. peripheral processingAnother helpful strategy has been adopted by some

computer -based audio manufacturers. It offloads more ofthe audio -specific operations from the platform's CPU toperipheral hardware (i.e., plug-in cards supplied by thevendor). This can extend the platform's useful lifespanbecause it only needs to be fast enough to serve as aneffective host for the peripheral. The peripheral can beupgraded independently (replacing relatively inex-pensive hardware or firmware) while keeping thesame PC in place.

Eventually, however, the peripheral hardware willoutgrow its host computer (in terms of bus speed orinterface requirements, for example), so this probablywill only buy you one or two extra "Moore cycles."Of course, if taken to its logical extreme, this concept

may be self-defeating. The more you move away from thegeneral-purpose platform for your audio -specific opera-tions, the less economy of scale you gain from computer -

based operations, which was the original point (wasn'tit?). The pendulum could eventually swing to a placewhere computer -based vendors are selling the virtues of"dedicated audio hardware appliances." What a concept.

It's unlikely that this will occur, however, if onlybecause CPUs continue to excel at a fast enough rate.The fact that PCs are now chasing full -motion videooperation means that radio's need for audio -onlyprocesses should remain well within the capabilities ofnative hardware. New bus standards and relatedadvances will also help (see "The Last Byte," p. 80, and"The Last Byte," March, 1998).

The tip of the icebergFinally, remember that as much as computer users are

concerned with hardware replacement costs, most of theexpenses in computer operation come from other quar-ters (see Figure 1). Keeping the platforms current canactually reduce costs in the other more influential areasof support costs and user downtime.

It will take some getting used to by broadcasters, but thecomputer cost beast can be tamed. In the end, computer -

based broadcast operations are likely to become far morecost effective than traditional systems.

18


BE Radio April 1998

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Engineering

Tube lifeBy John Battison, P.E., technical editor, RF

It is amazing how many engineers are scared by theword "tube." In at least two cases where I was tryingto find an engineer, mention of the fact that the

transmitter contained tubes in the final was enough toelicit "no thanks" from people whom I considered to begood candidates. I'm sure that there are just as many oldtimers who are as dubious of specks of contaminated raremetals mounted on bits of plastic with strange names.

Modern power tubesFinal tubes can cost many thousands of dollars.

Some transmitters still use tubes costing around $90 for a250 -watt power tube. In thesedays of tight operating bud-gets, it behooves the chief tokeep his tube usage low andget every possible electronout of every tube.

Over the years, tube de-sign has improved andchanged in appearance.The tubes shown in Figure1 are simply seated firmlywith a downward force andcontact is made with fin-gerstock, or inserted andtwisted to make contact.Others have separate fila-ment leads emerging which are clampedment supply, like the 3CX10000H3.

Some of the trouble experienced is due to mechanicalfaults caused by careless tube insertion. Over time, thefingerstock becomes brittle, especially through heat devel-oped locally by dirty or faulty contacts. Before installing atube, be sure the socket is clear of debris. Bits of brokenfingerstock can not only result in intermittent contacts, butthey can also produce shorts in the socket itself, withsubsequent burning of the socket and burnt tube contacts.

Large areas of missing contact fingers can result ininstability, incorrect or unstable tuning, and early tubefailure. Most sockets of this type can be repaired. If asocket has more than about 20% stock missing, replace it.If there is a tension spring around the fingers, check to seeif it is in good condition and also replace it if necessary.

When replacing a tube, note if there are signs of burningor scorching anywhere, and act accordingly. Look at thescratch marks made by the socket contacts on the old

Figure 1. Good electricalcontact is important for get-ting the most lite from a tube. Pictured herearethe4CX15000A(left) and the 5CX1500B (right).

to the fila-

tube. One way to check for correct insertion is to insertthe new one firmly in place, then carefully take it out andlook at the scratches on the new tube rings. They shouldbe at about the same place as on the old tube.

Never write on ceramic tubes. Even placing tape onglass tubes for record keeping is not a good idea. Anyresidue on the tube body can cause problems with arcingor deterioration of the ceramic.

Tube gassing,ie manufacturers achieved today's reliability, it was

the practice to place spare tubes into service regularly toprevent shelf gassing. This is not necessary today. In

fact, it is frowned on by tubebuilders because it increasesthe risk of breaking the tubeor the socket.

An exception to this rule isglass envelope tubes. Theglass is not porous, but theKovar alloy that seals theglass and metal can allowvery slow gas leakage. Be-cause Kovar can rust, suchtubes should be kept insealed plastic bags and rotat-ed in the transmitter everytwelve months.

Although tubes rely on heat for proper operation, heatis also an enemy. Squirrel cage blowers can collect quitea lot of dirt on their blades. This will drastically reduce airflow and cause overheating. Cooling fins on tubes mustalso be checked for similar plugging up by insects and dirt.

Altitude should not be overlooked. Thinner air onmountain tops gives less cooling effect for the samevolume at sea level. It is a good idea to use a thermometerto check for operating temperatures that meet tubedesigner specs. Lower air dielectric values at altitude mayalso result in external arcing.

Placing into serviceAtter checking the tube for mechanical defects it is best

to make a VOM test for filament continuity and freedomfrom internal electrode shorts with the tube on its side todetect any electrode sag.

Initial and continued filament voltage has the greatesteffect on tube life. Don't rely on the transmitter manufac-

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RF Engineeringturer's metering. Verify the meter'saccuracy with a calibrated VOM con-nected directly to the actual tube termi-nals. Voltage drop in the filament leadsfrom the transformer is often greaterthan realized and transformer termi-nal voltages are not the same as tubefilament terminal voltages.

Filament voltagemanagement

After installing a new tube, run it atrated filament voltage for about 150hours. Be sure the transmitter is tunedto peak operation, and then adjustthe filament voltage for optimum life.

Slowly reduce the filament volt-age until you see a decrease inoutput, then raise the voltage veryslowly by one or two tenths of avolt until normal operation has re-sumed. You have discovered theemission limited voltage. By run -

mechanical and performance. Me-chanical includes catastrophic fail-ures in which tube elements short toeach other or to adjacent chassiscomponents. Occasionally an enve-lope will puncture, allow air to enter,and produce internal arcing or fila-ment bum -up.Sometimes intermittent internal

shorts occur when the grid or fila-ment warps and touches another el-ement due to heating. This type offault can clear and not show up on aVOM when the tube cools.

When output can't be obtained withnormal operating voltages and otherthings look normal, consider lowemission. This kind of fault is veryseldom sudden. It seems to happenslowly, then one day you fmd therejust isn't full power.

If raising filament voltage a fewtenths of a volt returns output to

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20- Minimum required \for Full Output

10-

0 I I I I I I I I I 1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Filament Operating Hours X 1,000

Figure 2. Filament voltage management can nearly double the life of a tube(Courtesy of Econco.)

ning slightly above this point, thelife of the tube may be increased upto 50% longer than a tube runningcontinuously at its rated voltage.Figure 2 shows the effect of precisevoltage control.

If a tube thus calibrated is removedfor any reason and then replaced, it isonly necessary to run at rated voltage toretune the transmitter; then go back toits original calibrated operating voltage.

ProblemsTube problems fall into two groups:

normal it is a sign that the emissionis beginning to fall off slowly. In-creasing voltage to rating or a fewtenths of a volt lighter can be donewhile new tubes are obtained. Thisis OK for a short time, but there isa risk of mesh or spiral filamentsshorting.

Several companies offer tube re-building services, and most duds canbe repaired. Some of the material inthis article can be found in Econco'shandbook, Tube Topics, available freefrom Econco.


22 BERadio April 1998

ystem TwoA New Standard

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Leading edge performance has been a definingfeature of Audio Precision products pnce theinception of our company in 1984. Thousands of ourSystem One audio analyzers are in use worldwide,selected by design engineers for high performanceand by test engineers for our comprehensive pro-grammable analog and digital audio measurementcapabilities.

Now our System Two true Dual Domain audio ana-lyzer joins the System One, setting a new standardfor performance and flexibility in audio frequencytest & measurement.

System Two is a true Dual Domain analyzer. Other testinstruments may have both analog and digital inputsand outputs .. but they're not true Dual Domain!They rely on performance -limiting converters to passanalog signals back and forth to a DSP core of digital -only hardware. Passing signals through a/d or d/aconverters for every measurement -obs the testinstrument of performance. System 1Wo includes

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Circle (18) on Free Into Card

Wave

DAB UpdateBy Chriss Scherer, editor

At NAB98 there was a lot of talk about the status ofdomestic and international DAB. As you mayalready know, most other countries are working

on or implementing DAB systems using the Eureka 147format in the L -band frequency range. Right across ournorthern border, DAB on -air broadcasts have begunfrom Toronto and are scheduled to be-gin soon in Montreal andVancouver.

In the U.S., there are twoareas of development: Sat-ellite delivered (S -band)and In -Band, On -Channel(IBOC).

Satellite development, com-monly referred to as SatelliteDigital Audio Radio Service (S-DARS) is moving ahead after theFCC auctioned two licenses lastApril. Both of the license award-ees (CD Radio and American Mo-bile Radio Corporation) have beenfairly quiet so far, but are on similartime schedules - at least within a fewmonths of each other. CD Radio beganconstructing three satellites last year -two for launch and one as a back-up. Thesatellites will be launched later this year -one in August and one in October. They willassume orbital positions at 80°W and 110°W.

Meanwhile, AMRC is "on target" for a com-plete system rollout in 2000. They too will belaunching two satellites soon. With two separate servicesavailable, the question of receiver hardware require-ments becomes a consideration. CD Radio and AMRChave held discussions over this issue and are makingefforts to have a single receiver capable of receivingeither system.

The IBOC storyBroadcasters in the U.S. showed an interest in creating

an IBOC system, thereby using existing spectrum insteadof finding a new frequency band in which to operate. Thiswould allow current licensees to retain their spectrumallocations and broadcast a digital signal. Another consid-

eration is the unavailability of L -band spectrum in the U.S.for Eureka systems.

After several proposals for new band or In -Band,Adjacent -Channel (IBAC) systems were tested, many oftheir proponents either abandoned their efforts or joined

together on the IBOC ideas.USA Digital Radio (USADR), thought of as a sort

of grand alliance for IBOC, is currentlyplanning lab tests of its AM and FMsystems and is talking about somefield tests in the Baltimore/Washing-ton D.C. area. Until recently, all theactive IBOC work was being done byUSADR, a joint effort of Westing-house Wireless, CBS, Gannett andLucent Technologies. USADR partic-ipated in the initial lab tests conduct-

ed by the NRSC, but those testswere conducted before the alli-

ance with Lucent Technologies.

The Digital Radio Express proto-type receiver board measuressix by eight inches.

A new IBOC voiceDigital Radio Express(DRE), a California -based company, hasentered the IBOC arenawith its own IBOC sys-tem proposal. WhileUSA Digital Radio hasbeen working on anIBOC system for mostof this decade, DRE has

been working behind closed doors for only about twoyears while determining if its system would be a viableone. Apparently, they feel it is.

In February of this year, DRE held a demonstration forthe NRSC DAB subcommittee to begin the process ofraising awareness of its system. Following these demon-strations, the DAB subcommittee was reactivated to takea further look at the IBOC systems.One of the design goals for the DRE system is that it be

integrated in physical size. The company didn't feel thata large system occupying several racks of equipment wasthe proper place to begin testing. By working on a systemthat is a practical size to begin with, the hope is that final


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development and production of hard-ware will be simpler and quicker ifthe system is adopted as a standard.The idea is to take a small printedcircuit board and convert it into achipset - as opposed to reducing arack full of gear into a chip.

The demonstration system current-ly in use occupies a few rack spacesfor the transmission side, with thereceiver prototype mounted on asingle printed circuit board measur-ing about six by eight inches. Thiscompares favorably to some of theearly receiver models that occupiedracks of equipment.

lapdo you think?

What

Take the BE Radio onlinesurvey on DAB.

Turn your browser towww.beradio.com andspeak your voice. The

results of the April surveywill be printed in the May/

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Technical detailsThe DRE system was designed un-

der the direction of Derek Kumar,vice president of engineering for DRE.Kumar previously worked for Elec-tronic Decisions, Inc. (EDI), whichhad been subcontracted by USADR.USADR later purchased the intellec-tual property of EDI and then aban-doned the system Kumar designed.

Information on the workings of theDRE system state that it uses a trellis -coded multiple -carrier modulationwith time and frequency diversity,fault -tolerant multipath equalization,fully independent and redundant side -band processing, hierarchical forwardand error -protection, and advancedpost -detection diversity combining.With data rates up to 128kb/s for FM,DRE plans to apply the same princi-ples to an AM system with data ratesof up to 48kb/s. Because of theproprietary nature of the systemsbeing used, some of the explicit de-tails are not yet being made available.

Circle (21) on Free Into Card26 BE Radio April 1998

Now you can get digital technology and PR&E reliability in the same console. Integrity.Its it e first 111i ecl That also

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In addition to the main channel,DRE also expects to be able to trans-mit subcarrier data, with capacitiesup to 64kb/s.

DRE has conducted demonstrationsof their FM system with the setupshown in Figure 1. The demonstra-tions conducted up to now used aLayer III codec, but they have sinceswitched to a newer encoding algo-rithm called Advanced Audio Cod-ing, or AAC. AAC was the algorithmused in the demonstrations at NAB98.To implement an IBOC system, the

RF power amp must be linear in itsfunction. DRE believes that most mod-em transmitters would be able toaccommodate the digital stream withonly minor modifications, saving broad-casters from having to buy a com-pletely new transmitter. On the receiv-er side, the hybrid analog/digital sys-tem also allows a transition period forthe consumer. Most analog receiversshould have filters narrow enough toremove the digital data in the side -bands without any audible effects.

The schedule for DRE involves con-tinued demonstrations of their FMsystems now, with field tests com-mencing in the second quarter of1998. DRE has already been in con-tact with a station in the San Franciscoarea to conduct the on -air tests. Thestation's identity will be announcedlater, pending the final agreementsand arrangements. DRE plans to dem-

transmission system being demonstrated

onstrate an AM system in the thirdquarter of 1998.

DRE has also formed alliances withTriTech Microelectronics and TelosSystems. TriTech, a subsidiary of Sin-gapore Technologies Semiconductors,is based in Singapore, with offices inthe U.S., U.K., Taiwan, Korea andJapan. TriTech will convert the DREreceiver design into an IBOC chipset.TriTech is also a major investor inDRE and is its technology licensingpartner.

Telos, already known for its work inaudio transmission and digital encod-ing, has agreed to manufacture theencoding and transmission hardwareif the DRE system is adopted.

DAB in the U.S. is moving along.Both the S-DARS and IBOC propo-nents are looking at the year 2000 astheir service launch dates. At thispoint, the S-DARS systems should berunning before an IBOC standard isdecided upon. The progress contin-ues, albeit slowly. I

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FCC considering microradio proposalBy Harry Martin

The FCC set April 27 as the comment date on apetition for rulemaking which proposes the estab-lishment and licensing of low power "microradio"

stations. The petitioners, individuals living in Virginia andConnecticut, have proposed that the FCC dedicate oneAM and one FM channel to the service and that theassigned frequencies be shared among licensed microradiostations that would each serve one or several square miles.

The petition has received at least tentative support fromCommissioners Powell and Ness, and from Chairman BillKennard. Ness sees the establishment of a microradioservice as a way to solve the problem of pirate broadcast-ing, while Powell and Kennard view the proposal asaffording opportunities for diversity, particularly in theestablishment of community -oriented and minority -ownedfacilities. (The consolidation of the radio industry sincethe passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 haslimited opportunities for the development of locallyoriented outlets.) Broadcasters and the NAB have strong-ly opposed microradio, citing not only clutter, but techni-cal interference and economic competition.

After comments on the pending petition are reviewed,the Commission will decide whether to propose ruleswhich would institutionalize the microradio service, ded-icate spectrum to it and establish application processingprocedures. Should the matter develop into a rulemakingproceeding - which may be unlikely in light of thecontroversy the plan has already caused - existing radiostations will be given another opportunity to air their views.

Ads for casino gambling legal in more statesThe U.S. Supreme Court has declined to overturn a ruling

stating that the ban on advertisements for casino gamblingand lotteries that are legal within a state is unconstitutional.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last yearfound that banning gaming ads under these circumstancesis a violation of commercial free speech. The SupremeCourt has now declined to hear the appeal of the NinthCircuit's ruling, thus allowing that ruling to stand.

Meanwhile, a U.S. District Court in New Jersey also hasconcluded that the prohibition on broadcasts of gamblingads is unconstitutional. Additionally, the plaintiffs in theNew Jersey case, which include the National Association ofBroadcasters and Players International, have filed a petitionwith the District Court there urging that the federal ban beeliminated nationwide. The U.S. Department of Justice has

opposed this petition, and a decision remains pending.However, a potential conflict among circuits is brewing.

In New Orleans, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the FifthCircuit has a pending case which addresses the sameissue. In that case, the Greater New Orleans BroadcastersAssociation seeks to air ads for riverboat gambling whichnow is legal in New Orleans. The Fifth Circuit initiallyissued a decision against the broadcasters, but thatdecision was sent back to the Fifth Circuit in light of alandmark 1996 Supreme Court decision protecting com-mercial free speech. It remains to be seen how the FifthCircuit will rule now that the Supreme Court has declinedto hear the appeal of the Ninth Circuit case.

In the wake of the various court rulings, the FCC hasannounced that it will not enforce the rules againstgambling advertisements in the nine Western states thatmake up the Ninth Circuit (California, Arizona, Nevada,Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Hawaii and Alas-ka) or in New Jersey. However, the court decisions do notaffect any other states. The Commission's rules remain infull force in all states outside of the Ninth Circuit and NewJersey. Furthermore, the federal cases do not have anyimpact on state laws governing lottery and gaming ads.Those laws currently remain fully in effect.

A growing tide nonetheless appears to be developingagainst the advertising ban. The plaintiffs in the FifthCircuit case are hopeful that the Supreme Court's decisionnot to hear the appeal of the Ninth Circuit case willencourage the Fifth Circuit to reverse its initial ruling andfind in favor of the broadcasters.

4

Hary Martin is an attorney with Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, PLC.,Arlington, VA. E-mail: [email protected].

Commercial radio stations in the followinglocations must file their annual ownership reports onor before June 1, 1998: District of Columbia,Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Ohio,Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah andWyoming.

Tower owners in Texas must register their towerswith the FCC during May, 1998.

Annual Employment Reports (FCC Forms 395-B),previously due May 31, now are due on or beforeSeptember 30, 1998 and each September 30thereafter.

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Tricks

The conference sessions at NAB98 once againproved to be a valuable source of information.

The variety of information presented at the NABconferences covers a myriad of topics. With

areas of interest for management, sales,programming, production, promotions and

engineering, there was something for everyone.

Many topics presented became the source ofdiscussions - sometimes heated ones - later inthe day and evening. Even with all the noise andactivity of Las Vegas, people gather and discussthe days' activities, trading stories and opinions

of industry technology, trends and tips.

32 BERadio April 1998

B macicast righIceringConference

0 ne of the more popularconferences at the NABconvention is theBroad-cast Engineering Con-

ference. This conference, co -spon-sored by The Society of BroadcastEngineers and the NAB, presented awide variety of topics that coverednot only radio and traditional broad-cast topics, but looked even furtherinto some of the future technologiesas well. As you can imagine, theInternet was explored, as were areasof datacasting, interactivity, towerspace and more.

Cover the basicsThe first day of presentations started

off with an overview of the basics:Radio Boot Camp. These presenta-tions covered some of the nuts andbolts ideas often taken for granted, butwhich are the basic building blocks inany facility. It is important for newerengineers to take advantage of ses-sions like this to add a few tools totheir belts, and even the most sea-soned engineers sometimes overlookthe basic principles of radio engineer-ing. Many of us perform them everyday without a second thought.

Consolidation is an oft -used termthese days. It's full meaning is stillbeing defined as proposed mergerscome together and stations that wereonce fierce competitors transition intofriendly neighbors. The role of themanager in these newly created po-sitions continues to change - wheth-er you are a station manager orengineering manager - and beingsuccessful in a multi -station facilityrequires you to look at the individualneeds of the stations as well as theoverall view of the facility. There aremany ways to share common re-sources to reduce inventory or wast-ed manpower. Scheduling mainte-nance, hiring personnel, equipmentcompatibility, and integration andasset purchasing are just some of theareas that are affected by the changesof consolidation.With these kinds of changes taking

place, the return to basics approachof Radio Boot Camp revisited somestandard topics of RF and audio thatwill never change, regardless of theterms being used to describe how thebusiness operates.

Digital, digital, digitalIt's no surprise that there were sev-

eral sessions dealing with digital audioand radio in varying forms. Whiletelevision is facing concerns of its ownwith the implementation of digitalsignals, radio is just starting to delveinto it. Different parts of the globe areinvolved in various stages of DABapplication or development. (See NextWave, p. 24 for what is happening inthe U.S.) The DAB session detailedprogress on the various fronts.

Eureka 147 is being implementedaround the world, and some satellitedelivery systems are gearing up to goonline. The expectations and obsta-cles of many of these technologieswere discussed in the sessions andbecame a source for further discus-sions outside the show hours. The factthat the U.S. is not going to be part ofthe near -global Eureka standard alonetriggered many conversations.

Further digital topics covered theapplication of fully digital air chainsand broadcast paths. There are sys-tems currently available that makethis once fabled feat a reality. Com-puter -delivered audio and CDs feed-ing a digital console and audio routertake care of the studio. Soon enough,the only analog devices in the controlroom could be the microphone andmonitor speakers. A variety of digitalSTL options exist, and the installationof a digital exciter and audio process-ing completes the route. Taking thesesteps now can prepare your facilityfor the DAB plunge later.

Subcarriers are nothing new tobroadcasting, but utilizing high-speeddata transmissions is. The NRSC High-speed FM Subcarrier Subcommittee

last year conducted tests onthree systems, and reportson these tests and applica-tions shed some light onnew revenue sources forbroadcasters.

BitsComputers and the Internet

continue to take on more im-portance in every aspect ofthe station operation, and thesessions covering these tech-nologies were no exception.

As broadcast engineers add`computer engineer' to theirduties, managing the hard-ware, software and infrastruc-ture of the computer net-work becomes a desirableskill. Developing cost-effec-tive systems can be a confus-ing area, but the information

provided at the Computer Networksession helped quell concerns andgave attendees tools that they can useto smooth the facility operation.

Using the Internet in any business isbecoming a common practice. Radiohas some unique features that makeit a natural alliance. With some 3000stations already webcasting, estab-lishing an Internet presence has be-come necessary to stay competitive.

April 1998 BE Radio 33

IV, \698SharedKnowledge

With more emerging technologies onthe way, the webcaster will enjoyeven more possibilities.

The session on tower managementbrought up some interesting points,especially in the face of the DTVtransition. Many FM stations are ten-

ants on "I'V towers and may be facingsome changes to their lease as mod-ifications are made for the towerowner's upgrade. For tower owners,some new possibilities are beingopened as well.

As always, the engineering sessions

covered a wide range of topics thatevery broadcast engineer is involvedwith. The diversity of material showedclearly that today's broadcast engi-neer is required to be some thing ofa jack-of-all-trades to keep a facilityrunning at top performance.

Broadcasters'Law and

RegulationConference

Laying up with the latest rulesand regulations can be a fulltime job in itself sometimes.The Law and Regulation Con-

ference was a chance to learn moreabout recent rulemakings and pro-posals and how they will affect sta-tion operation.

As consolidation becomes the stan-dard for many, the need to fullyunderstand its legal implications be-comes important. While the consoli-dation process is un-derway, steps must betaken to ensure com-pliance with the rules.It's easy for things toslip between thecracks. Other points ofconcern are the anti-trust issues that canpop up after a mega -merger.

While many of theseissues are inevitablyhandled by the station'slawyers and owners,the chief operator canalso keep an eye out for some of thepitfalls that may arise. While antitrustconcerns may be out of your hands,compliance with the rules certainly isnot. By staying on top of things -keeping the records straight, verifyingoperating parameters, proper loggingrequirements - many problems canbe avoided.

The session on avoiding FCC fines

was helpful in shedding some light onproblems commonly found by inspec-tors in the field. Although field inspec-tions are becoming less common be-cause of the FCC cutbacks, compliancewith the rules is still a very importantsubject. Take advantage of someoneelse's misfortune - if they received afine, make sure that you are not in thesame situation. If you are, correct theproblem before it costs you.

The station's chief operator is usual-

ly the chief engineer. Because of this,engineers are often called upon asthe in-house rules expert. Last year,EAS was a hot topic for compliance.This year, the concerns were morevaried, but the effects of consolida-tion, most notably the additionalrecord keeping, were a concern forattendees.

A technical facilities upgrade is some-

thing that can bebrought up fromtime to time. Whilethe engineering ses-sions cover this top-

ic from a nuts and bolts standpoint,the regulatory issues surrounding itmake it almost a companion sessionfor the station managers and owners.Changing the city of license, adding abooster, moving the studio or trans-mitter facilities (especially with con-solidation), are all issues that wereaddressed during the managers' track.

The broadcast auxiliary services areconstantly being congested with moreand more traffic from stations. Somerecent FCC petitions and actionsthreatened the spectrum with pro-posed uses by non -broadcast bodies.This topic raised just as many ques-tions as it answered as we look aheadtoward greater requirements for theauxiliary spectrum to support so manydigital signals.

Internet issues were discussed ev-erywhere, but with any emergingtechnology comes emerging legisla-tion. One area of concern is webcast-ing. If music licensing fees are paidfor radio airplay, what happens whenyou send your signals over the Inter-net? Many syndicated program pro-viders already refuse to give affiliatespermission to stream their show. Someof the other concerns deal withstraight -forward online content. Post-ing graphics and links may be consid-ered a convenience to your websitevisitor, but the owner of the other sitemay not want his product being bran-dished in an outside environment.

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of libel and defamation must be con-sidered for any online content. Justlike anything put out over the air,online content must also follow someset guidelines.Pirate broadcasting was the topic of

one session, and a major point ofdebate among attendees. It is difficultto know how many unlicensed oper-ators there are in the U.S., but theproblem continues to grow. The rulesstate that it is an illegal practice, butthey continue to operate - some-times under the nose of the FCC -without being shut down. Concernfor a solution to the problem wasevident among broadcasters. FCCpetitions suggest that limits be set formicropower broadcasters. Meanwhile,broadcasters continue to oppose pi-rate operation and the proposed leg-islation altogether. This is an issuethat will take some time to either besettled with legislation, or ended withthe shutdown of these pirates.

The NAB's MultiMedia WorldConference is well on itsway to becoming a bona -fide "important" computer

industry trade show. Situated in thesame convention centers and fallingchronologically between CES andCOMDEX each year, it is establishingitself as the predominant show for thecontent -provider or "media" side ofthe computer business. Keynote andluncheon presenters read like a who'swho of the computer industry.

This is a smart strategic move forNAB - and for the broadcast indus-try as a whole if it takes the hint fromits trade association. Consider thatbroadcasters are among the kings ofthe content hill, and this content canserve both the "appliance" world of

CES and the "platform" world ofCOMDEX - an enviable position.This is what convergence may be allabout. While the consumer may nev-er truly use a single multimedia de-vice to access all media, the contentprovider can maximize the deliverypotential of its media to have theseassets hit as many receivers as possi-ble.

The emergence of more media-

capable PCs and other new wirelessdelivery technologies over the nexttwo years almost guarantees consid-erable upheaval in the media produc-tion and distribution industry, in whichbroadcasters play a major role. Forthose who read between the lines,that message was spread throughoutNAB98, but it was most overtly pre -

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sented in the two NAB MultiMediaWorld tracks: the Internet Technolo-gies and Applications Conference andthe New Media Professionals Confer-ence.Sessions considered the In-

ternet from a variety of angles,and presentations ranged fromsuperficial to deeply detailed.Topics included legal and copy-right issues on the Internet,programming and "branding"strategies, global expansion viathe Internet and making on-line services profitable. Also onthe program was an interestingtechnical trend that's completelynonexistent today, but whichmay become hugely importantin the near future: Internet con-nectivity via low -earth orbit(LEO) satellites. The mobilenature of this technology makesit particularly important to ra-dio broadcasters.

From a technical perspective, on-line radio presentations considered arange of issues from maximizing theimpact of current website offerings to

considering near -future possibilities,including the incorporation of "e -commerce" for on-line purchasingfrom broadcasters' websites. A num-ber of exemplary existing sites werevisited "live" from the conferencesessions and from booths on theexhibition floor.

This stimulated much discussion ofhow inappropriate the traditionalbroadcast business model may be forthe on-line environment, and whydevelopment of a new and substan-tially different strategy may be inorder. As you might expect, this kindof radical departure was not easilyaccepted. Making matters worse,while broadcasters made up a lot ofthe audiences, few were includedamong these sessions' presenters. Thisdidn't make such a bitter pill anyeasier to swallow. Nevertheless, mostbroadcasters at MultiMedia World didseem to get the message that changeis in the wind.

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NABCorn 1771 Fs icationsand Connectivity

As NAB MultiMedia Worldconsidered the convergence of broadcasting andcomputing, NAB Commu-

nications and Connectivity looked atthe more "traditional" linkage be-tween telcos and broadcast. But mostof the topics covered in this confer-ence were anything but traditional.

This conference also included twotracks: the Telecommunications Strat-egies Conference (focusing on terres-trial connectivity) and Uplink 98: Sat-ellite Operators and Users Confer-ence (looking at satellite issues).Subjects of technical interest con-

sidered interconnection techniquesfor station groups, the increasing val-ue of fiber optics (both within andbetween facilities), the changing sat-ellite -distribution environment andsynergies between two-way wirelessand broadcast technologies.

An international panel presented theirviews on what were the most impor-tant emerging global telecommunica-tions issues, while other panels con-sidered the specifics of high qualityintra- and interfacility signal transport.

Crowds at the Communications andConnectivity sessions seemed a morestaid and subdued lot than the rathermercurial group atMultiMedia World.Discussion was more practical andless speculative here, but still quiteforward thinking.Throughout NAB98, there seemed

to be an overwhelming air of arrivaland realness for many telecommuni-cations services previously consid-ered futuristic. The shifting of para-digms was almost palpable at theshow. To the dismay of many radiobroadcasters, however, the only issuethat still seemed not to be getting anycloser to reality was DAB. f

Battison receivesNAB engineering award

lohn Battison, BE Radio's technical editor, RF, %%ashosen to receive the 1998 Radio Engineering

Achievement award from the National Associationof Broadcasters (NAB). Battison, a 52 -year veteranof broadcast engineering, is one of the founders ofthe Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), and is arecognized authority on directioral antennas. Dur-ing his career he has served as director of engineer-ing for the Telecommunications Department atOhio State University, has taught at American Uni-versity and New York University, and has presentedpapers at conferences all over the world. Since retiring, John has focused hisenergies toward his consulting business and his monthly column in BE Radio,RF Engineering.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," Battisor says of the honor. "I just retired this year andthis is about 1000dB better than getting a gold watch, that's for sure?

When asked to look back over his career and pick his proudest achievement,Battison says without a pause, "The formation of the SBE. That was probably thebest."

The Award, presented annually to one TV and one radio engineer, was presentedto John at the Technology Luncheon at NAB98 in Las Vegas on April 8.

We at BE Radio congratulate Joan on his well -deserved award and applaudthe NAB for his recognition.



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ArchitecturalAcoustics:

A primer for radio studiosBy Richard Schrag

The basic elements of acoustical designbecome essential concepts when theyapply to spaces where radio is made.

The technical spaces in a radio station have unique requirements for sound isolation, noisecontrol and interior acoustics. (WBUR. Boston)

There are always hot top-ics in the world of radioengineering. Often theycenter around electronic

technology, whether it be the latestdigital console, the most clever use ofRBDS, or the slickest new audio ed-iting/storage system. But let's face it,they almost never have anything todo with the physical space that com-prises the radio station.As new technologies come and go,

and sometimes radically change theway we do our work, radio studios -the rooms in which this work iscreated - have fundamentally in-variant needs: audio program is gen-erated (by musicians, people speak-ing, a CD player, a satellite feed orsome other source) and one or morehuman beings manipulate an elabo-rate assemblage of electronic equip-ment in such a way that this signal canbe transmitted (with any luck) to a

listening audience. Basically, no mat-ter what new toys you put into them,these rooms always work in more orless the same way.

Still, radio studios are unique spac-es. In most kinds of architecture, theinterior environment is constructedfor a specific activity, and giving it aplace to happen. Radio studios take ita step further in that the rooms them-selves become part of that activity, anintegral part of the broadcast signal.


Specialized construction components are r3iiired to provide adequate souncisolation between rooms (doors and windows;. and appropriate interior acoustics(absorptive wall and ceiling finishes). (NPR. Washington. D.C.)

In radio, the room around you is justas much a tool as is a microphone, aconsole or a piece of processingequipment. Just as the quality of lightin a painter's studio or a museum iscrucial to creating or viewing a workof art, the quality of acoustics in aradio studio dramatically affects thecapture and manipulation of an auralexperience.

So even if the same old issues ofarchitectural acoustics are sometimesovershadowed by much sexier cur-rent topics, it's still important to un-derstand the basics. That way, at leastyou'll know what's involved in mak-ing sure you have a room that'ssonically worthy to house that newdigital audio workstation or the latestnear -field speaker.

The big threeThe subject of architectural acous-

tics is generally considered to cov-er three primary areas: sound isola-tion; noise and vibration control;and room acoustics.

Essentially, one involves keepingsound where it belongs, one involvesgetting rid of sound you don't want,and one involves making the soundyou do want behave itself.

Sound isolationThe first concept has to do with

making sure that sound energy from

one activity doesn't disturb anotheractivity. Every aspect of a room'sconstruction - walls, ceiling, floor,doors, windows, ductwork, pipingand many others - plays a part in

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determining how well that room isisolated from its surroundings.

Most of the time sound isolation isa matter of keeping out unwantedsound, be it people talking in thehall just outside the door or anairplane flying over on final ap-proach. When a room must have abackground noise level quietenough to enable critical recordingor listening, a whole host of noisesources (constant or transient, trans-mitted through the air or throughthe structure, originating from in-side or outside the building) canpotentially disturb those activitiesto the point that the room is unus-able. At the same time, particularlyin a radio studio where multiplerooms often operate simultaneous -I . the noise a room generates whenit's working must be contained sothat other nearby functions are sim-ilarly undisturbed.

While sound isolation propertiesare governed by rather well-be-haved principles of acoustical phys-

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ics (see "The basics of sound isola-tion," p. 50), the myriad paths soundcan take in getting from one placeto another makes this one of themost treacherous, but nonethelesscrucial, aspects of broadcast studiodesign.

Noise and vibration controlJust as maintaining a high enough

signal-to-noise ratio is paramountgoal throughout the audio elec-tronic chain, the acoustical envi-ronment for recording or listeningmust be quiet enough that the sub-tleties of the audio program can beclearly differentiated from the am-bient background noise. While ap-propriate sound isolation measureskeep out unwanted sound, noise

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In many cases, the most prevalentsource of noise and vibration is all tooobvious: the heating, ventilating,and air conditioning (HVAC) sys-

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Architectural Acoustics:tems. Broadcast equipment createsextensive heat loads with stringentcooling requirements, so mechani-cal engineers dutifully design sys-tems that can provide a high vol-ume of air to keep the occupantsand the equipinent happy. All thatair must be churned out by a fan,rushing through the ducts abovethe ceiling to where it blows out ofthe diffusers above our heads. Un-less special precautions are taken,it is likely to create turbulence along

the way, carrying with it the result-ing rumble, roar, whistle or hiss. Ifthey're going to he sufficiently qui-et, HVAC systems must have air-flow that is smooth, low -velocityand free from abrupt changes indirection or speed.

Another source of noise and vibra-tion within acoustically sensitive ra-dio spaces is the electronic equip-ment itself. With the proliferation ofmemory -intensive processing gear,there is a greater need than ever

The basics of sound isolationThe physics of sound isolation

can be fairly complex, but theystem from a few fundamental prin-ciples. The following concepts re-fer to a simple partition, such as awall between rooms, and can beextended to similar conditions suchas roof/ceiling assemblies.

Mass: Far and away the domi-nant parameter in stopping soundtransmission through a partition ismass. Increase the mass and youwill increase the amount of soundattenuation by the partition. Forthe most part, it doesn't muchmatter what materials you use (al-though stiffness and damping doplay secondary roles), so an inchof concrete at 12016s/ft' (101bs/ft,total) is roughly equivalent to fourlayers of 5/8" drywall at 2.51bs/ft2each.

Airspace: With mass alone,transmission loss increases onlysix dB per doubling, so you quick-ly reach a point of dimirishingreturns. To achieve significantlybetter sound isolation properties,two layers with some separationbetween them is required.Amass-airspace-mass configuration is themost effective assembly for broad-band attenuation. [See Figure 21

Additionally, sound absorption inthe cavity assists in maximizingattenuation.

Decoupling:The way in whichthe two faces of the partition areattached is critical to the overallsound transmission loss perfor-mance. If both are screwed to com-mon metal stud framing, some of

the incident sound will be trans-mitted directly through the sup-porting structure to the other side.Making the two sides independentfrom each other gives far superiorresults, since the intervening air-space is much less efficient thanrigid metal at transferring soundenergy to the opposite face.

Penetrations:It is essential thata partition be completely sealed atall penetrations. Even a minor leakcomprising 0.1% of the total sur-face area can reduce a transmis-sion loss of 50dB wall by morethan 20dB. [See Figure 11

Flanking paths: The best parti-tion in the world can't provideadequate acoustical isolation ifsound can travel through a com-mon floor slab from one room tothe next, if there is ductwork di-rectly connecting them, or if thewall extends only six inches abovethe ceiling. All paths by whichsound or vibration can travel fromone space to another must be ad-dressed to ensure that the desiredoverall performance is maintained.

Balance: A partition is only asgood as its weakest component, sothere's no benefit to building a su-perior wall if there's a door or win-dow in it that doesn't have an air-tight seal. The sound isolation of aroom depends on the combinedperformance of the walls, ceiling,floor, doors and windows, duct-work and all other building compo-nents, so each of them should bedesigned to contribute a compara-ble degree of sound isolation.


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ArchitecturalAcoustics:before to get the CPUs, hard drives, and most fan -cooledequipment out of the critical rooms.While the HVAC systems and the broadcast equipment

are an almost universal concern, other sources of noiseand vibration shouldn't be overlooked. Transformers andother electrical switchgear can contribute significantstructure -borne energy, and plumbing noise can beequally pervasive. Elevators, exhaust systems, andother building infrastructure equipment must be con-sidered as well.

Room acousticsThe third basic aspect of architectural acoustics has to do

with how sound behaves within an enclosed space. Fora radio studio, we're interested in creating an appropriateacoustical environment for recording, evaluating, manip-ulating, or even listening to audio program.

As sound is generated by a "live" source or a monitorloudspeaker and subsequently bounces around theroom at 1130 feet per second, each time the sound hitssome surface within the room the energy will be to agreater or lesser degree reflected or absorbed, de-pending on the surface material and its orientation to

Nonetheless, by carefully selecting theamount and location of the room's

construction materials and finishes, it'spossible to give the room an acoustical

character that is tailored to whatgoes on inside.

the incident sound. Additionally, the portion that isreflected can be specular (that is, directed from thesurface at an angle that mirrors the angle of incidence),diffuse (spread out in many different directions) oranything in between. Add to this the directivity of thesource, air absorption, the fact that every parameter ofacoustical behavior varies with frequency, and thegeometrical implications of a three-dimensional space,and it's not hard to understand why the sound thateventually finds its way to a microphone or someone'sears is exceedingly complex. Nonetheless, by careful-ly selecting the amount and location of the room'sconstruction materials and finishes, it's possible togive the room an acoustical character that is tailored towhat goes on inside.

On the one hand, creating a good acoustical environ-ment means avoiding specific types of problems, suchas flutter echo (repeated reflections set up betweenopposite parallel planar surfaces), pronounced reso-nances, or frequency convolutions resulting fromcombinations of reflections. On the other hand, goodacoustics means enhancing positive characteristics,such as the evenness of the frequency response, the



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Architectural Acoustics:uniformity of the spatial response,and the quality of the temporal re-sponse.

So, what's so special aboutradio?

So far, these acoustical fundamen-tals apply to any space - office,concert hall, or bus terminal. Howev-er, radio studios are an exceptionalcase. They contain several differentkinds of spaces that each have exact-ing requirements in all areas of archi-

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in this industry. For one station theterm "studio" might refer to theentire physical plant; for another itmight mean the room with a con-sole and an operator; and for athird it's any space that has livemicrophones and voice talent ormusicians. We'll employ the latterdefinition here, recognizing thatthese are the rooms with arguablythe most stringent acoustical de -

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mands of any in a broadcast facility. Studios: Spaces with live micro-

phones naturally require excellentsound isolation and noise/vibrationcontrol, especially when the source isdistant from the microphone or haswide dynamic range.

In addition, studios demand aninterior acoustical environment thatis well suited to the type of soundto be recorded or broadcast. Formusic, this ranges from a perfor-mance with mostly MIDI and directinstruments to one with multipleacoustic instruments or singers. Forvoice. a news broadcast or call -in

As you add stereorequirements, then

surround, then additionalpersons (a director or

producer) who need to hearan accurate representationof the broadcast signal, theconfiguration of this room

becomes a significantacoustical challenge.

show with a single host is quitedifferent from a talk show withmultiple hosts and guests. For bothmusical and voice applications, theneed for low background noiselevels and proper room acousticsbecomes more critical as the num-ber of sources and/or live micro-phones increases.

Control Rooms: Acoustically, acontrol room is primarily a space formonitoring audio program for broad-cast. At its simplest, this involves asingle operator with control surfacesand audio monitoring equipment.However, as you add stereo require-ments, then surround, then addition-al persons (a director or producer)who need to hear an accurate repre-sentation of the broadcast signal, theconfiguration of this room becomes asignificant acoustical challenge. (See"Perils of the monitoring environ-ment," p. 56.)

Beyond that, control room activitiesmay entail live microphones for com-bo -style operation, interviews or evenmusical performance. If so, the noiselevels and room acoustics may be just



as critical as in a studio, except that inthe control room you've also got tocontend with the equipment: its phys-ical size, acoustically reflective sur-faces, and the noise it creates.

Production and editing rooms:Production rooms are similar tobroadcast control rooms, exceptthat they may rarely be called uponfor live broadcast. The good newsis that some of the equipment,control surfaces and ergonomicrelationships are less constrainedthan in an on -air room, so generallya few more concessions can be

it becomes that much noisier. As aresult, it is increasingly important toget the brains of the equipment (CPUsand hard drives) out of the criticalmonitoring and recording spaces.leaving only the control surfaces (key-boards and monitors) behind withthe operators. This allows the mostfinicky equipment to reside in a clean-er environment with more stable airconditioning. However, it also meansthat the studio layout must carefullyaddress the relationship of the equip-ment rooms to the rest of the techni-cal spaces.

Careful room shaping can dlIUW good sightlines between acontrol room and studio while still maintaining an opti-mum monitoring environment. (NPR. Washington, D.C.)

made to accurate audio monitor-ing. At the same time, unless theroom will be used for only the mostrudimentary editing, a more pris-tine acoustical environment is war-ranted. "Do I have signal?" may bethe primary concern in a broadcastcontrol room, but production roomssuggest an environment wheremore exacting sonic judgments willbe made.

Equipment rooms:As seeminglyevery type of audio equipment takeson more and more processing power,

Design issuesWhen the various

principles of architec-tural acoustics areapplied to the specialrequirements of thedifferent types of tech-nical spaces within aradio station, the re-sulting design issuescan be very complex.If these rooms areto be architecturally.ergonomically andacoustically success-ful, a great many fac-tors must be ad-dressed, starting withthe basic configura-tion of the enclosedspace.

Size: If, accord-ing to a popular max-im, the three mostimportant things inreal estate are "loca-tion, location andlocation," then the

three most important things in roomacoustics may very well be "vol-ume, volume and volume." Noamount of acoustical finishes canovercome the sonic limitations of aroom that is too small.

In the case of a monitoring environ-ment, insufficient volume limits theability to accurately reproduce low -frequency information. The loud-speakers can generate the energy,but if the room can't handle well-behaved propagation of that energybecause the boundaries are too close

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to the source or the listeners, theapparent spectral balance will beunreliable and the uniformity of theroom's response for persons at differ-ent locations will be lost.

For a recording space, unless low -frequency energy has sufficient vol-ume in which to develop, it can easilyoverwhelm the room. In addition, thecues by which we identify a room'ssize, shape and character are all tiedto subtle reflections of sound. It's

very difficult to successfully concealthe size of a too -small studio.

Dimensions: A popular mis-conception is that by selecting theright dimensions, you can eliminateroom modes. In reality, any time youenclose a volume of air, the dimen-sions of that room correspond tosome set of "modes" which supportstanding waves at various frequen-cies. What you can do by choosingappropriate room dimensions is to

Perils of themonitoring environment

It seems easy enough: you playan audio signal through a loud-speaker, and listen to it. No, wait,this is stereo, so it's a pair of loud-speakers, and now you and bothspeakers need to be essentiallyequidistant from each other. (Sur-round, of course, is another can ofworms entirely.) Plus, in order tomaintain accurate sound repro-duction and stereo image, the loud-speakers should be slightly up fromthe horizon, but no more thanabout 15 degrees up. (In otherwords, monitors hanging way upnext to the ceiling are a bad idea.)

Presumably you're not in the mid-dle of a cornfield, so you also haveto consider what the room bound-aries do to the sound from yourloudspeakers. Bilateral (left -right)symmetry is essential for stereo orsurround monitoring, and appliesto everything from the room geom-etry to the location and extent offinish materials to the placemeit ofthe doors and windows. In addi-tion, the relationship of the monitorloudspeakers to the room's wallsand your distance from them (i.e.soffit -mounted vs. mid -field vs. rear -field speakers) greatly affects theway they energize the room andinteract with the nearby surfa:es.In an ideal situation, you can cpti-mize the room geometry to di-ectall primary sound reflections awayfrom the listening areas, so that themonitor sound can be heard in areasonably unadulterated form.Andthen there's the ceiling: the sane

concepts that define the room'swalls can be applied to the geom-etry, height and finishes of the over-head surfaces.

Unfortunately, after your moni-toring setup is perfect, you mighthave to bring in equipment otherthan your speakers. That peskyconsole is usually the culprit increating a major reflection into theoperator's ears, so it is imperativethat the relationship of the moni-tors to the console be carefullyconsidered. Console surfaces shouldbe kept as low as possible: those10RU turrets on each corner of thework surface with the solid plexi-glass copy stand between themare a sure recipe for acousticalproblems. Similarly, a full -heightequipment rack almost anywherein the control room (especially ifit's a foot behind the operator'sears) represents a reflective sur-face that is certain to create sonicanomalies.

What? There will be other peo-ple in the room who have to listen,too? First of all, tell them to bequiet, then push the back wall outanother five or six feet so they'renot right up against it. Then goabout modifying the monitor spac-ing, room finishes, equipment lay-out, and everything else you'vedone to establish a compromisethat makes everyone happy.

And all you wanted to do was tosee if that fire engine outside thestudio window made it onto thenews break...



spread those modes out over theaudible spectrum to avoid overlap-ping modes and prevent pronouncedresonances. The optimum ratios of aroom's dimensions are those thatyield the most uniform density ofmodes across the audible spectrum.

Other considerations for overallroom dimensions include keepingmicrophones and listeners' ears awayfrom the room's boundaries, where"bass build-up" creates a low-fre-

You can have a room thesize of a football field, but

if it has an eight -footceiling, acoustically that'swhat you'll perceive as its

dominant attribute.

quency response that is misleading.In an audio monitoring environmentit's also critical to maintain appropri-ate relationships between the axialand lateral dimensions as they re-late to the configuration of theoperator and the monitor loud-speakers. For example, wide butshallow control rooms generallydon't sound very good.

Ceiling height is typically the limit-ing room dimension in creating ap-propriate interior acoustics, since thesmallest room axis governs its modalcharacteristics. You can have a roomthe size of a football field, but if it hasan eight -foot ceiling, acoustically that'swhat you'll perceive as its dominantattribute.

Shape: The geometry of an en-closed space is key to creating thedesired interior acoustical character-istics. Proper finishes can enhancethe acoustics of a suitable shell, butcannot undo the effects of poor choic-es in the basic room shape.

One of the first goals is to limitaudible anomalies such as flutter echoby eliminating opposing parallel sur-faces that are acoustically bard (thatis, reflective to sound). Non -parallelwalls are a hallmark of traditionalacoustical design, and rightly so. Makesure, however, that the angle be-tween surfaces is sufficient to do thejob. To be effective over a reasonably

wide bandwidth, splayed walls shouldbe at least 12 degrees out of parallel.Be aware that the benefit of thisapproach disappears as the frequen-cy decreases.

In a similar vein, be cautious inusing angled glass in acoustical win-dows. This is one of the myths oftraditional studio design because theangle is usually too small to improvetransmission loss at low frequencieswhere it's needed most. In addition,angling the glass generally doesn't

eliminate reflections into nearby mi-crophones, it just moves the point ofreflection to a different spot on theglass.

If implemented properly. non -par-allel geometry enhances the acousti-cal environment by increasing thecomplexity of sound reflections (intime) and stabilizing the density ofroom modes (in frequency). It canalso be instrumental in creating anarea of optimum audio monitoringthat, by virtue of the room's geome-

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Architectural Acoustics:

By keeping the console equipment below the ears, detrimental soundreflections are minimized. (WBUR, Boston)

try, is tree from sound reflections thatwould otherwise convolute the soundemanating from the monitor loud-speakers.

Finishes: Given a room of ap-propriate size, shape and overalldimensions, it is the surface finish-es which provide an opportunity tofine-tune the acoustical response andcreate a particular sonic environment.The most widely used tool for thispurpose is sound absorption, pre-dominantly in the form of fibrousmaterials covered with aesthetical-ly acceptable facings.The location, type and amount of

acoustical absorption generally hasto satisfy two primary goals: first, tocreate an overall room environmentthat is pleasant for the occupants anda suitable background for any record-ed sound; and second, to addressspecific reflection paths that can af-fect the room function.

Reflections from surfaces near asource of sound combine with thesound that travels directly from thatsource to the receiver (the listener ormicrophone). Because the pathlengths are slightly different for thetwo sounds, at some frequencies theperceived level will be augmented,and at others it will be greatly dimin-ished. The "comb filtering" that re-

sults from this constructive and de-structive interference can drasticallyaffect the tonal characteristics of theoriginal sound. When the source is anaudio monitor, the accuracy of repro-duction suffers; when the source is amusician or talker, the naturalness ofthe recorded signal suffers.

Since windows and doors representroom surfaces that cannot easily becovered with absorptive finishes, theirplacement within the space is critical,and can significantly affect the overallroom sound, as well as the effects oflocal interactions.

Acoustical diffusion is another de-sirable characteristic that can be en-hanced by the proper selection offinishes and their placement. In addi-tion to prefabricated products thatare designed specifically for this pur-pose, diffusion can be achievedthrough the complexity of the room'sgeometry and the appropriate place-ment of materials with different ab-sorptive properties.

In light of the potential problemsthat come from unwanted sound re-flections, it might be tempting tosuggest a completely non -reverber-ant, or anechoic, environment forradio control spaces. The problemwith this approach, however, is thatwhile it may be possible to create

ideal listening conditions for a singleoperator in one ideal position, real -world operators need the freedom tomove in order to run the equipment,and often others in the room need tohear just as much as the primaryoperator.

Clearly, the issues that comprisearchitectural acoustics are fundamen-tal to the operation of the technicalspaces in a radio station. If the designof these spaces includes proper at-tention to acoustical concepts, theresult can be rooms that are quietenough, isolated from each other,and with interior acoustical environ-ments that allow quality radio pro-gramming to be created within.

Richard Schrag is a consultant with RussBerger Design Group, Dallas, TX, a designfirm specializing in recording and broadcaststudios.

Photos courtesy Russ Berger Design Group

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The online version of radio's technology magazine.

Online Daily.BE Radio has teamed up with our sister publication, Broadcast Engineering to bring you the NABOnline Daily. You'll find the link to get there on the home page. All the news at NAB will be postedas it happens, so whether you're at the show or still at home, stay in touch with everything thathappens at NAB98, including the first glimpse of the BE Radio NAB98 Pick Hits.

Take part in the radio survey.Every month, BE Radio will conduct a survey pertaining to an issue of interest to the radio broadcastindustry. The results of the survey will be published in the follow_ng month's issue of BE Radio. Takethe survey online and then see the results here. The April survey covers the topic of DAB.

Do you have an on -air or production facility that is a showcase?Tell us about it. The Studio Spotlight looks at a new facility every month wi:h images and a descrip-tion of the site. We are looking for facilities to show. Look online for the de:ails, or contact us:

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NAB Radio Board election results announcedThe National Association of Broadcasters announced

the final results of the 1998 Radio Board elections. Theterms for the newly elected will begin in June, 1998.

District 2(I) William O'Shaughnessy, president, WRTN/WVOX,

New Rochelle, NY

National Association of

BROADCASTERS®

District 4(I) J. William Poole,

general manager,WFLS-FM, Freder-icksburg, VA District 6(I) William Mc-

Elveen, president,WTCB/WOMG/WISW, Columbia, SC

District 8(I) Stephen C. Davenport, president, WTCD/ViTYMX/

WKXG/WFMN, Telesouth Communications, Jackson, MS District 10John Dille, president/owner, WTRC-AM, Federated

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Harris Corporation's Broadcast Division announcedthat it will relocate its studio products business tonorthern Cincinnati, where construction of theBroadcast Division's new world headquarters isalready urderway. Harris anticipates that its studiobusiness warehouse will move to the new locationby the end of June, 1999, while the other functions- including sales, marketing and service - willmove by August, 1999.

The new headquarters will also house divisionsales an marketing activities, radio and TV digitalengineering, and systems integration, as well as otheradministrative and management functions.

As radio and TV take increasingly wide stepstoward fully digital signal paths, Harris has found itnecessary -.0 consolidate operations to betteraccommodate its four rapidly converging productlines: radic, studio, TV and systems. In doing so, thecompany leaves two locations completely, theRichmond, IN, and Florence, KY, facilities, andanother, Quincy, IL, for manufacturing only.

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District 12Jerry Zimmer, president, Zimmer

Radio Group, Cape Girardeau, MO District 14(I) Mark Hedberg, general manag-

er, Hedberg Broadcasting, MasonCity, IA

District 16(I) Dick Maynard, owner, KSLF-

AM-FM/KEKB-FM/KBKL-FM, GrandJunction, CO

District 18John Cullen, president, WACO, Gulf

Star Communications, Austin, TX District 20Ron J. Davis, owner/GM, KBOW-

AM/KOPR-FM, Butte Broadcasting,Butte, MT

District 22(I) Jerry Ryan, general manager,

KSEZ-FM/KOAZ-FM, Phoenix, AZ District 24George Nicholaw, vice presi-

dent/GM, KNX, CBX, Inc., LosAngeles, CA

(0 denotes incumbent



Additionally, Peter Ferrara, seniorvice president, Clear Channel Com-munications, has been appointed tothe Board and will represent District7 (Florida, Puerto Rico and the VirginIslands).

Ferrara is replacing Dean Good-man, who resigned from the Board inJanuary, Ferrara's term will end inTune 1999.

Michigan show continuesto grow

Hie Michigan Association ofBroadcasters held the Great LakesBroadcasting Conference and Expoon February 24 and 25 at the Lan-sing Center in Lansing, MI. Nearly1400 attendees visited exhibits from78 companies occupying 105 boothsin the Lansing Center. The sessions

covered various tracks for pro-gramming, sales, managementand engineering, and featured 77speakers.

While most local shows are small-er in nature and focused topicallyon issues of more local concern,the MAB Conference and Expodistinguished itself as futureaware. While focusing on radio -related topics like the Internet.DAB and digital facilities, MABalso cast a serious eye towardDTV and its related topics. Atten-dance drew not only from Michi-gan, but Ohio, Indiana, Illinoisand Wisconson as well.

Next year's Conference and Expois scheduled for February 23 and 24,1999 in Lansing. For more info onthe MAB, visit them online atwww. m ichmab. com f

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Feedback

Little bitsDear Skip,Just saw your February BE Radio editorial "Bits is Bits."

I think you are on the mark with your vision of thepossibilities if we become a digital medium. I just don'tsee how radio can "break its traditional, singular associ-ation with audio content" to get there. Sure, many amongus see how flexible a digital data stream is - GlynnWalden of CBS is known to quote Nicholas Negroponteon "being digital," and tells us we will become "broadcast-ers of bits." I was fortunate to get an inside look at digitalpotential while working on the Lockheed-Sanders/WCRB-FM Digital concept. The telling lesson about radio becom-ing digital is in what the average broadcaster was askingme about our technology. Their concerns were largelyabout new technology's cost and impact on audienceshare. Revenue -for -audience -for -audio -content is the onlything on the minds of many radio broadcasters, and so itshould be.

I think it goes deeper than expecting a bunch ofcompanies in an industry to think outside the box.Whether it is your story about railroads not figuring outthat they were transportation companies so long ago, orstories of how carburetor companies did not become fuel -

injection companies, or how Xerox lost its lock on themarket, there are reasons why industries get stuck in theirway of doing things. Their cultures, their core competen-cies, as well as their economics, play into the inertia of theorganization and the industry. Mature industries like ourswill get milked for dollars as intellectual capital is put intonew enterprises.

No, Skip, I think radio is an audio service... or at least theradio players are audio service people. Maybe CBS willtransform it if/when they get their IBOC concept accept-ed, but I'll bet it's the Microsofts who buy the CBSs whomake your vision happen. Even Disney may have achance. They have skills and infrastructure to launch newentertainment services using acquired enterprises. Dis-ney's kids' radio network is on a tiny AM station here inBoston, but it is a start. That network is a giant Disneypromotion. And what Disney is doing to transform ABCis nearly as obvious. There was a sci-fi book many yearsago where there were countries that were corporatenations. The country became the icon of the corporate

ESPONSEE-mail: [email protected]

FAXback: 913/967-1905

culture. Here in Boston, the Citgo sign became thecorporate icon of Red Sox games and Kenmore Square(there is no Citgo now but we defend that garish neonthing as an icon of pop culture). For your vision to work,many, if not all, radio stations would become corporateicons. Disney radio is an easy stretch. Microsoft radio isa little farther out there. How about Chase Manhattan, orAT&T, or IBM, or Mobil (use your speed pass to get intoSony movie theaters...), or Sony (too bad about SWNetworks, try again!)?

If we in radio are going to be more than just audio, itlooks to me to be a change from the outside in. BE Radioreaders are either owners (who will adopt a technologythe big guys make or sell out to the big guys) oremployees (who have no control of the destiny of theirbusinesses). The employees would be best served bybeing shown what to learn to remain adaptable in whatis sure to be a changing marketplace - thinking digitally,using multimedia tools, repackaging and remarketing thecontent you work so hard to make to go on alternativemedia, surviving job changes, helping your company intransition be successful, etc. Something you could do onthese pages.

Well Skip, you got me going with "Bits is Bits." Radio isa cool industry. Your vision is tantalizing. It's fun toimagine.

David MaxsonVice presidentCharles River BroadcastingBoston, MA

Skip Pizzi replies:You may be right David, although I hope it doesn't come

to that. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. (It'shappened before. Remember how radio changed whenTV came along?) I'd also hate to see the consumer lose abroadcast medium that is at least primarily concernedwith audio, and 1 hope this will never happen. If it did, weneed look no further than the video and multimediaworlds to see audio's potential fate. It may be up to futureradio broadcasters to maintain one place where audiodoesn't become just "the noise next to the picture." Con-versely, though, these same folks may soon be able to addsome visual and other data -enhancements to theirservice's sound. Let's start thinking about how theseenhancements can be integrated without dethroningaudio from its predominant status in the radio oftomorrow.


Caveat emptorI am interested in the proceedings between the state of

Illinois vs. SBE and Novell on the subject of the use of thetitle 'engineer.' In addition to being a member of SBE andholding their top level certification, I am also amember of NARTE and have been certified at their topengineering level since 1986. I am also workingtoward my Novell CNE certification. I'm seriouslyconsidering writing a letter to NARTE asking them tojoin hands with the SBE and Novell in their legal battle.

I'm also curious to know the thoughts and feelings fromthe people who are licensed PEs and who are alsocertified engineers by SBE and NARTE. Those peopleobviously know the difference (and importance) be-tween the two types of certifications, or they wouldn'thave spent the time to become certified beyond the "god-like" PE status they already had.

There is already plenty of regulatory muscle in place todeal with anyone pretending to be a PE or anything else,without adding confusion over general titles. This thoughtcould easily be extended to any other field of expertiseor profession. Think what would happen if suddenlyPh.Ds could not be called "doctors" because they mightbe confused with those practicing medicine. And whatwould the world be like if policemen couldn't be called"officers" because they're not in the military. This thingcould easily get way out of hand. It's stupid already, andI don't want to see it get ridiculous by the setting of anunnecessary precedent.

It always boils down to "buyer beware." Before you hireanyone claiming to be a professional anything, check outhis true credentials.

We have several professional organizations with similargoals and it seems like they would rather ignore eachother. At least that's the way it looks to the casualobserver.

Jeff Keith, CPBE, NCEWMJI-FMCleveland, OH

Chriss Scherer replies:You raise some good questions, Jeff. I have forwarded

your letter to the Society of Broadcast Engineers for anupdate and some insight into how things are proceedingwith the State of Illinois and Novell issue. Because of timeconstraints, their response will be printed next month inthe Reader Feedback column.As to your second question concerning people holding

PE certification as well as SBE and/or NARTE certifica-tion, I ask for comments from our readers. If you are inthis situation, how do you feel about the use of the term"engineer?" I am interested in hearing from them as well. www.bsiusa.corn

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PeopleBUSINESS

Lntraplex, Westford, MA, announced a newpartnership with Glenayre Western Multiplex,Sunnyvale, CA, a provider of wireless telecom-munications equipment, to provide high -quali-ty, fully digital Tl/E1 STL solutions based onspread -spectrum technology. Widely used forPCS, cellular and data communications net-works, spread spectrum provides highly reli-able, point-to-point wireless links without re-quiring an FCC user license.

Pacific Research & Engineering, Carlsbad, CA, announced a contractwith Las Vegas' National Public Radio affiliate, KNPR-FM, to build and installequipment and studio systems for its new 7000 square foot studio complex.KNPT's new studios will be built, wired and installed by PR&E. ThreeRadiomixer and two AirWave audio consoles are included in the order.

Leitch Technology, Toron-to, announced the acquisitionof Silicon Construction, Swe-den AB (SiCon). SiCon de-signs sophisticated micro elec-tronic circuits fabricated as sil-icon chips, and its additiongives the Leitch family theability to design chips for usein its own products. SiCon has 15 years of experience in advanced full -customASIC design and test, including advanced mixed -signal circuits, high-speeddigital circuits, A/D and D/A conversions, and synthesis from VHDL to fullcustom ASIC.

NEW WEB SITESLBA Group (Spanish language)

www.lbagroup.com/technology/espanol/Knights Communication

www.kci-dfw.comLogitek

www.logitekaudio.comNeutrik

.co

Mueller

PEOPLEMark E. Gurvey joined ComStream, San Di-

ego, CA, as vice president, sales and marketingfor the Satellite Products Division.

Stuart DeMarais was named to the board ofSolid State Logic, Ltd, Oxford, UK, as salesdirector.

SSL also appointed Michael Mueller as vicepresident of broadcast and post production,East Coast.

Kirk Stirlandwas appointed vice

president, sales and marketing, for Digital Cou-rier International Corporation, Vancouver, BC.

Rich Rogers was named as vice president ofclient services for GlobeCast, New York.

Bruce Mosca was promoted to RF applica-tions engineer for Sennheiser Electronics, OldLyme, CT.



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SS 8.2 Stereo Crosspoint SwitcherThis new generation of BTI's popular 8x2 switcher allows crosspoint switching

of 8 stereo inputs to 2 stereo and 2 mono outputs. with any input to any output.

Here is a sampling of its many features:

Inputs can be programmed for overlap, mix, or interlock switching operation

Electronically balanced inputs and outputs

Internal stereo silence sensor with front panel LED indicators. adjustabe

alarm threshold and duration

Front panel, multi -color LED VU meters

Headphone amplifier with front panel output selection switch. headphone lack

and level control

Powered speaker output with front panel level control, output selection switch

and mute control

Multidrop addressable RS -232 and RS -485 serial ports allowing up to 8 units

on one serial port

16 Parallel (status) Input Port (PIP)

8 relay outputs and 8 open collector outputs

Low -drift 60Hz clock calendar with battery backup and sync input

Power -up selection of inputs to outputs. mute or last selected channel

Plug-in screw -style wire captive connectors

(heck out our new web site for additional information and a list of distributors!

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Designed for "Precision Timing", ESE Master Clocks & Accessories have been meeting industry needs fbrmore than 25 years. Whether using GPS, WWV, Modem, inte-nal crystal or line frequency

accuracy, all ESE Master Clocks can drive digital or analog slave clocks, aswell as interface with video or computer based systems.

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72 BE Radio April 1998 Circle (65) on Free Into Card

QUALITY AM ANTENNA PRODUCTS

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COMPONENTSInductorsCapacitorsLighting ChokesStatic Drain ChokesContactorsRF Plugs & JacksMeter SwitchesInsulatorsAntenna Sample LoopsEquipment BoxesCopper RF Wire, Tube, and StrapCoaxial Cable, Feeder Systems

04fered in a wide variety of types and ratings, LBARF Components are intended for application inMedium Wave/AM antenna and transmitter equip-ment with power levels to over 500kW. LBA prod-ucts are built to the highest standards to ensureong life and reliability.

ANTENNA EQUIPMENTTunipolelM Folded Unipole AntennasCombipoleT^ Multiple Frequency

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LBA is the world leader in single and multiple stationfolded unipole antenna systems for high efficiency,wice-band AM transmissions at al power le.iels. LBAsystems are found worldwide from Alaska to Argenti-na, Kuwait to Saipan.

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Example: DQS PREMIUM SYSTEM (shown :those) has 100% colorlaminated exteriors of your choice, and 100% solid wood trimming andkickboards. DQS Premium Systems start under $4000 a room!

SPACEWISE OFFERS:FIVE quality systems and price ranges to choose from!1 REE customization and/or custom designing!\IODULAR in design but STURDY in concept!FOUR PC SYSTEMS accommodated in most of our systems!QUALITY components and maximum protective trimming!On site design and planning for RADIO GROUPS!*All systems designed by a veteran Radio Chief!

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BROADBAND FMRF AMPLIFIERS

Three power levels to meet your needs:300 Watts 600 Watts 1.2 Kilo -watts

Inn f:

Features: 100% solid state No tuning required Rugged power supply VSWR, current & temperature foldback Power trim standard Full remote control capability, withoutputs for all main parameters

Compact 19" rack mount design

Broadcast Technology CompanyP.O. Box 751, Lamar, Colorado 81052

Phone: 719-336-3902Circle (70) on Free Info Card

Incredibly Flexible DTMF Control

LCirsuitWerkes 1

The DS -8 Programmable DTMF decoder

The DS -8 features include:

-Each of the eight relays may beindependently programmed forcodes and mode.

-Program it with any DTMF phone.-High quality metal enclosure can be

wall or table mounted. InexpensiveOptional (shown) rack mount available.

-All connections on screw terminals-Retains settings after a power failure-List price .s just $299.

Call your favorite dealer or visit ourweb site for the latest info anddownloadaole tech manuals!

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Gainesville, Florida 32607(352) 335-6555 / fax 380-

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Bridge the DS -8 across youraudio source and get eightindividually programmable relayoutputs. Each closure is activatedby its own code of one to fourdigits long. Each relay can be setup as momemtary, latching orinterlocked with other relays! Usethe DS -8 for remote audioswitching, automated programrecording, secured remote EAScontrol, you name it! Optionalrack mount ( pictured) is availableA two unit R.M. is also available.

n nn n n nncss

LJ Ll LJ 1_1 LJ LJ LJ


Pristine

RaFiDi-IRE "...ifs fun to use!"'ell

13 ,.,,,;. cr..OLIO

_.1. ....,1, (13 2111 d.,. 6

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ilon ,.nn ...) fin-. ..2_,. _113 :311 al .

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"Pristine RapidFire is great, it's fun to use! It's goteverything a station would want in a digital system. Weuse RapidFire in both Live Assist and Auto modes, allday long and it never gives us any trouble."Matt Sedota, WNMB, North Myrtle Beach, SC

EastWest 8 international310-670-7500 (priStinD 864-292-0300Fax 310-670-0133 Fax 864-292-9030

SatisfactionGuaranteed!

Pristine RapidFire is the industry's mostpowerful, fun to use, Digital Studio System!RapidFire will save you thousands of dollars overother high -end digital systems, while offeringsuperior features and bulletproof reliability.RapidFire's Quick Picks make it easy to add orchange music, commercials, promos, and lastminute insertions simp y by point and shoot.RapidFve masters live assist, walkaway, andsatellite operatiors. Playback three audio sourcessimultaneously while rEcording a phone bit ortimeshifting a network feed. Call us to find outhow easy and affordable it is to harness the powerof Pristine RapidFire for your station!

EASCOMPA111/411

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hdp/IwwwortitineSYSLOm Quick Pick Screen

Circle (72) on Free Info Card April 1998 BE Radio 75

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NM?See Us At NAB Booth 1806!

Signal and CoverageAre What It's All About.Shively Will Give You

The Best. 30 Years Experience Full -Service Provider

Multi -Station Solutions

----r FM & UHF Antennas Filters & Combiners B -LINE Coax

Shively Labs, because ...

... it pays to be heard!P.O.Box 389, Bridgton, ME 04009 USA

Tel.: (207) 647-3327 FAX: (207) 647-8273e-mail: [email protected]

web: www.shively.com- An Employee -Owned Company -

Circle (73) on Free Info Care

COVfflSOILit1014...

for state of the artExpandable TransmitterControl Systems.as many as 8 transmitter sitescan be controlled in Real -Time

DATA L I N--with modem and voice support

see us @ NAB 98 booth #9422

ASSOCIATESINC.

(915)595-3103web: www. elecassoc. corn


Countdown to NAB98MediaTouch Presents:NAB98 April 6 - 9" Booth RL4503

"The World Premiere" of:

OpLOG-20009The transition of the world's -Digital Onginal OpLOG © to Windows"' is done, fully functional and ready for delivery.

"Radio:s Digital Original"

The simplicity of AIR functionality and high operational reliability of MediaTouch OpLOGO, have been further enhanced withan impressive array of new live assist operational features. Come to Las Vegas. NAB98 Booth RL4503 and experience the liveassist AIR controller that everyone is talking about.

To receive complimentary NAB98 trade show passes. appointments for demonstrations at NAB98 or arrange a possible futureon site demo at your station: Call 1-888-636-0123

Watch our web site as details on OpLOG-2000C are released on the "Countdown to NAB98" at www.omt.net

Windows NT an oar.. d Ibosol, Coeponfon Medu Touch and Op1.00 r CopyTOT N 0,998


Don't get tangled in the WeiUse the Internet for Broadcasters as your guideThis first edition of an annual publication covers the effects of the Interneton broadcasting. The content includes technology and management ar-ticles, case studies, and a directory of Internet resources, which lists Websites and email addresses for equipment suppliers, services, informationsources, and organizations, as well as newsgroups and search facilities ofinterest to broadcast, video, and audio professionals. Softbound, 92 pp. ISBN#0-95178-267-3.

Order #2673, $29.95To order, call 800-543-7771

Circle (74, on Free Info Card

76 BE Redo April 1998

ENGINEER'S BEST FRIEND! Eliminate flanging (hollow room) effect Eliminate bad room acoustics Hold absolute levels Correct voice symmetry Front panel input level select

+4 to -50 dB Three section variable boost

and cut equalization Compander/Expander cross

coupled for maximum punch Built-in earphone jack

AlRcorp 500PHMicrophone Processor

" :0

DE-ESSER designed to protectpre -emphasis curves

Simultaneous mic level and line level ouptuts Internal 48 Vdc Phantom Supply

AIR corp Call your dealer...or call 972-304-0455 FAX: 972-304-0550


NEW! Qboi AUDIO LINE TESTERThe new Qbox is a battery powered audio line te,ting systemthat includes a built-in mic, reference tone generator, speaker,and headphone amp. It also has voltage presence LEDs todetect phantom or intercom power. You can send tones, talkback up the line, monitor mic, line, or intercom signals - even

use two Qboxes as a basic intercom.

Call for the name of a Qbox Drodealer, and reduce installation ! P a Qbox

and setup time anywhere

'o/lh:LL

ry audio toolkit,audit) X1.13 cables are used.

PDB DaS W Jr winCircle (61) on Free Info Card

99 LING ROADROCHESTER, NY 14612

http://www.wiltrImndusa.com

88E1 -733-

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Buy simplicity,reliability and service.

EASPrice $1750.00

Equipment in -stockfor immediate delivery.

Phone 740-593-3150 GORMAN-REDLICH MFG. CO.257 W. Union St. Athens, Ohio 45701

FAX 740-592-3898

Now availablewith

optional DTMFcontrol

via a phone line.

GORMAN REDLICH

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FD CO ATHENS 0.0

ENCOOER OECCOER FCC 113 INZEASI

5 two-way RS -232 inputs/outputs for computer, remotesignboard & character generator

4 audio inputs on standard models (expandable to 6 audioinputs). All audio inputs & outputs are transformer isolatedfrom encoder -decoder board

Automatic interruption of program audio for unattended operation 4 line 40 character LCD display with LED backlighting 20 key keypad to program unit, set modulation level, set input levels

Will handshake with automation equipment 2 year warranty 2 minutes of digital audio storage (expandable

to 4.5 minutes) 25 pin parallel printer port for external printer 52 terminals on the rear to interface with otherequipment by removable plugs

Web Site: www.gorman-redlich.com E-mail: jimeet gorman-redlich.com

Also available: printers, weather radios, antennas for weather radios. crystal controlled synthesized

FM digitally tuned radios, remote signboards, cables for interconnection, Character generators.

Circle (62) on Free Info Card April 1998 BE Radio 77

Coming in the May/June issue of

The NAB Wrap -Up: Read about what made news and what was happening at NAB98.

Our reporters will bring you news of the big deals and little tweaks made bythis year's exhibitors. If it happened at NAB98, you'll hear about it from us.

The BE Radio NAB98 Pick Hits will be announced as well.Our panel of industry experts choose the best products of the show.

This prestigious award has become a BE Radio tradition, so look to usfor the best of the newest.

Plus: RF Engineering Managing Technology Contract Engineering Next Wave

CIW13FPitt47) RADIO ENGINEER WBT AM/FM & WLNK,

Jefferson -Pilot Communications, is looking fora full-time engineer. Position requires experi-

4 ence in installing and maintaining studios andhigh power AM & FM transmitting equipment.

ml Directional AM antenna experience also re-quired. Knowledge of digital audio and com-puters required. Must have FCC license andSBE certification a plus. Excellent benefits andcompetitive salary based on experience.Jefferson -Pilot Communications is an equalopportunity employer. Minorities and Womenare encouraged. Send resume to Ted Bryan,Chief Engineer, Jefferson -Pilot Communica-tions, One Julian Price Place, Charlotte, NC28208.

HELP WANTED

FOR SALE

Two CGE VHF TV transmitters for sale. One 10kw channel 9+ with dual model TTC5000FH($10,000.00 Can). One 20 kw channel 4+ withdual TTC16000H (320,000.00 Can). Both withdual LGT Camac exiters. 90% spare parts.Contact Andre Lusignan 514-597-3846 [email protected]

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

JOHN H. BATHSONCONSULTING BROADCAST ENGINEER,FCC APPLICATIONS AM, FM, TV, LPTV

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AD INDEXNumber

PagelicadcvServiceNumber

AdvertiserHotline

PageNumber

ReaderServiceNumber

AdvertiserHotline

AIRcona 77 60 972-334-n455 JK Audio 52 47 930-JK-AUDIO

Antenna Concepts 55 51 530-621-2015 Kintronic Labs Inc 22 11 423-878-3141

Antex Electronics ..... 41 31 310-532-3092 Knight's Communications Inc. 12 17 817-877-3037

Armstrong TransmittersCorp 69 54 315-673-1269 LBA Technology Inc 73 57 800-522-4454

Audio Precision 23 18 9M-231-7350 Leitch Incorporated 13 16 800-231-9673

Auditronics.Inc 2 1 901-362-1350 Logitek 11 15 E00-231-5870

72 63 804327-6901 Mediotouch 19.76 8.75 8036360123Autograrn Corporation

Broadcast Electronics, Inc 15 6 217-224-9600 Mouser Electronics 74 66 817-483-6814

Broadcast Electronics, Inc. 49 44 217-224-9600 Murphy Studio Furniture 14 19 800-307-1060

Broadcast Electronics, Inc. 76 74 217-224-9600 Neumann 7 13 8e0-434-5220

Broadcasters General Store 37 26 352-622-7700 Norsat International Inc. 48 34 504-597-6203

Broadcast Software Intl 69 53 888 -BSI -USA I NSN Network Services 36 27 800-345-VSAT

Broadcast Supply Worldwide 29 24 803-426-8434 OMBAmenca 51 46 305-477-0974

Broadcast Technology Co 75 70 719-336-3902 Orban 25 20 510-351-3500

Broadcast fools 72 64 360-428-6099 Pacific Researcn 27 22 760-438-3911

Cartworks 81 2 800-795-7234 Penta Labs 74 67 801421-4219

Circuitwerkes 75 71 352-335-6555 Phasetek Inc 66 40 215-536-6648

Coaxial Dynamics. Inc. 18 9 9313-COAAAL Pristine Systems Inc. 75 72 864-292-C1300

Computer Concepts Corp 31 12 800-255-6350 Prophet Systems Inc 35 25 800-658-4433

Comrex Corp .. 9 14 800-237-1776 OEI Corporation 58 - 59 37 803-334-9154

Continental Electronics 53 49 803-733-5311 Radio ComputingServices 39 29 914-723-8567

Crown Broadcast 71 56 800-294-8050 Radio Soft 70 58 888-RADI095

Digigram 65 38 703-875-9103 Radio Systems 57 35 609-467-8000

Electronic Associates 70,76 59.76 .... 915-595-3103 Roscom 74 69 770-992-2230

Enco Systems Inc 3 4 803-362-6797 Satelite Systems 38 28 719-634-6319

Energy-Onix 56 52 518-758-1690 Shively Labs 76 73 207-647-3327

Equi=-Tech Corporation 67 43 541-597-4448 Silicon Volley Power Amplifier 66 41 803-986-9703

ESE 72 65 310-322-2136 Sine Systems 40 30 615-228-3503

Gorman Redlich Mfg Co 77 62 740-593-3193 SoundAi a 40 55 800-688-8208

Horns Corp 42 - 45 32,33 800-622-0O22 Sprv-ewiseBroaccostFurndure 74 68 803-775-3660

Henry Engineering 52 48 626-355-3656 S. W.R. Inc 65 39 800-279-3326

Holadaylndustnes 28 23 612-934-4920 Tannoy/TGI North America Inc 50 45 519-745-1158

Innovative Devices. Inc.54 53 888-8S0-7424 T.C. Electronic 17 7 805-373-1828

Inovonics 67 42 8W-733-0552 ioutstone Corporation 82 3 315-452-5020

Intraplex, Inc. 26 21 978-692-9030 Whirlwind 77 61 888-733-4396

itelco 21 10 305-715-9410 360 Systems 5 5 818-991-0360

SALES OFFICESNATIONAL & INTERNATIONALSteven Bell9800 Metcalf AvenueOverland Park, KS 66212-2215Telephone: (913) 967-1848FAX: (913) 967-1900E-mail: [email protected]

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGJeffUtterTelephone: (800) 896-9939(913) 967-1732FAX: (913) 967-1735

WESTERN U.S.Sue Horwitz809 Soutl- Orange DriveLos Ange es, CA 90036Telephone: (213) 933-9485FAX: (21±-) 965-1059E-mail. 76345,[email protected]

LIST RENTAL SERVICESLori ChristieTelephone: (913) 967-1875FAX: (913) 967-1897

Blikoat,EDITORIALSkip Pizzi Editor- in -ChiefChriss Scherer, EditorBrad Dick Editorial ConsultantJohn H. Battison, P.E., Technical Editor, RFJim Saladin, AssoclateEditorTomC.00k, Senior Managing EditorCarl Bentz. Directories Manager

ARTStephanie L. Masterson, An DirectorMike Knest, Associate An Director

BUSINESSRaymonJ E. Maloney, President & cEOCameror Bishop, Senior VicePresidentDennis Triola, PublisherEric Proffitt, Marketing CoordinatorKathy Lewis, Adterrising CoordinatorAnnette Hulsey, aassifial Mt -erasing CoordinatorDoug Coonrod, Corporate Art DirectorBarbara Kummer, Circulation DirectorLeann Sandifar, Circulation ManagerCustomerSereice 913967-1711 or800-441-0294

TECHNICAL CONSULTANTSJerry Whitaker, Contributing EditorYasmin Hashmi, International CorrespondentStella Plumbridge, European CorrespondentRuss Berger, Broadcast AcousticsDane E. Ericksen, P. E.,Systems DesignDonald L. Markley, Transmission FacilitiesHarry C. Martin, LegalKevin McNamara.Computer Technology

MEMBIRORGANIZATIONSSustaining Members of: Acoustical Society of America Audio Engineering Society Society of Broadcast EngineersMember, American Business PressMember, BPA International V PK,

BE RADIO(ISSN 1081-3357) ispublishedmonthly (exceptbimonthly in May/June and November/December) andmailedfree to qualified recipients by Intertec PublishingCorporation. 9400 Metcalf Overt:old Rack, KS66212-2215Non-quahfiedperscmsnxiysubsoibeat thefollowingratesUSA and Canada, one year, $30.00, allother countries, oneyear, 335.00 (surface mail), S70.00 (air mail). Single copyprice, S t0.00. Perixticals postage paidat Shawnee Nlissit n.KS,andadditiorralmailingoffires.Carrada Post Intematv xtdPublicationsMailiCanadian Distribution)SalesAgreementNo.0956244.POSTMASTER SendaddresschangestoBERadio,P.O. Box12937, Overland Park, KS66282-2937.BE Radio is edited for corporate management,technical management/engineering and operationsand station management at radio stations and record-ing studios. Qualified persons also include consult-ants, contrail engineers and dealer/distributors ofradiobroadcast equipment.

SUBSCRIPTIONSMoly:8144X n topiv tocopy iteinsfrximenxilormsorral Lase.ir the internal< personal u.se tispecific dients, isgranted by

IntertecPublishingprovidedthathebasefeeciU.S.$225petcopy. plisUS. $03.00perpageisrraidtoCopyrightClearanceCenter, 222 Rosewood Drive, IYanvers, MA 01923. The feecode fix usersofthe TrAnsaimorral ReportingSirviet is MN1081-B57/190225+00.00.For those organizations that have been granted a photo-copy license by CCC, a separate system of payment hasbeen arranged. Prior to photocopying items for educa-tional classnxsm use, contact CCC at 508-750-8400.Orpuizations or individuals with large quantity photo-copy or reprint requirements should contact CherieWcxxl, 913-967-7212. Microfilm copies of BERadioareavailable by calling/writing UMI, 300 North Zeeb Rd.P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346. Phone: 313-7614110, r8111-521-06(0.

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V - v 4 J I I J > I I

Last Byte

Get on the bus, Gus (part 2)By Skip Pizzi, editor -in -chief

Last month, we discussed the IEEE 1394 ("FireWire")serial bus, one of two emerging standards for theinterface of peripheral devices to desktop comput-

ers. The other is the Universal Serial Bus (USB), which isabout to become the primary peripheral interface in thePC environment. Over the next year or two, consumercomputer equipment will gradually move to USB for theinterconnection of keyboards, mice/trackballs, monitors,speakers, printers, modems, scanners, outboard storagedrives and other devices.

USB is a serial bus operating at 12Mb/s ("full speed")or 1.5Mb/s ("low speed"), which allows up to 127devices to be connected to a single PC. Most PCspurchased today are already equipped with USB,although not much peripheral hardware employs ityet. This will soon change as Windows98 and NT 5.0are released with USB drivers, and peripherals beginto offer USB ports along with their traditional interfac-es. Eventually those legacy interfaces will disappear,taking along with them the current limitations as to thenumber of peripheral devices that can be installed ona PC, and the inconvenience of their installation.

USB allows"hot -plugging"of peripheralswithout reboo-ting or cumber-some initializa-tion and con-flict -resolution.Unplugging the device is equally simple. The need toopen the CPU chassis to set up a new peripheral willbecome increasingly rare: no more DIP switches, jump-ers, IRQ settings, DMA channels or I/O addresses toworry about. Daisy -chaining and standard connectorsmake cable management much easier, and DC power canbe carried to low -power peripherals on the USB cable.

Peripherals need not be daisy -chained if a centralhub configuration is physically more convenient. Toease plugging and unplugging, somewhere other thanthe back of the CPU can act as this hub. One possiblelocation for this is the video monitor. Another is aperipheral device made specifically for this purpose -the USB hub, a small box that would serve as a plug-in strip for multiple devices.

Smart and cheapLSB is a "smart bus, in that it automatically senses and

configures itself for the hardware it sees online, includingthe proper allocation of bus bandwidth and identificationof driver software requirements. Unlike FireWire, howev-er, USB places no burden on the PC's operating system forthis bus management. It is also designed for maximumcost effectiveness, such that it will add little or no cost toPCs or peripherals for its inclusion.

Like FireWire, USB can operate either asynchronouslyor isochronously, meaning that it can transfer data in afile -based form (like traditional serial buses), or it canoperate as a "real-time" channel bus (e.g., for streamingmedia signals), respectively.

Different strokesBut because its maximum speed is significantly slower

than FireWire (See Table 1.), USB may be best utilized foroperations that don't involve high-speed video or multi-channel audio requirements. For these needs, FireWireexcels, which is why observers expect both standards tocoexist.

INTERFACE MAX. MAX. NOMINALTYPE SPEED DEVICES CABLE LENGTH

Table 1. A comparison of the two new serial bus standards.

USB willlikely domi-nate the low -and medium -speed inter-face needs ofmonitoring,control, com-

munications, file storage and image I/O, while FireWireis used for media I/O and other high-speed commu-nications or storage interfaces. Once this interfacingbecomes routine, a behavioral shift may also occur, bywhich PC users will frequently plug and unplugportable appliances (such as digital audio and videorecorders or cameras) into their computer systems.More of the systems within the home or workplaceenvironment may also be permanently attached to thePC via these buses.

For broadcast users, these new interfaces will enablefurther flexibility and convenience in operations, alongwith simpler hardware reconfiguration and maintenance.All of these attributes should make the buses welcome inthe increasingly PC -based radio facility.


MusiemongiNCURRENT SCRIPT

NEXT EVENT 9

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16:44:46 I oday's Best Music16:44:54 M09 Listen Te Here Tom Petty 82:48 :11 C MUS

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