FNiMN

[antongould]

It shouldn’t put off anyone who loves a good tune - and I include the Mahler lieder chosen as within that definition, a nd nicely sung!

Totally agree cloughers

[LMcD]

Totally agree cloughers

Well - as they say - there seems to be an audience out there for a programme of this kind (at least on a Friday evening). Perhaps the absence of 'concert' from the programme's title attracts casual listeners, some of whom might become regulars.

[jonfan]

Light music has its natural home in Radio 3 now as Radio 2 has finally left any trace it had of being the ‘Light Programme’. Another more important reason is that there is no DRC on Radio 3. Long may it continue.

[LMcD]

Light music has its natural home in Radio 3 now as Radio 2 has finally left any trace it had of being the ‘Light Programme’. Another more important reason is that there is no DRC on Radio 3. Long may it continue.

At a guess - DRC = Dynamic Range Control?

[jonfan]

At a guess - DRC = Dynamic Range Control?

Yes, it has no place where orchestras of all shapes and sizes are recorded IMHO. ClassicFM is unlistenable for this reason, making a solo flute as loud as the whole brass section

[LMcD]

Yes, it has no place where orchestras of all shapes and sizes are recorded IMHO. ClassicFM is unlistenable for this reason, making a solo flute as loud as the whole brass section

Thank you!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Yes, it has no place where orchestras of all shapes and sizes are recorded IMHO. ClassicFM is unlistenable for this reason, making a solo flute as loud as the whole brass section

Not just the compression that does that. Simply putting a spot mic in front of the flute makes it possible to have the flute sounding as loud as the brass simply by fading it up. It’s why so many classical recordings sound artificial - but it can still sound attractive.
The big problem with the compression on CFM is what it does to frequencies and harmonics making the piano for example virtually unlistenable .

[LMcD]

Not just the compression that does that. Simply putting a spot mic in front of the flute makes it possible to have the flute sounding as loud as the brass simply by fading it up. It’s why so many classical recordings sound artificial - but it can still sound attractive.
The big problem with the compression on CFM is what it does to frequencies and harmonics making the piano for example virtually unlistenable .

I think CFM's very limited playlist might also be the result of a policy of compression.

[french frank]

Light music has its natural home in Radio 3 now as Radio 2 has finally left any trace it had of being the ‘Light Programme’.

Non sequitur.

[jonfan]

Not just the compression that does that. Simply putting a spot mic in front of the flute makes it possible to have the flute sounding as loud as the brass simply by fading it up. It’s why so many classical recordings sound artificial .

I’m not sure EH what recent recordings you’re listening to but I think the present generation of producers go to great lengths to make their productions sound as naturally balanced as possible. It must drive them to despair when DRC destroys their work.
Why have DRC? Is it just so everything is audible in a car? DRC makes expensive hi-fi units sound like musak in a store!!

[Ein Heldenleben]

I’m not sure EH what recent recordings you’re listening to but I think the present generation of producers go to great lengths to make their productions sound as naturally balanced as possible. It must drive them to despair when DRC destroys their work.
Why have DRC? Is it just so everything is audible in a car? DRC makes expensive hi-fi units sound like musak in a store!!

Yes recording quality has improved . In terms of orchestral balance that’s where it gets more subjective. I can remember Karajan recordings where you can more or less hear the maestro fading up solo instruments which has the effect of bringing them forward in the balance .
I am not a fan of the tendency for some contemporary baroque recordings to have vey echoey acoustics with little instrument positioning.
You are absolutely right about DRC . I remember reading in a forum once that R3 FM off Wrotham - a modern powerful transmitter to which I once had line of sight - had a sound quality “equivalent “ to 600- 800 KBPS. The sound quality was extraordinary. The last conversation I had with a BBC engineer indicated that R3 FM off my local relay had a max dynamic range of 40db. Ouch
DRC is also about saving money - the more compressed the fewer relays you need .
That’s essentially why Classic FM on FM is so poor.

[hmvman]

Just out of interest, would any decision to add compression (and its amount) to the R3 signal be made by the R3 Controller or an Engineering manager?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Just out of interest, would any decision to add compression (and its amount) to the R3 signal be made by the R3 Controller or an Engineering manager?

Pretty sure it would be the Controller though no doubt there’d be several technical options presented to them .Radio Engineering has never been much of a power centre in the Corp unlike TV engineering which used to be a very significant power bloc but is no longer . Now it’s all digits not valves and no doubt the IT guys ( they are almost exclusively male ) call the shots.

[jonfan]

EH, the best engineering is surely when you are not aware of it. The recent Bruckner 7 and 5 from two BBC orchestras are fine examples.

[Ein Heldenleben]

EH, the best engineering is surely when you are not aware of it. The recent Bruckner 7 and 5 from two BBC orchestras are fine examples.

Yes very much like TV directing in my view . Sound balancing is an art really but one which requires some science knowledge if only to avoid the complications that arise from not understanding some fundamental acoustic and electronics principles . Not something I ever got close to mastering .
The final transmission compression levels aren’t really determined by those doing the balance . Indeed they are sometimes ever so slightly ignored by them but that’s a different story !