R3 Presenters

[Guest]

Why is it that of all BBC Radio stations, the presenters on Radio 3 are inconsistent in their voice levels?
Rob Cowan almost descends into inaudibility at times,so does Petroc Trelawney, whose voice drops several
levels at the end of sentences. When Andrew McGregor and Martin Handley engage in friendly banter before
Record Review on Saturday, they gabble so much I can't distinguish a word they say. Maybe the listeners
aren't supposed to be there or listen in?
Please can Radio 3 producers instruct their presenters to speak clearly and at an appropriate level, so some
of us don't have to reach for the volume control, especially while driving.
On another level, so to speak, there is that customary and rather laughable photo of RC with his arm around
his latest interviewee.........it's so twee!

[ahinton]

Why is it that of all BBC Radio stations, the presenters on Radio 3 are inconsistent in their voice levels?
Rob Cowan almost descends into inaudibility at times,so does Petroc Trelawney, whose voice drops several
levels at the end of sentences. When Andrew McGregor and Martin Handley engage in friendly banter before
Record Review on Saturday, they gabble so much I can't distinguish a word they say. Maybe the listeners
aren't supposed to be there or listen in?
Please can Radio 3 producers instruct their presenters to speak clearly and at an appropriate level, so some
of us don't have to reach for the volume control, especially while driving.

Whilst nothing in life's perfect, I have to admit to not noticing this problem to anything like the extent to which it strikes you; I wonder if either your hearing or the equipment that you use on which to listen, in the car and elsewhere, might have some possible impact upon the nature of your reactions?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've never noticed this either, and in any case, it's the responsibility of the sound technicians to get the levels right.

The point about "friendly banter" is apt. The cliqueyness of the Radio 3 team does need to be addressed.

[Victor Meldrew II]

Whilst nothing in life's perfect, I have to admit to not noticing this problem to anything like the extent to which it strikes you; I wonder if either your hearing or the equipment that you use on which to listen, in the car and elsewhere, might have some possible impact upon the nature of your reactions?

No, my hearing is fine and the equipment top of the range. Furthermore, your response touches on the personal, if I may say so!

[ahinton]

No, my hearing is fine and the equipment top of the range. Furthermore, your response touches on the personal, if I may say so!

By no means intentionally so, believe me; I merely wondered why what you find so obnoxious is something that I've not noticed to anything like the same extent.

[ardcarp]

Sometimes the continuity announcer for Choral Evensong is quite loud and 'forward' but then the choir sounds quieter and more distant. Not wlways. Maybe the sound engineers have to set a level that will cope with the loudest point of CE, e.g. with a blast on the organ. Actually I would much prefer this to sudden 'compressions'. The problem for engineers is that the human hearing apparatus can perceive a bigger dynamic range than mikes and speakers.

[ahinton]

The cliqueyness of the Radio 3 team does need to be addressed.

Can't argue with that!

[Nick Armstrong]

I've never noticed this either, and in any case, it's the responsibility of the sound technicians to get the levels right.

I've not had a problem on R3

An allied issue (and not I think solely the responsibility of sound technicians) is that in some TV dramas, performers are so busy emoting that what they say is inaudible. In the recent and otherwise excellent Happy Valley, the subtitles had to go on for any scene where Sarah Lancashire was engaged in more than brief conversation: fine actress in many ways, but mistress of enunciation she ain't.

[Old Grumpy]

Why is it that of all BBC Radio stations, the presenters on Radio 3 are inconsistent in their voice levels?
Rob Cowan almost descends into inaudibility at times,so does Petroc Trelawney, whose voice drops several
levels at the end of sentences. When Andrew McGregor and Martin Handley engage in friendly banter before
Record Review on Saturday, they gabble so much I can't distinguish a word they say. Maybe the listeners
aren't supposed to be there or listen in?
Please can Radio 3 producers instruct their presenters to speak clearly and at an appropriate level, so some
of us don't have to reach for the volume control, especially while driving.
On another level, so to speak...

Can't say I've noticed that either (much of my listening is in the car).

OG

[AndyJW]

Mumbling actors

I've not had a problem on R3

An allied issue (and not I think solely the responsibility of sound technicians) is that in some TV dramas, performers are so busy emoting that what they say is inaudible. In the recent and otherwise excellent Happy Valley, the subtitles had to go on for any scene where Sarah Lancashire was engaged in more than brief conversation: fine actress in many ways, but mistress of enunciation she ain't.

I think the problem with a lot of TV drama (including Happy Valley, which I thoroughly enjoyed) is that the sound people rely too much on personal mics. They are often stuffed behind layers of clothing which doesn't make for good sound reproduction. There was a TV drama last year (can't remember what it was now) but there were letters in the papers about 'mumbling' actors - I think the same problem happened there.

Has anyone also noticed the poor sound reproduction of the BBC TV news readers, particularly Sophie Raworth?

[Nick Armstrong]

There was a TV drama last year (can't remember what it was now) but there were letters in the papers about 'mumbling' actors - I think the same problem happened there.

Yes - didn't watch it but I think you mean 'Jamaica Inn' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...ng-actors.html

The Lord Hall had previously opined on the subject: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-maga...nitor-23328037

[ardcarp]

....yes, Jamaica Inn was terrible. It was partly the Mummerset, real Cornish English (and there are many local nuances) being extremely difficult to do. It was rather like watching a French film, when you know you can speak French reasonably well but you can't understand a word anyone's saying! I also felt the indoor scenes were more reminiscent of the Stone Age than 19thC. Cornwall.

[Don Petter]

The worst R3 presenter for swallowing his words and making the second half of most sentences inaudible was Iain Burnside. Unfortunately this often included the name of the work or composer, which made it doubly annoying.

[ardcarp]

The announcer at the start of today's Choral Evensong was barely literate. Can't the BBC find someone who can manage a sentence or two without stumbling?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0745k7k

[french frank]

The announcer at the start of today's Choral Evensong was barely literate. Can't the BBC find someone who can manage a sentence or two without stumbling?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0745k7k

Money saving. Probably ferried in from Radio 4 in order to cut the Radio 3 team. No time to rehearse continuity announcements. Radio 3 announcers could do Radio 4 continuity: if they wanted to save money, why not do it that way?