Classic FM attacks Radio 3!

[Paul Sherratt]

John, is your complaint that the BBC ain't giving you what you want to hear, 24/7 ?

[John Wright]

Not at all, these days I don't have time to listen to any radio other than breakfast, a bit of lunch, and a bit of late evening.

I'm just saying, given the playlists in the afternoon and evening, that I found it odd that you were astonished that nearly half of R3 listeners (~1 million) also listen to Classic FM. Surely, they listen to Classic FM for the music?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

On Tuesday evening, I was invited for a meal at a friend's house. The meal was accompanied by Classic FM, live via an iPad. I was challenged to identify every piece that didn't have the title announced first, so I was listening quite intently. The first movement of Schubert's B Minor Symphony was announced as the 2nd movement, and no apologies were made for this (small) error.

But better (worse) was to follow in the following programme: Smooooooth Classics at Seven with Zeb Soanes. The build-up beforehand was that this music by Khatchaturian was famous for appearing 'time and time again in James Bond's "Thunderball", although it's really from a ballet called "Spartacus" '.

I just can't imagine James Bond sailing on the Charlotte Rhodes with Captain Baines

And this is what Radio 3 tries to emulate.

[Dave2002]

But better (worse) was to follow in the following programme: Smooooooth Classics at Seven with Zeb Soanes. The build-up beforehand was that this music by Khatchaturian was famous for appearing 'time and time again in James Bond's "Thunderball", although it's really from a ballet called "Spartacus" '.

I just can't imagine James Bond sailing on the Charlotte Rhodes with Captain Baines

And this is what Radio 3 tries to emulate.

I detect that you really know the answer and the correction. "The build-up beforehand was that this music by Khatchaturian was famous for appearing time and time again in the Onedin Line"

I listen to R3 sometimes. Sometimes I listen to CFM . Does that make me one of the 40%?

[antongould]

I detect that you really know the answer and the correction. "The build-up beforehand was that this music by Khatchaturian was famous for appearing time and time again in the Onedin Line"

I listen to R3 sometimes. Sometimes I listen to CFM . Does that make me one of the 40%?

What are the sizes of the 2 sometimes Dave ….. ?????

[jonfan]

Dynamic Range Compression makes CFM unlistenable to start with.

[Pulcinella]

Dynamic Range Compression makes CFM unlistenable to start with.

I often find it better than R3 in the car, and somehow I can tune out of the adverts in a way I can't to much of the drivel spouted on R3!
I don't want to hear chat (and certainly never did on the way home after work, where I'd had quite enough for one day and just wanted music not you know who!).

That said, I've got my iPod at the ready for a trip down south for a wedding/christening tomorrow.

[Bryn]

Dynamic Range Compression makes CFM unlistenable to start with.

Quite, though it does suit listening in the car, I suppose, which is why I tend to refer to CFM as "Car FM", rather than "Classic FM".

[french frank]

Quite, though it does suit listening in the car, I suppose, which is why I tend to refer to CFM as "Car FM", rather than "Classic FM".

"Classic FM is pretty good for its intended purpose - for listening in the car or in other high background noise environments."

"As Martin says, the audio processing on CFM is optimised for people listening in cars or on kitchen radios. The hifi audience is relatively small and of little interest to their advertisers. "

"I'd agree with Martin & Paul. It's much better than R3 for noisy places at it keeps the level up. Not very pleasant for 'serious' listening due to the obvious compression. Radio 3 in the car is terrible as the dynamic range allows the quiet bits to sink into the surrounding ..."

&c.

https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=145409

[jonfan]

The producers and balance engineers must despair when their careful work in capturing what the composers and artists intended is destroyed on the altar of noisy listening environments.

[Serial_Apologist]

The producers and balance engineers must despair when their careful work in capturing what the composers and artists intended is destroyed on the altar of noisy listening environments.

[arthroceph]

The producers and balance engineers must despair when their careful work in capturing what the composers and artists intended is destroyed on the altar of noisy listening environments.

No, the whole thing is a chain of operations, like a relay race, composer passes baton to performer, who passes baton to producers and engineers who pass it to reproductive device. At each stage the "source" or baton is accepted as is, is/was the responsibility of the previous "bearer". That's fidelity.

That's all theoretical of course, in truth each stage of the relay race is fairly rocky, and when the going gets tough, producers and engineers are mostly concerned about fooling the human ear, if I may say so.

[gradus]

Are electric cars with inherently less noise from engines, transmissions etc better listening environments than their mechanical counterparts? I wouldn't know as I'm still burning fossil fuel.

[pastoralguy]

I often find the Radio3 signal can be variable in the car whereas the Classic FM is quite consistent.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I often find the Radio3 signal can be variable in the car whereas the Classic FM is quite consistent.

I think that depends upon where you live. In Scarborough, the car radio is dreadful in picking up CFM, but BBC stations are fine.