Turn up the Music

[Guest]

And turn down the announcer!

Is it just me, or does anybody else think the volume of the Radio 3 announcers is way too high relative to the music that they play? I have actually measured this - the volume of the talking is nearly as high as the loudest passages of a symphony orchestra at full tilt!

This means if you tune in and make the mistake of turning up to enjoy the music, you can be in for a nasty surprise when the talking starts. Conversely, if you adjust the volume when they are talking, you will barely be able to hear the quieter passages of music. What is the reason for this?

There are exceptions to this rule - such as broadcasts from live events such as Concert at Lunchtime. But for the majority of programming this seems to be true. I think the solution would be to simply turn down the announcer 5db relative to the Music.

I have complained to the BBC about this, but all I received was a 'clever' automatically generated reply that tried to give the impression that someone had actually read it. The bottom line was my carefully constructed complaint is now 'held in the Audience Log which is available to Radio 3 staff' ... great.

Any thoughts?

[french frank]

Hello, mirkin - and welcome!

This point has been made before, so it's not your 'imagination' - but someone who's done some measurements as well might reply.

[Nick Armstrong]

Mirkin - it's tiresome when listening in the car, which is when I notice the phenomenon most. My old dad's complained about it generally for years , but I've not really be troubled by it on my home equipment.

There is at least one former BBC sound man about this Forum who may have interesting 'hand's on' comment.

And yes, welcome

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Look at the listings for Radio 3 (website or Radio Times) and invariably it's the presenter whose name appears first - not the composer or performer(s). When the BBC was broadcasting a recording of Elgar's The Apostles from King's College Cambridge, the website provided us with a photograph of Katie Derham looking glamorous. That appears to be the priority.

[handsomefortune]

shouldn't that read 'a photograph of dj Katie Derham'?

[eighthobstruction]

There is at least one former BBC sound man about this Forum who may have interesting 'hand's on' comment.

I should be very careful about anything 'hand's on' when dealing with a mirkin....

[handsomefortune]

Turn up the Music

turn down the announcer!

and turn OFF the news (mostly, as it's so often identical to sky, yahoo, the daily tabloids: consuming once is more than enough, especially at high volume).

[Nick Armstrong]

I should be very careful about anything 'hand's on' when dealing with a mirkin....

The thought had occurred, eighty, the thought had occurred... (Different spelling, though but...)

[Sir Velo]

and turn OFF the news

[teamsaint]

absolutely.
It is, in any case, just some "news " that somebody you may or may not trust has decided you should be told.

[Nick Armstrong]

turn OFF the news