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Classical FM shows all digital now?

68.108.173.65
Posted on August 29, 2023 at 19:55:52
ltman
 I am lucky to have a wonderful FM stereo classical station in reach of my tuners now that I am using a directional yagi. I listen to KCNV's ANALOGUE broadcast at 89.7, not HD.

I have been thinking about recording some of the shows, they are often 4-8 hours long and I could learn a lot if I could stay up with them all night.

None of KCNV's broadcasts - that I have heard so far - are from live performances unfortunately (those days are long gone I guess) and my assumption is that the shows are digitally recorded from all over the country and digital files distributed to the various public radio stations for re-broadcast. So there must be a DAC in the local workflow for the analogue broadcast before the shows hit the airwaves.

Am I wrong? I could call the station but I doubt there would even be a human there to answer the phone (unless I was calling the donation line)!

 

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RE: Classical FM shows all digital now?, posted on August 29, 2023 at 21:20:01
6bq5
Audiophile

Posts: 4613
Location: SF Bay
Joined: August 16, 2001
 Most public stations have good to great engineers, and they would be mostly happy to help
True not too much is live anymore - but there are a few
and there is not the network of relay stations so that, say the NYC Philharmonic can broadcast a Friday evening concert live cross country (something that used to happen...)
so yes, most of the 'shared' programs are digital
But worth asking -
and let us know...
Happy Listening

 

RE: Classical FM shows all digital now?, posted on August 30, 2023 at 06:53:43
fredtr
Audiophile

Posts: 2144
Location: Phoenix
Joined: January 4, 2005
Contributor
  Since: August 16, 2024
 Too funny, I was going to answer the same thing. We have a great classical station in Phoenix, KBAQ. They do have great people working there, engineer is an audiophile, and all available to answer questions. Try your stations phone number, you may be surprised.

 

RE: Classical FM shows all digital now?, posted on August 30, 2023 at 10:00:26
ltman
 The reason I ask is I am thinking about recording - for personal use of course - some of these wonderful all night classical shows.

But I dislike the idea of going from digital source at FM station, through their DAC to analogue FM broadcast, through my analogue FM radio recording to my home ADC, and then when I want to listen, through my home DAC back to analogue.

Seems like a prescription for distortion. Whereas if the original source at the station was analogue, straight through to their transmitter, I would feel it might be worth the effort to record digitally at home.

I do have a Pioneer RT-909 and a couple RT-707s, so I could theoretically record analogue. But even at 3.5 ips I could not record a complete nighttime show.

 

RE: Classical FM shows all digital now?, posted on August 30, 2023 at 10:45:52
6bq5
Audiophile

Posts: 4613
Location: SF Bay
Joined: August 16, 2001
 I feel your struggle-
there have been many show over the years that I wish I could listen to now-
but they may not even exist any more...
One option is to try to stream from the originating station website - but that can be a mixed bag of MP3 and lo rez media
on the other hand - try it, you might find the results to be delightful.
Happy Listening

 

RE: Classical FM shows all digital now?, posted on August 30, 2023 at 11:26:43
ltman
 There are a few lossless classical streamers. I believe there is one in Arizona.

I listened to that one for a while but the programming was a bit quirky. Not the same programming unfortunately. Nothing consistent I would want to record...

 

RE: I bit the bullet, posted on October 27, 2023 at 14:30:07
ltman
 and I am recording off the air 89.7 Las Vegas public radio classical to my Sony M-10.

The M-10 sounds absolutely lovely playing back orginal PCM files up to 24/96. It is a digital recorder of course so I digitizing the APM classical shows that most probably were originally recorded to digital, distributed to the broadcasting stations, decoded with their DAC and then broadcast to FM stereo.

So I am "re-digitizing" unfortunately but I think no way around that since 89.7 does not stream lossless. And the sound from the Sony ST-75 tuner is lovely now that I have a 5 element YAGI instead of the worthless dipoles. And I have direct line of sight to 89.7 broadcast antenna from my 2nd floor porch.

I am recording to 44.1/16 to wav. The Sony does not encode or playback flac. And I won't use MP3.

I wil try a few hours recording off the air today and do a careful listen. The M10 is really great sounding so I am hopeful. And I learn so damn much about classical music from the APM shows and commentators...







 

RE: Damn Near Everything's Digital Now, Itman, posted on November 6, 2023 at 10:44:14
FRG7SWL
Audiophile

Posts: 2118
Location: NorCali
Joined: March 26, 2003
 Spent 10 years & two months as an overnight pre-pandemic KVMR broadcaster, Itman. Played mostly cds, & would pre-record vinyl to cd format for convenience's sake. Some broadcasters would pre-record their show onto laptops or Iphone. Then do their on-air announcements live. Seems only community stations still use cd playback, & those are hiccuping to their demise, unfortunately. During pandemic, community stations would only have in-station broadcasters from 6AM til 6PM; then go to pre-recorded programming. Have had to use digital tuners since 2005, when Sactown County Communications Center moved location from Bannon Street to a mile or so northeast of QTH (John Moss federal building blocked digital transmissions into southern part of Sactown County from Bannon Street location). All that damn digital R.F.I. also buried most of the shortwave bands, too! Therefore, Itman, if you want auld-skool analog replication, judicially use JRC-4558's. ... 73s para Sactown

 

RE: Damn Near Everything's Digital Now, Itman, posted on November 7, 2023 at 21:57:00
ltman
 yep, although vinyl is making a comeback, even though probably half the sources for the newly produced LPs have had digital processing at some point, and perhaps even the original recording.

I can't figure that out. I only puchase and play vintage LPs on my system. If it was recorded or processed at some point digitally I can't see the rational of then stamping onto vinyl.

Just for an experiment I dusted off my Sony XDR-FIHD tonight to see how it compares to my current favorite tuner- Sony ST-J75 - and I have to say listening to analog FM 89.7 (not HD) here in Sin City, I prefer the sound of the J75. I do have an excellent signal with line of sight to their antenna. The J75 just seems to have more weight and body to the music. Maybe it is just more distortion.

Maybe someday I will need the DXer capability of the F1HD but not now...









 

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