Prom 32 - Audio Limiting (again) !

[LaurieWatt]

Gosh, this brings back memories when I first started listening to Radio 3 all those years ago and long before Optimod. I didn't like the compressed dynamic range compared to a live performance but recognised the limitations of the transmission system. I had a multi-track tape recorder and as an experiment made an audio expander which was controlled by the signal from a spare track on the recorder. Two of the other tracks were left and right channels. I spent hours listening to the tape and as the music played applied my own control signal to the spare track so as to expand the dynamic range back to what I thought it should be. Sonically it worked...sort of...but took way too much time to prepare.

I have always done this! See a number of the LPO label archive recordings....eg Tennstedt/Bruckner 8, Haitink/Shostakovich 10, Tennstedt/Wagner bleeding chunks etc

[Fingers]

I agree with all the comments here. I think the Havergal Brian last year was awful sound quality due to a speech compressor. The Bernstein Mass in Prom 32 this year had a very similar problem. I have only just found this thread today!

I just wonder whether the BBC engineers had the switch, to switch on the limiter/compressor, in the wrong position for the music and the commentary/announcements. As soon as the announcer introduced the piece they switched from un-limited to limited. That is, the switch was in the wrong position at the start of the transmission (should have limited the announcers voice). And from then on flicking the switch did the wrong thing, music limited, announcements un-limited......

Therefore it could just be engineer "finger trouble"? I don't ever remember any explanation from the BBC last year on the Havergal Brian broadcast. I suspect there will be nothing this year over the Bernstein!

I have also noticed most concerts this year have a strange background warbling noise when single instruments are playing, particularly violin, anything with staccato or "spiky" playing. As soon as there is a multi instrument or tutti section, this disappears completely. When there is just low level audience snuffling and coughing (yuk) between sections of music, the effect is not there. It is VERY annoying. I listen on FreeSat Radio 3 transmissions. The warbling, or perhaps even a "ducking" effect appears on some concerts and not others.

Has anyone noticed it?

[Resurrection Man]

I thought that the Gurrelieder today had a heck of a lot of compression in place.

[Bryn]

I thought that the Gurrelieder today had a heck of a lot of compression in place.

Which medium? FM, DAB, iPlayer HDS, or what? The original HDS version on the iPlayer was pretty fine, with no clear signs of dynamic compression.