Topic: recording from the radio

[porphyry]

sorry if this post is in the wrong place, but i didn't know where else to put it...

i would appreciate opinions on recording from FM radio vs. digital radio.

my natural choice would be FM because digital radio uses compression. on the other hand i think i read somewhere that FM radio uses a really low sample rate, around 20-30kHz.

i know the obvious solution is to just listen to both types and see which one i prefer but i don't really listen to the radio much, if it all (i like to be in control of my music and the radio plays too much crap) and i don't own a digital tuner, but would be prepared to buy one just to record this concert.

i'm really just curious as to which one you would choose and why.

also any other tips or info with regards to recording from the radio (at the moment i can only do MD as a recording medium, and my computer only has a standard cheap crappy soundcard) would be appreciated.

cheers.

[leegeddy]

sorry if this post is in the wrong place, but i didn't know where else to put it...

i would appreciate opinions on recording from FM radio vs. digital radio.

my natural choice would be FM because digital radio uses compression. on the other hand i think i read somewhere that FM radio uses a really low sample rate, around 20-30kHz.

i know the obvious solution is to just listen to both types and see which one i prefer but i don't really listen to the radio much, if it all (i like to be in control of my music and the radio plays too much crap) and i don't own a digital tuner, but would be prepared to buy one just to record this concert.

i'm really just curious as to which one you would choose and why.

also any other tips or info with regards to recording from the radio (at the moment i can only do MD as a recording medium, and my computer only has a standard cheap crappy soundcard) would be appreciated.

cheers.

where did you hear about "sample rate" for FM? as far as i know, FM is analog.

marc

[Brian Skalinder]

Looks to me like he has FM and digital switched, prolly just a brain cramp.

If it were me, I'd record from FM if I had a decent tuner and could pull a strong enough signal.  All the digital radio I've heard sounds like complete moose flop.

[BCostigan]

sounds like complete moose flop.

That may be the first time I've heard that term used...I like it!

[nic]

FM radio is usually VERY compressed. stations try to out do each other by trying to have the loudest volume...they think that if they are loudest, they will attract more listeners...very flawed concept!

[Brian Skalinder]

Could be wrong on this one, but I believe...

True, FM is very compressed - but in a different way than digital radio.  Compression used by FM radio shrinks dynamic range but doesn't otherwise change the frequency range of the source, while digital compression is audibly lossy from actually removing frequencies from the source, a la MP3 (but a whole helluva lot worse, IMO).

[porphyry]

where did you hear about "sample rate" for FM? as far as i know, FM is analog.

i think i got confused. i guess the 20-30kHz sample rate figure is used as a figure to compare FM to digital recording, rather than a solid fact.  

yeah i suspect FM is the lesser of two evils. even if it is heavily compressed, the digital broadcast is going to be the same but much worse.

thanks for the posts, i htink they just confirmed what i was already thinking.

[Scuba Jeremy]

Where are you? I have a pretty damn sweet FM > MD recording setup. It's in my car's dash, where I get excellent reception, and the tuner is built in with the recorder, so sound quality is always exactly as good as the original transmission.

If it can be heard from Chicago, let me know. I'll tape it.

EDIT: Oh shit, you're in Australia... yeah, I don't have any good shortwave equipment. Good luck man!

EDIT2: And yeah, I've heard satellite digital broadcasts on the XM network, and I wasn't really all that thrilled with it. It sounded off to me, maybe too "digital", I don't know the right word, but it convinced me to hold off on satellite for a little while. Besides, it would be a bitch to get satellite to work with my current in-dash setup and be able to record from it too, unless I sell my six disc CD changer and wire the satellite receiver into the digital in on my MD recorder-receiver. Hmmmm

[George]

hmm, say, if i bought a shortwave radio does that mean i could pickup all those sweet BBC concert broadcasts?  

[John R]

here's the response i got from xm:


Please view our website under the section "How It Works"(www.xmradio.com/how_it_works/satellites.html) for general information on the company.  You may also want to visit our Press Release dated 4/18/02 for an explanation on our Advanced Sound Quality Technology.  Unfortunately, we are unable to share any other technical details, as this information is proprietary.

it's not like i am trying to start a third network.  here's the pres release link:


http://www.xmradio.com/newsroom/screen/pr_2002_04_18.html

jr

[Terps]

FM has a stereo pilot carrier somewheres around 19Khz, yielding a frequency response at the equivalent of 38K sampling rate or less.

XM probably is being limited by the player. Do these things have analog or digital outputs ? What level or format ?

[Humbug]

I've never owned an FM tuner, but have been experimenting with a DAB tuner for the last couple of weeks.

I quite like the results but sharingthegroove has banned DAB radio recordings. See my other thread:

http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=23;action=display;threadid=16969

What do you guys reckon - return the DAB radio and buy an FM tuner instead?

[Humbug]

[sarcasm]
Thank you to everyone that has replied, huge help!
[/sarcasm]

Heres a site that is very critical of DAB radios:

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab_summary.htm

I think I'm going to return my DAB radio and swap it for a regular FM tuner.

[Tim]

[sarcasm]
Thank you to everyone that has replied, huge help!
[/sarcasm]