How to achieve that clear-crisp radio FM sound!

[stereofidelic]

FM radio compresses and amplifies their music like crazy, and i love it more than listening to my ipod in my car... i just love the clear-crisp sound of radio and i really want to achieve this by using audacity. I've experimented and toyed around, but its difficult not knowing what im doing. Anyone have any tips or tricks?? Thanks

[kozikowski]

You may be in love with the compression more than the quality. FM radio only has audio response up to 15000 Hz and very little past that, but you're right, they are all compressed.

I'd probably be working in Audacity 1.3 because those tools are much better than earlier programs.

Start with the equalizer. Select your audio. Effect > Equalization.

I created the FM frequency response equalizer curves in Audacity 1.3.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/FM.jpg

That's the basic curve. The important part is on the right. You can grab the corner of the equalizer tool window and keep making it larger until you can see what you're doing.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/FM_Detail.jpg

For some completely boring reasons, the frequency response of FM goes pretty good until 15000 and drops as a rock. It has to be completely gone by 19000. Click on the blue line and push it around until it looks like these illustrations.

The curve on the left isn't that important. It starts dipping at 50, but isn't a big deal.

While you're figuring out how to get your equalizer to do that, I'll go to bed and worry about the compressor tomorrow, assuming somebody else doesn't jump in first.

Koz

[steve]

Try the SC4 compressor. (and yes, you will probably find Audacity 1.3.x better for what you want).
http://plugin.org.uk/ladspa-swh/docs/la ... th_sEc2.91
(see top of the page for where to get it).

[alatham]

I have to admit this is the first time I've ever heard anyone describe FM radio as crisp and clean. It sounds unrealistically loud to me because of the compression.

[steve]

I know what you mean alatham, but it's good for listening to in the car without the quiet bits getting drowned out by road and engine noise.

In fact, there is a compressor plug-in for Audacity that has been specifically designed for listening to Classical music in cars:
http://pdf23ds.net/dynamic-compressor/
(works great for this purpose with the default settings)

[stereofidelic]

Ah thankyou verrry much! Though i couldnt tell the difference by my own speakers in my bedroom, i'll have to go and test it out for a drive in my car soon to see if it worked.

I downloaded Audacity beta 1.3x, opened up an mp3 music file and applied the equalization settings (though i admit it was complicated to get your exact settings) i strived to make it work... and then applied the default settings with the SC4 compressor...

I went to that page to look at the settings, but is it just descriptions of what each setting means? Or am i supposed to download something?

I tested both songs old and new in my car, they sound a little different... but this brings me to a whole new question..

Is there a way i can increase volume on my mp3s using audacity? My itrip doesnt play my ipod in the car loud enough. Thanks

[kozikowski]

Too much technology.

We gave you the settings to make your show sound like an FM transmitter channel and then you put the show through MP3 (which adds distortion) and through an iTrip (which is an actual FM transmitter and adds distortion) to listen in the noisy car on an FM auto radio.

Did I get all that?

What you really wanted way at the top was to make your iPod louder. I haven't messed with the compressor settings of any sort yet, so I bow to the experiences of others. Dynamic range compressors are the accepted way that everyone from AM Radio, to FM Radio, to trance and rap performances makes things louder. Louder is good. Remember the music producer that appeared in the back of Wired magazine whose one-to-ten sound system was never lower than eleven? He probably has a hearing aid now, but that's the way it works.

Koz

[steve]

Is there a way i can increase volume on my mp3s using audacity? My itrip doesnt play my ipod in the car loud enough.

I'm guessing this isn't Classical music. Google for "LADSPA Fast Lookahead Limiter" - you can compress the heck out of your music with that, then Normalize to -0.1dB, then Export as MP3 (use one of the LAME presets in Audacity 1.3)

[stereofidelic]

Maybe i misinterpreted, I do want to obtain the radio FM compressed sound, but i'd also like to learn how to increase the volume of an mp3 file...

When i listen to the radio in my car i can turn it up all the way and be satisfied, but with my ipod forwhatever reason it only goes up so far.

Ive done exactly what was shown to me above, the equalization process... do you know how to compress it?

[kozikowski]

<<<Google for "LADSPA Fast Lookahead Limiter" >>>

I'm guessin' that's too fuzzy. Which file exactly, how do I decompress it, where do install it so Audacity sees it, and how do I set it up for FM compression?

Koz