various equipment at radio station

1. “Various equipments at Radio Station"

2. NEERAJ KUMAR

3. Radio station
 Defination : “A radio station is a set of equipment
necessary to carry on communication via radio waves.
Generally, it is a receiver or transmitter, an antenna,
and some smaller additional equipment necessary to
operate them.”

4. Various Equipment at radio station
 In the studio…
 Audio Console
 Microphone
 Microphone Arm
 Playout and Automation Software
 Level Meters
 Studio Monitor Speakers
 Cue Speakers
 Headphones
 Talent Panel
 On Air Light
 Button Panel
 Phone Talkback System
 Intercom
 CD Players, DAT Machines, Mini Disc Players, & Turn Tables
 Microphone Processor

5. In the rack room…
 computer PABX
 KVM extender Off Air receiver
 Mix engine modulation monitor/fm analyser
 Audio router GPS clock system
 Audio i/o node server rack
 StduioHub audio codec
 Network Patch Bay satellite reciever
 Multipair Audio Cable DAB+/DRM/HD radio encoder
 Punch down block Audio patch bay
 Network router Silence detector & compact flash player
 Broadcast delegation switcher
 Rds encoder profanity delay
 Phone hybrid

6. At the transmitter site…
 Studio Transmitter Link
 FM Stereo Generator
 Composite Switcher
 FM Exciter
 FM Transmitter Power Amplifier
 Antenna Combiner
 Antenna Array
 Antenna Switcher
 Transmitter Remote Control
 Air Compressor

7. In the studio…
Audio Console:
At the heart
of any studio is the audio
console (sometimes called
a radio panel, sound panel,
or sound desk).
This is the interface
the radio announcer (or
panel operator) uses to
control what’s heard on air.

8. Microphone
A microphone captures
sounds from the studio and
turn it into electrical
impulses. Broadcast
microphones are designed
a little differently to PA
microphones, as issues
such as feedback (the
squealing sound that can
come through speakers)
isn’t an issue in a studio.

9. Microphone Arm
Studio microphones are
often mounted on a
special arm that keeps
the microphone at the
correct height. These
arms often extend over
the audio console,
computer monitors, and
other equipment –
leaving plenty of table
space free for equipment
and paper.

10. Level Meters:. To ensure
output of a station is somewhat
consistent, radio studios
contain different Level Meters.
These allow the announcer or
panel operator to see if their
audio is too loud or too quiet at
any given time.
Playout
&Automation Software:The
computer system that plays
back music, spots (ads, promos,
etc.) and sweepers (the little
voice-overs played between
songs) is called a Playout
System or Automation
Software.
Studio Monitor Speakers:Studio
Monitor Speakers provide an easy
way to hear what’s going to air
without headphones.

11. Cue/Preview Speaker:
A separate speaker is often
provided for the announcer
hear all audio that isn’t
going to air, such as the
preview output from your
audio console or the feed
from your audio editor.
Headphones:
Studio Monitor Speakers
are automatically muted
whenever a microphone is
turned on.
Talent Panel:
These panels are generally
mounted in front of each
guest microphone, usually
recessed into the table.

12. On Air Light:
How do you know a mic in
the studio is live? There’s a
light especially for that!
This light is automatically
turned on/off by the audio
console whenever a
microphone channel is
turned on.
Button Panel (GPIO):
Sometimes you need to
control settings not available
from the audio console itself.
This is why many consoles can
have at least one row of
configurable buttons.

13. Phone Talkback System:
If you want to take a lot of
calls on air, you’re going to
need a Phone
Talkback/Talkshow System.
Intercom: How do you
communicate easily between
studios?
CD Players:While most
pre-recorded audio these
days is played off a computer,
it’s not uncommon to find
these playback devices in a
studio (even just as a backup,
or a way to capture old
archival material).
Microphone Processor:
This keeps the levels
consistent, and helps tailor
the sound

14. Equipment Room, Master Control, Data Centre,

15. Computer: The most
common piece of equipment
in any radio station is by far
the computer
KVM Extender: A KVM
(Keyboard/Video/Mouse)
Extender allows remote
access and control of a
computer’s keyboard, mouse
and video output.
Mix Engine: If you have a
digital audio console, you’ll
need something to actually
“mix” and process the audio.
Audio Router:These
days, Audio Routers are
being replaced in favour of
IP-Audio Networks.

16. Audio I/O Node
StudioHub
Network Patch Bay
Multipair Audio Cable
Punch-down Block (Krone, etc.)
Network Routers

17. Network Switch:If you have computers or
any digital audio equipment, you’ll need a
network switch to allow everything to
communicate correctly.
Broadcast Audio Processor:Broadcast audio
processors contain speciality multi band
compressor/limiters, but also have a lot of
“magic” features to give your station that
competitive edge.
RDS Encoder: RDS (Radio Data System) is a
way of sending ASCII text and other metadata
to compatible radio receivers.
Phone Hybrid:If you want to take phone calls
on-air, you need a Phone Hybrid.
PABX:Private Automatic Branch Exchange)is
an in-house phone system, found in most
company offices.
Off Air Receiver:An Off-Air Receiver is a
radio locked to your station’s frequency.

18. Modulation Monitor / FM Analyser: A
Modulation Monitor (or FM Analyser) is a
special radio receiver designed for engineers
to monitor specific transmission
characteristics.
GPS Clock System: To ensure accurate
time-keeping, you may wish to use a GPS-
locked clock system.
Server Rack: Most broadcast equipment
comes mounted in a 19″ case. This is
compatible with standard server racks.
Audio Codec: speciality Audio Codecs
allow you to transport audio between
locations.
Satellite Receiver: Satellite is a common
delivery method for one-to-many audio
distribution.
DAB+/DRM/HD Radio Encoder: These
devices take your analog (or AES) audio and
wrap it up in the correct transport protocol
ready to be pulled into the multiplexer.

19. Audio Patch Bay: if you have a
predominantly analog facility,
perhaps without a central router, you
may need a audio patch bay to
interconnect and re-route audio.
Silence Detector & Compact
Flash Player: When all else fails, you
need a device to detect the silence
(“dead air”) and trigger some backup
content.
Delegation Switcher: Delegation
Switchers provide a way to switch
between studios and other audio
sources, selecting what goes to air.
Profanity Delay: Profanity Delays
(or “7 Second Delays”) are used to
stop inappropriate content from
going to air.

21. Studio Transmitter Link: A Studio/Transmitter
Link connects your studios with the transmitter site,
ensuring audio is reliably sent to the TX site.
FM Stereo Generator: A FM Stereo Generator
takes a stereo audio signal, and converts it into the
FM Baseband format. This contains the L+R
(Mono), L-R, and 19Khz Stereo Pilot Tone.
Composite Switcher: A Composite Switcher
allows you to switch between multiple Stereo
generators.
FM Exciter: The FM Exciter takes the FM Stereo
Baseband signal (from your Stereo Generator,
perhaps via the Composite Switcher), modulates it
on your licensed frequency.
FM Transmitter Power Amplifier: The
FM Power Amplifier (PA) takes the signal from the
FM Exciter and amplifies it to your licensed power.

22. Antenna Combiner: If you have
multiple FM Stations sharing one antenna
array, you need an Antenna Combiner.
Antenna Array: FM can be transmitted
with just one antenna, but this isn’t always
optimal. By adding more antennas to the
FM system you’re actually adding
additional gain.
Antenna Switcher: If you have
multiple antenna systems (perhaps for
redundancy), you’ll need a way to switch
between antennas.
Transmitter Remote Control: A
Transmitter Remote Control can be used
to monitor all transmission systems and
provide alarms if readings are outside
their acceptable tolerance.
Air Compressor: If you’re dealing with
high-powered transmission systems, you
need to keep the transmission line
(coaxial cable up to the antennas)
pressurised.

24. UPS: An Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) provides constant power to all
equipment.
Generator: UPS can only last so long.
To run for extended periods of time
during an outage, you need a generator
with a decent fuel supply.
Air-Conditioner: Equipment needs to
be cooled to keep it running smoothly and
maximise it’s lifetime.
Coffee Machine: Engineers and
announcers both like coffee. If the coffee
machine fails, you’ll probably be the first
to hear about it.