broadcast compressors

[datafeist]

Hi,

Is there a big difference between broadcast compressors or compressors for music?

[huub]

Depends; compressors used in broadcast are usually just good sounding compressors, so no difference. (used for speech and music and such)
Compressors used in transmission, so the ones that process the complete signal are different beasts.
In radio, fairly extreme processors (such as orban optimod) are used to level out the signal, they clip the signal and do other stuff to optimize the signal for analog FM broadcast.
Less extreme versions of these devices are usually used in TV, to make sure that all programs (foreign programs and movies usually are mixed to different levels than local programmes) have kind of the same level. These are also complex digital levelling devices, so no simple compressors.

New 5.1 HD audio levels is a different story alltogether, I won't get into Dolby Metadata and dialnorm

[DannyL]

To sort of quote Gertrude Stein: "A compressor is a compressor is a compressor"

It is nice to think that broadcast compressors are high quality units, but in fact, DBX 160a's are the most popular. In my work in tv trucks I have seen everything from Neve to Alessis, quite literally.

IN the tv transmission chain limiters are most often employed. In radio stations will use compression to extend their apparent signal range, so sometimes one sees more radical examples of usage.

[12ax7]

Originally Posted by datafeist

Hi,

Is there a big difference between broadcast compressors or compressors for music?

Broadcast processors involve much more than compression.

They use every trick in the book to make everything as loud as possible without violating the law.

This territory is the "ground zero" of the loudness wars.

[surflounge]

slight explanation here Juenger Audio

[tribeofenki]

12ax7 got right. Check orban or audia sites to discover the huge signal-chains inside their hardware.

Recent software emulations created modular parts of those chains: http://www.lawo.de