Warts and All

Imagine knowing with absolute certainty that the good ‘ole days really were not all that good. One of the best tools I have had over the years is an audio tape diary I kept in my teens. The most consistent batch of these tapes sweep a two month period in the spring of 1984, just prior to my high school graduation in June of that year.

The kid on those tapes is alien to me: moody, overly-sensitive, and rigid. Not at all like I am in my “maturity”.

Most people do not have the luxury of actually replaying their youth in crystal clear stereo. The obvious topic of the diary is my fledgling radio career. Each daily entry features a scoped aircheck of the day. Looking back, I was an ungracious host for my listeners on my afternoon gospel music radio show. “I’m tired of playing this song,” I’d complain openly on-air, “It has one more chance.” When you made a request to my show you were almost punished for calling the station. I was learning to juggle a new career, the pressures of graduation, and teenage social drama.

I cringe at the thought of my formative years. By the next year, with school behind me, I had ironed out many of the rough edges having learned through self-critique. Man, it’s painful now listening to those old shows. To my credit, I was making it up as I went along. At this first station, the deejays had free reign minus any accountability. Honestly, I wouldn’t have lasted very long at a real radio station.

In 2011, the diary still serves a purpose: honest reflection, warts and all.

Stay tuned.

The Bridge

Although it was (and still is) a great idea, Christian Country failed to make an impact on Religious radio when it first emerged in the late 80’s. The notion of mixing musical styles and creating a new art form is how many great genres got started. Rock-n-roll would have gone nowhere without a solid foundation of  Rhythm ‘n Blues and Hillbilly influences; throw in Gospel rhythms for good measure. Christian Country blended Southern Gospel and CCM producing a hybrid that sounded a lot like progressive Country music not dissimilar to modern artists like Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, and others.

Traditionally Southern Gospel, The Dixie Melody Boys (at the time known for their hits, Antioch Church Choir and Good ‘Ole Boys ) moved toward a more contemporary direction, introducing a decidedly more electric sound. The band had flipped from a very traditional quartet to Rock-meets-Country and now called themselves the DMB Band. Under that moniker, they produced at least two albums, Run Little Brother and Streetwise, both very good records (probably their best.)

Unfortunately, Christian Country was a flash in the pan, and DMB Band reclaimed their former identity.

Today’s audio post is a commercial I voiced for a DMB Band concert held at a venue I provided: my home church. Turnout at the show was great, but my conservative pastor was soured by the experience. He had seen a roadie smoking a cigarette, outside on the church grounds and vowed that they’d never host a similar event again.

Additionally, the promoter had hired a no-name local SG group to sing on the bill along with DMB. The clash in style and quality of presentation was evident. It was Nashville polish meets wannabe garage band.  I enjoyed the show, but was embarrassed for DMB due to a perfect storm of poor planning. It was not the crossover bridge I had envisioned (lesson learned.)

DMB Band Tonight

Stay Tuned.

What’s the Frequency?

Back in September 1986 my station put me, at age 20, in charge of conceptualizing how our new CCM format should sound. I did my best coming up with new imaging. In reality, using a young guy on such an important task was probably a setup. Should the new format fail, who else was to blame but the kid. I tried duplicating the sound of popular FM stations across the dial who had professional voice-over artists produce their jingle packages. Using top CCM hits of the day, I made a few  low budget station legal ID’s; adding my own personal touch. Presented today for the first time. Download here or press play below.

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J900 Legal ID’s

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Stay Tuned.

Instant Lost Aircheck

Overlooked for years, today’s recording is a gospel aircheck from September, 1984. Being a deejay in a mild coastal climate has its perks, like hurricanes. This capture of WWJD 900 AM in Savannah, Georgia illustrates how Hurricane Diana threatened the Coastal Empire back then. Fortunately, the storm passed over the area without significant damage. It also demonstrates a first attempt at instant play requests: just another day at the office. Download here or press play below.

10 September 1984 WWJD 900 Khz (scoped) Panasonic RX-5030

Stay Tuned.

Navigate G.A.

Here’s a note for all readers: the newly remodeled Gospel Rewind blog site is full of multi media content, especially audio. Make sure to link on over to the actual page for the full experience. That goes for those of you reading from Facebook, a reader, or even e-mail.  Currently I have the latest half dozen or so posts just under the header. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you’ll find nearly all the Gospel Rewind shows we’ve done since 2009. In the sidebars we will be adding new stuff occasionally as well. Happy blogging.

Stay tuned.

Rocktober’s Silver Anniversary

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the last official board mix aircheck I recorded at gospel radio home number one, “J900”. Listen below or download here.

16 October 1986 Unscoped J900 Aircheck Neal Rhoden

Stay tuned.

Full Circle

Today I was looking back on my youth. (So what else is new.) In “Rock Even a Mom will Love”, a post from 2009 we talked about a pivotal concert going experience I had in 1985. A newspaper reporter observed those 26 years ago that although this was your typical smoke-and-mirrors rock show, comparable to Michael Jackson or Madonna; it was a show where he remarked, “area kids…[took] mom and dad to a rock concert.” At the same time parents exposed their children to “loud, modern music with a Christian message.”

In 2011 there is no major Contemporary Christian Music crossover acts comparable to 1985’s  Amy Grant or Stryper that I can take any of my 4 kids to see. Currents CCM artists just don’t do the big shows anymore. Despite the critics who called these acts sellouts, I think it was good for our kids and culture at large. Christian music needs exposure outside our churches and into the big venues again. Listen to the radio commercial for the 1985 CCM show; slick production values with secular crossover appeal.

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14 Oct 1985 Amy Gran Concert

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Stay tuned

Tradio Radio

While reviewing old posts I stumbled on this gem from 2009 about a unique feature of many small radio stations across the rural USA—Swap Shop. I realized one glaring omission: I failed to mention the Swap Shop on my third radio home, WDCY.  By September, 1990 management decided we start one of these shows. Along with morning obituaries, the Birthday Club, and  birth announcements we were the ultimate small market cliché.

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If you have 15 minutes to spare, gospel radio home number four is shown on this YouTube video I made a couple of years ago. There is a brief segment shot during Swap Shop.

The Grand Tour, WBKI in 1993

Stay Tuned.

Technorati Tags: small market radio

Dead Links

No I’m not talking about breakfast; although some Hillshire Farm ‘Lil Smokies® or Polska Kielbasa sausage sound good about now. The kind of links I mean are the audio samples oft times featured in Gospel Aircheck. Basically there is a file sharing service that I use to store my audio and it provides an Internet link so you can either download or play directly from the blog.

It irks me when one doesn’t work—the dreaded dead link. I depend on a file to be 1oo% playable all of the time. Last post I presented an old commercial that no longer plays. What’s funny is that the adjacent file is just fine. What a mystery.

This is a round about way of saying that it would be nice to receive feedback when this happens. It keeps me on my toes. I have already discovered a few more bad links myself and am in the process of firing the culprit. Links will be repaired when and if possible. For now, I’m hungry. Pass the syrup.

Stay tuned.

Re-imagined

Like anyone with a somewhat artistic temperament, once I create something I am never finished with it. Recently, we warmed up the old Gospel Aircheck studios to revisit an ancient piece of copy I wrote in 1984 for the inaugural Christian Youth Skate we discussed last time. The script became a 30 second spot that I also provided the voice-over for. The Music bed was an overlap mix of two songs our management restricted from airplay because they were judged too hot. It’s hilarious that Water Grave by the Imperials and Home of the Lord by Sandi Patti (duet with Russ Taff) were taboo because they sounded a lot like rock music on a mostly Southern Gospel station that in reality played everything from the Happy Goodmans to Amy Grant. Gospel 90 had an inconsistent standard when it came to music selection, to say the least. Label the format more “psycho variety” than anything else.

Anyway, the point is that I used my music bed selection as a deliberate stab against this hypocritical system. Somehow, if a song had a strong drum beat or an electric guitar solo, it was a no-no.  The Youth Skate gave me license to rock (yeah, right.)

Back to the present: not necessarily in this order, I remixed the original music bed, taking bass licks and drum beats, digitally enhancing and looping them. Next, I added stereo effects (laser blast stingers) and manipulated the sound by re-panning some of the original elements until the music sounded unlike it ever did before. I didn’t use my 1984 reading of the copy. We used a Sennheiser MD-421 mkII (mid-90’s vintage); the same type microphone I had at the station for the new vocal track. In 27 years my voice has changed quite a bit, so it can be considered a completely reimagined version done just for the heck of it. The 1984 original can be downloaded here and the newly redone skate commercial here. Or just click below. See what you think.

1984 Original Christian Youth Skate, press play

2011 Reimagined Christian Youth skate, press play

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Stay Tuned

Ready to Roll

My first Christian skate parties have been crazy fun writing about, but what leads up to the actual parties is also what makes my teen years so captivating in my, ahem, 40’s.

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I forget exactly how I, with only a year deejay experience, am chosen to host the Christian Youth Skate in that summer of ‘84, but my personal theory is that at 18 years of age I am considered a natural for the job. My intestinal butterflies notwithstanding, the show goes on without a hitch.

Todays post is about my “controversial”  music selections, all of them still in my archive these 27 years later. My station manager gives me an enormous stack of CCM albums our predominately Southern Gospel format excludes—a windfall for me. My favorite discovery: Sweet Comfort Band, Perfect Timing (I occasionally listen to that record now.) These record company freebies, courtesy of Gospel 90, also include the phenomenal Age to Age by Amy Grant (especially the crowd pleaser song, Fat Baby). This set of promotional Lp’s also adds Petra's wonderfully bizarre Not of this World, one of my early ‘80’s favs.

Some of the crowd (represented by buzz-kill adult chaperones) are not pleased by the heavily rock and pop-influenced Contemporary Christian I play. But, who can dance or skate to elevator music? In response, I crank-up the speakers to drown out the fuddy-duddies. If its too loud, you’re too old, pal. Not that I am a rebel; to the contrary, I have a hard time shedding my shaped-note, four part harmony heritage as well: mixed emotions. But I maintain an open mind. It sounds closer to the current top-40 I, as a teen, secretly listen to. Looking back,  in those days most local church youth groups have yet to emerge from stodgy traditionalism.  To them CCM is merely a substitute for “evil” secular music. The beat, in and of itself, is seen, by association, as of the Devil. (A famous television evangelist makes that assertion in a CCM magazine interview  and, ironically, falls from grace amidst a very public sexual scandal in 1988. Many church leaders of the era consider his views Gospel.)

Not to cast stones, I never have understood why many Southern Christians reject, and downright fight this Wonder Bread wholesome style of music performed by Honest to Goodness Believers and I probably never will. Another theory: this televangelist  sees CCM as a threat to his livelihood, at the time peddling his own brand of gospel records. Everyone has a hidden agenda.

“For the love of money is the root of all evil”—1 Timothy 6:10 KJV. Translation: greed is evil, not matter what  Wall Street says.

The skate parties have sparked a life-long love of the genre. The Youth Skate only lasts a summer, but the musical treasures remain—priceless.

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See the original post that inspired this story at our sister blog: Aircheck.

Stay tuned.

What Now?

Unfortunately, nothing good (luckily also, nothing bad) lasts forever.  The Peanut Whistle will go on but I am afraid radio broadcasting as I have known it is on its last legs. I have been blessed to spend a relatively short time in the industry. Roughly from May, 1983 until August of 1995—12 years. Even in 1983 radio, particularly AM, begins a terminal decline. However, it isn’t until 1996, following the consolidation of radio when I see the final nail in the coffin. Large conglomerates are now allowed to gobble up little stations in all markets into a cookie cutter clusters centrally programmed via satellite, voice tracking, the list goes on.

Stations like my first are victim of “consolidation.” The memories only remain.

The radio dial pre-1996 is a wonderfully diverse place. Yes, there are some really bad ones thrown in with the good; at least, to me, the diversity makes this ancient business much more appealing then than now.

The point is moot. Internet services like Pandora (which I use more than real radio for music, anyway) are actually getting better ratings in our top ten markets than over-the-air broadcasting. The future is on the Web, obviously.

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The Next few ‘Whistle posts will chronicle my 2011 journey back to the present day: my futile struggle getting back into radio. Maybe you can’t go home again.

Stay tuned.

Joyful Noise

Recently I attended a music convention held for the last decade or so in Louisville, Kentucky. Previously, it took place in Music city USA—Nashville, Tennessee (from 1971-1993).  It began in various towns all throughout the southern United states including Memphis, Birmingham and my home town Atlanta, Georgia.

The National Quartet Convention is a week long event aimed at Southern Gospel music fans. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007 and shows no sign of slowing down. Music overload, jam-packed with everything SG. I’m wore out, but loved every minute.

One more item off the old bucket list. In 2012, the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards® return to Atlanta, this blogger intends to be there as well.

Keep it in the red.

All Together Now

What first sold me on the 2011 National Quartet Convention, although I’m not a huge SG fan per se, was the fact that the Gaither Vocal Band were hosting an Afternoon Showcase performance. Not only were the current lineup singing, but it was a reunion of all the past members (except for Guy Pinrod, conspicuously absent.)

Angie and I made it just in time for the show having traveled six hours from Atlanta. Thank God for GPS. Cracker Barrel, and rest stops. Boy was it worth it! The impromptu nature of the set was thrilling to hear; as though Bill Gaither was arranging as they went along. For us this Thursday Session was the highlight of the whole convention. Gaither Vocal band has always successfully blended southern and more progressive sounds. I have followed GVB since their early ‘80’s inception and continue to be a fan although they were a little more Contemporary Christian in the beginning. This is a group not easily pigeonholed. In the early 90’s Gaither shifted his emphasis in a more southerly direction. But, that is alright.

Most fans are familiar with the Reunion video series. Gaither has done an excellent job preserving the best of our southern heritage. On Friday, the NQC presented the entire Reunion cast in a heavenly choir. Despite the cramped seating in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Expo Center the whole experience, at least musically, was a lifetime dream fulfilled. More on the other performances in future posts.

Stay tuned.

Four Part Harmony

for long time readers of Gospel Aircheck, welcome back! I felt this was the perfect time to return to one of my favorite topics, southern gospel.

As a youth I was knocked out by Contemporary Christian Music at a time when most of my peers had never heard of Petra, Amy Grant or the Imperials.

Up until then I had cut my teeth on the likes of the Oak Ridge Boys, The Happy Goodman Family, and especially Andrae Crouch. In those days it was all gospel music to me. The various styles had yet to splinter into the sub-genres we know today. These days it seems that the Dove Awards are the only place the divergent forms mix—never mingling on the radio anymore.

The older I get, the more the music of my formative years draws me back. Don’t get me wrong I still love to rock but the soothing nature of voices in harmony against a simple musical accompaniment comforts these aging bones.

Recently my wife Angie and I spent our second honeymoon at the 2011 National Quartet Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. We had a great time. Both of us share a love and passion for gospel music. Like Donnie and Marie Osmond she’s a little bit Country and I’m a little bit Rock-n-Roll (rest easy, the two of us aren’t related.) The point is one balances the other. The NQC has been something I wanted to do since I first heard of it nearly 30 years ago. The next couple of posts will detail our adventure.

Stay tuned.

Positively Rockin'

Not that anything I know about broadcasting is applicable in today's Internet/computer driven business model, it does ignite some spark for my new show Positive Rock on the World Wide Web.

Will it detonate or be a dud?

The Board will share the process as it unfolds. After all, this is only my part-time gig.

Keep it in the red.

Burying the Needle

Vinyl's resurgence lately has me scouring local thrift stores for records that I got rid of many years ago when I decided to switch over to CD's. Good news: I have found many that I discarded (or sold) in haste yea those eons ago; now in 2011, all of them were less than a dollar! And a few were still unopened in their original shrink wrap. I don't know who would keep a record unopened for 30 years, but...thank you.

Humans run on analog sound. Currently there has been a backlash from audiophiles fatigued by the clinical precision of digital. Me? I see value in both methods of sound recording. Analog for its forgiving nature (often adding flattering colors to original sound) and digital for its ease of editing without generational loss.

Not intending to revise history, 25 years ago I really saw the compact disc as a step forward. Nostalgia is part of the needle-in-groove mystique; right now I am all wrapped up in the good old days.

Keep it in the red.

Bailing Wire and Duct Tape

Two years ago I posted Beam Me Up Scottie. It was about a the raggedy little 5kw radio station where I got my start as a disk jockey and button-pusher. There we faced numerous challenges, including frequent power failures due to thunderstorms; so frequent, in fact, that one of my associates on the FM side once quipped, “someone could pee down the street and we’d go off the air.”

I never quite figured it out. I don’t believe that our chief engineer was necessarily bad. The owners were cheap.

Case in point: one time our studio location (not the tower site) had a power failure that would have crippled us for several days. Our engineer remedied the situation by installing a generator. The problem was that he had to use a very small gas powered affair that was more suitable for a campsite rather than all our office lights and equipment. Every time I played a commercial from a cart machine the audio was comically slowed down and the lights dimmed (the electrical load was just too much for the little putt-putt generator.)

Like a surgeon forced to use a butter knife, our engineer did the best he could with the resources our frugal owners provided.

Stay tuned.

A Higher Education

Coming from the School of Hard Knocks has its advantages. There is also a downside: gaps in knowledge. Take my old radio career. I was not a rube. I picked up a lot on the job, but I always felt something was missing. In 1983 I was trained by someone who himself had learned on the job—no formal broadcast education. He was opinionated and ill-informed in a lot of ways. His attitudes and beliefs rubbed off on me, this impressionable 17 year old. Most of my real education came from the trade journals of the day, including: Billboard, Radio World, Broadcasting and countless other specialty publications; just like I had learned how to hear with a critical ear  from Stereo Review, Audio, Mix and EQ magazines.  For a while after graduation I interned at a very small recording studio supplemental to my disk jockey work. I assumed college would be redundant. After all, I was enrolled in the University of Life majoring in my own cherry-picked curriculum.

By 1989 I was at radio home number 2.  At this time the station hired a hot-shot station manager that was going to turn around our failing enterprise. The owners had, by this point, exhausted two other managers who had big dreams too. The station had been for sale since 1987 and I was ready to throw in the towel. The new guy was different. He had a real college education with a degree in communications—the only associate of mine ever with that distinction. Thankfully he filled in a few gaps in my understanding by patiently working with me. My on-air performance grew to the point that I no longer resembled the nervous  teen of only 6 years previous. I finally matured and sounded pro. In 1990 the station sold. The new owner never appreciated the best manager that station ever had, eventually demoting and firing him. By 1991 my role diminished, so I left as well.

By 1992 I was working with my favorite manager again, still learning from him. Regrettably, the station was on a weak signal in a very small town so all efforts were basically in vain. A year later radio home number four had become a memory.

Today, the public library and the Internet have become my university. Many of the remaining gaps are quickly filling; too little, too late. Now it’s all academic.

Stay tuned.

Back to the Money Room

“This room pays the bills.” One of my 1980’s radio cohorts used to say. Amen to that; the radio production room is where the local commercials are recorded and prepared for broadcast (except the agency spots produced by outside studios, which are dubbed to another tape for airing).

Spending the majority of my radio experience in the religious format stations shielded me from the dishonest practices of my secular counterparts: payola, shady barters, etc. We had to fight for every dime of revenue and often leaned on the crutch of brokered time preacher show for an overwhelming majority of it. A good 30-40% of our day was preacher shows. That gave me plenty of time to hone my production skillset.

I learned an amazing amount in a short period of time on the analog gear of the era (not state-of-the-art even then.) My limitations were actually better for my development in the long run. 2011 digital whiz-bang gadgetry would have stunted my growth; I’m thankful in retrospect.

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Having said all that, here is a concise look into my typical production method(s).

• Start with the copy (or script of the commercial). It is usually typed, double-spaced and in all CAPS, read through a few times. In 1993, I began practicing reading copy into a small Panasonic tape recorder before the actual production began. Prior to this I would do a cold read or two into the Reel-to-reel in production. If I got it in one take: done. If not: record over and over again until “perfect.” The practice reads were a real time saver. Literally. 30 second spots had to run exactly 29.5 seconds 59.5 for a 60.
• Then, choose a music “bed.” Most of my stations had purchased large libraries of cheesy royalty free background music and sound effects on vinyl albums. Many of the stations I worked for used real music, probably illegally, I plead ignorance.
• Next, I set the levels. The vocal first with the ubiquitous tape delay echo. Then, the music bed (if any) set so it did not drown the messenger.
• Now I would record to the “master” tape. ¼ inch tape running at 7.5 or (later) 15 ips.
• With all of this assembled I would dub the master take to another tape, a broadcast cartridge (or “cart”) for use on the air. Although in later years, for better quality, I skipped the reel-to-reel and went direct to cart.

With all of this rigmarole taken care of, I forgot to make an archive copy for my demo reel. Often I would make cassette copies of the carts for posterity; they are few and far between. The cassette dubs were sometimes muddy third generation copies until I had the foresight of going direct to cassette simultaneously with the open reel or cart direct recordings. In the late 80’s I felt cassette was the best archival medium, due to the impending obsolescence of reel-to-reel. I have only a miniscule fraction of my total production output committed to the archive. With hard disk drives today I suppose all my commercials would be saved. God help us.

Stay tuned

Say Again?

It’s summer, time for re-runs. For our younger readers: back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, new television shows were seen in a season that lasted from about mid-September (coinciding with new car model introductions) until late-May (when we all were excused from our studies for summer break.) During the summertime, TV repeated the previous season’s episodes; these shows were re-runs.

For a TV nut such as myself, summer was miserable waiting for the fall return of my favorite shows. On the flip-side, I seldom recall a show airing a repeat episode during the regular season. Today’s TV is different, re-runs are telecast throughout the regular season and new shows are regularly aired in the summer. Some of the new shows are exclusively premiered during these hot months.

Angie and the girls are enjoying the new season of Big Brother on CBS while I excuse myself to nap. I had rather sleep than watch this crap.  I can’t wait until September when the real season starts.

Stay tuned.

Retro Modern

Here I go again. Going forward with my Hi-Fi Console idea.

First some (very brief) history: For many years from the early 1950’s up through the mid-70’s various manufacturers; General Electric,  Magnavox, Curtis Mathis, Zenith, and many others made all-in-one stereo cabinets. Usually these units resembled fine furniture. What set apart these credenzas from their solid wood counterparts was what they concealed. Underneath their lids were automatic record changers, AM/FM radios. Some hid behind faux drawer fronts reel-to-reel and 8-track cartridge tape players. Some contained color TV sets flanked with fairly large loudspeakers.

They had a warm, soothing, booming sound most people associate with tube electronics (although the newer consoles were solid state.)  Credit the large, hollow cabinet space for most of the boom boom.

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Inspiration for my idea comes from an article I read in Stereo Review many years ago about a woman who had such a console updated with audiophile quality components and speakers, replacing the old works while retaining the original appearance. It was like dropping a 351 cubic inch v-8 in a Ford Focus. Ever since then I have been inspired to do a similar project (both with a compact car “sleeper” and a stereo, I might add.)

The record players, amps and speakers in these vintage units were not all that special to begin with. For example, I hate record changers. They are overly complicated, mechanically. They are noisy. And changers damage vinyl records by stacking them one on top of another.

But I love the look and finish of these consoles. The furniture aspects are aesthetically appealing. Why these units fell out of favor is a mystery. Blame component rack systems and the public’s desire for portability. Whatever the case, this retro look can’t be beat. Instead of chasing an original unit I have decided to design and build my own console stereo. Here are some of my ideas:

• make it a “modular” design so components can be swapped.
• conceal the components while providing adequate ventilation and access.
• use standard 19” rack mount professional electronics: tuner, amps, CD player, etc.
• utilize heavy duty drawers to slide electronics in and out of the cabinet, especially for a turntable, due to the need for easy top access

By the time I am finished the project it will probably evolve into a custom entertainment center cabinet. Here’s to the process!

Stay tuned.

The Hi-Fi, Final Chapter

Appraisal

The project is underway first with the rat’s nest of wiring. The half century old harness is in surprisingly good shape; all solder joints still intact. Very little rust is present. Dust and grime are abundant. Using this unit daily would be problematic, so I choose to trash this fire hazard wiring.

When I energize the unit in 2009, the radio performs well on both AM and FM although the switching between sources is quite scratchy and inconsistent (volume, tone and selector switches need contact cleaner). The ancient tube amplifier powers the built in speakers just fine with more than acceptable fidelity. Audio out of the left side of the cabinet is distorted on bass sounds (I suspect a cracked woofer.) The left loudspeaker is water damaged beyond repair. I keep the right one for a souvenir. The automatic record changer is useless. Even when new it was not exactly state-of-the-art. By 2011, I need a new game plan as far as the electronics are concerned. I decide to purge the contents and start with an empty carcass. What is left concerns me.

Conclusion

On close inspection the hi-fi actually looks better than it is. The unit is made with birch plywood with a rosewood veneer, mostly ½” with a few ⅛” panels. The only solid wood appears to be a long board that reinforces the back and the 4 tapered legs turned in late ‘50 modern style. The top is distressed from years of storage and abuse. The finish has long lost its sheen. A peek underneath the lid reveals what the cabinet must have been in its former glory.

The deeper I dive into the console, the more I am convinced to scrap it altogether before drowning in an unrewarding money pit. Realizing that the old GE console is more of a family relic than a truly vintage representation of hi-fi art, my mission now is to find a better example then restore it. Better yet, I will design and build my own.

Stay Tuned.

The Hi-fi, Part 2.0

I have returned to my entertainment center as a project that combines my woodworking skills (or lack thereof), electronics knowledge, and radio wiring expertise.

This stage in the game is my planning phase: taking photos and making measurements. Some of the crazy things that I have considered for the 50 year old cabinet are; a complete restoration of the original tube electronics, dropping in new “guts”, replacing the old works with a professional grade turntable of the period, or just modifying the case for a more universal purpose.

Considering budget and the fact that the console was water damaged during long storage, the latter option was the preferred route. I intend to reinterpret the design and use the hi-fi as a home for my present am/fm receiver, speakers, HDTV, and Blu-ray player. 

Stay Tuned.

 

©2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.

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Click on photos to enlarge in new window.

The Money Room

Continuing our tour of my second radio home, let’s walk in to the adjacent “Production Room”. This is the money room. All of the commercial spots were cut here. Shoebox shaped, the area accommodated up to two announcers (2 booms with Sennheiser microphones).

Effects were limited to vocal compression and tape echo. But the studio sounded superb thanks to the Urei board, Otari and Tascam tape decks. Vinyl playback was on the coveted Technics SP-15 Turntables. Most commercials were mastered on ¼” tape, then dubbed to the Audicord Cart Recorder; although, sometimes I would go live to cart. The station was all balanced professional broadcast equipment. No consumer level gear was used. (That’s me rocking the mike in 1988 from production.) I spent the majority of my work day there. More freedom and creativity spurred my affection for this place.

Despite its small size the WSPZ production room was, in a word, cool.

Stay tuned.

©2011 Neal Rhoden, the Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All rights Reserved.

Technorati Tags: Broadcast Radio Equipment

Virtual Tour

Today is the first installment of what will become a permanent page on our companion Aircheck Blog. Since no video tour was shot of my second radio home like WBKI on YouTube was, Peanut Whistle presents a look at my control room from radio home number two in Atlanta (Douglasville, GA), WSPZ in still photo(s). The owners had just remodeled the station with new equipment. I was in Hog Heaven.

Here’s a brief list of the Goodies:

• Urei 1683 8 Channel Stereo Console (control)
• Urei 5 Channel Stereo Console (production room)
• Otari MX 50-50B 2-Track Analog Tape Decks (2)
• Tascam 122B Audio Cassette Decks (3)
• Belar Modulation Monitor
• Electro-Voice Sentry 100a Studio Monitors (4)
• Technics SP-15 Turntables (4)
• Sennheiser  MD-421 Microphones (2)
• DBX 160x Compressor/Limiters (2)

Enjoy the tour.

Stay Tuned

©2011 Neal Rhoden, The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.

Technorati Tags: Broadcast Radio Equipment

Restomod

I was inspired by car restoration hobbyists for my most resent idea: “restomod.” You see, some people actually have enough cash to turn a junk yard jewel (hint: sarcasm) and transform it into a true classic. Rust buckets all over the world have be resurrected. Purists insist on ground up restorations with “numbers matching” parts. In other words, these cars are returned to factory fresh condition with original parts.

Another camp of car enthusiasts subscribe to a different philosophy—modification and restoration or restomod. Basically, they obtain a donor car (usually just a body) and build it up with modern high performance parts. The resulting car winds up resembling the original, but it drives, handles, and performs on par with modern state-of-the-art vehicles.

On to my idea. This combines two of my passions, cars and broadcast radio equipment. What if I find an old fashioned radio mixing console, gut the electronics and replace them with today’s best professional audio components. Most of those old boards were very roomy inside, like a ‘57 Chevy, and would lend themselves to extreme modifications. The exterior would be restored to original factory fresh appearance and function; the best of both worlds, classic ergonomic design with stellar 21st century sonics.  I would fill my fantasy studio with such equipment, like the console pictured above. It’s an old Broadcast Electronics Spotmaster, the one I learned on. It was maintenance deferred, sounded like crap, but was easy to “drive.”

Recently, I stumbled on a guy who has done this. Here is a link to the site for photos and more information.

Stay tuned

© 2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.

What’s a Chirbit?

So I am toying with a new service on the Internet that has been billed (by an anonymous source) as the audio equivalent of YouTube. Well,  Jim O’Neal (my one time radio moniker) has a new account with this site. It is called Chirbit. Listen here or press play in the side bar (available for a limited time.) This is a promo done by the famous Speer Family for a southern gospel music show on my second radio home.

Stay tuned

©2011 Neal Rhoden (aka Jim O’Neal). Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.

Audio Alchemy

During my first 4 years in radio I worked in a studio wired for monaural sound only. Stereo aircheck recording was not feasible with the available equipment. However, in 1985, I used a small “disco” mixer to make stereo mix tapes for personal use. Previously, I experimented with re-routing the left and right outputs of a single turntable to the two mono pre-amps then into program and audition respectively; successfully recording in stereo. This method was cumbersome because the left and right inputs were controlled by two separate knobs on the board (one routed to audition, the other to program.)

The studio’s Technics SP-15 turntables audio cords were re-routed from the usual phono pre-amplifiers to the small (cheap) stereo mixer. The diagram on the right is a speculative idea of what if I had used this set up to record an actual aircheck. Using this type mixer would have been real world challenging due, in part, to its inability to switch on and off monitors and microphone.

By 2009 I had the ability of digitally isolating the live vocal portions of my original aircheck recordings and carefully synchronizing in stereo music from CD’s and other digital files (mp3, wav, etc.) It was impossible to remove all unwanted mono audio. Some “phasing” between the new stereo and old mono occurred.

With this in mind an alternate wiring path would have been preferable for future “stereo rebuilds”. The simple diagram to the left illustrates an easy method of electrically isolating the DJ microphone from the (mono) music and other prerecorded elements of my shows. The isolated vocal tracks could have been later used to assemble a true stereo mix, either analog or digital.

Stay tuned

©2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All rights reserved.

Rockin’ the Mic

Once again the Peanut Whistle returns home. Last post I shared the news of my newest venture in voice, a small production at my home church honoring the Easter season called the Choice. We’re pleased with the results. Friday night’s performance went off without a hitch, although the turnout was less than expected (about 110 attended besides the cast and crew.) Sunday’s event played to a near capacity crowd. Considering that we only had a week and a half to prepare the play was well executed both times. As far as my narration, Friday felt better. Video was recorded; I hope to review and share it here at a later date. If the play has been posted I will share some highlights here.

Stay tuned.

©2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All rights reserved.

Back in the Air Chair, Sort of

A few days ago Peanut Whistle took the “Traveling Microphone” (thanks Paul Harvey) to metro Atlanta Georgia. It seems I have been asked to narrate an Easter presentation for my church. So far the process has been a bit more challenging than previous endeavors.

When working with volunteer talent one is faced with various levels of expertise. One thing learned over the last several years is patience with those, shall we say, less experienced in the arts. It is a big theatrical presentation that our director, the music pastor (also in the role of  Jesus), has taken on the unenviable task of overseeing. As for me, the narrator’s booth is really the most cushy job I’ve had, except for the mentioned patience challenge. As we say in the South: “Bless their hearts.”

Stay tuned

©2011 the Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All rights reserved.

Stalled in the Blogosphere

Two years ago we intended to write much more frequently. The Peanut Whistle was originally a way to present my war stories from the world of small market radio and my other pursuits that stemmed from it. Now it’s 2011 and most of my stories (many of them 25+ years old) have been told (and often retold.) What now? Make new stories.

In 2009 we started an experimental Internet radio station called the GRIN. It flopped after a short time; although, along the way, we gained a few loyal fans of my particular radio show. Some local folks never knew I was in radio, not expecting me to be the big voice behind the mic. As a result of my recent exposure on the web I have been asked to narrate the Easter program at my church. I will once again be in the booth reading copy--this time around actually seeing my listeners. I begin practice tonight.

Stay tuned.

©2011 The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All rights reserved.

Phoning it In

Welcome to the Peanut Whistle. I am phoning it in today. No, I am not being lazy, this is just a test of the Blogger post via text.

 Stay tuned.

Flirting With Country

In 2010 we posted the following aircheck recording. It is 2011 and the 20th anniversary of this particular show for my alter ego,  Jim O’Neal. Just a bit of insight:  most of the radio staff had been fired and I was now on-air 6 days a week. The station’s boneheaded owner was flipping our religious music format to Country. The change was a closely guarded secret. Monday, February 4, 1991 (the day of the format flip) is on the second half of the recording  which is preceded with O’Neal’s last Saturday Morning Addition Show to feature Southern Gospel music. Download here or press play below.

Feb 2 and 4, 1991 Jim O’Neal Morning Edition

Stay Tuned

©2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All rights reserved

Polar Opposites

Long ago I prepared a show that I intended to air. The goal in my young mind was an in depth expose into the debate hot, at the time, among Christian believers—musical style.

In the final analysis, there was no clear winner. Some felt that my station should play only one genre of Gospel music typical of which was lots of Country twang and four part harmony. Another style rich in tradition; represented by soulful singers such as Mahalia Jackson, the Winans, and Shirley Caesar. Then there was the Top 40 derived Contemporary Christian Music that, at this time, was very hot nationally. Amy Grant was queen and had just seen major crossover appeal into the mainstream (secular) market with exposure on the Top 40 outlets of the day. Additionally, a few CCM artists actually had their hits played on MTV. Arguably, the mid-1980’s was the apex of the genre’s popularity.

September 1986, my station was about to flip to a Contemporary Christian format in the afternoons. Today’s Gospel Rewind Podcast is the culmination of a quarter century of prep work. My listeners were passionate in their beliefs. Hear the debate in their own words for the first time anywhere from the request lines 25 years ago. Down load here or press play below.

Gospel Rewind “CCM Debate”, Episode 1, season 3

Stay tuned

©2011 Neal Rhoden, the Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.

Format Wars

Right now we are in the planning phase for our first podcast of the 2011 season. Here is a peek:

Several years ago this blogger hosted an afternoon music show on a radio station reputed to be a mixed bag of divergent religious formats. Many listeners were subjected to: Southern Gospel, Black Gospel and CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) blended on the same show. Infighting among believers over music is not new. We hope to tackle the polarizing affect musical style has had on the Christian community. Most of what Peanut Whistle has learned is from my personal audio tape archive in addition to  print and Internet resources. Forever the instigator, In 1986, I filled a 90 minute cassette tape with candid listener comments on this issue. Callers from both sides of the aisle chimed in; so far, the discussion plays back as an intelligent and balanced debate. Distilling all this information into a 15 – 20 minute podcast is a challenge.

Stay tuned

©2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.

Forge Ahead

Inexplicably, radio has beckoned me. In 2011 the radio bug's bite is less potent. First stung in 1983, I grew into my late 20's certain that my radio career would never end. 1995, now 29, a new retail career captured my attention. Little do I know, the next 13 years are spent away from radio entirely. In my mid-40's, real radio in decline, I begin a blog retelling my teens and twenties in broadcasting.

2009 I start the GRIN, an experimental Internet radio station from home along with its companion podcast. I scrap the 24 hour stream and concentrate on an irregularly scheduled podcast show. Ultimately, I lose interest in both.

It is 2011. This year the Peanut Whistle podcast intends a rebirth, of sorts; refocused and re-imagined. Stay tuned to this channel for the new show. I promise less retrospective, more entertainment. That is all we will reveal, so...

Stay tuned.

©2011 Neal Rhoden, The Peanut Whistle Weblog. All rights reserved.