Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: FM Compression Message-ID: <5054@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Thu, 4-Oct-84 10:16:44 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.5054 Posted: Thu Oct 4 10:16:44 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Oct-84 08:58:22 EDT Organization: Ballistics Research Lab Lines: 24 As one who listens to FM both at home on a quality (my opinion :-) system, where I want wide dynamic range in the source material, and on a cheapy headphone radio, where I want consistently high-level audio to drown out the noise of the bus and the inane chattering and babbling of the other passengers who don't have the sense to keep quiet, I appreciate the dilemma of FM compression on classical stations. I would think the answer would lie in putting the compression in the RECEIVER, not in the transmitter. If car systems and headphone radios had built-in "automatic audio gain control" or suchlike circuitry, which would do to the received signal the same thing that the transmitter compressor/limiters do, would not that achieve the "best of both worlds" for both audiences? If such circuits were switchable by the user, you could enjoy full dynamic range in quiet environments, but compress the signal when it is necessary for it to override road noise or ambient sound levels. I thought most or all radios had some form of AGC in any case; maybe if it was slightly modified it could perform this function with little or no extra cost. Will Martin seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA