I don't have an FM broadcast monitor, as I don't master radio edits, I refer clients who need a radio edit. My b-chain includes Dolby processors, as my main work is TV/film, although my past is in music recording and production. I'm a rather reluctant music mastering engineer and don't actively seek/advertise for mastering clients.
Certainly some of my recordings have had a specific radio broadcast master created, mostly the major label stuff. Not so many clients are bothered about radio edits these days though, they're more interested in what it'll sound like on Youtube or iTunes. Just to be clear, because I find your use of the term confusing, when you say "less processed", you don't actually mean less processed, just less final limited/compressed?
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Thanks for your frank and honest reply. I appreciate it.
The concept of a special radio master necessitated by the additional on-air processing is a new one to me. I checked with a friend who is chief engineer of a major group of stations here, he said all their music comes from a corporate server, but has not been able to confirm there are any specially processed broadcast versions. Still working on confirmation of that. Not doubting what you say, I'm trying to determine if the practice is sporadic, common, or industry standard.
Because I'm a broadcast guy I lump all forms of processing together. Each individual processing element contributes something. If you take one part of the chain away it affects the total. I acknowledge that the final limiter is the biggest offender, but distortion is also a function of the total release time of all gain-variable elements individual release times added together, so when I say "less processed", I am not specifically meaning the final limiter, but other aggressive stages too. BTW, clipping is a completely valid form of processing, and can even be done inaudibly...with great care. It's part of "processing" too.
I would welcome the opportunity to at least audition such a radio broadcast master. That's why I asked my CE friend, if he can locate a definitive radio version, I'll be able to compare it to the general release version. It would be great to have several samples, because one tune won't tell much about industry practice. It's likely a futile pursuit anyway, but I'll at least ask for info.
I suspect I'd find that, as you say, broadcast masters are rare. Other delivery systems like YouTube, downloads, even HD Radio are so completely different from broadcast in how they handle maximum signals. Analog broadcast has pre-emphasis at the transmitter and de-emphasis at the receiver (both AM and FM), and that's not a small thing to deal with. The FM curve has a difference in gain of 17.5dB at 15kHz relative to 500Hz, defined by the time constant of 75uS, but with rapid roll-off in the 15kHz to 17kHz area to protect the pilot (analog TV sound is essentially the same). AM uses the same time constant, but more band-limited. An FM receiver provides exactly complimentary de-emphasis, but an AM receiver's de-emphasis is a bit wild and uncontrolled, very receiver dependant. The AM curve was worked out with a survey of average receivers balanced against occupied RF bandwidth. Doubtful anybody worries about what music sounds like on AM anymore, I just mention it so readers might see there's a difference.
By contrast, all digital distribution channels, streaming, download, disc, digital TV and HD Radio are essentially flat response, full output level across the entire pass band. That makes FM VERY different from anything else, and the job of mastering for broadcast laudable, but challenging at best. For that reason I suspect very few broadcast versions are created.
And that means, when we hear brick-walled EDM on the air, we've got two rather aggressive processing chains in series...at least, likely, most of the time.
Just so you understand where I'm coming from, not blowing any horns...I'm an old audio/broadcast guy, career spanning more than 45 years, much of it dedicated to audio and audio processing, including processor design and development, and adjusting on-air processing...years of time spent listening to all sorts of dynamics processing. Oddly, within the last 10 years, my musical taste did expand to include EDM! I'm shocked too, but hey, some of that stuff is pretty good and well made. I was able to engage in an email exchange with one of my favorite EDM artists a few years ago regarding releasing his stuff in other formats, like high-def audio and 5.1 surround. His stuff had recently become pretty badly brick-walled, and frankly the result drove me away from listening to it. We bantered about higher quality releases, I tried to define what that meant. He eventually took part of my suggestion and released a few things in "High Quality Audio" (his term), 24/96 to anyone else. What came out was just as same brick-walled mess he'd released in standard form, probably just his masters up-sampled. His stuff is great music, innovative, melodic, etc., but so distorted, with such a low crest factor I find those newer releases unlistenable, and favor his earlier, less processed work much more listenable. Disappointing, but that's how it goes. Nothing else I listen to has that kind of processing on it. I hear myself saying "These kids today...", but...well, I'm old.
