Stereo Tool

Hi Dave,

Thank you very much for your reply. It really meant a lot to me and gave me even more motivation to keep learning.

Over the last few days, I decided to stop changing my processing in every possible direction and simply trust my ears more.

I think I have finally found a foundation that I'm really happy with. It's still far from perfect, but for the first time I truly feel that I'm moving in the right direction.

I'd like to share my current preset with you (V3.36 C). It is still a work in progress. It has evolved thanks to the advice of several highly experienced broadcast engineers on this forum, but also through countless hours of listening, experimenting and learning. Of course, it is still the work of a passionate amateur who discovers something new every day.

As I've progressed, I've realized something very important:

I'm not looking for more loudness. I'm looking for a true signature sound.

The sound I have in mind is inspired by the great French radio stations of the late 1980s and early 1990s, especially Fun Radio.

A few days ago, I found this old archive on SoundCloud that perfectly illustrates the sound I'm trying to recreate:

https://soundcloud.com/user-16944405/fu ... p-francais

When I listened to it again, I immediately thought:

This is exactly the feeling I'm trying to recreate.

Not because it's louder, but because it sounds:

open and spacious,
immersive,
incredibly precise without ever becoming harsh,
with beautifully defined consonants (C, T and S sounds) that always remain smooth,
deep, warm sub-bass that gives the music warmth,
and subtle dynamics that keep the music alive without ever becoming fatiguing.

I know some audiophiles might not agree with this type of processing, but for me it has a unique musical personality. My dream is for someone to listen to LOOM Radio for just a few minutes and recognize its sound immediately, without even looking at the station's name.

I feel like I'm getting closer to that goal, although I know I still have a lot to learn.

If one day you have a little time and feel like listening to my preset, I would be truly honored. And if you think there are a few adjustments that could bring it even closer to that classic Fun Radio sound, I would be incredibly grateful for your advice. Of course, only if you have the time and the interest.

Thank you once again for your kindness, your generosity, and for sharing your knowledge with the Stereo Tool community. Being able to exchange ideas with someone who helped shape the history of broadcast audio is a real privilege.

I wish you all the best.

Kind regards,

Patrice
Founder of LOOM Radio
France

_________________
Patrice | LOOM Radio
Immersive • Elegant • Textured Sound

Hi Dave,

So what we now need is a good 8100 preset, or a Warsanis with a Stereomaxx if you, like me, grew up in the Netherlands with radio Veronica and start stacking some stereotool VSTs

Let’s see if we can convince @Hans these nerds need a small ST side-project

—
Haai

Haai - I'm slooooowly building a Stereo Tools 8100/a with my Texar RCF-1 Card 5 law applied. This is more complicated than the Prism project for myriad reasons, so the first cut will be for streaming use. It might be a flop and never see the light of day, but if it sounds good enough and close enough, I'll post it and you guys and gals can beat it up.

Dave

You caught me at a good time; I'm playing around now. I listened to your preset, and I have no suggestions for you; this stuff is sooooo subjective, and it's always based on a different reference standard. So this preset may sound outstanding against your references, but may not sound competitive elsewhere to someone else. To each his own. I will say this: you took advantage of just about every knob there is! It's super dense but still quite dynamic-sounding, and it definitely has a "signature sound" that stands out - and I think that's what you were looking for.

I have it on my stream right now, and I will keep it on for a few hours (hopefully you're awake and get to it; if not, let me know when you're able to listen and put it on again later.) - The three things I did - I added the de-clipper, standard settings, due to the source material which is MP3, I backed down on the AGC drive, it was hitting 20-25db of GR, I have it running around a nominal 10db, and I ticked the Limit instead of clip box on the clipper due to the fact its running to a codec for streaming. Otherwise, this is your preset on the air.

https://live365.com/station/Encore-352- ... ock-a74269

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thank you so much for taking the time to download, install, and listen to my preset. I was truly touched that you spent time testing it, and even more that you put it on your stream for a few hours. That really means a lot to me, and I sincerely appreciate your kindness.

As soon as I saw your message, I tried to listen to the stream, but unfortunately Live365 blocks streaming from France, so I wasn't able to hear the result.

If you happen to have a few minutes, would it be possible to record a short 2 or 3-minute sample of the processed audio and send it to me? I would absolutely love to hear how my preset sounds on your broadcast chain.

Thank you again for your time, your valuable feedback, and your encouragement. Your comments mean a great deal to me and to the development of LOOM Radio.

Best regards,

Patrice

_________________
Patrice | LOOM Radio
Immersive • Elegant • Textured Sound