About the processing
The music is usually just iTunes 10.7.
From there the music goes digitally into a series of audio plug ins to emulate real FM radio station processing. Big commercial stations have powerful audio processing boxes with either the name Omnia or Optimod on them. They’re expensive.
I’m using a combination of Wave Rider, McDSP MC4000, Ozone Advanced, L3Multi, and Fab Filter – all feeding a Finalizer which digitally feeds the transmitter.
(update, power supply on the Finalizer died. Until I can replace it, I’m using a spare ULN2 to distribute the audio – jeff Mon Nov21-16)
(update again, instead of replacing the power supply, I grabbed a used TC Electronic dbMAX box that was just retired from a Low Power FM station in NYC. OMG this thing is sweet! Mon Dec19-16)
The goal is to maximize the levels without killing the dynamics in the music. And maybe add some “zing”. Radio stations do this because the sound has to work on a variety of mediums: clock radios, car stereos, boomboxes, small portable players, big 5.1 surround systems, etc. They also do it because they want to be competitive with other stations. “Sweetening” the sound, much like Coke adding more HFCS to their sodas.
After years of tweaking, I think my audio measures up to how the local big Boston stations sound. It’s a black art.
If you listen off the stream, it’s the same signal feeding the transmitter.
I know this stuff is geeky, but believe it or not there are forums solely dedicated to processing for FM radio stations. It’s kind of a hobby. Many of us also like trains.
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