Radio Work - My Tips

Hey all! Below is a post I did for another blog some time ago, but I feel it is relevant to the subject of Media! Enjoy.

People have sometimes asked me what I use to broadcast a show each week on Real Hit Radio. Contrary to some opinion on internet radio DJs, I try to get the best professional sound possible. Its not high tech equipment but it does its job. Most dedicated DJs have to start at the bottom in terms of equipment and build their studio up. Some of the older DJs I'm sure started with a mic socket in their hifi and a cheap microphone from Tandy. It is a modest beginning but its a start for the budding DJ who has just heard a show on Radio One and thought, "I can do that".

Sound Desk
One of the main things I use is a sound desk, used to fade vocal and music up and down. There are several channels on this desk but I only use 2 (3 if you count the use of vinyl on occasions). One feeds from the microphone while the other feeds from the music and jingle source. The only setback to using this setup is that the headphones are playing what is going through the desk, not the encoder feeding to Real Hit Radio servers. Most of the time the sound is perfect for broadcast. This desk then feeds into the machine that broadcasts the show to listeners listening to Real Hit Radio

Microphone
The use of a microphone is essential for recording links between songs and other voice related parts in radio. I use a cheap Talkstar microphone, which runs through a Line 6 pod set on vocal, to amplify speech. If I was to just run the microphone through the desk, the sound would not be loud enough to be heard on the broadcast. I have tried previously to turn all the settings up on the desk when trying this method and although vocals are loud, they may not always be clear. So this is the reason for using the pod, which works well in the current setup. Making the vocals even clearer is the use of a pop shield, used to filter out unwanted "spit" or "pops" when someone is pronouncing their P's and S's. Shields like this one can be bought for under £10 over the internet and make a difference when recording. Some of the older Real Hit Shows didn't use one and the difference is there, links are now much clearer and noise is reduced to a listenable standard.

Tips for doing links
When presenters start out in the presenting game of Radio, there is a lot of hesitation there. You have alot to say but are shy in front of the microphone. You have what you are going to say all figured out but all that comes out are a bunch of words and a series of ums and arrs. Its rather degrading being on air and presenting in this unprofessional manner. It is only natural to be like this at first as you've never done it before and its completely new to you. You are probably thinking, what can I say about presenting that is of any use to you. I have been presenting for 2 years and have learnt many things about the world of radio. Here are a few tips to help you when on air.

Tip 1
Try to imagine there is no one listening to you and that you are completely alone with anyone who is in the studio at this time. That way, conversations with these people flow just like an ordinary conversation, which is radio at its best. Theres nothing more entertaining than listening to two people chattering away about absolutely nothing at all. After all, DJs such as Chris Moyles and Terry Wogan have conversations with their peers all the time about minor things and they're doing pretty well for themselves.

Tip 2
Try to think what you want to be in the presenting world. Do you want to be a pretender, or an out and out real person. Pretenders are those who put on a persona in order to make themselves more appealing or more entertaining to an audience. The real people angle is where someone goes into a studio and they are completely themselves. You find a lot of this on Community and Hospital radio as they are newbies to the game. Part of the pretender angle is putting on a voice. When I'm on air, I tend to put on what is known as "the broadcasting voice" or to anyone with a mobile, the "phone voice". It is a slightly pumped up version of your voice filled with positive angle. DJs such as Tony Blackburn are known for this kind of presenting. They are putting on a show for their audience!

Tip 3
Think about your music choices. I've always tried to stand out from the others while trying to provide an enjoyable and familiar experience for the listeners. If your doing a Folk show, you don't want to play Rock music, it goes against what you are supposed to do. Also, most stations don't want tracks with swearing in. I was recently sorting through tracks and found a track by Blink 182 called "The Rock Show". This song is known for having one or two swear words in. Playing this record would cost me my place at the station. If someone requests something like this, just play the clean version or play another song by that artist, most listeners like the idea of having a song dedicated to them, no matter what it is. It makes them feel part of it.

Anyway, that is my short but sweet starter tips and a runthrough of the basic equipment used in broadcast of Real Hit Radio. If you have any questions or would like to know a bit more, just email JamieD@Realhitradio.co.uk. 

Thanks!