Phasing

[titchyblackcat]

Hi

Can someone explain the meaning of phasing between Channel A and Channel B of my Pod HD when i'm using dual amps.

Meambobbo has done a great piece of work on this but i'm embarassed to say i haven't got a clue about the subject.

If it's possible i'm hoping someone can explain in an idiots guide for me.

[phil_m]

Signals travel in waves, and if best represented by a sine wave. If the crests and troughs of the waves are misaligned, you can hear it. A phaser pedal is taking advantage of this to use an effect. What Meambobbo is talking about is called comb filtering. It's where the misalignment is smaller, so you can get some thinness in the resulting sound. When the waves interact with each other, you actually get destructive interference, meaning some of the signal is attenuated.

 

This picture shows the concept, but in reality, the crests and troughs are never really perfectly aligned like this. It's more like they're slightly misaligned, so it sounds a little off. This is the reason why mixers and recording consoles have a "phase" button on the channel strip. Pressing that button reverses the phase of the signal in an attempt to less the unwanted artifacts.

 

[pianoguyy]

If you've ever made a recording that sounded terrific at home, but then when you send it to the local radio station's 'homegrown show' and it sounds nasally on air ---- 

that's phasing. Radio stations don't use the same discs that you buy in a store. 

[brue58ski]

If you've ever made a recording that sounded terrific at home, but then when you send it to the local radio station's 'homegrown show' and it sounds nasally on air ---- 

that's phasing. Radio stations don't use the same discs that you buy in a store. 

 

This perks my curiosity but I don't quite understand. If you send them your music on a disc, what disc are you referring to that the station doesn't use?

[pianoguyy]

The first part of the question is:

The albums you buy at the store are not the same albums that they play on air. They are mixed differently.

 

I am not a radio broadcast engineer, so I won't dare to quote anything specific - but the basic answer is -

music played on air needs to be mono. A quick google shows the term 'mono compatibility'.

 

I don't know, nor do I claim to know, how it all works. But, as I said before, it is why the 'hometown music hour' of your favorite radio station always sounds like garbage. They are playing music designed for purchase, not for broadcast.

It is why when you hear 'Welcome to the Jungle' on the radio, you only hear the stuff that comes out of the right speaker at home (Slash, not Izzy).

 

 

I mean, I am sure that today, 2015, with all of the digital wherewithals, that this no longer applies to 'major' stations in major markets. But you still find the local college station and the public access type stations, that simply don't have the money, playing music that sounds like it is being played on a tin can.

 

 

 

 

~~~Perhaps someone in broadcasting will come along and explain it a little better (but still do it in common english, not geek speak)

[titchyblackcat]

Thanks guys i understand now but, i'll stick with meambobbos spreadsheet.

One thing i read was, when mixing (Cubase) it's a good idea not only to play on different speakers and headphones but also play in mono.

Playing in mono is a help for levels in mixing if you're not sure.