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RadioWorkshops

Overview

Over the course of two to three weeks, the Prometheus Radio Project, based in the United States, plans to conduct workshops for the Kenya Indymedia, Maseno University and other community organizations in the many aspects of radio engineering, radio production and programming. The workshops are to be led by a small team of radio technicians, engineers and producers based in the United States, ?, and ?. Additionally, individual instruction will be ongoing over the course of those few weeks.

Workshop Descriptions

Introduction to Audio Engineering Potential Instructor: Andy Gunn, Prometheus Radio Project

In this session, students learn about what sound is, how it travels, and how it is represented electrically. The instructor will review the names of the various audio connectors and the types of cabling. Additionally, the instructor will cover basic audio problems and their causes, with emphasis on troubleshooting and finding remedies. An extensive question and answer session follows.

Introduction to Radio Engineering Potential Instructor: Andy Gunn, Prometheus Radio Project

In this session radio frequency, power, channels, bandwidth and other basic concepts are covered. A review of the parts of a radio station and the signal chain of audio will lead into further discussion of how a radio signal is created. Questions discussed also include: What exactly are radio waves? How do they propagate, and how are we able to pick them up? What are causes of interference? Instructor:

Transmitter Electronics Potential Instructor: Andy Gunn, Prometheus Radio Project

In this two day, hands-on workshop, a very small phase lock loop transmitter is constructed from resistors, capacitors, ICs, coils, diodes, transistors and other parts. Proper soldering technique is taught, and some basic troubleshooting is done to find any problems incurred during construction. An overview of how the transmitter works will go along with this workshop, and leads to a better understanding of the technology behind FM radio.

Antenna Theory and Construction Potential Instructor: Andy Gunn, Prometheus Radio Project

In this session, the role of the antenna and some of the different kinds of antenna used in radio broadcasting are covered. Dipoles, Yagis, and other antennas are described by the instructor. Different forms of masts and towers are discussed, as are types of connectors and coaxial cable. A simple dipole is constructed from copper pipe, and tuned to resonance using both a Standing Wave Ratio Meter and a Standing Wave Ratio Analyzer. This is an excellent hands-on extention to the radio engineering theory workshop.

Station Programming Potential Instructor: ?

Building on discussions from the opening session, this session addresses how programming can be organized on air and how ideas can translate into effective and interesting radio. Issues addressed include: audience, community outreach, volunteer participation and local origination of programming. Students break into small work groups to plan sample shows for youth, elders, and other specialty audiences. The sample show break-downs include minute-by-minute placement of announcer introductions, station identification, music, community greetings, interviews, story telling and other aspects relevant to each show, as well as sample show titles and suggested time-slots.

Studio Construction and Maintenance Potential Instructor: Andy Gunn, Prometheus Radio Project

This workshop introduces students to the equipment that is used in a broadcast or recording studio. Students learn to connect audio components together to enable the radio DJs to broadcast from a variety of sources, including CDs, LPs, and a computer. Students learn how to operate a mixing board, and how to record their broadcasts on to a computer. Each student participates in hands-on practice with an instructor throughout the project.

Field Recording and Interviewing Potential Instructor: ?

Good sound captures the listener's imagination, and helps tell your story. In this workshop, students learn how to use digital recording equipment and become familiar with the components used to record in the field. Students learn the difference between condenser and dynamic microphones and which work best for different environments, how to operate a digital minidisc recorder, and how to obtain broadcast-quality recordings using the equipment. Students also gain hands-on experience operating the equipment, obtaining proper recording levels, and proper microphone placement. Students discuss interview techniques, and work on avoiding some common mistakes. Students practice interviewing each other and receive both peer-to-peer and instructor feedback on the sound quality and approach to their interviews.

Terna notes that Janmaat has offered to teach interviewing skills...

Digital Audio Editing Potential Instructor: ?

This workshop provides an introduction to digital audio editing. Using the audio editing program called Audacity, students learn to upload the interviews and material they recorded in the field from minidisc the computer and edit their material into station jingles and feature stories. Digital audio editing allows participants to produce their own program material and incorporate many different elements into a single piece, including music, and sound effects. Following a demonstration from the instructor, students break into small working groups for a hands-on tutorial. Over the course of the project, individual tuition took place with a core group of students.

Terna notes that Zoe has offered to co-teach editing with Audacity

Scriptwriting radio features Potential Instructor: Terna, Indymedia Cape Town

Writing for radio, finding the story/focus statements, creative use of sound [better blurb forthcoming]

Introduction to DJing Potential Instructor: ?

This workshop instructs on how to use the equipment in the studio to DJ on air. Students learn how to operate the main mixing board, CD players, turntable, cassette deck, and computer for playback of station jingles and community announcements. Students also learn to segue from one song to the next, audition music before playing it out on the air, make station breaks and proper use of the studio microphones.

Lectures in Dub (beta) Potential Instructor: Terna, Panafricanist Sound System

Spread 55-minute speech in the sun to dry. Crush with heavy dub track. Blow away chaff, mix with spicy & relevant additional voices to reveal 5 minutes of dance-able revolution (potentially very useful in context of WSF official programme)

Instructors and Workshop Leaders

Andrew Gunn is the Technical Director of the Prometheus Radio Project. He has helped to build a number of low power radio stations, and provided advice to hundreds. He has a background in Electrical Engineering, Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering and Audio Engineering. He has organised the station construction for several radio barnraisings in communities around the United States. He holds a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Terna is a member of Indymedia South Africa and coordinator of the Africa Labour Radio Project.

Scheduling

The schedule is still quite up in the air. IMC delegates will be arriving from all over the world on or around January 13th, 2007. Some people may arrive earlier to set up for the radio project. There are a number of details still to be worked out for the scheduling of the project.

Example Workshop Schedule – AMARC 9

Day 1

10:00 Introductions: Experience and learning goals 10:30 Movie screening: Spirit of Resistance 10:45 Review Schedule for upcoming days 11:00 Technical Empowerment and the Sharing of Knowledge 11:15 Electronics fundamentals: Voltage, Current, Resistance, Power, AC/DC 11:45 Electronic parts: Resistors, Capacitors, Transistors and more 12:30 Break for Lunch 13:30 Soldering demonstration and instruction, beginning of compressor kit construction Each person solders, learning the process on a few parts and teaching the next person. 14:15 Important words everyone needs to really understand, not just “sort of” understand 14:45 A bit more on relations between voltage, power, and resistance 15:00 Break 15:15 Check in on kit construction progress. All resistors and capacitors should be done. Possibly set up second station for transmitter kit. 15:30 The Radio Spectrum - and the US interference debate 16:00 Searching the band for signals 17:30 How far will the station go? 18:00 Kit construction check-in 18:30 Break for dinner 19:00 Movie screening: Low Power to the People, Community Radio Around the World Homework: Everyone do a spectum audit over night, we will choose a frequency in the morning.

Day 2

10:00 Introductions and review 10:15 Compare Frequency notes. Construction check-in: begin soldering sensitive parts like transistors and ICs 10:40 Antennas: theoretical - “Meet the Dipole” 10:50 The need for tuning, and the consequences of not tuning 11:00 Other types of antennas 11:15 Lightning protection 11:25 Masts and towers 11:35 The antenna we will build 12:00 Break for Lunch 13:00 Construct a Dipole Continue transmitter work 14:15 Some ideas about organizations from US community radio 15:00 Construction Check in 15:15 Break 15:30 The parts of a radio station (including Audio processing) 16:00 The testing of transmitters 16:30 Test our transmitter! 17:00 Mounting all parts in the box 18:00 Break for Dinner

Day 3

10:00 Check in 10:15 How radio signals travel 10:30 How far will the signal go? 10:45 Tune our antenna Mic ( Petri continues mounting in box with small group) 12:00 Break for Lunch 13:00 Progress check in 13:15 Low power movement in the US, other countries 13:45 Trouble Shooting Mic (Trouble shooting practice, if necessary) 14:30 The Future of the Spectrum, and Issues in radio kits 16:00 Final testing 17:00 Turn on 17:30 Closing