Racks 1 to 3. These contain the tape machines that record all of our daily programming for archiving, our digital interface equipment for the digital audio lines and some satellite equipment.
Rack 3 on the left has one of the Metrotech loggers, the other one is in rack 4 behind the pillar. Below the cassette machine are our T.A.s and codecs for all of our ISDN and Switched 56 lines. We also have a dtmf controlled audio switcher on the lines that allows reporters in the field to select the appropriate IFB audio, or the editor in the newsroom can select the audio for them. The four Crown D-75s at the bottom of the rack feed various CBS and other audio to our house monitoring system. Rack 2 has three ITC delta tri-decks that are used to play our sounders. The bottom slot of the right cart machine holds the infamous "59 Sounder". This sounder is the music you hear just before the top of the hour when we go into the network news. The "59 Sounder" is controlled by one of the router interface computers we mentioned on the last page. The computer starts the cart machine exactly at 1 minute before the top of the hour. That is why the music always ends with just enough time for the announcer to say "KCBS newstime is ...." and then you hear the bong for the network news. The computers are controlled by a timebase from WWVB. Below the cart machines is their serial data remote control box. Next comes a patchbay with isolated DA outputs from each distribution amplifier. Below distribution amps are 15 Radio Systems DA-16 distribution amplifiers. Rack one has some more Crown D-75s for the house system, FEMA, SF Mayors Emergency Hot line and engineering phones, A remote control for KLLC FMs back-up transmitter site, digital clock system WWVB master clock receiver and two-way receiver voting system. On the left in the foreground you can see the SAS 96x64 audio routing system.
Questions or comments about the tour?
Updated 9/10/99
KCBS-KLLC ENGINEERING DEPT