I got a phone call from a radio station owner. This guy’s worked in big markets. Now, he owns a small market station. The kind where you know your sponsors’ kids and your listeners feel like family.
He wanted to sound like a big city station, but big city processors aren’t cheap. Seriously, who wants to have to choose between a station van and a processor?
So he checked out the StereoToolBox and compared it to other $4k audio processors. StereoToolBox looked best on paper, but he was skeptical. If it sounds like butt, who cares, right? He said our 45-day “love it or return it” guarantee meant he had nothing to lose. So he bought one.
That’s when the stuff hit the fan.
“Catfish,” he said, “I put that box on the air and wow, just wow. Then the calls started. My listeners were asking ‘What did you do? Your station sounds amazing!’ Then my advertisers started calling. They said we’re louder than all the other stations.” He sounded like he was grinning through the phone.
But that’s not the best part. A competitor called and accused him of cheating. Said there was no way he was that loud without overmodulating. I asked, “Did you tell him?” “$#@* no!” he said. “I’m not telling my competition about my secret weapon! I told him I put a Volt on the air!”
Look, there’s nothing wrong with a Volt. Or even a Trio. Fine boxes aimed at the budget broadcaster. But ask the companies that make them: Is this your best? They’ll admit this is their budget box and then try to upsell you into something you can’t afford. Unapologetically.
StereoToolBox is also $4k. But that’s where the similarity ends. Think: major-market processing wearing a small-market pricetag. Four grand gets you either meh, feh, or pure joy. Hard to choose, huh?
This story really gets me. Small market radio sounding like the majors. Winning. One of our competitors said “Angry Audio isn’t playing fair with that thing.” I framed his comment and hung it on my office wall.
Stay angry!
Catfish
P.S. StereoToolBox processes FM and HD1 and even streams, all at the same time. With the other guys, you have to spend $10k+ to get that simultaneous processing. Or buy a few of their budget boxes and assign them to different tasks. If StereoToolBox didn’t already unfairly stomp them because of sound, it easily wins in features. It just isn’t fair. $4,199 list, with 45 days to return it if you don’t love it. As if.
P.P.S. If a competitor asks you what you’re running, you know what to say.