MOBILE, Ala. — Jag Radio, the student-run radio station for the University of South Alabama, has been an Internet-only radio station since its start in October 2010. You can visit us at www.jagradio.net.

Louis Gannon in ‘The Bunker.’ The Telos ProStream can be seen to the right in the rack.

We started with a hand-me-down computer and a shelf in the radio edit lab at the University of South Alabama. Today, we have our own studio that we call “The Bunker.” We have upgraded to a better secondhand computer, and have made some headway into better technological operations.

And we recently ordered the Telos Systems ProStream audio encoder. That has made a big difference.

Clarity

It came with everything it said it would have — well, almost: a manual was not in the box. Thankfully, I had downloaded a copy beforehand to familiarize myself with the equipment. I placed a quick call to the support desk and had an official copy in my hands the next day.

The install went smoothly. From opening the box to putting it in the rack and getting booted up took a total of 15 minutes. The setup took a little longer. That was mainly due to using the front panel for setup and having to dial each letter and number. I tried using the LAN interface and had difficulty until I called Telos tech support and they walked me through it. (For those who don’t have an IT department or IP sub-netting knowledge, download a copy of the Telos Z/IP ONE manual and look at Chapter 9, which gives you a quick tutorial.) Perhaps in later software versions, the USB port could be utilized for a method of initial setup.

The stream setup was flawless. I plugged in the cable to the Internet, restarted Shoutcast and boom! We were broadcasting. I was very happy with the results. Then I went to the Omnia Processing menu and was blown away.

The ProStream is worth the price just for the processing. I dialed through the settings to try the different presets. I picked a setting and applied it. My jaw dropped. The clarity was amazing. I tested some classic rock and was able to pick out each instrument. The bass was not overpowering and the processed sound was crystal clear with no artifacts.

Our listenership has increased more than 200 percent since we installed the ProStream. I have received a number of compliments on the quality of the sound that our stream is producing. The staff here at Jag Radio is blown away by the night-and-day difference in quality and uptime.

The ProStream is also perfect for the road. We took the ProStream out of the studio and into the press box at the stadium for our rivalry game this football season. The results were stellar. Before, we had to stream using my laptop. Connecting to the server was a nightmare; it usually took 20 minutes just to connect. This time, only 10 minutes elapsed between walking into the booth and broadcasting.

For the price, this is a box that no station — even small market or college radio stations — should be without. It is an investment, and the improvement in the quality of the sound, along with decreased strain on station computing resources, makes it well worth it.

For information, contact Clark Novak at Telos Systems in Ohio at (216) 241-7225 or visit www.telos-systems.com.

Radio World User Reports are unpaid testimonials; they are intended to allow equipment users to explain why they chose a particular product. Radio World Product Evaluations, by comparison, are paid articles written by a contributing reviewer, usually an engineer.