Why old radios sound the way they do
AM radio broadcasts and small loudspeakers could only reproduce a narrow band of frequencies — roughly 300 Hz to 3.5 kHz for voice-grade transmission. The deep bass and the sparkle of cymbals simply didn’t make it through. Add the distortion of a small amplifier and the hiss and crackle of reception, and you get the sound the effect recreates: a low cut around 450 Hz, a high cut around 3.2 kHz, mono, saturation and a touch of crackle.
Speaker presets
| Sound | Low cut | High cut | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s radio | 450 Hz | 3.2 kHz | Mono, crackle 25%, warmth 50% |
| Telephone | 500 Hz | 3 kHz | Mono, warmth 60%, no reverb |
| Portable speaker | 200 Hz | 8 kHz | Width 60% |
| Car radio outside | 20 Hz | 380 Hz | Bass +9 dB, width 40% |
Where to use it
- Intros: start a song on the radio effect and cut to the full version on the drop.
- Storytelling edits: a phone-call voice or a song from another era.
- Podcasts and videos: a “flashback” sound for quoted audio.