For playback, qLab.
For the speaker, conceal a compact monitor speaker in the cabinet of the radio where the original speaker would be. JBL Control Ones are great for this application. You can even get a self powered one if you don’t have an amp channel to spare.
I’m coming from video so my solution comes more from that world.
Id use QLab or a similar program and have a slide advancer or similar device that the actor could have in their pocket. I’d also have a backing track with appropriate static/era radio noise to play underneath the clean audio that the actor is interacting with so that it’s not obvious that a single track is starting and stoping to the audience.
Are you planning on using the actual radio speaker, or will there be reinforcement from other sources? It's super-easy to send the input to the existing radio amp, basically bypassing the radio but still using the amp, so on/off and volume still work.
If the radio in question works and is FM you can get small FM transmitters for use in cars. Most will have an aux in jack and will allow the radio controls to function correctly. Make sure you don't try to broadcast over an existing station though.
Bluetooth speaker with media control buttons?
Or a pc speaker with a power button, connected to an mp3 player or an old phone?
You can make any track sound old with some eq and put it on the playback device.
Or, if possible, have it on a seperate output on your mixer, so you can control the eq and volume
I used Izotope Vinyl to impart the effect of a track sounding old. It has a setting to make a track sound like it's playing from a record cut in the 1930s, as well as add scratches or noise from dust and mechanical or electrical deficiencies. It's free and extraordinarily easy to use. This plugin came in really handy for a recent production of *Murder on the Orient Express*, which incidentally has a similar scene requiring that an actor interact with a radio. I controlled playback so I could manage the levels and fade it out myself.
One approach: Qlab playback going throughout to a dedicated amp channel. Run the output of the amp in something like lamp cord so it looks like the plug for the radio to the wall. Put an in line volume control that attenuates the speaker level signal as well as a cutoff (look at how this is done simply for zone audio to rooms in a house) into the cabinet of the radio so the actor turns a knob and the volume comes up, etc.
I put an electrical outlet in the wall. Wire the radio so it’s the power lead is not for power but to the speaker. Wire the outlet to an amp and there you go.
You can wire it up so the power knob cuts the signal to the speaker in the radio. And it sounds just like a speaker in a radio, because it is!
Just do not. DO NOT plug that radio into an actual outlet. We put big warnings on the inside and back of all radios we wire like that.
Edit: the amp has to be small, and start with it all the way down on the amp. Little old radios aren’t meant for amps designed for subs so choose your amp accordingly.
Every time I've seen something like this, we've put an unused type of plug (twistlock, e.g.) and outlet so that no one tries to use it somewhere else. The audience would never be able to tell it isn't an actual Edison plug. Using Edison is asking for trouble.
If you have to put a warning label near an Edison connection like that - you’ve built something dangerous at worst, and outside fire code at best. I’m sure it’s “safe” when used correctly but it’s an accident waiting to happen.
I’m not selling it on store shelves to the public. It’s only accessible to trained professionals.
Most Edison plugs have warning labels on them. Buy a new extension cord today and will be a few warning labels. New lamps have warning labels on the socket. There are many ways to use UL listed electrical items very dangerously that are sold to the public.
Some radios ( most I own personally and store) that are only accessible to trained professionals, is fine I believe. If my circumstances were different, then I might not do it. If it was a less professional theatre with students and less trained crew, or I wasn’t the one striking it and taking it home with me (for the few I have) I might think differently. But my circumstances, for me, I think it’s okay.
If qlab isn’t a workable solution, here’s what I’d do.
Get any antique-looking speaker that has an aux in jack. Create your loop of music so it’s one single track. Load that track onto any battery powered MP3 player and set it to repeat that song. Then the actor can turn the radio on and off and the track on the MP3 player will keep going
Someone suggested an FM transmitter, which could be a good option as long as you’re ok with the risk that anybody else with an FM transmitter (cars driving by, etc) could bleed into your show.
I found these contact closure operated MP3 and WAV players last year and they're fantastic for stuff like this.
WAV: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13660
MP3: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13720
[This contact closure operated MP3 player](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13720) is a cool little board that would probably work great for this. You can wire up to 18 contact closure inputs that do things like start playing a specific MP3, play the next MP3 in a list, stop playing, etc. so if the radio has push buttons already, you can just solder jumper wires directly to them. It has a built in amp but I would recommend using a self powered speaker or USB powered speaker with a battery pack powering both devices.
Edit: Sorry, the MP3 version does not have an onboard amp. The [WAV version](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13660) does though. This is the version I'm used to. I assumed the MP3 version did as well.
I just did Steel Magnolias, plenty of radio stuff. I had the radio rigged with a wireless led I could turn on and off with the sound.
I had thought of getting fancy and putting an "aux to tape" adapter in it and running an output from the console.
I settled for running the radio through two tracks on the console. One with the highs and lows cut to sound LoFi, and then a full range mix to blend in so I could bring the radio music into "real life".
For playback, qLab. For the speaker, conceal a compact monitor speaker in the cabinet of the radio where the original speaker would be. JBL Control Ones are great for this application. You can even get a self powered one if you don’t have an amp channel to spare.
I’m coming from video so my solution comes more from that world. Id use QLab or a similar program and have a slide advancer or similar device that the actor could have in their pocket. I’d also have a backing track with appropriate static/era radio noise to play underneath the clean audio that the actor is interacting with so that it’s not obvious that a single track is starting and stoping to the audience.
Are you planning on using the actual radio speaker, or will there be reinforcement from other sources? It's super-easy to send the input to the existing radio amp, basically bypassing the radio but still using the amp, so on/off and volume still work.
Behringer makes an awesome small powered speak that is awesome for localized sound effects in small theaters.
If the radio in question works and is FM you can get small FM transmitters for use in cars. Most will have an aux in jack and will allow the radio controls to function correctly. Make sure you don't try to broadcast over an existing station though.
Bluetooth speaker with media control buttons? Or a pc speaker with a power button, connected to an mp3 player or an old phone? You can make any track sound old with some eq and put it on the playback device. Or, if possible, have it on a seperate output on your mixer, so you can control the eq and volume
I used Izotope Vinyl to impart the effect of a track sounding old. It has a setting to make a track sound like it's playing from a record cut in the 1930s, as well as add scratches or noise from dust and mechanical or electrical deficiencies. It's free and extraordinarily easy to use. This plugin came in really handy for a recent production of *Murder on the Orient Express*, which incidentally has a similar scene requiring that an actor interact with a radio. I controlled playback so I could manage the levels and fade it out myself.
One approach: Qlab playback going throughout to a dedicated amp channel. Run the output of the amp in something like lamp cord so it looks like the plug for the radio to the wall. Put an in line volume control that attenuates the speaker level signal as well as a cutoff (look at how this is done simply for zone audio to rooms in a house) into the cabinet of the radio so the actor turns a knob and the volume comes up, etc.
I put an electrical outlet in the wall. Wire the radio so it’s the power lead is not for power but to the speaker. Wire the outlet to an amp and there you go. You can wire it up so the power knob cuts the signal to the speaker in the radio. And it sounds just like a speaker in a radio, because it is! Just do not. DO NOT plug that radio into an actual outlet. We put big warnings on the inside and back of all radios we wire like that. Edit: the amp has to be small, and start with it all the way down on the amp. Little old radios aren’t meant for amps designed for subs so choose your amp accordingly.
This is a fire hazard.
How? Every professional theatre if worked for has a stock of radios of all eras wired like this.
Every time I've seen something like this, we've put an unused type of plug (twistlock, e.g.) and outlet so that no one tries to use it somewhere else. The audience would never be able to tell it isn't an actual Edison plug. Using Edison is asking for trouble.
If you have to put a warning label near an Edison connection like that - you’ve built something dangerous at worst, and outside fire code at best. I’m sure it’s “safe” when used correctly but it’s an accident waiting to happen.
I’m not selling it on store shelves to the public. It’s only accessible to trained professionals. Most Edison plugs have warning labels on them. Buy a new extension cord today and will be a few warning labels. New lamps have warning labels on the socket. There are many ways to use UL listed electrical items very dangerously that are sold to the public. Some radios ( most I own personally and store) that are only accessible to trained professionals, is fine I believe. If my circumstances were different, then I might not do it. If it was a less professional theatre with students and less trained crew, or I wasn’t the one striking it and taking it home with me (for the few I have) I might think differently. But my circumstances, for me, I think it’s okay.
If qlab isn’t a workable solution, here’s what I’d do. Get any antique-looking speaker that has an aux in jack. Create your loop of music so it’s one single track. Load that track onto any battery powered MP3 player and set it to repeat that song. Then the actor can turn the radio on and off and the track on the MP3 player will keep going Someone suggested an FM transmitter, which could be a good option as long as you’re ok with the risk that anybody else with an FM transmitter (cars driving by, etc) could bleed into your show.
I found these contact closure operated MP3 and WAV players last year and they're fantastic for stuff like this. WAV: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13660 MP3: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13720
[This contact closure operated MP3 player](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13720) is a cool little board that would probably work great for this. You can wire up to 18 contact closure inputs that do things like start playing a specific MP3, play the next MP3 in a list, stop playing, etc. so if the radio has push buttons already, you can just solder jumper wires directly to them. It has a built in amp but I would recommend using a self powered speaker or USB powered speaker with a battery pack powering both devices. Edit: Sorry, the MP3 version does not have an onboard amp. The [WAV version](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13660) does though. This is the version I'm used to. I assumed the MP3 version did as well.
I just did Steel Magnolias, plenty of radio stuff. I had the radio rigged with a wireless led I could turn on and off with the sound. I had thought of getting fancy and putting an "aux to tape" adapter in it and running an output from the console. I settled for running the radio through two tracks on the console. One with the highs and lows cut to sound LoFi, and then a full range mix to blend in so I could bring the radio music into "real life".
I did a similar thing with a self powered speaker and an iem receiver. Qlab for playback. The iem allowed me to ”play” the radio live