PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Check out Orban ’ s Optimod Audio Processing at BroadcastAsia2016
Since the early ’ 70s , Orban , with its renowned Optimod Series , has been the leading manufacturer of AM / FM / DAB / TV loudness controllers and streaming audio processors .
At BroadcastAsia2016 , Orban is featuring the Optimod-FM 8600 , Orban ’ s flagship processor , following the company ’ s Optimod- FM 8500 . There are two versions of Optimod-FM 8600 — model 8600HD is the full FM and digital radio version , while the analogue FM-only version is the 8600FM .
Featuring versatile five-band and two-band processing for both analogue FM transmission and digital media , the 8600 provides the industry ’ s most consistent sound , track-to-track and sourceto-source . This consistency allows broadcasters to create a sonic signature for their station with the assurance that their signature will stay locked in , uniquely branding their sound .
The 8600 provides stereo enhancement , equalisation , AGC , multi-band compression , low-IM peak limiting , stereo encoding and composite limiting — everything that even the most competitive major market station needs to stand out on the dial . The 8600 has more than 20 excellent sounding , format-specific factory presets .
However , while the factory presets are fully competent “ out of the box ”, users can customise these presets with an easy oneknob “ less-more ” control in Basic control , 50 parameters in Intermediate control , or with more than 120 in the Advanced control , whose versatility will satisfy even the most finicky on-air sound designer .
IMPROVED PEAK LIMITER TECHNOLOGY Dramatically improved peak limiter technology decreases distortion while increasing transient punch and high frequency power handling capacity . Compared to the FMchannel peak limiter in Optimod- FM 8500 , the new peak limiter typically provides 2.5 dB -3dB more power at high frequencies , which minimises audible HF loss caused by pre-emphasis limiting .
Drums and percussion cut through the mix . Highs are airy . “ Problem material ” that used to cause audible distortion is handled cleanly .
LOUDNESS AND TRUE PEAK CONTROL The digital radio and analogue radio processing chains offer ITU-R BS . 1770-3 + Loudness Metres and Safety Limiters for use in countries that enforce a BS . 1770 loudness limit on digital and / or analogue radio broadcasts .
The 8600HD implements “ true peak ” control in the HD processing chain by oversampling the HD peak limiter ’ s side-chain at 256kHz . This allows the 8600 to prevent clipping in a playback device ’ s analogue signal path by predicting and controlling the analogue peak level following the playback device ’ s reconstruction filter to an accuracy of better than 0.5dB .
For typical programme material , accuracy is 0.2dB . Without true peak control , analogue clipping can occur even if all peak values of the digital samples are below 0dBFS . This phenomenon has also been termed “ 0dBFS +”.
VERSATILITY DOES NOT STOP WITH SOUND The 8600 has an internal , DSPbased stereo encoder ( with a patented “ half-cosine interpolation ” composite limiter operating at 512kHz sample rate ) to generate the pilot tone stereo baseband signal and control its peak level . The composite limiter is a unique “ you can only do this in DSP ” process that beats composite clippers by preserving stereo imaging while fully protecting the stereo pilot tone , RDS / RBDS and subcarriers .
The stereo encoder ’ s stereo subchannel modulator can operate in normal double sideband mode and in an experimental compatible single sideband mode that is offered to enable users to compare and assess the two modes .
For Orban ’ s European
The 8600 provides stereo enhancement , equalisation , AGC , multiband compression , low-IM peak limiting , stereo encoding and composite limiting — everything that even the most competitive major market station needs to stand out on the dial .
customers , a second-generation ITU BS 412 multiplex power controller yields the best possible coverage while flawlessly complying with the standard . They can adjust it to maximise loudness within the constraints of the BS 412 standard or to produce less gain change at the expense of slightly lower loudness .
New for the 8600 is the ability to apply MPX power gain reduction after the clippers so that the texture of the processing can include more “ clipper sound ” when desired .
Regardless of how users adjust the multiplex power controller , they can be sure of always meeting the ITU BS 412 requirements flawlessly . A loop-through connection is provided to enable a ratings encoder ( such as Arbitron ) to be inserted between the output of the audio processing and the input to the stereo encoder .
Analogue fallback to digital control that allows silence sense to switch the active input from Analogue to Digital if silence is detected in the analogue input signal but not on the digital input signal . This function works vice versa as well on both analogue and digital AES inputs . The silence sense parameters also apply to both , while both detectors are available to drive the 8600 ’ s tally outputs and sending SNMP Traps / Alerts .
To find out more about Orban ’ s offerings , visit booth 5K4-03 .
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