Orban OPTIMOD-FM 8600, Operating Manual

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OPTIMOD-FM DIGITAL OPERATION
3-59
Putting the Five-Band Structure on the Air
The Five-Band structure is very flexible, enabling you to fine-tune your on-air sound
to complement your programming. There are numerous Factory Programming Pre-
sets whose names are the same as common programming formats. They offer con-
siderable variety, with various combinations of release time, equalization, low fre-
quency coupling, and high frequency coupling.
Start with one of these presets. Spend some time listening critically to your on-air
sound. Listen to a wide range of program material typical of your format and listen
on several types of radios (not just on your studio monitors). Then, if you wish, cus-
tomize your sound using the information in “Customizing the Settings,” which fol-
lows.
Customizing the Settings
The
L
ESS
-M
ORE
control can edit each of these presets to optimize the trade-off be-
tween loudness and distortion according to the needs of the format. To fine-tune
them, presets can be further edited with Basic, Intermediate or Advanced Modify.
The controls in the Five-Band structure give you the flexibility to customize your sta-
tion’s sound. Nevertheless, as with any audio processing system, proper adjustment
of these controls requires appropriately balancing the trade-offs between loudness,
density, and audible distortion. The following provides the information you need to
adjust the Five-Band structure controls to suit your format, taste, and competitive
situation.
The Five-Band Structure’s Full Setup Controls
The tables below show the Multiband and Band Mix controls in the dynamics sec-
tion. The AGC, Equalizer, Stereo Enhancer, and Clipper controls are common to both
the Two-Band and Five-Band structures and are discussed in their own sections
above.
Except as noted, these controls affect both the analog and HD processing
chains.
MB Drive control adjusts the signal level going into the multiband compressor and
therefore determines the average amount of gain reduction in the multiband com-
pressor. Range is 25 dB.
Adjust the
MB D
RIVE
control to your taste and format requirements. Used lightly
with slower multiband release times, the multiband compressor produces an open,
re-equalized sound. The multiband compressor can increase audio density when op-
erated at faster release times because it acts increasingly like a fast limiter (not a
compressor) as the release time is shortened. With faster release times, density also
increases when you increase the drive level into the multiband compressor because
these faster release times produce more limiting action. Increasing density can make
sounds seem louder, but can also result in an unattractive busier, flatter, or denser
sound. It is very important to be aware of the many negative subjective side effects
of excessive density when setting controls that affect the density of the processed
sound.