Orban/CRL has introduced the Optimod 6300-DAB to the digital broadcast and pro audio markets. The 6300 is a high-quality, multipurpose stereo audio processor for digital radio, digital television, netcasts, STL protection, audio production and digital mastering.
With 20kHz audio bandwidth and 48kHz internal sample rate, the 6300 succeeds Orban’s Optimod-DAB 6200 audio processor while offering improved processing algorithms and more flexibility. The 6300 contains a stereo enhancer, AGC, equalizer, phase-linear multiband compressor/limiter with either two or five bands and two independent stereo look-ahead peak limiters.
Peak limiting can be either flat or preemphasis-aware at either 50 or 75 microseconds, allowing the 6300 to protect preemphasized analog STLs. For video applications, broadcasters can activate the 6300’s included CBS Loudness Controller to help prevent tune-outs caused by loud commercials.
The 6300 incorporates Orban’s new PreCode technology. Several of the 6300’s presets exploit this technology to provide “plug and play” processing at low bit rates. Because of its versatile signal routing, the 6300 can be used as a combined studio automatic gain control (AGC), digital radio/digital television/netcast processor and low-delay talent headphone processor. Any of its three outputs (one stereo analog, two AES2 digital) can use multiple processing chains configured specifically for broadcast applications.
The 6300’s multiband processing incorporates technology used in Optimod-FM 8500HD’s digital radio processing path. To help broadcasters match the sound of an 8400 or 8500 when using the 6300 as a studio AGC or HD Radio processor, the 6300 provides presets that can be recalled by remote control, making it easy to synchronize presets at the studio and transmitter.
Other important new features include soft knee and compression ratio controls for each of the bands in the multiband compressor/limiter. This allows mastering and production engineers to apply very subtle multiband compression while retaining as much of the original source’s dynamics as desired.
The 6300 employs mastering quality equalizers and crossover filters throughout. The three-band parametric equalizer’s curves accurate emulate an analog parametric equalizer, while a parametric low-frequency shelving equalizer adds bass punch without muddiness. The filters and equalizers all use 48-bit fixed-point arithmetic to ensure excellent linearity and low noise. The 6300’s look-ahead limiter is sonically competitive with the best “mastering” limiters, so it can be combined with the 6300’s multiband compressor and equalizer to make masters that are competitively loud and perfectly tailored to the programming being processed.
For more information, please visit www.orban.com.
