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OPERATION
Loudness and Distortion
In processing, there is a direct trade-off between loudness and distortion. You can im-
prove one only at the expense of one or both of the other two. Thanks to Orban's psy-
choacoustically optimized designs, this is less true of Orban processors than of any oth-
ers. Nevertheless, all intelligent processor designers must acknowledge and work within
the laws of physics as they apply to this trade-off.
In AM and FM processing, we have long said that there is a direct trade-off
between loudness, brightness, and distortion, However, because DAB sys-
tems don't use pre-emphasis there is no problem getting the audio to sound
bright, and the trade-off is only between loudness and distortion.
Perhaps the most difficult part of adjusting a processor is determining the best trade-off
for a given situation. We feel that it is usually wiser to give up ultimate loudness to
achieve low distortion. A listener can compensate for loudness by simply adjusting the
volume control. But there is nothing the listener can do to make an excessively com-
pressed or peak-limited signal sound clean again.
If processing for high quality is done carefully, the sound will also be excellent on small
radios. Although such a signal might fall slightly short of ultimate loudness, it will tend
to compensate with an openness, depth, and punch (even on small radios) that cannot be
obtained when the signal is excessively squashed.
If women form a significant portion of the station's audience, bear in mind that women
are more sensitive to distortion and listening fatigue than men. In any format requiring
long-term listening to achieve market share, great care should be taken not to alienate
women by excessive stridency, harshness, or distortion.
OPTIMOD-DAB — from Bach to Rock
OPTIMOD-DAB can be adjusted so that the output sounds:
•
as close as possible to the input at all times (using the Protection Limiter structure)
•
open but more uniform in frequency balance (and often more dramatic) than the in-
put (using the Two-Band structure or slow Multi-Band structures)
•
dense, quite squashed, and very loud (using the fast or medium-fast Multi-Band
structures)
The dense, loud setup will make the audio seem to jump out of car and table radios, but
may be fatiguing and invite tune-outs on higher quality home receivers. The loud-
ness/distortion trade-off explained above applies to any of these setups.
You will achieve best results if Engineering, Programming, and Management go out of
their way to communicate and cooperate with each other. It is important that Engineering
understand the sound that Programming desires, and that Management fully understands
ORBAN Model 6200
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