Enhancers - Omnia Stereo Audio Processor Installation And Operation Manual

Gt Thresh (Gate Threshold)
When the input audio falls below a certain level, the gain control action of the AGC stage is
"frozen" by the gate. The level at which this freeze, or hold takes place is controlled by the setting
of the Gate Threshold control. Higher numbers cause the gate to activate at higher audio levels. In
most applications this control should be adjusted to cause gating action to occur when the input
audio falls about 20dB below nominal. The action of gate also prevents noise rush up during
periods of no audio or during pauses in speech.
RTZ Speed (Return To Zero Speed)
RTZ stands for Return To Zero. What RTZ does is return the gain of the WB AGC section to an
internally determined amount of gain reduction in the absence of audio. RTZ speed controls how
fast this adjustment takes place – i.e., how long it takes the AGC to move to the target RTZ
platform level.
<-Exit
Click on this option to return to the Adjust Processing submenu.

Enhancers

There are 4 controls in the Enhancers menu: Deep Bass, Phat Bass, Warmth and HF EQ. The first three controls give
you control over the Omnia's built-in bass equalizer.
For the transmission side of conventional AM broadcasting, the NRSC pre-emphasis (high frequency boost) is used.
The HF EQ control sets the degree of pre-emphasis along the NRSC curve.
Deep Bass
Adds 'girth' to the audio by enhancing very low frequencies such as kick drum fundamentals or
very low bass notes that may be present in the input audio program.
Phat Bass
An Omnia exclusive, Phat Bass adds harmonic overtones to the lower bass frequencies. The
addition of these overtones causes small speakers to seem to produce bass response that they are
not actually capable of producing because the human brain equates the presence of low frequency
harmonics to the missing fundamentals that the small speaker is unable to reproduce. On systems
with larger speakers, the effect of Phat Bass becomes subtler because the extended frequency
response of those systems allows the fundamentals of the low notes to be heard, masking the
added harmonics contributed by Phat Bass. Be careful though, too much Phat Bass boost can lead
to excessive gain reduction in the lower AGC bands and may cause muddiness with certain
program material. A little goes a long way.
Warmth
This Warm Bass EQ is a shelf boost at 150 Hz. Warmth EQ compensates for program material
that is naturally lacking in upper-bass fullness. Be judicious about applying too much, as the
resonant frequency of many automobile interiors lies in this frequency range! Also, too much can
cause excessive gain reduction in the following 4-Band AGC stage. A little can give a nice, subtle
warmth enhancement to voices and other program material that may otherwise sound too thin.
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