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OPTIMOD-PC
About this Manual
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Audio Processing for Level Control
Audio Processing: Making Broadcasts/Netcasts Sound Professional
Professional radio broadcasters would never consider going on the air without audio
signal processing. They consider it a vital aspect of their program content. This care-
fully crafted content is what holds listeners and keeps them coming back. Since
1975, Optimod algorithms have dominated the world market for professional radio
and television audio processing and have been improved continuously since then.
OPTIMOD-PC puts this technology inside your computer.
For optimum sound, loudness, and peak control, you should digitally preprocess an
Internet audio signal to condition it prior to encoding. The appropriate preprocess-
ing has much in common with the preprocessing required for DAB, HD Radio™, CD
mastering, or digital satellite.
OPTIMOD-PC audio processing is appropriate for all of these and for any other digi-
tal transmission media and channels. OPTIMOD-PC's three on-board Motorola
DSP56367 DSP chips provide a loud, consistent sound to the consumer by performing
automatic gain control (AGC), equalization, multiband gain control, and peak-level
control.
There are many gain/peak control devices and software available to perform dynam-
ics processing. Many of these tools are designed for recording studio applications as
effects compressors/limiters for individual microphone or instrument tracks. These
devices' controls need to be tuned carefully for the specific material being proc-
essed—they are not "set and forget" processors. Moreover, most do not process
mixed program material without introducing objectionable audible artifacts, par-
ticularly when called upon to gain-ride input material having widely varying levels.
A broadcast audio processor should ideally be "seen, but not heard." Optimod proc-
essing algorithms simultaneously control audio gain and peaks, artistically, musically,
INTRODUCTION
Section 1
Introduction
1-1
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