Omnia.11
Stereo FM Audio Processor
Installation and Operation Manual
Version 1.4 - Revised: May 2013
Omnia ● 1241 Superior Avenue East, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 USA
TEL: +1 216.241.7225 ● FAX: +1 216.241.4103 ● www.omniaaudio.com
i
President’s Note: Welcome to Omnia.11!
Cleveland, Ohio
September, 2010
If you love Rock-and-Roll there's a good chance you'll understand the following scenario. Consider how daunting it must
have been for the Beatles to follow-up "Sgt. Pepper," or what the next concept was in Pete Townshend's mind after the
worldwide acclaim of "Tommy." Personally, I always wonder how Bruce Springsteen contemplates his next project after
the completion of many of his masterpieces.
Well processing gang, seems I now understand the predicament! Your overwhelming acceptance of Omnia processors
parallels the above scenarios for all of those artists. OK, so maybe there won't be a "processing rock opera", but the
popularity of Omnia, as made by you, has put it in rock-star status among broadcastings elite! Humbly....I wish to thank
each and every one of you for your dedication and support.
Now, Omnia embarks upon the next phase - or tour - of this wonderful journey. You know, Mr. Springsteen said it
perfectly, "One day, we'll look back on this, and it will all seem funny." He’s right, as I look back on all this, it's been - and
remains - an amazing ride!
Now it's time for us to offer you our follow-up as we present Omnia.11. A lot of anticipation awaits Omnia.11, and our
goal was to climb the charts again, with a bullet. By now you're heard or read all of the stuff from the marketing gang. So
I'll spare those details. But it is important to note that aside from the effort undertaken to create Omnia.11, there's a
tremendous team who deserve recognition for this product. As said in other communiqués, Omnia isn't just "Frank"
anymore. Now you get to hear and see the results of that statement. Omnia.11 resides on a whole new firmware platform,
which incorporates both DSP and an industrial grade quad-core PC. I believe this is a first in the processing realm. In order
to do this, the Omnia team worked extremely hard to assemble a platform that is powerful, flexible, and ready for the
future. It's my view that our platform design and firmware selection will create possibilities the 'other' guys are still
dreaming about. So in addition to a great sounding processor, you also possess a device that is designed for the ever
changing technical landscape we find in broadcasting today.
To that extent, Rob Dye, Bill Mohat, Ed Zmuginsky, Corny Gould, and Mark Manolio are to thank for their creativity.
Additionally, there are quite a number of end-users who shared their ideas with us, and we're extremely grateful for the
input from everyone.
I've always felt that competitive quality sound is what ultimately sells a processor, not the number of bands or the latest
whimsical features we see offered by others. In Malcom Gladwell's book "Outliers," he details numerous stories about how
various people reached their level of success. The short form answer is that it takes close to 10,000 hours of work or
practice to reach this lofty goal. Pretty insightful stuff! I have no doubt that my algorithmic running mates Rob Dye and
Cornelius Gould have long surpassed this milestone. Their efforts, input and insight to the algorithms in Omnia.11 are
worth a book unto themselves. Ask Corny about the multitude of hours we spent in our development lab going over
algorithm performance and breaking down the barriers to achieve increased performance in what is today Omnia.11.
Hopefully by now you can draw your own conclusion as to which company has not only become the world's leading
broadcast processing developer, but also whom all others look to clone. We chuckle when our tech concepts show up in
product descriptions of other companies.
In closing, I want to Thank You, once again for your support in us. As you get rolling with Omnia.11, please know we are
there 24/7 should you need assistance. As always, we'd love to know your feedback, so please feel free to share. As a
friend in the live steam hobby told me about his business, "If you like the product, tell others. If you don't, then tell me."
Rock on!
Frank Foti, President, Omnia Audio
ii
iii
Omnia.11 Quick-Start Setup Guide
We know that you’re probably in a hurry to begin using your new Omnia.11. This 3-page Quick-Start Setup Guide
below will get you up and running as quickly as possible. Since it covers only the bare minimum needed to get you
going, we strongly suggest reading the entire user manual in order to get the most out of your new Omnia.11. The
latest version is always available in .pdf format here:
http://omniaaudio.com/manuals/11/download
Please refer to the illustrations below to become familiar with the location of the various controls and connectors
associated with the installation and then follow the steps in the Physical Installation and User Interface Overview
sections before proceeding with the installation.
Physical Installation:
The Omnia.11 is a large unit so it would be advisable to have the help of an assistant when installing it in the rack. Pull
outward on the outside of each handle until you hear a click and they both securely lock into place. Using the handles,
install the Omnia.11 in the equipment rack using all four rack screws. Once secured to the rack, slide the release pin
(located on the back of each handle at the top) toward you and fold the rack handles back to their normal position.
1. Connect the audio inputs that are appropriate for your installation. The Omnia.11 accepts balanced professional linelevel analog audio or AES/EBU digital audio on standard XLR connectors. If you have an existing Livewire system, the
single Livewire Ethernet connection is all that is needed for audio I/O (except for the composite MPX outputs). Please
note that the the two Ethernet jacks are ports on the same internal switch so they both have the same functionality. Either
can be used for remote control and Livewire. NOTE: Be sure Livewire is disabled in the Setup menu (see Step 4 below)
if you are not installing the Omnia in a Livewire system.
2. Connect the outputs that are appropriate for your installation. (NOTE: A direct composite MPX connection between
the Omnia and the FM exciter at the transmitter site is always best! This will allow taking full advantage of the Omnia’s
superior built-in stereo generator and ensure the best possible overshoot performance and sound quality.)
If you will be using AES/EBU to feed your STL, or FM exciter, be sure any pre-emphasis and limiters (if present) are
fully defeated in the exciter. The Omnia must be the only device providing the pre-emphasis so its own de-emphasis on
the AES/EBU output being used must also be “Off”. Also note that if the STL uses a codec (is not linear), the Omnia must
be located at the transmitter site for best performance and sound quality. Please contact Omnia Support if you have any
questions.
3. Be sure there is nothing plugged into the rear panel Ethernet jacks at this point and connect AC power to the unit
(there is no power switch!). You will see lines of text as the unit boots up, followed by the main GUI touch screen
interface as shown at the top of the next page.
iv
Front Panel User Interface Overview:
Headphone Jack Headphone Level Control Jog Wheel
Icon Buttons Tabs
Touch Screen LCD Display Metering Area Menu Area
Sub-Group Buttons
The initial GUI will come up with the Preset list open but locked. For now, touch the “Setup” icon button at the top-left
corner of the screen. This brings up the Network, Livewire and System setup screens with the System screen as the
default.
Note here that the Overall Bypass switch should always be set to “OFF” or no processing will take place! Be careful
never to turn this on unless you are running a proof!
Before you begin, be sure your Omnia.11 is running the current software which is shown in the orange System block
near the top of the screen. It should read “Version Omnia11: 1.4 (xxxx). You can ignore what’s in the parentheses. If
the version shown is 1.1, you can update via download from here:
audio-processor If the version shown is 1.03 or lower, please contact Omnia customer support for assistance. Contact
information is at the end of this document.
4. Touch the appropriate icon buttons to setup your network parameters, activate Livewire (only if needed) and change the
unit’s password (default is “omnia” without the quotes). NOTE: The same password is used for both front panel and remote
browser access.
5. Touch the “ADJ” icon button near the top-left of the screen to return to the main screen and then touch “Input” to
bring up the Input menu and metering. If the “Basic” tab is not selected, touch it to select it. From the “Input Source” drop-
down, select the Analog, AES/EBU or Livewire input as appropriate for your installation. If your audio source is providing
an audio feed you should then see meter activity on the bargraph meters.
6. While driving the inputs with typical program material at normal operating level, adjust the appropriate “Master” Input
Gain control until the peak-reading input bargraph meters are reading just “into the yellow” (about –15 to –12 dBFS or so). If
the left/right audio levels coming into the Omnia.11 are somewhat unbalanced, you can adjust the “Right Trim” control to
adjust the level of the right channel alone over a limited range.
7. Touch the “Output” icon button at the top-right of the screen to bring up the Output menu and metering. If the “Basic”
tab is not selected, touch it to select it. Touch the “FM Options” button on the left side of the Menu Area and ensure that the
Pre-Emphasis, Diversity Delay (if present) and BS-412 settings are correct for your system and your location.
http://omniaaudio.com/omnia-11-fm-broadcast-
v
8. Now touch the appropriate button above the “FM Options” button to select the group of output controls for the output
you will be using. All outputs are active simultaneously. NOTE: If you are using an AES/EBU digital output to feed an FM
exciter, touch the “AES/EBU” button and be sure the “Output Selection” is set to “FM” and the “De-emphasis” is turned
“OFF” for the output being used to feed the linear digital STL or exciter. For access to the composite MPX stereo generator
output level and stereo pilot controls, touch the “Composite” button. Finally, adjust the appropriate control so that the peak
output/modulation level is correct for the equipment that follows the Omnia.11.
9. Touch the “FM” icon button and then touch the “Preset” tab to display the list of factory processing presets. If the
preset list is locked (grayed-out), touch the “padlock” icon to unlock it. Once unlocked, simply touch the desired preset name
in the list and it will be put directly “on the air".
10. We strongly suggest listening to all the factory presets, regardless of their name, to get a feel for their differences
and then select one to start with. Once you have your starting preset selected, touch the “Quick Setup” tab and adjust
the following controls to set the basic loudness, bass and brightness sound desired.
Start with the “Auto Sense” control. Set it all the way down to 0.0 for now.
Next, adjust the “Clipper Drive” control as low as possible for the loudness needed. This controls the primary
loudness vs. distortion tradeoff. Turning it up makes the sound louder (but more distorted) while turning it down
makes the sound cleaner but not as loud. The goal is to find the right compromise. Try adjusting it down in 0.5 dB
steps until the loudness just falls off a little too much, then bring it back up a notch or two from there. It should
always be set as low as possible for the needed level of loudness.
Now turn the “Auto Sense” control back up until you see the Auto Sense meter in the metering pane deflecting
downward a maximum of about 0.5 to 1dB or so on peaks and then leave it there.
The overall amount of bass is set using the “Bass Growl” control. The bass enhancement controls (“Deep Bass”,
“Warm Bass” found here and also “Phat Bass” located in the Basic tab of the WB/ENH menu) are all dynamic
rather than fixed EQ’s. Their overall “allowed amount” is controlled by the “Bass Growl” control so start by
adjusting this to taste. You can go back and set the other bass enhancer controls later. For now the preset defaults for
these should be sufficient.
Finally, set the basic brightness of a preset by using the “Presence” and “Treble” controls. Note that these two
controls only boost the brightness. A setting of “0.0” is “flat” or the minimum amount of boost for the particular
preset that is currently selected.
The Omnia.11 Quick-Start Setup is now complete! Please read the User Manual to learn all about the features that make
the Omnia.11 unique, for additional details on proper installation (Chapter 1), remote control (Appendix C) and for full
details on the operation and adjustment of every control function (Chapters 4 & 5).
The latest version of the manual is always available for download in .pdf format here:
http://omniaaudio.com/manuals/11/download
If you’d like to contact our Customer Support department, personnel are available in the Cleveland, Ohio, USA office
Monday through Friday between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time by phone at +1.216.241.7225 , via email to
support@omniaaudio.com
or via the customer support form on our website here:
http://telosalliance.com/contact/
After-hours support is available 24/7 by phone at +1.216.622.0247.
If you are outside the U.S.A. and non-English speaking, please contact the dealer you purchased your Omnia from first.
Thank you for choosing Omnia!
vi
vii
Table of Contents
President’s Note: Welcome to Omnia.11! .................................................................................... i
Omnia.11 Quick-Start Setup Guide ........................................................................................... iii
Physical Installation: ........................................................................................................... iii
Front Panel User Interface Overview: ............................................................................... iv
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ vii
S A F E T Y I N S T R U C T I O N S .................................................................................... xi
HAZARD / WARNING LABELS ............................................................................................. xii
Manual Update Notification...................................................................................................... xiii
Chapter-1: Installation ..................................................................................................................1
Pre-Installation Tasks ............................................................................................................1
About This Manual ................................................................................................................1
Omnia.11 Components ..........................................................................................................1
Processor Location .................................................................................................................1
AC Power Environment ........................................................................................................1
Installation & Connections ...................................................................................................2
Rack Mounting & Grounding ............................................................................................. 2
AC Mains Power ................................................................................................................. 2
Rear Panel Connections ........................................................................................................3
Analog Audio Inputs and Outputs ...................................................................................... 3
A Note about Relative Phase: ..........................................................................................3
Stereo Generator Connections ............................................................................................ 4
COMP 1 & COMP 2 (Composite Outputs 1 & 2) (BNC) ...............................................4
19 kHz OUT (Pilot Sync Output) (BNC) ........................................................................4
SCA INPUT (BNC) .........................................................................................................4
SCA IN LVL (SCA Input Level) (trimpot adjustment) ...................................................4
AES/EBU Digital Input, Outputs & AES/EBU External Sync Input ................................. 5
Ethernet / Livewire Connections ........................................................................................ 5
RS-232 Serial Port (DB-9M)* Connections ....................................................................... 6
General Purpose Interface (GPI) (DB-15F)* ...................................................................... 6
Powering Up ...........................................................................................................................7
Chapter-2: Getting To Know Your Omnia.11 ............................................................................9
The Omnia.11 User Interface................................................................................................9
Headphone Level Control ................................................................................................... 9
Icon Buttons, Metering Area and Menu Area ................................................................... 10
User Interface Overview: ...............................................................................................10
User Interface Tutorial – Input Source Selection and Peak Input Level Setting .............. 11
Proper Setting of Input Levels .......................................................................................12
Processing Activity Metering (Gain-Reduction Meters) .................................................. 13
Chapter-3: Setting Up for Your System ....................................................................................15
Setup Mode .............................................................................................................................. 15
Network Parameter Setup ...................................................................................................15
Livewire© Setup ....................................................................................................................17
Livewire Sync Indicator .................................................................................................... 17
viii
Security Setup.......................................................................................................................18
Introduction ....................................................................................................................18
Definition of Static Security Levels ...............................................................................19
Changing Passwords ......................................................................................................19
Preset Protection ..................................................................................................................20
Introduction ....................................................................................................................20
Authorization Groups.....................................................................................................20
Using Preset Protection ..................................................................................................20
System Setup.........................................................................................................................22
Input/Output Configuration and Metering .......................................................................... 22
Input Configuration .............................................................................................................23
Input Failover (Input Menu Basic Tab) .........................................................................24
Patch Point (Input Menu Advanced Tab) ......................................................................25
Input Metering .....................................................................................................................26
Output Configuration ..........................................................................................................26
Analog ............................................................................................................................... 27
AES/EBU .......................................................................................................................... 27
Livewire ............................................................................................................................ 28
Headphone ........................................................................................................................ 28
Composite ......................................................................................................................... 29
FM Options ....................................................................................................................... 30
ITU BS-412 Power Limiter ...........................................................................................30
Diversity Delay ..............................................................................................................31
SCA IN LVL (Control on Rear Panel) ............................................................................. 31
Output Metering ..................................................................................................................32
Summary Tab .................................................................................................................32
Detail Tab.......................................................................................................................32
Chapter-4: Introduction to Omnia.11 Processing.....................................................................35
Where to Begin? ...................................................................................................................... 36
Presets ...................................................................................................................................36
Quick Setup Tab ............................................................................................................... 37
Clipper Drive and Auto Sense .......................................................................................37
Bass Growl .....................................................................................................................38
Brightness ......................................................................................................................38
Saving User Presets........................................................................................................... 38
Help Text .......................................................................................................................... 38
Preset Descriptions............................................................................................................ 39
Chapter-5: Detailed Processing Adjustment .............................................................................43
Recommended “Tried and True” Adjustment Procedure .................................................. 43
FAQ - Some Common How-To’s: ......................................................................................... 44
1) How do I try to increase loudness while maintaining as much quality as possible?44
2) How do I adjust the frequency balance to obtain a certain consistent sound
“signature” (more bass, less bass, more mids etc.)? ......................................................44
3) How do I reduce listening fatigue and create a more open, cleaner sound that can
be listened to comfortably for longer periods of time? ..................................................44
4) How do I make the processor bring up the volume of quiet song intros more? .......44
Block Diagram ......................................................................................................................45
Wide Band ............................................................................................................................45
ix
Wide Band AGC Metering (Summary Tab) ..................................................................46
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Basic Tab) ..............................................................................46
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Advanced Tab) .......................................................................48
ENH (Basic Tab)............................................................................................................49
ENH (Advanced Tab) ....................................................................................................50
AGC .......................................................................................................................................51
AGC Crossover (Basic Tab) ...................................................................................51
AGC Crossover (Advanced Tab) ...........................................................................51
AGC Metering (Summary Tab) .....................................................................................52
AGC (Basic Tab) ...........................................................................................................52
Low-Delay DJ Monitor Output ......................................................................................53
AGC (Advanced Tab) ....................................................................................................55
AGC Mixer (Basic Tab) .......................................................................................56
Limiters .................................................................................................................................56
Limiters Crossover (Basic Tab) .............................................................................56
Limiters Crossover (Advanced Tab) ......................................................................57
Parametric EQ Section ...................................................................................................57
Limiters Metering (Summary Tab) ................................................................................58
Limiters (Basic Tab) .........................................................................................58
Limiters (Advanced Tab) ..................................................................................59
Limiters Mixer (Basic Tab) ...................................................................................60
FM .........................................................................................................................................61
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Basic Tab) ........................................................................61
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Advanced Tab) .................................................................62
FM Channel Clipper Metering .......................................................................................63
HD..........................................................................................................................................63
HD Final Limiter............................................................................................................63
HD Channel Limiters Mixer (Basic Tab) ..............................................................63
HD Channel Metering ....................................................................................................64
HD Channel Bass Enhancer (Basic Tab) .......................................................................64
HD Channel Limiter (Basic Tab) ...................................................................................64
Sensus (Basic Tab) .....................................................................................................65
What is Sensus? ..........................................................................................................66
Appendix A: Performance Specifications ..................................................................................69
Appendix B: Troubleshooting/Service/Warranty .....................................................................73
Electrical and mechanical safety note! ...............................................................................73
Troubleshooting FAQ ..........................................................................................................73
Obtaining Service .................................................................................................................74
Via the World Wide Web ................................................................................................. 74
Via E-Mail ........................................................................................................................ 74
Via Phone .......................................................................................................................... 74
Warranty ..............................................................................................................................75
x
Appendix C: Remote Control and Software Update Procedure .............................................77
Remote Control ....................................................................................................................77
Remote .............................................................................................................................. 79
Data Mgmt ........................................................................................................................ 80
Preset File Transfer ........................................................................................................80
Preset Import ..................................................................................................................81
Preset Authorization.......................................................................................................81
I/O Configuration File Transfer .....................................................................................81
Configuration .................................................................................................................... 82
Change Current Password ..............................................................................................82
Software Bank Selection and Update ............................................................................82
Feature Activation ..........................................................................................................85
Factory Diagnostics .......................................................................................................85
xi
S A F E T Y I N S T R U C T I O N S
1. Read All Instructions. All safety and operating
instructions must be read before operating the
provided for ventilation. They ensure reliable
operations of the product, keeping it from
overheating. These openings must not be blocked
provided through following the manufacturer's
Do not use any attachments not
f power source indicated on the marking
routed so that they are not likely to be walked on
during a lightning storm, or when it is left
Do not overload AC wall outlets,
extension cords, or integral convenience outlets as
14. Object and Liquid Entry. Never push objects of any
cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product
may fall, causing serious damage to a child or adult,
ow manufacturer's
care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven
surfaces may cause the product and the cart
product to
the AC wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified
If the product does not operate normally (following
When replacement parts are
required, be sure the service technician has used
replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or
product, ask the service technician to perform safety
checks to determine that the product is in safe
Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol
product.
2. Retain All Instructions. All safety and operating
instructions must be retained for future reference.
3. Heed All Warnings. All warnings on the product
and those listed in the operating instructions must
be adhered to.
4. Follow All Instructions. All operating and product
usage instructions must be followed.
5. Heat. This product must be situated away from any
heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves,
or other products (including power amplifiers) that
produce heat.
6. Ventilation. Slots and openings in the product are
kind into this product through openings as they may
touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts
that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill
liquid of any kind into the product.
15. Accessories. Do not place this product on an unstable
and serious damage to the product. Any mounting of
the product needs to foll
installation recommendations.
16. A Product and Cart Combination should be moved with
combination to overturn.
17. Servicing. Refer all servicing of the
qualified service personnel.
18. Damage Requiring Service. Unplug this product from
nor covered during operation. This product should
not be placed into a rack unless proper ventilation is
installation procedures.
7. Water and Moisture. Do not use this product near
water – for example; near a bath tub, wash bowl,
kitchen sink or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or
near a swimming pool or the like.
8. Attachments.
recommended by the product manufacturer as they
may cause hazards.
9. Power Sources. This product must be operated from
the type o
label and in the installation instructions. If you are
not sure of the type of power supplied to your
facility, consult your local power company.
10. Grounding and Polarization. This product is equipped
with a polarized AC plug with integral safety
ground pin. Do not defeat the safety ground in any
manner.
11. Power Cord Protection. Power supply cords must be
nor pinched by items placed upon or against them.
Pay particular attention to the cords at AC wall
plugs and convenience receptacles, and at the point
where the cord connects to the product.
12. Lightning. For added protection for this product
unattended and unused for long periods of time,
unplug it from the AC wall outlet. This will prevent
damage to the product due to lightning and power
supply surges.
13. Overloading.
this can result in a fire or electric shock hazard.
service personnel under the following conditions:
• When the AC plug is damaged.
• If liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into
the equipment.
• If the product has been exposed to rain or moisture.
•
operating instructions).
• If the product has been dropped or damaged in any
way.
• When the product exhibits a distinct change in
performance. This indicates a need for service.
19. Replacement Parts.
that have the same characteristics as the original
parts. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire,
electric shock, or other hazards.
20. Safety Check. Upon completion of any repairs to this
operating condition.
21. Cleaning.
cleaners. Use only a damp cloth for cleaning.
xii
HAZARD / WARNING LABELS
The Exclamation Point symbol, within an equilateral triangle, alerts the user to the
presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in product
literature and instruction manuals.
The Lightning Flash with Arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, alerts the
user to the presence of non-insulated dangerous voltages within the product's enclosure
that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock.
WARNING -- This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions in this manual it may cause interference to radio communications. The device has
been formally submitted for testing and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device (pursuant to
subpart J of Part 15 FCC Rules) and has been designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference
when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause
interference, and the user and at his expense will be required to take any measures required to correct interference.
CANADA WARNING – This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions set out
in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications. Le present appareil
numerique n'emet pas de bruits radioelectriques depassant les limits applicables aux brouillage radioelectrique edicte
par le ministere des Communications de Canada.
CE CONFORMANCE – This device complies with the requirements of the EEC Council Directives: 93/68/EEC
(CE Marking); 73/23/EEC (Safety – low voltage directive); 89/336/EEC (electromagnetic compatibility).
Conformity is declared to those standards: EN50081-1, EN50082-1.
xiii
Manual Updates
http://omniaaudio.com/manuals
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
http://omniaaudio.com/faqs
Tech Tips & Support Bulletins
http://omniaaudio.com/tips
Software Upgrades & Remote Software
http://omniaaudio.com/software
White Papers & Technical Discussions
http://omniaaudio.com/white-papers
LITHIUM BATTERY CAUTION – There is a danger of explosion if the internal battery is
replaced incorrectly or shorted. Replace the battery only with same or equivalent type
recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
USE OF SHIELDED CABLING – In order to conform to the CE requirements for High
Frequency radiation, shielded cables must be used for all audio and data connections.
NOTE: When the unit is operated in an extremely high RF environment, it may be helpful to
connect cable shields to the XLR-connector terminal that connects cable shield to chassis
ground, not to pin 1. Additionally, a 0.01uF capacitor connected between XLR pin-1 and the
chassis terminal may be helpful in some instances.
RoHS COMPLIANCE – The RoHS Directive stands for "the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances
in electrical and electronic equipment". This Directive bans the placing on the European market of new electrical
and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium,
polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. Omnia.11 FM is in
compliance with the EU RoHS Directive.
Manual Update Notification
Audio Processing – a unique art form that we take very seriously!
As part of our dedication to the science of audio processing we will continue to improve and update the Omnia
product and its documentation based on our ongoing research, real-world field experience, and the valued input from
our many thousands of loyal customers.
We strongly encourage our customers to visit our Omnia website for product enhancement announcements, software
updates, updated user manuals, and customer support bulletins.
The following URLs have been included for your convenience:
xiv
1
Chapter-1: Installation
Pre-Installation Tasks
Please take a few minutes to read through this chapter before proceeding with the installation of your new Omnia.11
processor.
About This Manual
The latest version of this manual is always available for download from the Omnia website here:
http://omniaaudio.com/manuals
Omnia.11 Components
By now, you’ve unpacked the shipping carton to gain access to this manual. Now is the time to inspect the
Omnia.11 unit and its shipping carton for any signs of shipping damage. Such damage must be reported to your
carrier for any claims. The Omnia.11 shipping box includes the following components:
Omnia.11 processor.
Omnia.11 Operating Manual.
Warranty Registration Card. (Please complete the form and return/FAX it to Telos/Omnia)
Two IEC Power Cords, one of the USA/Canada style, and one of the Euro style.
Processor Location
We strongly suggest using the Omnia.11’s built-in MPX stereo generator (the BNC Composite outputs) for the
analog FM channel if at all possible in your system. This will generally result in the best, most tightly controlled
modulation performance. Plus you’ll be able to make use of the advantages available only in the Omnia.11 such as
the SSB option, superb pilot and SCA protection performance, composite clipping etc. Remember, analog FM is still
analog after all! Using an AES/EBU digital path to a digital exciter can be more convenient and can work well, but
it simply moves the location of the stereo generator D/A conversion to the digital exciter over a third-party path
which is not likely to have the above advantages or optimized performance of the integrated stereo generator in the
Omnia. Sometimes, these exciters also have limiters or clippers built-in to their AES inputs that can actually add
overshoot and distortion to the signal!
AC Power Environment
The Omnia.11 subsystem is a DSP-based microcomputer, and therefore requires reasonably clean AC power, just as
any modern computer system does. And even though the Omnia.11 power supply is equipped with robust AC
transient suppression, we recommend that an “online” style (non-switching type) Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) with transient surge suppression be employed.
At transmitter sites there can be heavy transients on the power lines as well as significant surges introduced into the
power system by frequent lighting strikes. These are unwelcome power line events and can damage even the most
robust equipment. Therefore you should give the AC power environment and installation practices thorough
consideration before plugging in the Omnia.11 (or any other microcomputer-based equipment).
2
A White Paper by one of our Support Engineers can be found on the Telos Systems website at the URL listed below.
It details proper grounding and contains links to some surge suppression products for both the power mains and the
often-neglected telephone, Ethernet and ISDN line connections that can (and do) conduct powerful surges into the
equipment.
http://www.telos-systems.com/techtalk/surge.htm
Installation & Connections
Rack Mounting & Grounding
The Omnia.11 is a large unit so it would be advisable to have the help of an assistant when installing it in the rack.
The Omnia.11 requires four RU (7" [17.78 cm]) of rack space. Pull the outer edge the 2 rack handles towards you
until they lock securely. Then and only then rack mount the unit using all four rack screws! No other two-screw
mounting arrangement will secure the unit properly or prevent distortion of the front panel!
Once secured to the rack, slide the release pin for each rack handle toward you and fold the rack handles back to
their normal position
Adequate ventilation should be provided, and although not required, it is always good engineering practice to allow
one blank rack space immediately above and below the Omnia, especially if equipment generating significant heat is
located below the unit. You may install 1RU (1.75") vented or solid rack panels to fill these spaces.
The processor should be installed into a properly grounded 19" equipment rack.
It is a good idea, especially at transmitter sites, to run a separate ground strap or braid from the Omnia.11’s chassis
to a solid rack or station ground point. Although no separate ground lug is provided, the end of the strap or braid can
be clamped under the Omnia’s top cover using the Omnia’s existing top cover screws.
AC Mains Power
Omnia.11 utilizes an un-switched EMI-filtered IEC
power-entry module.
Omnia.11’s automatic voltage–sensing, high-efficiency switching
power supply allows it to operate on AC mains voltages from 100 to
240 VAC and from source frequencies of either 50 or 60 Hz.
In the USA or Canada, plug the provided IEC type AC power cord
into the unit and then into a grounded AC outlet.
Outside of the USA you must use the appropriate power cord that
complies with local electrical regulations.
AC Power Connection
3
Rear Panel Connections
Analog Audio Inputs and Outputs
Balanced XLR-type connectors are provided in the lower left section of the rear panel for the analog audio. Both
analog and digital input sources may be connected simultaneously, however, only the input source that has been
selected in the Input menu will be active. Analog/Digital/Livewire input source selection is done through the “Input
Source” software parameter setting in the Input menu.
All outputs are active simultaneously.
The stereo analog inputs Individual Left and Right
are designed for standard analog outputs are available
+4dBu balanced signals. on two male XLR jacks.
Pin 2 is Hot. Pin 2 is Hot.
A Note about Relative Phase:
If the relative phase of your installation (including the Omnia.11) differs from that of your existing system, your
announcers may feel that they sound “weird” in their headphones. If this occurs, then the relative phase of the
processor is 180 degrees from what your air talent is used to. To remedy this, you can either reverse the polarity of
both of the analog inputs or simply change the “Invert Polarity” setting to [Both] in the Input menu.
4
Stereo Generator Connections
Four standard female BNC connectors comprise the Omnia.11’s stereo generator connections.
There are two composite MPX outputs with independent software level controls, one SCA input with level adjust
trimpot and one 19 kHz pilot sync output.
COMP 1 & COMP 2 (Composite Outputs 1 & 2) (BNC)
These two low impedance outputs (Composite 1 and Composite 2) are each capable of driving up to 100 feet of
RG-58A/U coax cable. The output levels are individually adjustable so the unit can operate as a “composite
DA” to drive a variety of equipment. The output levels and other stereo generator settings are set through
software parameters in the Composite submenu of the Output menu. An internal jumper sets the output
impedance to either 5 ohms (the factory setting) or 75 ohms. The default setting is appropriate for the vast
majority of exciter connections. However, in the event that a higher source impedance is required, a jumper can
be moved (one for each composite output) on the motherboard to change the source impedance to 75 ohms. For
reference, JP10 is for Composite #1, and JP9 is for Composite #2.
Jumpers JP7 & JP8 are also available if you need to limit the maximum peak-to-peak output voltage from the
composite outputs to 4v p-p instead of the normal 10v p-p. They default to the Normal (10v p-p) setting.
19 kHz OUT (Pilot Sync Output) (BNC)
This TTL-level 19 kHz square wave output can be used as the reference signal for most RDS or SCA generators
that operate at 57 kHz or other multiple of the 19 kHz pilot frequency. This Sync output is phase and frequency
locked to the stereo pilot. When this signal is used to synchronize an external SCA or RDS generator, this
locking assures that no difference frequencies exist which may cause intermodulation between the pilot and the
SCA signal.
SCA INPUT (BNC)
Any SCA or RDS signal above 53 kHz can be added to the composite outputs of the Omnia.11 by connecting
the signal to the SCA INPUT connector. The SCA signal is mixed in the analog domain directly into both
composite outputs. A high-pass filter on the SCA input provides SCA to main-channel crosstalk protection. The
SCA injection level can be adjusted using the SCA IN LVL control trimpot. See below for details.
SCA IN LVL (SCA Input Level) (trimpot adjustment)
Located just above the SCA Input BNC jack is the SCA IN LVL (SCA Input Level) adjustment control.
Carefully insert a small bladed screwdriver into the hole and adjust the control if needed to set the SCA
injection level.
5
AES/EBU Digital Input, Outputs & AES/EBU External Sync Input
The digital AES/EBU (AES-3) inputs (AES INPUT and AES SYNC IN) use standard balanced 3-pin female XLR
connectors. They accept any sampling rate between 32kHz and 96kHz. No user adjustment of the sample rate is
necessary on the AES-3 input as a high-quality digital sample rate converter is built in.
There are two AES-3 outputs on standard balanced 3-pin male XLR connectors. These provide either an internally
generated output sample rate of 48 kHz or the sample rate can be locked to an external AES/EBU signal applied to
the AES SYNC IN connector or to the AES/EBU input signal. These options are selectable using the “Sample
Rate” setting in the AES/EBU submenu of the Output menu.
Note: The analog and digital outputs are active simultaneously.
Ethernet / Livewire Connections
The top RJ-45 10BaseT / 100BaseT Ethernet / Livewire I/O jack can be used simultaneously for both TCP/IP based
remote control of your Omnia.11 and audio input/output to your existing Livewire network.
IMPORTANT: If you do not have a Livewire network, please ensure that Livewire is disabled in the Setup menu /
Livewire screen. If a change was needed, be sure to touch “APPLY” and reboot the unit for the change to take
effect. This must be done since your regular network likely cannot handle the large bandwidth and packet streams
generated by Livewire.
NOTE: The bottom Ethernet jack is not fully implemented in the current software so it has the same
functionality as the top jack. We suggest using only the top jack.
Ethernet 10BaseT/100BaseT Remote and
Livewire I/O
6
RS-232 Serial Port (DB-9M)* Connections
NOTE: The RS-232 ports are for internal use / future development only.
The DB9-male RS-232 AUX connector is currently unused.
The DB9 Male RS-232 DIAG connector is for internal use only.
RS-232 Serial Ports
*The RS-232 ports are for internal use / future
development only.
General Purpose Interface (GPI) (DB-15F)*
NOTE: GPI functionality is not yet available with the current software. It will be made available to you in a
free future software update.
This DB15-female connector serves as a four-input, opto-isolated interface to the Omnia's internal Trigger Script
functions*. Four of the pins are “trigger” inputs, one is a bias voltage input, one is a +5V power output, and the
remaining three are “ground.”
*Please note that the GPI and Trigger Script functionality are not yet implemented in the current software but will be
available with a free downloadable software update. Please check the Omnia website for new software
announcements, download links and manual updates at: http://www.omniaaudio.com/
7
Powering Up
Now you are ready to power up the Omnia.11 for the first time.
Connect AC power to the unit using the appropriate supplied power cable for your location.
(There is no power switch!)
When the Omnia.11 is first powered on, you will see text-based boot status messages followed by some graphics test
screens and finally the main screen as shown below.
This main screen’s metering will appear “frozen” for a while as the I/O board finishes booting up. This is normal.
Audio will appear at the analog audio and AES/EBU outputs approximately 1 minute from power-on. Livewire I/O
initialization will take a bit longer.
Initial Screen After Bootup: The “Preset” Screen
You will see that the screen defaults to the Preset menu, showing the currently running preset highlighted in the
alphabetically arranged preset list. You will also notice that the presets appear “grayed-out”. The preset list defaults
to locked mode in order to prevent an unintended preset change when bringing the touchscreen out of screensaver
mode. To make the preset list active, simply touch the “padlock” icon button in the upper-left corner of the preset
list. It will then change to an “open padlock” icon and will unlock the preset list. Now you can simply touch the
desired preset to put it on the air. To re-lock the preset list, simply touch the “open padlock” icon button again or
you can simply exit the preset list by selecting any other icon button and the list will be re-locked automatically.
The Omnia.11 is now ready for configuration and use.
Please proceed to the next chapter to learn how to use the touch screen graphical user interface and how to configure
the Omnia.11 for your system.
8
9
Chapter-2: Getting To Know Your Omnia.11
The Omnia.11 User Interface
Now that your Omnia.11 is rack-mounted, connected to a program audio source, and turned on, you’re ready to
learn how to operate it! This chapter covers the front panel touch screen user interface, your window into the
Omnia.11 processor.
The large front panel full-color LCD touch screen along with a jog-wheel, make up the primary Omnia.11 User
Interface:
Omnia.11 Key Front Panel Features
Headphone Jack Headphone Level Control Jog Wheel
Icon Buttons Tabs
Touch Screen LCD Display Metering Area Menu Area
Sub-Group Buttons
Headphone Level Control
A standard ¼" TRS stereo headphone jack is located at the left side of the front panel and allows the processed audio
signal to be monitored. The Headphone volume level control is physically located to the right of the headphone jack.
The headphone amplifier itself is a high-headroom design and is driven by its own high quality D/A converter that is
independent of the analog XLR outputs. Therefore level changes in either output will not affect the other.
10
Icon Buttons, Metering Area and Menu Area
Variable
Controls
Status
Bar
Icon
Buttons
Tabs
Controls
Drop-Down
Menu Area
Metering
Area
On/Off
Input Screen
Switch
The top row of the Omnia.11’s screen contains a Status Bar. The status bar shows the unit’s IP address, fault status,
currently selected I/O configuration (if any), currently selected processing preset and the currently selected input.
Just below the status bar are 9 Icon Buttons: Setup, ADJ, Input, Wide Band, AGC, Limiters, FM, HD and Output.
These are touch screen buttons that are always present and allow you to switch between the various metering/menu
screens below them. Some of the icon buttons conveniently contain mini-sized working meters that represent their
full-sized metering area countertypes.
You can touch the Input Icon Button to display the Input screen as shown above.
Below the icon buttons are the Metering Area to the left and the Menu Area to the right.
The metering area contains full-sized versions of the meters in the icon buttons and the menu area contains the
controls used for adjustment. In the Input screen, the two horizontal bargraph meters show digital sample-accurate
peak representations of the left and right channel input levels for both the primary and secondary inputs. The
Primary Input meter corresponds to the input selected with the Input Source control in the menu area and the
Secondary Input meter corresponds to the Failover Source.
The Menu Area is arranged in multiple Tabs for convenience. Any tabs that are not available or are reserved for
future features are grayed-out.
Let’s go over setting your primary Input Source and adjusting the Input Level for that source now.
We will begin with an overview of the user interface.
User Interface Overview:
At the top of both the Metering Area and the Menu Area are Tabs that organize the meters and controls into
smaller groups. Touch the tab for the desired group to bring up the meters and controls for that group.
11
Additionally, sub-groups of controls in a tab (if any) are indicated by small Subgroup Buttons on the left side of
the Menu Area. Touch the desired button to bring up the controls in that sub-group.
There are 4 styles of controls: Variable controls, Off/On switches, Drop-Down lists and Radio Button controls.
Examples of Variable and Drop-Down controls can be seen in the Input screen picture above while Off/On switches,
Subgroup Buttons and Variable Controls can be seen in the Wide Band AGC menu area picture below. Radio
Buttons can be found in the Livewire setup menu and the Output menu sub-groups.
When “off” or not selected, Radio Buttons are white. When “on” or selected, Radio Buttons are
green. In the picture at left, the “FM” output is selected.
The state of Off/On switches (see picture at
left of the Wide Band AGC Basic menu
area) can be changed either by touching the
control over the gray indicator (so as not to
change its state) to highlight it and rotating
the Jog Wheel (counter-clockwise for off
and clockwise for on) or simply by touching
the left or right half of the control over the
“ON” or “OFF” text. Touching the left half
of the control will turn it off and touching
the right half of the control will turn it on.
Gray Indicator
On/Off Switches
Help Icon
Subgroup Buttons Variable Controls
To select a Variable Control in the Menu Area for adjustment, touch it to select it (it will be highlighted in an
alternate color when selected) then rotate the Jog Wheel to adjust it in real time. No additional confirmation touch is
needed. Note: The Jog Wheel’s push switch is not yet implemented.
Drop-Down controls (shown on the previous page) are controls that have more than 2 selections in a drop-down list.
These are changed by first touching the control to display the list and then touching the desired selection from the
list.
The Help Icon when touched will open a dialog box containing help text for the currently selected control.
User Interface Tutorial – Input Source Selection and Peak Input Level Setting
The following exercise is a useful introduction to the user interface. Start from the Input metering/menu screen (as
displayed when the unit is first turned on).
If the Input metering/menu screen is not being displayed, touch the ADJ icon button in the upper-left corner of the
screen and then the Input icon button to display it.
Touch the control in the Menu area labeled Input Source to bring up the drop-down list of possible input
sources.
12
Analog is the default input source. The other choices are AES/EBU digital, Livewire 1 and Livewire 2.
Touch the desired input source name to select it. (Note that the current selection will be highlighted
white-on-gray in the list. Even if you will be using the analog inputs, try selecting another input and then
switch back to Analog. If you do not wish to change the current selection, simply touch anywhere outside
the control in a blank area of the screen to close the drop-down.
Now touch the Master input level variable control for the input you just selected above.
Rotate the jog wheel clockwise to increase the input level. Rotate the jog-wheel counter-clockwise to
decrease the input level. This control adjusts both channels together in precise 0.5 dB steps. The gain in dB
is shown inside the control with the previous setting enclosed in brackets [ ].
Watch the (L)eft and (R)ight channel Primary Input horizontal bargraph meters in the Metering Area
while adjusting per the following section.
Proper Setting of Input Levels
With normal program audio levels applied, a correct input level setting will result in the Peak Indicators on the
horizontal L & R bargraph meters regularly reaching between -18 and –12 dBFS or a little higher (just “into the
yellow”). This gain setting corresponds to system peak headroom of about 12-18 dB. You may adjust the input
level slightly lower for more headroom if you wish. Setting the input level for higher meter indications (less
headroom) is strongly discouraged unless there is another level-control device prior to the Omnia.11 that will keep
the input levels from reaching the maximum digital level of 0 dBFS. During normal operation, you should never see
the red “0” segments light.
Tabs (Unused Tabs are Grayed-Out)
Dorrough Loudness Meter
Primary Input Level Meters
Secondary Input Level Meters
Peak Indicators
Once the desired Input level setting is reached there is nothing more that needs to be done. No confirmation
touch is needed.
If the input source’s audio is not well balanced you can touch to highlight and adjust the Right Trim control
located just below the Master you just adjusted. This will adjust the right channel’s gain only over a range of
+ or – 3dB relative to the gain setting of the left channel.
All of the Omnia.11’s variable controls and Off/On switches are set in a similar fashion by using the touch screen to
highlight the control to be adjusted, then rotating the jog-wheel to adjust the control. All drop-down list controls are
adjusted with the touch screen only. Note: Altering any processing or gain parameter will instantly be reflected in a
change in the Omnia.11’s output characteristics because all adjustments occur in real time. Therefore any
adjustments you make will be instantly heard as they occur.
13
Processing Activity Metering (Gain-Reduction Meters)
Touch the AGC icon button to bring up the multi-band AGC metering/menu screen. These meters will be used to
illustrate typical gain-reduction metering activity.
AGC Metering/Menu Screen
AGC Gain-Reduction Meters
The AGC gain-reduction meters in the metering area show the activity of the 5 AGC (automatic gain control)
processing bands within the Omnia.11.
The leftmost meter shows the activity in the LO (low) band followed by the ML (mid-low), MH (mid-high), HI
(high) and SH (super-high) bands. The Low bands control the bass part of the audio spectrum, the Mid bands the
midrange (vocals & instrument fundamentals) and the Hi bands the treble (cymbals & instrument overtones). The 4
currently selected crossover frequencies are also shown near the top of and between the bargraphs.
The amount of gain-reduction occurring in each band is indicated by a solid blue bar that drops downward from the
top.
Gating (gain-freezing) of each band is indicated by a bright yellow outline around the blue bar.
The gain-reduction of the AGCs recover to a resting gain setting which coincides with the RTP (Return to Platform)
levels set for each band.
The AGC meters operate relatively slowly since the AGC’s job is to control overall levels and to provide a gentle
dynamic EQ to moderate compression effect, preparing the audio for the peak controlling sections that follow.
The Wideband AGC section meter operates similarly while the Limiter section meters operate faster and with less
overall gain-reduction.
All of the details regarding the AGC and Limiter sections are covered in Chapter 5.
14
15
Chapter-3: Setting Up for Your System
Setup Mode
Touch the Setup icon button icon in the upper-left corner of the screen to enter Setup mode.
There are 3 setup/configuration screens in Setup mode: Network, Livewire and System. Also, the currently set
network parameters, Livewire status information and running system software version can be seen inside the 3 icon
buttons.
Network Parameter Setup
You should see the following Network configuration screen. If not, touch the Network icon button to display it.
The Network setup screen is where you set up the Omnia.11’s network parameters for remote control and/or
Livewire use. A static IP address will be required. DHCP is not supported. NOTE: A reboot will be required after
changing any of the network parameters.
Available parameters are:
IP (IP Address)
Accepts data in the form of four octets to describe the Ipv4 network address assigned to
the Omnia.11’s network interface. The entries have the form of:
[ octet] . [ octet] . [ octet ] . [ octet] which when entered may appear as a network address such as:
192.168.0.200
16
Subnet (Subnet Mask)
Accepts data in the form of four octets to describe the Ipv4 network subnet mask of the
Omnia.11’s network interface. The entries have the form of:
[ octet] . [ octet] . [ octet ] . [ octet] which when entered may appear as a network address such as:
255.255.255.0
Gateway
Accepts data in the form of four octets to describe the Ipv4 gateway address assigned to
the Omnia.11’s network interface. The entries have the form of:
[ octet] . [ octet] . [ octet ] . [ octet] which when entered may appear as a network address such as:
192.168.0.1
To change a setting, touch anywhere inside the white box for the setting you wish to change and the on-screen
keyboard will pop-up:
Use the on-screen keyboard to type in the desired addresses. You will need the number entry mode of the keyboard
so touch the “0-9*/=” button to shift the keyboard to that mode.
Touch just to the right of the current entry at the top of the keyboard to place the cursor at the end of the entry.
From this position, the backspace key
entry. Note that there is only a backspace key and no Delete key.
Once you have the new entry completed as desired, touch the OK key. To cancel without making any changes,
touch the CANCEL key.
can be used to delete the desired number of characters or the entire
17
Livewire© Setup
Touch the Livewire icon button to bring up the Livewire setup screen:
Here you can Enable Livewire and select Livewire
input and output channels.
There are 2 stereo Livewire output channels and 2
stereo Livewire input channels available.
Entries are changed as in the Network setup screen
by touching the white box to bring up the on-screen
keyboard.
To enable or disable Livewire, touch the Enable
button for the appropriate Livewire output. Livewire
is disabled when both Enable buttons are white. The
Enable button will turn green when Livewire is
enabled for a channel.
Be sure to touch the Apply button after making your
changes or they will not take effect.
For more information on Livewire, please consult the
documentation that came with your Axia or other
Livewire gear.
If you do not have a Livewire system and need to use the network interface for remote control, make sure that the 2
Livewire output channels are disabled. If the 2 Enable squares are green, touch them to make the squares white then
touch “Apply” and the Livewire outputs will be disabled.
When finished, touch the ADJ icon button to return to the main metering/menu interface. Or another setup icon
button if you wish to continue with setup.
Livewire Sync Indicator
The Livewire Sync indicator can be found in the upper-right hand corner of the touchscreen and remote.
When the Omnia.11 is
connected to a Livewire
network and at least one of the
Livewire outputs is enabled, a
green square indicator will
appear as in the picture at left.
While syncing to the network,
the green square will be offcenter, moving slowly to the
center (as shown) once fully
synced.
18
When both Livewire outputs are disabled (as they must be if the unit is on a non-Livewire network), the indicator
will appear as in the picture below. Note that if your Omnia.11 is on a Livewire network but you will only be using
the Livewire input, you should enable at least one of the Livewire outputs. Otherwise, audio dropouts can occur.
Security Setup
Introduction
Many Omnia 11 customers require the ability to restrict access to various controls and settings. Different users
should have access to different sets of controls based on the password that they have been given. While this is
deemed “multi-level” security, the various access modes are not strictly arranged in levels, where each higher level
would simply add more privileges to the previous ones. Instead, each level allows access to some set of
controls/settings, and the various sets may overlap in different ways.
19
Definition of Static Security Levels
Access Level
Account
Default
Password
Description
Full Access
user
omnia
Same as current (1.2 and below) operating mode. Full access to
all screens and controls.
IO Edit
ioedit
omniaio
Read/write to everything in “Input” and “Output” blocks, and
update.
Preset Edit
presetedit
omniapreset
Read/write to everything in all Processing blocks, and the
selection and update.
Read Only
readonly
omniaread
Read only access to everything. Cannot change anything.
Cannot select banks or update software.
Preset Select
presetselect
omniasel
Allows selection of presets. Cannot select I/O Configs.
select banks or update software.
There are five different access levels available set with the User Level dropdown:
the entire “Setup” screen. Allows selection, download and
upload of I/O Configs and Presets. Allows bank selection and
“System” block on the “Setup” screen. Allows selection,
download and upload of I/O Configs and Presets. Allows bank
Cannot select, download or upload Presets or I/O Configs.
Cannot download or upload Preset or I/O Configs. Cannot
All passwords are user configurable from the front panel Setup / Security menu or from the Configuration page on
the remote webpage interface.
Each level is allowed to change its own password, by providing the old password and the new password twice.
Changing Passwords
To change the password, select the desired User Level. The default level is “Full Access” with default password:
“omnia”. To change this, enter the existing password into the “Old Password” box, the new password in both the
“New Password” boxes and then touch the “Change Password” button. Be sure to make note of your new
password!
NOTE: This same password is also used for remote control access and can be changed from the remote webpage
interface as well.
Auto Lock when ON will automatically lock the front panel when the screensaver activates. The password will be
required at bootup and whenever exiting screensaver mode.
Lock when touched will lock the front panel immediately, requiring the password to regain access.
Change Level will bring up the unlock keyboard similarly to Lock but will not lock the unit immediately, allowing
you to change the User Level and input the appropriate password for that level. Touch or click Cancel to cancel
without making changes.
20
Preset Protection
Introduction
To protect a preset means to encrypt the file in which the preset is stored, so that only Omnia 11 units that have been
"authorized" to run the preset can make any use of it. If a unit is not authorized, it cannot put the preset on air, and
nobody using the unit can read or modify the preset.
Authorization Groups
A protected preset is always added to an authorization group (or protection group), which has a name and a secret
passphrase. The name must consist of only letters, numbers, and the underscore (_), and can be up to 30 characters
long. The passphrase can have any characters, and can be longer, if desired. Many presets can belong to the same
authorization group, and all of them will be authorized (or de-authorized) on a unit together, as a group. The same
authorization group can be installed on many units by entering the same name and secret passphrase on all of the
units. All presets belonging to the group will be authorized on all units. Note that both the name and the passphrase
must be the same; entering a group with the same name but a different passphrase on another unit will not authorize
the presets. Protected presets always belong to exactly one authorization group; they cannot belong to more than
one, and they must always have one.
A preset is authorized on a given unit by adding the authorization group to which the preset belongs to that unit.
Using Preset Protection
To use the protect function on a preset, you first need to create an authorization group on your unit. To do this:
-- Go to the "Setup" menu, "Security" panel
-- Press the "Create Group" button (under "Preset Protection
Group")
-- Enter the name ("Group") and the passphrase ("Password"), and
Press "OK"
-- It will take a second or two, and a success message should be
displayed (press "OK").
Once this is done, you can return to the "ADJ" screen, processing panel, "Preset" tab. A factory preset cannot be
protected, so use "Save Current As" to create a user preset if one does not already exist.
21
To protect a preset:
-- Select the preset, putting it on-air.
-- Press the "Protect Current" button.
-- Enter the name of the authorization group to which to add the preset. The preset will be encrypted based on the
passphrase that was entered when the group was created. You do not need to enter the passphrase here. The unit
is already authorized to work with this protection group (and all presets that belong to it), since it was
automatically added when it was created, above.
The protected preset will now work just like any other preset on this unit. It can be selected, viewed, modified, and
saved; but only when logged into a level that has permission to do so. For example, if a user is logged into the I/O
Edit level, he will not be able to view or modify the preset. He could select the preset, delete the preset from the
unit, or copy the preset using "Save Current As". If the preset is copied, it will retain its protected status and
protection group.
The protected preset can also be downloaded from the "File Transfer" web page. The downloaded file will be
encrypted. If uploaded to another unit, it will be useless until the protection group is added to that unit as well.
To see what happens when a protected preset is not authorized, you can delete the authorization group that was
created above:
-- Go to the "Setup" Page, "Security" panel
-- Press the "Delete Group" button (under "Preset Protection Groups")
-- Enter the name ("Group") and the passphrase ("Password"), and Press "OK". The passphrase must be entered
here to ensure that nobody accidentally deletes a group that they cannot re-create.
-- It will take a second or two, and a success message should be displayed (press "OK").
Now return to the "ADJ" page and try to select the preset. You should get an error: "This machine is not authorized
to access this preset." There is no way to view, modify, or save an unauthorized preset. The preset can be deleted.
22
System Setup
Touch the System icon button to bring up the System setup screen:
There are 4 controls located here: Overall Bypass, Back Light Timeout, Touch Screen Calibrate and Reboot.
Overall Bypass does just what it says, bypassing all processing sections in the Omnia sending the input directly to
the output. Needless to say, this should only be used for system, factory and bench testing. Be careful not to
inadvertently turn this on!
Back Light Timeout selects the timeout duration for the LCD backlight. Backlight timeout choices are 5, 10 or 15
minutes (of inactivity).
Touch Screen Calibration: To calibrate the touch screen, touch the Calibrate button and follow the on-screen
instructions.
You will be asked to touch the center of a target in 9 screen positions. When done, click the Accept button in the
lower left corner of the screen.
Reboot will perform a soft reboot of the system after you confirm “OK” in the box that pops up (you can also
“Cancel”). Please note that touching “OK” will take you off the air for about one minute while the Omnia.11
reboots, so be sure you are prepared to do this or have a backup processor online.
Input/Output Configuration and Metering
It is of the utmost importance that the Omnia.11 be properly configured for the system that it will be used in. This
will ensure optimum performance of the entire system, maximum quality and loudness over the air.
23
Input Configuration
All Input configuration settings can be found in the Basic tab on the Input screen.
If not there already, touch the ADJ icon button (if you are still in the Setup mode) and then the Input icon button to
display the basic Input screen.
This is where you choose your input source, failover source, set input levels, input mode and overall polarity.
If you have not done so already, the instructions for properly setting the input levels can be found in Chapter 2 on
Page 12. Input levels can be adjusted separately for Analog, AES/EBU and Livewire inputs.
The Input Mode drop-down control allows you to select from Stereo (the default setting), Mono L (routes the left
channel input signal to both the left and right processing channels), Mono R (same as Mono L but uses the right
channel input signal), Mono L+R (sums the left and right input channels to mono and applies the summed signal to
both channels) and Swap (Stereo but with the left and right channels reversed)
The Input Polarity drop-down control allows you to change the polarity of the input audio in several ways. Both is
typically selected if it sounds “better” to an announcer (monitoring themselves in headphones using the DJ output of
the processing) than None. One of the two settings should. The goal is to make the relative phase of the headphone
feed more in phase with the announcer’s hearing of his or her own bone conduction. Once set, this setting should
remain the same for all announcers using the same headphone feed.
Using the L setting, only the left channel phase is inverted and using the R setting, only the right channel phase is
inverted. NOTE: These settings are present as a convenience to correct 180-degree stereo phase errors in the input
audio to the processor or in another device after the processor.
You can choose from among 4 possible stereo input sources for both the primary and secondary sources: Analog,
AES/EBU Digital, Livewire 1 and Livewire 2.
The Primary input source is set using the Input Source drop-down control.
24
Input Failover (Input Menu Basic Tab)
There are 3 controls for the Input Failover feature, Failover Source, Failover Time and Comparative Fail.
Input Menu (Basic Tab)
The primary input source is set with the “Input Source” control. This is your main input source.
“Failover Source” selects which audio input: Analog, AES/EBU, Livewire 1 or Livewire 2 will serve as the
secondary audio input. Note that the audio input that is selected under Input Source (above) will always be the
Primary audio input. A source selected under Failover Source will always be the secondary source.
“Failover Time” is the amount of time that will elapse after the failure of audio on the primary input source before
the unit makes the decision to switch to the secondary (failover) input source.
For instance, if Failover Time is set for 5 seconds and the primary audio source fails, 5 seconds later the unit will
switch to the secondary audio input if that input is active. If, at any time, audio is restored on the primary input (for
1 second, continuously), the unit will switch back to the primary audio input. It will remain with the primary input
unless another failure is detected.
The “Comparative Fail” control in the Basic tab of the Input menu is normally set to "ON", but, in some extremely
rare cases, this has caused a failover to occur when it should not. In order for this "spurious failover" to occur
several things must be true:
1) The valid program audio (which is on the primary input) must have one channel silent (or very quiet) for
more than the failover time. This occurs in some songs by The Who (and probably The Beatles).
2) The secondary input must not have the same program as the primary input. It must have some program
that has audio on both channels. This is what they had at the station in Detroit; the reason for this I never
fully understood.
So you can see it is a rare case where this will happen, therefore the default is "ON", where it will catch more failure
conditions.
The comparative failover function looks at both the primary and secondary inputs simultaneously. If the secondary
input looks "better" than the primary (it has both channels while the primary has only one, or it is a lot louder), then
it switches to the secondary. The switch when “ON” takes place after the condition of the secondary being better
has persisted for more than the failover time.
The “OFF” mode failover mechanism is "absolute failover", where it is just looking at the absolute level of the
primary input. This mechanism will not react to loss of just one channel. There may be cases where single-channel
25
audio for a while is valid, but if the secondary input has both channels driven, it is more likely the valid signal, and
the primary is in error.
Recommendation: If you are feeding the same program to both the primary and secondary inputs, leave this set to
"ON". If there is a different program on the secondary input, turn it "OFF". (It only makes sense to compare the
two inputs if they are supposed to have the same thing to begin with).
Patch Point (Input Menu Advanced Tab)
The Patch Point is located between the multi-band AGC and limiter sections.
There are 2 dropdown controls and one switch located here:
The “Patch Return Source” control sets the input
the return feed to the limiters comes from. Possible
choices are the analog XLR input jacks, the
AES/EBU input, Livewire 1 or Livewire 2.
The “Patch Send” control sets which output the
send signal from the output of the 5-Band AGC
section routes to. The send outputs are limited only
to the Livewire outputs. You can select Livewire 1,
Livewire 2 or Both.
The “Patch Mode” control activates (On) or
bypasses (Off) the patch point. Unless you are
actually using the patch point, be sure this control
remains set to Off or the audio to all outputs could
be silenced.
Input Menu Advanced Tab – Patch Point Controls
Tip: If your Omnia.11 is located at the studio, the patch point would be a great place to insert your profanity delay.
This will allow you to use the Omnia.11’s DJ processor to feed the announcer’s headphones since it gets its input
from a point before the patch point and contains its own low-delay limiters.
26
Input Metering
There are 2 horizontal stereo input meters below the Dorrough Loudness Monitor in the Summary tab: (Note: the
Detail and Analysis tabs are not yet implemented here)
Input Metering Screen (Summary Tab)
Primary Input shows the real-time peak input level of the input selected with the Input Source control in the menu
area.
Secondary Input will show the real-time peak input level of the input selected as the Failover Source.
Please see the Proper Setting of Input Levels section on Page 12 for full details on the setting of the input levels.
The Dorrough Loudness Monitor shows the average loudness and peak level of the audio at the same time.
When you are in the Input menu, the Dorrough meter automatically switches to monitor the Input L+R audio. It
defaults to monitoring the FM channel’s Output when you are in any of the processing menus or the Output menu.
Since the output monitor point is after the FM clipper and pre-emphasis, you can also choose to add de-emphasis
using the Dorrough Meter “De-emphasis” control which is located in the Advanced tab of the Output menu.
Output Configuration
Output metering can be found in both the Summary and Detail tabs in the Metering area. (See Output Metering on
Page 28 for details)
There are 7 subgroup buttons on the left side of the Menu area in the Basic tab and there is 1 control in the
Advanced tab.
5 of the subgroup buttons group the output controls that are displayed by output type and the bottom 2 access special
options for the FM and HD outputs.
To get started, touch the Output icon button to display the Output screen and then touch the Basic tab in the Menu
area if it is not already selected. The controls will be described by group below.
27
Analog
There are 4 controls in the Analog Output Level group:
The Analog Output Level Master controls the
output level of both the left & right channel analog
XLR jacks simultaneously.
Right Trim controls the level of the right channel
only over a limited + or – 3dB range to correct
left/right balance issues in the following equipment.
This is normally set to “0.0 dB”.
De-Emphasis controls whether the analog XLR
outputs (when set to FM) are de-emphasized (ON)
or not (OFF).
Output Selection selects the processing channel
assigned to the analog output XLR jacks: FM, HD
or DJ.
Analog Output Submenu (Basic Tab)
AES/EBU
There are 4 similar controls in each of the AES Output 1 Level and AES Output 2 Level groups:
Master controls the AES/EBU digital output level
of both the left & right channels simultaneously.
Note: The Master control in the “AES Output 1
Level” group controls the output from the AES out
1 XLR jack only. Similarly, the Master control in
the “AES Output 2 Level” group controls the
output from the AES out 2 XLR jack only
Right Trim controls the level of the right channel
only over a limited + or – 3dB range to correct
left/right balance issues in the following equipment.
This is normally set to “0.0 dB”.
AES/EBU Output Submenu (Basic Tab)
De-Emphasis controls whether the appropriate AES OUT XLR output (when set to FM) is de-emphasized (ON) or
not (OFF).
Output Selection selects the processing channel assigned to that output: FM, HD or DJ.
AES 1 Sample Rate: These drop-down controls select the sample rate for each of the 2 AES/EBU XLR outputs.
Possible settings are 48k (internal 48 kHz clock), Input (syncs to the sample rate on the AES/EBU input jack) or
External (syncs to the sample rate of an AES/EBU signal applied to the External Sync XLR input jack on the rear
panel).
28
AES 2 Sample Rate: These drop-down controls select the sample rate for each of the 2 AES/EBU XLR outputs.
Possible settings are 44.1k (internal 44.1 kHz clock), 48k (internal 48 kHz clock) or External (syncs to the sample
rate of an AES/EBU signal applied to the External Sync XLR input jack on the rear panel). Sync to Input is not
available for AES 2. If you have AES 1 synced to Input and you also need AES 2 synced to the same source, you
will need to bridge the AES 1 output into the External Sync input and set AES 2 Sample Rate to External.
Livewire
There are 4 similar controls each in the Livewire 1 and Livewire 2 groups:
Master controls the Livewire digital output level of
both the left & right channels simultaneously. Note:
The Master control in the “Livewire 1 Level” group
controls the output level sent to the Livewire 1
channel configured in the Livewire Setup screen.
Similarly, the Master control in the “Livewire 2
Level” group controls the output level sent to the
Livewire 2 channel configured in the Livewire Setup
screen.
Right Trim controls the level of the right channel
only over a limited + or – 3dB range to correct
left/right balance issues in the following equipment.
This is normally set to “0.0 dB”.
Livewire Output Submenu (Basic Tab)
De-Emphasis controls whether the appropriate Livewire output (when set to FM) is de-emphasized (ON) or not
(OFF).
Output Selection selects the processing channel assigned to that output: FM, HD, DJ or PP (Patch Point – this will
be the output of the 5-Band AGC section).
Headphone
There is but a single control available here: Output Selection selects the processing channel assigned to the front
panel headphone jack: FM, HD or DJ.
Headphone Output Submenu (Basic Tab)
29
Composite
The stereo MPX generator output levels from both of the composite output BNC jacks can be adjusted separately
using the Output 1 and Output 2 variable controls in the Composite Level group over a range of 0 to 10 volts in
precise 0.05v increments.
NOTE: Always use typical program material and
a calibrated modulation monitor to properly set
modulation. To aid quick adjustment, it
sometimes helps to advance the Clipper Drive
control before adjusting the composite outputs.
Note that reference line-up tones applied at the
Omnia’s input cannot be used since the RMS
level of a steady state tone does not crest at 100%
modulation.
Pilot Level sets the 19kHz pilot injection level up
to 12.0%, in 0.1% steps, relative to 100%
modulation. To defeat the pilot, simply adjust the
Pilot Injection control to “0.0” and the pilot will
be off.
Composite Output Submenu (Basic Tab)
Pilot Phase This parameter sets the phase relationship between the 19 kHz pilot and the 38 kHz suppressed carrier.
The system default is 0.0 degrees. The performance of the DSP based digital stereo generator is theoretically perfect,
however should the phase need adjustment in order to offset time domain errors in the overall transmission system,
the pilot phase can be adjusted ±32º, in 1º increments. We recommend that a calibrated modulation monitor be used
for this adjustment.
Stereo Separation The stereo “sound field” can be reduced by 3 dB or 6 dB to suppress processing-induced
multipath that can occur in certain terrain and within certain transmission systems when heavy processing is used.
When a setting of -3 dB or -6 dB is used, the amount of L-R (perceived stereo effect) is also reduced. However in
difficult RF signal coverage areas, the amount of perceived multipath is reduced as well, resulting in the perception
of a much cleaner overall signal with better penetration and coverage. The Omnia.11 defaults to a setting of Stereo,
using the full L-R signal for maximum separation. We suggest that you leave it in that mode, but the other settings
are available for those who wish to experiment, including a setting of full Mono.
Sideband Mode The normal setting for the stereo generator is the DSB setting which provides the full doublesideband, suppressed carrier L-R signal.
The special SSB setting provides a single-sideband, suppressed carrier L-R signal that can help reduce multipath and
provide increased protection to the baseband spectrum. Please check with your local regulatory agency before using
this mode since it has not been standardized as of this writing.
For more information please see Frank Foti’s white paper, available on our website at:
http://www.omniaaudio.com/mpx-ssb-white-paper
30
FM Options
There are 3 groups of controls here Pre-Emphasis, BS-412 and Diversity Delay.
Pre-Emphasis For the transmission side of
conventional FM broadcasting, some form of
high-frequency boost, or pre-emphasis is used.
The most commonly used values of pre-emphasis
are 50 and 75 µs (microseconds). For North and
South America, 75 µs is used. In Europe,
Australia and New Zealand, 50 µs is employed.
The factory default pre-emphasis setting is 75 µs.
The pre-emphasis selection affects the operation
of the audio processing and is applied to the
composite, discrete, AES/EBU digital and
Livewire FM channel outputs. The HD channel
outputs are never pre-emphasized.
FM Options Submenu (Basic Tab)
The pre-emphasized signal at the Left/Right Analog XLR, AES/EBU digital and Livewire outputs can be restored to
flat, if needed (such as for monitoring), by the De-Emphasis control in each of the respective output groups.
There are three choices for pre-emphasis in the drop-down control: Off, 50 µs or 75 µs. Be sure to select the preemphasis that is correct for your country.
Note: Normally, the “Off” selection under the Pre-emphasis options would not be used in conventional FM
transmission applications, but is provided in instances where processing of a flat signal is desired. One example
would be when preprocessing prior to a satellite uplink in distributed radio networks.
ITU BS-412 Power Limiter
In certain parts of the world, the average multiplex signal power must be controlled to reduce adjacent channel
interference. The currently enforced standard falls under the ITU BS-412 regulations. The Omnia.11 FM has a very
effective Multiplex Power Limiter that may be enabled to comply with these regulations.
Loudness Loss Warning!
If your country's regulatory agency does not require the use of the ITU BS-412 Multiplex Power Limiter, make
certain that the BS-412 “Engage” control is set to “Off”, or severe loss of loudness will result! For example, when
the ITU BS-412 Power Limiter is switched on and set at 0.0dB, there is approximately a FIVE dB loudness loss over
the limiter being switched off!
BS-412 Engage: This control enables (On) or disables (Off) the BS-412 Power Limiter. The default setting is Off.
Threshold: When On above, this control sets the average multiplex power from -3.0dB up to 9.0dB (in 0.25dB
steps) with respect to the original 0.0dB ITU BS-412 standard.
There is also a BS-412 Drive control located in the FM menu that is activated when this feature is engaged. This
adjusts the depth of limiting.
31
Diversity Delay
The 3 buttons below the numerical diversity delay time display are used to set the precise diversity delay time
(typically used for HD Radio installations) that will be applied to any output that is set to the FM channel.
If diversity delay is not used, be sure the numerical display is showing all zeros.
To activate the diversity delay, start by touching the sec button and use the jog wheel to set the course delay time in
seconds.
Similarly, you can touch the msec and usec buttons to finely adjust the delay time in milliseconds and
microseconds.
SCA IN LVL (Control on Rear Panel)
The SCA input level control is an analog trimpot and does not appear in the menu. This trimpot is located just
above the SCA Input BNC jack on the rear panel. A small flat-blade screwdriver will be needed to adjust it.
Signals input to the SCA jack are simply mixed into both composite outputs through the trimpot.
The gain range is from 0.034 (-29dB) to 1.35 (+2.6dB). At the lowest gain setting, you can feed it a 10V SCA
signal and get 8.6% injection on a 3.6V composite output setting. At the highest gain setting, you can feed it a
0.25V SCA signal and get 8.6% injection on a 3.6V composite output setting. (The composite + 9% pilot should be
3.6 V p-p in these cases. The SCA adds to this, making the total higher and the SCA 8.6% of the total).
32
Output Metering
Summary Tab
There are 2 stereo output meters below the
Dorrough Loudness Monitor in the Summary
metering tab:
The FM OUTPUT meter shows the real-time peak
output level of the “FM” channel before the output
level controls referenced to the maximum output
level of 0 dBFS. The HD OUTPUT meter similarly
shows the relative peak output of the HD channel.
Normally, these meters will be peaking all the way
up near 0dBFS when the channel is active. The FM
and HD OUTPUT metes can be used as a quick
way to check that the channels are active
internally.
Output Metering Screen (Summary Tab)
The Dorrough Loudness Monitor shows the average loudness and peak level of the audio at the same time.
When you are in the Input menu, the Dorrough meter automatically switches to monitor the Input L+R audio. It
defaults to monitoring the FM channel’s Output when you are in any of the processing menus or the Output menu.
Since the output monitor point is after the FM clipper and pre-emphasis, you can also choose to add de-emphasis
using the Dorrough Meter “De-emphasis” control which is located in the Advanced tab of the Output menu.
Detail Tab
There are 5 stereo output meters and a composite meter in the Detail tab:
The 5 stereo output meters show the real-time peak
level of the actual outputs after the output level
controls in the Menu screen.
Analog Shows the actual peak output level of the
Left and Right analog XLR output jacks referenced
to a “0” peak level of +22 dBu.
AES/EBU
1 Shows the actual peak output level of the AES 1
XLR output jack referenced to 0 dBFS.
2 Shows the actual peak output level of the AES 2
XLR output jack referenced to 0 dBFS.
Output Metering Screen (Detail Tab)
33
Livewire
1 Shows the actual peak output level of the Livewire 1 output referenced to 0 dBFS.
2 Shows the actual peak output level of the Livewire 2 output referenced to 0 dBFS.
Composite Shows the relative peak output of the composite MPX signal from the built-in stereo generator before the
composite output level controls relative to 100% modulation. Normally, this meter will be peaking all the way up
near 100%. This can be used as a quick way to check that the stereo generator output channel is active internally.
34
35
Chapter-4: Introduction to Omnia.11 Processing
What you have before you is the result of over three years of intensive research and re-thinking by Team Omnia of
what an FM processor should and should NOT be doing to your precious program audio!
Things have changed quite a bit in the years since the previous generation of FM processors was designed.
Newer music is often so pre-processed already that the last thing it needs is more processing! Now it’s possible for
the processor to be “smart” enough to know whether a program element is pre-processed or not and act accordingly.
The Omnia.11 is able to do as little further “damage” as possible to already processed content (such as a song from a
modern hyper-compressed CD) while acting more aggressively on more dynamic, less pre-processed material.
New technologies have given us ways to design the processor algorithms much more interactively, allowing us to
instantly hear the results of changes. This has led to previously unheard of ways to minimize distortion, particularly
IM (Intermodulation) distortion, from ALL sections of the processing.
Omnia.11’s new algorithms allow the processor to output a much more natural and less-fatiguing sound, WITHOUT
losing loudness! And WHILE maintaining your consistent sound “signature”. These improvements affect ANY
format…as the old saying goes: “From Bach to Rock” and everything in between…and beyond!
The Omnia.11 contains processing for both FM analog stereo transmission and coded audio broadcasts of the same
program material, such as the HD-1 digital channel or Internet simulcasts.
Please make sure that you have gone through Chapters 1 through 3 and that the Omnia.11 is installed in the rack and
connected to a source of primary program audio before continuing with the rest of this chapter.
The Omnia.11 employs a conventional-looking processing layout (topology) that at first glance appears very similar
to our own Omnia-6. But that is where the similarity ends.
Each processing section in the Omnia.11 is much “smarter” than any previous processor so some change in
conventional thinking about the adjustment of the processing parameters will be needed on your part if you want to
delve in deeply while creating your “signature sound”.
But it is also entirely possible that once the Omnia.11 is set up properly for your system and the audio levels are
properly adjusted, you will find one of our included processing presets “hits the spot” and no further adjustment will
be needed!
So the first thing to do, as alluded to above, is to make sure that all of the Input and Output settings are correct for
your system and the levels for your selected inputs and outputs are adjusted properly.
Then it will be time to select a preset to start (or stay) with.
We will go over the basics in this chapter and then Chapter 5 will cover every available control and setting, if
needed.
NOTE: You may initially feel that your air sound with Omnia.11 is somewhat “less bright” than with your older
processor. Given that the Omnia.11 is set up correctly for your system, this is generally because distortion generated
in the old processor was actually creating a “false brightness” to the sound. With Omnia.11 you are actually hearing
all of the natural treble that is in the program material on the air, quite possibly for the first time!
36
Where to Begin?
We strongly suggest removing or bypassing any other audio processors in the air chain ahead of Omnia.11.
If you are using a front-end AGC such as the Compellor ahead of your STL, use it only for overload protection
and not with any AGC activity. These additional AGC devices can conflict with or reduce the effectiveness of the
Omnia.11’s new highly effective Wideband AGC.
Once your Omnia.11 is properly installed and passing audio at the proper levels, it is time to select a preset!
Presets
Omnia.11 is equipped with a selection of factory presets that can be used to instantly configure the processing for
common applications. The currently loaded preset is displayed in the Status Bar, just above the Limiters icon
button.
IP Address Fault Indicator I/O Configuration Active Preset Active Input Source
Status Bar
Some of the presets have format-based names. Do not take these names too literally! It is entirely possible that you
may like a preset named “Country_Open” (or like it enough to use it as a starting point) for your Smooth Jazz
station.
The best way to begin is to actually try all of the factory presets, accessible from the Preset tab in the Menu Area of
any ADJ mode screen (except Input or Output). Adjust the controls in the Quick Setup tab for each one as
described below. After making these basic adjustments for each preset tried, you should be able to settle on one
preset and save it with your changes as a user preset. Once saved, you can simply use it as-is or use it as a starting
point for further customization (if needed).
10 user presets are shown per screen so use the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN buttons to see more available presets.
They are arranged in alphabetical order in 2 groups. The factory presets are listed first followed by user presets.
Important Note: When changing between the various presets, allow some time for the newly loaded preset to
“settle-in” since there may be some large parameter changes happening depending on the previously selected preset.
You can find a list of all the factory presets, with a short description for each, starting on Page 38.
To instantly put a preset on the air, unlock the preset list by touching the “padlock” icon in the upper-left corner of
the list and then simply touch the desired preset’s name in the Preset list.
37
To see more presets, touch the PAGE UP or
PAGE DOWN buttons. The presets are arranged
alphabetically in 2 groups. The first group contains
the factory presets. The second group contains
your user presets and is located below the factory
presets.
Start by trying the various factory presets while
listening to your typical program material and
taking note of their differences. Then try to decide
on one to start with and listen to it on as many
different types of radios as you can.
Unlocked Preset Tab
Quick Setup Tab
It is important to adjust a few basic controls for each preset that you try. This will adapt them to your ears and your
market. These controls are now conveniently grouped together in the Quick Setup tab (shown below).
Clipper Drive and Auto Sense
The first important control to adjust is the Clipper Drive. This appears both here in the Quick Setup tab and in the
Basic tab of the FM menu.
Since every air chain and market is different, this control should always be adjusted to as low a setting as possible
for the level of loudness needed. You can think of this control as adjusting the primary “loudness vs. distortion”
tradeoff.
We suggest that each time you try a new factory
preset, you adjust the Clip Drive as follows: Start
by turning the Auto Sense control all the way
down to 0.0. Adjust the Clipper Drive control
down in 0.5dB steps until the loudness just falls
off too much and then bring it up a bit from
there. Finally, turn up the Auto Sense until about
0.5 to 1.0 dB of activity can be seen on the Auto
Sense meter.
That is the correct setting for you for the
currently selected preset. On some presets, you
may need to turn it up instead of down. This is
OK too. Adjust it up in the same 0.5db steps until
you achieve the loudness required or the sound
becomes too distorted, whichever comes first. If
the distortion comes first, you probably need to
start with a more aggressive preset.
Quick Setup Tab
NOTE: If you are turning up the Clip Drive to increase loudness and you reach a point where the loudness and
distortion do not seem to be increasing as you would expect, you have likely run into the Auto Sense ceiling. Try
38
turning down the Auto Sense control a little. This will allow more clipping to take place. For more information
about clipper Auto Sense, please see Page 60.
Bass Growl
This is the next control that is important to adjust with each preset that you try. This control is located in both the
Quick Setup tab and in the Advanced tab of the Wide Band / ENH menu.
Bass Growl tunes a number of behind-the-scenes parameters at once to tune the Omnia.11 for the desired amount of
bass. Higher settings cause the bass enhancers in the Basic tab of the ENH menu to be more audible more of the
time. So after making an adjustment to Bass Growl, go back and revisit your Deep/Phat/Warm bass enhancer
settings if needed. Note that the Deep Bass and Warm Bass controls can also be found in the Quick Setup tab. The
Phat Bass control is only found in the ENH / Basic tab. For more information about Phat Bass, please see Page 48.
Brightness
The last 2 basic controls that are important to adjust for each preset tried are the Presence and Treble brightness
controls.
A setting of “0.0” will add no additional brightness to the selected preset. Turn each up to taste but be careful not to
use more than needed since excessive limiter activity or clipping could occur with very high settings. A little goes a
long way here!
Saving User Presets
Once you have made changes to any parameter, such as the controls in the Quick Setup tab discussed above, it is a
good idea to save those changes so they will not be lost. The factory presets cannot be over-written so a new user
preset must be created. This is done from the Preset tab using the Save Current As button.
When you touch Save Current As the on-screen keyboard will pop-up. Use the on-screen keyboard to type a name
for your new preset and then touch “OK”. While up to 20 characters can be shown for each preset in the preset list
window, try to keep the preset names short and descriptive if possible.
If you should want to delete a user preset (factory presets cannot be deleted), touch the Delete button and a new
window opens containing a list of all of the previously saved user presets. 10 user presets are shown per screen so
use the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN buttons if needed to see more user presets.
When you make new changes to an existing user preset, touch the Save Current button to save the new changes.
Help Text
The new context-sensitive help text feature will pop up a box with information about the currently selected control
when that control is highlighted and then the “?” button in the lower-right hand corner of the menu screen is touched
(or clicked in the remote).
39
Preset Descriptions
AC
Generic starting point Like a blank canvas without much enhancement. Good to use to build a sound from “scratch”.
AC_V2
Same as above but optimized for the latest software features.
AudioChameleon
In the Audio Chameleon presets, the 5-Band AGC has more of an effect on the overall sound. Rather than just a
slow dynamic EQ, they work more as smart compressors so are contributing more to the density of the sound.
BigAC
A re-creation of the preset of the same name that was in the original Omnia.11 beta software.
CGSmooth
A very good alternative starting point for just about anything except over-the-top density. This preserves more of the
natural dynamics in the program material than say RockNRoll but not as much as Dynamics.
CGWarm
Warmer version of the above.
Classical
This is the “purist” classical preset. There is no multi-band AGC so the WideBand AGC is fed directly to the
limiters.
Classical_V2
Same as above but optimized for the latest software features.
Classical_5B_AGC
This adds the 5-Band AGC to the above for some dynamic EQ.
Classical_5B_AGC_2
As above but optimized for the latest software features.
Classical_5B_AGC_Enh
This one adds more of the “movie soundtrack” like sound where the 5-Band AGC and bass enhancers are used to
provide a more processed sound. This will be louder than the ones above but not as natural sounding.
Compression_Brite
Provides that “compressed” or “squashed” sound. If you like to “hear the processing” try starting with this!
Cosmic
A high TSL preset, smooth and bright but with plenty of mids. Another one to try that can handle pretty much
anything you can throw at it.
Cosmic_V2
Same as above but optimized for the latest software features.
Cosmic_O6
Tuned to emulate the Cosmic preset from the Omnia-6 EXi
Country_Brite
Please note that these Country presets are not just for country music! They have a nice balance of highs and lows
while letting up-front vocals through clearly. These could also be a good starting point for scratch-built presets.
40
This one is tuned with more highs for additional sparkle and a bit more of a processed sound.
Country Flat
Similar in texture to Country_Brite but with less enhancement.
Country Open
Allows more of the natural dynamics through.
Density
A good place to start if you want to make your own dense-sounding preset.
Dynamics
A high TSL preset that really allows the natural dynamics of the program material to come through. It can be very
loud when the program material is very loud. It will also be quieter during softer passages, making for greater
impact during the transitions. Try this for Jazz or even if you want to be aggressive with classical. Don’t discount it
for other formats either. Try this if you can, it takes advantage of many of the Omnia.11’s unique qualities.
Dynamics_V2
As above but optimized for the previous software v1.2
Dynamics_V3
As above but optimized for the latest software features in v1.4.
EastWind
An aggressive general preset with lots of 6-Band limiter action.
Eclectic
A jack-of-all-trades preset. Try it for any format. You may like it!
HitCityRadio
Tuned for the CHR format with lots of deep low-end and high-energy processing.
HitCityRadio_V2
As above but optimized for the latest software features in v1.4.
HotMix
Excellent starting point for Rock and Hot AC formats where competitive loudness and brightness are needed.
HotMix_Warm
A warmer version of the above.
LegatoCafe
High TSL preset designed for less listener fatigue. It won’t burn a hole in the dial but won’t disappear either.
Mars
One of the presets to start with if you like a lot of bass.
Mighty80’s
That retro highly-compressed bright 80’s sound…but better!
Mighty80’s_V2
As above but optimized for the latest software features in v1.4.
41
Nigel Tufnel
This is the “over-the-top” preset. Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap would be proud, but since this is the Omia.11, this one
goes to 12!
Nova
This one doesn’t have any one particular outstanding direction in sound, but draws from many of the presets
qualities so is a “middle-ground” preset with a nice, well-behaved sound.
O11 CHR
Another preset tuned for the CHR format and its variants. This one has more multi-band AGC activity than
HitCityRadio.
O11_CHR_V2
Same as above but optimized for the latest software features.
O6 CHR
Approximates the sound of the “CHR” preset in the Omnia-6.
Open_Punchy
Good, general starting preset with good punch and dynamic feel.
PowerHits
A HotAC/CHR-tuned preset that sits between HitCityRadio and PowerMix.
PowerMix
PowerMix is tuned for HotAC formats and their varants. As aggressive, but less bright than the CHR-tuned presets.
PowerMix_V2
Same as above but optimized for the latest software features.
Proof
Factory Test Preset - Don’t select this unless you are running tests on your signal or on the bench! This bypasses
most of the processing so there is no modulation control at all!
RockNRoll
It is an updated version of the RockNRoll preset from the long line of previous Omnias. It has a moderate smile
curve and is a great starting point for Rock formats.
Rock_Warm
A warmer version of the above.
RockNRoll_V2
The default preset. Same as RockNRoll above but optimized for the latest software features. A great place to start!
SOLID
Another preset recovered from the original Omnia.11 beta software. Good, punchy deep bass!
SOLID BRITE
The “SOLID” presets have a classic compressor sound. This one is tipped-up in brightness. Gives you that “wall of
sound”.
SOLID WARM
As above but more bass and mids for a more natural frequency balance.
Talk Medium
Nice starting point for FM talk programming.
42
Talk Smooth
Not trying to be in-your-face at all. For more natural speech presentation.
Talk_Sports
A "medium density" setting that slightly rolls off the highest audio frequencies to reduce sibilance and adds a bit of
"bottom end" to hosts that may have less deep voices and need a little help.
Talk_Sports_Bold
Similar in tonal balance to SPORTSTALK, but with significant added density to tighten up the local personality and
bring out the phone calls. Also can be a starting point for controlling wide dynamic range play by play.
Talk_News
Full-response talk preset for general FM-Only talk formats.
Talk_News_V2
The as above but with a 75Hz highpass filter to help match your AM talker.
TedOldies
A preset for rocknroll oldies by our Ted Alexander.
TheHitMachine
Another CHR preset. Like HitCityRadio but with more aggressive multi-band AGC activity. Has a different bass
texture than O11_CHR.
TheMatt
Named in honor of the late Matt Connor who helped Frank Foti put the original Omnia.FM on the processing map
back in the mid-90’s
ThePooh
Has a little more warmth to it than TheMatt above. This is in honor of Jim Somich who was Frank Foti’s mentor in
radio and audio processing.
TheWarmPreset
This is where to start if you want a really warm, rich, round sound with smooth vocals.
TripleA
Another good general starting preset. Kind of like Cosmic but with less brightness and punchier mids.
UrbanWarm
Lots of warmth and smoothness.
VinylSmooth
Think back to that old turntable. Not too bright with strong mids and moderate bass.
WarmthOpen
A more open version of TheWarmPreset. More natural dynamics come through.
Zeus Thunder
This is the “over-the-top” preset for bass freaks!
43
Chapter-5: Detailed Processing Adjustment
In this chapter, we provide a detailed list of all of the available user controls that can be used to tailor one of the
factory presets into a custom use preset for your “signature sound”.
Generally, the controls are set up so that increasing any setting will lead to more aggressive processing. For
example, a higher drive setting adds more gain into the dynamics section and a higher attack or release setting
means a faster time constant (more compressed sound) etc.
Depending on the type of control adjusted and its range, the changes you make can affect the sound in subtle or
extreme ways. Our advice is to make a limited number of changes at a time, make those changes in small
increments, and then listen to the results for a period of time before making any further adjustments. Keep in mind
that should you get “lost” you can always go back to where you started by simply recalling the factory preset that
you started with. The factory presets cannot be overwritten.
Recommended “Tried and True” Adjustment Procedure
1. Make sure that the Omnia.11’s Input and Output settings are correct for your system. (See Chapter 3, Page 19: Input
& Output Configuration )
2. Once on the air and configured properly for your system, start with a degree of processing that is similar to that
currently used by your station (using the preset you selected on Page 32) and then, if desired, become more
aggressive. A careful approach is less likely to draw hasty, or even negative, opinions.
3. Be sure to have a clear objective in mind before beginning! Some examples would be 1) to try to increase loudness
while maintaining as much quality as possible, 2) to adjust the frequency balance to obtain a certain consistent sound
“signature” (more bass, less bass, more mids etc.), 3) to reduce listening fatigue and create a more open, cleaner
sound that can be listened to comfortably for longer periods of time. See the following section for some common
step-by-step how-to’s, including these 3 examples.
4. Listen for a while, then adjust, and listen for a while again. Try to avoid the temptation to continuously “fiddle” with
adjustments, just moments after getting the system on the air. Remember that you should evaluate the operation over
time, not moment to moment!
5. While making changes to the system, we recommend that you do not make hasty or radical changes. Also, do not
make too many different adjustments all at once. If too many parameters are changed at one time, it is hard to
determine which change made the difference you may hear. That can be frustrating, whether the change made your
station sound better or worse. Take your time. In order for you to become comfortable with your new sound, you
should learn the limits of each control. We suggest making changes in increments of no more than +0.5 dB or - 1
dB, or in 1 or 2 step increments. Try turning different functions on and off. Working this way, you will be able to get
a better feel for the sound that the Omnia.11 is capable of producing on your station and with your programming.
6. Use the “sleep on it method:” Spend time adjusting and then listening, and when the system gets to a point where it
sounds good, stop! While making changes to processing, there does come a time when the ears become less and less
sensitive to the adjustments you're performing. Ears tire, and that's why spreading the adjustment period over a
number of days is recommended. If what you've done still sounds good after you have “slept on it,” stop adjusting.
If you're not quite there yet, continue with small iterations until you’re satisfied. If you are homing in on your goals,
you'll find that each day the discrepancies become smaller and you’re making fewer adjustments.
7. When you get it where you like it, stop and enjoy!
44
FAQ - Some Common How-To’s:
1) How do I try to increase loudness while maintaining as much quality as possible?
First, make sure that the input levels are set properly and that there is enough drive to the WideBand AGC.
At normal program levels, the WB AGC gain-reduction meter should indicate between 12-15dB. (also see
4) below) Then be sure to start with a factory preset that is aggressive enough for your needs. If the one you
have selected has all the attributes you are looking for but just needs a little more loudness, you should
probably first try adjusting the Clip Drive and Auto Sense per the instructions on Page 31. Also, turning up
the overall Limiter Drive can give you a loudness boost if they are running fairly lightly in the preset you
have selected.
2) How do I adjust the frequency balance to obtain a certain consistent sound “signature” (more bass, less bass, more mids etc.)?
This is handled mostly by the bass enhancers in the WB menu, the parametric EQ in the Limiter menu
Basic tab and the 5-Band AGC section. The bass enhancers work primarily on bass-shy material so their
effect may not be audible as you turn them up if the program material already has enough bass in it. Using
a higher Bass Growl setting in the Advanced tab will generally make the bass enhancers more audible. See
Page 44 for full details. The parametric EQ should be audible most of the time although the limiters may
“undo” some of what you do there. See Page 51 for full details. Overall frequency “shaping” is done using
the 5-Band AGC. Since it works on average levels over 5 frequency bands, it acts like a “dynamic” EQ. So
if you want more bass, for example, when levels are lower, you can boost the lower bands in the XO. This
will act like a “loudness contour” bass boost. Similarly, you can contour the mids and highs with the XO
controls as well so that is generally the place to start. Adjusting the output levels of each band in the Mixer
will apply a fixed amount of equalization over the frequency range of that band. Note that boosting or
cutting here will have a direct effect on the corresponding limiter band.
3) How do I reduce listening fatigue and create a more open, cleaner sound that can be listened to comfortably for longer periods of time?
Try backing-off the overall Limiter Drive. Too much limiter activity can cause the program material to
sound more “squashed” and “tight”. Backing-off on the limiters allowing them to work only on peaks will
provide a more open sound. After adjusting the limiter drive, re-adjust the Clip Drive per the instructions
on Page 31 since you may be able to use more clipping when the limiters are not working as hard. Some of
the more aggressive presets will not respond well to these adjustments and just be aggressive all the time.
At that point, it is time to start with another lighter sounding preset.
4) How do I make the processor bring up the volume of quiet song intros more?
This function is handled mostly by the WideBand AGC. Try increasing the Release setting in the Basic tab
and/or set the Window setting closer to 0 in the Advanced tab. Also ensure that your input levels are set
properly and that there is enough drive to the WideBand AGC. At normal program levels, the WB AGC
gain-reduction meter should indicate between 12-15dB. Note that it is normal for the yellow gate indicator
to be on most of the time. As long as the Gate Threshold control is not set too high, the WB AGC will still
bring up low level passages. Normally the Gate Threshold is set to about -36dB. Also try a lower Pause
Threshold control in the Advanced tab.
In closing, starting with the right preset is really the most important thing. Always pick the one to start with that
is closest to the sound you are looking for, despite its name. Then you can fine-tune it using the information in
the rest of this chapter.
45
Block Diagram
If you look closely at the Icon Buttons at the top of the Omnia.11’s screen, you will see that they form a block
diagram or flow chart of the processing path your audio takes through the fully digital, DSP based processing stages
within the Omnia.11:
Icon Buttons
The audio starts at the Input section where input sources are selected and levels are set. The audio then goes to the
first processing stage, the Wide Band AGC (automatic gain control). Next up is a 5-Band AGC section, a 6-Band
peak Limiter section with its own crossover and the final, separate peak control sections for the FM and HD
channels. Lastly is the Output section where the channels are routed to their selected output jacks and levels are set.
Wide Band
The Wide Band AGC section is the first processing section the audio “sees” as it passes from the Input section.
The job of the Wide Band AGC is to act as a very smart “hand on the pot”, ensuring that quiet intros (for example)
do not get “lost” or that loud program sections do not over-drive the following 5-Band AGC section.
Adjustments here can be found in both the Basic and Advanced tabs and are discussed fully in the next section.
First, a few important notes about the WB AGC in the Omnia.11 since it is different than what has come before:
We designed the AGC with very active programming in mind.
Make sure your input levels on the processor are set properly (per the instructions earlier in this guide) and are
hitting up to around -15 dB on the Input Meters (just into the yellow) when your incoming program levels are
normal. (For analog boards this would be “0dB” or “0VU” and for digital boards this would be when the metering
on the Omnia.11 is matching what your digital console is showing on its metering).
In other words, with normal program audio playing, if the analog console’s meters are bouncing up to 0VU (or the
digital console’s meters are hitting -15 dBFS), the Omnia.11’s Input meters should show about -15dB. If they are,
you're good to go!
As for the AGC, you can drive it very heavily if you want. It won't care. It will not change its sound characteristics
no matter how heavily it is being driven (up to -30 dB). In other words there is no “sweet spot” to get the best sound.
On the “normal” program levels described above, it should generally average around -12 to -18 dB or so on the WB
AGC vertical gain-reduction meter (described in the Wideband AGC Metering section below).
Using higher compression ratios (a Ratio setting in the Advanced tab of 7:1 or higher) will minimize any level
variation coming from the studio. The trade-off is a more "closed in" sound when using the highest settings. Some
programmers desire this effect for CHR programming, so it's just a matter of programming taste.
Medium ratios of about 4:1 or 5:1 preserve a bit more of the natural dynamics in the source material while still
“riding the gain” very well. A ratio of 2:1 is used primarily to provide maximum preservation of natural dynamics
on very wide dynamic range program material such as Classical.
46
The Window function (also in the Advanced tab) provides a "dead band" area for the wideband AGC. If you set it
at -2 dB for example, you're telling the wideband AGC that if the source material is within 2 dB of the target level,
do nothing. This will allow 2 dB of natural level variation in the audio, which is nice for keeping the Omnia.11
from over-processing already dense material.
The lower you set the number (say, from -2 dB to -6 dB), the more variation in programming levels you're allowing
through...and the more "relaxed" the audio sounds. See the Basic and Advanced tab sections below for more details.
Wide Band AGC Metering (Summary Tab)
Touch the Wide Band icon button to enter the metering and menu screens for the Wideband AGC.
The WB AGC meter indicates gain-reduction from the top down in dB. The Stereo Enhance meter indicates the
amount of activity in the stereo enhancer from the bottom up.
Gating activity is indicated by a bright yellow outline (Gate Indicator) around the blue gain-reduction meter. The
gate indicator will show more gating activity than you may be used to in conventional processors, but this is normal!
The Omnia.11’s “smart” windowed gating algorithm will control levels over a wide 30dB+ range and can choose to
do nothing when appropriate as well as increasing or reducing gain.
Wide Band AGC Gain Reduction Meter
Stereo Enhancer Activity Meter
WB AGC Metering Screen (Summary Tab)
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Basic Tab)
The Basic tab here includes not only the adjustments for the WB AGC but also for the Omnia.11’s Bass and Stereo
Enhancement functions.
Touch the WB submenu button and then the Basic tab to access the basic controls for the Wide Band AGC.
47
There are 4 variable controls and 2 switches located in the WB AGC Basic tab menu area:
Drive controls the amount of drive to the WB AGC
stage over a + or – 12 dB range. Increasing the
drive causes deeper gain reduction to be achieved.
This allows quieter passages in the input audio to
be raised further than if lesser drive was used. By
default, if your input levels are correctly set, there
will nominally be about 12-18dB of WB AGC gain
reduction with normal “0VU” program audio
playing from your console or automation system.
WB AGC Menu (Basic Tab)
Gate 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 settings cause the gate to activate at higher audio levels, causing more overall
gating. In most applications this control should be adjusted between about -30dB and -40dB to cause gating action
to occur when the input audio falls about that much below nominal. The action of gate also prevents noise rush up
during periods of no (or quieter) audio or during pauses in speech.
NOTE: Gating activity is indicated by a bright yellow outline around the blue gain-reduction meter and may show
more gating activity than you may be used to on conventional processors. In fact, it may look like the WB AGC is
gated most of the time. This is normal! It is due to the Omnia.11’s new smart windowed gating algorithms. (see
Window and Pause Threshold in the Advanced tab section on the next page for more info)
Don’t worry! This WB AGC will intelligently ride gain for you over a wider range with less side-effects than ever
before, keeping the following processing sections nicely in the “sweet spot”.
Attack: The attack control adjusts how fast the AGC responds to sudden increases in audio level, and higher
numbers equate to faster response times. Faster attack times reduce the transient nature of the input audio, while
slower attack times improve it. Omnia.11’s WB AGC is designed to work effectively with slow attack times. In
fact, be careful about using extremely fast attack times because these may cause sudden downward level shifts on
peaks during dynamic program material, dulling the natural transient nature of the program material. These peaks
are best controlled later in the Omnia.11’s Limiter section.
Release: The release control adjusts how fast the AGC recovers from periods of more gain reduction when the input
audio levels fall. Faster release times (higher numbers) result in quieter sections of the program material being
brought up faster. Try not to set the release too fast though, since that can cause the loss of the program material’s
natural dynamic “feel”.
Phase Rot (Phase Rotator): The phase rotator improves waveform symmetry for program material that is highly
asymmetrical in nature. Examples of such programming are the human voice, and sources with non-sinusoidal
waveforms such as certain string and wind instruments, as well as certain sounds created by electronic synthesizers.
By removing waveform asymmetry from the input program material, cleaner processing results because any limiting
that occurs is able to work equally on both positive and negative excursions of the audio waveform. We recommend
that this be turned on unless you have phase rotation enabled in your microphone processors.
Engage enables (ON) or bypasses (OFF) the WB AGC section.
48
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Advanced Tab)
Touch the WB submenu button and then the Advanced tab to display the advanced controls for the Omnia.11’s
Wideband AGC section. There are 6 variable controls and 1 drop-down control located in the WB AGC Advanced
tab menu area:
Window: At a setting of “0.0” the Wideband
AGC acts like a “regular” AGC where the gain is
always either increasing or decreasing.
Lower settings turn the window function on and
open up a “zone” within which the gain can rest
and actually do nothing!
When the window setting is on, the audio can
drop by the dB value of the selected setting before
the AGC reacts.
This can greatly help preserve natural program
dynamics without compromising overall gain-
riding ability. Try settings of -3 to -6dB to start.
WB AGC Menu (Advanced Tab)
RTP Level: RTP stands for Return to Platform. What RTP does is return the gain of the AGC to the selected
amount of gain reduction or “platform level” in the absence of audio. This control adjusts the “resting” or “platform”
gain reduction level the AGC will return to when audio pauses or stops (while gated).
The primary purpose of RTP is to prevent the AGC gate from increasing the gain unnecessarily or holding the gain
too low during pauses in audio, which could result in an increase in noise level or unexpected sudden increase in
level when the audio returns.
RTP Speed controls how fast the adjustment to the platform level (set with the RTP Level control above) takes
place – i.e., how long it takes the AGC to move to the target RTP gain reduction level. Range is from “0” (off) to 11
(fast).
Note: For maximum gain-riding range, we suggest a Wide Band RTP Speed setting of “0.0” for most popular music
formats which effectively disables RTP. Use higher settings if you have consistent board operators and don’t mind
that quieter program sections remain quieter.
Pause Threshold activates and changes the characteristics of the dual platform “smart” moment-to-moment gate
function. A setting of 0.0 turns off the smart gating, reverting it to conventional gate behavior. Settings other than
0.0 activate the smart gating function and higher settings allow the smart gating to be more aggressive.
Note: Middle-range settings can completely eliminate any perceived “pumping” effect during shorter quiet sections
without compromising overall longer-tem gain-riding ability.
Makeup Gain sets the amount of gain to be filled in during quieter, softer program passages. The range is “0.0”
(off) to “11” (maximum). This function is also program dependent, and it interacts somewhat with the main Attack
and Release time constants. As the attack/release times are modified, the system also scales the Make-Up Gain time
constants. Use less makeup gain for processing more faithful to the source material; use more makeup gain for
greater loudness and “density” (a more “compressed sound).
Filter Freq (High-pass Filter Frequency): This drop-down control adjusts the cutoff frequency of the built-in
high-pass (lo-cut) filter. Available settings are “Out” (not recommended), “20 Hz”, “30 Hz” and “40 Hz”. A setting
of at least “20 Hz” is suggested for most formats to keep sub-sonic signals from affecting the processing
performance.
49
Ratio: This variable control adjusts the overall compression ratio of the Wideband AGC. Available settings range
from 2:1 to 10:1. Lower ratios will let more dynamics through to the following multi-band AGC section and are
preferred for most applications. A good starting point for most popular music formats is 4:1 or 5:1. This will provide
very smooth, smart, hand-on-the-pot level control. The 2:1 ratio is very gentle and may be preferable for classical
music or jazz to preserve more of the natural dynamics. Higher ratios (7:1 and above) are useful primarily for talk
programming or anywhere there is a desire to have tighter control over very dynamic program material and/or a
more processed sound. NOTE: Higher ratios can cause the WB AGC to “overreact” on denser program material
such as modern popular music, especially with faster attack times and slower release times, so use with caution.
Keep in mind that there is another 5-Band AGC section that follows, so more gentle control at this stage is normally
preferred.
ENH (Basic Tab)
Touch the ENH (Enhance) submenu button to display the controls for the Omnia.11’s bass and stereo enhancement
functions. There are 5 variable controls located here and 3 more in the Advnaced tab.:
Deep Bass: This controls the amount of deep bass
enhancement. The deep bass range includes kick
drum and low toms as well as low organ pedal
notes, bass synthesizer and the lower notes on the
bass guitar. A setting of “0.0” effectively turns
bass enhancement off. The smart bass enhancer
will add bass to bass-shy material without
“overdoing it” on material that already has enough
bass.
Phat Bass: This control adds additional bass
enhancement that can give your station a “phatter”
sound, especially on radios with small speakers
that lack actual deep bass. This is a brand new Phat
Bass algorithm that fattens things up without
muddiness.
Enhancers Menu (Basic Tab)
Warm Bass: This control helps compensate for program material that is naturally lacking in upper-bass fullness.
Like the other bass enhance controls above, this one is “smart” as well, but be judicious about applying too much. A
little can give nice, subtle warmth to voices and other program material that may otherwise sound too thin.
Important Note: These three controls are not simple equalizers. They are program-dependant so are able to
enhance bass-shy material without over-enhancing program material that already has enough bass. If you find that
your program material is still bass-shy even at high settings, go into the Advanced tab and turn up the Bass Growl
control. (see the next page for more information about Bass Growl).
Stereo Enh (Stereo Enhance): This controls how much of the Omnia’s built-in stereo enhancement effect is
applied. The Omnia.11 contains an intelligent DSP-based stereo enhancement tool that enhances the stereo sound
field without causing unnatural “hole in the middle” imaging or exaggerated multipath. Program audio previously
lacking in stereo width will have noticeably increased ambiance and dimension when the Stereo Enh is active.
Vocals will stay up-front and the sonic details of musical instruments will be heard with an apparent slight loudness
increase.
The Stereo Enh control has a range of “0.0” (OFF) to 11 and the amount of dynamic width expansion can be
observed on the rightmost vertical bargraph marked “ST” in the Meter Area. The system should be initially
auditioned using light amounts of stereo enhancement, with an initial setting of 4 to 6 recommended as a starting
50
point. The overall stereo sound field will appear wider and be much more consistent sounding between program
sources. The smart Stereo EXP algorithm turns off when a mono program source is present.
Stereo Enh Density adjusts the speed of the stereo enhancer’s activity. A setting of 11 was the default for this
control in software version 1.03 and earlier. Lower settings allow a subtler effect, working more on the ambience in
the recording.
ENH (Advanced Tab)
The 3 controls in the Advanced tab allow some more control over the bass enhancement effect.
Bass Thump tunes a number of behind-the-scenes
parameters to bring out the “kick” or “thump” in
the bass. Higher settings result in “punchier” bass
where lower settings maintain a “smoother” or
“rounder” bass. Be careful not to use too high of a
setting here since some undesired bass
“clickiness” may occur at higher settings.
Bass Growl tunes a number of behind-the-scenes
parameters at once to tune the Omnia.11 for the
desired amount of bass. Higher settings cause the
bass enhancers in the Basic tab to be more audible
more of the time.
Enhancers Menu (Advanced Tab)
The Bass Thunder control activates a sub-harmonic bass enhancement effect. Unlike other attempts at this that use
simple frequency dividers that provide phony sounding “one note” bass, the sub-harmonic enhancement here is
locked to the original bass musically, in both frequency and level.
The Bass Thunder control sets mix level of the created sub-harmonic bass. At a setting of -12.0, the minimum
setting, the effect is hardly noticeable. We suggest starting at a setting of about -6.0 where the effect is mixed-in at
about 6dB below the original bass.
Note: When using the Bass Thunder effect, we suggest setting the high-pass Filter Freq setting in the Wide Band /
Advanced tab to 30 Hz. With lower filter settings, sub-sonics in the program material can cause a kind of
“fluttering” distortion on vocals and other program material in the presence range.
Thunder Boost, when ON, gives an extra boost to the level of the Bass Thunder effect. Be careful when using this
because too much bass boost can cause distortion in voices and instrumentation while extremely strong bass is also
present.
Deep Bass Slope Normally this is set to 12dB/Octave. You can use the alternative 24dB/Octave setting for
particularly loud presets when higher settings of the Bass Growl control are being used and more of the lower
“kick” drum bass and less of the “rounder” bass is desired. It also alters the characteristics of the Warm Bass as well.
51
AGC
The 5-Band AGC section works on the average level of the program material and can act both as a dynamic
equalizer and as a compressor/leveler depending on settings and the dynamics in the program material itself.
There are 3 submenu control groups in the 5-Band AGC section, XO, AGC and Mixer:
The output of the Wide Band AGC section feeds the 5-Band AGC section through a crossover.
There are 5 variable controls in the Basic tab for the AGC crossover and 2 drop-down controls in the Advanced tab.
AGC Crossover
AGC Crossover Menu (Basic Tab)
(Basic Tab)
Each of the 5 AGC bands (LO, ML, MH HI and
SH) has a Drive control.
Each of these controls the input level to the
respective band over a range of + or – 12dB and,
therefore, how far it will be driven into gain
reduction. Higher settings increase the amount of
“compression” in the band.
AGC Crossover
AGC Crossover Screen (Advanced Tab)
(Advanced Tab)
The 2 drop-down controls in the Advanced tab
allow you to modify the crossover frequency
points of the MH (ML to MH) and LO (LO to
ML) AGC bands. The MH to HI and HI to SH
crossover points are not adjustable.
The available MH crossover settings are 3.2 kHz
and 2.5 kHz.
The available LO crossover settings are 190 Hz or
150 Hz.
52
AGC Metering (Summary Tab)
The 5 gain reduction meters show AGC activity
from the top down in dB and the AGC crossover
frequencies in use are shown just above the gain
reduction meters. Gating is indicated by bright
yellow outlines around the blue gain-reduction
meters.
Crossover Frequencies
5-Band AGC Gain Reduction Meters
AGC Metering Screen (Summary Tab)
AGC (Basic Tab)
There are 5 variable controls here and switches to
set the master band for the sync function and to
bypass the 5-Band AGC section if desired. The
variable controls here are all “global”. That is, they
affect all 5 bands of the AGC simultaneously and
equally. There are also 2 submenu buttons to access
the controls for the low-latency DJ monitor feature.
Multi-Band AGC Menu (Basic Tab)
The first global control is an overall Drive control. It sets the input level to the AGC section, allowing you to adjust
the amount of gain reduction in the entire 5-Band AGC section at once. Increase this control for more compression
and dynamic EQ effect.
Next are overall controls for Gate Master, Attack Offset, Release Offset and Sync. These are described in detail
below. These parameters (except for Sync) can also be individually adjusted for each band in the Advanced tab.
Attack Offset (Attack Time Offset): This global control “trims” the overall attack time of all 5 AGC bands relative
to the individual Attack settings in the Advanced tab. Higher settings (above 0.0) scale the attack of all 5 bands
faster while lower settings (below 0.0) scale them slower.
Faster attack times reduce the transient nature of the input audio, while slower attack times improve it. Extremely
slow attack times must be used with caution because the following limiter stage may be forced to work too hard or
be overloaded. Extremely fast attack times must also be used with caution because they may make the audio sound
too compressed and lifeless, losing too much of its natural dynamic character.
53
Release Offset (Overall Release Time): This global control “trims” the overall release time of all 5 AGC bands
relative to the individual Release settings in the Advanced tab. Higher settings (above 0.0) scale the release of all 5
bands faster while lower settings (below 0.0) scale them slower.
The release control adjusts how fast the AGC recovers from periods of more gain reduction when the input audio
levels fall. Faster release times (higher numbers) result in a more dense sound.
Even though the Omnia uses program controlled release algorithms, setting the control for extremely fast release
times can result in ‘pumping’. Extremely slow release times can result in loss of loudness and frequency balance
issues when the program levels drop.
Gate Master (Overall Gate Threshold): When the input audio falls below a certain level, the gain control action of
the AGC stage is “frozen” by the gate. If the audio remains below the threshold level for a time, the RTP feature
takes effect (see below). 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 between about 0.5 and 1.5. The action of gate also prevents
noise rush up during periods of no audio or during pauses in speech. Lower settings will also allow more dynamic
EQ activity (depending also on the Sync setting).
Sync: This controls the amount of adjacent band syncing in the 5-Band AGC, relative to the middle (MH) band. A
setting of “0.0 dB” provides maximum sync between the bands. At this setting, almost no dynamic EQ effect will
take place. A setting of “-2.0 dB” will allow 2 dB more “independence” in the immediately adjacent band and 4 dB
in the second-adjacent bands. Use lower settings (along with lower settings of the Gate Thresh controls) to get
more dynamic EQ effect. Use higher settings to preserve the frequency balance of the original program material.
Also, please note that on presets where the AGC’s are operating faster, a lower Sync setting will generally be
needed.
The new Sync Master control in the Basic tab of the AGC menu allows you to select whether AGC Band 2 (the ML
band) or Band 3 (the MH band) will be the master band the other bands reference to when using the Sync feature.
Select “ML Master” when you want the overall brightness to match closer to the source.
Select “MH Master” if you want things to be brighter overall.
If the Sync control in the Basic tab of the AGC menu is turned down, these controls will have less effect. (And
virtually no effect at all if Sync is set to -12)
If you would like to bypass the 5-Band AGC section, switch off the Engage switch.
Low-Delay DJ Monitor Output
The low-latency DJ monitor output features an analog input to output delay of only about 8ms, (this is actually
slightly less than the Omnia.6EX) so it is perfect for DJ headphone monitoring. It also has a nicely compressed
sound that DJ’s will like. (The normal main output’s latency is 36.5ms, too much for headphone monitoring.)
If your station is using a profanity delay ahead of the Omnia, it may be able to be placed in the Omnia.11’s Patch
Point (see Page 21) If so, the DJ section will still be pre-delay. If that is not a practical option in your facility, a
separate processor such as our Omnia ONE Studio Pro can be used on your pre-delay feed to give the DJ’s a
comfortably processed headphone feed.
The DJ output has its own crossover and 3-Band processing.
The DJ output can be routed to any of the Omnia.11’s outputs in the Output menu.
There are 2 submenus containing the controls for the DJ section. These are discussed on the next page.
54
DJ Mix(er) (Basic Tab)
DJ Lim(iter) (Basic Tab)
DJ Limiter Meterng
DJ Mix: The 5 variable controls here allow you to
get a customized mix of the 5-Band AGC sections’
output to feed the special DJ processing section.
Each band defaults to a “middle” setting of 0.0dB
so your changes will be offsets in + or – dB.
You can use these controls like a 5-Band equalizer
to tailor the sound applied to the DJ 3-Band
processing section.
These controls will not affect the main processing
path.
DJ Lim:, an Output Master level control and
Density management controls for each of the 3
bands.
The Density controls set the aggressiveness of the
DJ processor, higher settings giving a more
processed and compressed sound and lower
settings giving a more open sound. There are
Density controls for each of the 3 bands and an
overall master setting that adjusts all 3 bands at
once.
Gain-reduction metering for the 3-Band DJ limiter
is now available in the meter panel.
55
AGC (Advanced Tab)
6 Sub-Group controls for each AGC band become available in the Advanced tab.
Multi-Band AGC Menu (Advanced Tab)
The Gate_Thresh control allows you to adjust the gate threshold of each band individually.
RTP Level, RTP Speed and Makeup Gain controls do not appear in the Basic tab and must be set individually for
each band.
RTP Level: RTP stands for Return to Platform. What RTP does is return the gain of the AGC to the selected
amount of gain reduction or “platform level” in the absence of audio. This control adjusts the “resting” or “platform”
gain reduction level the AGC will return to when audio pauses or stops (while gated).
The primary purpose of RTP is to prevent the AGC gate from increasing the gain unnecessarily or holding the gain
too low during pauses in audio, which could result in an increase in noise level or unexpected sudden increase in
level when the audio returns.
RTP Speed controls how fast the adjustment to the platform level (set with the RTP Level control above) takes
place – i.e., how long it takes the AGC to move to the target RTP gain reduction level. Range is from “0” (slow) to
11 (fast).
Makeup Gain: Sets the amount of gain to be “filled in” during quieter, softer program passages. The range is “0.0”
(off) to “11” (maximum). This function is also program dependent, and it interacts somewhat with the main Attack
and Release time constants. As the attack/release times are modified, the system also scales the Make-Up Gain time
constants. Use less makeup gain for processing more faithful to the source material; use more makeup gain for
greater loudness and “density” (a more “compressed sound).
The Attack and Release controls in each band sub-group are allow you to set the timing parameters individually
for any desired band.
56
AGC Mixer (Basic Tab)
The output of each of the 5 AGC bands is then summed together in a mixer.
There are 5 variable controls (LO mix, ML mix, MH
mix, HI mix and SH mix) in the Basic tab for the
Mixer that set the output level of each of the 5 AGC
bands over a + or – 12dB range.. There are no
Advanced tab controls for the mixer.
These controls can be used to set up some frequency
balance contours (EQ) but be careful not to use
extreme settings.
The output of the AGC mixer feeds the crossover of
the Limiter section directly.
AGC Mixer (Basic Tab)
Limiters
Similarly to the 5-Band AGC section, the Limiter section has 3 control groups:
Crossover, AGC and Mixer
The limiters differ from the AGCs in that the limiters work only on the peaks of the audio signal instead of the
average.
There are 6 variable controls in the Basic tab and 2 drop-down controls in the Advanced tab.
Limiters Crossover
The output of the 5-Band AGC mixer feeds the 6-Band Limiter section through its own crossover.
Limiters Crossover Menu (Basic Tab)
(Basic Tab)
Each of the 6 Limiter bands (LO, ML, MH HI and SH)
has a Drive control.
Each of these controls the input level to the respective
limiter band over a range of + or – 12dB and, therefore,
how far it will be driven into gain reduction. Higher
settings increase the amount of “density” in the band.
You may have noticed that there are actually 2 ways to
control levels that are getting to the limiters: the AGC
Mixer and the Limiters Crossover. Please use care that
similar bands are not boosted or cut too much in either
or both of those sections.
57
Limiters Crossover (Advanced Tab)
The 2 drop-down controls in the Limiters crossover
Advanced tab allow you to modify the crossover
frequency points of the LO (LO to ML) and SL (SL
to LO) limiter bands. The ML to MH, MH to HI and
HI to SH crossover points are not adjustable.
The available LO crossover settings are 320 Hz and
420 Hz.
The available SL crossover settings are 200 Hz, 175
Hz or 110 Hz.
Limiters Crossover Menu (Advanced Tab)
Parametric EQ Section
There are 3 bands of “cut/boost” style parametric EQ available here each with 3 controls: Gain, Freq(uency) and Q.
The Gain controls adjust the amount of cut or
boost to be applied over a +/- 12dB range.
The Freq controls adjust the center frequency of
the cut/boost. The Lo frequency range is 30-300
Hz in 5Hz steps, the Mid frequency range is 400 to
1200 Hz in 50Hz steps and the Hi frequency range
is 2000 to 15000 Hz in 100 Hz steps.
The Q controls adjust the bandwidth of the applied
boost/cut relative to the selected center frequency.
A range of 0.1 to 4.0 is available with 0.1 being the
broadest setting (affecting about 6 octaves) and 4.0
being the narrowest setting (affecting about 1/3 of
an octave).
Parametric EQ (Basic Tab)
58
Limiters Metering (Summary Tab)
Limiters Metering Screen (Summary Tab)
Similarly to the AGC gain reduction meters, the 6
limiter band gain reduction meters show the
amount of limiter activity from the top down in dB
and the crossover frequencies in use are shown just
above the meters. Likewise, gating activity is
indicated by a bright yellow outline around each
gain-reduction meter.
Unlike the AGCs though, these meters will be
moving faster because the limiter section works on
peaks instead of the average levels like the AGCs.
Limiters
There are 4 variable controls in the Limiters menu area and all of them are “global”. That is, they affect all 6 limiter
bands simultaneously and equally.
Limiters Menu (Basic Tab)
(Basic Tab)
The first global control is an overall Drive control
that allows you to adjust the amount of gain
reduction in the entire 6-Band Limiter section at
once. This is (conveniently) just like changing the
value of each control in the limiters crossover
(XO) by the same amount.
Next are Attack Time Offset, Release Time
Offset and Gate Threshold Offset controls. These
can adjust all 6 bands simultaneously relative to
the individual control settings in the Advanced tab.
Descriptions of the Attack, Release and Gate
functions are described in detail in the Advanced
tab section below.
59
Limiters (Advanced Tab)
Sub-Group controls for each AGC band become available in the Advanced tab:
Limiters Menu (Advanced Tab)
Lim Thresh (Limiter Threshold): This adjusts the threshold where audio peak limiting occurs over a + or – 6dB
range in 0.5dB steps for each band. Lower settings will increase the amount of limiting and decrease the level going
to the following final limiter/clipper stage.
Conversely, higher settings will raise the limit threshold, causing less limiting but feeding more level into the
following final limiter/clipper stage.
Care is needed when adjusting this control because higher settings will cause less limiting to occur, and the resulting
uncontrolled peak energy will go to the following final limiter/clipper stages instead. Thus, with this control you can
artistically trade off dynamic limiting against brick wall final limiting/clipping, as each has its own “sound.”
As the limiter threshold is lowered, (made more negative) the peak output level of the limiter is reduced. The signal
in that band won't hit the clipper as hard, and you'll notice more action on the limiter bargraph for that band. In fact,
instead of reducing the output of one of the audio bands in the Final Mixer section, you could instead “dynamically
reduce” the level in that band (which also increases density in that band) by lowering the limiter threshold. This can
be useful on the higher bands to dynamically reduce vocal sibilance, for example.
When adjustments are made to limiter thresholds, start by making adjustments in single 0.5dB increments. Reducing
the threshold too much can cause the system to create an effect that “sucks out” the frequencies in that band.
Conversely, the opposite (raising the threshold) will create an exaggerated effect by over-enhancing certain
frequency ranges, as well as causing increased distortion, since excessive levels from that band will reach the
following clipper stage.
Usually, the limiter thresholds are adjusted as a “fine polish” on the final sound. If you are unsure about how to use
the Limit Thresholds, then we recommend that they be left at their well-researched factory settings
SL to LO Sync appears only in the SL sub-group. This controls how much the gain reduction of the SL band
limiter’s “slower” component is synchronized to the LO band limiter’s “slower” component. A setting of “-12.0 dB”
(all the way “down”) turns the synchronization off. Higher settings will allow the SL band’s gain-reduction to track
the LO band’s over the dB range of the control setting. This is useful to avoid the buildup of low frequency room
noise or rumble in the input audio when the limiters are being used fairly hard. With less limiter activity, this will
have less effect since you will see mostly the limiter’s “fast” component working
60
Attack (Attack Time): The attack control adjusts how fast the limiter’s “faster” component responds to sudden
increases in audio level, and higher numbers equate to faster response times. Faster attack times reduce the transient
nature of the input audio, while slower attack times improve it. Extremely slow attack times must be used with
caution because the following clipper stage may be forced to work too hard, causing excessive distortion. Extremely
fast attack times must also be used with caution because they may make the audio sound too compressed and
lifeless, losing too much of its natural dynamic character.
Release (Release Time): The release control adjusts how fast the limiter’s “slower” component recovers from
periods of more gain reduction. Faster release times (higher numbers) result in a more dense sound. Setting the
control for extremely fast release times can result in increased distortion or ‘pumping’. Extremely slow release times
can result in loss of loudness and frequency balance issues when the program levels drop.
Gate (Gate Threshold): When the input audio falls below a certain level, the gain control action of the limiter 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, causing increased overall gating
activity.
It is normal to see much less gating activity in the limiters, unlike the AGCs since the limiters operate much faster
and average levels are already controlled before reaching the limiter section. You will see more limiter gating
activity when hitting the limiters harder, especially on dynamic material such as speech where they will help keep
things sounding natural.
Limiters Mixer
This is the final mixer that sums the 6 limiter bands and sends the peak limited audio to the final FM pre-emphasis
and limiter/clipper stages.
Limiters Mixer Menu (Basic Tab)
(Basic Tab)
Care should be used when adjusting this section, as
too much level from any particular band could
cause an excessive amount of clipping distortion to
that range of frequencies.
Adjusting all 6 controls an equal amount is
virtually the same as adjusting the clipper Drive
control in the FM menu.
If your desire is to provide some custom “EQ” to
the sound, it is better to perform that function using
the XO controls instead of the Mixer controls.
Like the Limiter Threshold controls, the final
Mixer is mainly for minor “fine polish” to the
overall sound. Adjustments in this section must be
done with extreme care.
61
FM
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Basic Tab)
The Ultra LoIMD main clipper is the Omnia.11’s
final limiting stage for the analog FM channel.
Here is where the Omnia.11’s loudness and quality
advantage is most evident! This new extremely
powerful new algorithm utilizes a great amount of
DSP power and is designed to reduce clipperinduced IM distortion to the bare minimum across
the entire audio bandwidth, providing new,
previously unheard of levels of clarity and
loudness with minimal side-effects.
Touch the FM icon button to access the 5 variable
controls located here: Clipper Drive, Auto Sense,
Comp Clip Drive, Voice Quality and BS-412
Drive.
Clipper Menu (Basic Tab)
The clipper Drive control (which also appears in the Quick Setup tab as Clipper Drive) adjusts the depth of
clipping of the pre-emphasized audio in precise 0.1dB steps over a +/-6 dB range. This is the primary control over
the “loudness vs. distortion” tradeoff. It is advisable to make minor changes, primarily as the 'loudness fine tuner'.
Be careful! There is a lot of available power here!
Note: If this control is grayed-out, go to the FM Options submenu of the Output menu and ensure that the BS-412
control is turned off.
We suggest that each time you try a new factory preset, you adjust the Clip Drive as follows: Start by turning the
Auto Sense control all the way down to 0.0. Then adjust the clipper Drive control down in 0.5dB steps until the
loudness just falls off too much, then bring it up a bit from there. That is the correct setting for you for the currently
selected preset. On some presets, you may need to turn it up instead of down. This is OK too. Adjust it up in the
same 0.5db steps until you achieve the loudness required or the sound becomes too distorted, whichever comes first.
If the distortion comes first, you probably need to start with a more aggressive preset.
Finally, turn up the Auto Sense until about 0.5 to 1.0 dB of activity can be seen on the Auto Sense meter.
NOTE: If you are turning up the Clip Drive to increase loudness and you reach a point where the loudness and
distortion do not seem to be increasing as you would expect, you have likely run into the Auto Sense ceiling. Try
turning down the Auto Sense control a little. (See below) This will allow more clipping to take place.
More about Auto Sense: This special algorithm senses the “duty cycle” of the clipper by watching for excessive
clipper activity that may cause distortion. A setting of “0.0” turns Auto Sense off. Higher settings will automatically
detect excessive clipping and reduce the clipper drive when needed.
Hint: It can be helpful, especially when tuning the processing for maximum loudness, to initially set Auto Sense
down to “0.0”, adjust the clipper Drive to the lowest possible setting that provides the loudness needed, then finally
turn the Auto Sense control up until the Auto Sense meter just starts to deflect (about 1dB on peaks). NOTE: Try
experimenting with the balance between Clipper Drive and Auto Sense for your best loudness vs. distortion
compromise. Try not to let the Auto Sense average gain-reduction exceed about 2dB though. Short-term peaks
above that are fine.
62
The Voice Quality control adjusts how much the Omnia.11 will reduce the clipping automatically when mono voice
transmission is detected. This really helps to keep voices clean and full yet still loud and punchy. A setting of “0.0”
effectively turns this feature off. Typical settings will usually be in the “-0.5 to -1.0” dB range. If you cannot get
certain voices clean even when using this feature, that voice may be very asymmetrical. Make sure that the Phase
Rotator switch in the Wide Band AGC (WB) menu is turned on or that phase rotation is enabled in your
microphone processing, if available.
NOTE: For optimum performance of this feature, make sure the left and right channels feeding the Omnia.11 are
very well balanced.
Comp Clip Drive: This controls the drive to the DSP-based composite clipper in the Stereo Generator in dB. A
setting of 0.0dB is the same as the clipper being “off “. This clipper operates on the entire baseband signal up to 53
kHz, except for the 19 kHz pilot. No matter how hard you drive the composite clipper, you cannot clip the stereo
pilot. Embedded within the composite clipper is a newly designed phase linear low pass filter for superb SCA
protection. This filter removes clipping harmonics and prevents them from affecting the SCA and RDS region.
Please use the composite clipper sparingly. We suggest no more than about 0.5dB and you may find that none is
needed at all with the Omnia.11!
BS-412 Drive: This control will be grayed-out unless the BS-412 Power Limiter feature is turned on in the FM
Options submenu of the Output menu. When that feature is engaged, the clipper Drive control will be grayed-out
instead and this control will adjust the amount of drive to the BS-412 limiter over a range of -12.0 to +6.0dB in
0.5dB increments. More information about the BS-412 power limiter can be found on Page 26.
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Advanced Tab)
There are 1 switch and 2 variable controls in the FM Advanced tab.
Bass Style: This switch chooses between 2
available processing styles, Dynamic and Fixed,
for the Omnia.11’s Bass Clipper. The bass clipper
is a special filtered and fully anti-aliased clipper
stage just for the bass frequencies. Its job is to
keep the bass out of the main clipper as much as
possible, reducing distortion while maintaining or
increasing bass intensity and quality.
Dynamic: This mode observes the set threshold
but will automatically “let the bass out” if only
bass is present, increasing the impact of solo bass
and kick drum while ensuring that it stays clean.
Fixed: The bass clipper threshold mode is fixed so
solo bass or kick drum will not be enhanced.
Clipper Menu (Advanced Tab)
Bass Clip Threshold: This sets the threshold level of the Bass Clipper over a range of + or – 6dB. Negative
threshold settings indicate the maximum amount that the bass clipper will pull the bass out of the main clipper to
help prevent distortion.
Bass Clip Smooth: This control adds a smoothing filter to the bass clipper that can make it sound less harsh on
some material. The default setting is all the way up (11.0). The control setting can be reduced if you prefer your bass
to sound “harder” and less smooth, similar to the Omnia-6’s bass clipper’s “Tight” setting.
63
FM Channel Clipper Metering
Clipper Metering (Summary Tab)
The FM channel’s metering shows you the activity
for the Bass Clipper, Main Clipper and Auto
Sense.
These are gain-reduction meters similar to those in
the Limiter section and read from the top down.
Note the reduced range of the Auto Sense meter
which is 6dB instead of the 30 dB of the Bass and
Main clip meters.
HD
HD Final Limiter
The Omnia.11’s HD channel shares the same processing as the FM channel up through the 6-Band Limiter stage.
The HD channel gets its own final mixer, bass enhancer and final limiter plus Omnia’s exclusive Sensus
technology for minimizing codec artifacts at lower bitrates.
HD Channel Limiters Mixer
HD Limiters Mixer Menu (Basic Tab)
(Basic Tab)
Shown at left is the final mixer that sums the 6
limiter bands and sends the peak limited audio to
the HD final limiter stage.
Care should be used when adjusting this section, as
too much level from any particular band could
cause an excessive amount of final limiter activity
to that range of frequencies.
That said, you can use these controls carefully to
optimize the overall frequency balance for the HD
channel, especially if the FM channel is set up
aggressively.
Adjusting all 6 controls an equal amount is
virtually the same as adjusting the final limiter’s
Drive control.
64
HD Channel Metering
The HD channel’s metering shows you the activity
in the Bass Clipper, Sensus codec conditioner and
Final Limiter.
These are gain-reduction meters similar to those in
the Limiter section and read from the top down.
HD Metering (SummaryTab)
HD Channel Bass Enhancer (Basic Tab)
Touch the Bass button to display the controls for the HD channel’s bass enhancement functions. There are 2 variable
controls located here:
Bass Clip Smooth: This control adds a smoothing
filter to the bass clipper that can make it sound less
harsh on some material.
Bass Clip Threshold: This sets the threshold level
of the Bass Clipper over a range of + or – 6dB.
Negative threshold settings indicate the maximum
amount that the bass clipper will pull the bass out
of the main clipper to help prevent distortion.
There are no controls in the Advanced tab for the
Bass section.
HD Bass Enhance (Basic Tab)
HD Channel Limiter (Basic Tab)
The HD channel employs an advanced look-ahead limiter to provide absolute precision peak control. This limiter
has been designed to minimize processing side-effects like IM distortion, which are usually associated with limiters
of this type. This allows this limiter to sound extremely transparent.
65
This type of peak controller is used here instead of a clipper because it does not generate the same high levels of
harmonic distortion as a Clipper does. This distortion would cause added difficulties in a coded audio system
because the harmonics generated from the clipping action create added artifacts and workload in the encoder. These
are especially annoying at high frequencies.
There are tradeoffs in how each of these peak controllers sound when they are set to produce added loudness. When
a clipper is pushed, the audio may sound edgier. This is from the added harmonic content. In contrast, the lookahead limiter will sound busier, or denser, when more limiting is applied.
Touch the Limiter button to display the controls for the HD channel’s limiter. There are 2 variable controls located
here:
The Drive control controls the depth of final
limiting. The amount of gain-reduction occurring in
the final limiter can be monitored on the metering
bargraph screen. Note, however, that this meter
cannot show extremely fast action in the limiter, so
your ear must be the final judge.
Release: The release time control for the final
limiter adjusts its overall release time profile.
Lower numbers are slower overall and higher
numbers are faster. Faster release times will result
in more loudness but sound more “squashed”.
HD Final Limiter Menu (Basic Tab)
Sensus (Basic Tab)
There are 2 variable controls in the Sensus menu:
Sensus Level: Sets the amount of codec
conditioning to be applied to the audio. Increasing
the setting adds more SENSUS control. Extreme
settings -- those high enough to cause noticeable
dulling of the program material -- are unnecessary
and will not further improve the audio quality
through the codec.
Sensus Freq(uency):This sets the range where the
SENSUS function begins its magic. For example,
a setting of 5kHz will program the SENSUS
algorithm to focus on frequencies of 5kHz and
higher. You should start with the 13kHz setting,
and then select lower frequency settings until any
coding artifacts are tamed. There are 8 available
adjustment frequencies between 13kHz and 1kHz.
Sensus Menu (Basic Tab)
66
What is Sensus?
First we will present some important information about our unique Sensus technology that will allow you to
maximize the audio quality and minimize the audible artifacts of the codec process:
Overview
Until now, digital signal processing has been a more precise numeric implementation of well-known analog methods. Even
relatively recently designed digital audio processors couldn’t veer too far from the comparatively simplistic concepts that
analog dynamics processing had utilized… until now!
Our new Sensus technology takes digital dynamics processing into a completely new frontier. Instead of the twodimensional static processing architecture of the past, Sensus enables the audio processor to modify its own architecture
in real time and in response to ever-changing program content.
Simply stated, Sensus has the ability to “sense” what must be done to a signal in order to best tailor it for the following
codec. As program content changes, it “rearranges the algorithms” to accomplish this goal. The uniqueness of the Sensus
technology makes it highly suitable not only for codec pre-conditioning (or provisioning), but also for a range of other
highly specialized signal processing challenges. The following is a discussion of how Sensus technology can be applied
to a coded audio environment.
Codec Provisioning
The codec is now a common denominator in the world of audio and broadcasting. Digital broadcasting (HDTV, HD-
R
, DAB, DRM), podcasting, webcasting, cellcasting, and downloadable music files all employ a form of codec-based
Radio
data compression in order to minimize the bandwidth required to transmit data. The necessarily low bitrates utilized by
these mediums presents a tough challenge for any audio processor used prior to a codec.
Traditional dynamics processors were designed to fulfill the requirements of a medium where the functions were generally
static. That is, they were well suited to the rather simplistic peak control and bandwidth limiting methods that were
required for analog broadcasting, as well as for the signal normalization techniques used in recording and mastering.
Audio codecs on the other hand are moving targets - each codec algorithm has its own set of artifacts. So not only does the
sonic quality vary depending on the algorithm and bitrate used, but more importantly they vary in their ability to mask their
own coding action. This is why we call it a ‘moving target’, and is why conventional audio processors fall short in a coded
audio environment and can actually make coding artifacts worse due to their inability to adapt appropriately to the
changing operation of the codec as the program content changes.
Prior art in audio dynamics processing could only address some of the challenges of provisioning audio for coding. This
hurdle existed because the codec adapts to the incoming program (so as to generate the least amount of output data
representing the input audio) causing the sonic artifacts generated by the process to continually change. Unless the audio
processor can predict these changing characteristics of the codec, it can’t possibly create output audio that is perfectly
tailored for the coding process.
Conventional processors utilize rather simplistic high frequency limiters and fixed low pass filtering that does not change
with the program material. When these less intelligent processors feed a codec the audio might sound acceptable one
moment and offensive the next. Because they cannot “know” what the codec will do next, the result is over-compensated,
dull and lifeless audio… audio that still contains objectionable codec-generated artifacts!
HD Radio
The advent of HD Radio
R
has introduced the capability to transmit multiple program streams, or “Multicast”, within a
single 96kbps digital broadcast data channel. To facilitate this, multicast relies on the use of codecs with comparatively low
bitrates. A broadcaster can choose to transmit a number of multicast channels and select the bitrate for each one. However,
the more multicast channels there are, the lower the bitrate each channel must have in order for them to all fit within the
total available bandwidth.
67
To achieve maximum sound quality, the kind that attracts and holds listeners, those channels will need specialized
dynamics processing capable of creating great sound regardless of program content and bitrate. They will need Sensus.
With Sensus, the innovative algorithm, it is now possible to have consistently high audio quality with a minimum of
codec-induced artifacts. Sensus creates highly listenable audio lacking the dull, muffled, ‘swirley’ sound usually
associated with codecs operated at extremely low bitrates.
So… what’s so smart about Sensus?
The fact is, Sensus is smart. In real time it predicts program content that will be troublesome for the codec, and by
modifying it’s own algorithms can make appropriate changes to the program material before it ever reaches the codec!1
The result is consistently high audio quality through a codec-based system, even at very low (18kbps – 21kbps) bitrates.
The human voice is very difficult to code at low bitrates without quality and intelligibility suffering. But Omnia.11 with
Sensus can generate clean, smooth, crystal clear audio that’s consistently great sounding no matter what the codec or
bitrate is.
--- Important Note ---
1
It is extremely important (especially for bitrates below 96kbps) not to directly audition the HD output of the Omnia.11
for audio quality without the audio being first routed through a codec!
Why? The processed HD output has been ‘pre-corrected’ for the characteristics of the following codec and because of this
the audio may contain strange sounding artifacts that will imitate the ‘inverse’ of what that codec will do. Because of this
the audio exiting the Omnia.11 may be unpleasant to listen to and will certainly be inferior to that which will exit the codec
later on. In other words, what you hear at the output will bear no relationship to the audio quality that will be achieved after
the audio has passed through the coding process!
Need a corollary to this?
It’s like trying to taste a pizza while still in the grocery store staring at the raw ingredients that haven’t been purchased yet!
68
69
Appendix A: Performance Specifications
Omnia.11 FM
All specifications are subject to change without notice.
Note: Discrete I/O measurements have been made in "Bypass" mode. FM composite measurements have been made
using the "Proof” preset.
General Audio Specifications
Frequency Response: Complies with the standard 50 or 75 microsecond pre-emphasis curve
within ± 0.5 dB, 30 Hz to 15 kHz. The analog left/right outputs and
AES/EBU Digital outputs can be configured for flat or pre-emphasized
output.
System Distortion: Less than 0.01% THD, 20 Hz – 7.5 kHz. Second harmonic distortion
above 7.5 kHz is not audible in the FM system.
*Signal-Noise Ratio: > -80 dB de-emphasized, 20 Hz –- 15 kHz bandwidth, referenced to
100% modulation).
*The measured noise floor will depend upon the settings of the Input and Output Gain controls and is primarily governed
by dynamic range of the Crystal Semiconductor CS5361 A/D Converter which is specified as >110 dB. The dynamic range
of the internal digital signal processing chain is >144 dB.
Stereo Separation: Greater than 65 dB, 20 Hz –- 15 kHz; 70 dB typical.
Crosstalk: > -70 dB, 20 Hz -- 15 kHz.
System Latency: 36ms. “FM” channel, as measured from the analog inputs through the composite MPX
output.
Composite Outputs: Source Impedance: 5 ohms or 75 ohms, jumper-selectable. Single-ended
and floating over chassis ground.
Output Level: 0V to 10V in 0.05V steps, software adjustable.
D/A Conversion: Texas Instruments/Burr Brown PCM1798, 24-bit sigma-delta converter.
Configuration: Two electrically independent outputs. Software based level adjustment.
Load Impedance: 50 ohms or greater load is suggested.
Pilot Level: Adjustable from 4.0% to 12.0% in 0.1% steps and OFF.
Pilot Stability: 19 kHz, ± 0.5 Hz.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: -85 dB typical, 75 μS de-emphasized, 15 kHz
bandwidth, referenced to 100% modulation).
Distortion: < 0.02% THD 20 Hz – 15 kHz bandwidth, 75 μS de-
emphasized, referenced to 100% modulation.
Stereo Separation: > 65 dB, 30 Hz – 15 kHz.
Linear Crosstalk: > -80 dB, main to sub or sub to main channel
(referenced to 100% modulation).
Non-linear Crosstalk: > -80 dB, main to sub or sub to main channel
(referenced to 100% modulation).
38 kHz Suppression: > 70 dB (referenced to 100% modulation).
76 kHz Suppression: > 80 dB (referenced to 100% modulation).
Pilot Protection: > -65 dB relative to 9% pilot injection, ± 1 kHz.
57 kHz (RDS/RBDS) Protection: better than -50 dB.
70
Connectors: Two EMI suppressed female BNC, floating over chassis ground.
Maximum Load Capacitance: 5nF (at 10 ohms source impedance).
Maximum cable length: 100 feet/30 meters RG-58A/U.
Analog Audio Input: Left/Right Stereo.
Electronically balanced. Input impedance 10k ohms resistive.
Maximum Input Level: +22 dBu. Nominal Input Level: +4dBu.
A/D Conversion: Crystal Semiconductor CS5361, 24 bit 128x over-sampled delta sigma
converter with linear-phase anti-aliasing filter. Pre-ADC anti-alias filter
with high-pass filter at <10 Hz.
Connectors: Two, EMI-suppressed XLR-female. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pin 2 "Hot".
Analog Audio Output: Left/Right Stereo. Electronically balanced. Output Impedance 20 ohms.
Minimum load Impedance: 600 ohms.
Output Level adjustable from -2 dBu to +22dBu peak in 0.1dB steps.
D/A Conversion: Crystal Semiconductor CS4391, 24 bit, 128x oversampled.
Connectors: Two, EMI-suppressed XLR-male. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pin 2 “Hot".
Digital Audio Input: Configuration: Stereo per AES/EBU standard, CS8420 Digital Audio
Transceiver with 24 bit resolution, software selection of stereo, mono
from left, mono from right or mono from sum. Automatically accepts
and locks to input sample rates between 30 and 108 kHz.
Connector: XLR-female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3
transformer isolated, balanced, and floating – AES3 standard 110 ohm
impedance.
Digital Audio Output
#1: Stereo per AES3 standard. Output can be configured in software for flat
or pre-emphasized response at 50 or 75 microseconds.
Digital Sample Rates: Output sample rates software selectable for
48kHz, Sync to Input or Sync to External.
Connector: XLR-male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2
and 3 transformer isolated, balanced, and floating. Standard AES3
specified 110 ohm source impedance.
Digital Output Level: -22.0 to 0.0 dBFS software adjustable.
Digital Audio Output
#2: Stereo per AES3 standard. Output can be configured in software for flat
or pre-emphasized response at 50 or 75 microseconds.
Digital Sample Rates: Output sample rates hardware jumper selectable for
44.1kHz, 48kHz or Sync to External.
Connector: XLR-male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2
and 3 transformer isolated, balanced, and floating. Standard AES3
specified 110 ohm source impedance.
Digital Output Level: -22.0 to 0.0 dBFS software adjustable.
External Sync Input: External Sync: Output sample rate can be synchronized to the signal
present on the AES/EBU input, or to an AES3 signal applied to the Ext.
Sync input connector. (Does not accept Word Clock inputs)
71
External Sync Range: Accepts sample rates from 32kHz to 96 kHz.
.
Used for synchronization of the Digital Output signal to an external
reference. Automatically accepts sample rates between 32 and 96 kHz.
Connector: XLR-female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pin 2-3
transformer isolated, balanced, and floating. Standard AES3 specified
balanced 110 ohm input impedance.
External Sync Range: Automatically accepts sample rates between 32kHz and 96kHz
Connector: XLR-female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3 transformer isolated,
balanced, and floating – AES3 standard 110 ohm impedance.
Remote Control: Via Ethernet. TCP/IP control via built-in Java (TM) based remote control program
integrated into web page interface. All software is served from the built-in web server to
any standard web browser; there is nothing to install on the user's computer.
Ports Used: The normal http port 80 and TCP ports 93, 4545 & 4546.
Connectors: Ethernet - Industry standard EMI-suppressed RJ-45 connector.
GPI Interface: (Support not yet available)
Connector: EMI suppressed DB-15 female connector.
Power Requirements: Voltage: 100-250 VAC, 47-63 Hz, Less than VA.
Power Connector: EMI suppressed IEC male.
Detachable 3-wire power cords supplied for US and European use.
Power Supply: Internal. Overvoltage and short circuit protected. Meets EN55022, EN55011 Level B
Conducted Emissions. EN61000-4-2, -3, -4, -5, -6 level 3 immunity compliant. Full
international safety approval. CE marked.
Environmental: Operating Temperature: 32 to 122 deg. F / 0 to 50 deg. C for all operating
voltage ranges. Humidity: 0-95% RH, non-condensing.
Dimensions: 19" wide x 7” high x 20” deep (48 cm wide x 18 cm high x 51 cm deep) including
connectors. Unit requires four EIA rack spaces for mounting.
Shipping Weight: 36 lbs. / 16.3 kg
Telos/Omnia Research and Development is constantly working to improve the quality of our products.
Actual specifications are subject to change or improvement without notice.
72
73
Appendix B: Troubleshooting/Service/Warranty
Operational problems with the Omnia.11 can sometimes be diagnosed using Factory Diagnostics log available in
the Configuration Menu of the webpage remote control interface. See Page 79 for details.
Electrical and mechanical safety note!
When the Omnia is operated with its chassis top cover removed, you are exposed to potentially lethal voltages.
Before attempting to make voltage measurements, be forewarned that the power supply heat sinks are connected to
the AC power line. Avoid these areas whenever the AC power cable is attached to the Omnia. Never attempt to
make measurements when the power supply's safety cover is removed.
When reinstalling the top cover, make certain that all thirty screws are replaced, and that they are tightened to a snug
fit. Operating the unit with its cover removed or without all of the retaining screws will void your warranty and may
compromise the ability of the Omnia to operate in high RF environments.
Troubleshooting FAQ
1. The unit is totally dead. What should I check first?
First double-check that the unit is receiving AC Line power. Check the line cord and its connection at both ends. Is
the line cord plugged into an outlet that has AC power? Are the blue “11” and the ring around the jog wheel
illuminated? If yes, the unit has power. Is the LCD screen blank, scrambled, or not illuminated? Symptoms like
these might indicate a power supply problem. If you wish to examine the power supply, be aware that there are two
power supplies in the Omnia.11 and they are of the switching type. Therefore, they require a load in order to start up
and operate properly. Voltages measured when the power supply is not connected to the Omnia’s circuitry will not
be correct. Please contact Omnia Support for help.
2. The unit has power, but there is no audio. What should I check?
The first thing to verify is normal front panel jog-wheel operation. Verification of front panel operation helps narrow
down where the problem is. Look at the metering display. If there is input audio but no output audio indications, try
removing power from the unit, waiting 20-30 seconds, then restoring power. If that doesn’t bring the operation back
to normal, then a hardware failure of some sort may have occurred. If you get output levels on the Output meters but
have no output audio, verify that the outputs are connected correctly. An analog output connected to a digital device,
or a digital output connected to an analog device won’t pass audio! Note that all outputs are active simultaneously.
Connect the appropriate test generator to the output cables to verify analog/digital audio is making it to the next
device.
Is audio present on the Input meters? If not, ensure that the correct Input Source is selected in the Input menu and
that the signal is present on the cables connected to the Omnia’s inputs.
If input audio is present, the next condition to check is to see if the failure has caused the processing to cease. Using
program material, check to see if the processing bargraphs are operating. If they are, then it’s a good indication that
the system's host processor is working.
At this point, it would be a good idea to see if the loss of audio is confined to only one output port, e.g. the discrete
left/right outputs one or both of the composite MPX outputs or the digital AES/EBU or Livewire outputs. Check the
signal at each of these locations. If one of the output sections is not operating, then it can be localized to that specific
section.
74
Note: The discrete left/right outputs are operated from their own specialized Digital to Analog converters.
Therefore, it's possible for one type of output to fail without affecting the other. Likewise, a failure in the AES/EBU
driver section could result in the digital output being dead, while the rest of the system is operational.
3. If my unit fails to boot up normally, can I try the compact flash software card (CF card) from another
Omnia.11 that is booting normally?
No. Once a card is booted for the first time, it assumes a unique hardware key for that unit and can then be used
only in that unit. If you need a new card, you will need one that has not been used in any other Omnia.11 unit.
Please contact Omnia Support for assistance.
Obtaining Service
• Before contacting Omnia Customer Support, please have the serial number of the unit (located on a small
barcode sticker on the rear panel in this format: 0279xyyyy) and a description of the symptoms/problems
ready for the technician.
• All units being returned to for service MUST have a Return Authorization (RA) number assigned to them
first. Units that are returned without a RA number will experience delays in service.
• Return the Omnia in its original shipping carton if possible. For best treatment, shipping the Omnia in its
original factory box protects it as well as possible. Damage caused by improper packaging is not covered
under your warranty!
Note: To ensure prompt service, the Return Authorization (RA) number must be written prominently on
or near the shipping label on the box!
Via the World Wide Web
The Omnia Web site has a wide variety of information that may be useful for product support, applications
information, software updates, etc. The URL is:
http://www.omniaaudio.com/
Via E-Mail
The customer service e-mail address for Omnia is: support@omniaaudio.com.
Via Phone
Customer Support personnel are available in the Cleveland, Ohio, USA office Monday through Friday by phone at
+1.216.241.7225 or via email between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time.
After hours support is available 24/7 by phone at +1.216.622.0247 or via email.
If you are outside the U.S.A. and non-English speaking, please contact the dealer you purchased your Omnia from
first.
Shipping Information: * Telos / Omnia
1241 Superior Avenue East
Cleveland, Ohio 44114 USA
ATTN: To the RA number obtained from Omnia Customer Service
Note: To ensure prompt service, the Return Authorization number must be written
prominently on or near the shipping label on the box.
75
Warranty
This Warranty covers "the Products," which are defined as the various audio equipment, parts, software
and accessories manufactured, sold and/or distributed by TLS Corp., d/b/a Omnia (hereinafter
"Omnia").
With the exception of software-only items, the Products are warranted to be free from defects in material
and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of receipt by the end-user.
Software-only items are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of 90
days from the date of receipt by the end-user.
This warranty is void if the Products are subject to Acts of God, including (without limitation) lightning;
improper installation or misuse, including (without limitation) the failure to use telephone and power
line surge protection devices; accident; neglect or other damage.
EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE-STATED WARRANTY, OMNIA MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED (INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE).
In no event will Omnia, its employees, agents or authorized dealers be liable for incidental or
consequential damages, or for loss, damage, or expense directly or indirectly arising from the use of any
of the Products or the inability of the end-user to use any of the Products either separately or in
combination with other equipment or materials, or from any other cause.
In order to invoke this Warranty, Omnia must receive notice of a warranty claim within the above-stated
warranty period and Omnia must authorize warranty coverage. If Omnia authorizes the performance of
warranty service, the defective Product must be delivered, shipping prepaid, to: Omnia, 1241 Superior
Avenue East, Cleveland, Ohio 44114.
Omnia, at its option will either repair or replace the Products and such action shall be the full extent of
Omnia’s obligation under this Warranty. After the Products are repaired or replaced Omnia will return
them to the party that sent the Products, and Omnia will pay for the cost of shipping.
Omnia’s authorized dealers are not authorized to assume for Omnia any additional obligations or
liabilities in connection with the dealers’ sale of the Products.
Omnia products are to be used with registered protective interface devices that satisfy regulatory
requirements in their country of use.
76
77
Appendix C: Remote Control and Software Update Procedure
Remote Control
The above screenshot shows the Processing screen of the Omnia.11’s built-in remote control
applet. This is a Java applet that requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) from Sun
Microsystems, version 1.4 or higher, to be installed on your computer. Once JRE is installed, the
Remote Control applet is accessed through the Omnia.11’s built-in web page interface via
TCP/IP using any standard Web browser that supports Java.
The latest version of JRE (for Windows, Solaris, Linux and Apple Mac OS) is available here:
http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Note: The remote uses the following network ports that will need to be opened/forwarded through any routers that
may be present in the network: The normal http port 80, port 93, port 4545 & port 4546.
78
Once Java is installed on your computer, using a Web browser, connect to the IP address of your Omnia.11 as
follows: (see Network Parameter Setup on Page 15 if you need to enter the network parameters into the Omnia.11)
1. Open a standard Web Browser on your computer and connect to the Omnia.11 by entering:
http://xxx.xxx.x.xxx/ in the browser’s address bar where the x’s in the example above are replaced with the
Omnia.11’s IP address. Once connected you should see the Login screen:
2. Enter the Password (the default is “omnia” – all lower case) and click on the “Login” button. (Or simply
press “Enter”)
The following Main Menu screen should appear:
There are 6 buttons across the top menu bar and 5 of those are duplicated below in the Main Menu.
The top menu bar will remain visible when in the Data Mgmt, Configuration and About screens.
You can select Meters & Remote Control (Remote) to open the processing screen Java applet, User Data
Management (Data Mgmt) to save & load processing and I/O configuration presets to & from your computer,
Configuration to change the current password, perform software updates , switch software banks, activate new
features and run diagnostics, About to view system and support information and Logout to logout and return to the
login screen.
The Main Menu button in the top menu bar is used to get back to this screen from the others, if needed.
79
NOTE: After a few minutes of use, and only when attempting to switch to another screen or menu, you may be
asked to re-enter the password (as a security measure) before the remote app switches to your selection.
Remote
Click on the “Remote” link option from the top menu or “Meters & remote control” from the Main Menu.
You may see the Java logo and then the main Remote Control screen should appear with the Preset tab open as the
default:
Note: The remote uses the following network ports that will need to be opened/forwarded through any routers that
may be present in the network: The normal http port 80, port 93, port 4545 & port 4546.
At the top-left there is a clickable yellow text link: Back to Main Menu that is used to exit from this remote control
screen to the remote’s main menu.
At the bottom there is a reminder that Java Runtime Environment must be installed on your computer in order to see
the remote metering and control screen. This reminder will be all you see if Java is not properly installed on your
computer.
If audio is present on the inputs, you should see the meters moving along with the audio. A small amount of
flickering is normal as the meter information is updated but if it is excessive or the meters are not moving smoothly,
check your network connection and/or update your video card drivers or settings.
If you are connecting from behind a router / firewall, be sure to forward the TCP ports used for the control and
metering data to the Omnia’s local IP address.
80
The factory defaults are Ports 4545 & 4546, respectively.
Of note here is that the Java remote screen looks exactly like the front panel of the unit and works similarly, with
some exceptions and additions.
Normally, the mouse is used to select buttons and controls and the Up & Down arrows on your computer’s keyboard
are used to adjust controls. The mouse wheel (on mice so equipped) can also be used to adjust the controls.
To select a control to adjust, first click on the desired Icon Button at the top of the screen and then click on a desired
Tab or button if needed and finally on an adjustment control. It will then highlight in a brighter orange color
indicating it is ready for adjustment with either the mouse wheel or arrow keys.
Please note that on smaller monitors or laptops you may not be able to see the entire screen at once. If that is the
case, scroll bars will appear to the right and at the bottom of the screen. This is normal.
Virtually everything you can do from the front panel, you can also do with the remote except for Network setup and
the Backlight & Calibrate controls in the System setup menu that are specific to the front panel’s touch screen.
Your computer’s keyboard can be used to enter text whenever the on-screen keyboard pops up.
Data Mgmt
The Data Management menu allows you to save and load User Presets and I/O Configurations to and from your
computer.
From the top menu in the Remote screen, click “Data Mgmt” or from the Main Menu, click the “User Data
Management” option.
Preset File Transfer
Shown below is the top half of the File Transfer screen, which is used for saving and loading user processing presets
to and from your computer.
Any user presets on the Omnia.11 will show up as buttons under User Presets in the Download Presets section.
2 user presets are shown in the example screenshot above.
NOTE: The factory presets will not show up here and cannot be downloaded to your computer.
To download and save a user preset to your computer, simply click on a preset name and your browser’s “File
Download” box should pop up.
81
Click the “Save” button; choose the desired folder to save the preset in from the “Save As” dialog (this may vary
with the OS) and click “Save” to save the file or “Cancel” to abort.
Presets are saved as small, text-based files with the “.opr” extension.
To upload a previously saved user preset to the Omnia.11, use the file entry box (or the browse button) to enter the
path to the preset file name to be uploaded and press the “Upload” button.
The preset will be saved to the Omnia.11 with the same name as the selected file, minus the .opr extension.
Note that uploaded presets will be placed in the Omnia.11’s preset list but will not go directly on the air.
Preset Import
This will bring up a screen with 2 special import preset boxes used to import presets y9ou may have that were
created on older software versions 1.03 or 1.1. Instructions are provided on the Import Presets screen.
Preset Authorization
This will bring up the Preset Authorization Group Management screen where authorization groups can be added or
deleted. For full information please see Page 20.
I/O Configuration File Transfer
Similarly, I/O configurations can be saved to or loaded from your computer.
Shown below is the bottom half of the “File Transfer” screen, which is used for saving and loading I/O
configuration files to and from your computer.
I/O Configuration download and upload operations work similarly to the Preset download and upload operations
described above with the exception that the filename extension for I/O configurations is “.oic”.
82
Configuration
The Configuration menu allows you to change the Omnia.11’s front panel / remote access password, update the
unit’s firmware, activate new features, access factory diagnostics, reboot the processor, reset the metering and reset
the calibration values for the front panel touch screen.
Change Current Password
Here you can change the password (default: “omnia”) for front panel touch screen and remote control access (which
are one and the same). To do so, enter your old password in the “Old password” box and then the new password in
both the “New password” boxes and click the “Change” button.
Software Bank Selection and Update
This screen is where you can select between 2 software banks and where software updates are performed over a
normal Ethernet remote control session using a file downloaded from the Omnia website. New update files are
always loaded into the software bank that is not currently running. Please note that a reboot into the bank where the
new software is loaded will be required in order for the new version to take effect. This can take several minutes so
be sure to plan accordingly.
As shipped from the factory, the same version will be present in both software banks.
To load a new software update file obtained from the omniaaudio.com website, click the yellow “Update” link
inside the button which should be available for the bank that is currently not running.
You should see this message warning you that current settings may be lost during the update and that a reboot will
be required to run the new software you are about to upload to the unit:
To cancel if desired, click the “Configuration” button at the top to return to the main configuration page.
83
To proceed, click the “Continue” button to bring up the file “Browse” dialog:
Click the “Browse” button and select the .oup file you downloaded, and then click “Update” to upload the file into
the currently non-running software bank. This will not take you off the air since the software bank it is uploading to
will need to be selected and then the unit rebooted in order to run the new software.
Once initiated, you should see this screen:
Read the screen carefully, noting that the unit must not be interrupted while it is loading the update file, then click
the yellow “Click here to monitor the progress of the update” link and you should see the following screen that
contains a status box with which to monitor the status of the update:
84
After a short while, a scrollbar will appear on the right-hand side of the status box.
Periodically, the screen will refresh and you will need to manually scroll the scrollbar down to see the latest text.
When the update is completed, you will see “Update Successful” at the bottom of the status box:
Once you see the “Update Successful” message, click the “Select New Software (Configuration Page)” link to
return to the main Configuration page.
To run the newly loaded software, click on the appropriate “Bank 0” or “Bank 1” radio button that is next to the
version information of the newly loaded software and then click “Apply”. The following message will be displayed:
A reboot of the unit will be required to run the software selected in the new software bank. Note that the first time
the unit is rebooting into new software, the reboot can take much longer than a normal reboot. This is normal so be
sure you are prepared for the unit to be off the air for several minutes.
If you will be rebooting later, click the yellow “Return to Configuration” link to return to the Configuration menu.
If you are ready to reboot now, click the yellow “Reboot Processor” link to reboot.
Once the processor has rebooted and the main screen is showing, touch the Input or Output icon button and then the
“I/O Config” tab. Now touch the padlock icon to unlock the I/O config preset list and then select your desired I/O
Config preset from the list. If you do not have one, select “default”.
Touch any of the processing icon buttons and then the “Preset” tab. Now touch the padlock icon to unlock the preset
list and then select your desired processing preset from the list.
If you were using the Livewire outputs you may need to go into the Setup menu to re-enter your output channel
numbers and re-enable the Livewire outputs. Please note that for proper sync, the LiveWire inputs should not be
used unless at least one of the LiveWire outputs is enabled.
Loading...