Omnia.11
Stereo FM Audio Processor
*PRELIMINARY*
Installation and Operation Manual
November 2010
Applicable to:
Software Version 0.90r1 (initial release)
A Telos Company
Omnia ● 1241 Superior Avenue East, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 USA
TEL: +1 216.241.7225 ● FAX: +1 216.241.4103 ● www.omniaaudio.com
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.
i
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
Omnia.11 Quick-Start Setup Guide
We know that you’re probably in a hurry to begin using your new Omnia.11. If you have technical expertise and previous
knowledge of audio processor fundamentals, using our 2-page Quick-Start Setup Guide below will get you up and running
as quickly as possible.
Please refer to the illustrations and user interface overview below to become familiar with the location of the various
controls and connectors associated with the installation, and then follow the steps on the next page to proceed with the
installation.
Headphone Jack Headphone Level Control Jog Wheel
Icon Buttons Tabs
Touch Screen LCD Display Metering Area Menu Area
Sub-Group Buttons
Front Panel User Interface Overview:
Touch the Icon buttons near the top of the screen to select the section of the processor to view and adjust.
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.
Additionally, any sub-groups of controls in a tab (if any) are indicated by small buttons on the left side of the Menu
Area. Touch the desired button to bring up the controls in that sub-group.
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.
The state of On/Off controls can be changed either by rotating the Jog Wheel (counter-clockwise for off and
clockwise for on) or by touching the left or right half of the control as appropriate. Touching the left half of the
control will turn it off and touching the right half of the control will turn it on.
Drop-Down controls (controls that have more than 2 selections in a drop-down list) are changed by first touching the
control to display the list and then touching the desired selection from the list.
iii
1. 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.
2. Connect AC power to the unit (there is no power switch!)
3. 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).
4. Touch the “Input” icon button near the top-left of the screen 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.
5. 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 peaking up to at least –15 and up to –12 dBFS or a
little higher. 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.
6. Connect the outputs that are appropriate for your installation.
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, De-emphasis and BS-412 settings are correct for your system and your location. The
de-emphasis only affects the XLR outputs. The composite MPX outputs are never de-emphasized. All outputs are
active simultaneously.
8. Now touch the appropriate button above the “FM Options” button to select the group of output controls you will be
using. Adjust the appropriate control so that the output level is correct for the equipment that follows the Omnia.11.
For access to the composite MPX stereo generator controls, touch the “Composite” button.
9. Touch the “FM” icon button then touch the “Preset” tab to display the list of factory processing presets. Touch the
preset you would like to start with to select and activate it. Note: The same processing “Preset” tab is also available in
the Wide Band, AGC or Limiters menus as well as the FM menu.
We strongly suggest listening to all the factory presets, regardless of their name, to get a feel for their differences. For
each one, be sure to adjust the clipper “Drive” control here in the “FM” menu as low as possible for the loudness
needed. This controls the primary loudness vs. distortion tradeoff.
The Omnia.11 Quick-Start Setup is now complete. Please read the rest of the User Manual to learn about some of
the features that make the Omnia.11 unique, for additional details on proper installation and for full details on the
operation and adjustment of every control function.
iv
Table of Contents
President’s Note: Welcome to Omnia.11! ............................................................................ i
Omnia.11 Quick-Start Setup Guide ........................................................................................... iii
Front Panel User Interface Overview: ............................................................................... iii
Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................................v
S A F E T Y I N S T R U C T I O N S .................................................................................. viii
HAZARD / WARNING LABELS .............................................................................................. ix
Manual Update Notification ........................................................................................................ xi
Chapter-1: Installation ..................................................................................................................1
Pre-Installation Tasks ............................................................................................................1
About This Manual ................................................................................................................1
Omnia.11 Components ..........................................................................................................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
v
Input/Output Configuration and Metering .......................................................................... 19
Input Configuration .............................................................................................................19
Input Metering .....................................................................................................................20
Output Configuration ..........................................................................................................21
Analog ............................................................................................................................... 21
AES/EBU .......................................................................................................................... 22
Livewire ............................................................................................................................ 22
Composite ......................................................................................................................... 23
FM Options ....................................................................................................................... 24
ITU BS-412 Power Limiter ...........................................................................................24
SCA IN LVL (Control on Rear Panel) ............................................................................. 25
Output Metering ..................................................................................................................25
Summary Tab .................................................................................................................25
Detail Tab.......................................................................................................................26
Chapter-4: Introduction to Omnia.11 Processing.....................................................................27
Where to Begin? ...................................................................................................................... 28
Presets ...................................................................................................................................28
CLIP Drive .....................................................................................................................29
Voice Quality .................................................................................................................29
Saving User Presets........................................................................................................... 29
Chapter-5: Detailed Processing Adjustment .............................................................................31
Recommended “Tried and True” Adjustment Procedure .................................................. 31
Block Diagram ......................................................................................................................32
Wide Band ............................................................................................................................32
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Basic Tab) ..............................................................................32
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Advanced Tab) .......................................................................33
ENH (Basic Tab)............................................................................................................34
AGC .......................................................................................................................................35
AGC Crossover (Basic Tab) ...................................................................................35
AGC Crossover
AGC (Basic Tab) ...........................................................................................................36
AGC (Advanced Tab) ....................................................................................................37
AGC Mixer (Basic Tab) .......................................................................................37
Limiters .................................................................................................................................38
Limiters Crossover
Limiters Crossover
Limiters
Limiters (Advanced Tab) ..................................................................................40
Limiters Mixer
(Advanced Tab) ...........................................................................35
(Basic Tab) .............................................................................38
(Advanced Tab) ......................................................................38
(Basic Tab) .........................................................................................39
(Basic Tab) ...................................................................................41
vi
FM .........................................................................................................................................41
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Basic Tab) ........................................................................41
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Advanced Tab) .................................................................42
HD..........................................................................................................................................43
HD Final Limiter............................................................................................................43
Appendix A: Performance Specifications ..................................................................................45
Appendix B: Troubleshooting/Service/Warranty .....................................................................49
Electrical and mechanical safety note! ...............................................................................50
Narrowing down problems..................................................................................................50
Obtaining Service .................................................................................................................51
Via the World Wide Web ................................................................................................. 51
Via E-Mail ........................................................................................................................ 51
Via Phone .......................................................................................................................... 51
Warranty ..............................................................................................................................52
Appendix C: Remote Control and Software Update Procedure .............................................53
vii
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
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
provided for ventilation. They ensure reliable
operations of the product, keeping it from
overheating. These openings must not be blocked
nor covered during operation. This product should
not be placed into a rack unless proper ventilation is
provided through following the manufacturer's
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. Do not use any attachments not
recommended by the product manufacturer as they
may cause hazards.
9. Power Sources. This product must be operated from
the type of power source indicated on the marking
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
routed so that they are not likely to be walked on
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
during a lightning storm, or when it is left
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. Do not overload AC wall outlets,
extension cords, or integral convenience outlets as
this can result in a fire or electric shock hazard.
14. Object and Liquid Entry. Never push objects of any
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
cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product
may fall, causing serious damage to a child or adult,
and serious damage to the product. Any mounting of
the product needs to follow manufacturer's
installation recommendations.
16. A Product and Cart Combination should be moved with
care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven
surfaces may cause the product and the cart
combination to overturn.
17. Servicing. Refer all servicing of the product to
qualified service personnel.
18. Damage Requiring Service. Unplug this product from
the AC wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified
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.
• If the product does not operate normally (following
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. When replacement parts are
required, be sure the service technician has used
replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or
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
product, ask the service technician to perform safety
checks to determine that the product is in safe
operating condition.
21. Cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol
cleaners. Use only a damp cloth for cleaning.
viii
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
orrect interference. c
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.
ix
CE CONFORMANCE – This device complies with the requirements of the EEC Counc
Directives: 93
lectromagnetic compatibility). Conformity is declared to those standards: EN50081-1,
(e
EN50082-1.
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 o
the European market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed
levels of lead, cadmium, m
olybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. Omnia.11 FM is in compliance with
p
e EU RoHS Directive.
th
/68/EEC (CE Marking); 73/23/EEC (Safety – low voltage directive); 89/336/EEC
LITHIUM BATTERY CAUTION – There is a danger of explosion if the internal
battery is replaced incorrectly or shorted. R
equivalent type
ccording to the ma
USE OF SHIELDED CABLING –
High Frequency
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 cab
ield to chassis
sh
between XLR pin-1 and the chassis terminal may be helpful in some instances.
recommended by the manufacturer. Dispose of used batteries
anufacturer's instructions.
In order to conform to the CE requirements for
radiation, shielded cables must be used for all audio and data
ground, not to pin 1. Additionally, a 0.01uF capacitor connected
ercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and
eplace the battery only with same or
il
le
n
x
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-worl d field
xperience, and the valued input from our many thousands of loyal customers.
e
e strongly encourage our customers to visit our Omnia website for product enhancement
W
nnouncements, software updates, updated user manuals, and customer support bulletins.
a
The following URLs have b cluded for your convenience
Manual Updates
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Tech Tips & Support Bulletins
Software Upgrades & Remote Software
White Papers & Technical Discussions
een in :
http://omniaaudio.com/manuals
http://omniaaudio.com/faqs
http://omniaaudio.com/tips
http://omniaaudio.com/software
http://omniaaudio.com/white-papers
xi
xii
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:
¾ Omnia.11 processor.
¾ Omnia.11 Operating Manual.
¾ Warranty Registration Card. (Please complete the form and return/FAX it to Telos/Omnia)
¾ Two IEC Power Cords, one of the USA/Canada style, and one of the Euro style.
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).
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
1
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
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
cm]) of rack space. Pull the outer edge the 2 rack handles towards you
Omnia.11 utilizes an un-switched EMI-filtered IEC
power-entry module.
AC Power Connection
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.
2
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 menu will be active. Analog/Digital/Livewire input source selection is done through the “Input Src”
(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” setting to [Both] in the Input menu.
3
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 Stereo Generator submenu of the Input/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.
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 components 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.
4
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 “Samp. Rate”
(Sample Rate) setting in the Output menu.
Note: The analog and digital outputs are active simultaneously.
Ethernet / Livewire Connections
NOTE: Network functionality/Setup is not available with the initial software. It will be
made available to you in a future software update.
The 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.
Ethernet 10BaseT/100BaseT Remote and
Livewire I/O
5
RS-232 Serial Port (DB-9M)* Connections
NOTE: RS-232 serial port functionality/Setup is not available with the initial software. It
will be made available to you in a future software update.
The DB9-male RS-232 AUX connector can be used to
The DB9 Male RS-232 DIAG connector is for diagnostic use with a computer running a terminal program such as
Windows Hyperterminal.
RS-232 Serial Ports
1
The setup and operation of the Omnia’s Remote
Control capability is covered in detail in
Appendix C, starting on Page
*Please note that the RS-232 functionality is 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/
General Purpose Interface (GPI) (DB-15F)*
NOTE: GPI functionality is not available with the initial software. It will be made available
to you in a 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.” The trigger inputs can be used to dynamically alter the Omnia.11’s operation in
response to logic transitions on the interface connection. Virtually any parameter of the Omnia can be controlled
using the Trigger Scripts.
The Trigger Script Interface is a standard component of the Omnia.11 Remote Control Interface. Full details,
including connector pinout, are covered in Appendix C, starting on Page
*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/
6
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, audio will appear at the analog audio outputs in approximately 1 minute.
The AES/EBU and Livewire outputs also become usable at this time however full initialization of the digital ports is
not complete for several more seconds and a small audio glitch may be heard when the final sample rate converter
initialization is complete. Once the boot process is finished the following screen will appear:
“Input” Screen
You will note that the screen defaults to the adjustment (ADJ) mode with the Input menu and metering displayed.
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.
7
8
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.
9
Icon buttons, Metering Area and Menu Area
Status Bar
Icon
Buttons
Tabs
Variable
Controls
Drop-Down
Controls
Menu Area
Metering
Area
Input Screen
The top row of the Omnia.11’s screen contains a Status Bar. The status bar shows the current date & time, 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.
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 default 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.
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.
Additionally, sub-groups of controls in a tab (if any) are indicated by small Sub-Group Buttons on the left side of
the Menu Area. Touch the desired button to bring up the controls in that sub-group.
10
There are 3 styles of controls: Variable controls, Off/On switches and Drop-Down list controls. Examples of
Variable and Drop-Down controls can be seen in the Input screen picture above while Off/On switches, Sub-Group
Buttons and Variable Controls can be seen in the Wide Band AGC menu area picture on the next page.
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.
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 (counterclockwise 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
Sub-Group Buttons Variable Controls
Drop-Down controls (controls that have more than 2 selections in a drop-down list) are changed by first touching the
control to display the list and then touching the desired selection from the list.
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.
¾ Touch the control in the Menu area labeled Input Source to bring up the drop-down list of possible input
sources.
¾ 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 whiteon-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..
¾ Now touch the Master input level variable control for the input you just selected above.
¾ 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 [ ].
11
¾ Watch the (L)eft and (R)ight channel Primary Input horizontal bargraph meters in the Metering Area
while adjusting per the following section below.
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
from reaching the maximum digital level of 0 dBFS. During normal operation, you should never see the red “0”
segments light.
discouraged unless there is another level-control device prior to the Omnia.11 that will keep the input levels
Tabs (Only the
Summary” tab is
active in the initial
firmware.)
Primary Input Level Meters
Secondary Input Level Meters
Peak Indicators
¾ Once the desired Input level setting is reached there is nothing more that needs to be done. You may touch
anywhere on a blank area of the screen to de-select the control if you wish to avoid any accidental operation
of the control.
¾ 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.
12
Processing Activity Metering (Gain-Reduction Meters)
Touch the AGC icon button to bring up the multi-band AGC metering/menu screen:
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 and the Hi bands the treble. 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 limiter meters operate faster because they work on the peaks in the audio signal.
All of the details regarding the AGC and Limiter sections are covered in Chapter 5.
13
14
Chapter-3: Setting Up for Your System
Setup Mode
There are 2 setup/configuration screens in Setup mode, Network configuration and Livewire configuration.
The currently running system software versions can also be found here.
Touch the Setup icon button icon in the upper-left corner of the screen to enter Setup mode.
Network Parameter Setup
NOTE: Network functionality/Setup is not available in the initial software. It will be made
available to you in a future software update.
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.
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
15
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 should only need the number entry mode of the
keyboard that should be selected by default for entering the network addresses. If not, touch the 0-9*/= button.
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
16
Livewire© Setup
NOTE: Livewire functionality/Setup is not available with the initial software. It will be
made available to you in a future software update.
Touch the Livewire icon button to bring up the Livewire setup screen:
Here you can select Livewire channels and name the available Livewire inputs and outputs.
Entries are changed as in the Network setup screen by touching the white box to bring up the on-screen keyboard.
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 and
the Livewire outputs will be disabled.
When finished, touch the ADJ icon button to return to the main metering/menu interface.
17
18
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.
Input Configuration
All Input configuration settings can be found in the Basic tab on the Input screen.
If not there already, touch the Input icon button to display the Input screen and then touch the Basic tab in the Menu
area if it is not already selected.
This is where you choose your Primary and Secondary input sources, set input levels, input mode, overall polarity
and failover time.
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 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.
19
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.
The Failover Source drop-down selects the Secondary input source that can be automatically switched to if the
primary source fails. This will be enabled when the Failover Time control is set to anything except “0.0”.
The Failover Time control, when set to a value other than zero (disabled) allows the Omnia.11 to automatically
select another input source if the currently selected one fails. 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.
Input Metering
There are 2 horizontal stereo input meters:
Primary Input shows the real-time peak
area.
Secondary Input shows the real-time peak
menu area.
Please see the Proper Setting of Input Levels section on Page 12 for full details on the setting of the input levels.
input level of the input selected with the Input Source control in the menu
input level of the input selected with the Failover Source control in the
20
Output Configuration
All Output configuration settings can be found in the Basic tab on the Output screen.
Output metering can be found in both the Summary and Detail tabs. (see Output Metering below)
There are 5 selection buttons on the left side of the Menu area.
4 of these group the output controls that are displayed by output type and a 5
menu.
Touch the Output icon button to display the Input 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.
Analog
Analog Output Menu (Basic Tab)
th
button brings up the FM Options
There are 3 controls in the Analog Output
Level group:
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 are de-emphasized (ON) or not
(OFF).
21
AES/EBU
There are 3 similar controls each in 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 Screen (Basic Tab)
De-Emphasis controls whether the appropriate AES OUT XLR output is de-emphasized (ON) or not (OFF).
AES 1 Sample Rate: This drop-down control selects the sample rate for the AES Out 1 XLR output jack. Possible
settings are 48k (internal 48 kHz clock), Input (syncs AES Out 1 to the sample rate on the AES/EBU input jack) or
External (syncs AES Out 1 to the sample rate of an AES/EBU signal applied to the External Sync XLR input jack
on the rear panel.
AES 1 Sample Rate & AES 2 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).
Livewire
There are 3 similar controls each in the Livewire 1 Level and Livewire 2 Level 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 from the Livewire 1 channel configured in the Livewire
Setup screen. Similarly, the Master control in the Livewire 2 Level group controls the output from 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”.
De-Emphasis controls whether the appropriate Livewire output is de-emphasized (ON) or not (OFF).
22
Composite
The stereo generator output levels from both
of the composite output BNC jacks can
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.
Composite Output Screen (Basic Tab)
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.
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.
be
23
FM Options
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 preemphasis 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 outputs.
The pre-emphasized signal at the Left/Right
Analog XLR, AES/EBU digital and Livewire
outputs can be restored to flat, if needed, by the
De-Emphasis control in their respective groups.
There are three choices for pre-emphasis in the drop-down control: Off, 50 µs or 75 µs.
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
the limiter being switched off!
BS-412 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.
over
24
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).
Output Metering
Summary Tab
There are 2 stereo output meters in the Summary tab:
FM OUTPUT shows the real-time peak
referenced to the maximum output level of 0 dBFS. Normally, these meters will be peaking all the way up near
0dBFS when the metered channel is active. These can be used as a quick way to check that the FM output channel is
active internally.
HD OUTPUT shows the real-time peak
referenced to the maximum output level of 0 dBFS. Normally, these meters will be peaking all the way up near
0dBFS when the metered channel is active. These can be used as a quick way to check that the HD output channel is
active internally.
output level of the “FM” channel before the output level controls
output level of the “HD” channel before the output level controls
25
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
Menu screen.
Analog Shows the actual peak
level of +22 dBu.
AES/EBU
1 Shows the actual peak
2 Shows the actual peak
Livewire
1 Shows the actual peak
2 Shows the actual peak
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.
output level of the Left and Right analog XLR output jacks referenced to a “0” peak
output level of the AES 1 XLR output jack referenced to 0 dBFS.
output level of the AES 2 XLR output jack referenced to 0 dBFS.
output level of the Livewire 1 output referenced to 0 dBFS.
output level of the Livewire 2 output referenced to 0 dBFS.
level of the actual outputs after the output level controls in the
26
Chapter-4: Introduction to Omnia.11 Processing
What you have before you is the result of 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 A LOT 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 WITHOUT increased throughput delay! All the 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 4 will cover every available control or 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!
27
Where to Begin?
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.
Date & Time 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 “Oldies” (or like it enough to use it as a starting point) for your Adult Contemporary
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, adjusting the CLIP Drive control for each one as described below. 10 user presets are shown
per screen so use the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN buttons to see more available presets.
To instantly put a preset on the air,
simply touch its name in the Preset
list.
To see more presets, touch the PAGE
UP
or PAGE DOWN buttons.
Start by trying the various presets
while listening to your typical
Preset Tab
program mat
their diffe
Then try to decide on one to start wi
and listen to it on as many d
t
ypes of radios as you can.
erial and taking note of
rences.
ifferent
th
28
CLIP Drive
It is important to adjust the CLIP Drive control (located in the Basic tab of the FM menu, accessed by touching the
FM Icon button) for each preset that you try.
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
ontrol
he
CLIP (Basic Tab)
loudness needed. You can think of this c
as adjusting the primary “loudness vs.
distortion” t
Try adjusting this 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 t
loudness required or the sound becomes too
distorted, whichever comes first. If the
distortion comes first, you probably need to try
a different preset.
radeoff.
Voice Quality
The Voice Quality control in the FM menu 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 “-1.0 to -3.0” 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 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.
Saving User Presets
Once you have made a change to any parameter, such as the CLIP Drive or Voice Quality controls 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. While up to 43 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 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.
29
30
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, a higher attack or release setting means a
faster time constant (more compressed sound) and a higher gate threshold setting means more gating will occur.
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 22) 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..
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
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.
station and with
7. When you get it where you like it, stop and enjoy!
31
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 proper 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.
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 button and then the Basic tab to access the basic controls for the Wide Band 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 . See ENH (Basic Tab) below.
Wide Band AGC Gain Reduction Meter Stereo Enhancer Activity Meter
32
There are 4 variable controls and 2 switches located in the WB AGC menu area:
Drive controls the amount of drive to the WB AGC stage over a + or – 12 dB range. Increasing the drive causes
deeper compression to be achieved. This allows quieter passages in the input audio to be raised further than if lesser
drive (and less compression) was used. By default, if your input levels are correctly set, there will nominally be
about 12dB of WB AGC gain reduction with normal “0VU” program audio playing from your console or
automation system.
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 mic processors.
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. In most applications this
control should be adjusted between about -20dB and -30dB 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.
Engage enables (ON) or bypasses (OFF) the WB AGC section.
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. Extremely slow attack times must be used with caution because allowances must be
made in later stages to not overload them during the time when the broadband AGC is adjusting the level
downwards.
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 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’.
Wide Band AGC (WB) (Advanced Tab)
Touch the WB (Enhance) button and then the Advanced tab to display the advanced controls for the Omnia.11’s
WB AGC section.
There are 5 variable controls and one drop-down
control located in the Wide Band AGC Advanced
tab.
Window: At a setting of “0.0” the Wideband AGC
acts like a “regular” AGC. Lower settings open up
a “zone” where the audio can drop by the dB value
of the current setting before the AGC reacts. This
can help preserve natural dynamics.
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
33
Gain time constants. Use less makeup gain for processing more faithful to the source material; use more makeu
gain for greater loudness and “density” (a more “compressed p sound).
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).
Filter Freq (High-pass Filter Frequency): This drop-down control adjusts the cutoff frequency of the built-in xx
dB per octave 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.
ENH (Basic Tab)
Touch the ENH (Enhance) button to display the controls for the Omnia.11’s bass and stereo enhancement
functions. There are 4 variable controls located here:
Bass Enh (Bass Enhance): This controls the amount of
smart bass enhancement. A setting of “0.0” effectively
turns bass enhancement off. The smart bass enhancer wil
add bass to bass-shy material without “overdoing it” on
material that already has enou
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 in
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
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.
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.
Air Enh (Air Enhance): This adds some enhancement to the highest audio frequencies (the highest treble) to
provide a sense of “Air” to the program material, especially older material, without sounding screechy, increasing
compression effects or sounding “smashed” in any way.
There are no controls in the Advanced tab for the Enh section.
gh bass.
crease.
l
34
AGC
The 5-Band AGC section works on the average level of the incoming audio signal 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 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 (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 (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 avai
2.5 kHz.
The
Hz.
lable MH crossover settings are 3.2 kHz and
available LO crossover settings are 190 Hz or 150
35
AGC (Basic Tab)
There are 5 variable controls here and 4 of them are “global”. That is, they affect all 5 bands of the AGC
simultaneously and equally.
5-Band AGC Gain Reduction Meters Crossover Frequencies
The 5 gain reduction metes show AGC activity from the top down in dB and the AGC crossover frequencies in use
are shown just above the gain reduction meters.
The first global control is an overall Drive control that allows you to adjust the amount of gain reduction in the
entire 5-Band AGC section at once.
are overall Gate Threshold, Attack Time and Release Time controls (described in detail below). These
extN
parameters can also be individually adjusted for each band relative to this overall control setting in the Advanced
tab.
Attack (Overall Attack Time): 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 inpu
audio, while slower attack times improve it. Extremely slow attack times must be used with caution because t
following limiter stage may
used with caution because they may make the audio sound too compressed and lifeless, losing too much of its
natural dynamic character.
Release (Overall Release Time): The release control adjusts how fast the AGC recovers from periods of more ga
reduction when the input audio levels fall. Faster release times (higher numbers) result in a more dense sound. Even
though the Omnia uses program
can result in ‘pumping’. Extremely slow release times can result in loss of loudness and frequency balance issues
when the program levels drop.
Gate (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
hreshold control. Higher numbers cause the gate to activate at higher audio levels. In mostT
should be adjusted to cause gating action to occur when the input audio falls about 20dB below nominal. The action
of gate also prevents noise rush up during periods of no audio or during pauses in speech.
Sync: This controls the amount of adjacent band syncing in the 5-Band AGC, relative to t
of “0.0 dB” provides maximu
independence” in the immediately adjacent band and 4 dB in the second-adjacent band.
“
be forced to work too hard or be overloaded. Extremely fast attack times must also be
controlled release algorithms, setting the control for extremely fast release times
applications this control
he middle band. A setting
m sync between the bands. A setting of “-2.0 dB” will allow 2 dB more
he
in
t
36
AGC (Advanced Tab)
Sub-Group controls for each AGC band become available in t
he Advanced tab:
The Gate_Thresh, Attack Offset and Release Offs
controls in each band sub-group are “offsets” th
allow you to change the values
individually for any desired band relative to t
overall setting in the Basic tab.
RTP Level, RT
appear in the
for each band.
RTP Level: RTP stands for Return to Platform. Wh
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 A
will return to when audio pauses or stops (while
gated). The primar
the gain too l se level or u
increase in level when the audio returns.
RTP Spee
place – i.e., how long it takes
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 Atta
and Release time constants. As the attack/release times are modified, t
onstants. Use less makeup gain for processing more faithful to the source material; use more makeup gain for
c
greater loudness and “density” (a more “co
d controls how fast the adjustment to the platform level (set with the RTP Level control above) takes
y purpose of RTP is to prevent the AGC gate from increasing the gain unnecessarily or holding
ow during pauses in audio, which could result in an increase in noi nexpected sudden
the AGC to move to the target RTP gain reduction level. Range is from “0” (slow) to
he system also scales the Make-Up Gain time
mpressed sound).
P Speed and Makeup Gain do not
Basic tab and must be set individually
for these parameters
at
he
et
at
GC
ck
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 t
Mixer that set the output level of each
bands over a + or – 12dB range.. There are no
Advanced tab controls for the mixer.
These controls can
balance contours (EQ) but be careful not to use
extreme settings.
output of the AGC mixer feeds the crossover of
The
e Limiter section directly.
th
37
he
of the 5 AGC
be used to set up some frequency
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 inst of
verage.
a
The output of the 5-Band AGC mixer feeds the 6-Band Limiter section through its own crossover.
There are 6 variable contro n the Basic tab fo
ab.
t
ead the
ls i r the Limiters crossover and 2 drop-down controls in the Advanced
Limiters Crossover (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
band over a range of + or – 12dB and, therefore, how
ill be driven into gain reduction. Higher
far it w
settings increase the amount of “compression” 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 Limi
care that sim
uch in either or both of those sections.
m
ilar bands are not boosted or cut too
ters Crossover. Please use
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)
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.
vailable SL crossover settings are 200 Hz, 175 Hz
The a
r 110 Hz.
o
and SL (SL to
38
Limiters
There are 4 variable controls in the Limiters menu area a
bands simultaneously and equally.
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 first global control is an overall Drive control that allows you to adjust the amount of gain reduction in the
entire 5-Band AGC section at once.
Next are overall Attack Time, Release Time and Gate Threshold controls (described in detail below). These can
also be individually adjusted for each band relative to this overall control setting in the Advanced tab.
Attack (Overall Attack Time): 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
audio, while slower attack t
llowing limiter stage may be forced to work too hard or be overloaded. Extremely fast attack times must also be
fo
used with caution because they may make the audio sound too compressed and lifeless, losing too much of its
natural dynamic character.
Release (Overall Release Time): The release control adjusts how fast the AGC recovers from periods of more gai
reduction when the input audio lev
ough the Omnia uses program controlled release algorithms, setting the control for extremely fast release times
th
can result in ‘pumping’. Extremely slow release times can result in loss of loudness and frequency balance issues
when the program levels drop.
Gate (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 se
hreshold control. Higher numbers cause the gate to activate at higher audio levels. In most applications this control
T
ould be adjusted to cause gating action to occur when the input audio falls about 20dB below nominal. The action
sh
f gate also prevents noise rush up during periods of no audio or during pauses in speech.
o
(Basic Tab)
nd all of them are “global”. That is, they affect all 6 limiter
the crossover frequencies in use are shown just above the meters.
input
imes improve it. Extremely slow attack times must be used with caution because the
els fall. Faster release times (higher numbers) result in a more dense sound. Even
tting of the Gate
n
39
Limiters
Sub-Group controls for each AGC band become available i
much if the SL band is fully recovered and the other limiter bands are into some gain reduction. As you turn th
control up, you should see the S
Lim Thresh (Limiter Threshold): This adjusts the threshold where audio peak limiting occurs over a + or – 6dB
range for each band. Lower set
llowing final limiter stages.
fo
Conversely, higher settings will raise the limit threshold, causing less limiting but feeding more level into the
following final limiter stages.
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.”
s the limiter threshold is lowered, (made more negative) the peak output level of the limiter is reduced. The signal
A
in that band won't hit the clipper as hard, and you'll notice more action on the limiter bargraph for that band.
instead of reducing the output of one of the audio bands in the Final Mixer section, you could instead “dyn
reduce” the level in that band (which also increases density in that band) by lowering the limiter threshold.
When adjustments are m
reshold too much can cause the system to create an effect that “sucks out” the frequencies in that band.
th
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 r
llowing clipper stage.
fo
sually, the limiter thresholds are adjusted as a “fine polish” on the final sound. If you are unsure about how to use
U
e Limit Thresholds, then we recommend that they be left at their well-researched factory settings
th
(Advanced Tab)
n the Advanced tab:
The Attack Offset, Rel
rols in each band sub-group are “offsets” that allow
cont
you to change the values for these parameters
individually for any desired band relative to the overa
setting in the Basic tab.
SL to LO Sync appears only in the SL sub-group. Th
controls how much the gain reduction of the SL band
limiter is synchronized to the LO band limiter. A set
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 se
frequency rumble being picked up by studio mics or on
some recordings from getting brought up in level too
L band start to “follow” the activity in the LO band.
tings will increase the amount of limiting and decrease the level going to the
ade to limiter thresholds, start by making adjustments in 0.5dB steps. Reducing the
ease Offset and Gate Offset
tting. This can help keep low
ll
is
ting
e
In fact,
amically
each the
40
Limiters Mixer
This is the final mixer that sums the 6 limiter bands and sends the peak limited audio to the final limiter/clipper
stages.
(Basic Tab)
Care should be used when adjusting this section, as too
much level from any particular band could
excessi
ve amount of clipping distortion to that range of
frequencies.
Adjusting all 6 controls an equal amoun
e as adjusting the Clip Drive control.
sam
If your desire is to provide some custom “EQ” to the
sound, it is better to perform that function using the XO
ls instead of the Mixer controls.
contro
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.
cause an
t is virtually the
FM
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Basic Tab)
T
he 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 evide
great amount of DSP power and is designed to reduce clip
entire audio bandwidth, providing new, previously unhear
effects.
O
mnia.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 sett
ttings will usually be in the “-1.0 to -3.0” dB range. If you cannse
feature, that voice may be very asymmetrical. Make sure that the Phase Rota
enu is turned on or phase rotation is enabled in your microphone processingm
t! This new extremely powerful new algorithm utilizes a
n
er-induced IM distortion to the bare minimum across
p the
of levels of clarity and loudness with minimal side
d -
The Clip Drive control controls
precise
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!
We suggest that each time you try a new factory pre
yo
default setting for a preset and adjust it down in 0
steps until the loudness just drops below the desired
level and then bring it up slightly from there. This
should be the optimum setting for your station and
market.
The Voice Quality control adjusts how much the
ing of “0.0” effectively turns this feature off. Typical
0.1dB steps over a +/-6 dB range. This is the
u adjust the Clip Drive as follows: Start with the
ot get certain voices clean even when using this
tor switch in the Wide Band AGC
, if available.
the depth of clipping in
.5 dB
set,
41
FM Final Limiter (Clipper) (Advanced Tab)
There are 2 variable controls and 1 Off/On switch in the FM dvanced tab.
Bass Clip Threshold: This sets the threshold level of the Bass Clipper over a range of + or – 6dB. The threshold
setting is the maximum amount that the bass clipper will pull the bass out of the main clipper to help prevent
distortion.
Auto Sense: This controls a very special algorithm inside the main clipper that watches the “duty cycle” of the
clipper. A setting of “0.0” turns this algori
pper drive when it detects excessive clipper activity that may cause distortion. It is advisable, especially when
cli
ning the processing for maximum loudness, to set this control first to “0.0”,adjust the main Clip Drive in the FM
tu
asic tab and then come back here and turn the Auto Sense control up until you just hear it reduce the loudness too
B
uch, then back it off a little from there.
m
thm off. Higher settings will automatically watch for and reduce the
A
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 fi
just for the
bass out of the main clipper as much as possible,
reducing distortion while maintaining or increasing
bass intensity and quality.
Dy
will automatically “let the bass out” if only bass is
present, increasing the impact of solo bass an
drum while ensuring that it stays clean.
Fixed: The bass clipper threshold mode is fixe
solo bass or kick drum will not be enhanced.
ltered and fully anti-aliased clipper stage
bass frequencies. Its job is to keep the
namic: This mode observes the set threshold but
d kick
d so
42
HD
HD Final Limiter
(This feature is not yet available)
43
44
Appendix A: Performance Specifications
Omnia.11 FM
As of November 2010 – Version 0.90r1 PRELIMINARY Software
All specifications are subject to change without notic
ote: Discrete I/O measurements have been made in "Bypass" mode. FM composite
N
measurements have been made using the "Proof_of_Perf" preset.
enera Audi
G l o Specifications
requency Response: Complies with the standard 50 or 75 microsecond pre-emphasis curve
F
within ± 0.5 dB, 30 Hz to 15 kHz. The analog left/right outputs and
AES/EBU Digital outputs can be configured fo
output.
System Distortion: Less than 0.01% THD, 20 H
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
The measured noise floor ill depend upon the settings of the Input and Output Gain controls*
y dynamic range of the Crystal Semiconductor CS5361 A/D Converter which is specified as >110 dB. The dynamic range
b
of the internal d ta processing chain is >144 dB.
100% modulation).
w and is primarily governed
igi l signal
Stereo Separation: Greater than 65 dB, 20 Hz –- 15 kHz; 70 dB typical.
Crosstalk:
> -70 dB, 20 Hz -- 15 kHz.
Composite Outputs: e: 5 ohms or 75 ohms, jumper-selectable. Single-ended
Source Impedanc
and floating over chassis ground.
Output Level: 0V to 10V
D/A Conversion: Texas Instruments/Burr Brown PCM1
delta converter.
Configuration: Two electrically in
level adjustment.
Load Impedance: 50 ohms or greater load is su
Pilot Level: Adjustable from 4.0% to 12.0% in 0.1% steps and OF .
Pilot Stability: 19 kHz, ± 0.5 Hz.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: -85 dB typical, 75 μS d
bandwidth, referenced to 100% modulation).
Distortion: < 0.02% THD 20 Hz – 15 kHz
emphasized, referenced to 100% modulation.
Stereo Separation: > 65 dB, 30 Hz – 15 kH
e.
r flat or pre-emphasized
z – 7.5 kHz. Second harmonic distortion
in 0.05V steps, software adjustable.
798, 24-bit sigma-
dependent outputs. Software based
ggested.
F
e-emphasized, 15 kHz
bandwidth, 75 μS de-
z.
45
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
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,
Connectors: Two EMI suppress
Maximum Load Capacitance: 5nF (at 10 ohms
Maximum cable length: 100 feet/30 m
Analog Audio Input:
A/D Conversion: Cry
con
C ct Two, EMI-suppressed XLR-female. Pin
A
Minimum load Impedance: 600 ohms.
D/A Conversion: Crystal Semiconductor CS4391, 24 bit, 128x oversampled.
C ct Two, EMI-suppressed XLR-male. Pin 1 chassis ground, P
Digital Audio In Configuration: Stereo per AES/EBU standard, CS8420 Digital Audio
Transceiver with 24 bit resolution, software selection of stereo, mono
from left, mono from right
and
(referenced to 100% modulation).
57 kHz (RDS/RBDS) Protection: better than -50 dB.
ed female BNC, floating over chassis ground.
source impedance).
eters RG-58A/U.
Left/Right Stereo.
Electronically balanced.
Input impedance 10k ohms resistive.
Maximum Input Level: +22 dBu.
Nominal Input Level: +4dBu, which nets a -18dBFS input meter reading
on a steady-state signal when the Input Gain control is set to 0.0dB.
Program material with a nominal average level (VU reading) of +4dBu
will typically produce peak readings
-12 dBFS to -6dBFS. This is the correct operating level.
stal Semiconductor CS5361, 24 bit 128x over-sampled delta sigma
verter with linear-phase anti-aliasing filter. Pre-ADC anti-alias filter,
with high-pass filter at <10 Hz.
onne ors: 1 chassis ground, Pin 2 "Hot".
nalog Audio Output:
Left/Right Stereo. Electronically balanced.
Output Impedance 20 ohms.
Output Level adjustable from -2 dBu to +22dBu peak in 0.1dB steps.
onne ors: in 2 “Hot".
put:
or mono from sum. Automatically accepts
locks to input sample rates between 30 and 108 kHz.
on the input meter in the range of
main channel
± 1 kHz.
46
Connector: XLR-female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3
transformer isolated, balanced, and floating – AES3 sta ndard 110 ohm
impedance.
igital Audio Output
D
#1: Stereo per AES3 standard. Output can be configured in softw
or pre-emphasized response at 50 or 75 microseconds.
Digital Sample Rates: Output sample r
32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, and 96 kHz.
Connector: X
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.
igital Audio Output
D
#2: Stereo per AES3 standard. Output can be configured in softw
or pre-emphasized response at 50 or 75 microseconds.
Digital Sample Rates: Output sample r
32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, or 96 kHz, or its rate slaved to AES #
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)
External Sync Range: Accepts sampl
sed for synchronization of the Digital Output signal to an external
ref
balanced 110 ohm input impedance.
External Sync Range
onnector: XLR-female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3
C
LR-male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2
U
erence. 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
:
Automatically accepts sample rates between 32kHz and 96kHz.
transformer isolated, balanced, and floating – AES3 standard 110 ohm
impedance.
ates software selectable for
ates hardware jumper selectable for
e rates from 32kHz to 96 kHz.
are for flat
are for flat
1.
47
Remote Control: ilt-
(not yet available) Via Ethernet or built-in Wi-Fi. TCP/IP control via bu
in Java (TM) based remote co
terface. All software is served from the built-in web server to any
in
standard web browser; there is nothing to install on the user's co
ntrol program integrated into web page
mputer.
Ports Used: The defaults are TCP Ports 4545 and 4546 (for control and
metering data, respectively)
.
Connectors: Ethernet - Industry standard EMI-suppresse
d RJ-45 connector.
GPI Interface: (Support not yet available)
Connector: EMI suppressed DB-15 fem
ale connector.
ower Requirements: Voltage: 100-250 VAC, 47-63 Hz, Less than VA.
P
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: g
voltage ranges. Humidity: 0-95% RH, non-condensing.
Operating Temperature: 32 to 122 deg. F / 0 to 50 deg. C for all operatin
imensions: 19" wide x 7” high x 20” deep (48 cm wide x 18 cm high x 51 cm deep)
D
including connectors. Unit requires four EIA rack spaces for mounting.
Shipping Weight: 36 lbs. / 16.3 kg
T
elos/Omnia Research and Development is constantly working to improve the quality of our products.
A
ctual specifications are subject to change or improvement without notice.
48
Appendix B: Troubleshooting/Service/Warranty
Operational problems with the Omnia.11 can sometimes be diagn d using the “RS-232 DIAG” serial port located
on the rear panel of the unit and a common terminal communicati program.
progress may be observed at this internal RS-232 port, as well as viewing of any error messages that may be
encountered. This chapter explains the various boot up and error messages that may be encountered while
troubleshooting the unit. We'll cover some basic troubleshooting techniques for isolating possible Omnia.11
problems in the field, and also how to obtain help or repair service from Omnia.
To take complete advantage of this functionality, yo
other operating system. It must be configured for a d
a terminal emulation for VT100. At Omnia, we co
Microsoft Windows
how we've set up our connection:
©
, but you can use whatev
u only ws, or
lt baud rate of 19200, no hardware handshaking, and
efau using
y use the Hyperterminal
mmonl
er program low for
you are familiar with. Please see the examples be
ose
ons
Detailed information about the Omnia's boot-up
need a standard terminal program for DOS, Windo
Diagnostics Serial Port
©
program that ships with
Once these parameters have been entered and saved as a conne
(a
nd print) the output of the Omnia.11’s RS-232 internal serial port during boot up.
ction profile, they can be used to capture and display
49
Electrical and mechanical safety note!
hen the Omnia is operated with its chassis top cover removed, you are eW xposed 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
ake measurements when the power supply's safety cover is removed. m
When reinstalling the top cover, make certain
fit. Operating the unit with its cover removed
c
ompromise the ability of the Omnia to operate in high RF environments.
that all thirty screws are replaced, and that they are tightened to a snug
or without all of the retaining screws will void your warranty and may
attempt to
Narrowing
When actually troubleshooting your Omnia.11, try to ascertain some preliminary information first before embarking
on an in-depth problem-solving mission. Take time to carefully consider whether your unit falls into any of the
following states:
. The unit is totally dead. Is the power on? Is the line cord plugged into an outlet that has AC power? Is th1
audio input level? Is there an audio output level? Is there a power indication? 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 it is switching type, and therefore requires a load in order to start up and operate properly.
Voltages measured when the power supply is not connected to the Omnia motherboard may not be correct.
2. The unit has power, but there is no audio output although the processing bargraphs are working. The first
thing to verify is whether the front panel jog-wheel is operational. Verification of front panel operation helps narr
down where the problem is. Look at the metering display. If there is input audio but no output audio indications,
ycling tc
occurred. If you get output levels 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!
Connect the appropriate test generator to the output cables to verify analog/digital audio is making it to the next
device.
The next condition to check is to see if the failure has caused the processing to cease. Using program material, check
o see if the processing bargraphs are operating. If they are, then it’s a good indication that the basic DSP structure ist
sound and the system's host processor is working. At this point, it would be a good idea to see if the loss of
confined to only one output port, e.g. the discrete left/right outputs or the AES/EBU output. Check the signal at each
of these locations. If the signal is dead at all three, then this points to a digital audio problem after the dynamic
rocessing DSP chips. If one of the output sections is not operating, then it can be localized to that spep
N
T
river section could result in the digital output being dead, while the rest of the system is operational.
d
he unit’s power. If that doesn’t bring the operation back to normal, then a hardware failure of some sort has
ote: The discrete left/right outputs are operated from their own specialized Digital to Analog converters.
herefore, it's possible for one type of output to fail without affecting the other. Likewise, a failure in the AES/EBU
down problems
ere an
ow
try
audio is
cific section.
50
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: 0XXXYZZZZ) 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 retu
rned 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 i
original factory box protects it as well as possible. Damage caused by impr
under your warranty!
Note: To ensure prompt s
ervice, the Return Authorization (RA) number must be
oper packaging is not covered
n its
written prominently on or near the shipping label on the box!
Via the Wor
The Omnia Web site has a wide variety of information that may be useful for pro
information, software updates, etc. The URL is:
ld Wide Web
duct support, applications
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
rominently on or near the shipping label on the box.
p
51
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
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
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
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 o
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 exten
Omnia’s obligation under this Warranty. After the Products ar
them to the party that sent the Products, and Omnia will pay for the cost of shipping.
Omnia’s authorized dealers are not au
abilities in connection with the dealers’ sale of the Products.
li
mnia products are to be used with registered protective interface devices that satisfy regulatory
O
quirements in their country of use.
re
; accident; neglect or other damage.
thorized to assume for Omnia any additional obligations or
Products are warranted to be free from defects in material
90
t of
e repaired or replaced Omnia will return
f
52
Appendix C: Remote Control and Software
Update Procedure
NOTE: Remote control functionality is not available with the initial software. It will be
made available to you in a future software update.
53
54
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