Orban Optimod-AM 9400 Operating Manual

Operating Manual

OPTIMOD-AM

9400

Digital Audio Processor

Version 1.2 Software

IMPORTANT NOTE: Refer to the unit’s rear panel for your Model Number.

Model Number: Description:

9400 OPTIMOD 9400, Digital I/O, Five-band stereo proc-

essing, digital radio / HD AM / netcast processing,
115V (for 90-130V operation) or 230V (for 200-250V
operation)

9400J As above, but for 90-117V operation.

MANUAL:

Part Number: Description:

96129.120.03 9400 Operating Manual

CAUTION:

NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK,

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to

the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage

inside the enclosure  voltage that may be

sufficient to constitute a risk of shock.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to important

operating and maintenance instructions in the accompa-

nying literature. Read the manual.

In accordance to the WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) direc­tive of the European Parliament, this product must not be discarded into the
municipal waste stream in any of the Member States. This product may be
sent back to your Orban dealer at end of life where it will be reused or recycled
at no cost to you.

If this product is discarded into an approved municipal WEEE collection site or
turned over to an approved WEEE recycler at end of life, your Orban dealer
must be notified and supplied with model, serial number and the name and
location of site/facility.

Please contact your Orban dealer for further assistance.

www.orban.com

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.

Retain Instructions: The safety and operation instructions should be retained for future reference.

Heed Warnings: All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.

Follow Instructions: All operation and user instructions should be followed.

Water and Moisture: The appliance should not be used near water (e.g., near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet base-

ment, or near a swimming pool, etc.).

Ventilation: The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the appli-

ance should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings; or, placed in a built-in installation, such as a
bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.

Heat: The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances (including amplifiers)

that produce heat.

Power Sources: The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on

the appliance.

Grounding or Polarization: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance is not defeated.

Power-Cord Protection: Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or

against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance.

Cleaning: The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer.

Non-Use Periods: The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time.

Object and Liquid Entry: Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.

Damage Requiring Service: The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: The power supply cord or the plug has

been damaged; or Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or The appliance has been exposed to rain; or The appliance does
not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.

Servicing: The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions. All other servicing should be

referred to qualified service personnel.

The Appliance should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer.

Safety Instructions (European)

Notice For U.K. Customers If Your Unit Is Equipped With A Power Cord.

WARNING: THIS APPLIANCE MUST BE EARTHED.

The cores in the mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:

GREEN and YELLOW - Earth BLUE - Neutral BROWN - Live

As colours of the cores in the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, pro­ceed as follows:

The core which is coloured green and yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug marked with the letter E, or with the earth symbol, or col­oured green, or green and yellow.

The core which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal marked N or coloured black.

The core which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal marked L or coloured red.

The power cord is terminated in a CEE7 / 7 plug (Continental Europe). The green / yellow wire is connected directly to the unit's chassis. If you need to
change the plug and if you are qualified to do so, refer to the table below.

WARNING: If the ground is defeated, certain fault conditions in the unit or in the system to which it is connected can result in full line voltage between
chassis and earth ground. Severe injury or death can then result if the chassis and earth ground are touched simultaneously.

Conductor WIRE COLOR

Normal Alt

L LIVE BROWN BLACK

N NEUTRAL BLUE WHITE

E EARTH GND GREEN-YELLOW GREEN

AC Power Cord Color Coding

Safety Instructions (German)

Gerät nur an der am Leistungsschild vermerkten Spannung und Stromart betreiben.
Sicherungen nur durch solche, gleicher Stromstärke und gleichen AbschalAMerhaltens ersetzen. Sicherungen nie überbrücken.
Jedwede Beschädigung des Netzkabels vermeiden. Netzkabel nicht knicken oder quetschen. Beim Abziehen des Netzkabels den
Stecker und nicht das Kabel enfassen. Beschädigte Netzkabel sofort auswechseln.
Gerät und Netzkabel keinen übertriebenen mechanischen Beaspruchungen aussetzen.
Um Berührung gefährlicher elektrischer Spannungen zu vermeiden, darf das Gerät nicht geöffnet werden. Im Fall von Betriebsstörun­gen darf das Gerät nur Von befugten Servicestellen instandgesetzt werden. Im Gerät befinden sich keine, durch den Benutzer
reparierbare Teile.
Zur Vermeidung von elektrischen Schlägen und Feuer ist das Gerät vor Nässe zu schützen. Eindringen von Feuchtigkeit und
Flüssigkeiten in das Gerät vermeiden.
Bei Betriebsstörungen bzw. nach Eindringen von Flüssigkeiten oder anderen Gegenständen, das Gerät sofort vom Netz trennen und
eine qualifizierte Servicestelle kontaktieren.

Safety Instructions (French)

On s'assurera toujours que la tension et la nature du courant utilisé correspondent bien à ceux indiqués sur la plaque de l'appareil.
N'utiliser que des fusibles de même intensité et du même principe de mise hors circuit que les fusibles d'origine. Ne jamais
shunter les fusibles.
Eviter tout ce qui risque d'endommager le câble seceur. On ne devra ni le plier, ni l'aplatir. Lorsqu'on débranche l'appareil,
tirer la fiche et non le câble. Si un câble est endommagé, le remplacer immédiatement.
Ne jamais exposer l'appareil ou le câble ä une contrainte mécanique excessive.
Pour éviter tout contact averc une tension électrique dangereuse, on n'oouvrira jamais l'appareil. En cas de dysfonctionnement,
l'appareil ne peut être réparé que dans un atelier autorisé. Aucun élément de cet appareil ne peut être réparé par l'utilisateur.
Pour éviter les risques de décharge électrique et d'incendie, protéger l'appareil de l'humidité. Eviter toute pénétration
d'humidité ou fr liquide dans l'appareil.
En cas de dysfonctionnement ou si un liquide ou tout autre objet a pénétré dans l'appareil couper aussitôt l'appareil
de son alimentation et s'adresser à un point de service aprésvente autorisé.

Safety Instructions (Spanish)

Hacer funcionar el aparato sólo con la tensión y clase de corriente señaladas en la placa indicadora de características.
Reemplazar los fusibles sólo por otros de la misma intensidad de corriente y sistema de desconexión. No poner nunca los fusibles en
puente.
Proteger el cable de alimentación contra toda clase de daños. No doblar o apretar el cable. Al desenchufar, asir el enchufe y no el
cable. Sustituir inmediatamente cables dañados.
No someter el aparato y el cable de alimentación a esfuerzo mecánico excesivo.
Para evitar el contacto con tensiones eléctricas peligrosas, el aparato no debe abrirse. En caso de producirse fallos de funcionamiento,
debe ser reparado sólo por talleres de servicio autorizados. En el aparato no se encuentra ninguna pieza que pudiera ser reparada por
el usuario.
Para evitar descargas eléctricas e incendios, el aparato debe protegerse contra la humedad, impidiendo que penetren ésta o líquidos
en el mismo.
En caso de producirse fallas de funcionamiento como consecuencia de la penetración de líquidos u otros objetos en el aparato,
hay que desconectarlo inmediatamente de la red y ponerse en contacto con un taller de servicio autorizado.

Safety Instructions (Italian)

Far funzionare l'apparecchio solo con la tensione e il tipo di corrente indicati sulla targa riportante i dati sulle prestazioni.
Sostituire i dispositivi di protezione (valvole, fusibili ecc.) solo con dispositivi aventi lo stesso amperaggio e lo stesso comportamento
di interruzione. Non cavallottare mai i dispositivi di protezione.
Evitare qualsiasi danno al cavo di collegamento alla rete. Non piegare o schiacciare il cavo. Per staccare il cavo, tirare la presa e mai
il cavo. Sostituire subito i cavi danneggiati.
Non esporre l'apparecchio e il cavo ad esagerate sollecitazioni meccaniche.
Per evitare il contatto con le tensioni elettriche pericolose, l'apparecchio non deve venir aperto. In caso di anomalie di funzionamento
l'apparecchio deve venir riparato solo da centri di servizio autorizzati. Nell'apparecchio non si trovano parti che possano essere riparate
dall'utente.
Per evitare scosse elettriche o incendi, l'apparecchio va protetto dall'umidità. Evitare che umidità o liquidi entrino nell'apparecchio.
In caso di anomalie di funzionamento rispettivamente dopo la penetrazione di liquidi o oggetti nell'apparecchio, staccare immediatamente
l'apparecchio dalla rete e contattare un centro di servizio qualificato.

PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING!

Manual

The Operating Manual contains instructions to verify the proper operation of this unit and initialization of certain options.
You will find these operations are most conveniently performed on the bench before you install the unit in the rack.

Please review the Manual, especially the installation section, before unpacking the unit.

Trial Period Precautions

If your unit has been provided on a trial basis:

You should observe the following precautions to avoid reconditioning charges in case you later wish to return the unit to
your dealer.

(1) Note the packing technique and save all packing materials. It is not wise to ship in other than the factory carton. (Re-

placements cost $35.00).

(2) Avoid scratching the paint or plating. Set the unit on soft, clean surfaces.

(3) Do not cut the grounding pin from the line cord.

(4) Use care and proper tools in removing and tightening screws to avoid burring the heads.

(5) Use the nylon-washered rack screws supplied, if possible, to avoid damaging the panel. Support the unit when tighten-

ing the screws so that the threads do not scrape the paint inside the slotted holes.

Packing

When you pack the unit for shipping:

(1) Tighten all screws on any barrier strip(s) so the screws do not fall out from vibration.
(2) Wrap the unit in its original plastic bag to avoid abrading the paint.
(3) Seal the inner and outer cartons with tape.

If you are returning the unit permanently (for credit), be sure to enclose:

 The Manual(s)
 The Registration / Warranty Card
 The Line Cord
 All Miscellaneous Hardware (including the Rack Screws and Keys)
 The Extender Card (if applicable)
 The Monitor Rolloff Filter(s) (OPTIMOD-AM only)
 The COAX Connecting Cable (OPTIMOD-AM and OPTIMOD-AM only)

Your dealer may charge you for any missing items.

If you are returning a unit for repair, do not enclose any of the above items.

Further advice on proper packing and shipping is included in the Manual (see Table of Contents).

Trouble

If you have problems with installation or operation:

(1) Check everything you have done so far against the instructions in the Manual. The information contained therein is

based on our years of experience with OPTIMOD and broadcast stations.

(2) Check the other sections of the Manual (consult the Table of Contents and Index) to see if there might be some sug-

gestions regarding your problem.

(3) After reading the section on Factory Assistance, you may call Orban Customer Service for advice during normal Cali-

fornia business hours. The number is (1) 510 / 351-3500.

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy. If it is not installed
and used as directed by this manual, it may cause interference to radio communication. This
equipment complies with the limits for a Class A computing device, as specified by FCC
Rules, Part 15, subject J, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such
interference when this type of equipment is operated in a commercial environment. Operation
of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference. If it does, the user will be
required to eliminate the interference at the user’s expense.

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digi­tal apparatus 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 limites applicables aux appareils numeriques [de las class A] prescrites dans le
Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des Communications du
Canada.)

Perform the installation under static control conditions. Simply walking across a rug can gen­erate a static charge of 20,000 volts. This is the spark or shock you may have felt when
touching a doorknob or some other conductive surface. A much smaller static discharge is
likely to destroy one or more of the CMOS semiconductors employed in OPTIMOD-AM. Static
damage will not be covered under warranty.

There are many common sources of static. Most involve some type of friction between two
dissimilar materials. Some examples are combing your hair, sliding across a seat cover or
rolling a cart across the floor. Since the threshold of human perception for a static discharge
is 3000 volts, you will not even notice many damaging discharges.

Basic damage prevention consists of minimizing generation, discharging any accumulated
static charge on your body or workstation, and preventing that discharge from being sent to or
through an electronic component. You should use a static grounding strap (grounded through
a protective resistor) and a static safe workbench with a conductive surface. This will prevent
any buildup of damaging static.

WARNING

WARNING

IMPORTANT

U.S. patents 4,208,548, 4,460,871, 5,737,434, 6,337,999, 6,434,241 6,618,486, and 6.937,912
protect OPTIMOD 9400. Other patents pending.

Orban and Optimod are registered trademarks.
All trademarks are property of their respective companies.

This manual is part number 96129.120.03

The manual published April 2009

© Copyright Orban

8350 East Evans Suite C4, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 USA

Phone: (1) [phone]; Fax: (1) [phone]; E-Mail: [e-mail]; Site: www.orban.com

Operating Manual

OPTIMOD-AM

9400

Digital Audio Processor

Version 1.2 Software

Table of Contents

Index.........................................................................................................................0-9

Section 1 Introduction

.........................................................................................................................................1-1

ABOUT THIS MANUAL.......................................................................................................1-1

THE OPTIMOD-AM 9400 DIGITAL AUDIO PROCESSOR ......................................................1-1

Making the Most of the AM Channel....................................................................1-2

Controllable and Adjustable...................................................................................1-3

Versatile Installation................................................................................................1-4

PRESETS IN OPTIMOD-AM..............................................................................................1-5

Factory Presets .........................................................................................................1-5

User Presets..............................................................................................................1-6

INPUT/OUTPUT CONFIGURATION ........................................................................................1-7

Digital AES3 Left/Right Input/Outputs...................................................................1-7

Analog Left/Right Input/Outputs ...........................................................................1-7

Remote Control Interface .......................................................................................1-8

Computer Interface .................................................................................................1-8

RS-232 Serial Port ............................................................................................................. 1-8

RJ45 Ethernet Connector ................................................................................................. 1-8

LOCATION OF OPTIMOD-AM..........................................................................................1-8

Optimal Control of Peak Modulation Levels.........................................................1-8

Best Location for OPTIMOD-AM ..........................................................................1-10

If the transmitter is not accessible:................................................................................ 1-10

If the transmitter is accessible: ...................................................................................... 1-10

STUDIO-TRANSMITTER LINK.............................................................................................1-11

Transmission from Studio to Transmitter.............................................................1-11

Digital Links .................................................................................................................... 1-11

Dual Microwave STLs...................................................................................................... 1-12

Analog Landline (PTT / Post Office Line)....................................................................... 1-13

AM Transmitters and Antennas............................................................................1-13

Bypassing the Transmitter's Internal Filters and Clippers ...................................1-14

Power Supplies ......................................................................................................1-15

Pre-1965 Transmitters............................................................................................1-16

Asymmetry .............................................................................................................1-16

Transmission Presets and Transmitter Equalization ............................................1-17

Antenna System.....................................................................................................1-19

USING LOSSY DATA REDUCTION IN THE STUDIO..................................................................1-19

ABOUT TRANSMISSION LEVELS AND METERING ..................................................................1-20

Meters ....................................................................................................................1-20

Figure 1-1: Absolute Peak Level, VU and PPM Reading ............................................... 1-21

Studio Line-up Levels and Headroom ..................................................................1-21

Transmission Levels................................................................................................1-21

LINE-UP FACILITIES .........................................................................................................1-22

Metering of Levels.................................................................................................1-22

Built-in Calibrated Line-up Tones.................................................................................. 1-22

Built-in Calibrated Bypass Test Mode............................................................................ 1-22

MONITORING.................................................................................................................1-23

Modulation Monitors and Their RF Amplifiers ...................................................1-23

Monitoring on Loudspeakers and Headphones..................................................1-23

Monitor Rolloff Filter..................................................................................................... 1-23

Headphones ....................................................................................................................1-24

EAS TEST......................................................................................................................1-24

Figure 1-2: NRSC Modified 75 µs De-emphasis..............................................................1-25

PC CONTROL AND SECURITY PASSCODE.............................................................................1-25

WHY THE NORTH AMERICAN NRSC STANDARD?...............................................................1-26

Figure 1-3: NRSC Lowpass Filter ..................................................................................... 1-26

AM Stereo Introduces a Pre-emphasis Dilemma ...........................................................1-26

NRSC Standard Pre-emphasis and Low-pass Filtering ...................................................1-27

WARRANTY, USER FEEDBACK...........................................................................................1-28

User Feedback........................................................................................................1-28

LIMITED WARRANTY .............................................................................................1-28

INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY...............................................................................1-28

EXTENDED WARRANTY ........................................................................................1-29

Section 2 Installation

.........................................................................................................................................2-1

INSTALLING THE 9400.......................................................................................................2-1

Figure 2-1: AC Line Cord Wire Standard.......................................................................... 2-2

Figure 2-2: Wiring the 25-pin Remote Interface Connector........................................... 2-4

Figure 2-3: 9400 Serial Port Pin Identification.................................................................2-4

Figure 2-4: Jumper Positions, Monitor Roll-Off Filter ..................................................... 2-5

Figure 2-5: Frequency Response Curves as Function of ROLLOFF Control, Monitor Rolloff

Filter Strapped for 18 dB/Octave...................................................................................... 2-6

Figure 2-6: Monitor Rolloff Filter Schematic Diagram.................................................... 2-7

9400 REAR PANEL ...........................................................................................................2-7

INPUT AND OUTPUT CONNECTIONS.....................................................................................2-8

Cable.........................................................................................................................2-8

Connectors ...............................................................................................................2-8

Analog Audio Input.................................................................................................2-9

Analog Audio Outputs............................................................................................2-9

AES3 Digital Input and Output.............................................................................2-10

Grounding..............................................................................................................2-11

Power Ground........................................................................................................2-11

Circuit Ground .......................................................................................................2-11

9400 FRONT PANEL .......................................................................................................2-12

STUDIO LEVEL CONTROLLER INSTALLATION (OPTIONAL) .......................................................2-13

If you are using Orban 8200ST external AGC......................................................2-14

Figure 2-7: 8200ST Jumper Settings (*Factory Configuration) .....................................2-15

QUICK SETUP.................................................................................................................2-16

ANALOG AND DIGITAL I/O SETUP.....................................................................................2-23

Figure 2-8: Effect of the LPF Shape Control with F = 5.0 kHz....................................... 2-27

Overview of Transmitter Equalization........................................................................... 2-32

Description of the TX EQ Controls ................................................................................. 2-32

Procedure for LF Equalization........................................................................................2-32

Figure 2-9: Unequalized RF envelope (showing tilt)..................................................... 2-33

Figure 2-10: RF envelope requiring no tilt equalization............................................... 2-33

Figure 2-11: Unequalized RF envelope (showing ringing) ...........................................2-35

Figure 2-12: RF envelope showing successful HF equalization..................................... 2-35

AUTOMATION USING THE 9400’S INTERNAL CLOCK............................................................2-39

SECURITY AND PASSCODE PROGRAMMING.........................................................................2-42

To Create a Passcode: ............................................................................................2-43

To Edit a Passcode:.................................................................................................2-43

To Delete a Passcode: ............................................................................................2-44

To Lock the Front Panel Immediately: .................................................................2-44

To Program local lockout: .....................................................................................2-44

To Unlock the Front Panel: ...................................................................................2-45

Dial-up Networking and the Passcode.................................................................2-45

If You Have Forgotten Your Passcode..................................................................2-45

REMOTE CONTROL INTERFACE PROGRAMMING ..................................................................2-46

NETWORKING AND REMOTE CONTROL..............................................................................2-47

RECALLING PRESETS VIA ETHERNET USING TERMINAL EMULATOR SOFTWARE .....................2-50

To set a different port number: .................................................................................... 2-50

To recall a preset: ........................................................................................................... 2-51

INSTALLING 9400 PC REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE ..........................................................2-51

Installing the Necessary Windows Services..........................................................2-52

Check Hardware Requirements............................................................................2-52

Running the Orban Installer Program .................................................................2-53

Setting Up Ethernet, LAN, and VPN Connections ...............................................2-54

Conclusion..............................................................................................................2-54

SYNCHRONIZING OPTIMOD TO A NETWORK TIME SERVER....................................................2-55

Table 2-1: NIST-referenced timeservers......................................................................... 2-55

APPENDIX: SETTING UP SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS.............................................................2-59

Preparing for Communication through Null Modem Cable ..............................2-59

Connecting Using Windows 2000 Direct Serial Connection:..............................2-59

Connecting Using Windows XP Direct Serial Connection ..................................2-64

Preparing for Communication through Modems ...............................................2-69

Connecting Using Windows 2000 Modem Connection ......................................2-69

Connecting using Windows XP Modem Connection ..........................................2-75

UPDATING YOUR 9400’S SOFTWARE.................................................................................2-81

Section 3 Operation

.........................................................................................................................................3-1

9400 FRONT PANEL .........................................................................................................3-1

SOME AUDIO PROCESSING CONCEPTS...................................................................................3-3

Loudness and density....................................................................................................... 3-4

OPTIMOD-AM PROCESSING............................................................................................3-5

AM Processing: The Art of Compromise ................................................................3-6

Shortwave/HF Processing ................................................................................................. 3-7

Working Together............................................................................................................ 3-8

Processing for Low Bitrate Codecs and HD Radio.................................................3-8

Fundamental Requirements: High-Quality Source Material and Accurate

Monitoring.............................................................................................................3-10

Low-Delay Monitoring for Headphones ....................................................................... 3-10

Monitor Rolloff Filter for the Analog AM Channel...................................................... 3-11

Reference Radios for Adjusting the Analog AM Processing ........................................ 3-11

Modulation Monitors..................................................................................................... 3-12

More About Audio Processing .............................................................................3-12

Judging Loudness........................................................................................................... 3-13

Reverberation................................................................................................................. 3-13

CUSTOMIZING THE 9400’S SOUND ...................................................................................3-14

Basic Modify...........................................................................................................3-14

Full Modify .............................................................................................................3-16

Advanced Modify ..................................................................................................3-16

Gain Reduction Metering .....................................................................................3-17

To Create or Save a User Preset ............................................................................3-17

FACTORY PROGRAMMING PRESETS ...................................................................................3-18

To import an HD preset from the 9400’s front panel: ..................................................3-20

To import an HD preset from PC Remote:.....................................................................3-20

Description of the Analog AM Factory Presets .............................................................3-21

Table 3-1: Analog AM Factory Programming Presets ...................................................3-22

Description of the Digital Radio (HD) Factory Presets .................................................. 3-24

Table 3-2: Digital Radio Factory Programming Presets................................................. 3-24

EQUALIZER CONTROLS ....................................................................................................3-28

Table 3-3: Equalization Controls .................................................................................... 3-29

Figure 3-1: HF Receiver Equalizer Curves....................................................................... 3-33

STEREO ENHANCER CONTROLS .........................................................................................3-36

Table 3-4: Stereo Enhancer Controls.............................................................................. 3-36

Table 3-5: AGC Controls..................................................................................................3-37

AGC CONTROLS ............................................................................................................3-37

Advanced AGC Controls........................................................................................3-40

CLIPPER CONTROLS .........................................................................................................3-42

Table 3-6: Clipper Controls............................................................................................. 3-42

Table 3-7: Multiband and Distortion Controls ..............................................................3-45

MULTIBAND DYNAMICS PROCESSING ................................................................................3-45

Table 3-8: MB Attack / Release Controls........................................................................ 3-46

Table 3-9: MB Band Mix Controls...................................................................................3-48

Advanced Multiband Controls..............................................................................3-52

TEST MODES .................................................................................................................3-54

Table 3-10: Test Modes................................................................................................... 3-54

ABOUT THE 9400’S DIGITAL RADIO PROCESSING................................................................3-55

Delay Difference between Digital-Channel and AM Outputs ...........................3-56

Table 3-11: Digital Radio I/O Setup Controls................................................................. 3-56

Digital Radio I/O Setup Controls...........................................................................3-56

Monitoring......................................................................................................................3-56

Analog Outputs ..............................................................................................................3-57

Digital Outputs ...............................................................................................................3-57

Stereo/Mono Mode......................................................................................................... 3-58

Table 3-12: Digital Radio Multiband Controls............................................................... 3-58

Digital Radio Operating Controls.........................................................................3-58

Table 3-13: Digital Radio Band Mix Controls.................................................................3-60

USING THE 9400 PC REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE ...........................................................3-61

To set up a new connection: .................................................................................3-61

To initiate communication: ...................................................................................3-62

To modify a control setting:..................................................................................3-63

To recall a preset:...................................................................................................3-63

To import an HD preset:........................................................................................3-63

To save a user preset you have created: ..............................................................3-64

To back up User Presets, system files, and automation files onto your computer’s

hard drive:..............................................................................................................3-64

To restore archived presets, system files, and automation files:........................3-65

To modify INPUT/OUTPUT and SYSTEM SETUP: ...........................................................3-66

To modify AUTOMATION: .........................................................................................3-66

To group multiple 9400s: ......................................................................................3-66

Navigation Using the Keyboard ...........................................................................3-66

To Quit the Program..............................................................................................3-67

About Aliases created by Optimod 9400 PC Remote Software .........................3-67

Multiple Installations of Optimod 9400 PC Remote ...........................................3-67

To share an archived User Preset between 9400s:........................................................ 3-69

Section 4 Maintenance

.........................................................................................................................................4-1

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ...................................................................................................4-1

SUBASSEMBLY REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT.......................................................................4-2

FIELD AUDIT OF PERFORMANCE..........................................................................................4-6

Table 4-1: Decoder Chart for Power Supervisor ............................................................. 4-8

Table 4-2: Layout Diagram of J7, with expected voltages on each pin......................... 4-9

Table 4-3: Typical Power Supply Voltages and AC Ripple.............................................. 4-9

Section 5 Troubleshooting

.........................................................................................................................................5-1

PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS...............................................................................5-1

RFI, Hum, Clicks, or Buzzes............................................................................................... 5-1

Poor Peak Modulation Control........................................................................................ 5-1

Audible Distortion On-Air................................................................................................ 5-2

Audible Noise on Air........................................................................................................ 5-3

Shrill, Harsh Sound ........................................................................................................... 5-4

Dull Sound ........................................................................................................................ 5-4

Excessive Occupied Bandwidth........................................................................................ 5-4

System Will Not Pass Line-Up Tones at 100% Modulation ............................................ 5-5

System Will Not Pass Emergency Alert System (“EAS” USA Standard) Tones at the

Legally Required Modulation Level ................................................................................ 5-5

System Receiving 9400’s Digital Output Will Not Lock .................................................. 5-5

L–R (Stereo Difference Channel) Will Not Null with Monophonic Input ...................... 5-5

AM Analog and Digital Channels Have Unequal Loudness ........................................... 5-5

Loudness Decreases Momentarily When the Radio Crossfades between Analog and

Digital Channels ............................................................................................................... 5-6

Excessive Sibilance (“ess” sounds) in the Digital Radio Channel ................................... 5-6

“Swishing,” “Phasing,” or “Underwater” Artifacts in the Digital Radio Channel ....... 5-6

General Dissatisfaction with Subjective Sound Quality.................................................. 5-6

Security Passcode Lost (When Unit is Locked Out) ......................................................... 5-7

Connection Issues between the 9400 and a PC, Modem, or Network ................5-7

Troubleshooting Connections.................................................................................5-8

You Cannot Access the Internet After Making a Direct or Modem Connection to

the 9400: ..................................................................................................................5-8

OS-SPECIFIC TROUBLESHOOTING ADVICE ............................................................................5-9

Troubleshooting Windows 2000 Direct Connect:..................................................5-9

Troubleshooting Windows 2000 Modem Connect:.............................................5-10

Troubleshooting Windows XP Direct Connect: ...................................................5-11

Troubleshooting Windows XP Modem Connect: ................................................5-12

TROUBLESHOOTING IC OPAMPS .......................................................................................5-13

TECHNICAL SUPPORT.......................................................................................................5-14

FACTORY SERVICE...........................................................................................................5-14

SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS ..................................................................................................5-14

Section 6 Technical Data

.........................................................................................................................................6-1

SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................6-1

Performance.............................................................................................................6-1

Installation ...............................................................................................................6-2

CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION........................................................................................................6-4

Overview ..................................................................................................................6-5

Control Circuits ........................................................................................................6-5

User Control Interface and LCD Display Circuits ...................................................6-6

Input Circuits............................................................................................................6-7

Output Circuits.........................................................................................................6-9

DSP Circuit..............................................................................................................6-10

Power Supply .........................................................................................................6-11

ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................6-11

PARTS LIST.....................................................................................................................6-13

Obtaining Spare Parts ...........................................................................................6-13

Base Board .............................................................................................................6-14

CPU Module ...........................................................................................................6-15

RS-232 Board..........................................................................................................6-17

Power Supply .........................................................................................................6-17

Input/Output (I/O) Board: Main Board.................................................................6-18

Input/Output (I/O) Board: Daughter Board .........................................................6-23

DSP Board...............................................................................................................6-23

Display Board .........................................................................................................6-25

SCHEMATICS AND PARTS LOCATOR DRAWINGS...................................................................6-26

Function Description Drawing Page

Chassis

Base Board

Circuit Board Locator and Basic In­terconnections
Glue logic; supports CPU module
and RS-232 daughterboard.

Top view
(not to scale)
Parts Locator
Drawing

Contains:

CPU Module

RS-232 Board

System Connections Schematic 1 of 4
CPU module interface Schematic 2 of 4
Power Supply Monitor Schematic 3 of 4
CPLD, General Purpose Interface,

Schematic 4 of 4

and Remotes
Control microprocessor. Services
front panel, serial port, Ethernet,

Parts Locator

Drawing
DSP board, and control board. Re­sides on base board.

Contains:

Ethernet Schematic 1 of 5
General Purpose Bus Schematic 2 of 5
Memory Schematic 3 of 5
Miscellaneous Functions Schematic 4 of 5
Power and Ground Distribution Schematic 5 of 5

Supports Serial Port Parts Locator

Drawing
Schematic 1 of 1

6-29

6-30

6-31
6-32
6-33
6-34

6-35

6-36
6-37
6-38
6-39
6-40
6-41

6-42

Power Supply

I/O Board

I/O Daughter

Board

DSP Board

Display Board

DSP Block

Diagram

Monitor

Rolloff Filter

±15V analog supply; ±5V analog
supply; +5V digital supply
Schematic 1 of 1

Analog Input/Output
AES3 Input/Output

Parts Locator
Drawing

Parts Locator
Drawing

6-43

6-44

6-45

Composite Output
SCA Input.

Contains:

L and R Analog Inputs Schematic 1 of 5 6-46
L and R Analog Outputs Schematic 2 of 5 6-47
Control and Digital I/O Schematic 4 of 5 6-48
Interface and Power Distribution Schematic 5 of 5 6-49

Digital Outputs 1 and 2

Parts Locator
Drawing

6-50

Schematic 1 of 1 6-51

DSP Chips; Local +3.3V regulator.

Contains:

DSP Extended Serial Audio Inter-

Parts Locator

6-52
Drawing
Schematic 1 of 7 6-53

face (ESAI)
DSP Host Interface Schematic 2 of 7 6-54
DSP Serial Peripheral Interface,

Schematic 3 of 7 6-55

Power, and Ground
ISA Bus 8-bit I/O Schematic 4 of 7 6-56
Serial Audio Interface and Clock

Schematic 5 of 7 6-57

Generation
Power Distribution Schematic 6 of 7 6-58

No-Connects Schematic 7 of 7 6-59
Front-Panel LCD, LEDs, Buttons,
and Rotary Encoder

Parts Locator
Drawing

6-60

Schematic 1 of 1 6-61
Shows signal processing 6-62

Accessory packaged with 9400 Schematic 1 of 1 2-7

Index

8

8200ST 2- · 14

9

9400 HD 2- · 55
9400 OPTIMOD-AM 1- · 1

A

A/D converter

circuit description 5- · 8
specification 6- · 2

Abbreviations 6- · 11
AC Line Cord Standard 2- · 2
Advanced Modify 3- · 16
AES/EBU I/O 2- · 10
AGC

bass attack control 3- · 41
bass coupling control 3- · 39
bass delta threshold control 3- · 42
bass release control 3- · 41
bass threshold control 3- · 41
control list 3- · 37
defeating 3- · 37
drive control 3- · 38
external AGC setup 2- · 13
gate threshold control 3- · 38
idle gain control 3- · 41
master attack control 3- · 41
master delta threshold control 3- · 41
master release control 3- · 38
matrix 3- · 40
Maximum Delta Gain Reduction control 3- ·

40
meter 2- · 12, 2
ratio control 3- · 40
window release control 3- · 40
window size control 3- · 40

analog I/O 1- · 7
analog input

circuit description 6- · 8
ref level, I/O setup 2- · 24

analog landline 1- · 13

analog output

circuit description 6- · 9
compensating for 600 ohm load 2- · 28

analog output 2- · 9
antenna system 1- · 19
anti-aliased 3- · 44
archiving presets 3- · 64
artifacts

minimizing codec 3- · 9

asymmetry 1- · 16, 18
attack 3- · 41
attack time controls 3- · 52
audio

connections 2- · 8
output 2- · 10
output, connecting 2- · 9

Audio Precision 4- · 6
auditing performance 4- · 6
automation

add event 2- · 40
delete event 2- · 42
edit event 2- · 42

automation 2- · 39
automation 3- · 66

B

backing up presets 3- · 64
balance adjust 2- · 25
balanced

inputs 2- · 9
output, simulates transformer 2- · 9, 3

band coupling 3- · 51
base board

removing 4- · 3
replacing 4- · 5

Basic Modify 3- · 14
Bass CLip Mode 3- · 43
bass clip threshold 3- · 42
bass punch

and the bass clipper 3- · 42

bass threshold 3- · 41
battery

replacing 6- · 6

Beatles 3- · 41
bit depth of internal processing 6- · 1
block diagram 6- · 62

bounce 1- · 15
buttons

escape 2- · 12, 1
modify 2- · 12, 1
next 2- · 12, 1
previous 2- · 12, 1
RECALL 2- · 12, 1
setup 2- · 12, 1
soft buttons 2- · 12, 1

buzz 5- · 1
bypass

local 1- · 24
PC remote 1- · 25
remote interface 1- · 25
test mode 1- · 22
via GPI 2- · 46

C

cable

shielding 2- · 11
type recommended for analog I/O 2- · 8

chassis

getting inside 4 · 2
ground 2- · 11

circuit board locator drawing 6- · 29
circuit description

control 6- · 5
LCD display 6- · 6
user control interface 6- · 6

circuit description 6- · 4
Classical music 3- · 25
cleaning front panel 4- · 1
clipper

bass clip threshold control 3- · 42
clipper shape control 3- · 44
control list 3- · 42
final clip drive control 3- · 44

Clipping

Defined 3- · 3

clock

battery 6- · 6
setting 2- · 39

codec

processing for low bit rate 3- · 9

common-mode rejection 2- · 11
components

obtaining 6- · 13

Compression

Defined 3- · 3

compressor gate 3- · 39

Compressor look-ahead

and bass clipper mode 3- · 43

computer

connecting to 2- · 4
interface, specifications 6- · 3
troubleshooting connections 5- · 8
Windows 2000 5- · 9
Windows XP 5- · 11

computer interface

RS-232 2- · 8
serial 2- · 8

computer interface 1- · 8

connecting

through Win XP direct serial 2- · 64

connection to PC

troubleshooting 5- · 7

connectors

audio 2- · 8
input and output 2- · 8

contrast 2- · 12, 1
control knob 2- · 12, 1
controls

contrast 2- · 12, 1
description 3- · 1

corrosion 4- · 1
CPU board

replacing 4- · 5

CPU module

removing 4- · 3

crossfade

balancing loudness during 2- · 39

Crossover frequency 3- · 53

D

D/A converter

circuit description 6- · 9
specification 6- · 3

De-ess 3- · 51
De-esser 3- · 53

delay

low-delay monitoring 3- · 24, 10

delay 1- · 24
delta release control 3- · 53
digital I/O 1- · 7
digital input

circuit description 6- · 9

digital links 1- · 11
digital output

circuit description 6- · 10

display assembly

removing 4 · 2

display board

parts list 6- · 25
replacing 4 · 5

distortion

excessive 5- · 6
specification 6- · 1
testing 4- · 10
troubleshooting 5- · 2

dither 2- · 29
DJ Bass control 3- · 34
downward expander 3- · 50
DSP

block diagram 6- · 62
circuit description 6- · 10

DSP board

removing 3- · 4
replacing 4- · 5

dual microwave STLs 1- · 12
dull sound

troubleshooting 5- · 4

E

EAS

modulation low 5- · 5
test tones 1- · 24

easy setup 2- · 16
equalizer

bass shelf 3- · 28
control list 3- · 28
parametric 3- · 30
transmitter 1- · 17

escape button 2- · 12, 1
Ethernet 2- · 47, 54, 62
exit test

via GPI 2- · 46

F

factory presets

selecting 2- · 22
tv 3- · 22

Factory presets

Table of 3- · 24

factory presets 1- · 5
factory service 5- · 14
final clip drive 3- · 44
Firewall 2- · 54, 62

Firmware

updating 9400 2- · 81

five-band

attack time controls 3- · 52
band coupling controls 3- · 51
band on/off switch 3- · 52
band threshold control 3- · 49
delta release control 3- · 53
downward expander thresold control 3- · 50
HF clipper threshold 3- · 44
high frequency limiter control 3- · 52
limiter attack control 3- · 53
multiband drive control 3- · 46
multiband gate threshold control 3- · 49
multiband limit threshold control 3- · 50
multiband limiter drive control 3- · 49
mutiband release control 3- · 47
output mix controls 3- · 51

five-band 3- · 45
five-band structure

setup controls 3- · 58

frequency response

specification 6- · 1
testing 4- · 9

front panel 3- · 1
front panel description 2- · 12
Full Modify 3- · 16
fuse 2- · 7

G

gain reduction

meters 2- · 13, 2

Gain Reduction

Maximum Delta 3- · 53

gate

threshold control 3- · 49

gate 3- · 39
gate LED 2- · 13, 2
Gateway 2- · 54, 62
gateway address 2- · 48
getting inside the unit 4 · 2
GPI

programming 2- · 46
specifications 6- · 4

GPI interface

testing 4- · 11

ground

chassis 2- · 11

ground lift switch 2- · 3, 7
grounding

circuit 2- · 11
loss of 4- · 1
power 2- · 11

grounding 2- · 11
grouping 9400s 3- · 66

H

HD preset

importing 3- · 20

HDC codec

processing for 3- · 9

headphones

low delay monitoring 1- · 10

headphones 1- · 24
High Frequency Enhancer 3- · 35
high frequency limiter

threshold 3- · 44

high frequency limiter 3- · 52
highpass filter

setting 2- · 28

highpass filter 1- · 18
hum 5- · 1

I

I/O

AES/EBU 2- · 10
connections 2- · 3

I/O board

replacing 4- · 5

IC opamps

troubleshooting 5- · 13

idle gain 3- · 41
importing HD preset 3- · 20
input

analog, specifications 6- · 2
digital, specifications 6- · 3
meters 2- · 12, 2

input level

line-up 1- · 21
maximum 2- · 9

input meters 1- · 22
input select

via GPI 2- · 46

input selector

I/O setup 2- · 23

input/output board

removing 4- · 3

inspection of package contents 2- · 1

installation procedure 2- · 1
Instrumental format 3- · 26
Internet

cannot access 5- · 8

IP address 2- · 48
IP port 2- · 48

J

J.17

and 9400 digital I/O 1- · 7
and NICAM 1- · 12
deemphasis applied to digital audio input 6-

· 3
defined 1- · 7
preemphasis applied to digital audio output

6- · 3

Jazz format 3- · 26

L

LEDs

gate 2- · 13, 2

level

metering 1- · 21
setup 2- · 20
transmission 1- · 21

limiter

attack 3- · 53

Limiting

Defined 3- · 3

line voltage 2- · 2
line-up tones

system will not pass at 100% modulation 5- ·

5

line-up tones 1- · 22
LLHard mode 3- · 43
location 1- · 8
location of 9400

optimum · 10

lock

driven equipment cannot lock to 9400 output

5- · 5

lockout

immediate 2- · 44
programming local 2- · 44
unlocking front panel 2- · 45

Lookahead

Multiband Control 3- · 53

Look-ahead limiting

Defined 3- · 3

lossy data reduction

in studio 1- · 19
NICAM 1- · 12
used in STLs · 11

loudness

balancing AM and HD channel 2- · 39
insufficient 5- · 6
insufficient due to poor peak control 5- · 1

loudness/distortion tradeoff 3- · 44
lowpass filter

setting 2- · 26

lowpass filter 1- · 18
L–R will not null 5- · 5

M

MAC address 5- · 8
main board

reattaching 4 · 5

master delta threshold 3- · 41
matrix, AGC 3- · 40
measuring performance 4- · 6
meter

circuit description 6- · 7
gain reduction 3- · 17

meters

AGC 2- · 12, 2
circuit description 6- · 6
gain reduction 2- · 13, 2
input 2- · 12, 2
studio 1- · 20

Microsoft

WMA codec 3- · 10

modem

preparing for connection 2- · 69
recommended baud rate 2- · 70
setting up 2- · 49
specification for 2- · 52
Windows 2000 configuration 2- · 69
Windows XP configuration 2- · 75

modify button 2- · 12, 1
modulation control

troubleshooting poor 5- · 1

modulation monitor

accuracy of 3- · 12

monitor

low-delay 3- · 24, 10

monitor mute

via GPI 2- · 47

monitor rolloff filter · 11

Monitor Rolloff Filter 1- · 23
monitor rolloff filter 2- · 5
multiband drive 3- · 46
multiband limit threshold 3- · 50
multiband llimiter drive 3- · 49

N

NAB Broadcast and Audio System Test CD

4- · 6

network

timeserver 2- · 55

networking 2- · 47
News format 3- · 27
NEXT button 2- · 12, 1
NICAM 1- · 12
noise

troubleshooting 5- · 3

NRSC standard 1- · 26
null modem cable

communicating through 2- · 59

null modem cable 2- · 52

O

output

analog output level trim adjustment 4- · 9
analog, connecting 2- · 9
analog, specifications 6- · 2
compensating for 600 ohm load 2- · 28
digital, setting dither 2- · 29
digital, setting sample rate 2- · 29
digital, setting sync 2- · 29
digital, setting word length · 29
digital, specifications 6- · 3

output level

I/O setup 2- · 28, 30
quick setup 2- · 21

output mix controls 3- · 51
overshoot

in transmitter 1- · 14

overshoot

excessive 5- · 1

Overshoot Compensation Drive 3- · 45

P

parts

obtaining 6- · 13

parts list

base board 6- · 14
CPU module 6- · 15
display board 6- · 25
DSP board 6- · 23
I/O board 6- · 18, 23
power supply 6- · 17
RS-232 board 6- · 17

parts list 6- · 13
passcode

and dial-up networking 2- · 45
creating 2- · 43
deleting 2- · 44
editing 2- · 43
programming 2- · 42
recovering from lost 2- · 45

PC

Orban installer program 2- · 53

PC board locator diagram 6- · 29
PC control

security 1- · 25

PC hardware requirements 2- · 52
PC Remote

aliases 3- · 67
moving alias folders 3- · 68
multiple coexisting versions 3- · 67
upgrading versions 3- · 67

PC Remote Software 3- · 61
peak control criteria 1- · 8
performance

measuring 4- · 6

phase-linear

system group delay spec · 9

Port

Terminal 2- · 50

port, IP 2- · 48
Ports 2- · 54, 62
positive peak threshold 1- · 18
positive peaks

cannot achieve desired 5- · 2

positive peaks 1- · 16
power

cord 2- · 2, 7

power 2- · 2
power supply

circuit description 6- · 11
parts list 6- · 17
testing 4- · 8
transmitter 1- · 15

power supply board

reattaching 4 · 4
removing 4 · 4

pre-emphasis

quick setup 2- · 18, 26

preset

restoring archived 3- · 65

presets

backup 3- · 64
customizing 3- · 14
factory 1- · 5
factory programming 3- · 18
saving user 3- · 6, 17
sharing between 9400s 3- · 66, 69
user presets 1- · 6

Presets

Gregg 3- · 25
Impact 3- · 26
Instrumental 3- · 26
Jazz 3- · 26
Loud 3- · 26
News-Talk 3- · 27
Rock 3- · 27
Sports 3- · 27
Table of factory 3- · 24
Urban 3- · 28

PREVIOUS button 2- · 12, 1
processing

block diagram 6- · 62

Proof of Performance 1- · 3
Proof of Performance 3- · 22, 54
PuTTY 2- · 50

Q

quick setup 2- · 16

R

rack-mounting unit 2- · 3
radio

reference for processor adjustment 3- · 11

ratio

AGC 3- · 40

rear panel 2- · 7
RECALL button 2- · 12, 1
registration card 2- · 1
release

fast 3- · 48
medium-fast 3- · 48
medium-slow 3- · 48
slow 3- · 47

remote

PC Remote software 3- · 61

remote control

bypass 1- · 25
connecting 2- · 3
GPI, specifications 6- · 4
wiring 2- · 4

remote control 2- · 8
remote interface

functions controllable by 2- · 46
GPI 1- · 8
programming GPI 2- · 46
testing 4- · 11
wiring 2- · 4

remote interface connector 2- · 8
resolution

specification 6- · 1

RFI 5- · 1
right channel balance

I/O setup 2- · 25

RJ45 jack 2- · 48
Rock format 3- · 27
routine maintenance 4- · 1
RS232

testing 4- · 11

RS232 board

replacing 4- · 5

RS-232 connector 2- · 8
RS-232 interface

circuit description 6- · 6
removing board 4- · 2

S

sample rate

at digital output 6- · 3
internal, specification 6- · 1
setting output 2- · 20

sample rate converter

testing 4- · 10

saving user presets 3- · 6, 17
screen display 2- · 12, 1
screens

System Setup 2- · 16

Security

lock immediately 2- · 44

security 1- · 25
security 2- · 42
Serial Communications

setting up 2- · 59

serial connection

setting up direct 2- · 49

serial connector 2- · 8
service 5- · 14
Set clock

via GPI 2- · 47

setup

I/O 2- · 23
quick 2- · 16

setup button 2- · 12, 1
shipping instructions 5- · 14
shrill sound

troubleshooting 5- · 4

signal flow diagram 6- · 62
soft buttons 2- · 12, 1
Software

updating 9400 2- · 81

software updates 1- · 4
Sound Technology 4- · 6
spare parts

obtaining 6- · 13

specifications 6- · 1
spectrum analyzer 4- · 6
Speech/music detector 3- · 43, 53
sports 3- · 48
Sports format 3- · 27
Stanford Research Systems 4- · 6
station ID

setting 2- · 23

Stereo Enhancer

Amount 3- · 36
Depth 3- · 37
Diffusion 3- · 37
In/Out 3- · 36
Ratio Limit 3- · 37
Style 3- · 37

stereo enhancer 3- · 36
stereo.mono switch

via GPI 2- · 46

STL

compatibility with 32 kHz sample rate 2- · 10
overshoot in uncomressed digital 2- · 10
systems 1- · 11

studio chassis mode 2- · 19
studio-transmitter link 1- · 11
subassembly removal and replacement 4- ·

2
subnet mask 2- · 48
switches

ground lift 2- · 3, 7
voltage select 2- · 2, 7

system setup

quick setup 2- · 16

System Setup screen 2- · 16

T

talk 3- · 48
Talk format 3- · 27
TCP/IP

setting parameters 2- · 47

technical support 5- · 28, 14
telephone support 5- · 28, 14

Terminal Port 2- · 50
test modes 3- · 22, 54
threshold control 3- · 49
tilt 1- · 15
time & date 2- · 17
timeserver 2- · 55
Timeservers

Table of 2- · 55

tone

activate via GPI 2- · 46

top cover

reattaching 4 · 5
removing 4 · 2

transmission preset

recall via GPI 2- · 47

transmitter

pre-1965 1- · 16

transmitter equalizer 1- · 17
transmitter overshoot 1- · 14
troubleshooting

installation 5- · 1

tv presets 3- · 22

U

creating 3- · 6, 15, 17

user presets 1- · 6

V

voltage select switch 2- · 2, 7
volume

balancing AM and HD channel 2- · 39

VPN, setting up 2- · 54, 62

W

warranty 1- · 28
Warranty 1- · 28
warranty 6- · 4
window

release control 3- · 40
window size control 3- · 40

Windows

installing services 2- · 52

Windows 2000

adding direct serial connection 2- · 60, 64,

70, 77
Direct Connect 5- · 9
direct serial connection 2- · 59
modem connect 5- · 10
modem connection 2- · 69

Windows XP

direct connect 5- · 11
modem configuration 2- · 75
modem connect 5- · 12

WMA codec 3- · 10
word length

at output, specification 6- · 3
setting output 2- · 29

unlock front panel 2- · 45
unpacking 2- · 1
Updating software 2- · 81
Urban format 3- · 28
user presets

archiving 3- · 18

X

XLR connector

wiring standard 2- · 10

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

Section 1

Introduction

About this Manual

The Adobe pdf form of this manual contains numerous hyperlinks and bookmarks. A
reference to a numbered step or a page number (except in the Index) is a live hyper­link; click on it to go immediately to that reference.

If the bookmarks are not visible, click the “Bookmarks” tab on the left
side of the Acrobat Reader window.

1-1

This manual has a table of contents and index. To search for a specific word or
phrase, you can also use the Adobe Acrobat Reader’s text search function.

The OPTIMOD-AM 9400 Digital Audio Processor

Orban's all-digital 9400 OPTIMOD-AM Audio Processor can help you achieve the
highest possible quality in AM shortwave, medium wave and long wave broadcast
sound. OPTIMOD-AM delivers louder, cleaner, brighter, FM-like audio with an open,
fatigue-free quality that attracts listeners and holds them. Because all processing is
performed by high-speed mathematical calculations within Motorola DSP56362 digi­tal signal processing chips, the processing has cleanliness, quality, and stability over
time and temperature that is unmatched by analog processors.

The 9400 supports iBiquity’s HD AM® in-band on-channel digital radio system. The
digital radio processing can also be used for simulcast netcasts or DRM digital broad­casts. In this manual, the processing for these applications will be referred to as “HD
AM” processing, even though HD AM is only one application.

OPTIMOD-AM 9400 is descended from the industry-standard 9100 and 9200
OPTIMOD-AM audio processors. Thousands of these processors are on the air all
over the world. They have proven that the “OPTIMOD sound” attracts and keeps an
audience even in the most competitive commercial environment.

Because OPTIMOD-AM incorporates several audio processing innovations
exclusive to Orban products, you should not assume that it can be operated
in the same way as less sophisticated processors. If you do, you may get
disappointing results.

1-2

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

Take a little time now to familiarize yourself with OPTIMOD-AM. A small investment
of your time now will yield large dividends in audio quality.

OPTIMOD-AM was designed to deliver a high-quality FM-like sound to the listener's
ear by pre-processing for the limitations of the average car or table radio (while
avoiding audible side effects and compromises in loudness or coverage). Because
such processing can make audible many defects ordinarily lost in the usual sea of
AM mud, it is very important that the source audio be as clean as possible. Orban's
publication Maintaining Audio Quality in the Broadcast Facility (available in .pdf
form from ftp.orban.com
improving the quality of your audio.

The rest of Section 1 explains how OPTIMOD-AM fits into the AM broadcast facility.
Section 2 explains how to install it and set it up. Section 3 tells how to operate
OPTIMOD-AM. Sections 4 through 6 provide reference information.

For best results, feed OPTIMOD-AM unprocessed audio. No other audio processing is
necessary or desirable.

If you wish to place level protection prior to your studio / transmitter link (STL), use
an Orban studio level control system expressly designed for this purpose. (At the
time of this writing, this is the Orban 8200ST OPTIMOD-Studio Compressor/limiter /
HF Limiter / Clipper.) The 8200ST can be adjusted so that it substitutes for the broad­band AGC circuitry in OPTIMOD-AM, which is then defeated.

) contains valuable information and specific suggestions for

Making the Most of the AM Channel

 The 9400 is suitable for long wave, medium wave, and shortwave (HF)

broadcasts.

 OPTIMOD-AM rides gain over an adjustable range of up to 25dB, compressing

dynamic range and compensating for operator gain-riding errors and for gain in­consistencies in automated systems.

 OPTIMOD-AM increases the density and loudness of the program mate-

rial by multiband limiting and multiband distortion-canceling clipping, improv-

ing the consistency of the station's sound and increasing loudness and definition
without producing audible side effects.

 OPTIMOD-AM precisely controls peak levels to prevent overmodulation.

Asymmetry in the analog processing channel is adjustable from 100% to 150%

positive peak modulation.

 OPTIMOD-AM compensates for the high- and low-frequency rolloffs of

typical AM receivers with a fully adjustable program equalizer providing up to

20dB of high-frequency boost (at 5 kHz) without producing the side effects en­countered in conventional processors. This equalizer can thus produce extreme
pre-emphasis that is appropriate for very narrow-band radios. OPTIMOD-AM's
fully parametric low- and mid-frequency equalizers allow you to tailor your air

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

sound to your precise requirements and desires. OPTIMOD-AM also fully supports
the NRSC standard pre-emphasis curve.

 OPTIMOD-AM is a stereo processor that fully protects CQUAM® transmissions,

conservatively complying with Motorola’s processing requirements that negative
peak modulation on the left and right channels be limited to –75% modulation.

 OPTIMOD-AM supports the iBiquity HD Radio® system. Except for common

stereo enhancement and AGC, the HD AM processor is an independent process­ing chain with its own set of user-adjustable parameters, maintaining 15 kHz au­dio bandwidth (per iBiquity’s specifications) regardless of the bandwidth setting
of the processing intended for the analog channel. To ensure source-to-source
consistency, the digital radio processing includes full five-band compres­sion/limiting that is independent of the five-band compression/limiting in the
analog processing chain. This output can also be used for netcasts.

 Orban’s PreCode™ technology manipulates several aspects of the audio to

minimize artifacts caused by low bitrate codecs, ensuring consistent loudness and
texture from one source to the next. There are several HD factory presets tuned
specifically for low bitrate codecs. These presets have “LBR” in their names.

1-3

Controllable and Adjustable

 The 9400 comes with a wide variety of factory presets to accommodate al-

most any user requirement. The user can readily modify these presets. Modified
presets can be stored and recalled on command. Advanced Control (accessible
from the PC Remote application) facilitates detailed sound design using the
same controls that were available to the factory programmers.

 An LCD and full-time LED meters make setup, adjustment and programming

of OPTIMOD-AM easy — you can always see the metering while you’re adjusting
the processor. Navigation is by dedicated buttons, soft buttons (whose functions
are context-sensitive), and a large rotary knob. The LEDs show all metering func­tions.

 OPTIMOD-AM contains a versatile real-time clock, which allows automation of

various events (including recalling presets) at pre-programmed times.

 A Bypass Test Mode can be invoked locally, by remote control (from either the

9400’s GPI port or the 9400 PC Remote application), or by automation to permit
broadcast system test and alignment or “proof of performance” tests.

 OPTIMOD-AM contains a built-in line-up tone generator, facilitating quick

and accurate level setting in any system.

 OPTIMOD-AM's software can be upgraded by running Orban-supplied

downloadable upgrade software on a PC. The upgrade can occur remotely

1-4

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

through the 9400’s Ethernet port or serial port (connected to an external mo­dem), or locally (by connecting a Windows® computer to the 9400’s serial port
through the supplied null modem cable).

 The 9400 can be remote-controlled by 5-12V pulses applied to eight pro-

grammable, optically isolated “general-purpose interface” (GPI) ports.

 9400 PC Remote software runs under Windows 2000 and XP. It communicates

with a given 9400 via TCP/IP over modem, direct serial, and Ethernet con­nections. You can configure PC Remote to switch between many 9400s via a con­venient organizer that supports giving any 9400 an alias and grouping multiple
9400s into folders. Clicking a 9400’s icon causes PC Remote to connect to that
9400 through an Ethernet network, or initiates a Windows Dial-Up or Direct Ca­ble Connection if appropriate. The PC Remote software allows the user to access
all 9400 features (including advanced controls not available from the 9400’s
front panel), and allows the user to archive and restore presets, automation lists,
and system setups (containing I/O levels, digital word lengths, GPI functional as­signments, etc.).

Versatile Installation

 The 9400 controls the transmitted bandwidth of the analog channel to

meet government regulations, regardless of program material or equaliza-

tion. The high-frequency bandwidth of the analog processing channel can be
switched instantly in 500Hz increments between 4.5 kHz and 9.5 kHz (NRSC). The
lower cutoff frequencies meet the output power spectral density requirements
of ITU-R 328-5 without further low-pass filtering at the transmitter, while the 9.5
kHz filter meets the requirements of the NRSC-1 standard (North America). The

5.0 kHz filter makes the analog AM bandwidth compatible with HD AM trans­mission. The lowpass filters have parametric cutoff shapes, allowing you to trade
off filter ringing against frequency response flatness.

 OPTIMOD-AM compensates for inaccuracies in the pulse response (tilt,

overshoot, ringing) of transmitters and antenna systems with a powerful

four-parameter transmitter equalizer. A built-in square-wave generator makes
adjustment easy. Four sets of equalizer parameters can be stored and recalled, al­lowing you to program day and night variations for two transmitters. You can set
equalization independently in the stereo sum and difference channels, facilitat­ing adjustment in CQUAM AM stereo facilities.

 The 9400 includes analog and AES3 digital inputs.

 The analog inputs are transformerless, balanced 10k instrumentation-

amplifier circuits. The analog outputs are transformerless balanced, and float­ing (with 50 impedance) to ensure highest transparency and accurate pulse re­sponse.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

 Two sets of analog stereo outputs and two AES3 outputs accommodate as

many as four transmitters. Outputs can be switched independently to emit the
analog-channel signal, the digital-channel signal, or a low-delay monitor
signal suitable for talent headphones.

 Both the digital input and the two digital outputs are equipped with sample-

rate converters and can operate at 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz sam-

ple rates. The output levels are separately adjustable for the analog and digi­tal outputs.

 OPTIMOD-AM is usually installed at the transmitter, replacing all processing

normally employed at the transmitter site, including compressor, protection peak
limiters, clippers, and high- and low-pass filters normally included within the
transmitter. It can also be installed at the studio if an uncompressed digital
STL is available.

 OPTIMOD-AM comes with a passive Monitor Rolloff Filter to accurately simu-

late the frequency response of an average receiver, for use in studio monitoring.

1-5

 All input, output, and power connections are rigorously RFI-suppressed to

Orban’s traditional exacting standards, ensuring trouble-free installation.

 The 9400 is designed and certified to meet all applicable international

safety and emissions standards.

Presets in OPTIMOD-AM

There are two distinct kinds of presets in OPTIMOD-AM: factory presets and user
presets.

Factory Presets

The Factory Presets are our “factory recommended settings” for various program
formats or types. The description indicates the processing structure and the type of
processing. Internally, each Factory Preset that appears on the Preset list is a library
of more than 20 separate sub-presets, one of which is the default when you recall
the Factory Preset via the R
ing sub-presets in a given Factory Preset, navigate to M

ORE and use the AM or HD LESS-MORE control to adjust OPTIMOD-AM for less or

M

more AM or HD processing. The Factory Presets are listed and described starting on
page 3-18.

ECALL button or from PC Remote. To access the remain-

ODIFY PROCESSING > LESS-

Factory Presets are stored in OPTIMOD-AM’
erased. You can change the settings of a Factory Preset, but you must then store
those settings as a User Preset, which you are free to name as you wish. The Factory
Preset remains unchanged.

s non-volatile memory and cannot be

1-6

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

There are two sets of presets: one for the analog AM processing and one for the
digital radio processing (HD). The preset for the analog AM processing is the master
preset. In addition to parameters specific to the AM analog processing, it contains
the AGC and stereo enhancer parameters, which are common to both the AM ana­log and digital radio processing chains. Additionally, it points to an associated HD
preset, which contains only the parameters exclusive to the digital radio processing
chain.

User Presets

User Presets permit you to change a Factory Preset to suit your requirements and
then store those changes.

You can store more than 100 User Presets, limited only by available memory in your
9400 (which will vary depending on the version of your 9400’s software). You can
give your preset a name up to 18 characters long.

User Presets cannot be created from scratch. You must always start by recalling a
Factory Preset. Make the changes, and then store your modified preset as a User
Preset. You can also recall a previously created user preset, modify it, and save it
again, either overwriting the old version or saving under a new name. In all cases,
the original Factory Preset remains for you to return to if you wish.

Unlike Factory Presets, User Presets contain parameters for both the AM analog and
digital radio (“HD”) processing. A preset, whether Factory or User, can be edited in
two ways to create a new User Preset. First, you can adjust any individual parameter
in both the AM analog or HD sections of the preset. Second, you can bulk-import all
of the HD parameters contained in any User Preset or Factory HD Preset.

When you edit a preset by bulk-importing HD parameters like this, they will over­write the existing HD parameters in your edited preset, including any that you have
might have adjusted before you imported. HD parameters only include controls in
the HD processing chain after it splits from the AM processing chain, so bulk­importing HD parameters will not change the AGC and Stereo Enhancer settings.

After importing the HD parameters, you are still free to adjust any individual AM or
HD parameter. When you are satisfied with your work, you can then save this com­bination of AM and HD parameters as a new User Preset. Of course, you can then
use your new User Preset as a source for HD parameters to be imported into any
other User Presets you may wish to create or edit. For example, you could have six
User Presets with identical HD processing parameters but with different AM analog
processing parameters. The HD bulk import feature makes it easy to implement this
scenario.

User Presets are stored in non-volatile memory that does not require battery
backup. To Create or Save a User Preset on page 3-17 has more about User Presets.
Instructions for importing an HD preset are on page 3-20.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

Input/Output Configuration

OPTIMOD-AM simultaneously accommodates:

 Digital AES3 left/right inputs and outputs.

 Analog left/right inputs and outputs.

Digital AES3 Left/Right Input/Outputs

The digital inputs and outputs conform to the professional AES3 standard. They
both have sample rate converters to allow operation at 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96
kHz sample frequency.

The left/right digital input is on one XLR-type female connector on the rear panel;
the left/right digital outputs are on two XLR-type male connectors on the rear panel.

OPTIMOD-AM provides digital and analog inputs and outputs. You select whether
OPTIMOD-AM uses the digital or analog input either locally or by remote interface.
If OPTIMOD-AM is set to accept a digital input and the feed fails, OPTIMOD-AM will
automatically switch back to the analog input.

1-7

If you are operating in mono, the 9400 can receive the signal from the left, right, or
sum of the left and right channels of either the analog or digital inputs. The 9400
can simultaneously process for HD AM in stereo while processing for the analog
channel in mono.

Level control of the AES3 input is accomplished via software control through System
Setup (see step 6 on page 2-26) or through PC Remote.

Both analog and digital outputs are active continuously

The 9400’s output sample rate can be locked either to the 9400’s internal crystal
clock or to the sample rate present at its AES3 input.

The 9400 can apply J.17 de-emphasis to signals applied to its digital input and J.17
pre-emphasis to the processed signal emitted from its digital output. J.17 is a 6
dB/octave shelving pre-emphasis / de-emphasis standard with break points at 400 Hz
and 4 kHz. It is mainly used in older studio / transmitter links that use NICAM tech­nology. The 9400’s provisions for J.17 make it fully compatible with systems using
this standard.

.

Analog Left/Right Input/Outputs

The left and right analog inputs are on XLR-type female connectors on the rear
panel. Input impedance is greater than 10k; balanced and floating. Inputs can ac­commodate up to +27dBu (0dBu = 0.775Vrms).

1-8

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

The two left and right analog output pairs are on XLR-type male connectors on the
rear panel. Output impedance is 50; balanced and floating. The outputs can drive
600 or higher impedances, balanced or unbalanced. The peak output level is ad­justable from –6dBu to +20dBu.

Level control of the analog inputs and outputs is accomplished via software control
through System Setup (see step 4 on page 2-24 and step 10 on page 2-30) or
through PC Remote.

Remote Control Interface

The Remote Control Interface is a set of eight optically isolated GPI inputs on a DB­25 connector, which can be activated by 5-12V DC. They can control various func­tions of the 9400. See page 2-46 for a list of functions and information on pro­gramming the remote control interface.

Computer Interface

On the rear panel of the 9400 are an RS-232 serial port and an Ethernet port for in­terfacing to IBM-compatible PCs. These computer interfaces support remote control
and metering, and allow downloading software upgrades.

Each 9400 package ships with 9400 PC Remote software, an application for any IBM­compatible PC running Microsoft Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3) or XP. 9400 PC Re­mote permits you to adjust any 9400 preset by remote control or to do virtually any­thing else that you can do from the 9400’s front panel controls. The program dis­plays all of the 9400’s LCD meters on the computer screen to aid remote adjustment.

RS-232 Serial Port

9400 PC Remote can communicate at up to 115 kbps via
between the computer and the 9400 through their RS-232 serial ports.

RJ45 Ethernet Connector

9400 can be connected to any Ethernet network that supports the TCP/IP proto-

The
col.

See Networking and Remote Control on page 2-47 for more information.

modem or direct connection

Location of OPTIMOD-AM

Optimal Control of Peak Modulation Levels

The analog AM audio processing circuitry in OPTIMOD-AM produces a waveform
that is precisely peak-controlled to prevent overmodulation, and is lowpass filtered
to protect adjacent channels and to conform to government regulations. Severe
changes in the shape of the waveform can be caused by passing it through a circuit

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

with non-constant group delay and/or non-flat frequency response in the 30-9500Hz
range. Deviation from flatness and phase-linearity will cause spurious modulation
peaks because the shape of the peak-limited waveform is changed. Such peaks add
nothing to average modulation. Thus, the average modulation must be lowered to
accommodate those peaks so that they do not overmodulate. Transformers can
cause such problems.

Landline equalizers, transformers, and low-pass filters in transmitters typically intro­duce frequency response errors and non-constant group delay. There are three crite­ria for preservation of peak levels through the audio system:

1) The system group delay must be essentially constant throughout the frequency
range containing significant energy (30-9,500Hz). If low-pass filters are present,
this may require the use of delay equalization. The deviation from linear-phase
must not exceed 1 from 30-9,500Hz.

2) The low-frequency 3 dB point of the system must be placed at 0.15Hz or lower
(this is not a misprint!). This is necessary to ensure less than 1% overshoot in a
50Hz square wave and essentially constant group delay to 30Hz.

1-9

3) Any pre-emphasis used in the audio transmission system prior to the transmitter
(such as in an STL) must be canceled by a precisely complementary de-emphasis:
Every pole and zero in the pre-emphasis filter must be complemented by a zero
and pole of identical complex frequency in the de-emphasis network. An all-pole
de-emphasis network (like the classic series resistor feeding a grounded capaci­tor) is not appropriate.

In this example, the network could be fixed by adding a second resistor between
ground and the capacitor, which would introduce a zero.

Low-pass filters (including anti-aliasing filters in digital links), high-pass filters, trans­formers, distribution amplifiers, and long transmission lines can all cause the above
criteria to be violated, and must be tested and qualified. It is clear that the above
criteria for optimal control of peak modulation levels are met most easily when the
audio processor directly feeds the transmitter. While OPTIMOD-AM’s transmitter
equalizer can mitigate the effects of group delay and frequency response errors in
the signal path, an accurate path will still achieve the best results.

The output of the digital radio-processing path is also precisely peak-controlled at
the 9400’s output. However, the HDC codec used in the HD AM system and the
aacPlus codec used in the DRM system, like all low bitrate lossy codecs, introduce
considerable overshoots as a side effect of throwing away data. When you adjust
the drive level into the codec, it is wise to monitor the output of a radio or modula­tion monitor and to reduce the drive level to the codec until you no longer see clip­ping.

1-10

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

Best Location for OPTIMOD-AM

The best location for OPTIMOD-AM is as close as possible to the transmitter so that
its output can be connected to the transmitter through a circuit path that introduces
the least possible change in the shape of OPTIMOD-AM’s carefully peak-limited
waveform. This connection could be short lengths of shielded cable (for transmitters
with analog inputs) or a direct AES3 connection (if the transmitter has a digital input
available). If this is impossible, the next best arrangement is to feed the 9400’s AES3
digital output through an all-digital, uncompressed path to the transmitter's exciter.

If the programming agency’s jurisdiction ends at the link connecting the audio facil­ity to the transmitter, a variety of problems can occur downstream. (The link might
be telephone / post lines, analog microwave radio, or various types of digital paths.)
The link, the transmitter peak limiters, or the transmitter itself can all introduce arti­facts that a studio-located audio processor cannot control.

If the transmitter is not accessible:

All audio processing must be done at the studio and you must tolerate any
that occurs later. If an uncompressed AES3 digital link is available to the transmitter,
this is an excellent, accurate means of transmission. However, if the digital link em­ploys lossy compression, it will disturb peak levels by up to 4 dB. Lossy compression is
also inappropriate for another reason: it cannot accommodate pre-emphasized au­dio (like OPTIMOD-AM‘s output) without introducing serious artifacts.

damage

Unlike FM, where the transmitter usually can be set up to provide pre­emphasis, AM transmitters are universally “flat.” Therefore, unlike FM,
there is no option when using lossy compression to de-emphasize at the
output of OPTIMOD-AM and then to restore the pre-emphasis at the
transmitter. The best one can do is to use NRSC pre-emphasis, apply NRSC
de-emphasis before the lossy link’s input, and then re-apply NRSC pre­emphasis at the link’s output.

If only an audio link is available, use the 9400’s left and right audio outputs and feed
the audio directly into the link. If possible, request that any transmitter protection
limiters be adjusted for minimum possible action — OPTIMOD-AM does most of that
work. Transmitter protection limiters should respond only to signals caused by faults
or by spurious peaks introduced by imperfections in the link. To ensure maximum
quality, all equipment in the signal path after the studio should be carefully aligned
and qualified to meet the appropriate standards for bandwidth, distortion, group
delay and gain stability, and such equipment should be re-qualified at reasonable
intervals. (See Optimal Control of Peak Modulation Levels on page 1-8).

If the transmitter is accessible:

ou can achieve the most accurate control of modulation peaks by locating

Y
OPTIMOD-AM at the transmitter site or by connecting it to the transmitter through
an uncompressed digital STL.

Because OPTIMOD-AM controls peaks, it is irrelevant whether the audio link feeding
OPTIMOD-AM’s input terminals is phase-linear. However, the link should have low
noise, the flattest possible frequency response from 30-9,500, and low nonlinear dis­tortion.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

Studio-Transmitter Link

Transmission from Studio to Transmitter

1-11

There are several types of studio-transmitter links (STLs) in common use in broadcast
service: uncompressed digital, digital with lossy compression (like MPEG, Dolby

®

), microwave, analog landline (telephone / post line), and audio subcarrier on

APT-x
a video microwave STL.

STLs in AM service are used in two fundamentally different ways. They can either:

 pass unprocessed audio for application to the 9400’s input, or

 pass the 9400’s peak-controlled analog or digital left and right audio outputs for

application to the transmitter.

These applications have different performance requirements. In general, a link that
passes unprocessed audio should have very low noise and low nonlinear distortion,
but its transient response is not important. A link that passes processed audio does
not need as low a noise floor as a link passing unprocessed audio. However, its tran­sient response is critical. At the current state of the art, an uncompressed digital link
using digital inputs and outputs to pass audio in left/right format achieves best re­sults. We will elaborate below.

Digital Links

Digital
lossy data reduction processing to the signal to reduce the number of bits per sec­ond required for transmission through the digital link. Such processing will almost
invariably distort peak levels; such links must therefore be carefully qualified before
you use them to carry the peak-controlled output of the 9400 to the transmitter. For
any lossy compression system the higher the data rate, the less the peak levels will
be corrupted by added noise, so use the highest data rate practical in your system.

links may pass audio as straightforward PCM encoding or they may apply

®

, or

As stated above, links using lossy data reduction cannot pass an OPTIMOD-AM–
processed signal. However, it is practical (though not ideal) to use lossy data reduc­tion to pass unprocessed audio to the 9400’s input. The data rate should be at least
of “contribution quality” — the higher, the better. If any part of the studio chain is
analog, we recommend using at least 20-bit A/D conversion before encoding. Be­cause the 9400 uses multiband limiting, it can dynamically change the frequency re­sponse of the channel. This can violate the psychoacoustic masking assumptions
made in designing the lossy data reduction algorithm. Therefore, you need to leave
“headroom” in the algorithm so that the 9400’s multiband processing will not un­mask quantization noise. This is also true of any lossy data reduction applied in the
studio (such as hard disk digital delivery systems).

For MPEG Layer 2 encoding, we recommend 384 kB/second or higher.

Some links may use straightforward PCM (pulse-code modulation) without lossy
data reduction. If you connect to these through an AES3 digital interface, these can
be very transparent if they do not truncate the digital words produced by the de-

1-12

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

vices driving their inputs. Because the 9400’s AM analog-processed output is tightly
band-limited to 9.5 kHz or below and its digital radio output is tightly band-limited
to 15 kHz, any link with 32 kHz or higher sample frequency can pass either output
without additional overshoot.

Currently available sample rate converters use phase-linear filters (which have con­stant group delay at all frequencies). Sample rate conversion, whether upward or
downward, will not add overshoot to the signal if it does not remove spectral en­ergy from the original signal.

If the link does not have an AES3 input, you must drive its analog input from the
9400’s analog output. This is less desirable because the link’s analog input circuitry
may not meet all requirements for passing processed audio without overshoot.

NICAM is a sort of hybrid between PCM and lossy data reduction systems. It uses a
block-companded floating-point representation of the signal with J.17 pre­emphasis.

Older technology converters (including some older NICAM encoders) may exhibit
quantization distortion unless they have been correctly dithered. Additionally, they
can exhibit rapid changes in group delay around cutoff because their analog filters
are ordinarily not group-delay equalized. The installing engineer should be aware of
all of these potential problems when designing a transmission system.

Any problems can be minimized by always driving a digital STL with an AES3 digital
output, which will provide the most accurate interface to the STL. The 9400’s digital
input and output accommodate sample rates of 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz,
and 96 kHz.

Dual Microwave STLs

Dual microwaves STLs use two separate transmitters and
and right channels in discrete form. Dual microwave STLs offer greater noise immu­nity than composite microwave STLs. However, problems include gain- and phase­matching of the left and right channels, overloads induced by pre-emphasis, and re­quirements that the audio applied to the microwave transmitters be processed to
prevent overmodulation of the microwave system.

Lack of transparency in the path will cause overshoot. Unless carefully designed,
dual microwave STLs can introduce non-constant group delay in the audio spectrum,
distorting peak levels when used to pass processed audio. Nevertheless, in a system
using a microwave STL, the 9400 is sometimes located at the studio and any over­shoots induced by the link are tolerated or removed by the transmitter’s protection
limiter (if any).

The 9400 can only be located at the transmitter if the signal-to-noise ratio of the STL
is good enough to pass unprocessed audio. The signal-to-noise ratio of the STL can
be used optimally if an Orban Optimod-PC 1101, Optimod 6300, 8200ST Compressor
/ Limiter / HF Limiter / Clipper or an 4000 Transmission Limiter protects the link from
overload. Of these, the 1101 and 6300 are currently manufactured as of this writing
and are the preferred choices because their AGCs are identical to the AGC in the

9400.

receivers to pass the left

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

If the 9400 is located at the transmitter and fed unprocessed audio from a micro­wave STL, it may be useful to use a companding-type noise reduction system (like
dbx Type 2 or Dolby SR) around the link. This will minimize any audible noise
buildup caused by compression within the 9400.

Some microwave links can be modified such that the deviation from linear phase is
less than +
at 0.15Hz and less than 0.1 dB down at 20 kHz. This specification results in less than
1% overshoot with processed audio. Many such links have been designed to be eas­ily configured at the factory for composite operation, where an entire FM stereo
baseband is passed. The requirements for maintaining stereo separation in compos­ite operation are similar to the requirements for high waveform fidelity with low
overshoot. Therefore, most links have the potential for excellent waveform fidelity
if they are configured for composite operation.

Nevertheless, in a dual-microwave system, the 9400 is usually located at the main
AM transmitter and is driven by the microwave receivers. One of Orban’s studio level
control systems, such as the 8200ST, protects the microwave transmitters at the stu­dio from overload. These units also perform the gain riding function ordinarily exe­cuted by the AGC section of the 9400’s processing and they optimize the signal-to­noise ratio obtainable from the dual-microwave link.

10 from 20 Hz to 9.5 kHz and frequency response is less than 3 dB down

1-13

If the STL microwave uses pre-emphasis, its input pre-emphasis filter will probably
introduce overshoots that will increase peak modulation without any increases in
average modulation. If the studio level control system is capable of producing a pre­emphasized output, we strongly recommend that the microwave STL’s pre-emphasis
be defeated and pre-emphasis performed in the studio level control system. This
frees the system from potential overshoot. (The Orban 8200ST can be readily con­figured to produce a pre-emphasized output.)

Further, it is common for a microwave STL to bounce because of a large infrasonic
peak in its frequency response caused by an under-damped automatic frequency
control (AFC) phase-locked loop. This bounce can increase the STL’s peak carrier de­viation by as much as 2dB, reducing average modulation. Many commercial STLs
have this problem.

Analog Landline (PTT / Post Office Line)

Analog landline quality is extremely variable, ranging from excellent to
Whether landlines should be used or not depends upon the quality of the lines lo­cally available and upon the availability of other alternatives. Due to line equalizer
characteristics and phase shifts, even the best landlines tend to veil audio quality
slightly. Moreover, slight frequency response irregularities and non-constant group
delay characteristics will alter the peak-to-average ratio, and will thus reduce the ef­fectiveness of any peak limiting performed prior to their inputs.

poor.

AM Transmitters and Antennas

The behavior of an FM station is more or less determined by the behavior of the ex­citer. Alas, this is not true in AM broadcast! The performance of an AM broadcast

1-14

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

station is highly dependent upon the high-power sections of the transmitter, and
upon the behavior of the antenna system.

The extremely high average power and the pre-emphasized high-frequency compo­nent of audio processed by OPTIMOD-AM put great demands upon the performance
of the transmitter and antenna system. While improved results can be expected
from most plants, outstanding results can only be achieved by plants having trans­mitters that can accurately reproduce OPTIMOD-AM's output without changing the
shape of the waveform, and having wideband, symmetrical antenna arrays.

Any AGCs, compressors, limiters, and clippers that follow OPTIMOD-AM in the circuit
should be bypassed. OPTIMOD-AM provides all of these functions itself.

Bypassing the Transmitter's Internal Filters and Clippers

Some AM transmitters, especially those supplied to stations outside of North or
South America, contain built-in filters and clippers after their audio inputs. The fil­ters may have various purposes: A low-pass filter is often included to ensure that the
transmitter's output spectrum adheres to the occupied bandwidth specifications of
the governing authority. A high-pass filter may be present to protect the transmitter
from damage. Safety clippers are often present to prevent the modulator from be­ing over-driven.

As discussed in earlier sections, accurate reproduction of OPTIMOD-AM's output re­quires that the deviation from linear phase must be less than 10 degrees, 30-9500Hz.
Frequency response must be less than 3dB down at 0.15Hz, and less than 0.1dB
down at 9.5 kHz.

The highly processed output of OPTIMOD-AM is carefully band-limited and peak­controlled. This output will often contain waveforms with flattops like square
waves. If the transmitter has constant group delay above 30Hz, these difficult wave­forms will be transmitted intact and peak modulation will be accurately controlled.

However, if low-frequency response is more than 3dB down at 0.15Hz, as would be
true if a high-pass filter is present, the group delay above 30Hz will not be constant.
For example, a typical 50Hz high-pass filter introduces significant non-constant
group delay to 500Hz — ten times the cutoff frequency. This non-constant group de­lay will tilt the flattops produced by OPTIMOD-AM. The tilt increases the peak level
of the audio waveform, but not the average level. This will force you to decrease
the average modulation to prevent the spurious peaks from overmodulating.

Similarly, a typical EBU 4.5 kHz filter will introduce significant non-constant group
delay down to 1 kHz about one-fourth the cutoff frequency. This will cause over­shoot in the highly processed waveforms produced by OPTIMOD-AM. The overshoot
increases the peak level of the audio waveform, but not the average level. This will
force you to decrease average modulation even more.

Alternatively, if you do not decrease the average modulation to accommodate the
spurious peaks introduced by the filters, the transmitter’s safety clipper will clip the
peaks. This will introduce out-of-band energy that will almost certainly violate the

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

limits on occupied bandwidth specified by the governing authority and will greatly
degrade the spectral control provided by OPTIMOD-AM.

To achieve the full performance capability built into OPTIMOD-AM, any filters in the
transmitter must be bypassed. This is essential! OPTIMOD-AM contains low-pass and
high-pass filters that are fully capable of protecting the transmitter and controlling
occupied bandwidth. Because of their location within OPTIMOD-AM, the internal
filters do not introduce spurious modulation peaks.

Any built-in peak clippers in the transmitter should be defeated. OPTIMOD-AM con­tains a clipping system that is fully capable of controlling transmitter modulation
without introducing out-of-band energy. If the drive level to the transmitter is even
slightly excessive, the transmitter clipper will be driven hard enough to create exces­sive spurious spectrum. Defeating any clippers in the transmitter prevents this possi­bility.

This problem will be even worse if OPTIMOD-AM's transmitter equalizer is in use.
OPTIMOD-AM's output level will frequently exceed 100% modulation because it is
pre-distorted to complement the transmitter's pulse response. The transmitter's
built-in safety clipper will surely clip this pre-distorted waveform.

1-15

Power Supplies

An AM transmitter is required to provide 150% of equivalent unmodulated carrier
power when it is modulating 100%. High-voltage power supplies are subject to two
major problems: sag and resonance.

Sag is a result of inadequate steady-state regulation. It causes the conventional car­rier shift that is seen on a modulation monitor. Good transmitter engineering prac­tice usually limits this shift to -5% (which corresponds to about 0.5dB not a highly
significant loudness loss).

A more serious problem is dynamic carrier shift, or bounce. This has been known to
cause up to 3dB loudness loss. Resonances in the power supply's LC filter network
usually cause it. Any LC network has a resonant frequency. In order to achieve rea­sonable efficiency, the power supply filter network must be under-damped. There­fore, high modulation excites this resonance, which can cause overmodulation on
the low-voltage peaks of the resonance.

Curing bounce is not at all straightforward because of the requirement that the
power supply filter smooth the DC sufficiently to achieve low hum. One approach
that has been employed is use of a 12-phase power supply. Upon rectification, the
ripple component of the DC is down about -40dB without filtering. A single­capacitor filter can thus be used, eliminating the filter inductor as a potential source
of resonance with the capacitor.

Other sources of resonance include the modulation reactor and modulation trans­former in conventional plate-modulated transmitters. Such transmitters will not
greatly benefit from a 12-phase power supply.

1-16

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

The newer generations of transmitters employ switching modulation techniques to
control bounce far better than do older plate-modulated designs. The latest trans­mitters using digital modulation techniques have even better performance and most
are essentially transparent.

Pre-1965 Transmitters

Some older transmitters were under-designed by today's standards because modern
audio processing techniques to increase average modulation had not yet been de­veloped and because the designers of those transmitters assumed that average
power demands on the modulator would be relatively small. If you have a transmit­ter designed before 1965, you should monitor it carefully to make sure that
OPTIMOD-AM processing is not overheating the modulation transformer, the modu­lation reactor, or the power supply. The high-frequency boost performed by
OPTIMOD-AM can cause unusually high voltages in the final amplifier, which could
cause arcing and/or component breakdown (although the latter is very rare).

There are no simple cures for such problems. Pre-1965 transmitters usually require
substantial modification, including the addition of heavier-duty components and
perhaps a completely new power supply for the modulator alone. Because of dra­matic improvements in transmitter design since these transmitters were built, we
recommend that such transmitters be replaced. The latest solid-state transmitters
sound audibly better on-air and their higher efficiency reduces operating power
costs substantially.

Asymmetry

While the physics of carrier pinch-off limit any AM modulation system to an absolute
negative modulation limit of 100%, it is possible to modulate positive peaks as high
as desired. In the United States, the FCC permits positive peaks of up to 125% modu­lation. Other countries have similar restrictions.

However, many transmitters cannot achieve such modulation without substantial
distortion, if they can achieve it at all. The transmitter's power supply can sometimes
be strengthened to correct this. Sometimes, RF drive capability to the final power
amplifier must be increased.

Voice, by its nature, is substantially asymmetrical. Therefore, asymmetrical modula­tion was popular at one time in an attempt to increase the loudness of voice. Tradi­tionally, this was achieved by preserving the natural asymmetry of the voice signal.
An asymmetry detector reversed the polarity of the signal to maintain greater posi­tive modulation. The peaks were then clipped to a level of -100%, +125%.

OPTIMOD-AM takes a different approach: OPTIMOD-AM's input conditioning filter
contains a time dispersion circuit (phase scrambler) that makes asymmetrical input
material, like voice, substantially symmetrical.

OPTIMOD-AM permits symmetrical or asymmetrical operation of both the safety
clipper and multiband distortion-canceling clipper. Asymmetrical clipping slightly in-

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

creases loudness and brightness, and will produce dense positive peaks up to 125%
if this is desired. However, such asymmetrical processing by its very nature produces
both odd and even-order harmonic and IM distortion. While even-order harmonic
distortion may sound pleasingly bright, IM distortion of any order sounds nasty.

There is really nothing lost by not modulating asymmetrically: Listening tests easily
demonstrate that modulating symmetrically, if time dispersion has been applied to
the audio, produces a considerably louder and cleaner sound than does asymmetri­cal modulation that retains the natural asymmetry of its program material.

Some of the newer transmitters of the pulse-width modulation type have circuitry
for holding the carrier shift constant with modulation. Since artificial asymmetry can
introduce short-term DC components (corresponding to dynamic upward carrier
shift), such carrier shift cancellation circuitry can become confused, resulting in fur­ther distortion.

Transmission Presets and Transmitter Equalization

OPTIMOD-AM's transmitter equalizer can cure linear problems caused by the trans­mitter or antenna system. However, the transmitter equalizer cannot cure nonlinear
problems, particularly those caused by inadequate power supplies, modulation
transformers, or reactors. If any of these components saturate or otherwise fail to
perform under heavy power demands, no amount of small-signal equalization will
solve their problems.

1-17

OPTIMOD-AM was designed with the assumption that one audio processor would
be devoted to no more than two transmitters, usually called main and standby (or
alternate). Each transmitter might be called upon to change power at night or to
drive a different antenna array. Only one transmitter is assumed to be on the air at a
given time.

To drive two transmitters, OPTIMOD-AM provides two analog outputs (called
ANALOG OUTPUT 1 and ANALOG OUTPUT 2) and two corresponding AES3 digital
outputs (DIGITAL OUTPUT 1 and DIGITAL OUTPUT 2).

OPTIMOD-AM provides four transmission presets for its transmitter equalizer con­trols and certain other controls. Only one preset can be active at a given time; all
four outputs receive the same transmitter equalization. This is consistent with the
principle that only one transmitter will be on the air at any time.

You can access these presets in S

ETUP > MODIFY > TX PRESET. Unlike settings in the factory processing presets, trans-

S

mission preset control settings automatically save and update when you change
them.

Transmitter equalizer controls in a given transmission preset include:

 LF Gain for the LF tilt equalizer for L+R (mono) [L+R

 LF Breakpoint Frequency for the LF tilt equalizer for L+R [L+R

ETUP > TX PRESET. These presets can be modified in

LF GN]

LF FR]

1-18

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

 HF Shelf Breakpoint Frequency for L+R [L+R

HF FR]

 HF Shelf Breakpoint Frequency for L–R [L–R

 HF Delay equalization for L+R [L+R

 HF Delay equalization for L–R [L–R

Transmission Presets also contain the following controls:

 System Lowpass Filter Cutoff Frequency [LOW

 System Lowpass Filter Cutoff Shape [LPF

 System Highpass Filter Cutoff Frequency [HIGH

 Positive Peak Threshold (Asymmetry) [POS

The transmitter equalizer operates in sum-and-difference mode, recognizing the
fact that, in CQUAM stereo, the envelope modulation is equal to the sum signal.
Hence, the sum (L+R) equalizer has all four controls available, while the difference
(L–R) equalizer offers only the HF shelf and HF delay adjustments. We assumed that
the L–R path (through the AM stereo exciter) would have no appreciable tilt, while
the L+R path (through the transmitter’s modulator) could suffer from tilt.

During mono operation, the L–R signal is zero and the L–R transmitter equalizer
controls have no effect.

HF ]

HF ]

HF FR]

PASS]

SHAPE]

PASS]

PEAK]

For convenience, and to describe their most common application, the four transmit­ter equalizer presets are labeled TX1/DAY, TX1/NIGHT, TX2/DAY, and TX2/NIGHT, al­though they can be applied in a completely general way to the requirements of
your transmission facility.

For example, in countries observing NRSC standards you might want to transmit the
full 9.5 kHz bandwidth during the day, and, in cooperation with other stations on
first-adjacent channels, reduce audio bandwidth to 5 kHz at night. This will elimi­nate any skywave-induced monkey-chatter interference between first-adjacent
channels. Alternatively, your nighttime directional antenna array might have poor
VSWR performance at high modulating frequencies, so you might find that your
transmitter works better and produces less distortion if you limit the audio band­width to those frequencies where the antenna is well behaved. Further, if you oper­ate a talk format during certain parts of the day, you will probably find that you can
operate the processing for a louder on-air sound if you restrict the transmitted
bandwidth below the maximum permitted by government regulation. (Bear in mind
that most AM radios have an audio bandwidth of 2.5-3 kHz and changing transmis­sion bandwidth from 5 kHz to 9.5 kHz will produce virtually no audible difference
on these radios.)

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

Antenna System

AM antenna systems, whether directional or non-directional, frequently exhibit in­adequate bandwidth or asymmetrical impedance. Often, a system will exhibit both
problems simultaneously.

An antenna with inadequate bandwidth couples RF energy into space with progres­sively less efficiency at higher sideband frequencies (corresponding to higher modu­lation frequencies). It reflects these higher-frequency sideband components back
into the transmitter or dissipates them in the tuning networks. This not only causes
dull sound on the air (and defeats OPTIMOD-AM's principal advantage: its ability to
create a highly pre-emphasized signal without undesirable side effects), but it also
wastes energy, can cause distortion, and can shorten the life of transmitter compo­nents.

Asymmetrical impedance is the common point impedance's not being symmetrical
on either side of the carrier frequency when plotted on a Smith Chart. This problem
can cause transmitter misbehavior and sideband asymmetry, resulting in on-air dis­tortion in receivers with envelope detectors.

Both of these limitations can cause severe problems in AM stereo and even worse
ones in HD AM installations.

1-19

Neither problem is easily solved. Unless the radio station engineer is a knowledge­able antenna specialist, a reputable outside antenna consultant should be employed
to design correction networks for the system.

Note that many antenna systems are perfectly adequate, particularly for ordinary
mono analog transmission. However, if the transmitter sounds significantly brighter
and/or cleaner into a dummy load than it does into your antenna, the antenna sys­tem should be evaluated and corrected if necessary.

As noted above, if your circumstances or budget preclude correcting your antenna's
bandwidth and/or symmetry, you will often get lower on-air distortion if you set
OPTIMOD-AM's low-pass filter to a lower frequency than the maximum permitted
by the government. Because OPTIMOD-AM's output bandwidth is easily adjustable
in real time, it is very easy to experiment to see which bandwidth gives the best au­dio quality on an average AM radio, given the quality of your transmitter and an­tenna.

Using Lossy Data Reduction in the Studio

Many stations are now using lossy data reduction algorithms like MPEG-1 Layer 2 to
increase the storage time of digital playback media. In addition, source material is
often supplied through a lossy data reduction algorithm, whether from satellite or
over landlines. Sometimes, several encode / decode cycles will be cascaded before
the material is finally presented to OPTIMOD-AM’s input.

All such algorithms operate by increasing the quantization noise in discrete fre­quency bands. If not psychoacoustically masked by the program material, this noise

1-20

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

may be perceived as distortion, “gurgling,” or other interference. Psychoacoustic
calculations are used to ensure that the added noise is masked by the desired pro­gram material and not heard. Cascading several stages of such processing can raise
the added quantization noise above the threshold of masking into audibility. In ad­dition, at least one other mechanism can cause the noise to become audible at the
radio. OPTIMOD-AM’s multiband limiter performs an “automatic equalization”
function that can radically change the frequency balance of the program. This can
cause noise that would otherwise have been masked to become unmasked because
the psychoacoustic masking conditions under which the masking thresholds were
originally computed have changed.

Accordingly, if you use lossy data reduction in the studio, you should use the highest
data rate possible. This maximizes the headroom between the added noise and the
threshold where it will be heard. Also, you should minimize the number of encode
and decode cycles, because each cycle moves the added noise closer to the threshold
where the added noise is heard.

About Transmission Levels and Metering

Meters

Studio engineers and transmission engineers consider audio levels and their meas­urements differently, so they typically use different methods of metering to monitor
these levels. The VU meter is an average-responding meter (measuring the approxi­mate RMS level) with a 300ms rise time and decay time; the VU indication usually
under-indicates the true peak level by 8 to 14dB. The Peak Program Meter (PPM) in­dicates a level between RMS and the actual peak. The PPM has an attack time of
10ms, slow enough to cause the meter to ignore narrow peaks and under-indicate
the true peak level by 5 dB or more. The absolute peak-sensing meter or LED indica­tor shows the true peak level. It has an instantaneous attack time, and a release
time slow enough to allow the engineer to read the peak level easily. Figure 1-1
shows
of a VU meter and a PPM for a few seconds of music program.

the relative difference between the absolute peak level, and the indications

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

Studio Line-up Levels and Headroom

The studio engineer is primarily concerned with calibrating the equipment to pro­vide the required input level for proper operation of each device, and so that all de­vices operate with the same input and output levels. This facilitates patching devices
in and out without recalibration.

For line-up, the studio engineer uses a calibration tone at a studio standard level,
commonly called line-up level, reference level, or operating level. Metering at the
studio is by a VU meter or PPM (Peak Program Meter). As discussed above, the VU or
PPM indication under-indicates the true peak level. Most modern studio audio de­vices have a clipping level of no less than +21dBu, and often +24dBu or more. So the
studio standardizes on a maximum program indication on the meter that is lower
than the clipping level, so those peaks that the meter does not indicate will not be
clipped. Line-up level is usually at this same maximum meter indication. In facilities
that use VU meters, this level is usually at 0VU, which corresponds to the studio
standard level, typically +4 or +8dBu.

For facilities using +4dBu standard level, instantaneous peaks can reach +18dBu or
higher (particularly if the operator overdrives the console or desk). Older facilities
with +8dBu standard level and equipment that clips at +18 or +21dBu will experi­ence noticeable clipping on some program material.

1-21

In facilities that use the BBC-standard PPM, maximum program level is usually PPM4
for music, PPM6 for speech. Line-up level is usually PPM4, which corresponds to
+4dBu. Instantaneous peaks will reach +17dBu or more on voice.

In facilities that use PPMs that indicate level directly in dBu, maximum program and
line-up level is often +6dBu. Instantaneous peaks will reach +11dBu or more.

Transmission Levels

The transmission engineer is primarily concerned with the peak level of a program

ABSOLUTE PEAK

PPM

VU

Figure 1-1: Absolute Peak Level, VU and PPM Reading

1-22

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

to prevent overloading or overmodulation of the transmission system. This peak
overload level is defined differently, system to system.

In FM modulation, it is the maximum-permitted RF carrier frequency deviation. In
AM modulation, it is negative carrier pinch-off. In analog telephone / post / PTT
transmission, it is the level above which serious crosstalk into other channels occurs,
or the level at which the amplifiers in the channel overload. In digital, it is the larg­est possible digital word.

For metering, the transmission engineer uses an oscilloscope, absolute peak-sensing
meter, calibrated peak-sensing LED indicator, or a modulation meter. A modulation
meter usually has two components — a semi-peak reading meter (like a PPM), and a
peak-indicating light, which is calibrated to turn on whenever the instantaneous
peak modulation exceeds the overmodulation threshold.

Line-Up Facilities

Metering of Levels

The meters on the 9400 show left/right input levels and output modulation.

The output meters can be switched to read the left/right digital process­ing chain output signal, the gain reductions of the left and right look­ahead limiters in the digital processing chain, or the analog processing
chain output signal. In the latter case, the left-hand meter reads negative
peaks of the higher of the two stereo channels and the right-hand meter
reads the higher of the positive peaks.

Left and right input level is shown on a VU-type scale 0 to –40dB), while the meter­ing indicates absolute instantaneous peak (much faster than a standard PPM or VU
meter). The input meter is scaled so that 0 dB corresponds to the absolute maximum
peak level that the 9400 can accept. If you are using the AES3 digital input, the
maximum digital word at the input corresponds to the 0 dB point on the 9400’s in­put meter.

Built-in Calibrated Line-up Tones

o facilitate matching the output level of the 9400 to the transmission system that it

T
is driving, the 9400 contains an adjustable test tone oscillator that produces sine,
square, or triangle waves at 9400’s (analog or digital) left and right outputs. The
frequency and modulation level of the line-up tones can be adjusted from the front
panel (as described in Test Modes on page 3-54).

ou can adjust the frequency and modulation level of the built-in line-up tone. You

Y
can use the front panel, the PC Control software, or the opto-isolated remote con­trol interface ports to activate the Test Tone.

Built-in Calibrated Bypass Test Mode

ASS Test Mode is available to transparently pass line-up tones generated ear-

A BYP
lier in the system. It will also pass program material, providing no gain reduction or

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

protection against overmodulation. It can transparently pass any line-up tone ap­plied to its input up to about 130% output modulation, at which point clipping may
occur.

Monitoring

Modulation Monitors and Their RF Amplifiers

Many AM modulation monitors (particularly older ones) indicate dynamic modula­tion inaccurately even though they may accurately measure sine-wave modulation.
This occurs producing overshoot and ringing. An incorrectly designed modulation
monitor may indicate that modulation is as much as 3dB higher than it actually is.

When modulation monitors are used at locations distant from the transmitter, they
are driven from highly selective RF amplifiers. These sometimes suffer from similar
problems. They can overshoot and ring if the passband filters are too sharp, causing
the monitor to falsely indicate high modulation.

If your modulation monitor does not agree with an oscilloscope monitoring the RF
envelope at the common point, do not assume that the monitor is indicating fast
peaks that your eye cannot see. A probable cause of the disparity is overshoot in the
modulation monitor or its RF amplifier. If you observe this problem, we recommend
that you assume that what you see on the oscilloscope is correct; oscilloscopes are
designed to display pulse waveforms accurately. (Make sure the oscilloscope is
switched to DC coupling.)

1-23

Note also that modulation percentages will vary depending on where in the trans­mission system the RF sample is taken. Depending on the location observed, actual
modulation can be either lower or higher than modulation observed at the common
point. What is crucial is whether the carrier is actually pinched off at the final ampli­fier because this carrier pinch-off is what causes splatter. On the other hand, if the
carrier appears is suppressed because of a particular choice of monitoring point
within the system, negative peaks will fold around zero instead of cutting off. This
causes no problem with out-of-band radiation, and far-field radiation is likely to
show normal AM modulation envelopes. We therefore recommend that you use an
RF sample from the final amplifier.

Monitoring on Loudspeakers and Headphones

Monitor Rolloff Filter

The output of a loudspeaker fed from the modulation monitor typically sounds shrill
and strident because, unlike virtually all real AM radios, the modulation monitor
and loudspeaker have a flat response. Rolloff filtering can be used to supply moni­tors with audio that more closely resembles that heard over a typical receiver.

Orban offers the optional model MRF-023 Monitor Rolloff Filter for this purpose.
This filter is a small passive unit designed to be installed between the modulation
monitor and the monitor amplifier. If you are transmitting AM stereo, you will need

1-24

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

two filters. (See step 8 on page 2-5 for installation instructions). The filter provides
complementary de-emphasis and a 10 kHz notch for of
standard audio. The output of the rolloff filter accurately simulates the sound of a
standard NRSC receiver. Alternately, for use in non-NRSC countries, an adjustable
18dB/octave rolloff that complements the 9400's HF
with jumpers (see Figure 2-4 on page 2-5). Figure 2-5 on page 2-6 shows the fre­quency response of the Monitor Rollof
trol.

If a different tonal balance is desired for off-the-air monitoring, install a simple pro­gram equalizer after the Monitor Rolloff Filter and boost the 5 kHz region to taste.

Do not use a monitor rolloff filter to monitor the digital channel of a decoded HD
AM signal.

Headphones

live operations, the throughput delay introduced by advanced DSP-based process-

In
ing like that used on the 9400 can cause a problem with the DJ or presenter's head­phones. See Low-Delay Monitoring for Headphones on page 3-10 for a discussion of
the 9400 low-delay monitoring feature.

f Filter for various settings of its R

f-air monitoring of NRSC

GAIN control can be selected

OLLOFF con-

EAS Test

For stations participating in the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in the United States,
broadcast of EAS tones and data can be accomplished in three different ways:

1. Run EAS tones and data through the 9400 in its normal operating mode.

Note that 9400 processing may not allow the full modulation level as required by
EAS standards. It may therefore be necessary to temporarily defeat the 9400’s proc­essing during the broadcast of EAS tones and data. Placing the 9400 in its B
Test Mode can defeat the processing. The BYPASS
trim through the 9400. See “Test Modes,” on page 3-54 for more information. Steps
2 and 3 below describe how to use B

2. Place the 9400 in Bypass mode locally.

A) Navigate to S

You can set the bypass gain with the BYPASS GAIN control located to the
right of the M

B) Begin EAS broadcast.

After the EAS broadcast, resume normal processing:

C) Set the M

ETUP > TEST > MODE and set MODE to BYPASS.

ODE control.

ODE to OPERATE.

YPASS.

GAIN control allows a fixed gain

YPASS

This will restore the processing preset in use prior to the Test Mode.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

3. Program any two Remote Interface inputs for “Bypass” and “Exit Test,”

respectively. Then place the 9400 in Bypass mode by remote control.

A) Connect two outputs from your station remote control system to the

REMOTE

the wiring diagram in Figure 2-2 on page 2-4.

INTERFACE connector on the rear panel of the 9400, according to

1-25

B) Program two GPI ports for B

in Remote Control Interface Programming starting on page 2-46.

C) Place the 9400 in bypass mode by remote control.

a) Switch the 9400 into BYPASS

station’s remote control to the GPI port programmed as B

b) Begin EAS broadcast.

c) When the EAS broadcast is finished, switch the 9400 from B

a momentary command from your station’s remote control to the GPI port
programmed as E

You may also choose to insert EAS broadcast tones and data directly into the
transmitter, thus bypassing the 9400 for the duration of the EAS tones and data
broadcast.

XIT TEST.

YPASS and EXIT TEST according to the instructions

mode by a momentary command from your

YPASS.

YPASS mode by

PC Control and Security Passcode

PC software control provides access to OPTIMOD-AM via network, modem or direct
(null modem cable) connection, with IBM PC-compatible computers running Win­dows. PC access is permitted only with a valid user-defined passcode.

PC remote control can be ended from the front panel; this feature effectively pre-

Figure 1-2: NRSC Modified 75 µs De-emphasis

1-26

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

vents simultaneous remote and local control.

See Security and Passcode Programming (starting on page 2-43) for more detail.

Why the North American NRSC Standard?

Over the years, as the North American airwaves have become more crowded, inter­ference from first and second adjacent stations has become more and more of a
problem. Receiver manufacturers responded by producing receivers with decreased
audio bandwidth so that an adjacent station's modulation extremes would not be
audible as interference. This cutting of the bandwidth had the effect of reducing
the receiver's high-frequency response, but it was felt that lower fidelity would be
less obnoxious than interference. As long ago as 1978, Orban proposed and imple­mented pre-emphasis and low-pass filtering for AM broadcast to provide brighter
sound at the receiver while minimizing interference. This approach has become
widely accepted. The NRSC-formalized standard is acceptable to all industry seg­ments, and when implemented, can result in a vast improvement in AM radio.

AM Stereo Introduces a Pre-emphasis Dilemma

Certain AM receivers manufactured since 1984 for sale in North America, particularly
those designed for domestic AM stereo reception, have a frequency response that
substantially wider than that of the typical mono AM receiver. The frequency re­sponse was widened largely to enhance the sales potential of AM stereo by present­ing a dramatic, audible improvement in fidelity in the showroom. As these new re­ceivers became more prevalent, broadcasters had to choose whether the station's
pre-emphasis would be optimized for the new AM stereo receivers or for the exist­ing conventional receivers that form the vast majority of the market. If the choice
was for conventional receivers (which implies a relatively extreme pre-emphasis), the
newer receivers might sound strident or exceptionally bright. If the choice favored
the newer receivers (less pre-emphasis and probably less processing), the majority of

is

0

-10

-20

Stopband Area

-30

Relative Amplitude (dB)

-40

-50
10 11 12 13 14 15

10.5

Audio Frequency (kHz)

100%

31.6%

10%

3.2%

1%

0.32%

Modulation

Figure 1-3: NRSC Lowpass Filter

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

receivers would be deprived of much high-end energy and would sound both qui­eter and duller.

In response to this dilemma, the National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC) under­took the difficult task of defining a voluntary recommended pre-emphasis curve for
AM radio that would be acceptable to broadcasters (who want the highest quality
sound on the majority of their listeners' radios) and to receiver manufacturers (who
are primarily concerned with interference from first- and second-adjacent stations).

After a year of deliberation, a modified 75-microsecond pre-emphasis/de-emphasis
standard was approved (See Figure 1-2). This provides a moderate amount of
provement for existing narrowband radios, while optimizing the sound of wideband
radios. Most importantly, it generates substantially less first-adjacent interference
than do steeper pre-emphasis curves. The second part of the NRSC standard calls for
a sharp upper limit of 10 kHz (at –15dB) for the audio presented to the transmitter.
(See Figure 1-3.)

NRSC Standard Pre-emphasis and Low-pass Filtering

OPTIMOD-AM's NRSC low-pass setting is essentially flat
exceeds the NRSC standards above that frequency. This essentially eliminates inter­ference to second and higher adjacencies. While some have protested that this is in­adequate and that 15 kHz audio should be permitted, the unfortunate fact is that
interference-free 15 kHz audio could only be achieved by a complete re-allocation
of the AM band.

to 9.5 kHz and substantially

im-

1-27

On April 27, 1989, The FCC (U.S.A.) released a Report and Order that amended sec­tion 73.44 of the FCC Rules by requiring all U.S. AM stations to comply with the oc­cupied bandwidth specifications of the NRSC-2 standard by June 30, 1990. The NRSC­2 standard is an RF mask that was derived from the NRSC-1 audio standard. The
purpose of the NRSC-2 RF mask is to provide a transmitted RF occupied bandwidth
standard that any station with a properly operating transmitter will meet if NRSC-1
audio processing is used prior to the transmitter and if the station is not overmodu­lating.

OPTIMOD-AM complies fully with the NRSC-1 standard when the 9.5 kHz NRSC low­pass filter is in use, the HF
set to +10.

Unfortunately, at this writing, the trend towards wider band receivers has reversed
and most receivers are no wider than they were in the 1970s. For this reason, many
engineers feel that using a third-order equalizer with 10 dB of ultimate boost pro­vides a more intelligible sound on the average radio than does the NRSC curve. The
9400’s HF shelving equalizer can provide such a boost.

When a station is transmitting with 5 kHz audio bandwidth, the 9400’s 5 kHz low­pass filter can produce audible ringing that some find objectionable. Using the
9400’s bell-shaped HF parametric EQ tuned to 3 kHz can reduce the effects of this
ringing by reducing the boost at 5 kHz by comparison to the 9400’s HF shelving EQ,
which maintains full boost all the way to 5 kHz. Additionally, you can use the LPF
Shape control to trade off brightness against ringing.

SHAPE control is set to NRSC, and the HF GAIN control is

1-28

INTRODUCTION ORBAN MODEL 9400

Warranty, User Feedback

User Feedback

We are very interested in your comments about this product. We will carefully re­view your suggestions for improvements to either the product or the manual. Please
email us at [e-mail]

LIMITED WARRANTY

[Valid only for products purchased and used in the United States]

Orban warrants Orban products against defects in material or workmanship for a
period of two years from the date of original purchase for use, and agrees to repair
or, at our option, replace any defective item without charge for either parts or labor.

IMPORTANT: This warranty does not cover damage resulting from accident, misuse
or abuse, lack of reasonable care, the affixing of any attachment not provided with
the product, loss of parts, or connecting the product to any but the specified recep­tacles. This warranty is void unless service or repairs are performed by an authorized
service center. No responsibility is assumed for any special, incidental, or consequen­tial damages. However, the limitation of any right or remedy shall not be effective
where such is prohibited or restricted by law.

.

Simply take or ship your Orban products prepaid to our service department. Be sure
to include a copy of your sales slip as proof of purchase date. We will not repair
transit damage under the no-charge terms of this warranty. Orban will pay return
shipping. (See Technical Support on page 5-14.)

No other warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights that vary
from state to state. Some states do not allow the exclusion of limitations of inciden­tal or consequential damages or limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts,
so the above exclusions and limitations may not apply to you.

, written or oral, is authorized for Orban Products.

INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY

Orban warrants Orban products against evident defects in material and workman­ship for a period of two years from the date of original purchase for use. This war­ranty does not cover damage resulting from misuse or abuse, or lack of reasonable
care, or inadequate repairs performed by unauthorized service centers. Performance
of repairs or replacements under this warranty is subject to submission of this War­ranty/Registration Card, completed and signed by the dealer on the day of purchase,
and the sales slip. Shipment of the defective item is for repair under this warranty
will be at the customer’s own risk and expense. This warranty is valid for the original
purchaser only.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INTRODUCTION

EXTENDED WARRANTY

Any time during the initial two-year Warranty period (but not thereafter), you may
purchase a three-year extension to the Warranty (yielding a total Warranty period
of five years) by remitting to Orban ten percent of the gross purchase price of your
Orban product. This offer applies only to new Orban products purchased from an
authorized Orban Dealer. To accept the extended five-year warranty, please sign and
date below and fax this copy to Gareth Paredes at [phone].

I ACCEPT THE EXTENDED FIVE-YEAR WARRANTY

__________________________________________________________________________

DATE______________________________________________________________________

1-29

MODEL NUMBER: 9400

SERIAL NUMBER____________________________________________________________

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

Section 2

Installation

Installing the 9400

Allow about 2 hours for installation.

Installation consists of: (1) unpacking and inspecting the 9400, (2) checking the line
voltage setting, fuse, and power cord, (3) setting the Ground Lift switch, (4) mount­ing the 9400 in a rack, (5) connecting inputs, outputs and power, (6) optional con­necting of remote control leads and (7) optional connecting of computer interface
control leads.

2-1

When you have finished installing the 9400, proceed to “Quick Setup,” on page 2-

16.

DO NOT connect power to the unit yet!

1. Unpack and inspect.

If you note obvious physical damage, contact the carrier immediately to make a
damage claim. Packed with the 9400 are:

2ea. Line Cords (domestic, European)
2ea. Fuses (½-A-250V Slow-Blow for 115V; 500mA-250V for 230V)
2ea. Fuse holders (gray for 115V fuses and black for 230V fuses)
4ea. Rack-mounting screws, 10-32 x ½ — with washers, #10
1ea. Null modem cable (for software upgrades and PC Remote connection)
1ea. PC Remote Software and Operating Manual CD

Save all packing materials! If you should ever have to ship the 9400 (e.g., for ser­vicing), it is best to ship it in the original carton with its packing materials be­cause both the carton and packing material have been carefully designed to pro­tect the unit.

Complete the Registration Card and return it to Orban. (please)

The Registration Card enables us to inform you of new applications, per­formance improvements, software updates, and service aids that may be
developed, and it helps us respond promptly to claims under warranty
without our having to request a copy of your bill of sale or other proof
of purchase. Please fill in the Registration Card and send it to us today.
(The Registration Card is located after the cover page).

Customer names and information are confidential and are not sold to
anyone.

2-2

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

2. Check the line voltage, fuse and power cord.

DO NOT connect power to the unit yet!

A) Check the V

The 9400 is shipped from the factory with the V
to the 230V position. Check and set the V

OLTAGE SELECT switch. This is on the rear panel.

OLTAGE SELECT switch set

OLTAGE SELECT switch to your

local voltage requirements. To change the operating voltage, set the

OLTAGE SELECT to 115V (for 90-130V) or 230V (for 200-250V) as appro-

V

priate.

B) Install the proper fuse and fuse holder, per your country’s standards.

The 9400 is shipped from the factory with the fuse, and fuse holder re­moved. Select the appropriate fuse holder and fuse from the supplied
parts in the accessory kit. Use the gray fuse holder for domestic / 115V
operation, or the black fuse holder for European / 230V operation. For
safety, use ½-A-250V Slow-Blow for 115V, or 500mA-250V for 230V.

TYPE 18/3 SVT COR, TYP

(3 x .82 mm2)

WIRE COLOR

NORMAL ALT

BROWN

BLUE

GREEN-YELLOW

BLACK

WHITE

GREEN

PLUG FOR

115 VAC

(USA)

CONDUCTOR

L

LINE

NEUTRAL

N

E

EARTH GND

TYPE H05VV - F - 0.75

PLUG FOR

230 VAC

(EUROPEAN)

C) Check the power cord.

AC power passes through an IEC-standard mains connector and an RF fil­ter designed to meet the standards of all international safety authorities.

The power cord is terminated in a “U-ground” plug (USA standard), or
CEE7 / 7 plug (Continental Europe), as appropriate to your 9400’s Model
Number. The green / yellow wire is connected directly to the 9400 chassis.

If you need to change the plug to meet your country’s standard and you
are qualified to do so, see Figure 2-1. Otherwise, purchase a new mains
cord with the correct line plug attached.

CONDUCTOR WIRE COLOR

L

N

NEUTRAL

E

EARTH GND

LINE

BROWN

BLUE

GREEN-YELLOW

Figure 2-1: AC Line Cord Wire Standard

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

3. Set Ground Lift switch.

ROUND LIFT switch is located on the rear panel.

The G

The G

ROUND LIFT switch is shipped from the factory in the GROUND position, (to

connect the 9400’s circuit ground to its chassis ground). This is almost always op­timum.

4. Mount the 9400 in a rack.

The 9400 requires two standard rack units (3 ½ inches / 12.7 cm).

There should be a good ground connection between the rack and the 9400 chas­sis — check this with an ohmmeter to verify that the resistance is less than 0.5.

Mounting the unit over large heat-producing devices (such as a vacuum-tube
power amplifier) may shorten component life and is not recommended. Ambient
temperature should not exceed 45C (113F) when equipment is powered.

Equipment life will be extended if the unit is mounted away from sources of vi­bration, such as large blowers and is operated as cool as possible.

2-3

5. Connect inputs and outputs.

See the hookup and grounding information on the following pages.

TOPIC PAGE

Audio Input and Audio Output Connections.............................................2-8

AES3 Digital Input and Output .................................................................2-10

Grounding

6. Connect remote control interface. (optional)

For a full listing of 9400’s extensive remote control
Control Interface Programming on page 2-46.

Optically isolated remote control connections are terminated
male connector located on the rear panel. It is wired according to Figure 2-2. To
select
ate REMOTE
and then connected to ground at pin 1 to create a Remote Common. A current­limited +12VDC source is available on pin 25. If you use 48V, connect a 2k
10%, 2-watt carbon composition resistor in series with the Remote Common or
the (+) terminal to provide current limiting.

In a high-RF environment, these wires should be short and should be run
through foil-shielded cable, with the shield connected to CHASSIS GROUND at
both ends.

..................................................................................................2-11

provisions, refer to Remote

in a type DB-25

the desired function, apply a 5-12V AC or DC pulse between the appropri-

INTERFACE terminals. The () terminals can be connected together

2-4

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

PIN ASSIGNMENT

1. DIGITAL GOUND

2. REMOTE 1+

3. REMOTE 2+

4. REMOTE 3+

5. REMOTE 4+

6. REMOTE 5+

7. REMOTE 6+

8. REMOTE 7+

9. REMOTE 8+

10. TALLY 1

11. TALLY 2

12. N/C

13. ANALOG GROUND

14. REMOTE 1-

15. REMOTE 2-

16. REMOTE 3-

17. REMOTE 4-

18. REMOTE 5-

19. REMOTE 6-

20. REMOTE 7-

21. REMOTE 8­22-24. N/C

25. +12 VOLTS DC

REMOTE INTERFACE

Figure 2-2: Wiring the 25-pin Remote Interface Connector

7. Connec

t to a computer

You can connect to a computer via the 9400’s serial connector or via an Ethernet
network.

You must have the 9400 PC Remote application installed on your com­puter before you upgrade your 9400’s firmware because 9400 PC Remote
manages the upgrade.

See Networking and Remote Control on page 2-47, Appendix: Setting Up Serial
Communications on page 2-59, Installing 9400 PC Remote Control Software on
page 2-51, and Using the 9400 PC Remote Control Software on page 3-61 for
more detail.

Figure 2-3: 9400 Serial Port Pin Identification

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

8. Install Monitor Rolloff Filter. (optional)

Orban Monitor Rolloff Filters are accessories that can be ordered from your au­thorized Orban Broadcast Dealer. The Orban model number is MRF-023.

The Orban Monitor Rolloff Filter alters the flat response typical of a modulation
monitor's audio output to one that more closely resembles that of an actual AM
receiver. It is a passive filter, requiring no power supply. Its metal flange is drilled
such that it can be mounted to one rail of a standard rack. (See page 1-23 for
more about studio monitoring.)

A) Select rolloff response.

2-5

The Monitor Rolloff Filter is supplied jumpered for NRSC
NOTCH, unless otherwise noted.

 NRSC with 10 kHz NOTCH

Accurately simulates the sound of a standard NRSC receiver. Also useful
for remote off-air monitoring because it filters out the 10 kHz whistles
caused by interfering first-adjacent stations (in countries with 10 kHz

channel spacing). Intended to complement the
in OPTIMOD-AM.

Note that very few real radios have a frequency response resembling the
NRSC standard. Therefore, the NRSC rolloff will result in substantially
brighter sound than most radios provide, and the 18dB/OCTAVE setting
provides a more realistic simulation of a typical radio.

 NRSC: NRSC rolloff without 10 kHz notch.

 18dB/OCTAVE

Simulates the sound of an average narrowband AM/MW receiver except
that it shelves off above 6 kHz instead of continuing to rolloff as a real

radio would. This rolloff complements an

HF CURVE NRSC setting

HF CURVE setting of 0 in

WITH 10 KHZ

Figure 2-4: Jumper Positions, Monitor Roll-Off Filter

2-6

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

OPTIMOD-AM. The amount of rolloff is adjustable with the filter's high
frequency ROLLOFF control to complement the setting of the HF
control on OPTIMOD-AM.

B) Change the jumpers to the desired rolloff. See Figure 2-4 on page 2-5.

C) Connect the output of your modulation monitor to the Input terminals of the

Monitor Rolloff Filter.

 If the output impedance of the source is between 0 and 35 ohms (such as

the output of an opamp), connect the source between the 0
SOURCE and COM terminals on the rolloff filter chassis.

 If the output impedance of the source is 600 ohms, connect the source

between the 600-OHM

 If the output impedance is some value in between, connect a resistor be-

tween the source's output and the Monitor Rolloff Filter's 600-OHM
SOURCE terminal so that the total source impedance seen by the Moni­tor Rolloff Filter is 600Ω (external resistor + output impedance of source
= 600Ω).

 If your console monitor or monitor amplifier input is bridging (like virtu-

ally all modern amplifiers), set the TERMINATION switches on the Rolloff
Filter to ON.

SOURCE and COM terminals.

GAIN

OHM

 If the console monitor or monitor amplifier input impedance is a true

600Ω, set the TERMINATION switch on the Rolloff Filter to OFF.

D) Connect the input of your console monitor or monitor amplifier to the

OUTPUT terminals on the Monitor Rolloff Filter.

Figure 2-5: Frequency Response Curves as Function of R

OLLOFF Control,

Monitor Rolloff Filter Strapped for 18 dB/Octave

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

E) Connect the earth ground terminals on the Rolloff Filter to earth ground for

shielding.

To avoid potential ground loops, the earth ground is not connected to
the COM terminals.

F) Set the ROLLOFF control of the Rolloff Filter to taste. See Figure 2-5 on page 2-

6.

2-7

Figure 2-6: Monitor Rolloff Filter Schematic Diagram

9400 Rear Panel

The Ground Lift Switch can be set to connect the 9400’s circuit ground to its chas­sis ground (in the G
(See Set Ground Lift switch on page 2-3.)

oltage Select switch can be set to 115V (for 90-130V operation) or 230V (for

The V
180-260V operation).

Fuse values can be changed to support 115V or 230V operation. For safety, use ½-A­250V Slow-Blow for 115V, or 500mA-250V for 230V.

The Power Cord is detachable and is terminated in a “U-ground” plug (USA stan­dard), or CEE7/7 plug (Continental Europe), as appropriate to your 9400’s Model
Number.

ROUND position). In the LIFT position, it breaks that connection.

2-8

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

An RS-232 (PC Remote) Computer Interface, labeled S
connect the 9400 to IBM PC-compatible computers, directly or via modem, for re­mote control, metering and software downloads.

A Remote Interface Connector allows you to connect the 9400 to your existing
transmitter remote control or other simple contact-closure control devices. The 9400
remote control supports user-programmable selection of up to eight optically iso­lated inputs for any one of the following parameters: recalling any factory- or user
presets, tone or bypass modes, selecting stereo modes for AM and HD processing
(stereo, mono-left, mono-right, mono-sum), selecting analog, digital or digital+J.17
input, and clock synchronization. (See Remote Control Interface Programming on
page 2-46.) The 9400 remote control accepts a DB-25 connector.

ERIAL PORT, is provided to

A valid signal is a momentary transition
the particular remote signal pins. Current must flow for at least 50ms for the signal
to be interpreted as valid. It is acceptable to apply current continuously to an input,
DC or AC. Do not exceed 12 volts unless you use an external current-limiting resistor
that limits current to 10mA. Voltage is available at this connector to facilitate use of
contact closures.

The Ethernet Port accepts a 10Mb/second or 100Mb/second Ethernet connection
terminated with an RJ45 connector.

Digital AES3 Input and Outputs are provided to support two-channel AES3­standard digital audio signals through XLR-type connectors.

Analog Inputs and Outputs are provided to support left and right audio signals
through XLR-type connectors.

from no-current to current flowing through

Input and Output Connections

Cable

We recommend using two-conductor foil-shielded cable (such as Belden 8451 or
equivalent) for the audio input and output connections because signal current flows
through the two conductors only. The shield does not carry signal and is used only
for shielding.

Connectors

 Input and output connectors are XLR-type connectors.

In the XLR-type connectors, pin 1 is CHASSIS GROUND, while pin 2 and
pin 3 are a balanced, floating pair. This wiring scheme is compatible with
any studio-wiring standard: If pin 2 or 3 is considered LOW, the other pin
is automatically HIGH.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

Analog Audio Input

IMPORTANT: Because the 9400’s music/speech detector uses information
about the stereo sound field to make its detection more accurate, it is
important to feed the 9400 with stereo source material even if it is only
being used to drive a monophonic AM analog transmitter.

 Nominal input level between –14dBu and +8dBu will result in normal operation

of the 9400.

(0dBu = 0.775Vrms. For this application, the dBm @600 scale on voltme­ters can be read as if it were calibrated in dBu.)

 The peak input level that causes overload is +27.0dBu.

 The electronically balanced input uses an ultra low noise and distortion differen-

tial amplifier for best common mode rejection, and is compatible with most pro­fessional and semi-professional audio equipment, balanced or unbalanced, hav­ing a source impedance of 600 or less. The input is EMI suppressed.

 Input connections are the same whether the driving source is balanced or unbal-

anced.

2-9

 Connect the red (or white) wire to the pin on the XLR-type connector (#2 or #3)

that is considered H
wire to the pin on the XLR-type connector (#3 or #2) that is considered L
the standards of your organization.

 In low RF fields (like a studio site), connect the cable shield at 9400 input only —

it should not be connected at the source end. In high RF fields (like a transmitter
site), also connect the shield to pin 1 of the male XLR-type connector at the 9400
input.

 If the output of the driving unit is unbalanced and does not have separate

C

HASSIS GROUND and (–) (or LOW) output terminals, connect both the shield and

the black wire to the common (–) or ground terminal of the driving unit.

IGH by the standards of your organization. Connect the black

OW by

Analog Audio Outputs

 There are two left/right output pairs (for two transmitters).

 To drive a mono transmitter, use either the L or R output and run the analog-

chain processing in the M
M

ONO FROM L+R).

ONO mode of your choice (MONO FROM L, FROM R, or

 Electronically balanced and floating outputs simulate a true transformer output.

Because of the built-in high-order EMI suppression filter, the source impedance is
351. The output is capable of driving loads of 600 or higher; the 100% modu­lation level is adjustable with the AO 100% control over a –6 dBu to +20 dBu

2-10

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

range. Loading the output with 600 will decrease the output level by 4.0 dB
compared to a high impedance (bridging) load and will reduce the maximum
available output level by 4.0 dB. A software switch in Analog Output screen al­lows the output level calibration to be set for a bridging or 600 load.

 If an unbalanced output is required (to drive unbalanced inputs of other equip-

ment), it should be taken between pin 2 and pin 3 of the XLR-type connector.
Connect the L
organization’s standards) to circuit ground; take the H

OW pin of the XLR-type connector (#3 or #2, depending on your

IGH output from the re-

maining pin. No special precautions are required even though one side of the
output is grounded.

 Use two-conductor foil-shielded cable (Belden 8451, or equivalent).

 At the 9400’s output (and at the output of other equipment in the system), do

not connect the cable’s shield to the CHASSIS GROUND terminal (pin 1) on the
XLR-type connector. Instead, connect the shield to the input destination. Con­nect the red (or white) wire to the pin on the XLR-type connector (#2 or #3) that
is considered H
to the pin on the XLR-type connector (#3 or #2) that is considered L

IGH by the standards of your organization. Connect the black wire

OW by the

standards of your organization.

AES3 Digital Input and Output

There is one AES3 input and two AES3 outputs (for two transmitters; any output can
alternatively be configured for digital radio / netcasts). The program input and out­put are both equipped with sample rate converters and can operate at 32, 44.1, 48,

88.2, and 96 kHz.

Per the AES3 standard, each digital input or output line carries both the
left and right stereo channels. The connection is 110 balanced. The
AES3 standard specifies a maximum cable length of 100 meters. While
almost any balanced, shielded cable will work for relatively short runs (5
meters or less), longer runs require used of 110 balanced cable like
Belden 1800B, 1801B (plenum rated), multi-pair 180xF, 185xF, or 78xxA.
Single-pair category 5, 5e, and 6 Ethernet cable will also work well if you
do not require shielding. (In most cases, the tight balance of Category
5/5e/6 cable makes shielding unnecessary.)

The AES3id standard is best for very long cable runs (up to 1000 meters).
This specifies 75 unbalanced coaxial cable, terminated in BNC connec­tors. A 110/75 balun transformer is required to interface an AES3id
connection to your Optimod’s digital input or output.

The digital input clip level is fixed at 0 dB relative to the maximum digital
word. The maximum digital input will make the 9400 input meters dis­play 0dB. The reference level is adjustable using the DI

The 9400 is a “multirate” system; its internal sample rate is 32 kHz and
multiples thereof (up to 512 kHz). The output is strictly band-limited to
16 kHz. Therefore, the output can pass through a 32 kHz uncompressed

REF control.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

link with bit-for-bit transparency. Because sample rate conversion is a
phase-linear process that does not add bandwidth, the 9400’s output sig­nal will continue to be compatible with 32 kHz links even if it undergoes
intermediate sample rate conversions (for example, 32 kHz to 48 kHz to
32 kHz).

Grounding

Very often, grounding is approached in a “hit or miss” manner. But with care it is
possible to wire an audio studio so that it provides maximum protection from power
faults and is free from ground loops (which induce hum and can cause oscillation).

In an ideal system:

 All units in the system should have balanced inputs. In a modern system with

low output impedances and high input impedances, a balanced input will pro­vide common-mode rejection and prevent ground loops regardless of whether it
is driven from a balanced or unbalanced source.

The 9400 has balanced inputs.

2-11

 All equipment circuit grounds must be connected to each other; all equipment

chassis grounds must be connected together.

 In a low RF field, cable shields should be connected at one end only — prefera-

bly the source (output) end.

 In a high RF field, audio cable shields should be connected to a solid earth

ground at both ends to achieve best shielding against RFI.

Power Ground

 Ground the 9400 chassis through the third wire in the power cord. Proper

grounding techniques never leave equipment chassis unconnected to power /
earth ground. A proper power ground is essential for safe operation. Lifting a
chassis from power ground creates a potential safety hazard.

Circuit Ground

To maintain the same potential in all equipment, the circuit (audio) grounds must be
connected together:

 Circuit and chassis ground should always be connected by setting the 9400’s

G

ROUND LIFT switch to its GROUND connect position.

 In high RF fields, the system is usually grounded through the equipment rack in

which the 9400 is mounted. The rack should be connected to a solid earth

2-12

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

ground by a wide copper strap — wire is ineffective at RF frequencies because of
the wire’s self-inductance.

9400 Front Panel

 Screen Display labels the four soft buttons and provides control-setting infor-

mation.

 Screen Contrast button adjusts the optimum viewing angle of the screen dis-

play.

 Four Soft buttons provide access to all 9400 functions and controls. The func-

tions of the soft buttons change with each screen, according to the labels at the
bottom of each screen.

 Next and Prev ( and ) buttons scroll the screen horizontally to accommo-

date menus that cannot fit in the available space. They also allow you to move
from one character to the next when you enter data into your 9400.

These flash when such a menu is in use. Otherwise, they are inactive.

 Control Knob is used to change the setting that is selected by the soft buttons.

To change a value, you ordinarily have to hold down a soft button while you are
turning the control knob.

 Recall button allows you recall a Factory or User Preset.

Selecting the Recall button does not immediately recall a preset. See step
15 on page 2-22 for instructions on recalling a preset.

 Modify button brings you to list of controls that you can use to edit a Factory or

User Preset. If you edit a Factory Preset, you must save it as a new User Preset to
retain your edit.

 Setup button accesses the technical parameters necessary to match the 9400 to

your transmission system.

 Escape button provides an escape from current screen and returns user to the

next higher-level screen. Repeatedly pressing Escape will always return you to
the Idle screen, which is at the top level of the screen hierarchy.

 Input meters show the peak input level applied to the 9400’s analog or digital

inputs with reference to 0 = digital full-scale. If the input meter’s red segment
lights up, you are overdriving the 9400’s analog to digital converter, which is a
very common cause of audible distortion.

 AGC meter shows the gain reduction of the slow two-band AGC processing that

precedes the separate analog and digital processing chains. Full-scale is 25 dB

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

gain reduction. You can switch the meter so that it either reads the gain reduc­tion of the Master (above-200 Hz) band, or the difference between the gain re­duction in the Master and Bass bands.

The latter reading is useful for assessing the dynamic bass equalization
that the AGC produces, and it helps you set the AGC BASS COUPLING
control.

 Gate LED indicates gate activity, lighting when the input audio falls below the

threshold set by the AGC gate threshold control (via the Full Modify screen’s
AGC G
prevent noise rush-up during low-level passages.

 Gain Reduction meters show the gain reduction in the multiband compressors.

Full-scale is 25 dB gain reduction.

AT E control). When this happens, the AGC’s recovery time is slowed to

There is also an independent gate for the five-band compressor. You can
only see its action from the Optimod PC Remote software.

The gain reduction meters can be switched to indicate either the analog
AM processing or the digital radio processing.

2-13

 Multimeters (The rightmost pair of meters) show the instantaneous peak out-

put of the processed audio in units of percentage modulation or the gain reduc­tion of the look-ahead limiter in the digital channel, in units of dB.

These meters can be switched to read the left/right digital processing
chain output signal, the gain reductions of the left and right look-ahead
limiters in the digital processing chain, or the analog processing chain
output signal. In the latter case, the left-hand meter reads negative peaks
of the higher of the two stereo channels and the right-hand meter reads
the higher of the positive peaks.

Studio Level Controller Installation (optional)

[Skip this section if you are not using a studio level controller ahead of the 9400.
Continue with “Quick Setup” on page 2-16.]

 As of this writing, the currently manufactured

as external AGCs are Optimod-PC 1101 and Optimod 6300. Their manuals con­tain instructions on how to use them in this application. They are the preferred
choices because their AGCs are identical to the AGC in the 8500.

 Discontinued Orban products usable as external AGCs include the 8200ST, 464A

“Co-Operator,” 8100AST, and 1100 OPTIMOD-PC. In this manual, we do not pro­vide step-by-step instructions for setting up all of these older products, although
it should be easy to extrapolate from the instructions we do provide.

Orban products that can be used

2-14

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

If you are using Orban 8200ST external AGC

If the STL uses pre-emphasis, its input pre-emphasis network will probably introduce
overshoots that will increase peak modulation without any increase in average
modulation. We therefore strongly recommend that the STL transmitter’s pre­emphasis be defeated (freeing the STL from such potential overshoot), and that the
8200ST be used to provide the necessary pre-emphasis.

If the STL transmitter’s pre-emphasis cannot be defeated, then configure the 8200ST
for flat output. In this case, average modulation levels of the STL may have to be re­duced to accommodate the overshoots.

1. Configure the 8200ST’s internal jumpers.

A) Remove all screws holding the 8200ST’s cover in place; then lift it off.

Refer to Figure 2-7 on page 2-15.

B) Place jumper JA in the C

C) If you have defeated the STL transmitter’s pre-emphasis, place jumpers JE and

JF in the P

D) If you cannot defeat the STL transmitter’s pre-emphasis, place jumpers JE and

JF in the F

E) Replace the top cover, and then replace all screws snugly. (Be careful not to

strip the threads by fastening the screws too tightly.)

2. Install the 8200ST in the rack. Connect the 8200ST’s audio input and out-

put.

Refer to the 8200ST Operating Manual if you require information about installa­tion, audio input, and audio output connections to the 8200ST.

3. Set 8200ST Output Level with tone.

A) Press the TONE button on the 8200ST.

The TONE lamp should light and the modulation meters should indicate
“0.” If they do not, re-strap jumpers JB and JC to “peak.” (Refer to Figure
2-7 on page 2-15.)

The
peak level of this tone corresponds to 100% modulation.

RE-EMPHASIZED position.

LAT position.

8200ST is now producing a 400Hz sine wave at each output. The

LIPPER ON position.

B) Adjust the 8200ST’s L

ing driven to 100% modulation.

L OUT and R OUT controls are now correctly calibrated to the transmit-

The
ter. If no significant overshoot occurs in the transmitter, the
meter will now give an accurate indication of peak modulation of the
STL.

OUT and R OUT controls so that the STL transmitter is be-

MODULATION

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

2-15

TOP OF MAIN BOARD

JFJE

Clipper Jumpers

*

CLIPPER ON CLIPPER OFF

JA JA

OUTPUT

Figure 2-7: 8200ST Jumper Settings (*Factory Configuration)

OUTPUT

Line-up Level Jumpers

*PEAK AVG

LEFT

JB JC

RIGHT

OUTPUT

JAJB

JC

Output Pre-Emphasis Jumpers

*

FLAT PRE-EMPHASIZED

LEFT

JE JF

LEFT

OUTPUT

JB JC

RIGHT

OUTPUT

RIGHT

OUTPUT

LEFT

OUTPUT

JE JF

RIGHT

OUTPUT

2-16

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

C) Turn off the tone by pressing the T

If the STL transmitter suffers from bounce or overshoot, you may have to
reduce the
caused by overshoots on certain audio signals.

4. Set controls for normal operation with program material.

The following assumes that a VU meter is used to determine 8200ST line drive
levels with program material.

A) Set the controls as follows:

HF LIMITER... Set to match the pre-emphasis of the transmission system

L&R Out ................................................................................do not change

GATE ....................................................................................................12:00

RELEASE ............................................................................................... 12:00

VOICE ......................................................................................................OFF

AGC ..........................................................................................................ON

COUPLE ....................................................................................................ON

B) Feed the 8200ST either with tone at your system reference level (0VU), or with

typical program material at normal levels.

L OUT and R OUT control settings to avoid peak overmodulation

ONE button.

C) Adjust the G

We recommend 8-15 dB gain reduction for most formats.

If the STL uses pre-emphasis, its input pre-emphasis network will proba­bly introduce overshoots that will increase peak modulation without any
increase in average modulation. We therefore strongly recommend that
the STL transmitter’s pre-emphasis be defeated (freeing the STL from
such potential overshoot), and that the 464A be used to provide the nec­essary pre-emphasis.

If the STL transmitter’s pre-emphasis cannot be defeated, configure the
8200ST for flat output. In this case, average modulation levels of the STL
may have to be reduced to accommodate the overshoots.

AIN REDUCTION control for the desired amount of gain reduction.

Quick Setup

Quick Setup guides you through 9400 setup for your primary analog AM transmitter.
It is appropriate for users with modern transmitter plants and without special re­quirements such as setting up HD Radio processing or CQUAM AM stereo process­ing. Following this section, you can find more detailed information regarding setup
beyond the Quick Setup screens. In most cases, you will not need this extra informa­tion.

Quick Setup assumes that your transmission plant does not need to use the 9400’s
Transmitter Equalizer. This should be true if you are using a modern solid-state
transmitter and have a reasonably wideband antenna system. If your plant needs to
use this to correct tilt, overshoot, or ringing in the RF envelope, then you will have
to adjust it after Quick Setup is completed.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

For the following adjustments, use the appropriately labeled soft button to choose
the parameter you wish to adjust. To change a parameter (like an output level), you
must usually hold down the soft button while turning the knob. However, if there is
only one parameter on a screen, you can change this with the knob alone. (You do
not have to hold down a button.) Let the text on the screen guide you through the
process.

1. Make sure that the transmitter is turned off.

This prevents transmitter damage caused by excessive modulation. You will set
the modulation level later in Quick Setup.

2. Press the front-panel Setup button.

3. Press the Quick Setup soft button when its label appears on the display.

Quick Setup presents a guided sequence of screens into which you must insert in­formation about your particular requirements. In general, the screens are self­explanatory.

2-17

Use the N
flash to indicate that they are active.

4. Set the time, date, and Daylight Savings Time.

[Skip this step if you will be using an Internet timeserver to set time, date, and
Daylight Savings Time. See Synchronizing Optimod to a Network Time Server on
page 2-55. To skip this step, press the N

A) Press the N

The set time screen appears.

B) Hold down the appropriate soft button while turning the knob to enter the

hour, minute, and seconds. Enter seconds slightly ahead of the correct time.

C) Wait until the entered time agrees with the correct time. Then press the

E

D) Press the N

E) Hold down the appropriate soft button while turning the knob to enter the

day, month, and year.

F) Press the N

G) Turn the knob to specify the date at which Daylight Savings Time begins in

your area.

EXT and PREV buttons to navigate between screens. These buttons will

EXT button four times.]

EXT button.

NTER TIME button to set the clock.

EXT button.

EXT or ENTER DATE button.

H) Press the N

I) Turn the knob to specify the date at which Daylight Savings Time ends in your

area.

EXT button.

2-18

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

5. Set output bandwidth.

This step sets the lowpass filter bandwidth in the default transmission preset
(TX1/DAY).

A) Press the N

EXT button.

B) Select the lowpass filter cutoff frequency you need by turning the knob.

The setting of the lowpass filter controls your RF occupied bandwidth. It
is very important to set it to meet the government standards in your
country.

OPTIMOD-AM can be readily programmed from its front panel or by re­mote control for any lowpass filter cutoff frequency from 4.5 kHz to 9.5
kHz (NRSC) in 0.5 kHz steps. Default is NRSC.

Quick Setup programs the filter so that it is down 0.1 dB at the assigned
cutoff frequency. However, you can later edit any transmission preset to
shape the transition region of the input section of the filter to trade off
ringing against bright sound. This may be particularly useful when using
a low cutoff frequency like 5.0 kHz. (See step 7.C) on page 2-27.)

The LPF
you to set the cutoff frequency so that it is –0.1 dB, –3 dB, or –6 dB. By
making the transition between the passband and stopband progressively
more rounded and gentle, each step trades off duller sound against less
ringing.

SHAPE control in the transmission preset does this by allowing

6. Set highpass filter cutoff frequency.

This step sets the highpass filter bandwidth in the default transmission preset
(TX1/DAY).

A) Press the N

EXT button.

B) Select the highpass filter cutoff frequency you need by turning the knob.

OPTIMOD-AM can be programmed for any highpass filter cutoff fre­quency from 50 to 100Hz in 10Hz steps. Default is 50 Hz.

The appropriate setting of the highpass filter is not determined by gov­ernment regulations, but instead depends on both your programming
format and transmitter. Modern transmitters can accommodate frequen­cies below 50Hz without loss of performance due to bounce or tilt. How­ever, virtually no AM radio can satisfactorily reproduce frequencies be­low 50Hz. Many produce distortion when attempting to reproduce such
frequencies because their RF AGC circuits are poorly designed and they
mistake low-frequency modulation for changes in carrier level. Simulta­neously, 50Hz is a low enough cutoff frequency to retain significant bass
punch and slam with music. We therefore recommend that you set the
highpass filter to 50Hz unless you have a good reason for setting it dif­ferently. One reason to set it higher would be if you have an older­technology transmitter that cannot reproduce low frequencies without
bounce or tilt. (You should experiment by setting the highpass filter to
various frequencies higher than 50Hz to determine if you can get more
average modulation from your transmitter by doing so.) Another reason

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

would be if your format is predominantly talk, because talk does not re­quire frequencies below approximately 80Hz.

All highpass filters have greater than 30dB/octave rolloff and have a
notch at 25Hz to remove any signaling tones and to protect transmitters
that might be adversely affected by modulating frequencies in this area.

Technically, what you have just done is to set the highpass filter cutoff
frequency in the TX1/DAY
the default.

transmission preset. This transmission preset is

7. Set external AGC mode.

Most of the processing structures in the 9400 control level with a preliminary
AGC (Automatic Gain Control). If you are using a suitable automatic gain control
at the studio (such as an Orban 8200ST OPTIMOD-Studio or 464A Co-Operator),
the AGC in the 9400 should be defeated. This is so that the two AGCs do not
“fight” each other and so they do not simultaneously increase gain, resulting in
increased noise.

2-19

A) Press the N

EXT button.

B) Set external AGC mode by turning the knob.

 Set the field to Y

ES if you have a external AGC (such as an Orban 1100,

1101, 6300, 8200ST OPTIMOD-Studio, Orban 464A Co-Operator, or similar
AGC) installed at your studio feeding the studio-to-transmitter link. This
setting appropriately defeats the 9400’s AGC for all presets.

 Set the field to N

O If you do not have an external AGC installed; this setting

enables the 9400 AGC status to be determined by the selected preset.

If you are using an Orban 4000 Transmission Limiter, set field to NO (so
that the AGC function in the 9400 continues to work). The Orban 4000 is
a transmission system overload protection device and is normally oper­ated below threshold. It is not designed to perform an AGC or gain­riding function, and it cannot substitute for the AGC function in the

9400.

8. Select your primary input (analog or digital).

A) Press the N

EXT button.

B) If your main input source is digital, turn the knob to select D

IGITAL+J17. Otherwise, select ANALOG.

D

The only digital encoding that typically uses J.17 pre-emphasis (of which
we are aware) is NICAM. D
most anyone using the digital input.

IGITAL, not DIGITAL+J17, is appropriate for al-

IGITAL or

9. Select the stereo/mono mode.

A) Press the N

EXT button.

B) Choose the operating mode of the analog AM processing chain.

 If you intend to operate in CQUAM® AM stereo, choose S

TEREO.

2-20

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

Note that Quick Setup does not contain full instructions for setting up a
CQUAM system. Please refer to the detailed instructions following Quick
Setup.

 If you are operating your analog transmitter in mono, choose either

ONO L (mono sourced from the left input channel), MONO R (mono

M
sourced from the right input channel), or M

ONO L+R (mono sourced from

the sum of the left and right input channels.

If you are sourcing the 9400 with stereo audio and are operating your
transmitter in mono, choose M

The left and right outputs of the analog chain are always active. In any
mono mode, they both emit the same signal.

The stereo enhancer and AGC always operate in stereo and are shared by
the HD and analog processing chains. The stereo/mono mode switching
occurs after the output of the AGC, where the analog and digital radio
processing chains split. The stereo/mono mode settings for the analog
and digital radio processing chains are independent of each other. Like
the analog processing chain, the digital radio processing chain can be
operated in S

TEREO, MONO-L+R, MONO-L, or MONO-R modes.

ONO L+R.

10. Set input operating levels.

In this step, you set the operating levels of the 9400 to match the input levels it is
receiving so the 9400’s AGC can operate in the range for which it was designed.
There are separate settings for the analog and digital inputs. If you provide both
analog and digital inputs to the 9400, optimum adjustment is achieved when the
AGC gain reduction meters show the same amount of processing when you
switch between both analog and digital inputs.

This will allow you to switch between analog and digital inputs without
sudden level changes.

A) Press the NEXT button.

B) Feed normal program material to the 9400.

C) Play program material from your studio, peaking at normal program levels

(typically 0VU if your console uses VU meters).

D) [Skip this step if you are not using the analog input.]

Hold down the A

NALOG soft button and adjust the knob so that the AGC

meter indicates an average of 10 dB gain reduction.

E) [Skip this step if you are not using the digital input.]

Hold down the D

IGITAL soft button and adjust the knob so that the AGC

meter indicates an average of 10 dB gain reduction.

11. Set the digital output sample rate.

A) Press the N

B) [Skip this step if you will not be using the digital output(s).]

EXT button.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

Turn the knob to set the Digital OUTPUT SAMPLE RATE to 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2,
or 96 kHz.

This control sets the sample rate of Digital Output #1, which is the output
most likely to be used to drive your transmitter.

The internal sample rate converter sets the rate at the 9400’s digital out­puts. This adjustment allows you to set the output sample rate to ensure
compatibility with equipment requiring a fixed sample rate. In all cases,
the 9400’s sample rate is 32 kHz and multiples thereof up to 256 kHz.

12. Prepare to set output levels.

2-21

A) Press the N

EXT button.

The positive peak threshold for all outputs is now set to 100%.

You can set asymmetry as desired after you have completed Quick Setup.

OSPEAKTHR control in the active transmission preset determines

The P
asymmetry. (For Quick Setup, the active transmission preset is TX1/D

You can use either program material or tone to set the output level (and
thus, the on-air modulation).

 To use tone, press the Y

 To use program material, press the N

We recommend using program material because it automatically takes
into account any bounce, overshoot, and ringing in the transmission
plant. A tone setup can cause overmodulation with program material
unless the modulation control in your facility is “textbook perfect.”

ES button.

O button.

13. Set the digital output level.

A) Press the N

EXT button.

B) [Skip this step if you are not using the digital output.]

This Quick Setup procedure causes you to adjust Digital Output #1 and
automatically sets its source to AM

PROC. If you are also using Digital

Output #2 (to drive a second transmitter, for example), you can adjust it
after you complete Quick Setup.

AY.)

Turn the knob to set the desired digital output level corresponding to
100% modulation, in units of dB below full-scale.

If you plan to modulate asymmetrically, you must leave headroom for
the positive peaks. For example, you must set the DO
than –2.0 dBfs to support 125% modulation.

The most accurate way to set this control is by observing a modulation
monitor or oscilloscope connected to your transmitter’s common point.
An oscilloscope is the most reliable method because it will unambigu­ously show negative carrier pinch-off, whereas some monitors have over­shoot that can cause them to under-indicate peak modulation.

100% control lower

2-22

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

14. Set the analog output level.

A) Press the N

B) [Skip this step if you are not using the analog output.]

This Quick Setup procedure adjusts Analog Output #1. If you are also us­ing Analog Output #2 (to drive a second transmitter, for example), you
can adjust it after you complete Quick Setup.

Turn the knob to set the desired analog output level corresponding to
100% modulation, in units of dBu (0 dBu = 0.776 Vrms).

C) Press the NEXT button.

If you activated the modulation setup tone in step (12.A) on page 2-21,
the tone will turn off automatically

D) Press the N

15. Choose a processing preset.

A) Turn the knob until your desired preset is visible in the lower line of the dis-

play.

B) Press the R

This step selects the processing to complement various program formats.

EXT button.

The most accurate way to set this control is by observing a modulation
monitor or oscilloscope connected to your transmitter.

.

EXT button.

ECALL NEXT button to put your desired preset on-air.

After this step, you can always select a different processing preset, pro­gram the 9400 to automatically change presets on a time / date schedule,
use a GPI input to trigger preset changes, modify presets to customize
your sound, and store these presets as User Presets.

Preset names are just suggestions. Feel free to audition different presets
and to choose those whose sound you prefer. Your preferred preset
might not be named for your format.

You can easily modify a preset later with the 9400’s one-knob L
feature. Refer to Section 3.

Note that factory processing presets (but not user presets) change their
sonic characteristics depending on the setting of the system lowpass fil­ter. The switch occurs between 7.0 and 7.5 kHz. The presets for band­widths of 7.5 kHz and above are oriented toward radios with higher au­dio bandwidth than are the presets for 7.0 kHz and below. In most cases,
the difference is the amount of HF equalization applied and the curve
shape of the equalizer.

Congratulations! You are now on the air with your initial sound. Feel free to
read the material in Section 3 of this manual, which describes the various presets
and how you can customize them to achieve your desired signature sound.

If your transmitter plant is not “textbook-perfect,” you can use the instructions
in the detailed setup procedure (following Quick Setup) to achieve highest aver-

ESS-MORE

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

age modulation by equalizing your transmitter and/or antenna system with the
9400’s Transmitter Equalizer.

16. Complete Station ID (optional).

The Station ID is an optional setting that you can provide to associate the 9400
with the station providing the program material (e.g., “KABC”). The name can
be up to eight characters long. It is used to identify your 9400 to Orban’s 9400 PC
Remote application and appears on the Main Screen when the 9400 is being con­trolled by the PC Remote application.

2-23

A) Navigate to S

B) Use the knob to set the each character in the ID. Use the N

tons to control the cursor position.

C) When finished entering your name, press the SAVE button. If you escape to

the main screen from Setup, you can now see the station name toggle on the
main screen.

The following material provides detailed instructions on how to set up the 9400. If
QUICK SETUP does not fully address your setup needs or if you wish to customize
your system beyond those provided with QUICK SETUP, then you may need the addi­tional information in the sections below. However, for most users, this material is
only for reference because QUICK SETUP has enabled them to set up the 9400 cor­rectly.

ETUP > NEXT > TIME DATE AND ID > STATION ID.

EXT and PREV but-

Analog and Digital I/O Setup

For the following adjustments, use the appropriately labeled soft button to choose
the parameter to be adjusted. To change a parameter (like an output level), it is
usually necessary to hold down the soft button while turning the knob.

1. Make sure that the transmitter is turned off.

This avoids potential damage caused by overdriving it. You will set the modula­tion level later in this setup procedure.

2. Temporarily set the external AGC mode to “No.”

A) Navigate to S

If you are using a external AGC like the Orban 8200ST, you should restore
this setting to Y

3. Adjust Input selector.

A) Navigate to S

ETUP > NEXT > NEXT > EXT AGC and set EXT AGC to NO.

ES after the setup procedure is complete.

ETUP > IO CALIB > ANLG IN/DIG IN.

2-24

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

B) Set the I

NPUT to Analog.

The 9400 will automatically switch to its analog input if signal lock is un­available at its AES3 input.

4. Adjust Analog Input Reference Level.



9dBu to +13dBu (VU), or –2 to +20dBu (PPM)] in 0.5 dB steps

[

[Skip this step if you will not be using the analog input.]

The reference level VU and PPM (Peak) settings track each other with an offset
of 8dB. This compensates for the typical indications with program material of a
VU meter versus the higher indications on a PPM.

This step sets the center of the 9400’s gain reduction range to the level to which
your studio operators peak their program material on the studio meters. This as­sures that the 9400’s processing presets will operate in their preferred range.

You may adjust this level with a standard reference / line-up level tone from your
studio or with program material.

Note that in this step, you are calibrating to the normal indication of the studio
meters; this is quite different from the actual peak level.

If you know the reference VU or PPM level that will be presented to the 9400, set
the reference level to this level, but please verify it with the steps shown directly
below.

A) Press the R

B) Turn the knob until GEN

C) Press the R

D) Navigate to S

ECALL button.

MED appears in the lower line of the display.

ECALL NEXT button.

ETUP > IO CALIB > INPUT > ANLG IN CALIB > AI REF (VU or PPM, de-

pending on which metering system you use).

E) Calibrate using Tone.

[Skip to step (F) if you are using Program material to calibrate the 9400 to
your standard studio level.]

a) Verify E

XT AGC is set to NO.

Refer to step 1 on page 2-23.

b) Feed a tone at your reference level to the 9400

If you are not using a studio level controller, feed a tone through your
console at normal program levels (typically 0VU if your console uses VU
meters).

If you are using a studio level controller that performs an AGC function,
such as an Orban 8200ST OPTIMOD-Studio, adjust it for normal opera­tion.

c) Adjust the AI REF (VU or PPM) control to make the 9400’s AGC meter

indicate 10 dB gain reduction.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

d) Skip to step (G).

F) Calibrate using Program.

[Skip this step if you are using Tone to calibrate the 9400 to your stan­dard studio level — see step (E) above.]

2-25

a) Verify E

XT AGC is set to NO.

Refer to step 1 on page 2-23.

b) Feed normal program material to the 9400

Play program material from your studio, peaking at the level to which
you normally peak program material (typically 0VU if your console uses
VU meters).

c) Adjust the AI REF (VU or PPM) control to make the 9400’s AGC meters

indicate an average of 10 dB gain reduction when the console’s VU meter
or PPM is peaking at its normal level.

If the AGC gain reduction meter averages less than 10 dB gain reduction
(higher on the meter), re-adjust the AI

If the AGC gain reduction meter averages more gain reduction (lower on
the meter), re-adjust the AI

REF (VU or PPM) to a higher level.

REF (VU or PPM) to a lower level.

G) When finished, reset EXT AGC to YES if required (e.g., if that was its setting

prior to setting AI

Refer to step 1 on page 2-23.

REF (VU or PPM) level).

5. Adjust Right Channel Balance.

[Skip this step if the channels are already satisfactorily balanced.]

[3 dB to +3dB] on right channel only, 0.1 dB steps

Adjust the R

CH BAL control to achieve correct left/right channel balance.

This is not a balance control like those found in consumer audio prod­ucts. This control changes gain of the right channel only. Use this control
if the right analog input to the 9400 is not at exactly the same level as
the left input. Be certain that the imbalance is not caused by one pro­gram source, but is instead introduced through distribution between the
console output and 9400 input. This adjustment is best accomplished by
playing program material that is known to be monophonic or by setting
the mixing console into mono mode (if available).

It is always better to correct the problem in the transmission chain caus­ing the imbalance instead of using the R
“band aid” for misalignment elsewhere in the system.

This control affects the balance of both the analog and digital processing
chains. If a given chain is in a M
effect of this control on that chain. However, if you are in M
mode, the control will still adjust the right channel’s contribution to the
L+R sum.

ONO mode, you will not be able to see the

CH BAL control, which is really a

ONO L+R

2-26

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

6. Adjust the Digital Input Reference Level and Right Balance controls.

[Skip this step if you will not be using the digital input.]

A) Navigate to S

ETUP > IO CALIB > INPUT > DIG IN and set the input source to Digi-

tal.

B) Repeat steps 3 through 5 (starting on page 2-23), but use the DI

PPM) and R CH BAL controls for the digital section.

7. Set output bandwidth and highpass filter cutoff frequency.

A) Navigate to S

To describe their most common application, the four transmission presets
are labeled TX1/DAY, TX1/NIGHT, TX2/DAY, and TX2/NIGHT, although
they can be applied in a completely general way to the requirements of
your transmission facility. Transmission Presets can be recalled by remote
control (GPI or PC Remote) and/or at preset times by the 9400’s clock­based automation.
stations will always use it once they have set it up.

The controls within a given transmission preset include lowpass filter
cutoff frequency, lowpass filter shape, highpass filter cutoff frequency,
positive peak threshold (asymmetry), and six transmitter equalizer con­trols.

Only one transmission preset can be active at a given time; that preset
determines the parameters applied to all analog AM processed outputs.
Transmission Presets do not affect any output emitting the HD-processed
signal.

Once you have selected a transmission preset, that preset will be active
until you explicitly select another via the front panel, remote control, or
clock-based automation. This is true even if AC power is interrupted.
However, if clock-based automation was scheduled to recall a different
preset during the period when the 9400 was powered down, upon
power-up the 9400 will automatically recall the preset that would have
been on-air at that time if power had stayed on.

ETUP > MODIFY TR PRESET > TX1/DAY .

TX1/DAY is the default transmission preset and many

REF (VU OR

B) Hold down the soft key under LOWPASS and Select the desired lowpass filter

cutoff frequency by turning the knob.

Lowpass filter cutoff frequencies range from 4.5 kHz to 9.5 kHz (NRSC) in

0.5 kHz steps. The setting of the lowpass filter controls your RF occupied
bandwidth, so it is very important to set it to meet the government stan­dards in your country.

Note that the user processing presets can only lower the low-pass cutoff
frequency below its setting in active transmission preset. If, in the EQ sec­tion of the processing preset, you exceed the lowpass cutoff frequency of
the TX preset, the TX preset setting will always determine the actual cut­off frequency of the processor. For example, if you have set the low-pass
cutoff frequency in the active transmission preset to 6.5 kHz, this can be
lowered to 6.0 kHz or below in a processing preset, but not raised above

6.5 kHz. This is to prevent accidentally creating presets that violate the
occupied bandwidth standards of your governing authority.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

In Region-2 countries, we recommend configuring the 9400 for 9.5 kHz
NRSC-1 lowpass filtering (via the active transmission preset) and the
18dB/octave HF equalizer active with a G
(via the active processing preset). This is similar in spirit to the NRSC pre­emphasis, which also has a maximum gain of 10dB. However, it provides
more midrange boost than the NRSC pre-emphasis, which helps the vast
majority of radios in the field. These are narrowband radios with 2 to 3
kHz audio bandwidth (3dB down). They do not meet the EIA's AMAX
standard (or even come close to it). Of course, if you wish to broadcast
with strict NRSC pre-emphasis, you can easily adjust the 9400's HF Equal­izer to do this by setting the HF curve to NRSC.

Some broadcasters have now chosen to reduce their output bandwidth
below the NRSC limit voluntarily. Setting the output bandwidth to 7.0
kHz or below in a transmission preset will automatically invoke the nar­rowband versions of the factory presets. However, it will not change a
user processing preset.

For countries where narrowband lowpass filtering is required, we rec­ommend setting OPTIMOD-AM’s lowpass filter to 6.0 kHz. This will meet
the requirements of ITU-R 328-5 without further lowpass filtering in the
transmitter. Any such lowpass filters already in the transmitter should be
removed to prevent overmodulation caused by the filter's overshoot and
ringing.

AIN of 10dB and a CURVE of 10

2-27

Figure 2-8: Effect of the LPF Shape Control with F = 5.0 kHz

C) Hold down the soft key under LPF

whether the input lowpass filter is down 0.1 dB, 3 dB, or 6 dB at the lowpass

SHAPE and turn the knob to determine

2-28

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

filter cutoff frequency. By making the transition between the passband and
stopband progressively more rounded and gentle, each step trades off duller
sound against less ringing. See Figure 2-8.

D) Hold down the soft key under H

IGHPASS AND Select the highpass filter cutoff

frequency you need by turning the knob.

OPTIMOD-AM can be programmed for any highpass filter cutoff fre­quency from 50 to 100Hz in 10Hz steps. Default is 50 Hz. See the text in
step (6.B) on page 2-18 for guidance on where to set the frequency. Re­fer to the text in step (B) on page 2-26 regarding global system settings
vs. setting in presets.

E) Set the lowpass and highpass filter cutoff frequencies for any other Transmis-

sion Presets you will be using. Note that each preset has an independent set­ting for lowpass cutoff, lowpass shape, highpass cutoff, and asymmetry.

Press ESC.

a)

b) Press

the soft key labeled with the transmission preset you wish to adjust.

c) Adjust the filter frequencies as you did in the steps above.

8. Configure analog output(s).

[Skip this step if you will not be using the analog output(s).]

A) Navigate to S

If necessary, use the N

B) Set the S

ETUP > IO CALIB > OUTPUT > ANALOG1.

EXT button to scroll horizontally.

OURCE to AM PROC, HD PROC, or MONITOR.

AM PROC feeds the selected output with the output of the processing

chain for analog AM transmitters. HD
with the output of the processing chain for HD Radio or other digital
transmission channels like netcasts.

PROC feeds the selected output

C) Set the LOAD control to BRIDGING or 600 OHMS. The normal setting is BRIDGING.

Only set this control to 600

OHMS if your transmitter has been verified to have

a 600-ohm input impedance.

Functionally, the control increases the output level by 4.0 dB when the
control is changed from B
dB loss in the 9400’s EMI filtering network when this network is loaded
by 600 ohms.

RIDGING to 600 OHM. This compensates for the 4

If you are using Analog Output #2, navigate to Navigate to SETUP > IO
CALIB > OUTPUT > ANALOG2 and repeat this step.

9. Configure digital output(s).

[Skip this step if you will not be using the digital output(s).]

A) Navigate to S

If necessary, use the N

B) Set the S

ETUP > IO CALIB > OUTPUT > DIGITAL1.

EXT button to scroll horizontally.

OURCE to AM PROC, HD PROC, or MONITOR.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

AM PROC feeds the selected digital output with the output of the proc-

essing chain for analog AM transmitters. HD
tal output with the output of the processing chain for HD Radio or other
digital transmission channels like netcasts.

PROC feeds the selected digi-

C) Then set the PRE-EMPH control to J.17 or FLAT.

Almost all systems will require FLAT output. J.17 is only used if you are
driving an STL employing J.17 pre-emphasis (like certain NICAM STLs) and
you have bypassed the J.17 emphasis filter in the STL.)

D) Press NEXT. Then set the DO1 RATE to 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, or 96 kHz.

The 9400’s fundamental sample rate is always 32 kHz. However, the in­ternal sample rate converter sets the rate at the 9400’s digital output.
This adjustment allows you to set the output sample rate to ensure com­patibility with equipment requiring a fixed sample rate.

E) Set FORMAT to AES3 or SPDIF.

Professional equipment usually requires AES3.

F) Set the desired output WORD LGTH (word length).

[14], [16], [18], [20], or [24], in bits

2-29

The largest valid word length in the 9400 is 24 bits. The 9400 can also
truncate its output word length to 20, 18, 16 or 14 bits. The 9400 can add
dither for input material that is insufficiently dithered for these lower
word lengths (see the next step).

G) Adjust DITHER to IN or OUT, as desired.

[In] or [Out]

When set to In, the 9400 adds “high-pass” dither before any truncation
of the output word. The amount of dither automatically tracks the set­ting of the W
considerably reduces added noise in the midrange by comparison to
white PDF dither. However, unlike extreme noise shaping, it adds a
maximum of 3 dB of excess total noise power when compared to white
PDF dither. Thus, it is a good compromise between white PDF dither and
extreme noise shaping.

If the source material has already been correctly dithered (as is true for
virtually all commercially recorded material), you may set this control to

ORD LEN control. This is first-order noise shaped dither that

OUT. However, particularly if you use the Noise Reduction feature, the

processing can sometimes attenuate input dither so that it is insufficient
to dither the output correctly. In this case, you should add dither within
the 9400.

H) Press NEXT. Then set the DO SYNC.

You can choose INTERNAL (the output sample rate is synchronized to the
9400’s internal crystal-controlled clock) or E
rate is synchronized to the sample rate appearing at the 9400’s AES3 in­put).

XTERNAL (the output sample

I) If you are using Digital Output #2, navigate to Navigate to SETUP > IO CALIB >

OUTPUT > DIGITAL2 and repeat steps (B) through (H).

2-30

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

10. Set output and configuration level.

This is a preliminary level adjustment. Later in this installation procedure, you
will set 9400 for the highest modulation level that your facility can produce. If
your transmission facility proved to have overshoot, tilt, or ringing when you
tested it in step 11 on page 2-31, you will have to go through the Transmitter
Equalizer adjustment procedure, which starts with step 12 on page 2-31.

A) Make sure that the transmitter is turned off.

B) Turn on the 400Hz calibration tone. To do this:

a) Navigate to S

b) Set the M

c) Set S

d) Set T

INE FREQ to 400 HZ.

ONE MOD to 50%.

e) Press the N

f) Set T

ONE CHAN to L+R.

ETUP > TEST.

ODE to SINE.

EXT key.

C) Set modulation.

a) Set to its minimum level the AO

X 100% or DOX 100% control associated

with the output you are using to drive the transmitter under adjustment.

For example, the AO1 control is found in I/O CALIB > ANALOG1 > AO1 and
the DO1 control is found in I/O

CALIB > DIGITAL1 > DO1 100%.

b) Turn the transmitter on.

c) Set the control you adjusted in step (a) to produce 40% modulation.

This leaves 2 dB of headroom to accommodate overshoot in the transmis­sion plant. This should suffice for most plants.

The most accurate way to set this control is by observing a modulation
analyzer or oscilloscope connected to your transmitter.

D) In SETUP > TEST, set the MODE to OPERATE.

E) Drive the 9400 with program material and observe the negative modulation

level. Trim the AO
are using to drive the transmitter under adjustment so that you observe 99%
modulation on negative peaks.

Spend time observing the modulation with different program material. If
you see the peak modulation level vary significantly depending on pro­gram material, the 9400’s transmitter equalizer can usually improve this
situation considerably.

Note that if you set the processing up for asymmetrical modulation
(which is done by editing the active Transmission Preset) and you observe
negative peaks that are higher than positive peaks, you can correct this
by changing the setting of the P
100% or DOX 100% control.

X 100% or DO X100% control associated with the output you

OLARITY control, located next to the AOX

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

11. Test the equipment downstream from OPTIMOD-AM.

Test the RF envelope at the transmitter’s output to determine if it exhibits tilt,
overshoot, or ringing. If you observe these problems, you can often adequately
equalize it them with the 9400’s transmitter equalizer, whose settings are de­termined by the on-air Transmission Preset.

Dealing with tilt and overshoot may seem fussy, but every dB of tilt or overshoot
is a dB of loudness lost!

Use the 9400's built-in square wave generator to make this test:

2-31

A) Navigate to S

B) Set the T

C) Set the M

D) You may now turn the final amplifier on. Observe the RF envelope at the

common point with a DC-coupled oscilloscope and advance the T
control until you can easily see the shape of the square wave.

Sweep the T
of the square wave as you do so. If you are driving more than one trans­mitter and/or your antenna load changes between day and night, test all
combinations that you will be using.

If the square wave is free from tilt and ringing at all frequencies in the
sweep, you do not need to set up the transmitter equalizer in steps 12
through (13.H)a) below. Otherwise, you must do so to achieve the high­est loudness and coverage that your facility can produce.

If you observe problems with some combinations
but not others, record which combinations cause problems. You will only
need to set up set up the Transmitter Equalizer for these combinations.
You will dedicate one Transmission Preset for each problematic combina­tion so that each combination can be equalized independently.

Figure 2-9 on page 2-33 shows tilt and Figure 2-11 on page 2-35 shows
ringing.

ETUP > TEST.

ONE MOD to 0%.

ODE to SQUARE.

ONE MOD

ONE FREQ control from 125 to 1000 Hz and observe the shape

of transmitter and load

Caution: To avoid damaging the transmitter, do not exceed 50% modulation
with square waves.

Important: Do not place additional clipping devices after OPTIMOD-AM! The
additional distortion introduced by these devices will totally nullify the advan­tages of OPTIMOD-AM's distortion-canceling clipper and will cause the out-of­band energy induced by clipping to violate FCC or ITU-R standards.

12. Equalize the transmitter’s low frequency square wave response.

[Skip the Transmitter Equalizer adjustment steps [(steps 12 though (13.H)a)] if
the RF envelope square wave test you preformed in step 11 above showed no
sign of tilt, overshoot, or ringing.]

2-32

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

Overview of Transmitter Equalization

The

Transmitter Equalizer has a low frequency section to equalize tilt and a high
frequency section to equalize overshoot and ringing. If you are adjusting a
CQUAM AM stereo plant, you must also adjust a second set of high frequency
controls (for the L–R channel). These L–R controls do nothing in a mono facility.

The Transmitter Equalizer does not affect the 9400’s HD processed output.

The Transmitter Equalizer setup parameters are stored independently in the four
Transmission Presets (See page 1-17). If you are driving two transmitters, you will
usually
ing two transmission presets per transmitter allows you to equalize that trans­mitter and its antenna load independently for day and night operation. This may
be desirable if the transmission parameters (power or antenna pattern) change
between day and night.

dedicate either one or two Transmission Presets to each transmitter. Us-

In addition to the Transmitter Equalizer controls, you must set the L

IGHPASS, and POS PEAK controls in each preset you use.

H

If you are only driving one transmitter and the plant’s parameters do not change
between day and night, then you only need to use and adjust the default TX1
DAY Transmission Preset.

Description of the TX EQ Controls

LF FREQ

Equalizer section of the Transmitter Equalizer is up approximately +3dB.
This control is only available for the L+R (envelope modulation) channel.

LF GAIN:

provided by the Tilt Equalizer section of the Transmitter Equalizer. The
control is only available for the L+R channel.

HF DELAY:

tion of the Transmitter Equalizer begins to add phase shift to correct for
non-constant delay in the transmitter and antenna system. This control is
available for both the L–R and L+R channels.

HF GAIN: Determines the frequency at which the High Frequency Shelv­ing Equalizer section of the Transmitter Equalizer begins to roll off the
high frequency response, compensating for overshoot in the transmitter
and antenna system. This control is available for both the L–R and L+R
channels.

: Determines the frequency at which the response of the Tilt

Determines the maximum amount of low frequency correction

Determines the frequency at which the delay equalizer sec-

The L–R channel is only of interest if you are equalizing a CQUAM AM
stereo installation. In mono installations, the L–R Transmitter Equalizer
controls have no effect.

OWPASS,

/

Procedure for LF Equalization

You will set up one 9400 Transmission Preset at a time.

A) Connect the vertical input of the oscilloscope to

loop (or other convenient source of RF).

B) Connect the sync (or external trigger) input of the oscilloscope to an available

9400 analog output.

the transmitter’s sampling

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

There are four analog outputs and you will be using two at most while
adjusting any given Transmission Preset. You may have to move the sync
connection between outputs if you need to set up Transmission Presets
for two transmitters.

C) Turn on the 9400's built-in square wave generator:

2-33

a) Navigate to S

b) Set the T

c) Set the M

d) Set S

QR FREQ to 125 HZ.

ETUP > TEST.

ONE MOD to 0%.

ODE to SQUARE.

D) Turn on the carrier.

E) Observe the RF envelope at the common point with a DC-coupled oscilloscope

and advance the T

F) Navigate to S

G) If necessary, press N

ONE LVL control to produce 30% modulation.

ETUP > MODIFY TX PRESET > TX1/DAY.

EXT until you see the screen containing the four L+R

transmitter equalizer controls.

H) Review the RF envelope display.

Many transmitters (particularly older designs) will produce an RF enve­lope resembling Figure 2-9. If the oscilloscope display looks like this,

con-

tinue to step (I).

If the oscilloscope display

looks like Figure 2-10, no low frequency equali-

zation is necessary. Skip to step 13 on page 2-34.

I) Set the L+R

LF GN to 10.0 dB.

Setting the L+R LF GN control to maximum low-frequency boost ensures
response that is closest to true DC-coupling, optimizing square wave re­sponse.

Depending on the transmitter, this large amount of boost at sub-audible

Figure 2-9: Unequalized RF envelope

(showing tilt)

Figure 2-10: RF envelope requiring

no tilt equalization

2-34

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

frequencies might cause bounce and/or distortion on heavy bass tran­sients in music. In step 15 on page 2-37, you will be instructed to turn the

LF GN control down until these problems are no longer observed.

L+R

This will make the measured square wave response poorer. However, en­gineering realities force a compromise between best small signal (i.e.,
square wave) response and best large signal (i.e., bounce and distortion)
performance. This compromise is best made by careful experimentation
with program material to find the setting of the L+R LF GN control that
gives the highest average modulation without audible distortion.

J) Adjust the L+R LF FR to make the square wave as flat as possible.

Work quickly to avoid overheating the transmitter. Figure 2-10 shows the
result

of a successful adjustment. If a display like that in Figure 2-10 could

not be produced by adjusting the LF

FR control, transmitter low-

frequency response is inadequate and there is too much low-frequency
rolloff.

A transmitter that cannot be fully equalized can cost up to 4dB average
modulation even though audible frequency response does not suffer be­cause equalization occurs below the audible frequency range. This prob­lem cannot be corrected without modifying the transmitter. In many
cases, such modification is easy: it merely requires bypassing the highpass
filter(s) in the input stage of the transmitter. It also may require replacing
coupling capacitors with capacitors of a larger value. In other cases, fun­damental inadequacies in the input, inter-stage transformers (if used),
and/or modulation transformers (if used) are the cause. See the discussion
on page 1-15.

Unless the transmitter is of a relatively modern solid-state design, being
unable to equalize it fully is a good reason to replace it with an up-to­date solid-state design using a switching or digital modulator. In most
cases, this purchase will pay for itself in reduced power bills and the new
transmitter will sound far better on the air.

K) Turn off the transmitter and allow it to cool down for several minutes.

13. Equalize transmitter high-frequency response.

A) Set the 9400's square wave controls to produce a 1 kHz square wave at 30%

modulation:

a) Navigate to S

b) If necessary, set the M

c) Set S

QR FREQ to 1000 HZ.

Note: Because the 9400 is digital, its square wave generator cannot pro­duce any harmonics higher than 16 kHz (one-half of its 32 kHz sampling
frequency). To prevent visible ringing of the square wave due to this
sharp cutoff of its higher harmonics, we have applied an internal digital
filter to the output of the 9400's square wave generator. This filter
rounds off the edges and prevents significant ringing. You may want to
look directly with the scope at the unequalized output of the 9400 to get
a feel for what this waveform looks like before it is applied to your
transmitter.

ETUP > TEST.

ODE to SQUARE.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

B) Make sure that the oscilloscope is synchronized to the square wave.

C) Turn on the carrier. Observe the RF envelope at the common point with a DC-

coupled oscilloscope and trim the T
30% modulation.

ONE LVL control (if necessary) to produce

2-35

D) Navigate to S

E) If necessary, press N

transmitter equalizer controls.

To avoid overheating the transmitter, perform steps (C) through (G) quickly.

Adjustment of the high frequency transmitter equalizer controls cannot be
into a dummy load because the transmitter will overshoot and ring differently
when loaded by the reactance of your antenna system.

F) Set the L+R HF  and L+R HF FR controls to O

If no overshoot is observed, skip to step (H).

G) Adjust the L+R HF  and L+R HF 

shoot.

The L+R HF DELAY and L+R HF FR controls interact. First, adjust the L+R
HF FR control until any ringing is reduced to the same level as the flat
part of the square wave (you will still have ringing, but no overshoot).
Then adjust the L+R HF DELAY control (which will further reduce the am­plitude of the ringing on the leading edge of the square wave while in­troducing a new ring on the trailing edge) until the amplitude of the
ringing at the leading and trailing edges is equal. The peaks of the ring­ing at both edges should approach the flattop modulation level as closely
as possible without exceeding it. Note that the L+R HF FR control does
most of the work.

ETUP > MODIFY TX PRESET > TX1/DAY.

EXT until you see the screen containing the four L+R

done

FF.

controls to minimize ringing and over-

Note also that the L+R HF DELAY control will produce little or no visible
effect until you set it beyond 40.

Adjusting the L+R HF DELAY control like this usually reduces the level of
the ringing to below the flattop modulation level. Reducing the setting

Figure 2-11: Unequalized RF envelope

(showing ringing)

Figure 2-12: RF envelope showing

successful HF equalization

2-36

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

of the L+R HF FR control until the ringing is again at the flattop modula­tion level will unbalance the ringing at the leading and trailing edge of
the square wave, and necessitate further adjustment of the L+R HF 
control. Alternate between these two interactive controls until the peaks
of ringing at both the leading and trailing edges of the square wave are
at the flattop modulation level. Figure 2-11 illustrates a typical waveform
before adjustment and Figure 2-12 shows the result of a successful ad­justment.

(The waveform produced by your system may look quite differ-

ent.)

H) Turn off the square wave generator and turn off the carrier to allow the

transmitter to cool down for several minutes:

a) Navigate to S

b) Set the M

ETUP > TEST.

ODE to OPERATE.

14. Set the L–R Transmitter Equalizer controls.

[Skip this step unless you are setting a CQUAM AM stereo facility. The controls
under adjustment in this step do not affect a mono facility if the 9400’s analog
processing chain is set to a mono mode.]

After you have set up the CQUAM exciter for best separation without any audio
processing by following its manufacturer’s instructions, you should trim the
9400’s L–R

HF FR and L–R HF  controls to maximize stereo separation through

the entire transmission chain, including the 9400. In most cases, you will maxi­mize separation if you set these controls to the same settings as their L+R coun­terparts. However, it may be worthwhile to sweep the system and trim the L–R
controls to maximize separation. To do so:

A) Navigate to S

B) Set the AM

C) Navigate to S

D) Set the M

ETUP > I/O CALIB.

PROC control to STEREO.

ETUP > TEST.

ODE to BYPASS.

E) Connect the output of a sweep generator to one input channel of the 9400

(either left or right). Ground the other channel to minimize crosstalk.

Alternatively, you can use a sweep generator with a digital output and
use the 9400’s digital input.

F) Set the sweep generator’s output level to produce about 50% modulation.

G) Observe the output of your CQUAM stereo modulation monitor correspond-

ing to the undriven channel.

H) Navigate to S

I) Press N

J) Set these controls the same as their L+R counterparts.

ETUP > MODIFY TX PRESET > TX1/DAY.

EXT until you see the L–R HF FR and L–R HF DELAY controls.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

K) Interactively tweak these controls to maximize separation (by minimizing the

maximum amount of crosstalk into the undriven channel). It may turn out
that no improvement is possible.

2-37

L) Navigate to S

M) Set the M

ETUP > TEST.

ODE to OPERATE.

15. Test the polarity and LF transmitter equalization settings under pro-

gram conditions.

A) Apply program material to OPTIMOD-AM's input at normal operating levels.

B) Recall the GEN

MED preset:

a) Press the Recall button.

b) Turn the control knob until you see next: GEN

c) Press the RECALL NEXT soft key button to select the GEN

MED.

MED preset.

C) Turn on the carrier.

D) Navigate to S

E) Set the P

ETUP > MODIFY SYS PST > TX1/DAY.

OS PEAK control to 125%:

F) Check modulation asymmetry with the oscilloscope or with your modulation

monitor.

If negative peaks are modulating higher than positive peaks:

a) Navigate to S

ETUP > I/O CALIB .

b) Press the button corresponding to the active output

c) Change the setting of the P

d) Navigate to S

G) Set the POS

The 100% setting yields the cleanest sound. (See page 1-16 for an expla­nation.)

However, if absolute maximum loudness is desired at the expense of
cleanest possible sound, the POS
your government regulations and transmitter performance will allow. In
the U.S., FCC Rules limit this to 125%.

Note too that the distortion of older transmitters and most receivers
tends to increase radically when negative modulation of more than 85%
is attempted. In the case of receivers, the major cause of this distortion is
cheaply designed envelope detectors with incorrectly biased diodes. Con­sider reducing clipping in the processing so that the last 15% or so of
modulation consists of low duty-cycle spikes that can be soft-clipped by
the receiver’s detector. This trades off about 1.5dB loudness loss for sub­stantially cleaner sound.

If you choose to modulate asymmetrically with a transmitter that com­presses peaks in the positive direction, do not attempt to modulate be-

ETUP > MODIFY TX PRESET > TX1/DAY.

PEAK control to 100%.

OLARITY control.

PEAK control may be set as high as

2-38

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

yond the performance limitations of your transmitter. Doing so would
only cause distortion beyond the distortion intrinsic to asymmetrical op­eration.

H) Navigate to SETUP > I/O CALIB /

I) Press the button corresponding to the active output.

J) Observe the oscilloscope. Adjust the output level control (AO1 100%, AO2

100%, DO1 100%, or DO2 100%) to achieve as high negative peak modula­tion as possible without carrier pinch-off.

If all is well, the negative peaks of the envelope modulation will usually
hang close to 100% at all times except during pauses. If the correct ad­justment of the output level control seems dependent on the nature of
the program material, the transmitter probably suffers from power sup­ply bounce. See the next step.

To achieve highest possible modulation without carrier pinch-off (and
therefore most efficient utilization of available transmitter power), the
output level control must be adjusted with program material (not test
tones), because the transmitter will almost always behave somewhat dif­ferently with program material than with tone. For example, tone cannot
excite power supply bounce.

K) Adjust the L+R LF GN control. (optional)

Some transmitters cannot be corrected fully because the bass boost pro­duced by the equalizer exaggerates power supply bounce problems
and/or causes actual saturation or clipping of modulator stages, trans­formers, reactors, etc. (see page 1-15). In some cases, a compromise be­tween full tilt correction and these other problems may have to be
achieved by careful experimentation with program material. The 9400's
L+R LF GN control is designed to permit such a compromise.

The preceding transmitter equalization adjustment (using square waves)
was done using the maximum low-frequency boost to ensure response
that is closest to true DC coupling, which optimizes square wave re­sponse. If this large amount of boost at sub-audible frequencies causes
bounce and/or distortion on heavy bass transients in music, turn the L+R
LF GN control down until these problems are no longer observed. This
will make the measured square wave response poorer. However, engi­neering realities force a compromise between best small signal (i.e.,
square wave) response and best large signal (i.e., bounce and distortion)
performance. This compromise is best made by careful experimentation
with program material to find the setting of the L+R LF GN control that
gives the highest average modulation without audible distortion.

If the tilt correction trips overload relays when program material is
broadcast, it is often possible to readjust the trip point of these relays to
avoid this problem but do this with the greatest care, because the trans­mitter will be endangered by an improperly adjusted overload relay.

Orban accepts no responsibility for transmitter failures introduced by
such re-adjustments, or by the high average power, bass and treble pre­emphasis, or by any other characteristics of OPTIMOD-AM audio process­ing.

The care and feeding of your transmitter requires the application of
sound engineering judgment: inadequate transmitters (typically of old

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

vacuum-tube plate-modulated design) may fail, may have their tube life
shortened, etc. Such transmitters are simply incapable of supplying the
average power demands of OPTIMOD-AM processing regardless of
transmitter equalization. If the station is to achieve the full benefits of
OPTIMOD-AM processing, these transmitters must be either repaired,
modified, or replaced.

16. If you will be using other Transmission Presets, repeat steps 11 through

15 to set them.

2-39

Substitute
in these steps.

Do not forget the set the L
Transmission Preset that you use.

17. Set Digital Radio output level.

A) Navigate to

you are using to drive the digital radio transmitter.

B) Set the output level to match the clipping level of the digital radio input. Re-

fer to the transmitter manufacturer’s instructions to obtain the correct level.

IMPORTANT: Do not use the output level control to turn down the loud­ness of the digital channel if it is louder than the analog channel on an
HD AM receiver. Instead, turn down the HD
on-air preset and save the resulting edited preset as a User Preset. Using
the HD
the 9400 does, thereby minimizing stress on the codec.

18. End I/O setup.

If you are using a external AGC and you temporarily set the E
step 1 on page 2-23, set the E

the name of the Transmission Preset under adjustment for “TX1/D

OWPASS, HIGHPASS, and POS PEAK controls for each

SETUP > IO CALIB > OUTPUT > DIGITAL[X] (where “x” is the output

LIMITER DRIVE control in the

LIMITER DRIVE control minimizes the amount of peak limiting that

XT AGC to NO in

XT AGC to YES.

AY”

19. Select a processing preset.

See step 15 on page 2-22.

Automation Using the 9400’s Internal Clock

1. If you have not already done so, set the system clock.

[You can also set the clock automatically via PC Remote or the Internet. See
Synchronizing Optimod to a Network Time Server starting on page 2-55.]

A) Navigate to S

a) Set hours and minutes.

ETUP > NEXT > TIME DATE AND ID > SET TIME.

2-40

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

b) Enter seconds slightly ahead of the correct time.

c) Wait until the entered time agrees with the correct time. Then press the

NTER TIME button to set the clock.

E

B) Press the S

ET DATE button.

a) Set today’s date, using the days, month, and year buttons.

b) Press the E

C) Press the D

a) Using the Daylight Saving (DT

NTER DATE button.

AYLIGHT TIME button.

MONTH and DT WEEK) buttons, set the month

and week when Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time) begins, or O

b) Using the Standard Time (ST

MONTH and ST WEEK) buttons, set the month

and week when Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time) ends.

Note that setting DT MONTH, DT WEEK, ST MONTH, or ST WEEK to OFF will
defeat Daylight Time functionality.

c) Press the Escape key to back out of the daylight saving screen.

D) (Optional) Press the S

TATION ID button to specify your station’s identifier (call

sign or call letters).

a) Use the knob to select characters. Use the P

REV and NEXT buttons to move

the cursor.

b) When you are finished, press

SAVE.

2. Navigate to Setup > Next > Automation.

FF.

If the A

UTOMATION button reads DISABLED, hold it down and turn the knob to en-

able automation.

This button allows you to easily enable or disable all automation events without
having to edit individual automation events.

3. To add an automation event:

A) Push the A

DD EVENT button.

B) Choose whether you wish to program an event that occurs only once or an

event that follows a daily or weekly schedule.

C) For events that occur only once:

a) Use the

and turn the knob so that is reads “

b) Use the P

PREV and NEXT buttons to move the cursor over the word “DAILY:”

DATE:” instead.

REV and NEXT buttons to move the cursor to the day, month, and

year when the automation event will occur. Set the desired values with the
knob.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

c) Use the PREV and NEXT buttons to move the cursor set the hour, minute,

and second (in 24-hour format) when the automation event is to occur. Set
the desired values with the knob.

D) For events that occur on a daily or weekly schedule:

2-41

a) Use the P

week in turn, and use the rotary encoder to turn the day on or off.

You can program the event to occur on as many days of the week as you
wish.

b) Use the PREV and NEXT buttons to move the cursor set the hour, minute,

and second (in 24-hour format — e.g., 18:00:00 for 6:00 PM) when the
automation event is to occur. Set the desired values with the knob.

Automation events have a “start” time but no “stop” time. The 9400 will
indefinitely remain in the state specified by an existing automation event
until its state is changed by another automation event or by another ac­tion (such as a user’s interacting with the front panel or PC Remote soft­ware).

E) For all events:

a) Press the S

b) Turn the knob to set the desired event. The available events are:

 Recall factory preset

 Recall user preset

 Recall transmission preset

 Analog processing chain stereo mode

REV and NEXT buttons to move the cursor the each day of the

ELECT EVENT button.

 Analog processing chain mono-from left-channel (MONO-L) mode

This mode takes the left channel input, splits it to the left and right in­puts of the processing, and applies identical processing to both chan­nels.

 Analog processing chain mono-from right-channel (MONO-R) mode

 Analog processing chain mono-from-sum-of-channels (MONO-SUM)

 Digital processing chain stereo mode

 Digital processing chain mono-from left-channel (MONO-L) mode

 Digital processing chain mono-from right-channel (MONO-R) mode

 Digital processing chain mono-from-sum-of-channels (MONO-SUM)

 Bypass Mode (Bypasses the analog and digital processing chains, ap-

plying the signal at the 9400’s active input to all outputs with a gain
set by the S

ETUP > TEST > BYPASS GAIN control.)

2-42

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

 Exit Test (restores the operating preset that was on-air before a test

mode was invoked)

 No function

F) When you have programmed an event to your satisfaction, press the S

EVENT button.

You will return to the automation menu.

4. To edit an existing event:

A) Press the V

You can search by date or event (e.g., recalling a given preset). Use the

EXT button to navigate between DATE and EVENT.

N

B) Turn the knob until you see the event you wish to edit.

C) Press the E

D) Edit the event as desired. Use the same technique as adding an event.

E) Press the SAVE EVENT button to store your edits.

5. To delete an event:

A) Press the D

B) Choose the event to delete with the knob.

C) When you have located the event you want to remove, press the D

EVENT button.

IEW > EDIT EVENT button.

DIT EVENT button.

See step 3 on page 2-40.

ELETE EVENT button.

AVE

ELETE

This action will immediately delete the event. There is no “are you sure”
warning message. To abort the deletion, press the E

ELETE EVENT button.

D

SC button, not the

Security and Passcode Programming

[Skip this step if you do not plan to use PC Remote software or do not plan to lock
out the front panel locally.]

The 9400 has five levels of security to prevent unauthorized people from changing
its programming or operating state. Security controls access to the front panel and
to anyone connecting to the 9400 through a direct serial connection, dial-up net­working (through modems), or its Ethernet port.

The security levels are:

1. All Access (i.e., administrator level)

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

2. All Access except Security

3. All Screens except Modify and Security

4. Recall, Modify, and Automation

5. Recall Presets and Program Automation

6. Recall Presets

7. View Meters and Presets (read-only)

There is no default passcode. The Optimod’s front panel cannot be locked out unless
the Optimod has been assigned at least one All Access

passcode.

Your Optimod secures User Presets by encrypting them (using the Advanced Encryp­tion Standard algorithm with the session passcode as its key) when PC Remote
fetches them. Hence, a packet sniffer cannot intercept User Presets in plaintext form.
PC Remote then writes the fetched User Presets in encrypted form on your hard
drive, where they remain for the duration of your PC Remote session.

If PC Remote exits normally, it will erase these temporary User Preset files
from your computer’s hard disk. If it does not exit normally, these files
will remain in encrypted form. However, the next time that PC Remote
starts up, it will automatically clean up any orphaned files.

2-43

To Create a Passcode:

A) Navigate to SETUP > SECURITY > ADD PASSCODES.

If the front panel is already password protected, you can only access this
screen by entering a passcode with All Access privileges.

B) Use the four soft buttons, labeled“1,” “2,” “3,” and “4,” to create a passcode.

Passcodes can be up to eight characters long but can only contain the
characters “1,” “2,” “3,” and “4.” This limitation makes it easy to enter a
passcode using the four available soft buttons.

C) When you have finished entering your new passcode, write it down so you do

not forget it. Then press the N

If you wish to discard the passcode you just entered, press the ESC button
instead. Then return to step (B).

D) The PERMISSIONS screen appears. Turn the knob to choose the permission level

for the passcode you just created.

If you wish to discard the passcode you just entered, press the PREV but­ton to return to the Enter Passcode screen or E
rity screen.

E) Press the NEXT button to save your new passcode.

EXT button.

SC to return to the Secu-

To Edit a Passcode:

A) Navigate to S

ETUP > SECURITY > VIEW-EDIT PASSCODES.

2-44

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

If the front panel is already password protected, you can only access this
screen by entering a passcode with A

LL ACCESS privileges.

B) Turn the knob until you see the passcode you want to edit.

C) Press the N

EXT button. The Permissions screen appears.

D) Turn the knob to set the desired permission level for the passcode you are ed-

iting.

E) Press the N

EXT button to confirm your choice.

Your new permission level is stored and the Security menu appears.

To Delete a Passcode:

A) Navigate to SETUP > SECURITY > DELETE PASSCODES.

If the front panel is already password protected, you can only access this
screen by entering a passcode with All Access privileges.

B) Turn the knob until you see the passcode you want to delete.

C) Press the N

D) Press the Y

EXT button. The Confirm Delete screen appears.

ES soft button to delete the passcode. Press the NO or ESCAPE

buttons to abort deleting the passcode.

To Lock the Front Panel Immediately:

After you have adjusted the processor, to maximize security you will often want
to lock it immediately without waiting for the timeout. To do so:

A) Press the S

B) If the L

ETUP button.

OCK NOW soft button is not visible, press the NEXT button until you see

it.

C) Press the L

OCK NOW soft button.

To Program local lockout:

A) Navigate to SETUP > SECURITY.

If the front panel is already password protected, you can only access this
screen by entering a passcode with A

B) Hold down the AUTOLOCK soft button and turn the knob to set the desired

lockout time (if any).

You can program the lockout delay time (in hours:minutes) from 1 min­ute to 8 hours, or O
local front panel control and when the front panel automatically locks it­self out, requiring entering a passcode to obtain front panel control of
the 9400.

FF. This is the time delay between the last access to a

LL ACCESS privileges.

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

Autolock can only be turned on if at least one passcode exists with ALL
ACCESS privileges because an ALL ACCESS passcode is required to fully

unlock the panel or to turn off the Autolock function.

C) Press the ESCAPE button to leave the Security menu.

To Unlock the Front Panel:

A) On the 9400 front panel, operate any button or the knob.

The P

ASSCODE screen will appear.

B) Enter a passcode using the four soft buttons.

The 9400 functionality that you can access depends on the security level
of the passcode that you entered.

After you have finished working, the panel will automatically re-lock af­ter the time delay you set in S
new delay at any time if you have an A

ETUP > SECURITY > AUTOLOCK. (You can set a

LL ACCESS passcode.)

Dial-up Networking and the Passcode

2-45

When you make a Windows Dial-up Networking connection, Windows will ask you
for your passcode. To allow the connection to occur, enter any passcode that you set
at the 9400’s front panel. Once your PC is connected to the 9400, you will be able to
access the 9400 functionality corresponding to the security level of your passcode.

If you have not set a passcode, leave the Windows dialog box blank.

If You Have Forgotten Your Passcode

You can reset factory defaults and wipe out security passcodes (in case you forgot

LL ACCESS passcode).

your A

A) Remove power from the 9400.

B) While pressing both the E

The Restore Defaults screen appears.

C) To gain access to the 9400, press the E

D) Reprogram passcodes as necessary; see To Create a Passcode on page 2-43.

The RESTORE DEFAULTS button (in the Restore
all System Setup and Input/Output parameters to their factory default
settings. It also erases all passcodes. You should never need to use this
button in an existing installation, although it is a convenient way to
make the 9400 “factory fresh” if it is being installed in a different facility.

SCAPE and SETUP buttons, restore power.

RASE ALL PASSCODES soft button.

Defaults screen) restores

The RESTORE DEFAULTS button takes you to a screen that allows you to
keep or erase any user presets that exist in your unit.

2-46

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

Remote Control Interface Programming

[Skip this step if you do not wish to program the GPI (contact closure) remote con­trol interface.]

1. Navigate to S

2. Program one or more remote control interfaces.

A) Navigate to the desired Remote Interface button (1 through 8) by repeatedly

pressing the N

B) Hold down the button while turning the knob to select the desired function

for the interface.

Use either button below the appropriate graphics; both work the same.

A momentary pulse of voltage will switch most functions, except as
noted.

 Preset Name: switches the named preset on the air. The control interface

can recall any factory or user preset.

 Input: Analog: selects the analog inputs.

 Input: Digital: selects the digital input and but does not apply de-

emphasis to it.

 Input: Digital+J.17: selects the digital input and applies J.17 de-emphasis

to it.

 Bypass: switches the Bypass Test Mode on the air.

ETUP > NEXT > NETWORK & REMOTE > REMOTE INTERFACE.

EXT button.

 Tone: switches the Tone Test Mode preset on the air.

 Exit Test: If a test preset is presently on the air, EXIT

previous processing preset.

 Analog Chain Stereo: connects the left and right outputs of the stereo

enhancer and AGC (which always operate in stereo) to the left and right
inputs of the analog chain processing. The analog chain processing starts
with its equalizer section.

 Analog Chain Mono from Left, Mono from Right, or Mono from

Sum: Takes the Left, Right, or Sum (L+R) from the outputs of the stereo

enhancer and AGC and applies it to the left and right inputs of 9400’s
analog processing chain. In any of these modes, the left and right outputs
of the analog processing chain carry identical signals and either can be
used to drive a mono transmitter.

 Digital Chain Stereo: connects the left and right outputs of the stereo

enhancer and AGC (which always operate in stereo) to the left and right

TEST reverts to the

OPTIMOD-AM DIGITAL INSTALLATION

inputs of the digital (HD) chain processing. The digital chain processing
starts with its equalizer section.

 Digital Chain Mono from Left, Mono from Right, or Mono from

Sum: Takes the Left, Right, or Sum (L+R) from the outputs of the stereo

enhancer and AGC and applies it to the left and right inputs of 9400’s
digital processing chain. In any of these modes, the left and right outputs
of the digital processing chain carry identical signals. While the digital
chain will ordinarily operate in stereo, these mono modes can be useful to
recover from a situation where one channel of a stereo STL fails.

 Transmission Preset: Puts any of the four transmission presets

(TX1/DAY, TX1,NIGHT, TX2/DAY, or TX2/NIGHT) on air.

 Monitor Mute: mutes any output that is set for “monitor” (not “trans-

mitter”). By connecting this output to a loss-of-carrier alarm, you can
simulate an “off-the-air” condition that mutes the control room monitor,
thereby immediately alerting the talent or operator.

 Reset Clock To Hour: resets the internal clock to the nearest hour. For

example, 3:03:10 would be reset to 3:00:00, while 3:53:40 would be reset
to 4:00:00. Use this function to periodically re-sync the 9400’s internal
clock to your station’s master clock.

2-47

 Reset Clock to Midnight: Resets the clock to 0:00:00. You can use this

function to periodically re-sync the 9400’s internal clock to your station’s
master clock.

 No Function: remote input is disabled.

3. End remote control interface programming.

When you are finished programming the remote control interface, press the Es­cape button to return to higher menu levels.

Networking and Remote Control

[Skip this step if you do not wish to connect to your 9400 remotely, either for
downloading software upgrades or for PC Remote Control.]

The 9400 has a built-in Ethernet connector that can be used with 10 Mbps or 100
Mbps networks using the TCP/IP protocol. You can also connect a PC to the 9400
through the 9400’s RS-232 serial port, either by modem or directly through a null
modem cable.

1. Prepare the 9400 for an Ethernet network connection:

[Skip this step if you will not be using an Ethernet connection.]

2-48

INSTALLATION ORBAN MODEL 9400

 See your network administrator to get the data required in the following

procedure.

 Note that if you wish to do this from the 9400 PC Remote software, you

must first be able to connect to the 9400. Therefore, you will usually perform
this procedure from the 9400’s front panel to prepare it for connection.

A) Navigate to S

B) Press the S

ETUP > NETWORK & REMOTE > NEXT.

ET IP ADDRESS soft button.

The IP Address Screen appears.

a) Use the N

EXT and PREV keys to move the cursor in turn to each digit in the

IP address. Use the knob to set the digit to the desired value. Repeat until
you have selected all the numbers in the IP address assigned by your
network administrator

b) Press the S

AVE soft button to confirm your setting.

C) Set the Subnet Mask assigned by your network administrator if necessary:

a) Press the S

b) Use the N

ET SUBNET MASK soft button.

EXT and PREV keys to move the cursor in turn to each digit in the

subnet mask. Use the knob to set the digit to the desired value. Repeat
until you have selected all the numbers in the subnet mask assigned by
your network administrator

c) Press the S

AVE soft button to confirm your setting.

D) Set the Gateway Address assigned by your network administrator if necessary:

a) Press the G

b) Use the N

ATEWAY ADDRESS soft button.

EXT and PREV keys to move the cursor in turn to each digit in the

gateway address. Use the knob to set the digit to the desired value. Repeat
until you have selected all the numbers in the gateway address assigned by
your network administrator

c) Press the S

E) Set the IP Port assigned by your network administrator if necessary:

a) Press the IP

b) Use the N

IP port. Use the knob to set the digit to the desired value. Repeat until you
have selected all the numbers in the IP port assigned by your network
administrator

c) Press the S

F) Connect your Ethernet network to the RJ45 jack on the rear panel of your

9400.

 If you are connecting to a hub or router, use a standard Ethernet cable.

AVE soft button to confirm your setting.

PORT soft button.

EXT and PREV keys to move the cursor in turn to each digit in the

AVE soft button to confirm your setting.