Orban Optimod 8585 User Report
May 15th, 2009 — Vermont Public Television (VPT) is the public broadcaster and PBS outlet for Vermont and bordering regions of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and Quebec.
As part of a project to rebuild our master control facility to be all HD, we had to deal with loudness issues of various media that we play to air. These can range from HD shows with a full 5.1 surround mix to newly ingested older programs being prepared for re-air. VPT strives to maintain the highest technical standards over the quality of our audio through the use of modern tools such as Dolby's LM-100 to measure and set dialog levels. Occasionally, things do slip by and some programming in which the loudness was significantly different than the rest of the show gets out over the air.
Why Process at all?
For several years we've heard that in a modern, all digital TV broadcast facility there is no need for a final audio processor (like the Audimax or Optimod we all used back in the analog broadcasting days). VPT's experience is that a broadcaster does, in fact, need some device to be the gatekeeper over the loudness of audio leaving the plant. We chose the Optimod 8585 to be the arbiter over that audio.
There are at least a few surround audio processors on the market today. Some have been around for several years. Not long ago while experimenting with one brand of processor it struck me that the only way it would handle loud, overly processed, harshly EQ'd content was to aggressively process the audio, something I didn't want to do. In frustration I went back to our storage room where the previous generations of unused technology reside. I pulled out an old Optimod 8182 processor, fitted it up with A to D and D to A audio converters, and put it on the air. Even with gentle processing settings, engaging the CBS loudness control circuit effectively quelled even the harshest audio.
Orban recently introduced the latest Optimod for surround television, the 8585. This was the choice for VPT precisely because it contained the newer, more updated version of the CBS loudness processing algorithm. Installation was as easy as racking it up, connecting the AES I/O, and running through a setup "wizard". To avoid confusion and misadjustment, the 8585 asks you about your target dialog level settings. Once set, adjustment is complete!
It's All About the Sound
It almost seems there is a new processor war going on these days. Many manufacturers race to implement the latest weighting curves for loudness metering and measurements. Extra features are baked into processors like surround upmixing and downmixing and Dolby encoding. These are all awesome features for an audio processor to have. The single most important question you have to ask is, how does the processor sound? Simply put, the 8585 sounds great! Using the stock TV 5 band setting with loudness control enabled, the 8585 has a natural, open sound quality that is completely non-fatiguing to the viewer. It totally handles overly loud sounding content and also keeps your dialog levels in line with your house loudness metering as well.
The Optimod 8585 is a set and forget device. Put it in line, have it take care of your audio levels, and you can move on to the next item on your ever growing "to do" list around the station.
Joseph Tymecki
Director of Engineering
Vermont Public Television
For more information contact David Rusch at phone +1 (480) 403-8300, fax +1 (480) 403-8301 or e-mail: dru...@orban.com. Information is also available at www.orban.com and www.orban-europe.com.