Specifications

It is impossible to characterize the listening quality of even the simplest limiter or compressor on the basis of specifications, because such specifications cannot adequately describe the crucial dynamic processes that occur under program conditions. Therefore, the only way to meaningfully evaluate the sound of an audio processor is by subjective listening tests.

Certain specifications are presented here to assure the engineer that they are reasonable, to help plan the installation, and make certain comparisons with other processing equipment.

Performance

Specifications for measurements from analog left/right input to stereo composite output and to analog left/right output.
Frequency Response (Bypass Mode): Follows standard 50 µs or 75 µs pre-emphasis curve ± 0.10 dB, 2.0 Hz –- 15 kHz. Analog left/right output and Digital output can be user configured for flat or pre-emphasized output.
Noise: Output noise floor will depend upon how much gain the processor is set for (LIMIT DRIVE, AGC DRIVE, TWO-BAND DRIVE, and/or MULTI-BAND DRIVE), gating level, equalization, noise reduction, etc. It is primarily governed by the dynamic range of the A/D Converter, which has a specified overload-to-noise ratio of 105 dB. The dynamic range of the digital signal processing is 144 dB.
Total System Distortion (de-emphasized, 100% modulation): <0.01% THD, 20 Hz – 1 kHz, rising to <0.05% at 15 kHz. <0.02% SMPTE IM Distortion.
Total System Separation: >65 dB, 20 Hz – 15 kHz; 70 dB typical.
Polarity (PROTECTION, TWO-BAND PURIST, or Bypass Mode): Absolute polarity maintained. Positive-going signal on input will result in positive-going signal on output.

Installation

Analog Audio Input

Configuration: Stereo.
Impedance: >10kΩ load impedance, electronically balanced.
Nominal Input Level: Software adjustable from -9.0 to +13.0 dBu VU.
Maximum Input Level: +27 dBu.
Connectors: Two XLR-type, female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pins 2 (+) and 3 electronically balanced, floating and symmetrical.
A/D Conversion: 24 bit 128x oversampled delta sigma converter with linear-phase anti-aliasing filter.
Filtering: RFI filtered, with high-pass filter at 0.15 Hz.

Analog Audio Output

Configuration: Stereo. Flat or pre-emphasized (at 50 µs or 75 µs), software-selectable.
Source Impedance: 50Ω, electronically balanced and floating.
Load Impedance: 600Ω or greater, balanced or unbalanced. Termination not required, or recommended.
Output Level (100% peak modulation): Adjustable from -6 dBu to +24 dBu peak, into 600Ω or greater load, software-adjustable.
Signal-to-Noise: ³ 90 dB unweighted (Bypass mode, de-emphasized, 20 Hz –- 15 kHz bandwidth, referenced to 100% modulation).
Crosstalk: £ -70 dB, 20 Hz -- 15 kHz.
Distortion: £ 0.01% THD (Bypass mode, de-emphasized) 20 Hz -- 15 kHz bandwidth.
Connectors: Two XLR-type, male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pins 2 (+) and 3 electronically balanced, floating and symmetrical.
D/A Conversion: 24 bit 128x oversampled.
Filtering: RFI filtered.

Digital Audio Input

Configuration: Stereo per AES/EBU standard, 24 bit resolution, software selection of stereo, mono from left, mono from right or mono from sum.
Sampling Rate: 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz automatically selected.
Connector: XLR-type, female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3 transformer balanced and floating, 110Ω impedance.
User Bits: Input user bits are optionally passed through to the output.
Input Reference Level: Variable within the range of -30 dBFS to -10 dBFS.
J.17 De-emphasis: Software-selectable.
Filtering: RFI filtered.

Digital Audio Output

Configuration: Stereo per AES/EBU standard. Output configured in software as flat, pre-emphasized to the chosen processing pre-emphasis (50 microseconds or 75 microseconds), with- or without J.17 pre-emphasis.
Sample Rate: Internal free running at 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz, selected in software. Can also be synced to the AES/EBU SYNC input or the AES/EBU digital input at 32, 44.1, or 48 kHz, as configured in software.
Word Length: Software selected for 24, 20, 16 or 14-bit resolution. Dither can be optionally added, dither level automatically adjusted appropriately for the word length.
Connector: XLR-type, male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3 transformer balanced and floating, 110Ω impedance.
Output Level (100% peak modulation): -20.0 to 0.0 dBFS software controlled.
Filtering: RFI filtered.

Digital Sync Input

Configuration Used for synchronization of the Digital Output signal to an external reference provided at this input.
Sampling Rate 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz automatically selected.
Connector XLR-type, female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pins 2 and 3 transformer balanced and floating, 110Ω impedance.
Filtering: RFI filtered.

Composite Baseband Output

Configuration: Two outputs, each with an independent software-controlled output level control, output amplifier and connector. Output 2 may be configured in software as a pilot frequency reference.
Source Impedance: 0Ω voltage source or 75Ω, jumper-selectable. Single-ended, floating over chassis ground.
Load Impedance: 37Ω or greater. Termination not required.
Maximum Output Level: +12.0 dBu (8.72 Vp-p).
Pilot Level: Adjustable from 8.0% to 10.0%, software controlled.
Pilot Stability: 19 kHz, ± 0.5 Hz (10 degrees to 40 degrees C).
D/A Conversion: 24-bit.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: £ -85 dB (Bypass mode, de-emphasized, 20 Hz – 15 kHz bandwidth, referenced to 100% modulation, unweighted).
Distortion: £ 0.02% THD (Bypass mode, de-emphasized, 20 Hz – 15 kHz bandwidth, referenced to 100% modulation, unweighted).
Stereo Separation: At 100% modulation=3.5Vp-p, > 70 dB, 30 Hz – 15 kHz. At 100%
modulation=1.0 – 8.0 Vp-p, > 60 dB, 30 Hz – 15 kHz.
Crosstalk-Linear: £ -80 dB, main channel to sub-channel or sub-channel to main channel (referenced to 100% modulation).
Crosstalk-Non-Linear: £ -80 dB, main channel to sub-channel or sub-channel to main channel (referenced to 100% modulation).
38 kHz Suppression: ³ 70 dB (referenced to 100% modulation).
76 kHz & Sideband Suppression: ³ 80 dB (referenced to 100% modulation).
Pilot Protection: -60 dB relative to 9% pilot injection, ± 250 Hz (no composite processing).
57 kHz (RDS/RBDS) Protection: -50 dB relative to 4% subcarrier injection, ± 1.0 kHz (no composite processing).
Connectors: Two BNC, floating over chassis ground, EMI suppressed.
Maximum Load Capacitance: 0.047 microfarad (0Ω source impedance). Maximum cable length of 100 feet/30 meters RG-59A/U.
Filtering: RFI filtered.

Digital-Channel Processing

Configuration: Two field-installable cards: DSP and Input/Output. The DSP receives the output of the multiband limiter and processes it through a look-ahead peak limiter that operates in parallel with the main FM peak limiting system. The digital-channel and FM-channel outputs are always simultaneously active.
Frequency Response (BYPASS mode): Frequency response from input to digital-channel output is ±0.10 dB, 2.0 Hz–15 kHz (shelving filter gain set to 0dB); there is no pre-emphasis.
Parametric Shelving Filter
Configuration: Pre- or post-lookahead limiter.
Gain: 0 to –6dB, 0.5 dB steps.
Frequency: 2 – 20 kHz; 1/6-octave steps.
Slope: 6 dB/octave.
Sync Input Configuration: Used for synchronization of the Digital Output signal to an external reference provided at this input.
Sampling Rate: 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz automatically selected.
Connector: XLR-type, female, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pins 2 and 3 transformer balanced and floating, 110 ohm impedance.
Digital Output: Stereo per AES/EBU standard. Designed to feed digital transmission paths without pre-emphasis; output is flat.
Configuration: Stereo per AES/EBU standard.
Sample Rate: Internal free running at 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz, selected in software. Can also be synced to the AES/EBU SYNC input at 32, 44.1, or 48 kHz, as configured in software.
Word Length: Software selected for 24, 20, 18, 16 or 14-bit resolution. First-order highpass noise-shaped dither can be optionally added, with dither level automatically adjusted appropriately for the word length.
Connector: XLR-type, male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, pins 2 and 3 transformer balanced and floating, 110 ohm impedance.
Output Level (100% peak modulation): –20.0 to 0.0 dBFS software controlled.
Analog Output: L and R. Can supply output of HD look-ahead limiter, input to HD look-ahead limiter, or low-delay monitor signal.
Configuration: Stereo. Flat.
Source Impedance: 50Ω, electronically balanced and floating.
Load Impedance: 600Ω or greater, balanced or unbalanced. Termination not required or recommended.
Output Level (100% peak modulation): Adjustable from –6 dBu to +24 dBu peak, into 600Ω or greater load, software-adjustable.
Signal-to-Noise: £ 90 dB unweighted (Bypass mode, de-emphasized, 20 Hz–15 kHz bandwidth, referenced to 100% modulation).
Crosstalk: £ –70 dB, 20 Hz–15 kHz.
Distortion: £ 0.01% THD (Bypass mode, de-emphasized) 20 Hz–15 kHz bandwidth.
Connectors: Two XLR-type, male, EMI-suppressed. Pin 1 chassis ground, Pins 2 (+) and 3 electronically balanced, floating and symmetrical.
D/A Conversion: 24 bit 128x oversampled.
Filtering: All inputs and outputs are RFI filtered.
Relative Time Delay between FM and HD Outputs: HD output is delayed by 10.500 ms with respect to the FM AES/EBU digital output under all operating conditions (excluding BYPASS and TEST modes).

[HD FM™ is a trademark of iBiquity Corp.]

Remote Computer Interface

Configuration: TCP/IP protocol via modem or Ethernet interface. Modem (either external or PCMCIA card), Ethernet PCMCIA card, and other external equipment not supplied.
Connectors: RS-232 port (2) DB-9 male, EMI-suppressed. Ethernet or Modem card supported with PCMCIA rear-panel slot.

Remote Control Interface

Configuration: Eight (8) inputs, opto-isolated and floating.
Voltage: 6-24V AC or DC, momentary or continuous. 9VDC provided to facilitate use with contact closure.
Connector: DB-25 male, EMI-suppressed.
Control: User-programmable for any eight of user presets, factory presets, bypass, test tone, stereo or mono modes, analog input, digital input.
Filtering: RFI filtered.

Power

Voltage: 100-132 VAC or 200-264 VAC, switch-selected on the rear panel, 50-60 Hz, 50 VA.
Connector: IEC, EMI-suppressed. Detachable 3-wire power cord supplied.
Grounding: Circuit ground is independent of chassis ground. Can be isolated or connected with a rear panel switch.
Safety Standards: ETL listed to UL standards, CE marked.

Environmental

Operating Temperature: 32 degrees to 122 degrees F / 0 degrees to 50 degrees C for all operating voltage ranges.
Humidity: 0-95% RH, non-condensing.
Dimensions (W x H x D): 19" x 5.25" x 16.5" / 48.3 cm x 8.9 cm x 41.9 cm. Depth shown indicates rack penetration; overall front-to-back depth 18.75" / 47.6 cm. Three rack units high.
Shipping Weight: 40 lbs. / 18.1 kg

Orban engineers are constantly working to improve the quality of our products. Specifications are, therefore, subject to change without notice.