Optimod FAQs ~ 8300
What audio processing adjustments must be made to get the sound I want from the 8300?
Follow these three general steps to getting the sound that you want:
1. Choose the factory preset closest to your objective. Find 4 or 5 un-modified "factory" presets that you like. Of these 4 or 5, compare them, and then choose the two that you like best. Of these two, listen very
critically over several days, to discover which one will come the closest to your "ideal" preset. Take your time, and listen carefully. It will save time later to find the closest factory preset in this first step.
While it's theoretically possible to adjust an arbitrary factory preset to get the sound you're after, this approach takes far too much time, and usually ends in frustration.
2. Use the LESS-MORE control, EQ, and Stereo Enhancer parameters to customize that preset, if necessary. Once you have decided on the "best" preset from step #1, do you want to modify this preset to bring it closer to your "ideal?" If so, use LESS-MORE control to make the initial adjustments. Adjust only one or two steps at a time, up or down, followed by a full day (at least) of careful listening to many different program sources, and on different radios. The "ideal" setting for LESS-MORE is where one step higher sounds slightly over-processed, and one step lower sounds slightly under-processed. It may take a week or more of careful listening and adjustment to find that "best" place, but it's very important to choose carefully! After deciding on the best setting for LESS-MORE, you can use EQ and Stereo Enhancer parameters to make further adjustments. Usually, you will be able to obtain your objective at this step, with no need to proceed further.
3. Use Full Control ONLY after optimizing in steps 1 and 2 above. Use Full Control only if necessary to make small adjustments that cannot be obtained from LESS-MORE. Make sure that you understand the purpose for each control. Use Full Control to fine-tune your previous adjustments, instead of trying to create your own preset "from scratch".
In almost all cases, Advanced Modify should be avoided. Advanced Modify is available through PC Remote Control only. The advanced controls are intended to be used by veterans with many years of experience in audio processing adjustments, and who are willing to spend the time and attention required. It is much easier to make the processing do bad things at this level than it is to make the processing do good things!
We hope you will find this tuning approach to be helpful.
What software revisions have occurred for the 8300?
8300 software revision history Version 2.0.1 adds several new features to your 8300. The 8300 V2.0 Operating Manual (the pdf form of which is automatically installed on your computer when you install 8300 PC Remote Software) contains complete explanations of the new features. The page references below refer to pages in the 8300 V2.0 Operating Manual. Note that you may have readjust your 8300's composite output level upward by about 0.9 dB after the upgrade to achieve 100% modulation. There is a known issue with this software that we will address in a future upgrade. For now, when editing a preset, please save your edited preset as a User Preset before removing power to your Optimod. If your Optimod is rebooted with a modified, unsaved preset on-air, problems can occur if you later attempt to program Automation or edit Security.
Version 2.0.1:
- Adds a 19K REF control to SETUP. This determines whether the 19 kHz pilot reference output will be in-phase (0 DEG) with the pilot tone present in the composite output or will lead it by 90 degrees (90 DEG). 0 DEG is correct for most installations. Use 90 DEG only if your RDS/RBDS generator's 19 kHz reference input specifically requires this phase relationship.
- Improves the behavior of Quick Setup. The reference preset (for setting the Analog and Digital Reference Levels) is now placed on air when the user enters the "Select Primary Input Source" screen.
- Fixes a bug in Quick Setup that incorrectly applied the user's External AGC (yes/no) choice during Analog and Digital Reference Level adjustments.
- Fixes a bug in Quick Setup where holding in the "Analog" or "Digital" button did not force the corresponding input to be selected.
Version 2.0
- Adds netcast/digital radio/HD processing for the 5-Band and 2-Band modes. This processing is created by driving the output of the 5-band or 2-band compressor into a look-ahead limiter. The AES3 output can be switched to emit this newly processed signal (p. 3-54).
(Note that this processing is not available for the Ultra-Low-Latency 5-Band processing. If such a preset is put-on air and the AES3 output has been configured to emit the new signal, the AES3 output will emit a de-emphasized FM-processed signal instead.)
- Adds a three-mode bass clipper (Soft, Medium, and Hard) (p. 3-36).
- Adds look-ahead to 5-band compressor with the option to turn it on, turn it off, or have it automatically switched on for speech and off for music (p. 3-53).
- Add several new "MX" presets that exploit the new audio processing
features (p. 3-15). - By exploiting the 8300's new signal processing features, Version 2.0 lets the 8300 import Optimod-FM 8400 User Presets more accurately (p. 3-70).
- Adds a new security level called "All screens except Modify and Security." This allows setting of the technical parameters of the transmission (such as input and output levels) but does not allow the content of user presets to be examined or changed. It is primarily useful as a "transmitter engineering" security level in large broadcasting organizations where individual stations wish to protect the confidentiality of their custom presets.
Version 1.1:
- Adds the ability to synchronize your 8300's internal clock to an Internet Timeserver automatically (p. 2-39).
- Adds a second-generation ITU-412 Multiplex Power Controller with improved accuracy, as well as a new control: MPX Power Offset (p. 3-57).
- Adds encryption to the operation of 8300 PC Remote software. User presets are now encrypted when they are passed between the 8300 and the 8300 PC Remote Software and transient presets are encrypted on the computer's hard drive. You can archive User Presets in either encrypted or plaintext form, as chosen by the user (p 3-65), under the topic To back up User Presets, system files, and automation files onto your computer's hard drive).