Hi guys!
Doug here. The Orban 424a:
Ever use/own one? They are known as The Studio Optimod. I bought one in 2000, sent it in to be rebuilt and have run it ever since. It's getting old. There is nothng that I know that sounds like it. It is transparent. You can watch it work but you cannot hear it.
For AM, this would work nice:
I've often thought about the AudiMax/VoluMax combo as well. But again old, worn out equipment. What are my options? Please, no Behringer stuff! But I can't buy a 223 either! LOL! I COULD have the 424a rebuilt again...thoughts?
Doug
Now that's my kind of limiter, it works, but you can't hear the processing itself coloring the sound with general listening. New compressed music or remastered CDs at high levels sound good with many processors already, but then you get to older recordings and voice dynamics that can show what's happening as they work the processor more, stronger hitting into the clippers/limiters at one end and gate at the low level side, plus dealing with broadcast pre-emphasis if needed.
That Orban looks nice, I like the color, and not many processors get called transparent. The Texar Audio Prism was one, and broadcast pros still talk about the sound of it to this day.
I remember old leveling, on AM radio and TV audio, didn't really hear it on FM, but the type where the first syllable of a sentence came through with clipping distortion, until the AGC could react I suppose, and pull it out of clipping.
I hear it today on the TV channles with old shows that were recorded that way. Someone will take a breath to speak and that's loud, as well as the first syllable, then the limiter bites down, it dips to a low volume, then recovers to a normal level real fast.
Just installed this model at the full power about 2 years ago -- along wtih the new Nautel transmitter. Made a world of difference (as you might expect) compared to the vintage CRL setup we had.
http://www.orban.com/orban/products/radio/am/9300/
'Course might be a bit overkill for a Part 15 🙂
TIB
Those CRLs were kickin' back in the day. I bet that Orban sounds fantastic.