Please refresh your browser to access this website. Update my browser now
Processor Helps ‘101. 7 The Drive’ Switch to Gas
The articles in the Radio World Buyer’s Guide are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues have selected specific products to solve technical situations. This month’s articles concentrate on audio processing.
Dom Theodore is president of the consulting firm RadioAnimal, director of Glenn Beck’s radio show, and vice president of programming for The Blaze Radio Network. He and his wife also own 3 radio stations, WCKC(FM) in Cadillac, Michigan, “107. 1 The Drive”, which plays classic rock.
“The station didn’t have a processor when we acquired it in 2016, so we chose a unit that is comparable to other processors in our market,” Theodore said.
“Now, 8 years later, many of our competitors have upped their game. Our direct competitor moved his chess piece in 2022, and as we looked to stay on top, we found that we were making at best 55 out of 70. . We had to improve.
After demoing a box from his former supplier, Theodore spun around, “We knew Orban because we have a 5500 at our vintage hits station. We needed firepower, so we gave the high-end case a demo. The Orban 5950 was his choice.
Theodore said he was shocked to open the shipping box and pull out a piece of hardware that only takes up one rack unit. “It shows how much DSP force can be used in such a small space,” he said.
He hoarded it and used the panel to put the box into the net.
“The front panel was so intuitive that I don’t think we wanted to look at any documentation to adjust it. A quick-start advisor is included for those who want it, but if you just go through the menus, you’ll get there. He presented it and opted for the default default. The 5950 has two strength materials and Theodore forces it from two other UPS strength conditioners.
Unlike previous Optimods, the 5950 comes with an internal internet interface, meaning Theodore can log in from his Mac in the car and make changes, something he couldn’t do with the previous processor unless he used Parallels Remote Access.
“The Internet interface is very well designed and one or two clicks take you exactly where you want to be. Everything is easy to understand, and the contrast of the black background and the lighter colors of the controls make it less difficult to see and adjust.
Theodore describes his competitor’s audio as “almost too hygienic, for lack of a term. “He’s thrilled with his new sound.
“The Orbán brought the music to life, almost as if you were touching the volume knob of a stereo. It was effortless but impactful. The vocals just come to the fore and the soundstage is dramatic. Bob Orban’s MX remedy has turned the page for everyone in the world of remedies.
The station plays music ranging from Zeppelin to Green Day; Theodore said the 5950 handles differences over decades and never feels tired.
Its audio track is a BMX III (recently rebuilt by Scotty Rice), a Sage EAS box, the 5950 and an STL composite all the way to the transmitter site. No composite processing is implemented on the transmitter.
“Our next step is to start with dynamic RDS. Until now, we had an external RDS generator that was not dynamic. The 5950 has a built-in dynamic RDS generator, as well as a rating encoder, features for ingesting streaming audio as a backup source, and “Of course, separate HD processing for HD radio stations with a delay to accommodate FM and HD routes,” he said.
“With the 5950 we are now aware and, as the Eagles say, we are going through life on the fast track. “
[See our Who Buys What page]
RW Staff
Radio World’s staff is striving to provide readers with the latest industry news straight from the source. Do you have something to share? Send us an email.
For more stories like this and to stay up-to-date with all of our market-leading news, features, and analysis, sign up for our newsletter here.