INTERVIEW WITH FRANK FOTI: THE OMNIA.11 STORY
Q: So Frank, you have been involved in audio processing for many years. First with the Vigilante in 1986, Cutting Edge in 1991, and finally Omnia in 1998. How did the Omnia.11 come about?
FF: “I thought ‘where does Omnia go from here?’. Our next offering must restore quality back into the on-air signal, while maintaining competitive texture. Easier said than done! But we worked hard at it, and Team Omnia really delivered”.
Q: So tell us about the final product
FF: “Omnia.11 is not just the next step forward from our prior offerings. We took our platform, stripped it down beyond the bare walls and built a fortress. Everything from the firmware platform, the GUI, to every algorithm was re-thought, and in most cases re-engineered or re-designed. The signature Omnia sound was kept intact, while the level of perceivable quality has noticeably improved. The firmware in Omnia.11 takes advantage of software resources never before available for this caliber of product. The results are dynamics algorithms that were once a pipe dream of the processing enthusiast. Instead of making all the cliched claims about how much better it sounds than such-n-such box (we’ll leave those for others to make) you will hear how Omnia.11 is more revealing... period.”
Q: Can you give us an idea of some of the specific improvements of Omnia.11?
FF: “We’re really proud of the new Density Detector, which will handle hypercompressed content. One could almost say, there isn’t a sweet-spot, as the density-detector optimizes automatically.
“Another thing that we looked at is the traditional behavior of limiters. Limiters have traditionally carried "that ragged limiter sound". You know, when drums sound like tin cans and detail gets smashed to smithereens. Our new LoIMD technology coupled with smart gain reduction algorithms resets the bar. The limiters now sound really transparent.
“Perceptual intermodulation distortion is tuned out. All AGC and limiting algorithms employ an auto acceleration/deceleration mechanism The attack/release functions adjust themselves based upon content density. It literally analyzes the audio content in both the amplitude and frequency domain, then adapts the timing networks - on the fly - to transparently control the signal, without the control being heard. The result is revealed in added detail, clarity, and quality, yet maintaining the desired competitive loudness level.”
Q: Some have a need for a bass emphasis. Like Hip-Hop or Rock, for example.
FF: “I just kept thinking of that old song ‘Boom-Boom, out go the lights!’ when we were working on this. The bass enhancement algorithm is audio processing’s testosterone. We took our Phat Bass effect and sent it to a health club, resulting in low end physique with no body fat. Full punch, power, and girth, with no nasty side-effects whatsoever. New material, old material, hip-hop, rock, urban, country, hot AC... you name it, this is human growth hormone for processing!
“All kidding aside, our new bass-management method is a mix of innovation and a re-think of the system topology. Achieving great sounding bass requires the most effort, partly due to the fact that the bass spectrum has the most number of harmonics, and all of these must be kept properly accounted for in the time domain. But we figured out how to do it, and we go into the tech detail on the main Omnia.11 page on this site if you would like to know some detail”
Q: Many broadcasters need as much loudness as possible, but often give up quality to achieve this. How did you approach this dilemma when developing the Omnia.11?
FF: “Audio processing is no different today than athletes who take performance enhancing drugs to get an extra edge. A scan across the dial in most markets, around the world, yield radio stations transmitting DC modulation as their means to be the loudest/proudest on-the-air. Some even subscribe to the notion of ‘more loudness than allowed by law!’
“Being loud is not the problem. ‘If it’s too loud, you’re too old’ does apply. The problem is the unfriendly annoying artifacts generated by current processing practices used by broadcasters and the music industry. The combination of hyper-compressed content and ‘I gotta be louder than the other guy’ on-air processing, results in audio lacking definition, and quality, while containing perceiving annoyances. It would be easy to say, just back down the processing and all will be OK, except reality, and the psychology of broadcasters suggest differently. We will always have loud radio stations, as long as programming philosophy remains, as it has, ever since Mike Dorrough fathered multiband processing.
“The challenge now is how do we put quality back into on-air audio; yet retain the competitive loudness level broadcasters demand?
“Having been around the block a few times with respect to loud competitive processing, our own system was setup to simulate any one of a number of well-known major market radio stations. Hot Rockin’ Flame Throwin’ applies! Benchmarking was done using stock processing and cranked up presets,along with the use of processors from other manufacturers. The choice of programming content was made up of recent recordings as well as many time-tested segments used over the past twenty-plus years for processing development”.
Q: How does it handle voice?
FF: “There are more and more talk formats and talk blocks on FM than ever before. Sports talk formats, play-by-play is swinging over to FM, and—of course—most morning shows regardless of format are talk driven. Needless to say, the improved performance of the AGC and limiter functions generate live voice quality that is truly second to none. We’ll say no more.”
Q: What else does the Omnia.11 have in store?
FF: “An important innovation is the New Ultra LoIMD Distortion Controlled Clipper System. Various methods are available today capable of creating LOUD competitive signals, but at the expense of perceptible quality. What causes this, and what can be done - again - to raise the bar? Well, we established that the single most annoying quotient is due to intermodulation distortion (IMD) induced by aggressive functions within the processing system. The algorithms are pushed right to the wall . One of the most crucial, aggressively used algorithms in the FM processor is the pre-emphasized final limiter/clipper. We have developed the new Ultra LoIMD Distortion controlled clipper system specifically to reduce IMD in this critical stage of the processing.
“Just the same as with the recipe for Coca-Cola®, this new IMD and THD masking method is locked away in the same vault with the secret ingredients for the famous soft drink! What can be said however, is the answer lies not in the number of clipping bands and filters, but how all distortion products are dealt with interactively on an instantaneous basis. Multiband clipping does not take into consideration any interactivity of outlaying spectra. That’s where the method eventually fails. The proof is in the audio performance with critical content”.
Q: Is The Omnia.11 difficult to set up?
FF: “No, we made it easy. An installation wizard will help you through a simple, step-by-step process to get you going. Just answer some questions, and Omnia.11 will adapt itself, based upon your answers, to create a preset which delivers the desired end result quickly”.
Q: Any Final thoughts?
FF: “Yes. I want to dedicate the launch of the Omnia.11 to the loving memories of Jim Somich and Mathew Connor. Two passionate, dedicated, driven, and innovative engineers who understood great sounding radio, how to get there, and the advantages of ‘dial-dominance!’ You both are truly missed.
“Additionally, Rob Dye, Leif Claesson, Tim Carroll, Mike Dorrough, Cornelius Gould, Mark Manolio, and Steve Church have contributed significantly to the success and growth of our Omnia product family.
“Modestly speaking, we haven’t been sitting around putting afresh coat of paint on an age old - and vastly tired - design. Omnia.11 is designed for today and the future. Consider that we stretched the Omnia.fm firmware platform close to fifteen years, as that design grew into Omnia-3,Omnia-5 and Omnia-6. Our Omnia ONE platform re-design lent itself to become the tech basis of Omnia.11. An investment in Omnia is more than an investment in quality, competitive on-air audio today. Our track record proves your investment is safe for the foreseeable future both sonically and financially.”
