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CRL Amigo FM analog audio processor
| March 1, 2010 | Posted by computer accessory under Processors |
Presenting one of the last analog audio processors made by a major US manufacturer, the Orban/CRL Amigo FM, purchased brand new in 2008. The basic circuitry dates back to the late ’80s, but in the ’90s CRL combined it all into one tightly packed box and gave it the name “Amigo” (in both AM Stereo and FM versions). The result is a sweet, friendly analog sound that won’t be the loudest on the dial, but will keep you listening for hours. Stay tuned until 6:50 for some samples of how the Amigo FM sounds!
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On AM, making your audio louder actually makes your signal stronger and improves your station’s coverage. Unfortunately this “louder is better” mentality shifted over to FM radio (where it’s not really true) in the 1980s, and then to the music industry and CDs in the ’90s. But hopefully the fad will run its course, just like the “jukebox loudness wars” of the early ’60s when record companies wanted to cut their 45′s as loudly as possible.
I’m guessing these analog audio processors costed less than the digital ones, but if t’s still more reliable than digital ones and sounds great, I don’t get what the point of having digital audio processors is.
If those are so much more reliable than digital processors, why dont they just stick with these analogue ones?
It seems that progress is going backwards.
That Amigo FM does sound great, Analog is still the best sounding full stop!
That thing does sound excellent. Finding one used is nearly impossible.
How does the stereo enhancer work?
they most likely outlast the digital audio processors too ! seen these units still being used in korea either as primary units or backups ! i pefer the anolog sound
I think many radio stations use too much FX processing. Same for recording studios, just too much. Many DJs turn the compression, or reverb up too far to make themselves sound BIG. And way too many musicians and singers lay it on thick, especially the distortion on guitars (YUK), too much bass, or compression on the voice.
So I suppose a limiter and signal processor can compensate for the over done stuff. I wold like to have heard a comparison, in and out, to hear the differance.
Don
I’ve never worked with one of these but I have heard that they sound very good.
JC
Wow… all through-hole components? daaaamn. I miss those days!!
thanks for the explination
@windoes98se No, it is not a transmitter. An audio processor conditions the audio in order to fit a particular medium: in this case, FM radio. If the audio level gets too high it will cause the transmitter to overmodulate, which sounds bad and causes interference. Radio stations used to have human operators constantly monitoring the audio and adjusting its level to avoid overmodulation, but since the 1950s radio stations have used electronic audio processors to do this adjustment automatically.
so is this an fm transmitter? i am not sure wat you mean by “processer” ?
GREAT VIDEO!
@EncoreEnterprisesLLC I’m in Britain, and very intense Optimod processing has been the norm here since at least the mid-1990s.
The BBC national stations are slightly better, but they use NICAM distribution (effectively 10-bit and 32KHz) links between the transmitters, which sounds even worse.
On holidays to mainland Europe, I always used to appreciate the superior sound of their FM stations, but now many of those have been affected too – the Optimod loudness war continues to spread.
That sounds really good!
That is a very nice machine! (Not that it’s a machine, mind you. lol) I guess I oughtta read up on the terms used in the audio world – all those terms like low-pass filter and such went right over my head lol.
Wow, quite a coincedence, I was just listening to Don’t You forget about Me just before watching this!
Sounds like you listened to some of the stations in West Virginia.
The ones that transmit less than 5kW. LOL!
On the other side of the story, some may argue that digital processors are still years off the mark sound wise.
I have seen for myself, and been told on similar accounts of certain processors acting quite strange for no reason. It can only be described as a “glitch” in the system.
On top of that, if the radio stations facility is all digital then each device should be synced to a master clock. If that doesn’t happen, you get some interesting audio degradations.
Analog and digital each inherently have their own list of pro’s and cons. DSP circuitry is trying to mimic analog characteristics. With enough processing power, very high sampling rates and well written DSP algorithms; the digital processor can out perform their analog predecessor. The noise level of a digital processor is extremely low. Couple that with an all digital audio chain – automation, console, EAS, STL and you have a very quiet, clean, system.
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The Omnia processor has a bug in its sampling rate converter, in which an interruption in the digital audio input (such as caused by a flakey STL) can cause it to lock onto an incorrect sampling rate, causing all sorts of strange aliasing and notch filtering effects.
Some syndicated programming feeds also have rather nasty audio, causing aliasing and compression artifacts. Usually in this case the station’s local content (IDs, local commercials, etc.) will suddenly sound a lot better!
How bad do your local stations sound?
There used to be a station in my area that sounded as if the audio was being upsampled, similar to what would happen if you would resample 44khz audio to a higher sample rate.
That’s excellent – soo much nicer than the Optimod hell which has long filled my FM dial.
Making a digital processor greatly reduces production costs, because instead of several large boards full of individual components, you just have one small board with a microprocessor and a few DSP chips on it. Theoretically this should be more reliable, too, but in reality, digital audio processors glitch up quite often, causing all sorts of strange effects on the station’s audio until the engineer comes in and reboots the processor!
The stereo enhancer is rather basic and just boosts the L-R component when it measures the separation as falling within a certain range. It is certainly no match for an Orban 222A or StereoMaxx.
If you want to know more, you can download a PDF of the full Amigo FM manual from ftp(.)orban(.)com under the CRL directory.