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High-density virtual audio processing software solution.
Omnia Enterprise 9s is a comprehensive, high-density audio processing software solution for Windows, designed with the flexibility to meet the rapidly changing needs of broadcasters as they transition to a virtualized environment.
Omnia Enterprise 9s is a highly capable, flexible, and performant audio processing platform. We assume that the IT, engineering, and audio experts entrusted with its installation, configuration, and tuning are highly skilled in their particular areas of expertise. These skills include strong advanced networking abilities, including the use of managed switches and PTP clocking, along with an understanding of and experience with Audio over IP (AoIP) and significant experience with audio processing.
Furthermore, as each and every facility is unique and has its own idiosyncrasies, it is impossible to predict, control, and individually support every possible configuration. It is incumbent upon end users to possess the necessary skills to manage and troubleshoot their own installations.
V.3.31.10 introduces some significant changes, improvements, and features over previous versions of Omnia Enterprise 9s, including:
AM processing core
Linear MPX output over Livewire
GPO support for µMPX
Key 9 licensing support
NMOS support
MQQT support
Host clock support (in addition to PTP and Livewire clock)
Omnia Enterprise 9s is designed to be run on a server that provides network connectivity both for controlling the software using the provided remote interface - NfRemote - and for audio transport using Audio over IP (AoIP).
While each individual network has its unique characteristics, and it is beyond the scope of this manual to account for all variables and permutations, we can provide some sample configurations and recommended best practices as outlined below.
The following requirements must be observed:
Switches that have a proven track record for use in AoIP applications and which include QoS and IGMP snooping
NTP should be present on the control network
The Windows operating system should be locked to NTP to provide accurate time for system logging, time-based event scheduling, and timestamps for audience measurement watermarking
A PTP or Livewire master clock must be present on the AoIP network(s)
A single facility master clock for all timing and clock signals is preferred
The AoIP network must be configured for the proper distribution of a PTP clock according to the requirements outlined in both the current IEEE 1588 standard (IEEE 1588-2022 at the time this was written) and the SMPTE 2059-2 standard
Server hardware and network adapters for the AoIP network must be chosen and configured to handle the required number of AES67 / SMPTE ST 2110-30 and -31 Profile A audio streams
Depending upon the installation, two or three networks may be required.
In a two-network setup:
Network 1 is used for configuration, control, and monitoring using an NTP clock.
The NTP clock should be derived from the same sources as the PTP clock, preferably a GPS-locked clock.
SNMP, NMOS, and Ember+ are also available on the control and/or AoIP networks
Network 2 is used for AoIP transport of AES67 / SMPTE ST 2110-31 and -31 Profile A streams using a PTP master clock.
In all cases, the AoIP network must use an Intel 350, 550, or 700 series NIC; the type of NIC used on Network 1 for control is not critical.
NfRemote can be accessed from either network.
In a three-network setup:
Network 1 is used for configuration, control, and monitoring using an NTP clock.
Network 2 and Network 3 are used for redundant AoIP transport of AES67 / SMPTE ST 2110-31 and -31 Profile A streams.
A PTP clock is must be present on both AoIP networks when SMPTE 2022-7 redundancy is required.
Specific network adapter recommendations are provided in the section on Network Adapters.
Omnia Enterprise 9s is delivered as a .zip file which should be placed in the folder on the server where you wish to extract and install the software.
Once unzipped, the folder will contain a change log and the Omnia Enterprise 9s installation file.
Right-click on "OmniaE9s_installer_3.xx.xx" and select "Run as Administrator." Doing so will prompt the License Agreement dialog box. To continue with the installation, click on "I Agree."
Note: The Telos Alliance EULA is available on the Telos Alliance website at https://www.telosalliance.com/eula.
The "Choose Components" dialog box will appear next. At a minimum, select "Omnia Enterprise 9s 3.xx.xx" and "NfRemote 3.xx.xx," plus any options as required for your particular installation.
The "Choose Install Location" dialog box will open. The default location is generally recommended and will automatically populate.
A folder named "OmniaE9s Shortcuts" will be created containing the necessary links to facilitate setup, configuration, and management of services.
Double-click on "OmniaE9s Service Install" to begin the installation.
The exact server requirements depend upon the details of your individual installation. Factors such as the total number of stations, the number of audio inputs and outputs, the output types (FM, HD, streaming), and which processing options (including uMPX) have been enabled all factor into choosing the hardware that best meets your needs.
That said, and in an effort to provide a very general starting point for your system planning, we can share the following information.
Note: Omnia Enterprise 9s is intended for bare metal installations. VM installations are not recommended or supported.
The following requirements assume the use of AES67/SMPTE 2110-30 Profile A stereo I/O, multicast AoIP with 1ms packetization (or Livewire low latency stereo), 48KHz sample rate, one or two outputs per station, and ST2022-7 redundancy enabled.
CPUs should be a current Xeon processor or equivalent AMD processor
1 physical CPU core is reserved for the operating system
Additional physical CPU cores are reserved for the software as follows:
(Number of stations x 1.5) + (Number of uMPX-enabled stations x 2) = Required number of physical CPU cores
Example: 4 stations = 1 core for OS plus 6 cores for processing = 7 cores, so an 8 core processor would be sufficient
This configuration will also allow for enabling Undo and Streaming
When using uMPX, add 2 additional cores per station
Example: 4 stations = 1 core for OS plus 6 cores for processing + 8 cores for uMPX = 15 cores, so a 16 core processor would be sufficient.
Enabling hyper-threading is highly recommended, as doing so provides a significant improvement to overall processing efficiency.
The Omnia Enterprise 9s software itself requires approximately 250MB of RAM per stereo processor. The minimum overall system memory is 16GB to allow for Windows overhead, logging, and buffers.
For high-density installations with more than 8 stations running on a single server, populate all available DIMM slots with smaller DIMM modules rather than using fewer larger DIMM modules.
The software requires 100MB of hard drive space regardless of the number of instances running.
Intel server-grade 1Gbps network adapters, such as Intel 350, 550, or 700-series adapters (or better), are required for the AoIP network. The specific series depends on the number of audio channels and throughput required. Dual-port adapters are required for ST2022-7 applications. In high-density installations with a large number of stations and 100+ multicast streams for Rx or Tx, dual 10Gbps adapters are recommended.
Any specific settings recommended in this document are for the referenced Intel NICs.
These guidelines (as well as those in the Network Considerations section) are based on the following factors:
AES67 Interop mode/SMPTE-2110-30 Profile A stereo streams requires:
1ms packetization
PTP clock
SDP files for sources and destinations
SMPTE 2022-7 redundancy is supported, bearing in mind multicast addresses for each network must be unique
A total of 3 network ports
1 control network
2 networks for 2022-7 redundancy
As of January 2024, Omnia Enterprise 9s runs on Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2019 or later.
CodeMeter can be installed using a USB dongle or a software license. Step-by-step installation instructions are provided in the next section for each method.
A license request file is generated and sent to the Telos activation team for processing via email. A license update file will be programmed and returned. This license update file is then applied to the USB or software license container.
Using NfRemote, navigate to Common > Licensing > CodeMeter Licenses (C). A list of available licenses is displayed in one or more of the Info windows (A). Be sure to click the Refresh All button (B) after adding any new CodeMeter licenses.
Navigate to Common > Licensing > License Status to see an overview of all available licenses - both Key9 and CodeMeter - and their statuses.
Open the CodeMeter Control Center application. If you have not yet inserted the CodeMeter dongle into an available USB port, please do so now.
The left side of the CodeMeter Control Panel lists all of the CodeMeter dongles attached to the system. Select the CodeMeter dongle you wish to authorize.
With the relevant CodeMeter dongle selected, click the "License Update" button next to the CodeMeter dongle list to open the CodeMeter Assistant window, then click the "Next" button. Select "Create License Request," then click the "Next" button.
Next, choose an option for the license request.
If you have never authorized a Telos Alliance product on this dongle, select "Add license of a new vendor."
If you have already authorized a Telos Alliance product on this dongle, select "Extend existing license," then choose "Minnetonka Audio Software" on the following page.
Unless you have been instructed otherwise by your Telos Alliance representative, enter "101391" as the Firm Code when prompted.
Select a location and name for the license request file. Remember this location and filename, as you will need to send this file to Telos support or use it in the OEM license web portal.
Use the "Browse" button to choose the location, then click on "Commit" to save the license file. You may amend the file name if you like. This will save a CodeMeter license request (*.WibuCmRaC) to your computer.
Download this file to the computer on which you generated the license, then double-click it to open. A popup window will open to confirm that the license has been successfully applied, and the license will be activated in the CodeMeter Control Center. You can view the license information and duration by selecting the license in CodeMeter and then clicking on the "WebAdmin" button.
In either case, CodeMeter licenses are generated in a two-step process using the CodeMeter Control Center application, which is installed when the Omnia Enterprise 9s software is installed. It is located in the Shortcuts folder (see ).
Next, locate the generated file and email it to . Please include a brief overview detailing your request to help us match it to our records. You will receive a reply within 48 business hours, which will contain an associated update file (*.WibuCmRaU).
Enterprise 9s is available in two base configurations: An FM version and an HD/DAB/Streaming version.
The base FM version includes:
A single audio input ("station")
One FM processing core, which includes RDS and two µMPX outputs
One AM processing core
One stereo L/R processing core for HD, DAB, or streaming, including streaming encoders
The HD/DAB/Streaming version will include:
A single audio input (“station”)
One stereo L/R processing core, plus streaming encoders
HD/DAB/Streaming versions can be field-upgraded to FM versions with a license key
Additional stations may be added by purchasing the appropriate license key. Please contact your Telos Alliance representative for more information.
Configuration requires running the OmniaE9s Config file contained in the OmniaE9s folder, and is broken down into the following sections:
Base Configuration Settings - Sets the number of stations (defined as a single audio program to be processed and distributed, and typically incorporating FM, HD/DAB, and streaming audio outputs for each) and determines audio I/O (generally Livewire+ AES67 for AoIP enterprise installations).
Station Settings - Global settings for each station, including enabling Undo, the input mixer, and MPX Output; each option can be enabled/disabled per station as needed, and each station can be named (which can also be done after Omnia Enterprise 9s is started).
Audio Devices - Sets the ability to monitor audio outputs on the local server.
Once the configuration is complete, be sure to navigate back to the Settings tab and click on Apply Base Configuration. Exit the Configuration by clicking on the "X" in the upper right-hand corner of its window.
The shortcuts folder contains a shortcut to the Omnia Enterprise 9s application. Launching it runs the software under the current Windows user profile. The application is intended for temporary use during setup and configuration, including as a test environment for adjusting the processing before putting a station on the air.
Connectivity to the user interface is available only on the local server, and the NfRemote client must be running on the server's desktop. When the local NfRemote application is closed, the Omnia Enterprise 9s application shuts down, which is why it should only be used in the intended manner and not used for on-air applications.
Running Omnia Enterprise 9s as a Windows service means that it runs upon startup and no application needs to be open on the desktop in order for the software to run. NfRemote can still be run locally for configuration, control, and monitoring. For on-air use, Omnia Enterprise 9s must be run as a service.
Note: The Application and Service cannot be run at the same time. If the Application is running, the Service cannot be started. Likewise, if the Service is running, the Application cannot be launched.
Open the CodeMeter Control Center application from the OmniaE9s Shortcuts folder.
Locate the Wibu Binary File (Omnia9s_sb.wbb) provided with the Omnia Enterprise 9s installer, and drag and drop it into the CodeMeter Control Center application. If successful, you should see an item called Omnia9s listed in the CodeMeter application window.
Select the Omnia9s entry in CodeMeter, then click on "Activate License." When the Assitant window opens, click "Next." The "Welcome to the CmFAS Assistant!” popup window will open. Click "Next."
Select "Create license request," then click "Next."
Use the "Browse" button to choose the location to which you would like to save the file, then click "Commit" to save. You may amend the file name if you like. This will save a CodeMeter license request (*.WibuCmRaC) to your computer.
Next, locate the generated file and email it to activations@telosalliance.com. Please include a brief overview detailing your request to help us match it to our records. You will receive a reply within 48 business hours, which will contain an associated update file (*.WibuCmRaU).
Download this file to the computer on which you generated the license, then double-click it to open. A popup window will open to confirm that the license has been successfully applied, and the license will be activated in the CodeMeter Control Center. You can view the license information and duration by selecting the license in CodeMeter and then clicking on the "WebAdmin" button.
Open the OmniaE9s Shortcuts folder, then double-click "OmniaE9s Config" to open the Base Configuration Settings.
Starting in the Settings > Base Configuration menu:
Click and drag the Number of Stations slider (A) to set the number of stations up to the total number of stations for which you are licensed.
Note: Omnia Enterprise 9s supports up to a total of 64 stations, but doing so requires proper licensing to run them and a server with the necessary CPU cores and RAM. Please see the section on Server Requirements for details.
For AES67/SMPTE 2110-30 installations, choose "AoIP 48k ONLY" from the I/O Mode dropdown (C). Note that any controls that no longer apply will be grayed out.
Note: Omnia Enterprise 9s can use Livewire or AES67 for Audio over IP (AoIP). Livewire Low Latency streams meet AES67 requirements for interoperability and can be used with AES67 and ST-2110-30 devices that are not Livewire capable.
Either the Livewire or PTPv2 clock can be used in Livewire installations as the clock. For AES67 installations. a PTPv2 clock is required. In either case, Omnia Enterprise 9s should only be sync'd to one clock.
Click the Control Mode dropdown (B) and choose the appropriate input device for NfRemote, Omnia Enterprise 9s' remote interface application.
Click on the Apply Base Configuration button (D) to apply and save the settings. If you expand the number of licenses in the future, you can increase your station count by changing the number of stations and clicking the "Apply Base Configuration" button.
Note: It is presumed that Omnia Enterprise 9s will be used in an environment where its audio I/O will rely on AoIP (Livewire or AES67/SMTPE ST 2110-30).
While it can be configured to use traditional hardware sound cards for I/O, due to the number of available hardware options and the limitless unknowns and variables present in each environment, it would be impossible for us to test and make recommendations with any confidence.
Accordingly, we cannot offer support for such installations.
The term "Station" references a single audio program to be processed and distributed and typically includes outputs for FM, HD/DAB, and streaming audio. The total number of available stations is determined by your license and by available server resources.
Click the Stations tab. Each licensed station will have its own configuration screen. Using Station 1 as an example:
Enter a name for the station in the Longest field (A).
Note: The NfRemote application can be re-sized to fit a wide variety of screen sizes, and its control labels and information fields will dynamically re-name themselves depending upon available space. The "Longest" field will be used if space permits, with subsequently smaller fields (Long, Medium, Short, and Shortest, in order) being employed as the allotted space diminishes. You may populate as many or as few of these fields as you like.
Enable the Input Mixer (B) if two audio sources will be mixed together as program inputs.
If you plan to use Omnia Enterprise 9s' "Undo" feature, click the Undo button (C).
Note: "Undo" is a two-stage process for dealing with audio sources that have been over-processed during mastering. A de-clipper recreates clipped audio peaks to minimize distortion, while a multiband expander restores dynamic range to material that has been dynamically over-compressed. Undo is particularly well-suited to music recorded from the mid-2000s onward but isn't generally required for older or well-recorded content. Since it doesn't work when it's not needed, there is no harm in enabling Undo for all stations, but remember that it does require additional CPU cycles and increases throughput latency.
Select the number of HD output paths in the HD cores dropdown (D).
To enable FM processing, choose "Yes" from the FM core dropdown (E). If your station needs to employ BS.412 limiting to comply with regulatory requirements, choose "BS.412" instead.
Enable the Stereo Generator (MPX) (F) to create a composite output signal and enable the uMPX menu and its related controls in the FM Output menu.
To enable AM processing, choose "Yes" from the AM core dropdown (G).
Depending upon the mode selected in the I/O menu of the Settings section, you can enable or disable an AES67 output at 44.1 kHz (H).
If you have the proper license(s) for Kantar (I) and Nielsen (J) watermark encoding, they can be enabled here.
Omnia Enterprise 9s has been tested and verified to run without issues when using a properly configured instance of Windows Defender Firewall. However, some third-party antivirus and network security software can cause delays in audio packets, which can, in turn, result in audible artifacts ranging from clicks and pops to momentary dropouts to a complete absence of audio on AoIP streams. The same is true for any enterprise software that probes the ports of network switches and the devices attached to them. We strongly encourage working in partnership with your Network Administrator to develop the best practices for your plant to balance the unique requirements of real-time AoIP traffic and network security.
Once the network interface for the AoIP network has been set up with the appropriate IP address, subnet, and gateway, the configuration can be done either by running the Omnia Enterprise 9s app (located in the shortcuts folder) or by connecting via NfRemote.
Navigate to Common > System > Livewire. For a single AoIP network, enter the IP address of the AoIP network interface in the Livewire IP field (A). Use the Livewire IP2 field (B) to enter a second address for dual-network applications; please see the section on SMPTE 2022-7 Redundancy below.
Omnia Enterprise 9s supports stream redundancy per SMPTE 2022-7 (Seamless Protection Switching). Two IP addresses (one for each AoIP network interface) must be entered as described above. Omnia Enterprise 9s accepts PTP master clock over both AoIP networks and will synchronize to the better clock, and switch to the other network in case of PTP clock or network failure.
Note: Setup and configuration require connecting locally via the Omnia Enterprise 9s App in the "Shortcuts" folder.
Each Station must be individually configured. Using Station 1 as an example, navigate to the Station 1 > Overview > Livewire menu, choose the desired output (FM, FM Pre-Final, or HD), then enter the multicast addresses of the desired output streams in a comma-separated format with no additional spaces in the Channel field
Audio sources and destinations can be displayed in one of two ways in the Audio Display Type dropdown (F):
AES67 - Displays I/O entries as multicast addresses
Livewire - Displays I/O entries as Livewire channel numbers
The Clock Mode dropdown (D) offers two supported clock modes:
PTP Clock - Used for AES67/SMPTE 2110 installations
PTP Clock Domain (E)
The AES67 standard recommends a PTP clock domain of 0
The SMPTE 2110-30 standard recommends a clock domain of 127
Be sure to check with your network administrator as your network may use a different domain
Livewire Clock - Used for Axia installations
The Sync Status (C) will be displayed once the clock is set up properly, including sync lock, announce interval, clock priorities, clock class, clock master IP address, and the MAC address of the grandmaster clock.
In order for any network device - including automation control, Ember+ control, and SNMP management - to access the Omnia Enterprise 9s server, the remote device's IP address must be entered into the Enterprise 9s HTTP whitelist. Navigate to the Common menu, then to the HTTP Access (A) menu, and then enter the address(es) into the IP field (B) in the format shown in Figure 2 below or the UI.
The HTTP server uses port 7380. The information and resources available from the HTTP server include all of the items shown in Figure 2 below.
Important: It is always advisable to add the IP address of the technical manager's PC to this list. If the Omnia Enterprise 9s password is lost, the only way to recover it is through a PC that has access to the built-in HTTP server. Otherwise, the entire Omnia Enterprise 9s system must be deleted and rebuilt.
As a data provider, Omnia 9s Enterprise supports control commands through Ember+ and listens on port 9000 of any network interface. A whitelist of addresses is used to limit the servers that connect.
Omnia Enterprise 9s supports SNMP versions V1 and V2c. The MIB file is available by downloading it from the HTTP server (see "HTTP Access" above).
Omnia Enterprise 9s provides comprehensive audio monitoring for each Station, including a plethora of patch points throughout the processing chain. Monitoring can be accomplished in several ways as outlined below.
This is our recommended method for monitoring audio and involves connecting to the Omnia Enterprise 9s server from a remote PC on the same network using NfRemote
Navigate to the Client Audio > Client Audio Output > Patchpoint menu (A). Choose the desired output audio device from the Device dropdown (D).
The Power button (E) turns the client audio on and off. Use the Client Volume slider (C) to adjust the listening level, taking note that it is set to unity gain (full volume!) by default.
Enabling the SRC control (B) allows the client software to dynamically adjust the sample rate of the client playback. If you experience interruptions or dropouts in the client audio stream, enabling the SRC will result in a steadier connection, though at a slight CPU usage penalty.
Depending upon available network bandwidth, it may be necessary to buffer the incoming audio using the Audio buffer slider (F), whose values are expressed in milliseconds. Note that the meters on the remote PC will be delayed by an equal amount to keep them in sync with the audio, which can also be manually adjusted using the Delay slider in the Display Settings menu for each display.
Finally, use the Patch Point Menu (G) to select the audio you wish to monitor.
An alternate method to using NfRemote is to assign a multicast address in the AoIP Monitor Out field and use the free Telos Alliance stereo AoIP driver for monitoring.
This method uses the WDM (Windows Driver Model) capabilities built into the Windows operating system, which can be configured in the Audio Devices tab of the configuration file.
The various dropdown menus allow you to specify the type of interface, output device, sample rate, block size, and whether or not to allow adaptive sample rate conversion. Once you have the configuration set, use the Run Test feature to check its status and performance.
Note: There are instances in which using the WDM Monitor Output can be advantageous. However, doing so introduces the potential for issues involving external sound cards and audio drivers. We presume that if you choose to monitor audio in this way, you are familiar with these risks and have a comprehensive understanding of how to manage external audio devices in a Windows environment.
Once the network interface for the control network has been set up with the appropriate IP address, subnet, and gateway, no further action is needed in order to connect to Omnia Enterprise 9s via NfRemote. See the section on for details on both installation and configuration.
NfRemote is highly customizable and configurable and is able to display an abundance of meters, instrumentation, menus, and controls. This section is designed to provide an overview of the NfRemote window and describe the behavior of various control types, not to provide details on individual controls.
NfRemote, like any window on the Windows operating system, can be resized to fill whatever portion of the screen you like by grabbing and dragging a corner with your mouse or touchpad. Note that all of the displays, controls, and labels are responsive and automatically resize as the window resizes.
Note: We use screenshots of the user interface throughout this manual to point out the location of various menus and controls.
Because of the responsive nature of NfRemote - that is, it adapts to fill the window in which it is running as you re-size it - the menus and buttons on your screen may differ slightly from the examples you see in this manual.
In addition, available options and capabilities may vary from one version of Omnia Enterprise 9s to another and will also change depending upon which features you choose to enable when setting up your configuration.
NfRemote offers two ways to view and navigate displays and menus, Tree Navigation and Tabbed Navigation, which are selectable from the Menu button (1A) at the top of the display.
Tree Navigation is a graphical representation of a typical menu "path". It divides the screen into two sections:
Displays are located in the top section (1B).
Controls are located in the bottom section (1F).
The navigation bar (1D) in between shows your location within the menus and offers clickable buttons to take you directly back to a menu layer along with navigation arrows (1C) which function as "previous" and "next" buttons.
The resize handle (1E) allows you to make the top and bottom sections smaller or larger in relation to one another
Tree navigation provides a less cluttered look on-screen and is especially suitable for smaller displays. The tradeoff is that more navigation is required since not all available menus and controls are displayed at once.
Tabbed Navigation displays all available menus, sub-menus, and controls at all times. It divides the screen into three sections:
Displays are located in the top section (2B).
The top-level menu (2C), first sub-menu (2D), and second sub-menu (2E) are situated in the middle section.
Controls are located in the bottom section (2F).
Two resize handles (2G) allow you to adjust the relative size of the top, middle, and bottom sections.
Tree navigation generally makes navigation easier because all controls and menus are displayed at once. It is the style used in screenshots throughout this document. It can, however, be a bit visually overwhelming for some users and, depending upon how many display windows are employed, can result in menus and controls becoming unusably small, particularly on smaller displays.
The top section of the NfRemote screen can be customized to show up to eight individual display windows.
Adding more displays makes each existing window smaller, so depending upon the size of your monitor, having more than three or four active windows at a time may not be practical. However, six Display Presets (3A) are provided and each can be individually configured to display whatever combination of information suits your needs.
Note: The .ini file that holds the information for the display configuration is stored on the PC running NfRemote to allow each user to set up their own personalized displays. When running the app instead of the service, the file is stored on the server itself.
Clicking on the Display Settings button (3-C) will open the display menu in the bottom section for the selected Display Preset.
Clicking within any of the display windows will do the same and outline the active window in yellow. Clicking on one of the Display buttons (3-D) reveals the various options for each window. Options include:
Main Meters
Undo Meters - Show the activity of the multiband expanders and de-clipper.
Processing Meters - Show the activity of the various processing stages.
Loudness Meter
Loudness Meters - Shows the LKFS/LUFS loudness of all available inputs and outputs.
Loudness Graph - Shows a graph of LKFS/LUFS loudness for the selected patch point over time.
Instrumentation
Oscilloscope - Provides a digital 'scope (oversampled if desired) for the selected patch point.
RTA - Shows the frequency spectrum of the selected patch point.
FFT - Shows a spectrum analysis of the selected patch point.
Off - Turns off the selected display.
Note: When any of the Station buttons are highlighted, the display windows will reflect the selected information for that particular station.
Navigating away from the Station buttons to other menus (such as Common > Monitor Output > Patchpoint or Client Audio > Patchpoint) will provide the opportunity to hear audio from different stations and patchpoints throughout the processor, but the displays will still show information from the last selected station.
This has the potential to create a situation where the displays do not correlate to the audio you are hearing. Be sure to look at the label on each display window (see Figure 4 below) to verify the source driving the meters and analysis tools!
NfRemote is the application used to connect to and control Omnia Enterprise 9s. It is located in the Shortcuts folder.
Note: The included version of NfRemote matches the version of the Omnia Enterprise 9s software. Any time you update the 9s software, be sure to update NfRemote first as some software features may not be visible or accessible when using older versions of NfRemote. In some cases, attempting to connect with an older version of NfRemote will result in a "cannot connect" dialogue.
Newer versions of NfRemote are always backward compatible with previous versions of the system software.
To install NfRemote:
Open the Omnia9s Shortcuts folder and double-click on NfRemote.
Use the Input Device dropdown menu (I) to choose the most appropriate type of input for your application.
Enter 127.0.0.1 into the IP Address field (D).
Enter a "friendly" name in the Comment field (A).
A password is not required but one can be entered in the Password field (G) if desired.
Clicking on the Clear button (B) clears the Comment, IP Address, and Password fields and is useful if you want to prevent unauthorized access to the server.
Click on the Connect button (H) to connect.
Alternately, clicking the Add button (C) adds this connection to the Quick Recall List (J) so that the IP address and password do not have to be entered each time and can be opened by double-clicking on any connection saved in the list.
If you make any changes to the Comment, IP Address, or Password field, clicking on the Update button (E) applies those changes to the saved connection.
Clicking on the Delete button (F) immediately and deletes the saved connection.
The Move Up (K) and Move Down (L) buttons are used to re-order items in the Quick Recall List.
Omnia Enterprise 9s uses the same dynamics processing engine found in the Omnia.9 hardware processor.
Starting at the unprocessed input audio and working forward through the path, the audio processing include:
Phase Processing
Downward Expanders
Input AGC
Wideband AGC 1
Solar Plexus
Parametric EQ
Stereo Enhancer
Multiband AGCs and Limiters
Multiband Compression
Dry Voice Detector
Wideband AGC 2
Wideband AGC 3
Band Mix
Bass Clipper
FM Clipper/HD Limiter
Each Station has its own set of processing controls for each output path (FM, HD, and streaming).
Details for each control can be found in the section on Adjusting the Processing.
Omnia Enterprise 9s includes a wide variety of factory presets that can either be used as-is or act as a starting point for user customization. Each was created with a different end goal in mind in terms of loudness, density, and spectral balance.
There is no "one size fits all" preset as personal preferences, content type, music genre, and market-specific conditions (including loudness) will all factor in. Likewise, there is no shortcut to choosing the right starting preset or ultimately making adjustments to fine-tune the processing. Setting up a processor requires extensive listening and cooperation between engineering, programming, and any other parties with a vested interest and a voice in the decision-making process.
Remember that our ears fatigue quickly, especially when listening at higher volumes, so be conscious of "volume creep" as you listen and avoid listening for more than 10-15 minutes at a time without taking a short break. The type and quality of the source material can also cause early fatigue; music that is already very compressed, poorly recorded, or spectrally unbalanced will all negatively affect how long you can listen without becoming annoyed, either consciously or subconsciously.
We recommend auditioning all of the presets off-air first. The goal here isn't necessarily to find the perfect one right away but rather to narrow down the list by removing the ones that you don't care for from the running.
Many will have something about them you like but aren't quite right; for example, you might like the overall texture but want more low-end or more loudness. Mark these as good candidates as you move through the list, remembering that perfection isn't the goal just yet.
As you listen, keep in mind that overall loudness is probably the easiest aspect of processing to adjust (in either direction) so if you find a preset you like that just isn't loud enough (or seems too loud) don't be too hasty about ruling it out based on loudness alone.
When you have your list narrowed down to two or three finalists, try the one on-air to see how it sounds through the rest of your transmission path and against the other stations in the market. Unless something is egregiously wrong, commit to living with the preset for a day or two so that you can audition it with a wide variety of songs and announcer voices and in multiple listening environments. Do the same with the other candidates, choose one as your ideal starting preset, and then begin making small adjustments to get closer to your ultimate sound.
If you are still struggling to get the sound you want, your SLA (Service Level Agreement) gives you access to our Omnia processing team for tips and general guidance. Advanced custom preset creation is also available for an additional fee. Please contact your Omnia sales representative to learn more.
The Basic level simultaneously adjusts multiple background parameters with a minimized set of menus and controls. Even though there are fewer controls, don't discount the power and usability of this level as the adjustments being made have been carefully thought out and should get you 90% of the way to the sound you want without digging deeper into individual controls.
Select the desired station with the Station button (A), select the desired output path (B), then click the Load Preset button (C).
The preset currently on-air is shown in the Current Preset window (D). To load a different preset, highlight the preset name in the Preset list (F) then click the Recall Backup button (E). Factory presets are displayed in white, while user presets are displayed in yellow.
The new preset will immediately become the Current Preset and the former current preset will move to the Backup position. You can also double-click on the preset name to immediately place the highlighted preset on the air.
The Recall Backup button acts as a toggle so that you can easily do an audible A/B comparison between the current and backup presets. To see the actual differences in individual controls, click the Diff Preset button (I). Any settings in the current preset that are different from the backup preset will be displayed in yellow in their respective sections, and the backup value of each control will be indicated by a small arrow on the bottom of the control itself.
Describing the sound of a preset is not always easy, but clicking on the Description button (G) will open a pop-up window that gives a brief description of the preset's overall character and in some cases a few technical details as to how the sound was achieved.
Presets previously saved to your PC can be loaded into Enterprise 9s by clicking the Load from button (H) and navigating to the folder where the file is located.
Important - There are two important things to remember when using the "Load from" button.
First, doing so immediately loads the preset into the Current Preset slot and places it on the air, moving the previous on-air preset to the Backup slot. If you are working with an instance that is on-air and the preset being uploaded is radically different, be prepared to quickly click the "Recall Backup" button.
Second, uploading the preset only stores it temporarily in the Current Preset slot. In order to save it and make it available for later use in the Preset List, you must remember to save it (see "Saving a Preset" below).
After changing any processing parameter, an (M) appears next to the Current Preset name and the text turns yellow to indicate the preset has been modified but not yet saved.
Each individual control that has been adjusted also turns yellow. For slider controls, a small arrow appears at the bottom to show the position of the slider before any modifications were made as a reference.
To save any changes to the current preset, click on the Save Preset button (A), enter a name for the new preset in the Name field (B), then click the Save Preset button (C). Any preset can be also be downloaded to your local PC by clicking on the Save to PC button (D).
Note - In the course of setting up your processing, it is not uncommon to make dozens of changes as you adjust, save your changes, listen, re-adjust, then save again. While you are free to name a preset anything you like, we suggest including the station call letters along with a version number and/or a date to make it easier to keep track of things as you go.
While it is possible to over-write a user preset (an action which will prompt an "Are you sure?" warning), we strongly suggest creating a new preset with a unique name instead, just in case you ever wish to return to your previous settings.
Once a user preset has been saved, it will appear in the Current Preset field (A) and will become part of the Presets list (B) in the Load Preset menu.
To permanently remove a user preset, highlight it in the Presets list, then click the Delete preset button (C).
Note - If the preset you wish to delete also happens to be on the air in the Current Preset slot at the time, it will be removed from the Presets list but will remain as the current preset until another preset is recalled.
Processing presets can be freely shared among the various products and platforms that employ the Omnia.9 processing algorithm. These include Omnia Enterprise 9s, our Omnia.9 hardware processor, the Z/IPStream X/2 and R/2 streaming processors and encoders with the Omnia.9 processing option, and the OmniaTools file-based processing solution.
This is a distinct advantage for users who have created custom presets on one Omnia.9 platform and want to duplicate that sound elsewhere. For instance, a preset created on an Omnia.9 hardware processor can be imported to OmniaTools, allowing songs to be processed in the file domain to match the audio signature of the on-air signal.
Undo is a signature feature of all Omnia.9-based processors, including Enterprise 9s, that combines two separate and independent processing stages: Declipping and multiband expansion.
In this unique hybrid approach, the de-clipper intelligently recreates missing audio peaks that were clipped in the mastering process, while the multiband expanders add dynamic range to material that has been overly compressed.
These trends in mastering began in the mid-1990s and were in full swing by the early 2000s. Though some recent recordings are starting to show signs of bringing some dynamic range back to recordings, these practices are still commonplace, and Undo remains an antidote for this condition.
Each Station in a given Omnia Enterprise 9s installation has one instance of Undo that can be applied to its input audio source. The output of the Undo process is common to all processed output paths (FM, HD, and Streaming) in that Station.
Much like the audio processing controls and settings, Undo utilizes the concept of factory and user presets to recall settings. Please see the Working with Presets section for an overview of managing presets.
Note: Though the Undo presets work in the same way as the processing presets, Undo parameters and settings are not part of the audio processing presets. Undo presets are unique files that are separately and independently managed.
Select the Undo button (A) for the desired Station, then click on the Undo Main button (B).
The Power button (C) is the main on/off control for Undo. Turning the power off completely removes both the declipper and multiband expanders from the input audio path and eliminates the option to display any of the multiband expander meters in the UI or observe the effects of Undo using the oscilloscope. Turning the power off lessens overall CPU usage and reduces latency.
The Bypass button (E) simultaneously turns off both the declipper and multiband expander, but the input audio is still routed through the Undo circuit. In contrast to the Power button, overall CPU usage and latency are not reduced, and the activity of the multiband expanders - if they were enabled - can still be viewed in the UI.
The declipper can be independently enabled and disabled with the Enable Declipper button (D).
Likewise, the multiband expanders can be independently enabled and disabled with the Enable Expander button (F).
Note - If it is necessary to use the Undo Power button while on the air, be advised that the change in latency will have an audible effect. Turning Undo off will cause the audio to skip ahead slightly, resulting in an audible "jump", while turning Undo on will introduce a short but audible gap. Using the Undo Bypass button avoids this and is recommended for instances that are currently on the air.
Select the Undo button (A) for the desired Station, then click on the Declipper button (B). The Declip Level slider (C) adjusts the level of amount of declipping, with a setting of 5 representing a normal level suitable for the vast majority of affected recordings. Since the declipper has no audible effect on source material that doesn't require repair, it can safely be set to whatever level works best on the "worst case scenario" content.
For the vast majority of users, choosing one of the factory Undo presets will be sufficient to achieve the desired results. Because of the complicated nature of the multiband expanders, we generally advise against making any changes to the controls in the six expander-specific menus unless you have a very specific reason to do so, and have a firm understanding of how the controls work.
Each band of the expander has a corresponding density detector. The controls in the Density Detector Band Weighting menu (A) allow you to determine how much control each detector provides its own band as well as any other expander band.
To put this concept into traditional processing terms, it is similar to “band coupling” in a multiband compressor, where all bands may operate completely independently of one another or may influence one another by way of coupling to varying degrees.
The degree to which each dynamics detector band influences and controls each expander band is determined by a 5 x 5 slider matrix. Each column (B) represents a dynamics detector band, while each row (C) represents an expander band.
The default (and recommended) settings are set up so that each expander band is controlled almost entirely by its corresponding dynamics detector band but with some control provided by surrounding dynamics detector bands. Higher values mean a particular dynamics detector band has more influence over a particular expander band and vice versa.
Note - In order to provide a method for one dynamics detector band to provide 100% of the control over a single expander band, every control must be designed to go all the way to 100. When one control is set to 100 and other controls in that band are set to a value higher than 0, (causing a sum greater than 100), Undo interprets that information and adjusts the settings of each band to maintain proportional influence for each band relative to 100.
The sliders in the Dynamics Detector to Ratio menu (A) allow you to set time constants of the expansion ratio adjustment, the Expansion Start levels, and Transition Width levels for each of the 5 bands.
The Attack (B) and Release (C) controls determine how quickly the expansion ratio will track along with the dynamic detector settings. The default (and recommended) setting is 100, meaning the expansion ratio will track instantaneously with no additional delay.
When the dynamics detector falls below a certain level, expansion will begin starting at a minimum ratio of 1:1 and increasing to a maximum ratio of 4:1. The point at which that expansion begins is set by the Expansion Start control (D) in each band.
The relative point at which the expansion reaches its full 4:1 ratio is determined by the Transition Width control (E) in each band.
Undo measures audio peaks as a means by which to set the expander thresholds based upon the incoming program audio. The controls in the Peak Detector menu (A) adjust the attack and release speed of each band of Undo’s Peak Detectors.
The Attack speed controls (B) adjust how quickly the expanders reacts to incoming audio peaks. Faster settings will make them more reactive to smaller incoming peaks by raising the threshold, while slower settings will make them less reactive.
The Release speed controls (C) determine how quickly peak values fall back toward the actual audio levels. Faster times will cause the peak levels to fall more quickly.
The overall levels of expansion and the relationship between per-band and wideband control are adjustable using the controls in the Expander Levels menu (A).
The Relative Threshold control (B) for each band determines how far below the currently detected peak the expander threshold sits. Lower thresholds (moving the slider to the right) result in a greater peak-to-threshold distance and therefore provide more expansion. Higher thresholds (moving the slider to the left) narrow the peak-to-threshold distance and provide less expansion.
In addition to an adjustable per-band peak detector with adjustable attack and release speeds (whose function is described above in the Peak Detector menu section), each channel also has a wideband peak detector with fixed attack and release speeds. The Band<WB Distance Limit controls (C) determine the greatest distance by which an individual band’s peak detector can fall relative to the wideband level and keeps any one band from being expanded if there are insufficient levels to begin with. For example, if the current wideband peak is -6dB and this control is set to -10dB, the peak detector for that individual band will not fall below -16dB.
The Maximum Gain control (D) sets the absolute maximum amount of gain that can be applied to the audio in each expander band regardless of program material or any other control settings.
The controls in the Expander Rates menu (A) adjust the attack and release rates of each expander band as well as those of each band's speed governors.
The Expander Attack speed control (B) determines how quickly each band’s expander will rise when the audio is in need of expansion. Faster settings will expand the audio more quickly.
The Expander Release speed control (C) adjusts how quickly the expander levels will fall once the expansion is no longer called for. Faster settings will allow the levels to fall more quickly.
A second set of parallel expanders looks at the same input and automatically scales the attack and release characteristics of the main expanders. These Speed Governors detect when the main expanders have been operating at full speed for an extended period of time and will slow down them down as needed.
The Governor Attack speed control (D) determines how long the speed governors wait before scaling back the speed of main expanders. Faster settings will cause the speed governors to step in and slow down the expanders sooner.
The Governor Release speed control (E) determines how long the speed governors wait before returning control back to the main expanders. Faster settings will cause the speed governors to relinquish control sooner.
Each expander band can operate across a range of ratios between 1:1 and 4:1 as determined by the controls in the Expander Ratios menu (A).
The Minimum Ratio control (B) sets the lowest ratio each band can use.
The Maximum Ratio control (C) sets the highest ratio each band can use.
Omnia Enterprise 9s offers three adjustment levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Click the About Preset button (A) then use the Adjustment Level dropdown (B) to make your selection. A Description window (C) shows the same information found in the "Description" field of the Load Preset menu.
Note that you can freely toggle between the three levels as you make adjustments.
Note - Each output path (FM plus any enabled HD/Streaming outputs) has its own unique processing instance and, accordingly, its own set of processing controls.
The controls in the Input Conditioning menu (1A) work on unprocessed input audio and are meant to address challenges or shortcomings in the source material or studio environment. Controls include:
Noise Reduction Amount (1B) - Sets the maximum amount of downward expansion to help reduce background noise on noisy source material.
Noise Reduction Threshold (1D) - Sets the point at which incoming audio is considered to be noise, thereby triggering the downward expanders.
Phase Scrambler (1C) - Enabling the phase scrambler (as indicated by a yellow button) applies a slight phase offset to audio with high peaks and high harmonic content (such as synthesizers or trumpets) to prevent having to drastically reduce the level in the final limiter or clipper, thereby preserving overall brightness while preventing distortion.
Phase Rotator (1E) - Enabling the phase rotator can help reduce audible distortion on voice programming by making the waveform more symmetrical.
Note: Changing any control from its default value will change the text color from white to yellow (as seen in the Phase Rotation control below), providing a quick visual cue that a change has been made but not yet saved to a new preset.
The controls in the Gain Riding menu (1A) simultaneously adjust multiple individual parameters related to the various Input and Wideband AGCs.
The Range control (1B) determines the amount of available gain in the Input AGC. It is typically adjusted to have both enough "room" to increase low-level input audio and reduce high-level input audio by 10-15dB on average as indicated on the Input AGC meter.
The Power control (1C) adjusts the compression ratio of both the Input AGC and Wideband AGC 1 sections. Higher settings increase the ratio and provide more consistency, while lower settings yield a more open sound at the expense of precise control.
The Speed control (1D) simultaneously adjusts both the attack and release rates of the Input AGC and Wideband AGC 1 sections. While the actual attack and release speeds are program-dependent, higher settings translate to faster speeds.
Note: Traditional processors drive their AGCs and compressors into gain reduction once the audio crosses a specific threshold. When the audio falls below that threshold, they effectively run out of room and can no longer increase the gain, an approach that requires a makeup gain control later in the signal path. The AGCs in Omnia Enterprise 9s operate both above and below a threshold (referred to as the "Target") over a much wider range, eliminating the need to add makeup gain downstream. You can observe this by looking at the scale to the left of the Input AGC meter when adjusting the Range and Power controls.
The Enhance Menu menu (1A) has controls to adjust the spectral balance (1B), bass enhancement controls (1C), and settings for the stereo enhancer (1D).
The spectral balance sliders adjust multiple parameters in the background with a single control to balance the relationship between low, mid, and high frequencies and create a general "sonic signature" for the processed audio.
The Deep Bass control (2A) affects the lowest frequencies. In presets that use between 4 and 7 bands, it adjusts the lowest band of the parametric equalizer, the Target of Band 1 in the multiband AGC, and Band 1 of the Band Mix Output. In presets with 2 or 3 bands, only the parametric EQ is adjusted.
The Warmth control (2B) affects the mid-bass and low-mid range. In presets with 4-7 bands, it adjusts the parametric EQ, the Target of Band 2 in the multiband AGC, and Band 2 of the Band Mix Output. In presets with 2-3 bands, it adjusts only the parametric EQ.
The Presence control (2C) adjusts high-mid frequencies. In presets with 4-7 bands, it adjusts the parametric EQ, the Target setting of Band 5 in the multiband AGC, and Band 5 of the Band Mix Output. In presets with 2-3 bands, only the parametric EQ is adjusted.
The Brilliance control (2D)adjusts high frequencies. In presets with 4-7 bands, it adjusts the parametric EQ, the Target setting of the highest band, and the highest band of the Band Mix Output. In presets with 2-3 bands, it adjusts only the parametric EQ.
Solar Plexus is a sophisticated sub-harmonic bass enhancement algorithm that adds low-frequency content to naturally bass-shy material. Because of its adaptive nature, it has no effect on material that already has a sufficient amount of bass. Be sure to use speakers or headphones with excellent low-frequency response as it is easy to "overdo it" with these controls, especially if your reference monitors are incapable of producing very low frequencies.
The Solar Plexus control (3A) enables and disables enhancement.
The Punch (3B), Depth (3C), and Muscle (3D) controls provide bass enhancement, each with a unique texture. These controls are best tuned carefully by ear to achieve the desired effect. Note that a setting of "0" does not indicate no enhancement is taking place, but simply serves as a starting reference point.
Bass-EFX helps retain the punch of low-frequency transients such as those generated by a kick drum by spreading the bass energy out in time and thereby allowing more energy to be passed through to the clippers. Bass-EFX does not add any bass harmonics or energy of its own.
The Bass-EFX control (4A) enables and disables the enhancement.
The Level control (4B) sets the amount of Bass-EFX processing.
The stereo enhancer in Omnia Enterprise 9s is a multiband design that dynamically adjusts the ratio of L+R to L-R in the various bands. It can increase this ratio to provide extra enhancement and separation or decrease it to prevent already "wide" material from sounding artificial.
It should be used with some degree of restraint to avoid turning the stereo image "inside out" by allowing L-R to overpower L+R, which ruins mono compatibility and can increase multipath distortion.
The Stereo Enhancer control (5A) enables and disables stereo enhancement.
The Stereo Amount control (5B) sets the target amount of separation.
The controls in the Multiband menu (1A) simultaneously adjust multiple individual parameters related to the multiband AGCs, compressors, and limiters.
The Range control (1B) determines the amount of available gain in the Multiband AGCs. It is typically adjusted to have enough "room" to increase low-level input audio and reduce high-level input audio. Note that setting this control too low may cause individual bands to run out of gain before others, resulting in inconsistencies in the overall spectral balance.
The Power control (1D) adjusts the ratio of the Multiband AGCs. Higher settings increase the ratio and provide more consistency, while lower settings yield a more open sound at the expense of precise control.
Enabling the Multiband Compressors (1C) adds a layer of multiband compression on top of the corresponding Multiband AGCs. These compressors are typically set to operate faster than the AGCs, but much slower than the limiters, and are useful for adding a bit of density and "squish" to the dynamics.
The Multiband Compression Drive control (1E) sets the overall amount of multiband compression. A little compression goes a long way, and too much compression can result in a flat, fatiguing sound.
The Multiband Compression Threshold control (1G) sets the point at which compression occurs for a given Drive setting relative to the multiband AGCs. Higher settings allow the compressors to contribute more to the overall processing.
The majority of users will be able to achieve their sonic goals by choosing the right preset and then using the Basic Level processing controls to make adjustments. Taking this approach is not only more successful sonically in most cases but also quicker and safer.
However, there are times when having access to individual controls can be helpful, particularly if you have a strong understanding of processing overall and experience with Omnia.9 processing in particular.
To access the Intermediate and Expert levels, choose the appropriate processing core, click on the "About Preset" button, then use the dropdown menu to choose "Intermediate" or "Expert."
Note: The leap from Basic to Intermediate is significant in terms of complexity. The information that follows is intended to serve as an overview of available menus and controls. It does not delve into each in great detail, as we presume if you have made the decision to venture beyond the Basic Level, you already have the fundamental knowledge needed to use these tools.
The Intermediate Level menus can be broadly broken down into two groups: Preset Management (A), with controls that work here exactly as they do in the Basic Level as described in the Working with Presets section, and Processing Controls (B).
Processing controls include the following sections:
Phase Processing: Including the phase scrambler, phase rotator, and BassEFX.
Downward Expanders: Useful for managing background noise from less-than-perfect recordings or noisy studio environments.
Input AGC: A slow-acting leveler to help smooth out variations in input levels and provide a more consistent output level to downstream processing stages.
Wideband AGC 1: An additional (and typically faster-acting) AGC to help with sudden input gain increases until the slower-acting Input AGC catches up.
Solar Plexus: A sub-harmonic bass enhancement that dynamically adds a natural-sounding low end to bass-shy material.
Parametric Equalizer: Up to six bands of phase-linear EQ, plus an assortment of pre-configured filters, including low pass, high pass, band pass, notch, low shelf, and high shelf.
Stereo Enhancer: A dynamic, target-driven, multiband stereo enhancer.
Multiband Setup: Sets the number of bands (user-selectable from 2 to 7) as well as the multiband Gate and Freeze thresholds.
Multiband AGC: Provides all of the controls related to the behavior and overall spectral balance of the multiband AGCs.
Multiband Compression: Provides additional compression on top of each band of the Multiband AGCs.
Multiband Thresholds: Sets the target level for each Multiband AGC band as well as each band of the Multiband Limiters.
Dry Voice Detection: Detects the presence of dry voice (voice with no music or effects underneath it) and adjusts the Multiband AGCs and Multiband Limiters accordingly to minimize audible distortion.
Wideband AGC 2: An additional AGC that can be placed before or after the Multiband AGCs and used either in wideband mode or as a bass compressor.
Wideband AGC 3: An additional AGC that is nearly identical to Wideband AGC 2 but which cannot be situated before the Multiband AGCs.
Band Mix: Used to fine-tune the output level and spectral balance of each band prior to the final clippers.
Final: Contains the bass clipper controls as well as the final FM settings, including pre-emphasis and low-pass frequency.
MPX Clipper: Provides distortion management and textural tools when using the MPX clipper.
Bypass: Provides a means to completely bypass all processing.
When enabled in the Display menu, the processing meters offer a wealth of information about input and output levels and the amount of activity taking place in the various processing stages.
Note - Whether or not you see activity in each metering section depends upon the preset, individual settings, and program material. In order to try and display as many of the meters as possible here for illustration purposes, many of the controls were adjusted to extreme settings just to drive the meters without regard for what the processed audio sounded like. In other words, you're unlikely ever to see all of these light up at once in the real world!
The ITU BS.1770 input meters (1B) show the loudness of the unprocessed source audio at the input of the processor. Peak indicators (1A) float over the input meter bars. The ideal average level at the input is -18 dB; levels should never exceed -12 dB on average. Source material that has been normalized to an established loudness standard (such as EBU R128) ensures the most consistent results throughout the audio chain.
The output meters (1C) show the levels at the output of the processor.
The Input AGC meter (2A) is represented by a bright yellow bar that shows the level and processing activity of the Input AGC.
The Wideband AGC 1 meter (2B) displays as a dark orange extension of the Input AGC meter. Not all presets use this processing stage, and even in those that do, there may be little to no visible activity in this meter depending upon the program material.
The Input AGC Gate Threshold and Input AGC Freeze Threshold indicators (2C) appear at the bottom of the Input AGC meter. When the input audio falls below the level set by the Gate Threshold control - which slows the release rate by a factor of three - the indicator lights a dim red. When it falls below the level set by the Freeze Threshold control - which completely stops any gain changes - the indicator lights a brighter red color.
The Wideband AGC 2 meter (2D) is located to the right of the multiband AGC meters when used as a post-multiband or bass compressor. When used as an additional pre-multiband compressor, it will extend as an additional dark orange bar on the Input AGC meter.
The Wideband AGC 3 meter (not shown) will also have its own meter when it is enabled.
Note: The scale to the left of the meters can show levels below threshold (positive numbers) and above threshold (negative numbers) and will slide up and down when certain individual processing parameters are changed.
The Downward Expander meters (3A) show the level and activity of the downward expanders in each band as a dark red bar.
The Multiband AGC meters (3A) are represented by a bright yellow bar that shows the level and processing activity of each individual band.
The Multiband Compressor meters (3C) shows the level and activity in each band as a dark orange extension of the multiband AGC meters when using presets that use this processing stage.
The Multiband Limiter meters (3D) show the level and activity in each band as a bright red extension of the multiband AGC meters.
The Multiband Gate Threshold and Multiband Freeze Threshold indicators (2C) appear at the bottom of the multiband AGC meters. When the input audio falls below the level set by the Gate Threshold control - which slows the release rate by a factor of three - the indicator lights a dim red. When it falls below the level set by the Freeze Threshold control - which completely stops any gain changes - the indicator lights a brighter red color. In presets that use the Dry Voice Detector, this bar will turn green when that feature is active.
Note - The Multiband Gate and Freeze Thresholds are a common setting to all bands in the multiband section. When the audio of any single individual band falls below the set threshold, all bands in the multiband AGC will gate or freeze. This helps preserve the overall spectral balance during gated conditions.
The FM Final Limiter Meters (4A) and HD Final Limiter Meters (4B) show the amount of limiting occurring in their respective processing paths.
FM Meters - The colors of the meters will vary depending upon whether the output of the FM path is flat or has been pre-emphasized, and on how many bands of processing are used in the multiband section.
If the FM path is set to output pre-emphasized audio:
The dark red meters indicate the amount of peak limiting occurring before pre-emphasis.
The yellow meters indicate peak limiting activity after de-emphasis has been applied and serve as a visual indicator of how much audible energy is being removed.
If the FM path is set to output flat (non-pre-emphasized) audio:
The yellow meters show the amount of gain reduction being applied by the final wideband limiter.
In presets that use 6 or 7 bands of multiband processing, a two-band limiter is used ahead of the final wideband limiter. In this case, the bright red meters show the gain reduction of the low or high band (whichever is more active at the time), and the yellow meters indicate the gain reduction of the final wideband limiter which mixes both the low and high bands of the two-band limiter.
HD Meters - The HD meters work exactly as the FM meters do when the FM output is set to flat (non-pre-emphasized) audio:
The yellow meters show the amount of gain reduction being applied by the final wideband limiter.
In presets that use 6 or 7 bands of multiband processing, a two-band limiter is used ahead of the final wideband limiter. In this case, the bright red meters show the gain reduction of the low or high band (whichever is more active at the time), and the yellow meters indicate the gain reduction of the final wideband limiter which mixes both the low and high bands of the two-band limiter.
Omnia Enterprise 9s stations with FM processing include an integrated and comprehensive RDS encoder. This integrated approach embeds the RDS signal in the composite output, offering a loudness advantage compared to inserting an externally generated RDS signal from a third-party RDS generator. RDS information is transported within the FM composite signal via µMPX outputs over IP.
Note: "MPX Output" must be enabled in the Station > MPX > Stereo Generator menu in order for RDS to operate.
Individual RDS parameters, including injection level, Station ID, Program Type, Flags, Alternative Frequencies, RT Source (for fetching "Now Playing" information from a URL), PS Information (station name), PS/RT Timeout settings, and UECP settings can be found in the Station > MPX menu and associated sub-menus.
Omnia Enterprise 9s offers µMPX (Micro MPX), a specially designed audio codec that allows a complete composite signal (including RDS data) to be transported in a relatively small data stream (320 to 576kbps ) and routed as unicast or multicast IP traffic to a µMPX decoder, such as the Omnia MPX Node, which then feeds the decoded FM composite signal to a co-located transmitter.
Note: µMPX is a per-station option that requires an FM license key to activate. Please contact your Telos Alliance sales representative or Customer Support for more information.
Important: µMPX requires a significant amount of CPU processing and must be factored in when choosing and configuring a server. Please see Server Requirements for more information, or contact your Telos Alliance sales representative or Customer Support for assistance.
MPX Output must first be enabled for each Station as described in the Station Settings menu. Once enabled, an additional MPX menu (A) will appear that contains additional sub-menus for composite-related controls and settings.
Navigate to the MPX > µMPX > FM menu and use the Bitrate dropdown menu (1B) to choose the desired bitrate of the µMPX output stream.
Note: Do not click the Enable button (1C) until the stream addresses are configured as described in the following step.
Click on Streams (2A), then enter either the IP address and port number or the multicast address of the µMPX decoder in the IP address field (2B) in the format shown below. Click on the Station button (2C) to enable the stream. Configure any additional streams as needed.
Return to the FM menu as shown in Figure 1, then click on the Enable button (1C) to start the stream.
Note: Helpful information about the controls found in the MPX > MPX > Advanced menu can be found here on the Telos Alliance website.
Omnia Enterprise 9s systems that are licensed using Key9 require license keys provided by Telos Alliance. Using NfRemote, navigate to the Common > Licensing > Overview menu (A), enter the provided license key in the License field (B), and then click on the Add License button (C).
The License 1 through License 4 pages display the details of any successfully added Key9 licenses, including the licensed feature and expiration time, if applicable.
The Servers page lists one or more available license server addresses. This is where a proxy or on-premises license server can be configured.
Important: The information required to connect to the licensing server will be automatically configured. Do not make any changes unless you are instructed to do so.
Navigate to Common > Licensing > License Status to see an overview of all available licenses - both Key9 and CodeMeter - and their statuses.
The controls in the Final Menu differ slightly between the FM output path and the HD output paths, but both adjust the final limiting and clipping stages as applicable.
Select the FM output path (1A), then click on the Final menu (1B).
The Bass Compressor Threshold control (1C) is active only on presets that use Wideband AGC 2 set to "Bass Only" mode. Lower settings provide more bass compression activity.
The threshold of the bass clipper is set with the Bass Clipper Threshold control (1D). Raising the threshold (moving the slider to the left) increases the amount of low-frequency clipping performed by the bass clipper as compared to the final clipper Lowering the threshold (moving the slider to the right) relies more on the final clipper to manage low-frequency peaks, which can increase distortion on bass-heavy material.
The Final Clip Drive control (1E) adjusts the drive to the clipper, which is the final means of peak control in the FM path.
The Pre-emphasis dropdown (1F) determines whether the FM output has either a 50us or 75us pre-emphasis curve applied.
Select one of the enabled HD/Streaming output paths (2B), then click on the Final menu (2A).
The Bass Compressor Threshold control (2C) is active only on presets that use Wideband AGC 2 set to "Bass Only" mode. Lower settings provide more bass compression activity.
The threshold of the bass clipper is set with the Bass Clipper Threshold control (2D). Raising the threshold (moving the slider to the left) increases the amount of low-frequency clipping performed by the bass clipper as compared to the final clipper Lowering the threshold (moving the slider to the right) relies more on the final clipper to manage low-frequency peaks, which can increase distortion on bass-heavy material.
The Treble control (2E) reduces high-frequency content in order to provide a smoother transition from analog FM to HD (particularly important for HD Radio) and prevent the HD signal from being perceived as overly-bright compared to the analog signal.
The Final Limiter Drive control (2F) adjusts the drive to the look-ahead limiter, the final means of peak control in the HD path.
The main Expert Level menus are identical to those found in the Intermediate Level, but many contain additional sub-menus and controls.
Downward Expanders: Adds the ability to adjust the attack and release rates of each expander band.
Stereo Enhancer: Adds the ability to control the speed at which the stereo enhancer operates to achieve the target level.
Input AGC, Wideband AGC 1, Wideband AGC 2, Wideband AGC 3: Opens access to the 3-band parametric sidechain equalizer used to make the AGC more or less sensitive to certain frequencies.
Multiband AGC: Exposes the Ratio Override controls, which allow a different ratio to be used when the audio crosses above the threshold, as indicated when the gain reduction meters dip below the 0dB point on the scale
Multiband Compressor: Adds the ability to set a sidechain delay for each band before compression occurs.
Dry Voice Detection: Reveals the individual Multiband AGC, Multiband Compressor, and Multiband Limiter settings used when dry voice is detected to help minimize distortion on bare voice material.
Licensing for Omnia Enterprise 9s can be accomplished through Key9 or CodeMeter. Your Telos Alliance representative can assist in deciding which licensing model is best suited to your application and installation.
Key9 is a flexible licensing option that allows license administration, modification, or extension to be managed by Telos. To benefit from all of these features, access to the Telos license server via the Internet is required using Port 42131.
Important: In the absence of such a connection, Omnia Enterprise 9s will continue working for seven days after it attempts to contact the license server while displaying "UNLICENSED" on the License page of the UI. After seven days, it will go into "limp mode," which is marked by a noticeable reduction in audio output levels and a bland, neutral-sounding processed audio. In no case will the station be taken off the air entirely.
If direct access to the internet is not possible but the features of Key9 are desired, there are options to help work around this. One is the use of a proxy license server that serves as the “middle man” between the isolated production network and the business network with internet access. Another is the use of a private, on-premises license server instead of the Telos-operated license servers. In the latter case, some features, such as remote administration of licenses, are not available. The use of a proxy server or an on-premises license server is not covered in detail in this guide. Please consult your Telos Alliance representative if you are interested in these custom options.
CodeMeter is a good choice for systems that are running in an air-gapped environment, typically found at public broadcasters. CodeMeter licensing does not involve a license server but uses either a hardware USB dongle or a software token to license each individual Omnia 9s server locally, without the need for internet access.
Licensing issues will cause "UNLICENSED" to appear on the License page of the UI. There are a variety of reasons a license may become unavailable. The two most common are:
Inability to contact the licensing server. As noted in the "Important" box above, Key9 licenses must be able to contact the license server. Likewise, CodeMeter licenses must be able to access the local license server or the USB dongle; dongles can - and do - get accidentally removed from the back of the server!
Exceeding the number of licenses. The number of stations, µMPX instances, or Kantar encoders trying to be provisioned may exceed the number of licenses.
Regardless of the cause, all features and functions will continue to work normally during the seven-day grace period, but it is important to heed the "UNLICENSED" warning and take action to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Should the problem not be resolved by the end of the seven-day grace period, you will notice a marked reduction in audio output levels and bland, neutral-sounding processed audio. In no case will the station be taken off the air entirely, and all presets and configurations will be restored once the licensing issue has been addressed.