Getting the Sound You Want

Forza's user interface was designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, but with enough controls to allow more skilled users to customize the processing to their liking.

The information in this section will walk you through the initial processing setup and provide answers to common "how do I?" questions.

Start By Choosing an Omnia Preset

Each Omnia Preset offers a different combination of density, texture, perceived loudness, and spectral balance. A complete list of Omnia Presets with descriptions of each can be found in the Processing Controls section.

If you like the sound of one of the Omnia Presets as-is, your work here may very well be done! If you find that you are generally happy but things aren't quite perfect yet, read on.

How do I make the sound more (or less) processed overall?

The first control to reach for is Thrust, which makes multiple changes in the background to the behavior of the processing stages responsible for how processed (or unprocessed) the sound is overall.

How do I get certain parts of the spectrum to be more (or less) prominent?

Adjusting the Band Energy controls of the Multiband AGC is the primary means of tailoring the spectral balance of the processed audio.

Roughly speaking:

• Band 1 affects the low bass.

• Band 2 affects the mid-bass and the "warmth" of the sound.

• Band 3 affects vocals and mid-range frequencies.

• Band 4 affects the "presence" portion of the spectrum.

• Band 5 affects the highest frequencies and the "sparkle" of the top end.

How do I get better control over inconsistent source material?

The Wideband AGC is responsible for smoothing out variations in the incoming audio. Increasing the Normalization Power is the first step to improving consistency. If the AGC takes too long to respond to the changes (or, in contrast, seems to overreact to sudden changes) adjust the Speed control accordingly.

How can I get better spectral consistency?

Spectral consistency - that is, the degree to which the processed audio has a consistent "EQ curve" irrespective of the frequency balance of the source material - is primarily the work of the Multiband AGCs, and to some degree, the multiband limiters as well.

Advancing each of the Band Energy sliders by an equal amount will adjust the respective band's drive and threshold. Advancing each of the Compression Boost sliders by an equal amount will alter the threshold, speed, and ratio of each band.

The degree to which the Multiband Limiters are permitted to "undo" and re-equalize the EQ curve set by the Multiband AGCs is determined by the Spectral Tradeoff control. Sliding this control to the left will keep things more consistent but at the possible expense of compromising density and loudness with some source material.

Can I get more/less action in the Multiband AGC section and more/less action in the Multiband Limiters?

The Activity Balance control adjusts how hard each of these processing sections works relative to the other.

How do I change the behavior of certain bands in the Multiband AGC or Multiband Limiter without affecting others?

Open the "More" dropdown menu (located below the Wideband AGC controls) to reveal the per-band Compression Boost sliders. Moving the sliders up and down will increase or reduce the activity in the respective AGC band. Adjusting the Density sliders will do the same for the Multiband Limiters.

How can I get more/less bass?

To adjust the amount of very low bass frequencies, use the Deep Bass control. For the mid-and upper-bass range, adjust the Warm Bass control. The Girth Bass control can add detail to the upper bass frequencies on some program material.

How can I get more bass impact and punch?

Carefully advancing the Bass Clipper Drive control can add punch to the bass by driving the bass clipper harder. Sliding the Bass Texture control toward "Clip" allows more bass peaks and transients to pass through the multiband limiter to the bass clipper, which also adds more low-end "slam."

With either control, it is important to remember the rule of "a little goes a long way" as driving the bass clipper too hard can cause distortion on some music. Be sure to listen on speakers that can faithfully reproduce very low frequencies as well as on devices that are frequency limited (such as smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers) as you make your adjustments.

How do I set a specific LKFS/LUFS loudness target?

The LUFS slider in the Final section sets the output loudness target. It is worth noting that since the loudness controller works on average levels over a fairly long-term integration time (usually between 10 and 30 seconds depending upon the Omnia Preset), it is quite normal for the loudness controller to remain in a gated state as indicated by a red bar on the BS.1770 meter.

Note - Both the LUFS target and peak level are "global" output settings and are not affected by which Omnia Preset or user preset is selected.