AM radio station owners planning to attend the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas may wish to set aside some time to visit the Orban booth.
The company will demonstrate XPN-AM, “a new way to manage audio processing for AM stations,” at the industry conference.
According to Orban President David Day, increased RF noise from computers or CFL/LED lighting have played a large role in listeners’ struggles with AM radio reception. “A good solution on the part of AM broadcasters is to adjust audio processing for more apparent loudness. However, traditional audio processors usually experience an increase in distortion when they do this, and it keeps stations from realizing their desired ‘signature’ on the AM dial.”
It is Orban’s belief that XPN-AM fixes this.
Bob Orban will personally conduct a demonstration of XPN-AM, comparing it to other current AM processors, by utilizing a Nautel J1000 AM transmitter to most accurately show real-world conditions.
As Orban switches between the processors, attendees will be able to hear the differences in both loudness and distortion.
“In 2010, Orban first introduced its disruptive MX limiter technology in Optimod-FM 8600,” said Bob Orban. ”The MX limiter uses a psychoacoustic model to significantly lower distortion, increase transient punch, and improve high frequency power handling capability. For the first time, Orban’s XPN-AM now brings this same revolutionary limiter technology to AM radio, providing a unprecedented combination of loudness, cleanliness, crispness, speech intelligibility, and coverage.”
Day notes that the release of XPN-AM is a sign that broadcasts in the kHz band are “most definitely NOT dead” — at least in the U.S.
“Some of the top billing radio stations in the USA are AM operations,” he notes. “With XPN-AM, AM’s across the country can now claim their rightful place as leaders on the dial.”
