Unique FM Engineer Marc Klomp and His Vorsis VP-8

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — MRZ Broadcast is a broadcast systems integrator in the Benelux region. With the ever-increasing importance of Web streaming in the radio industry, there has been an evolution in audio processing. Here in northern Europe, as in many parts of the world, it’s essential for stations to provide a Web stream. To keep the stream sounding as clean and powerful as the on-air signal, processing is needed. This job demands a versatile and flexible processor.

Many of our customers have discovered that the multimode VP-8 Plus from Vorsis is the answer to this and many other processing issues. We’ve found it to be the most flexible processor in its price range. Various modes allow the VP-8 to fill roles including AM and FM analog, AM and FM HD, television, streaming, and even music mastering.

Multiprocessing

At some client stations, the VP-8 handles both the on-air processing and stream processing simultaneously. This is possible by using the composite output to feed the transmission chain and connecting the processor’s AES output to the streamer’s input.

One station is using the VP-8’s high-quality, low-impedance headphone output to drive his streamer. Internal routing allows the engineer to tap this output to one of several points in the processor’s audio chain to get the sound he needs.

In other cases, when the on-air signal is being processed by another unit, the VP-8 can be dedicated entirely to stream processing. In these cases, the engineer can select the type of processing that best suits his needs. Some prefer to use the FM-HD processing mode because it’s open and clean and has a lot of dynamics. Others, like stations with a hits format, find this mode to be too clean and prefer to use the FM analog output with its more aggressive clipping.

The ability to select the position of the VP-8’s eight-band limiter (before or after the pre-emphasis), as well as the ability to choose from three clipping styles (hard, firm or round) give the engineer choices that result in a range of sounds.

When a customer in the Benelux region purchases a VP-8, we provide him with a package of more than 180 presets we’ve collected. Some of these are designed to make the VP-8 perform as a “sound-alike” of other popular processors; others take advantage of capabilities only the VP-8 can offer. This gives customers an idea of just how many setups are possible, and provides them with good starting points for their own adjustments.

Two graphical user interface programs give the engineer access to the VP-8’s parameters. GUI Lite, included with the unit, provides simplified controls that make setting up the unit a breeze, while still allowing fine control over the sound. For those who need access to every single processing parameter, Vorsis provides GUI Pro, which is available free by request from the Vorsis website.

One of our most recent VP-8 customers is Unique FM in Amsterdam. Engineer Marc Klomp recently chose the VP-8 over other processors in its price range due to its ability to deliver loud, clean audio to their station with great flexibility, at an affordable price.

For information, contact Jay Tyler at Wheatstone in North Carolina at (252) 638-7000 or visit www.wheatstone.com.

Danny Teunissen is the owner of MRZ Broadcast.