AEV Mirage audio processor

[kevtronics]

Anyone have any experience with the AEV Mirage audio processor?

http://www.aev.net/global/mirage_1.php

 

[BROADCAST]

I had the early model,it used the same encoder as the exclusive fm.
Mine had less adjustments,also both early models had exactly the same overshoot compensation circuitry as another manufacturers,i compared both and 1 cap value was different only!

The later exclusive and mirage processor had a totally inferior overshoot compensator in a can!I guess they were told to get it changed,probably due to patent issues.

I also modified the pre-emp limiter circuitry(again both the exclusive and mirage used the same),and i told aev about the mods,aev then took my mod,tested it,then used it on their production run.
This is what aev told me,so assume they did,as i never bought any more afterwards.

Just remembered i still have the tech manuals for the earlier models.
Have just checked and i have the luxor,thunder,mirage and exclusive.

I found the controls a bit restrictive,and could not get it to distort on aggressive settings,that is mainly due to relaxed release times and non aggressive overshoot control drive.
Not the loudest thing on the dial,but you could listen for houres without fatigue.
Reminds me of the Inovonics 250 in some ways!

The thunder was used as an add on for loudness,this would be similar to a cp2013.

 

[kevtronics]

I found the controls a bit restrictive,and could not get it to distort on aggressive settings,that is mainly due to relaxed release times and non aggressive overshoot control drive.
Not the loudest thing on the dial,but you could listen for houres without fatigue.

That's fine by me.

I'm looking to upgrade my FM processing from mono to stereo, and now that my first choice isn't being made anymore (CRL Amigo FM), I'm curious as to what else is out there, in terms of a small self-contained analog FM Stereo processor. (Unfortunately a used 8100 is not small, and even the prices of "as-is" 8100s in unknown condition are very high.)

Yeah, yeah, digital is the future, and the DSPXmini and Omnia.One are both tempting boxes... but I like knobs and trimpots and schematics I can understand.

So far, my choices are:

* AEV Mirage MkII... good sound quality, almost all of the features I want, but questionable overshoot control
* Inovonics David III... well-known U.S. brand, mostly good reviews, but no L/R outputs
* Solidyne Audimax 362... good sound quality, but unknown on-air performance, seems a bit "toy"-like?
* Broadcast Tech. (Hnat-Hindes) Ultramod FM... seems like a good design, but questionable performance and unknown manufacturer support
* Biquad APG-02... only jack inputs (why!?) and no L/R outputs, totally unknown sound quality or performance

The Solidyne particularly catches my interest by how small it is... is it even possible to fit a fully self-contained three-band FM audio processor with MPX generator into a 1 RU, half depth box -- i.e. even smaller than a Compellor!?

 

[wgliradio]

I can tell you you won't like the Ultramod. While it has exceptional bass, this is basically a classical and fine arts only processor for use in non competitive markets. Very rough clipping, HF limiting is done by the wideband limiter which tends to dull audio alot, poor overshoot control.

I heard the AEV at NAB once... it seemed very 8200-ish... ugly sounding.

The Solidyne looks interesting and it may be something I may bite at just to play with next year.

I would choose the David III over the Solidyne based on US Support. Then you have used 8100's.. then the Omnia ONE on top and so on up the chain.. these better than the rest.

 

[kevtronics]

I can tell you you won't like the Ultramod. While it has exceptional bass, this is basically a classical and fine arts only processor for use in non competitive markets. Very rough clipping, HF limiting is done by the wideband limiter which tends to dull audio alot, poor overshoot control.

The Ultramods also put the pre-emphasis ahead of the AGC, which doesn't sound right to me. The DSPXmini also does that ahead of its four-band AGC, but it might be okay with a Compellor in front (or even better, a CRL SGC or Ariane).

I heard the AEV at NAB once... it seemed very 8200-ish... ugly sounding.

Speaking of which, there's an 8200 2S on eBay... the two-band version.

I would choose the David III over the Solidyne based on US Support. Then you have used 8100's.. then the Omnia ONE on top and so on up the chain.. these better than the rest.

If I wanted a digital processor, there are a couple other to choose from, including boxes from France and Germany.

 

[fugazi]

@kevin,

Al solidynes look like toys, but their sound is quitte loud. ( haven't test the 362, but the 462 ( digital )).

 

[dspxscott]

I can tell you you won't like the Ultramod. While it has exceptional bass, this is basically a classical and fine arts only processor for use in non competitive markets. Very rough clipping, HF limiting is done by the wideband limiter which tends to dull audio alot, poor overshoot control.

The Ultramods also put the pre-emphasis ahead of the AGC, which doesn't sound right to me. The DSPXmini also does that ahead of its four-band AGC, but it might be okay with a Compellor in front (or even better, a CRL SGC or Ariane).

The DSPXmini may apply audio pre-emphasis ahead of the AGC but the control circuitry is pre-emphasis aware and doesn't respond to the curve in the way you would expect. This has the effect of placing the pre-emphasis in a different position to what you first think. Some of this board's members ran tests with me with our processors putting the pre-emphasis before the clippers and comparing the sound against a box where the pre-emphasis was before the agc but with full pre-emphasis compensation fully engaged in the gain reduction stages and the conclusion was that both schemes sounded identical.

 

[wgliradio]

I was one of those users and I still have the software that places the pre-emphasis before the clippers. I actually thought it sounded *better* before the AGC.

 

[kevtronics]

Sorta back on topic... another concern about the Inovonics David III is that it runs the pre-emphasis directly into a wideband clipper. They say it is only to prevent the highest peaks from overloading the following triband compressor and wideband limiter, but the razor-sharp brightness of some of today's CDs is probably beyond anything Inovonics expected when they first designed the box in 1995.

There's also the David II, too, but it's essentially a wideband processor all the way through, and while that can still sound clean and consistent when properly done, the David III is only $200 more (!?), and the Solidyne 362 is cheaper than both of them.

 

[Sgeirk]

Why not consider a used Aphex2020?

They're on-pair with, if not better than the majority of the boxes you mentioned, and have composite and l/r analog outs.

Not too 'spensive, either.

 

[jboydingram]

David III....don't overdo it...best support in the business! Thanks JBI

 

[stace]

One little station I did some brief work with used a David II and BBE Sonic Maximisers. YUK!

I put a 2200 after the BBE Sonic Maximisers which I was actually quite pleased with. I'd like to hear a 5300, I assume thats what Orban would take on the Omnia 1 with? I'd imagine it sounds alot like the 8300...

 

[kevtronics]

I'd like to hear a 5300, I assume thats what Orban would take on the Omnia 1 with? I'd imagine it sounds alot like the 8300...

Feature-wise, yes... price-wise, not even close. The 5300's list price is more than double that of the Omnia One. Even the least expensive Optimod, the two-band 2300, lists for nearly $2000 more than the One.

 

[dspxscott]

I was one of those users and I still have the software that places the pre-emphasis before the clippers. I actually thought it sounded *better* before the AGC.

Overlaying one channel with it before agc with one channel before the clipper showed a practically identical waveform at the output (when certain settings/parameters were set)
If the HF clipping control was set under 17 then there wouldn't have been a noticable audio difference. Further tests were done on other versions of processors since mike played with the mini version. We decided to stick with our distributed pre-emphasis system but are in the process of refining it further. New releases of mini, X, Xtra code will use this in Q1 2008.

 

[kevtronics]

At least with CRL, the traditional place to put pre-emphasis (and bass enhancement) was after the AGC (and multiband compressor, if present) and before the multiband limiters.

 

[wgliradio]

Why not consider a used Aphex2020?

They're on-pair with, if not better than the majority of the boxes you mentioned, and have composite and l/r analog outs.

Not too 'spensive, either.

The 2020 is way too busy in the high end and the clippers spill over into everything and seep out everywhere. A shame because there are some things I do like about the 2020

 

[The F Mister]

We decided to stick with our distributed pre-emphasis system but are in the process of refining it further. New releases of mini, X, Xtra code will use this in Q1 2008.

Scott, is this going to be available for current models as an software update? And any chance that the stereo enhancement of the Xtreme will find it's way to these models?

And if you may need any beta testing I would be happy to.

 

[dspxscott]

We decided to stick with our distributed pre-emphasis system but are in the process of refining it further. New releases of mini, X, Xtra code will use this in Q1 2008.

Scott, is this going to be available for current models as an software update? And any chance that the stereo enhancement of the Xtreme will find it's way to these models?

And if you may need any beta testing I would be happy to.

Yes and Yes and Yes! and no, this thread is not giving me an orbasm More on the roadmap of the DSPX range next week.
Good weekend to you all.
Best regards
Scott Incz

 

[kevtronics]

I was actually just going to ask about a stereo enhancer.

That was one of the three things you got with CRL Amigo FM that you don't get on many budget processors today... the other two being a bass EQ with adjustable level, Hz, and Q (in its case, these three parameters were linked together, such that the more you cranked up the bass boost, the higher the center frequency would get, and the lower the Q would be), as well as Left/Right audio outputs with selectable de-emphasis, in addition to the composite MPX output.

 

[The F Mister]

It's kind of OT and as Scott said more about the update next week but it got me excited .

I also hope that the adjustable bass clipper of the Xtra will be available for the dsp-x. Now you only have soft and hard which is fine but hay if it's possible to have......