Aphex FM Pro Model 2020 how does it sound? ( against Optimod and Omnia )

[radiotoday]

I would love to hear opinions about how the Aphex Fm Pro 2020 sounds.
Frankly i would love to hear how it sounds against the Orban 8200 and the Omnia 4 band. If anyone knows.

 

[menotti1]

2020 ok with a purist format like classical.otherwise don't waste your time.been there done that..Frankly i'm amazed they still offer it.bet you could count on your hands how many they sell a year...compellor is the best thing Aphex has ever had.IMHO took a little Omnia 3T and made toast of of a 2020Mark III...get the idea????

 

[LA_Guy]

2020 ok with a purist format like classical.otherwise don't waste your time.been there done that..Frankly i'm amazed they still offer it.bet you could count on your hands how many they sell a year...compellor is the best thing Aphex has ever had.IMHO took a little Omnia 3T and made toast of of a 2020Mark III...get the idea????

I disagree!

The 2020 feeding a composite STL with a decent composite clipper at the transmitter can hold its own against ANY digital processor.

 

[tjm_pro]

Agree with the post above. For the money get something like the Omnia One. Having delt with the 2020 and the Aphex Audiophile air chain in the past, it's hard to get an agressive sound from the 2020. It does sound good on classical and you can get away with it on maybe a lite AC format. I had the 2020 running on a college station and on Rock or CHR it was hard to get it loud with out pumping or sounding muddy. We replaced the Aphex stuff with an Omnia 03Turbo and now we're running an Omnia One. To be fair, there was a rock station in CT (Norwalk I think) that was using the 2020 and it sounded good and consistant but was not nearly as loud as thoes signals coming from Hartford or NYC, adding a composite clipper would probably bring a bit of loudness and some sparkle to the sound.

The best thing to do is demo each box and see how it sounds on your chain.

 

[Sgeirk]

While I agree that the Aphex 2020 just can't compete with the newest digital boxes, in it's DAY? It sounded LOADS better than what were the current all-digital offerings.

I like their silky texture (purely subjective), but if ultimate loudness is your goal, you'll get run over by someone with an Omnia 6.

I always thought they had a pleasing sound, but if you're going to set one up, get help with a setting from the manufacturer and only use a mkIII

I've heard of issues with 2020's "flaming out" or overheating, or whatever, but I've never had one back to the factory. Unlike BOTH brands of 'state of the art' boxes. FWIW.

 

[Lee_Sackett]

You can get greater apparent loudness out of them than the big name digital boxes, but they'll still sound open and punchy. If you want dense, crunchy and flat-topped (the standard commercial radio approach), go with digital.

The 2020 could be great for HD, too, if your group is taking it seriously.

 

[RadioMan203]

... To be fair, there was a rock station in CT (Norwalk I think) that was using the 2020 and it sounded good and consistant but was not nearly as loud as thoes signals coming from Hartford or NYC, adding a composite clipper would probably bring a bit of loudness and some sparkle to the sound.

From what I remember, it was Brookfield's I-95 (WRKI) that has a FM 2020 (I would assume MK III). Their engineer, Pete Partenio, had it sounded great. I had a MK III on my webstream and an Optimod 6200 and the Orban was so much easier to get the sound I wanted. Right now I have a 2020 MK I (older unit) that I'm using. I don't see spending the $1400 to upgrade it to a MK III worth the price, but I ran it with a composite clipper and it does sound decent on FM. If you want loud, proud and wrap the needle on the mod monitor around the end stop you're probably better served by a digital box.

 

[menotti1]

so of these 3 choices,which would you choose.
1, 8300
2 omnia 5ex
3. 2020 mark 3

all about the same price range.i'm betting 8 out of 10 would choose 1 or 2 over number 3.i was using a composite clipper WITH THE 2020, the Omnia 6 was stomping us with loudness and CLARITY.For formats like lite ac or country it would be fine, not for chr or urban.BSW can't remember the last time they sold a 2020 mark lll.It is cold....

 

[dtube1]

If you want your audio to sound like the source material, only louder and consistent - get the Aphex. If you need competitve loudness, hash, and grunge, get one of the digital processors. Unfortunately, most FM stations today sound as bad as low-rate mp3's. So, competitive dictates hash and grunge fidelity. I'm running a 2020 on a Classical/Jazz station and really love how it sounds. I run higher density and more low-end than other Classical stations purely to stand-out a bit; the 2020 really does this quite well. But, if I was running any format other than these two, I'd probably have an OmniaONE or SIX just to keep up on the dial. My HD goes live this summer - the 2020 will be relegated to pre-STL processing. Not sure what is going out at the transmitter yet. Sigh...
-Dtube

 

[cdkirk]

Like everone else has said the 2020 is not bad for gentle AGC functions and mild compression. A big problem I've always had is with the high frequency limiter section that was included with the version that includes the stereo generator. It did very nasty things to the high end. I was actually quite suprised how much better the high freq section in the 8200 sounded compared to the 2020. The 2020 has a very dull squashed sound to the high freq's. I've never been a fan of the 8200 but I've gotta say in this respect I always thought it sounded pretty good..(very open highs). Of course the 8200's problems have been well documented as well.

 

[menotti1]

dtube1, great format for the 2020,but digital boxes don't have to have hash and grunge as you define it.it's all in the set up.i'm running an Omnia 6,very open,bright,great clarity.i bet your format would sound TWICE as good on it compared to the 2020.I tried the 2020,alot of HYPE with no BALLS to back it up.Sold it on EBAY a long time ago..also for pre-processing try the Ariane,there is no substitute....best pre-processir on the planet..IMHO

 

[Lee_Sackett]

Like everone else has said the 2020 is not bad for gentle AGC functions and mild compression. A big problem I've always had is with the high frequency limiter section that was included with the version that includes the stereo generator. It did very nasty things to the high end. I was actually quite suprised how much better the high freq section in the 8200 sounded compared to the 2020. The 2020 has a very dull squashed sound to the high freq's. I've never been a fan of the 8200 but I've gotta say in this respect I always thought it sounded pretty good..(very open highs). Of course the 8200's problems have been well documented as well.

Let me clarify: I'm running a 2020 mkIII at my old college station. I've had it cranked to where the apparent loudness was greater than any of the commercial stations and was still legal. It still sounded open and punchy. If I make the signal more dense, it looses the punch, just like the commercial stations, and then the apparent loudness is comparable to that of the commercial stations. In either case the actual quality of the audio was much higher than that of the commercial stations. It seems like radio (and a lot of the current recording artists) confuses density with loudness. Setting up a processor so that the levels are consistent in a moving car is density. Loudness is when my 2020's sound leaps out of your speakers; density is when your Bob or Frank sits there and cranks out a steady one-dimensional drone.

The highs on the mkIII are very smooth, but tend to roll off as the limiter is pushed, because you're also pushing more compression - that's the way the unit's designed - but I wouldn't call the result dull. There is a Brilliance function which is along the lines of an Aural Exciter. I don't like it personally because I'm going for more of a purist approach, but on a CHR or Urban, where the processing sounds grungy and unnatural to begin with, the Brilliance feature would fit in pretty well.

I can imagine that the 2020 would sound really good and loud if run through a composite clipper, but that would defeat one of the biggest selling points of the 2020, which is that it generates less multipath and therefore increases coverage area.

My 2¢.

 

[menotti1]

let me clarify,i don't rely on the clipper section of the omnia 6, there are MUCH better ways to get more loudness.Just pushing the clippers is easy for someone that does not know the product.I would have sold you my 2020 mark 3,if i knew you loved it that much.we had 5 pulled from contract stations that we could not give away...all went for less than 1500.oo each.also this AIN'T COLLEGE radio.your post reminds me of the aerosmith song DREAM ON..MY 2 cents.

 

[Lee_Sackett]

let me clarify,i don't rely on the clipper section of the omnia 6, there are MUCH better ways to get more loudness.Just pushing the clippers is easy for someone that does not know the product.I would have sold you my 2020 mark 3,if i knew you loved it that much.we had 5 pulled from contract stations that we could not give away...all went for less than 1500.oo each.also this AIN'T COLLEGE radio.your post reminds me of the aerosmith song DREAM ON..MY 2 cents.

I apologize for insulting your...uh...intelligence. I was trying to put the whole thing into context for the original poster. I already stated in an earlier post that the 2020 isn't for everyone. It definitely sounds foreign to someone whose only experience is the lo-fi, loudness at all cost school of audio.

BTW, this ain't college radio either: I have thirty years experience as a recording engineer, jock and production director. Your post reminds me of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song THAT SMELL.

 

[menotti1]

having built and designed (owner)2 fm's and AM's from the ground up ,over 40 years experience in contract work, i have a pretty good grasp on processor capabilities and which format specific applications they may be best suited to.i think all the posters put it in context so the original poster gets an idea of which direction to go.Also i wish to apologize if my remarks toward you(Lee) sounded vindictive.My 6 on your station would blow the doors off the 2020,but with more loudness and much better clarity.Demo one.you'll see for yourself.(use the warm comtemp preset) smooth smooth smooth....

 

[Sgeirk]

no no no no...use the cosmic preset and tweak it from there. It's freaky. Make sure levels are consistent and the w/b agc is set where Omnia suggests.

Very powerful, very dense, extremely open, extremely consistent.

 

[menotti1]

what format are you using the cosmic on? i have played with different settings using the cosmic,just got more comfortable with the warm contemp setting off the omnia site with some tweaking, for my 60-80;s format.always open to suggestions.email your pre,i'd like to hear it.Q106 Columbus @aol.com. thanks

 

[radiotoday]

Well, thx for all the opinions from everyone.

At this moment i have a optimod 2200 sitting at my house. I kept it when i sold my 8200 V3 OPTIMOD. was a mistake
If we forget how powerfull the 8200 sounded against the 2200 which is only a 2 band processor, i want to see how close the sound is from the Aphex regarding to the 2200.

What i wanna say is that the 2200 sounds at the end only 65% - 70% so loud then the 8200. Logical. its only 2 band not 5. BUT still, the way it sounds its that classic diferent thing which did the 8100 so popular also in the past. It is a fake sound which i love a lot.

So, how close can the aphex 2020 go to that style of sound. Can it sound like the 2200 and a litle bit louder maybe or the general sound is much closer to the Omnia processors which is a totall diferent philosophy?

What i wanna get is something familiar with the optimod sound from 2200 with a litel bit pore power ( cause its a litle bit petty to let the 4 bands from 2020 working so cheap as the 2 bands from the 2200)

 

[RadioMan203]

When I was shopping for a processor for my webstream I almost bought a 2200, but heard it was a little too underpowered for aggressive audio. I got a 6200 and it was a killer box. I just recently sold it since I'm starting to roll back on things related to the stream. The current processor I'm using is a 2020 MK I (older unit). If I thought I would my return on investment I would upgrade it to a MK III but it just doesn't seem to be a popular choice among broadcasters. It's alright, but I haven't really spent the time to tweak it up ... and it will never perform like the MK III that I had years ago (I bought it as a cheaply backup).

Given a choice I would opt for a multi-band Orban or Omnia box. I'd love to try an Ariane in front since I've heard all the buzz about them.

 

[menotti1]

well in defense of the 2020, it would be superior to the 2200.Another box offering best bang for the buck,the DSP_X.
Sounds like budget is a big concern for you.i have installed the dsp-x and the dsp-extra at different installations,they Love em...Most operators can't spring for the Omnia 6 or 8500 ,hey they are not cheap as we all know.Also the new Omnia One FM is selling like mink coats on dollar days,i think best street price is around 2500.00..THAT would be my choice in your situation...