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Breakaway Advice

C

chriscollins

I have a new CHR that I am overseeing. After reading so much on the forum about Breakaway, I am very tempted to try it out. I have a server grade motherboard (Intel/Dual Core), a spare SSD, and a spare Digigram VX222v2. I can come out of the console AES or Analog. I will also need to inject my RDS from an Audemat FMB80 Encoder.

Any tips or suggestions for me here?
 
If you are feeding a transmitter with Breakaway Broadcast (vs feeding a stream with Breakaway Live) you need a DC Coupled sound card to get maximum modulation. The Marian Trace Alpha is the only cost effective one that I'm aware of. Other cards will work, but a few songs will cause overmodulation (perfect example is the first 10-20 seconds of Three Dog Night - Black and White). If using a non-DC coupled sound card, setting the modulation to about 75% will probably keep you legal.
 
chriscollins said:
It would be feeding an Analog STL...
Click to expand...
What would the STL receiver be feeding?
 
chriscollins said:
and a spare Digigram VX222v2.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming your STL is composite. I'm afraid the VX222v2 won't be of help - it doesn't support 192 kHz sampling rate and therefore can't output MPX signal. To do anything, you need to get a new soundcard, like the suggested Marian Trace Alpha.

Or get an Omnia 9 and even more features than the Breakaway ;)


Regards,
Goran Tomas
 
We don't have 10K, Goran...

I don't mind buying the soundcard.

I suppose I shouldn't even try it. I'll just keep the old trusty analog 8100/XT2 in place.
 
It's stunning even with a "standard" audio card when feeding positive 150% modulation into an AM....
Leave yourself "the tiniest bit" of headroom and the result is hard to believe.

It can just about knock the wind out of you when adjusted correctly. :)
 
I have the home audio version for keeping iTunes under control. It's awesome stuff. I want a breakaway iPhone app!
 
I know enough to be dangerous ;D ... but if you want to try a cheaper soundcard, the EMU 0404 is a good solution...I do not believe it to be DC coupled, and it modulates legal, loud, and proud...75khz average deviation on the money.

I'm certain the new Omnias are a step above breakaway, unless you have a competitor with a 10,000+ audio processing budget this year, you'll sound leagues better than anyone else on the dial. Especially voice. If you use Breakaway you will notice that an adjustment may have to be made at the mic processing level: backing out of any extreme compression!

Breakaway just runs and runs on a homemade core2 intel...and sounds wonderful, really.
 
You have an Optimod so why not use the Breakaway box to drive just the Optimod's distortion cancelling safety clipper and stereo generator? You would get absolute peak control from the Optimod while enjoying the added functionality of the Breakaway. Not that this is a great idea, but you can possibly skate by with a bit less of a soundcard that way, since the Optimod would be handling the final peak control.
 
I said early on that I did not mind buying a sound card. I suppose I was hoping someone that uses it 24/7 might chime in.

On that note, if it will offer no sonic improvement over the 8100/XT2 combo at the same loudness, then I would be wasting my time. Does anyone have an opinion on that?
 
It seems that a lot of people want to use the Breakaway as both audio processor and stereo generator. Theoretically, this could work, but the technical requirements to broadcast a stereo composite signal are pretty strict. Although I have no doubt that it is possible to generate a very good composite signal that will be received on any radio, I have concerns about the long term legality of using a sound card for generating composite stereo when there are so many legal pitfalls. For example, 38kHz suppression, 19kHz pilot frequency and injection, 19kHz sinusiodal purity.... The list goes on for a while. I'd be especially concerned about waveform shapes and maintaining absolute accuracy of the 19kHz clock. If it's off by as much as 2Hz, you're illegal. The pilot frequency cannot vary over time or temperature.

So, the question is, can you rely on a synthesized composite output if the reference isn't compensated for drift? Has anyone measured this?

On the other hand, using a modern, but low cost, digital processor feeding an analog stereo generator should give excellent sound while preserving the legallity of the station.
 
Kmagrill said:
On the other hand, using a modern, but low cost, digital processor feeding an analog stereo generator should give excellent sound while preserving the legallity of the station.
Click to expand...

So, on that note, does anybody have any recommendations for a good analog stereo generator?
Who makes the most affordable?
Who makes the best?
 
chriscollins said:
On that note, if it will offer no sonic improvement over the 8100/XT2 combo at the same loudness, then I would be wasting my time.
Click to expand...

That is the key question.

"Sonic improvement" is subjective category and people will judge it differently. Setting loudness aside for a moment, all processors have different sound textures and whether you will like the different sound of Breakaway compared to 8100/XT2 or not, remains to be seen. Maybe you'll be "blown away" as some suggest, maybe you won't - nobody knows you well enough and your preferences to be able to tell you that...


Regards,
Goran Tomas
 
Thanks, Goran... I think I have decided not to pursue it. I'm not unhappy with the current combination. I will hang tight until I can purchase a processor. That won't be for I while, since we just built them a new digital studio... One step at a time.

Thanks all for the comments.
 
I wouldn't give up so fast. You can easily take the output from a decent sound card and run it into the test jacks on the Optimod, thus bypassing all of the circuitry except for the stereo generator. I've done this with an Echo Layla card and haven't had any overshoot. Run Breakaway at 75us preemphasis straight into the test jacks. And the difference in sound, especially the HF portion has been much better than the Optimod. Also, with the XT you're stuck with one sound, the Breakaway software allows you to change presets to further customize your sound.

If you have a quiet, professional sound card (something a step up from a Sound Blaster) you have really not much to lose by trying this approach.
 
So, the question is, can you rely on a synthesized composite output if the reference isn't compensated for drift? Has anyone measured this?
Click to expand...

All of the modern digital processors are digital synthesized composite outputs being run through D/A converters. Whether it's being done is pure DSP or on an Intel chip is just a matter of approach, the result should be the same if the software was written correctly.
 
WNTIRadio said:
I wouldn't give up so fast. You can easily take the output from a decent sound card and run it into the test jacks on the Optimod, thus bypassing all of the circuitry except for the stereo generator. I've done this with an Echo Layla card and haven't had any overshoot. Run Breakaway at 75us preemphasis straight into the test jacks. And the difference in sound, especially the HF portion has been much better than the Optimod. Also, with the XT you're stuck with one sound, the Breakaway software allows you to change presets to further customize your sound.

If you have a quiet, professional sound card (something a step up from a Sound Blaster) you have really not much to lose by trying this approach.
Click to expand...

That is a good suggestion.
 
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