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Used/Pre-Owned Orban Optimod 8500?

F

fmcentral371

Good afternoon,

I am preparing to launch a small FM station and I am in need of a used Orban Optimod 8500 audio processor.

If anyone has one to sell, please contact me. I am very flexible with price.

Thanks so much.
 
Agreed on that point. The 5500 can come close in texture to the 8500, with only a slight difference in loudness/distortion. Unless you're in a market with flamethrowers on both sides of you running Omnia.11's cranked to the max, the 5500 should do the trick for you.

There aren't that many 8500's on the used market, as they're not that old and not obsolete. If a big station gets a new processor, chances are the 8500 goes to backup duty and the 8200 or even 8100 that was previously on backup duty goes for sale or into storage. Just did that a little while ago at a client station, the 8400 became the aux processor, the 8100 went to the shelf and the 11 became the primary. That's also why there aren't too many 8400's for sale either.
 
Why not try a BW Broadcast DSP-Xtra? It is a very good box, and quite affordable. I think you can get a demo from SCMS.
 
Wheatstone has the VP-8 for about $3,200 as well. Worth a listen.

The Omnia.One with the latest firmware sounds pretty damn good for the price too.

Unless you're married to an 8500, you should try out some different options that are out now.

What's the format? Also are you in the USA? Just asking as different countries, and Europe in general have different tastes in processing textures. When I was in Italy, all phasers were set to "kill"... it was a sound that no PD or audience in the US would put up with.
 
This is kind of funny and predictable :-D
Somebody asks for a very specific processor and we all offer alternatives. LOL!
Almost went for it myself!
 
Well, we're offering alternatives because a used 8500 is as rare as hen's teeth. If he's going for the sound of an 8500, the 5500 is it's closest relative. If he's not in a "balls to the wall" market, it will do just fine for him.
 
WNTIRadio said:
Well, we're offering alternatives because a used 8500 is as rare as hen's teeth. If he's going for the sound of an 8500, the 5500 is it's closest relative. If he's not in a "balls to the wall" market, it will do just fine for him.
Click to expand...
I know and agree. It's sound advice. Just purchased one for a community station. It is just just sort of funny that whenever there is a processor involved, there is this reflex. ;)
 
The 8500 and 8600 are certainly great processors. I recently put a 8600 on the air air and have been VERY happy with what it did for us. The particular station that it went on uses a compressed audio link via a 512k T1 out to the transmitter some 60 miles away from the studio. Putting the 8600 on that station really, really helped mask or clean up dueling compression schemes of compressed music (sent by record companies) and the compressed link. The flaw is certainly less audible now, yet the overall clarity of the station has improved radically from the Omnia 6 that was there before. The 6 found a new home on the AM sister station's new FM translator.
 
I haven't tried the 8600 out yet. Demoed an 8500 about a year and a half ago, thought there wasn't that much improvement or difference over an 8400. Still had that "squashed" HF limiter Orban sound to it. How does the 8600 compare to the 8500 by your ears?

I know we're off track on the thread now... to get back on it, I did ask around and nobody has an 8500 they're willing to part with.
 
WNTIRadio said:
Still had that "squashed" HF limiter Orban sound to it. How does the 8600 compare to the 8500 by your ears?
Click to expand...
And in my opinion that's exactly where you can find the biggest improvement. Clarity.
 
How does it stack against an 11? I have miles of clarity in the HF region there, so much so that I've had to back it down in a couple of places.

The 8300 will get you in the ballpark of an 8500. As long as you're not in a full on blowtorch market it can sound very nice. Have one on the air at a client station.
 
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