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The MSI-3300 television audio processor is truly a multifunctional unit that combines analog to AES3 and AES3 to analog (with automatic speed detection) along with a superb gain riding and limiting. You have enough to worry about, why should you have to continuously tweak your audio for optimum performance?

Behaves like a human operator
The built-in automatic gain riding feature enhances as well as reduces gain in your audio, depending upon the program content. During consistent programming, 3300 levels out the varying audio levels, during silence the 3300 freezes the gain, it can also sense dramatic fades and allows them and doesn't track slow fades into the noise floor. It's like having an additional audio operator.

TV Program Material Varies
No TV station has consistent audio content for extended periods of time. During live events, there is cued music, applause, heightened crowd chatter during breaks and commercial insertions. With prime-time programming, there are several commercial interruptions, which incorporate different audio styles depending upon the advertiser insertions and pre-recorded music, with dialog. The varieties of audio are endless. In order to process them all, an operator has to continually switch the audio or you can use an MSI-3300 and it will do the job for you.

Cable and Satellite Feeds
Television today requires audio transmission to multiple customers. The cable and satellite companies want "hard" feeds directly from the switcher. This so called hard feed does not go through transmission processing. The audio levels will vary widely and audio filtering, vital for the making the inexpensive cable stereo modulators sound good, does not take place. Additionally, when a station provides audio directly to the cable or satellite company, it does not pass through any low-pass filters. This nearly insures aliasing problems. The msi 3300 includes broadcast quality 15 kHz low-pass filters, as required by BTSC to protect the stereo from aliasing.

Ideal for a Digital/Analog Dual Mode Station
As the conversion to digital broadcasting proceeds, audio chains become increasingly complex, being called on to support both analog and digital transmission.

Digital and analog processing requirements are significantly different. Practical considerations demand that facilities are outfitted as commonly as possible. The msi 3300 is a powerful tool in reconciling the conflicting demands of analog and digital broadcasting.

By allowing any combination of analog or digital input or output, and providing gentle but effective audio processing, msi 3300 can bridge many of the problems in combining analog and digital transmission. For example, in anticipation of an eventual analog shutdown, many stations are building entirely digital operations, in turn adding conversion equipment just to feed the analog transmitter. The msi 3300 is made to deal with the audio portion of this conversion, with its automatic input sample rate converters, and its selectable 75 microsecond pre-emphasis processing. The msi 3300 goes in digital, processes for analog, then outputs analog audio, ready for a broadcast or cable stereo modulator.

Simple Set-up
Designed specifically for broadcast audio processing, msi 3300 includes functions specific to tasks important to only broadcasters and eliminates many options that are irrelevant. Unlike other do-it-all processors, the user is not faced with dozens of adjustments and complicated display parameters that are not applicable to your business.

Front Panel Display
A single knob selects among the various screens on the easy to read, wide angle, vacuum fluorescent display making setup and operation a snap. The display is logarithmic; it is linear with dB providing significantly more dynamic range. Not only is more information present than with a meter or moving LED type indicator. Each display is labeled with its function directly on the screen.

In addition to Left and Right input and output level availability, broadband compression and high frequency limiting are provided. Left minus Right for input and output is also available to make balancing levels easy.

A Left / Right Correlation display offers continuous indication of mono - stereo compatibility, and an alarm display in the event of polarity reversal.

An amber LED indicates audio gating status.

Front Panel Controls
Toggle
The CTL toggle switch disables all processing, while allowing the basic functions of amplification and conversion back and forth between analog and digital.

Recessed Controls
The GATE control sets the level at which the broadband compressor "freezes" the gain. This is important in preventing annoying boosts of background noise when there is program silence, often called "breathing." The amber LED switches off when the gain is frozen.

The HFR adjustment sets the threshold of the high frequency gain reduction. It controls the levels of high frequency peaks as compared with broadband peaks. This high frequency weighted limiting is important in protecting preemphasized systems, like STLs and transmitters from overloading.

The LIM control adjusts the level where peak limiting begins. This is critical in preventing equipment following the msi 3300 from overloading or clipping. Flat systems such as MPEG encoders are a good example of these types of systems.

The input and output level controls are available from the front panel. These controls affect only the analog ports of the processor.

Internal Controls
Several important adjustments are internal to the msi 3300. These are internal because they are one-time setup controls that should not be changed for any given application. dBFS is a digital plant standard, somewhat like whether a facility uses 0 VU equals +4 or +8 dBm. DBFS is adjustable from -8 to -24. Internal jumpers also allow for disabling either the limiter or compressor portion of the msi 3300.

Some features include:

• AGC Gain Reductions and Enhancement
• High Frequency Limiting
• Left/Right Correlation
• Alarm - Input Polarity Reversal
• Left & Right Inputs
• Analog and Digital Inputs and Outputs
• Simultaneous Analog and Digital Outputs

Contact Modulation Sciences, Your Sound Authority.