My personal product review on broadcast equipment: DEVA Broadcast DB6400 audio processor

Now I'm former junior broadcast engineer at a broadcast transmission equipment company. Although I'm not graduating from telecommunication engineering field during my studies, instead I graduated from Diploma in Automotive Engineering, but I decided to move out from comfort zone and join the broadcast industry to try something new and ready to face reality in the field. During these 13 months, I never feel regret over my decision because I had experienced something that I never contacted before.

 

Should be happy and proud of myself because experience the thing that I wish to.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic and monopoly of broadcast transmission market in Malaysia, also unstable politic situation in my country, I made a pain decision to leave the broadcast industry. It is sad to know COVID-19 pandemic kills a lot of industries. 

 

Although I'm no longer working at broadcast transmission equipment company since May 2020, but I continue treating broadcast transmission as personal hobby (amateur), mainly DXing.

Since I had been used to work at broadcast transmission equipment company before, for my amateur review, I would like to share my personal review of a broadcast equipment, it is DEVA Broadcast DB6400 audio processor from Bulgaria.

DB6400 is Advanced FM and Digital Radio 4-Band Audio Processor with Backup Audio Player.

I like this DB6400 audio processor actually. During my broadcast industry career, my company sold 3 units of Deva DB6400 audio processor to a Sarawak based radio station for 3 locations (Kapit, Belaga and Lawas), I also installed DB6400 at the transmission site too.

From my amateur review, DB6400 can generate wide dynamic range audio. In addition, during my personal test on this equipment, while a transmitter frequency deviation exceeds 80kHz by simply installing audio input, but I personally realize the frequency deviation of a transmitter is controlled with installation of DB6400 audio processor. 

Other than controlling frequency deviation of transmitter by adjusting at MPX output, actually DB6400 can control transmitter frequency deviation by adjusting audio output (dB). Besides that, users can adjust DB6400 audio equalizer setting by choosing music types based on user's preferences.

DB6400 features DSP-based RDS (Radio Data System) encoder. From my experience during the broadcast career, I could set my radio station name on the unit and do RDS setting by using its software.

 

DB6400 has built-in mp3 player with micro SD card slots which mainly act as backup player when there is no main source available on DB6400.

In my personal amateur opinion, it is worth to purchase DB6400 audio processor with DSP-based RDS encoder, than separated units (standalone RDS encoder, and audio processor without RDS encoder) because DB6400 is considered 4 in 1 solution where a combination between audio processor, STEREO generator, RDS encoder, and built-in mp3 player (which act as backup player when there is no any input). That was my only basic knowledge about DB6400, but I have no idea on LAN port, IP setting on the unit as I haven't experience it before.

 

 

For FM transmitters, I was used to deliver, install and test with company team for two locations. It is better to have DB6400 audio processor because it is 4 in 1 solution as I mentioned above this paragraph. 

Some of broadcasters may prefer to buy equipment separately with audio processor (without built-in RDS encoder) and standalone RDS processor (example: DEVA SmartGen 6.0), but they may pay more because they get individually on the equipment, somewhat they could consume more space on a transmitter system rack.

Moreover, some of broadcasters also prefer to install RDS card or STEREO card inside the transmitters. This is not recommended because if RDS card in a transmitter is blown up, the radio transmission could be off-air, and broadcast engineers need to replace the RDS card by disassembling transmitters and disconnecting most of the cable in order to remove the RDS card from transmitter. Next, if there is no RDS card replaced, the radio station transmission will have no RDS information which to be appeared on radio receivers.

No need to feel trouble! Just go for DB6400, or install RDS encoder (example: SmartGen 6.0). In term of setting up this unit, it is moderate to easy to do a basic installation of DEVA DB6400.

Alongside DB6400, there is also a broadcasting tool which is also combination of Stereo encoder and RDS encoder, known as DEVA DB6000-STC, stereo and RDS generator, which is better than inserting the RDS and stereo cards in the transmitter.

DB64-FM is a budget version to DB6400 4-band FM radio audio processor.

At last, I will present two of my demonstration videos about basic setting up and using of DEVA Broadcast DB6400 audio processor, however I would like to apologize over the videos because my camera could not record actual sound from audio processor. Hope you will see some basic setting up of DB6400!