DBX - 3BX Worth It???
Rene Thirion
I found the DBX noise reduction system I posted the message
about yesterday. The "3BX" is a 3 band "dynamic range expander". It has
a "passive mode" where it simply quiets any stray noise. I have
a 5 - day trial period during which I can return it to get my
$190 back (original cost reputed to be $780)
My Question is this: Is this the only way I can kill the hiss in
my system?
2. The salesman told me I could replace the BBE-"Sonic Maximizer"
with the DBX "Dynamic Range Expander". I don't yet know enough
about the DBX to know if this is true. Does anyone ELSE know?
The source of the hiss is the BBE Sonic Maximizer, so if I can
improve the dynamic range with the DBX it makes sense to do so -
3. What do I do if/when the DBX breaks down? With the company is
gone, how / where do I get spare parts?
Does Anyone Out There have more Info about DBX than this. I need
ALL THE HELP I CAN GET in helping me with this decision.
Thanks In Advance,
Rene
thi...@delphi.com OR rene.t...@idealink.washington.dc.us
Bryan Levin
bands they 'compand'):
w a t ch o u t f or pu m p i n g a nd b rea thi n g.
They're famous for that ;-) ;-)
--
.bl
Fuzzy Logic
I have a DBX 1BX the original with wooden sides and all. I find it is very
useful for vinyl but pretty useless for CD's. That price sounds pretty good. I
don't know anything about the BBE but I do know the principals behind the
Dynamic Range Expander. The only difference between the 1BX and the 3BX is that
the 3BX breaks the sound into low/mid/high and allows you to set the transition
points for each of these bands. This minimizes the 'pumping' or 'breathing' you
can get with the 1BX when you have a strong bass signal that causes the highs to
increase with the bass. This is not very noticeable until you turn the
expansion way up. I have had my 1BX for probably close to 20 years and never
had a problem. I don't think that these boxes are especially complicated but the
components are probably expensive.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Erkamp A L B E R T A
--> It Could Happen <-- R E S E A R C H
erk...@arc.ab.ca C O U N C I L
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Christensen
>I found the DBX noise reduction system I posted the message
>about yesterday. The "3BX" is a 3 band "dynamic range expander".
>my system?
I gate will close down below a set threshold. Gates are also called
"downward expanders"
>2. The salesman told me I could replace the BBE-"Sonic Maximizer"
> with the DBX "Dynamic Range Expander". I don't yet know enough
> about the DBX to know if this is true. Does anyone ELSE know?
Didn't you just say that the 3BX was a dynamic range expander????
I have a dbx DRE unit, can't remember the model number. The one I
have will not get rid os noise. All it does is to expand the dunamic
range of a source that might be overly compressed...
> The source of the hiss is the BBE Sonic Maximizer, so if I can
> improve the dynamic range with the DBX it makes sense to do so -
If the BBE _IS_ the source, loose it. It is designed to increase the
brightness of a source.
>3. What do I do if/when the DBX breaks down? With the company is
> gone, how / where do I get spare parts?
That's a good one. I should clarify that the consumer division of dbx
is down and out but the pro products are alive and well...
>Does Anyone Out There have more Info about DBX than this. I need
>ALL THE HELP I CAN GET in helping me with this decision.
Loose the BBE or get a gate. The dbx 266 is a compressor/limiter/gate
unit for $240. You can use the side chain for dynamic HF expansion is
you really must have more highs and can't get it any way else.
--
D.R. "Chris" Christensen Grass Valley Group (the day job)
chr...@gold.gvg.tek.com P.O. Box 1114 mail Stop N32B
916-478-3419 FAX 916-478-3887 Grass Valley, CA 95945
Neither I nor my employer is responsible for anything I say or do.
Russell McNeil (Liberal Studies/Physics), Malaspina University College, Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
> about yesterday. The "3BX" is a 3 band "dynamic range expander". It has
> a "passive mode" where it simply quiets any stray noise. I have
> a 5 - day trial period during which I can return it to get my
> $190 back (original cost reputed to be $780)
>
> My Question is this: Is this the only way I can kill the hiss in
> my system?
> 2. The salesman told me I could replace the BBE-"Sonic Maximizer"
> with the DBX "Dynamic Range Expander". I don't yet know enough
> about the DBX to know if this is true. Does anyone ELSE know?
> The source of the hiss is the BBE Sonic Maximizer, so if I can
> improve the dynamic range with the DBX it makes sense to do so -
> 3. What do I do if/when the DBX breaks down? With the company is
> gone, how / where do I get spare parts?
I have been using an MXR dynamic range expander unit for about 16
years. It's a small box with a secondary click and pop suppressor that
mutes record scratches and other low level transient signals of short
duration. The expander part of the circuit's specifications are:
Dynamic Range 100db; Expand ratio 1:1 to 1:1.5; Effective noise
reduction 20db max; T.H.D. less than 0.25% (100 Hz to 15 kHz).
I paid about $100 for the unit in Las Vegas in 1978. I have no idea
if anyone makes them anymore. They were useful in vinyl days in
bringing expanding compressed vinyl signals and reducing record
noise.
I've actually been using the box quite effectively for years in dubbing
poor quality telephone interviews onto a reel to reel for manual
editing. The expansion process significantly reduces low level line
noise (and humm) while boosting the voice signal. It has saved many
phone interviews from the trash can for me. The final quality is
in these cases good enough for radio broadcast. Incidentally I also
use a a MXR 2:1 compander when dubbing the expanded signal onto
reel to reel. The final edited master is decoded by the MXR
compander (eliminating all tape hiss and dubbed onto DAT for
radio broadcasts. The DAT copy is of course virtually identical
to the decoded signal from the compander. I do have a spare DBX
compander in case the MXR dies but after 16 years there's no sign
of wear.
SUMMARY:
Telephone signal -> mono cassette -> MXR Dynamic Expander ->
MXR Compander -> half track reel to reel -> MXR Compander ->
Sony DAT -> Broadcast
P.S. As far as my radio clients can tell the whole job was
done digitally.
Russell mcNeil
Seum-Lim GAN
I have a dbx 3BX dynamic range expander.
It does get rid of hissing noise.
Mine is out of order and there is no one I can find in Singapore to repair
it. Does anyone know where I can get it repaired ?
Gan
Julian Melville
band expander) and am presently borrowing a 4bx (3 bands like the 3bx plus
impact restoration). If used properly and, I think, subtly, these units are
great! they will 'reduce' noise to a certain extent by expanding it downwards
when nothing else is playing. They DO take a bit of playing around with before
you get the knack of setting them right, and you can make things sound truly
horrible with them.
They're pretty cool really (my overall .02)
Julian