Pioneer Dynamic Processors - The Mother Lode

Here are photos/specs on six dynamic processors, and the year of the catalog in which pictured:

1979 RG-1
1980 RG-2
1983 RG-9
1984 RG-60
1980 RG-70
1987 EX-9000

Doc

Wow, I didn't even know Pioneer made those...isn't that usually pro gear?

For anyone that has had a chance to listen to some of these, do they all perform similarly? I have an RG-1 and I was wondering if I would get similar results from RG-2.

The RG-1 is slightly different then the 2 but the 2 the 9 and 70 are virtually the same machine with a different color face. i have the 2 and the 9 the 2 is Silver faced with blue display the 9 is a champagne color with a green display.

I'd be the inside of the 60 is also the same.

I use one in my main system for FM and Tape once and a while with CD's and almost never with LP's My vinyl source is VERY good as is.

I have an RG-1, I love the "depth" i feel when its on

I've got them all, except for the RG-70, the 9000 is kind of cheesy, BPC.

RG-2 vs RG-60

I have both and haven't noticed any difference in sound. To me it seems mainly a matter of cosmetics as to which one you would want to get. I prefer the RG-60 to the RG-2 mainly due to better switches.

Strawman said:

I've got them all, except for the RG-70, the 9000 is kind of cheesy, BPC.

Click to expand...

A redeeming feature of the EX-9000 is that it does break the audio into 3 bands.

Doc

Big_Tex said:

For anyone that has had a chance to listen to some of these, do they all perform similarly? I have an RG-1 and I was wondering if I would get similar results from RG-2.

Click to expand...

I have both the rg1 and rg2 and the manuals also. The manuals say that the rg2 is the better one of the 2 units. I'll be darned if I can tell any difference soundwise between them. I'd have to say I prefer the rg1 only because it doesn't have those pesky switches that are prone to failure. The light display on the rg2 is a nice show though I must say.

Simple and clean

I have a RG-60. It sounds a lot like it looks: simple and clean. I also have a dbx II Model 128. It has WAY more control over the processing. It is more subtle and powerful in what it can do with features like, for example, being able to set the expansion so that it only kicks in above a definable threshold or is linear with soft sounds compressed and loud sounds expanded. AND there are lots of other such features. All very useful with audio sources that are unusual or just badly recorded-- And one can always manage to get rid of surging and breathing effects. Nice. BUT, on the other hand, the Pioneer RG-60 seems to handle impulse noise from vinyl better and has a somewhat cleaner sound, but maybe the clean case design is effecting my judgement! AND the Pioneer is a lot easier to setup for a particular listening session, 10 seconds and done. The dbx can be minutes to set up, too much like work! I almost exclusively use these expanders to restore dynamics that the engineers removed to make the music fit onto vinyl. I never use it with uncompressed direct-to-disc or good Mercury records, etc. But certain older EPIC and Columbia classical LPs are just stunning when the dynamics are restored. AND expansion really puts the LIVE back in rock, folk and jazz concerts from the 60s!

I love my RG-1. The added contrast in dynamic levels is a nice touch for some of my music. Although I have heard the RG-2 is better, I haven't ever been able to compare the two. Plus I prefer the physical VU meters over the digital VU meters. I just love the analog look. I thought I heard somewhere and I can't remember where, that the RGs also do a light cleanup on the sound that comes into the unit. Is this true? Or have I been misled?

They are used to expand the dynamic range of music. By expanding the dynamic range, esp if the music is compressed to begin with, they would in essence increase the signal to noise ratio, so that is probably what you are referring to as cleaning up the music.