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DBX 3BX

K

KevinWalsh1

New Member
Hello from Orlando!
Hoping someone can help me figure out which inputs and outputs to use on my old DBX. I have just replaced my old Soundcraftsman pre amp / eq with a Emotiva pre amp that doesn’t have tape loops.
I was told to put 3BX between the amp and pre amp.
I am using a Perreaux power amp and a rega planar turntable, haven’t used this stuff in 35 years.
Empty nester trying to get back to all my vinyl.

Would appreciate any help with this question.
 
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Yes, you can put the 3bx between the preamp outputs and the power amp inputs. Not going to be as easy to use as every time you change the volume the transition level of the 3bx will be needing an adjustment. But without a tape loop, not really another way to do it.
 
Blue Shadow said:
Yes, you can put the 3bx between the preamp outputs and the power amp inputs. Not going to be as easy to use as every time you change the volume the transition level of the 3bx will be needing an adjustment. But without a tape loop, not really another way to do it.
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Thanks, but do you know which output on the 3BX to use for the amp?
 
the unit should have main in and out and tape in and out. Main would be first choice. But I'm not looking at a picture of what dbx labeled the ins and outs.

Pics are easy, drag and drop into body of a post to get them to show up.
 
Use the left set of jacks. I'd only put it between the source component and pre myself as that will save you from having to constantly change the 3BX sliders, but it will limit you to one source with it at a time.

jblnut
 
jblnut said:
Use the left set of jacks. I'd only put it between the source component and pre myself as that will save you from having to constantly change the 3BX sliders, but it will limit you to one source with it at a time.

jblnut
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I only use it on vinyl, but how does that work with the turntable input? right now I am using the phono amp on the new Emotiva.
 
No help with the phono amp built in to the preamp. So you will be messing with the controls. But it can be done and you know to make adjustments, so it should work out well.
 
The idea behind the DBX range expanders was to give tape decks a chance to compensate for the loss of dynamic range between phono and tape. They were not widely accepted by the audio press in their day because of their uneven treatment of harmonics, and not widely embraced by consumers because of their cost and added overhead to system configuration. I had a Dynaco PAT-5 when I got my 2BX, so I had the EPL (external precessing loop), but I never heard much enhancement. In the end, I decided to go with a straight line signal path.
 
Blue Shadow said:
Yes, you can put the 3bx between the preamp outputs and the power amp inputs. Not going to be as easy to use as every time you change the volume the transition level of the 3bx will be needing an adjustment. But without a tape loop, not really another way to do it.
Click to expand...

True. The good thing is that DBX units have a wide dynamic range. If operating in fully linear mode, as this unit does, the effect will be correct even though setting the controls and viewing metering will be less than optimum. Find a range that is suitable then leave the controls alone. The problem will be when you change the expansion ratio control where there may be larger than typical shifts in signal level.
 
daveshel said:
The idea behind the DBX range expanders was to give tape decks a chance to compensate for the loss of dynamic range between phono and tape.
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dbx made a few different signal processors. The Dynamic Range Expanders were designed to take a signal and one-way process it to the eventual listener. Making the quiet parts quieter and the loud parts louder.

The dbx unit designed for tape is the Tape Noise Reduction system, a two-way process used in record and playback to compress the music to the tape and expand it back to original on playback. This lead to very quiet background on tape, almost eliminating typical tape hiss. Much better at that than Dolby. But the tapes must be played back with the process or they didn't sound right. Dolby could be compensated for by just lowering the treble if there was no Dolby processing on playback. These dbx units were sometimes referred to as companders, compressors/expanders.

This two-way process was also use to record about 200 albums, made to be played back through the dbx tape noise reduction playback system. They have amazing dynamics. Unfortunately their timing in the market was butting up against the introduction of the CD and its improved technical characteristics compared to the record.
 
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