Tom Cram DBX 160 S( L ) explanation

[pipelineaudio]

I LOVE these compressors and have 2 of them...HOWEVER, what the hell is wrong with you guys ?

the attack and release controls labeling, was there something WRONG with the way its been done for generations??? why the hell cant the just be in mS ????

can I get an alternate sticker that says mS values on it??? It drives guest engineers BONKERS to set this thing!

[Tom Cram]

Actually, dbx has always used this description so it is the first and more accurate description Other manufacturers that don't use this description are actually labelling incorrectly, but whatchagonnado?

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[pipelineaudio]

none of my other dbx's use this

except for maybe an old 165 where the labels are rubbed off

how do I find attack = 25mS and release equals 250 mS for instance?

[Son of Mixerman]

Originally posted by pipelineaudio


how do I find attack = 25mS and release equals 250 mS for instance?

What are ya looking at the labels for?
Close your eyes, use the force pipeluke, trust your instincts

Seriously though, since potentiometers are rarely linear to a level in which they can be trusted, the labels are an approximation only, reference only, and close enough for country. Maybe a custom Funklogic faceplate can be made to remedy the situation. I rarely look at the knobs on my compressor, I just twist for the desired result. It all started when I got my first 3630 at home and what I was hearing was not what I though I set the stupid thing at. I turned off the lights and let go of the numbers and the lights to get it to do what I needed. But you already know this, you just forgot thats all. If Stevie Wonder can do it, you can too

If you want, Ill trade ya the 3630's for the 160's?

Peace,
SoMm

[Tom Cram]

I'm trying to find our white paper that explains this better than I can. Bear with me...

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[pipelineaudio]

Like I said * I * love your compressor, and have no times gfutzing wioth the knobs till it acts right. We get a few bands that will bring in " engineers" or " producers" though.

A of these people are the same idiot clients who dictate format, and software..." wait let me get this straight, you come to me because you LIKE the sound I got on another album but youre gonna tell me which SOFTWARE to use???? You gonna tell me which mics too ???"

they read things off the back of cereal boxes and insist on doing them that way. One of them is the 25/250 snare thing. Instead of messing with it, they just say " that box is junk, they had to paint it bright blue to even sell it"

What units do the DDP and Quantum use?

[Tom Cram]

What units do the DDP and Quantum use?

The same, dB/mSec. I swear man, all of our comps use these increments, always have.

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[pipelineaudio]

Now the difference between the S and the SL, is only in the auto mode right?

[Tom Cram]

Now the difference between the S and the SL, is only in the auto mode right?

As far as I know the only difference is the AutoVelocity function, I don't see any other ECN's in my files.

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[Tom Cram]

O.k., I can't find the white paper so I'm just going to explain it as simply as I can.

Since the attack on a dbx unit is exponential (non-linear) its shape (envelope) needs to be expressed as a function of dB and time.


For example:

dB
^ *
^ **
^ ****
^ *******
^ **********
^ *************
^ ****************
^ ********************
^ *************************
^ *********************************
^ ******************************************
^ ************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Time

So, the shape (envelope) that the attack takes once threshold has been reached is a curve (non-linear/exponential) and cannot be represented as just a static mS unit, since it changes over time.

I'm not sure how to make it more plain than this. If anybody doesn't get it, give me a call and I'll confuse you further on the phone.

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-