Digital Speaker System Controller

[Steve Mac]

I've seen a few products that seem interesting. The JBL DSC60 and the Electro-Voice DX38. I know the audiophiles don't like digital too much but it seems that putting together a vintage Altec system and using one of these controllers could take a lot of nightmare out of tweaking crossover slopes and points, EQing in ruler flat response for a particluar room and saving the settings for each environment! Does anyone here have experience in using these with their vintage gear and have impressions on the general audio quality?

[donaldpatten]

Steve
I am not familar with the EV or JBL products.
I have been using my MAC for annalysis ... freq resp & time delay : FFT & scope. I have a test pulse I developed, that can be used to measure Horn/Woofer delay. I would attach it to the users board if some one could tell me how. This would be very usefull in setting up a Rane AC-22, adjusting the delay. The FFT would be used to set levels and xover freq.

Don

[sguttag]

Steve,

I've had great success using RANE's RPM series of DSP controllers such as the RPM26Z and the others.

I look at DSP as it should "get you something." That is, you are going to pay a "hit" by going through the A/D and D/A process...it better get you something that keeping it all analog would otherwise be able to do. This may take the form of functionality or reduced noise over cascading several analog devices to achieve the same response. If you use an EQ, crossover and some other device or more...odds are you've added up enough noise/distortion that using a single DSP like device might provide superior sound/functionality.

Personally, I wouldn't use a DSP just to get the crossover function, nor to just get an equalizer (and I much prefer parametric EQ over graphic).

[Old Guy]

Some will react with disdain, but take a look at Behringer's DCX 2496. Darn good piece of gear

3 in 6 out, has xover, parametric EQ, bandpass, delays, and more. For like $300.

My only reservation with it, which doesn't affect home use, is the input connectors are soldered to the board. I'd worry about rough handling during touring.

I bought one to play with, know a number of others who bought them and all have been impressed.

Okay, so I use BSS when it comes to making my living. Behringer won't pass on most riders. But this and the companion digital graphic are great pieces considering their origin.