dbx 3BX- Vintage Audio Review Episode

[@mrpbody44]

I found one of these in the trash with the wired remote. I hooked it up and tested a few records with it and it changed it just a little bit. I put it on Reverb and got $1,200 for it. The lights were nice

[@vintageaudioreview]

What a score!!! The remote is fairly rare from what I understand. Thanks for sharing!

[@Zimmy_1981]

😮

[@Zimmy_1981]

Amazing how ppl just dump these rather than sell or donate

[@vincedebart]

Had the same kind of memory the first time I saw a Mcintosh power amp with the blue VU meters I was hooked

[@vintageaudioreview]

Thanks for sharing your memory. I did not have the same memory when 1st seeing McIntosh gear- but that changed as I got into audio more in my later years.

[@Zimmy_1981]

At least u got meters and the name is fun to say 😊

[@vintageaudioreview]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I like to say "dbx", though!

[@adaboy4z]

I picked up two dbx units from Goodwill a first gen and second gen. Tried it out on cassette and recordings where quieter.

[@vintageaudioreview]

Are you talking about the dbx noise reduction units, or the 3bx's? Most likely you got them for a good price which would make it even better. Thanks for sharing

[@adaboy4z]

@@vintageaudioreview dbx II 122 and 224x

[@vintageaudioreview]

@@adaboy4z The 122 is a noise reduction unit, not sure about the 224- some takes decks offered that as well as Dolby.

[@saiprasad8078]

Just my 2 cents - dbx - db (gain) expander -- 3bx - 3 band expander. 🙂

[@vintageaudioreview]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts regarding the 3dbx and I think you may be on to something. Ooops- just checked and it was the company founder's initials....except for the x

[@ExtrusionTech]

Great review Scott. I've been waiting to see something like this for 50 years! I heard loud music playing in a mall that many years ago and I thought it was a band playing. Turns out it was a system setup at the entrance of a Sam Goody's using a dbx unit. Still remember that after all these years. I've since heard a digital expansion-compression unit years later and thought it was awful, so I lost interest in the technique. Perhaps your upper frequency hearing is not what it used to be, like mine, and therefore this unit is of no longer of use.

[@vintageaudioreview]

Thanks for the anecdote Tom! I am trying to find a place that offers a comprehensive hear test that will be covered by my insurance plan. I think I still hear pretty good, but would be surprised if it extended much pass 12khz...The 3dbx is hooked up to one of my systems that has a Pioneer CTF950 tape deck- maybe should have used that for my listening test. It is nice to have it in my "collection"...

[@mikeh2520]

Since you can measure THD, play a clean test tone into the mic that you record your videos with at the same level as your voice and measure the THD on playback.

[@vintageaudioreview]

If you are politely telling me that you don't like the sound quality, the method you mention would not be as simple as that. One of the mics I use is a usb mic for the audio when I record data and the other mic is a boom mic mounted to my camera. I apologize that sometimes the audio recording is not as good- sometimes they pick up the A/C (or heater) coming on. I have only had 1 other comment- many months ago- about the sound quality.

[@mikeh2520]

@@vintageaudioreview Just trying to help. Leave yourself some more head room so we don't hear it clip. Better to have too low of a level recorded than too high. You can always raise the level in post production but you can never get rid of that clipping in post.

[@vintageaudioreview]

@@mikeh2520 Thanks for taking the time to help me improve. Is the problem more with me on screen or during data ?

[@mikeh2520]

@@vintageaudioreview I just dropped into the middle of it to check again and @13:47 and onwards, there is nasty clipping. If you have a visual indicator of mic level use that to get a better reference level. Your ears should be your best test instrument.

[@vintageaudioreview]

@@mikeh2520 Thanks for you input and I really only hear a slight amount of distortion, but will adjust the mic setting down on my USB mic. Thanks for the help!

[@jimbotron70]

Someone should reverse engineer the circuits and put it back in the market or in the wild. Patents have expired.

[@vintageaudioreview]

They are not really needed any more unless you play a lot of LP's or tapes....Thanks for the comment!

[@jimbotron70]

@vintageaudioreview Wouldn't digital sources benefit from this sound processor?

[@vintageaudioreview]

@@jimbotron70 I thought I made the point towards the end of the video that the dynamic range of CD's or streamed is is pretty good compared with tapes/lps which is why I did not hear much of an effect...I have it hooked up to a system where I play tapes occasionally, but honestly can't tell much of a difference.