Remember DBX Processors from 1970s/80s?

[Exit]

There has been a lot of discussion on the excess compression and clipping of music in today’s recordings. In the late 1970’s and early 80’s a company called DBX made sound processors to process vinyl recordings. I had a dynamic range expander, a waveform peak restorer and a bass extension processor. DBX exited the market when CDs became popular because it was thought their processors would not be needed with the fidelity of CDs. I got rid of them when I switched to surround sound because there were no tape monitor circuits to hook them up.

I believe my Yamaha receiver has a dynamic range increase/decrease switch built in so it may be able to decompress a little. The feature is buried deep in the menu system and is not convenient to switch on and off. Why can’t receiver manufacturers incorporate these DBX processor functions into their receivers and remote controls for their receivers? This could allow audiophiles a means to restore recordings closer to their pre-processed state for better fidelity. There are new and old recordings on CDs and processing varies so the DBX features would need to be easily variable. Does anybody think this would be a good idea?

 

[stratman]

I remember DBX very well, good quality stuff, used a lot in recording studios, they're still around with awesome(expensive) pro gear.

http://www.dbxpro.com/

 

[fmw]

The reason they don't is that there was no standard either for the type of dynamic range compression or the amount. It would take more than just a switch, I'm afraid. If your receiver has a tape loop or if you use it as a preamp, then you could add a modern dbx compander to the signal chain. dbx is still the big name in dynamic range management.