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.
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
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.
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"...
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
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
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.
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.
@@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 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.
@@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!
Had the same kind of memory the first time I saw a Mcintosh power amp with the blue VU meters I was hooked
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.
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
What a score!!! The remote is fairly rare from what I understand. Thanks for sharing!
😮
Amazing how ppl just dump these rather than sell or donate
At least u got meters and the name is fun to say 😊
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I like to say "dbx", though!
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.
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"...
Just my 2 cents - dbx - db (gain) expander -- 3bx - 3 band expander. 🙂
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
I picked up two dbx units from Goodwill a first gen and second gen. Tried it out on cassette and recordings where quieter.
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
@@vintageaudioreview dbx II 122 and 224x
@@adaboy4z The 122 is a noise reduction unit, not sure about the 224- some takes decks offered that as well as Dolby.
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.
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.
@@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.
@@mikeh2520 Thanks for taking the time to help me improve. Is the problem more with me on screen or during data ?
@@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.
@@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!