Hey Guys,
I have bought a £400 DBX Driverack PA 2 and I think it is very good value. DriveRack PA2 | dbx Professional Audio
The DSP section for crossovers Eq and room correction is really superb.... But the A to D and 6 channel DAC's are not great. There is no digital input, only analog, so all sound sources are compromised both on input and output.
I am looking for someone with PCB trace cutting skills so I can access the digital input and digital output and allow me to use my own high end AKM A to D and 6 channel AKM DAC's.
Can anyone help me....?!
Thanks.
Alex.
I have bought a £400 DBX Driverack PA 2 and I think it is very good value. DriveRack PA2 | dbx Professional Audio
The DSP section for crossovers Eq and room correction is really superb.... But the A to D and 6 channel DAC's are not great. There is no digital input, only analog, so all sound sources are compromised both on input and output.
I am looking for someone with PCB trace cutting skills so I can access the digital input and digital output and allow me to use my own high end AKM A to D and 6 channel AKM DAC's.
Can anyone help me....?!
Thanks.
Alex.
I don't need to reprogram the DSP, just access the digital input and digital output.
Re the I2S level, I am assuming it uses the same levels as other DBX digital boards so matching levels should not be an issue.
The modified unit will be paired with pro sound balanced power amps and fed from prosound analog and digital sources so noise floor should not be an issue.
Re the I2S level, I am assuming it uses the same levels as other DBX digital boards so matching levels should not be an issue.
The modified unit will be paired with pro sound balanced power amps and fed from prosound analog and digital sources so noise floor should not be an issue.
Seems to me that you'll need more than just a cutter. Said candidate will need to know where to cut and how to add digital i/o in some form of enclosure. As an example, if you tap in after the onboard ADC output you will need to need to add an SPDIF receiver for the outboard ADC.
BTW, surely the DEQX pcb is repairable.
BTW, surely the DEQX pcb is repairable.
I would abandon your fantasies about some quick mod of a DSP rack crossover box and move on to computer audio. Pair a computer with a pro-audio USB recording interface with 8 analog output channels and you will have something even better. Look for one with SPDIF input(s) if you would like digital input, or you can add a separate USB unit dedicated to digital IO like the miniDSP miniStreamer or USBstreamer. If the source is already coming from the computer, then there is no need for that. You mainly need good quality D-to-A sections. But even still the A-to-D side will be better than what you've got in the Driverack unit.
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Member
Joined 2018
Hi Alex-San,
I recommend Just cutting the I2S line from ADC and inserting the TI SRC4392 between them. You can use the S/PDIF Digital Input and Original ADC Analog Inputs after modification. Some I2C control requires but it's not so difficult. A small PIC uP and the source selector switch are enough for your purpose.
I recommend Just cutting the I2S line from ADC and inserting the TI SRC4392 between them. You can use the S/PDIF Digital Input and Original ADC Analog Inputs after modification. Some I2C control requires but it's not so difficult. A small PIC uP and the source selector switch are enough for your purpose.
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There is considerably more involved than trace cutting. I2S typically is only good for a few CM of length. Also there is LVCMOS I2S as opposed to LVDS I2S. Moreover, MCLK is not an I2S signal but proper management of clock domains is critical, as is management of MCLK jitter effects. You already know all this stuff, or you are asking about trace cutting because that's all you know about so far?
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Thanks everyone, just to update:
I ended up with a compromise and just used the PA2 for set up to get a good idea of whats going on acoustically in the room, the PA2 / DBX software is really great for that and its been a great education seing graphically Vs hearing what changes = what benefits or compromises.
For music / movies I bypass the PA 2 and use a modified (battery powered) Danville crossover with AKM DACs .
I am now planning my "End Game" system, from source to speakers to and exploring some omg options...
I ended up with a compromise and just used the PA2 for set up to get a good idea of whats going on acoustically in the room, the PA2 / DBX software is really great for that and its been a great education seing graphically Vs hearing what changes = what benefits or compromises.
For music / movies I bypass the PA 2 and use a modified (battery powered) Danville crossover with AKM DACs .
I am now planning my "End Game" system, from source to speakers to and exploring some omg options...
Probably best to go find someone or someplace that has one you can listen to. There is no way to describe with words something you have never heard.
However, it can be said that for more money you should expect more and better non-SQ features and or better SQ. Most dacs do a rather approximate job of reproducing recordinngs accurately. Especially cheap dacs. It may seem like or give the expectation that what you hear is exactly what is encoded in a CD, or whatever medium is used, but few people have ever hear everything encoded on a CD reproduced with exceptionally high accuracy.
Bruno Putzeys, if you know about him, designed some dacs under the "Mola" name. They cost something more than $10,000 for two channels. Do they sound better than a Topping, any Topping? Better than an RME? IMHO and IME with various dacs, I would be very surprised if Mola doesn't sound clearly better and more real than any Topping and or any RME. The question is, is it $10,000 worth of better SQ? For most people the answer will be no. For people who can afford luxury items in that price range, they would probably rather prefer the better sound of the Mola.
However, it can be said that for more money you should expect more and better non-SQ features and or better SQ. Most dacs do a rather approximate job of reproducing recordinngs accurately. Especially cheap dacs. It may seem like or give the expectation that what you hear is exactly what is encoded in a CD, or whatever medium is used, but few people have ever hear everything encoded on a CD reproduced with exceptionally high accuracy.
Bruno Putzeys, if you know about him, designed some dacs under the "Mola" name. They cost something more than $10,000 for two channels. Do they sound better than a Topping, any Topping? Better than an RME? IMHO and IME with various dacs, I would be very surprised if Mola doesn't sound clearly better and more real than any Topping and or any RME. The question is, is it $10,000 worth of better SQ? For most people the answer will be no. For people who can afford luxury items in that price range, they would probably rather prefer the better sound of the Mola.
I would add that you need the entire system to be very good to hear the improvements in any on part of the chain... It amuses me to hear audiophile magazine reviewers writing fictional tales of the "emotional journey a new interconnect or power cord allowed them to travel".... blah blah when they are listening through middle of the range $10,000 ($10,000 retail = Under $1,000 total build cost to a DIY guy) passive loudspeakers...
Unless you have really great speakers dont spend $4K on a crossover... Spend the $ on a pair of good AMT tweeters, nice 6 inch Pro midrange drivers and Pro audio 15 inch bass drivers (no rubber surround/audiophile junk) and plywood.
You will also need to buy decent power amps, but you can get really great second hand deals on solid state gear.
Make a simple open baffle for mid and top and choose sealed or open baffle for bass depending on listening preferences, room and WAF.
Lastly, in most rooms, $1,000 spent on good room treatment will deliver vastly more improvement in sound than a $1,000 on cables or snake oil racks/vibration/power conditioning...
Good luck
A.
Unless you have really great speakers dont spend $4K on a crossover... Spend the $ on a pair of good AMT tweeters, nice 6 inch Pro midrange drivers and Pro audio 15 inch bass drivers (no rubber surround/audiophile junk) and plywood.
You will also need to buy decent power amps, but you can get really great second hand deals on solid state gear.
Make a simple open baffle for mid and top and choose sealed or open baffle for bass depending on listening preferences, room and WAF.
Lastly, in most rooms, $1,000 spent on good room treatment will deliver vastly more improvement in sound than a $1,000 on cables or snake oil racks/vibration/power conditioning...
Good luck
A.