To my limited experience, it is difficult to get decent sound out of an expander when you don't know the parameters of the compressor, it often sounds weirder than the compressed sound. Every broadcasting station uses its own compressor settings and for the past few decades those have been multiband compressors. They typically also use soft clippers.
Downward expansion to reduce the noise floor is another matter. It is relatively easy to make one that sounds reasonable.
Downward expansion to reduce the noise floor is another matter. It is relatively easy to make one that sounds reasonable.
Why?if your source material isn't compressed this can only make it sound worse (that is, less like the producer intended).
If your channels don't add up to unity, it's wrong (in at least one dimension).
I remain a HT cynic: I can barely afford two channel's worth of decent audio. Five is another thing (even allowing for some meddling with the LF)
I suspect you'd get a better answer if you got The Mods to move this to another forum - like "room acoustics" - rather than the guitar amp section.
After more research I decided against any dynamic range expansion. I also agree that I'm in the wrong forum for that discussion. Sorry.
"it often sounds weirder than the compressed sound" I doubt it, for example CBC English in Toronto is so bad ,that "bad" is a kind word for it quality. I stopped listening to it altogether, can't stand it. The rest of the dial, approx. 25 stations are the same, or close to. Now days I only using the francophone service. I have the old Pioneer expander, when I get back there I will try it, but you right I don't expect much.
I built a dinamic range expander (triode Valve) back in the 1970s worked well !! more recently i Purchased this sort of thing brand new from a musical instrument shop for my electric guitar,it wasn`t expensive. However if you play your music via a laptop, Digital recording systems have them built in as plugins I use Protools but there are FREE open source alternatives, Another plus of going down this route is you can get all sorts of free special effects bundled in which can sound great at parties!!
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