JBL sound system multi surround!

[Rock789]

perhaps he has a 480p monitor?

[Brainstorm]

Rediculous...

There is no way possible that SMALL SOLDIERS or MILLION DOLLAR BABY are pristine 10/10 picture or sound discs, even though they might be good, they are not reference quality and if they were, then what score would HD formats get on the same time? 10+?

Well you don’t live in the grand United Kingdom do you?

[emorphien]

His TV isn't high enough quality to judge video quality on any sort of absolute or near absolute scale anyway.

[Brainstorm]

Well it looks fairly shape and it didn’t cost me a penny. The ole SONY KX-27PS1 which I was using before was 27” monitor, but she was starting to give up the ghost with slight loss of black levels all the contrast was going dull and after a few tweaks to keep her going I put her to one side in the kitchen.

So for the meantime I’ll be saving up slowly until I can buy a video projector but the Toshiba does give a shape and colourful image with RGB mode.

[jrhymeammo]

How do you like your 8000 watts of MOSFET RMS single-pento-ended 0.00005% THD Class Alpha total sound system in Tri-Ohm?

But seriously, it looks like fun, doesnt it? I would love to have that system if I had another room. Not sure if you got enough power though. Didnt care to read all the posts, just saw some pics.

[Brainstorm]

No, not interested in 8KW I have something a little more radical in mind, I’ll tell you soon…

[yelhsa]

Here’s an interesting read regarding Brainstorm's home theater. Link.

[Rock789]

simulating SDDS?
wicked!

[PeruvianSkies]

Well you don’t live in the grand United Kingdom do you?

Right, I live in the USA, but I am quite familiar with dozens of Region 2, Region 3, Region 4 etc etc PAL/NTSC whatever DVD's as I own very many of them. As far as Region 2 goes I own the following and I am quite aware of their limitations and capabilites, moreover, I am aware of what a TV like that is able to confirm when it comes to picture ratings.

ALI Region 2 DTS
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN Region 2 DTS
DONNIE DARKO Sp. Ed. Region 2 DTS
HOLLOW MAN Region 2
RONIN Region 2 DTS Sp. Ed.
BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI Region 2 Superbit
THE BONE COLLECTOR Region 2 Superbit
MADE Region 2 DTS
ENEMY AT THE GATES Region 2 DTS
FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE Sp. Ed. DTS Region 2
FISTFUL OF DOLLARS Sp. Ed. DTS Region 2

[PeruvianSkies]

simulating SDDS?
wicked!

SDDS is more than just speaker placement, how are you decoding this on the DVD format for discrete 8 channels of sound?

[Rock789]

indeed
reason I said simulating hehe

[westcott]

Do you think my wife will let me set something up like this in my living room?

[Brainstorm]

Still a creaking film with deep, deep, deep lows and Foley with a pucker punch!

[Rock789]

just watched fugitive and us marshalls about a month ago

[Brainstorm]

Last time I watched US. Marshalls was December 2006, good Dolby stereo 5.1 mix.

[filecat13]

Hey mate, as I've written elsewhere, that's got to be the largest private collection of JBL Controls in the UK.

A lot of folks don't realize what those beasties are capable of, especially when they run in packs.



Just keep playing it your way.

[Brainstorm]

Okay here’s what I’ve been up to these past few months.

A trip to D.J. Electronics to get some XLR plugs cable and soldering iron.



Well I had to pop over to Winton high street today to visit the building society and then decided to pop over to Columbia road to (D.J. Electronics) to find out how much XLR male and female plugs cost?

Wow whoopee what a saving I’ve made today a saving of (£1.79p) over Turnkey XLR (£2.99p) for the XLR which D.J. where doing XLR for (£1.20p) each and without hesitation I brought for starters (three males and three females) six (RCA phone plugs) each (0.30p) a new soldering iron (£5.00) and three meters of cable that is screened at (40p) per meter.

Grand total (£16.20p)

Wow I’m more than chuffed now I can get on with some soldering and just wait patently now for the (DCX2496) to arrive.



Note: too hold the plugs and cable in place I used (BLU TACK) it worked a treat in holding things together while keeping my hands free to do the soldering.



Leads from AVR Dolby processing to (DCX2496)

RCA phone plug (red wire) to XLR male plug (pin 2 hot positive)
RCA phone plug (black wire) to XLR male plug (pin 3 cold negative)

Blimey talk about a fiddly task if they only had the right cable F&*)k the soldering has just slipped onto the carpet with a f*76king hole ERRR!



I’m not pleased with the connection, I’ll have to buy some (installation tape) too cover the end up has tightly as possible to prevent movement on the RCA end damn that smell is turning my tummy. Looks like I’m going to have to buy a new carpet a cheap one, I mean I don’t like the colour of it anyway.





That was yesterday and so far I haven’t finished the output XLR leads it was almost a disaster last night, maybe I’m getting old or it could have been the light in the room it wasn’t bright enough to see what I was doing, I mean I had to use a magnifying glass to make sure I’m soldering the correct pins from the XLR to the RCA phone.

And that hole in the carpet doesn’t look good either.

[Brainstorm]

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Its arrived at 11:30am I asked if I could shake the deliver guys hand I embraced his hand for the delivery of the (DCX2496). Now I can start unpacking and putting it together.

"Let’s see what she’s got."



So far its taken me over 11 hours to get some output assigned to one of the front channels the JBL Control 5 is set up in full range mode for the time being until I start gradually moving over to newer amplification and set the LCR in active mode with the correct amount of low mid for the (LF bass mid driver) and high range to the tweeter HF with a crossover point set at the 2Khz region, dear god give me strength!

So I’ve got to figure out how to get Left and Right performing.

Left channel is outputting from the AVR with RCA phone and XLR going to the input on the (DCX 2496) output is XLR output going to the Marantz 1050.
Still now sound output!

Centre channel is outputting from the AVR with RCA phone and XLR going to the input on the (DCX 2496) output is XLR output going to the Marantz 1050.
Playing now!

Right channel is outputting from the AVR with RCA phone and XLR going to the input on the (DCX 2496) output is XLR output going to the Marantz 1050.
Still no sound output!

I can monitor though the unit via assigning the (menu) and going though the (parameters) and via switching the though A and C I can hear Left A and Right C, except I haven’t achieved proper output from the unit to the second Marantz 1050 that will drive the (stereo) left and right.



Well I’ve managed to get a music out of the Right channel now except when playing (Madonna) track 8 “Live To Tell” the left sound like it was playing though a filter and after switching CD disc over to the (dts CD demo disc) and playing track 14 in repeat mode I noticed the pink noise was indeed filtered off.

Anyway I’ve corrected the frequency output and noticed in the full band mode I can cut the lows at any point, very nice indeed and this is what I was looking for.

Still not out of the woods yet I’ve still got a long way to go, I’m just worried with what other surprises are in store.

Talk about get blood from a stone!

Well it’s got lots of potential in the, users manual the final goal is to as you said and as I’ve been planning it out now for the last few months is to use

Channel input A Left / with channel outputs for Right channel on outputs (1 LF and 2 HF)

Channel input B centre / with channel outputs for Centre channel on outputs 3 LF and 4 HF)

Channel input C Right / with channel outputs for Left channel on outputs 5 LF and 6 HF)

A second unit would be used for additional sub bass extension for the fronts that will be assigned to the ether the JBL 4645 or the other sub bass unit, I haven’t decided on that issue yet.

A third unit for the left sidewall surrounds centre back surrounds right sidewall surrounds.

A fourth unit for height surrounds and LFE.1.

Anyway I’m getting some sleep now rest I’m totally done in!

Plus I might change all the EQ’s for 1/3 octave band types for one for L & R and one for C & centre back surround one for left& right sidewall surrounds, one for height surrounds and LFE.1.

Well getting some kip now.

Well I’ve now managed to get a little more hands on practical use of the unit, and thou the matching LCR fronts are only assigned for full spectrum sound until I start buying the new amplification. I’d like to start of with one next week for the centre channel use and then get one for the left or right channel makes no differences, except I won’t connect them until I have all three amplifiers.



Assigning the wide and narrow frequency bands for smooth high range was apparent on Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan with a more accurate approach during the attack sequence on the Enterprise.

When Kirk says visual there’s a hissing sound of the turbo door opening to the left and about 1 second later pans to the centre channel. In the past it was a kinder muddy masked sound that was so diffused as well as difficult to hear on the left channel, but now thanks to the (DCX 2496) array of features and technology software its more easier on the ear.



Sorry the digital camera can’t focus when up and close to objects.

So what changes did I make, first after exploring the unit with a more hands on experience I noticed I can ether narrow the band or wider the frequency band, so with 7.2Khz set to (((wide))) as to the value well its different for all users rooms and depending on whether the user as matching LCR it would be pointless discussing in greater detail.

So is the (DCX 2496) worth the (£174.99), absolutely and I can’t wait to buy a few more as it really can shape the sound into a more cinematic approach within the room excellent value for money.

[Brainstorm]

The monitor AB and C modes are fairly good so if I where to assign centre channel and select the monitor on channel 2 for the time being and call up the input for B I can select A or C for compression tests on the centre.

For example I used (reference film material only) Star Trek the motion picture original 1979Dolby stereo mix that was transferred from laserdisc to DVD-RW for my own personal use!

The films got some very impressive dialogue panning and sound effects usage that I place on the DVD and then use the (DCX 2496) to match levels. But there’s also the dts demonstration disc, with track 14 all channels wideband pink noise is very useful in adjusting timbre matching over the matching LCR JBL control 5.

Another feature is the delay short or long and it worked out very well with DIE HARD last night with the sound of the buildings explosion and “John McClane” hanging from the outside widow beating it down with his feet, then pushes himself away from the window and taking aim with his (Beretta 92) shots out the window the close ups from the interior shot with each piece of glass on the left and right breaking away with precision and then the shattering plunge throw the window, WOW!

Yes the (DCX 2496) really can make films shine better without the substandard approach where its very common in most homes film soundtracks tend to be too bright and less accurate sounding.

As to the settings of the long and short it’s different for all home cinema set-ups. But its an invaluable feature on the unit that works very well.

Did I mention the memory (flash cards) for storing information, well that’s something I’ll have to buy next. The more EQ X-over as well as the other features I use on the (DCX 2496) the free memory becomes less and less on the unit. Not sure if the updates from Behringer, for the (DCX 2496) will greatly extend the units features?

Must say one of my favourite films at the moment is Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan

With each cut back to each starship, the tension slowly builds up in layers, which probably why Star Trek II is the best Star Trek adventure action film still to this time

“They still haven’t raised there shields”
The mood of the music on left and rights have a more musical sound to it now with low string movement.
“Raise are ours”

“There shields are going up”

“Lock phasers on target”
The string movement starts to pitch a little higher
“Locking phasers on target”

They’re locking phasers”
“Raise shields”
Until it peaks climate and Khan yells out in mad rage!
“FIRE!”

The phaser fire from U.S.S. Reliant crosses from screen left to centre extremely fast with a mild lower level on screen right. Fantastic, Khannnn, Khannnn…

The (DCX 2496) is a whole lot of fun once set-up and thou it depends greatly on the matching LCR it’s a blast.

Anyway since last night I’ve changed the input EQ, and only this afternoon went though the whole thing again step by step (LCR) with small trims at -1db.
2.03khz -1db Q 0.1
3.04khz -1db Q 0.1
4.02khz -1db Q 0.1
5.08khz –1db Q 0.1
6.03khz -1db Q 0.1
7.01khz -1db Q 0.5
8.14khz -1db Q 0.4
9.06khz -1db Q 0.04
10.1khz 1db Q 0.3

Dynamic EQ inputs left and right
2.30khz -2db Q 0.1

Centre
2.30khz +2db Q 0.5

Left and right
Threshold -10db
Ratio 1.1:1
Attack 10m/s
Release 20m/s

Centre
Threshold -10db
Ratio 2.5:1
Attack 10m/s
Release 20m/s

Anyway I’ll explore the inputs now and free date space % is very limited now.

Setting the delay or resetting the configuration and after playing “Apollo 13” (dts THX laserdisc) from chapter 15 where buttons are pressed and switches moved over on screen left it was so easy to hear the difference this (DCX 2496) can make some part of the sounds where mixed in the centre channel. The sounds that where kinder in-between would be suited for left-centre and right-centre

Still it was rewarding to hear it sounded like the cinema to me.

Centre channel

Short delay
800 mm
2.33m/s

Long delay
2.65m
7.71 m/s

The left and right are still in the process of being addressed later in the day. I have only a few hundreds or so less films to try out and once I’ve got figured out that’s the way it’s going to be here.

[Brainstorm]

Via setting one the screen channels with a delay suited to the room’s distance to the listening position at just 4.20m 12.23m/s off screen and left centre right centre half parts of the sound translate with a clearer sound heard on the right when a Nancy, screams in Star Trek original TV show “The Man Tarp.”

Its followed by the scream paned slightly to the left while knowing its half placed in the centre it really works well in widening the width of the three-screen. The sound of Nancy’s scream then anchors to the centre channel with a high pitch 1Khz scream.







The image is taken with the digital camera, sorry about the odd colour it’s the light balance of the camera.

The scream is faint on the left and right in pitch, but it is clearly heard. I wouldn’t have got anywhere near to this without the (DCX2496) features its kinder opened up the sound and enhanced other parts of the soundtrack.

Other scenes inside the caverns with an open reverb echo that gives it size. Other features like Dynamic EQ and threshold settings each one set at 1Khz and gain boosted +15db Q 1.0. Threshold is set to -60db on left and right. Centre is to 1Khz gain +9db Q 1.0 threshold -22db.

As this is only an experiment, to see whether the settings that I have programmed on (DCX2496), so far its worked very well with Star Trek “The Man Tarp.”


Stop The Press!

Looks like I’ve been had by Turnkey with there so called low prices, I see that the DCX2496 is going for details below and no I’m not a happy bunny at all I’ve shelled out a mere £27.00 pounds more!

It pays to shop around!

BEHRINGER ULTRADRIVE PRO DCX2496
Product Code: 370330Our price: £147.50 ex VAT£173.31 inc VATStock: Call for more details
http://www.studiospares.com/pd_37033...0DCX2496.h tm

[Brainstorm]

Early this afternoon I’ve set some small changes to three of the two dynamic EQ that are on the DCX2496 one is for inputs, the other is for outputs. So what I changed was the frequency at 80hz with…

Left and right channels 80Hz +7db Q 0.3 threshold -50db
Centre channel 80Hz +8db Q 0.1 threshold -30db
Each one above is set with, attack at 10m/s release at 501m/s

The centre channel has been delayed for weeks now at 2.55m 7.42m/s and performs very well with this afternoons feature The Mummy (1999). Sound that is usually placed off to the left or right have left centre right centre halves, and with the delay made it so easy to hear those placed off to the left and right.

When Rick throws a bag onto a table with rather jumpy Evelyn, and along with exactly clear dialogue ADR, Rick, opens up his assorted weaponry poach from centre too left channel it clearly unwraps and while following its detail made it so involving. While checking his revolvers and sticking them into his side holster placed around him, again its clearly heard. With the delay turned off it becomes slightly difficult to hear, it tends to overlap a kind of shift to the left>.

The rest of the film is still very surprising with terrific split-surrounds that where played with centre back and height. Also I decided to change the outer side JBL Control 1 that are placed to left and right on the rear wall and re-plug them with a Y lead and send the output from the EQ that controls the centre back surround and plug the loudspeaker leads up to the Marartz 1050. The last remaining channel on the Alesis RA300 is powering the middle centre back surrounds.

As soon as I get around to installing the surround amplifiers after I’ve finished with the fronts I might decide on a new plan, hence subject to change at anytime, well I’m only human.

Sub bass extension and LFE.1 via the JBL 4645 was thundering due the last part of the film, this would be where wall doors start closing down the rumbling was tickling my ear as well as pressing on me, kinder felt like the EMPIRE Leicester square. Not once did I see the Alesis RA300 go into clip but the amount of bass mid with the 80Hz boost on the dynamic EQ did a good task on the end credits with good percussion.

Yes I like the DCX2496 it surly makes a sound improvement, its well worth the wait.

[Brainstorm]

Here’s something that might be of sound interest, we always read too much from members about favourite scenes in the movies so I thought I’d add picture stills and text to describe that particular scene.

One of my favourite listening subjects is complex Dolby film mixers where the discrete soundtrack offers a few sequences that might go unheard to most of users, for example HEAT 1995.

There’s a moment at the airport where Neil is running across a busy runway with a DC-10 panning from left to right screen channels only! While presented in the centre channel we hear nothing but the Foley work of footsteps panting and breathing that on most home cinema systems this would be severely masked by the aircrafts noisy jet engines!

This presents very little difficulty here with the help of the Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker management system and its use of features like dynamic EQ audio limiters crossover filters and basic general EQ and much more, for setting up a perfect or near perfect than what you heard before. The matching fronts in my screen array are JBL control 5 LCR fronts placed up front and have been in use since I brought them back in 1990.

Audio masking is one of those headaches most of hath to deal with and thou there are ways around to a small degree it takes a great deal of patience and careful listening.



As the DC-10 pans from left to right with smooth loudness rather than a shrilly too much for taking sound that would normally be encountered in most home cinema rooms, it presented no trouble with the matching JBL control 5 LCR along with matching Alesis RA300 amplifiers and the brains of the taming all this the affordable Behringer DCX2496 for which none of this would have been possible.



As Neil runs across the runaway breathing and panting along with footsteps that can be easily heard with the settings on the DCX2496 it makes the whole sequence fresh and exciting to listen to rather than struggling with turning the centre channel up which is what most would do but without some to tame the sound when it gets too loud, you simply back at the beginning again.



As Neil gets nearer towards us the breathing gets a little louder but being soft and gentle at the same time as the DC-10 pans off to the right Neil runs towards safety in the airfields back felids. I have to say you can really get into it at this moment and the heals on the shoes really hit that concrete nicely.



With Neil’s luck finely running out Hanna puts Neil, down with several gunshot wounds, with musical background sounds on the left and right and with centre channel carrying breathing exhaling with exhaustion along with a few cricket sound effects.



A bass note accompanies and enhances the centre channel deeply followed with musical high notes that slowly build up in layers while left and right would normally be drowning out the centre channel by the point and without anyone realizing just how good the centre channel can sound with proper care and adjustment.



Barely able to hold on Neil finally fades off with last gasp that cuts over the left and right but not too heavily I made sure to maintain the levels so that good stereo separation can still serve the films story.



As the music reaches a climatic high, with Neil and Hanna in the mist of breathtaking backdrop too what was brilliant cop thriller from the 1990’s and one of many best Dolby stereo digital soundtracks from that era.

(Moby’s) “God moving over the face of the waters” has a nice tranquil feeling a spiritual feeling that suites last moments of the film until (Eliot Goldenthal) score fades in on the closing credits.

I’m not sure if the settings that I made to the DCX2496 would be of any use to someone who owns this fine little unit or if this thread is wetting someone’s appetite to starting over fresh again with there home cinema with matching amplifiers matching fronts LCR and a Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker management system to make the magic come alive. Or maybe you have matching loudspeakers and amplifiers but haven’t brought the amazing DCX2496 which as been out for several years now.

This is why 9 times out home cinema 10 users always moan why I can’t hear the centre channel but it goes further than a lot further.

[Brainstorm]

Meanwhile I was looking over another classic from 1979 ALIEN with a few scenes from the film some you may be familiar with well almost I’ve just taken it further with the use of the DCX2496 and thou I have struggled along with this before with other techniques that barely worked but never still they worked. In the past I used basic audio limiters and lot of analyzing of the mix over and over and over again until I solved the problem. But with the DCX2496 it’s so far easier in a simple package with fine technical specifications.

Anyway shall we get on with, the little picture show?


With chapter 13 no blood no Dallas we see an air-lock door opening with clear sound down the centre and bleeping sound emitting from the with Jerry Goldsmiths score on screen left and right as with camera steadily moving back the door seals tightly ready for the capture of unwilling guest to be flushed out into space!



As Dallas proceeds to enter the air duct shafts armed with a flamethrower to flush the beast into the air-lock and zap into outer space his dialogue his clear over the sound of the iris as it closes on screen the left and right with metallic scrapping sound as if it hasn’t grassed in years.







“Okay I’m moving on.” left and right can still be clearly heard while still keeping your attention fixed to dialogue and storyline. One thing should be noted with this scene is that the music with sound effects are played on left and right with occasional music notes being sent to the centre channel.



With chapter 16 and now a scared now but lonely Ripley as she nears a compartment being cautious as she peaks around the doorway carefully and calls out “Parker”?



With no answer she kneels down sniffing, and breathing with plank face while the mechanics of the engines can be heard on screen right and a decompression of oxygen leaking on screen channels left and right or (centre phantom) (more on how to deal with centre phantom monaural channel later).



Ripley’s face turns cold with shuddering shock on her face it’s clearly heard the drama behind it plays well and reacting to her emotions tells us the ALEIN can be anywhere?





Knowing she’s the last one she backs away quickly to get of the doomed Nostromo while Foley can be hard with good accuracy.

[Brainstorm]

I like it now that all three screen channels are in (active cross over mode) it’s a problematic issue to loose most of the EQ filter bands due to the X over function but after listening to some of my favourite films late of last night and this even with some extracts from, The Bourne Identity films with clearer wider frequency response on the ole JBL Control 5.

The harsh brittle sound in the mid bass has been greatly reduced with warmer sounding tones HF is free from that cross talk which resulted in shrillness that was too much too bare.

The cross over is set for Linkwitz-Riley 24db LF 50Hz to 1KHz – HF 24db 1KHz to 16.1 KHz 80Hz +7.0db Q 1.0 for the LF LCR channels.

Audio limiter
-16.6db LF LCR
-20.0db HF LCR

The dynamic EQ needs a little more experimentation at the time being but it does sound way better than before only wished I had larger JBL monitors matching LCR for the fronts but I’m pleased never the less very pleased.

I noted how clear STAR TREK the motion picture sounded when Sulu was pressed a button right channel just before Enterprise departed wow now that’s how I remember it in the Empire Leicester square back in 1989.

Going back to the Jason Bourne adventures with the wild car chase in “The Bourne Supremacy” toward the end was cracking tire screeching and metical hits glass and gunshots shined surprisingly over the three-screen.

[Brainstorm]

These pictures where taken a few nights back while I was modifying each of the three JBL Control 5 monitors.

Here I have installed two extra cables into screw socket holes that hold the passive crossover. With the passive crossover HF disconnected and with the new cables connected power the HF tweeter via an electronic frequency dividing network system.
The crossover is set for Linkwitz-Riley 24db LF 50Hz to 1KHz – HF 24db 1KHz to 16.1 KHz 80Hz +7.0db Q 1.0 for the LF LCR channels.



A closer view of my little JBL Control 5 and for the first time they sound a lot better this way without the harshness of brittle sound thou they have been quite beneficial for the past 16 years, but now its time for active crossover active is the way to go its cleaner and its got far more potential.



Catwomen was the first film to be tested with the Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker management system. I was astonished at how the hash sound disappeared into the JBL Control 5 thus leaving it with cleaner more dynamic lower and higher range, meow.