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| Type | Pro Audio Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Sandy, Utah, United States |
| Key people | David E. Blackmer, Founder |
| Industry | Audio |
| Products | dbx noise reduction systems, compressors, EQs, active crossovers, loudspeaker management systems |
| Parent | Harman International |
| Website | www.dbxpro.com |
dbx, Inc. is a producer of professional audio recording equipment. It was founded by David E. Blackmer in 1971. The original company goal was: "To get closer to the realism of a live performance." Its early products were based on the concept of using decibel expansion which gave the company its name.[1] dbx is best known for the dbx noise reduction system.[2] The dbx noise reduction system used compression while recording an audio track and symmetric expansion when playing it back. They also manufactured the Model 700, a unique but short-lived studio recording system, briefly popular in some circles as a mastering format.
Original dbx logo
Contents |
The dbx voltage controlled amplifier
The most important inventions of David Blackmer and dbx are the dbx voltage controlled amplifier or VCA and the dbx RMS detector. The original dbx 202 VCA was based on the Blackmer gain cell and was referred to as the dbx 202 "Black Can" VCA. They were built using discrete transistors that were hand matched while running at an elevated temperature in an oven. While noisy and having significant distotion, they exceeded by far the performance of other VCAs of the time.[3] These VCAs were used in most early automated mixing boards.[4]
dbx compressors
In 1976 dbx introduced the dbx 160 compressor. Using dbx's decilinear VCA and RMS level-detection circuits and feed forward gain reduction this compressor allowed much smoother gain reduction. The feed forward gain reduction allowed infinite compression without excessive distortion or oscillation. It also allow the compressor to track the attack and release times of compression based on the signal's envelope. [5] The dbx compressor also introduced overeasy compression which introduced a soft-knee when compression first starts.[6][7]
Acquisition history of dbx
dbx manufactured only signal processing equipment until bought by BSR in 1979. From 1979 until 1989, the brand name was also used for consumer audio equipment such as speakers, CD players and amplifiers. In 1989, Sanju Chiba of ELPJ acquired BSR. The professional products division of dbx was sold off as a separate business to AKG which in turn was bought by Harman International. The OEM business was sold to THAT Corporation founded by members of dbx's engineering group.[3] dbx once held key patents for MTS, the U.S. standard for stereo analog television transmission, but in 1994 it sold those patents to THAT Corporation.
In the present, they sell professional digital signal processors, equalizers, compressors, crossovers, subharmonic synthesizers, and many similar products.
References
- ^ http://mixonline.com/TECnology-Hall-of-Fame/1976_dbx_160VU_complimiter/index.html 1976 dbx 160 (VU) Compressor/Limiter
- ^ http://www.audioinvest.no/dbx/dbx_hist.htm DBX History
- ^ a b http://www.thatcorp.com/vcahist.html A Brief History of VCA Development
- ^ http://www.stereophile.com/news/11303/index.html dbx Founder David Blackmer Dies
- ^ http://mixonline.com/online_extras/dbx_160.pdf dbx Model 160/161 compressors/limters Instruction Manual
- ^ http://www.dbxpro.com/160A/160A.php 160A Compressor/Limiter
- ^ http://www.thefreelibrary.com/dbx+marks+25th-a019161296 dbx marks 25th
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
