dbx Pro user manual Introduction, What is QUANTUM?

Introduction

QUANTUM

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of the dbx QUANTUM Digital Mastering Processor! For over 25 years, dbx has been the industry leader in dynamics processing. With the introduction of the QUANTUM, we apply our superior dynamics processing technology to the digital mastering process.

This manual will be your guide to understanding the full functionality of the powerful QUAN- TUM, read it carefully. After you have become familiar with the unit, we encourage you to experiment and find creative ways that the QUANTUM can help you make a better sounding mix.

1.1 What is QUANTUM?

The dbx QUANTUM is the first mastering processor that offers a sampling rate of up to 96kHz,

atrue 48-bit digital signal path with up to 24-bit digital output. Below are some of QUANTUM’s features:

•4 Band Stereo Gating, Compression and Limiting

•5 Band Parametric EQ with either an adaptive Q or a constant Q response

•Hi and Low shelves w/switchable slopes 3, 4.5, 6, 9, and 12 dB/octave

•EQ can be positioned pre dynamics, or post dynamics

•5 Band Parametric Side Chain EQ with either an adaptive Q or a constant Q response

•Dual Mono or True Stereo Operation with True RMS Power Summing™

•TYPE IV™ Conversion System with TSE™ Tape Saturation Emulation

•Normalizer – flexible gain optimization

•Stereo adjust – increased control of stereo imaging

•Dither outputs to 8,16, 20, or 24 bits, and noise shaping

•Sample rate conversion

•Sync input/output using dbx’s own proprietary clock chips for extremely low jitter sync

With the dbx TYPE IV™ Conversion System, your signal retains its analog warmth and charac- ter, with the clarity demanded by today’s digital standards. Our patent-pending TSE™ Tape Saturation Emulation processing makes it easy.

The discussion of the binary system, sample rate frequencies, and bit rates, would easily take up an entire semester of college. For the sake of brevity, more is better. Theoretically 96kHz/48- bit resolution is beyond the limits our ears can perceive. The QUANTUM’s 96kHz A/D-D/A’s result in improved frequency response. The QUANTUM’s 48-bit path gives you the “hard” and “fast” room required for a true 24-bit output. This allows the use of only 1 stage of dither at the output, where it belongs.

The engineers at dbx designed the QUANTUM to be the Rosetta Stone of digital formats, clocks, and bit rates. Whatever permutation of AES/EBU or S/PDIF is brought to you, the QUANTUM will be able to understand it and output whatever format you need.

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ii QUANTUM User Manual