1
DC-1 Digital Controller
Introduction
to the DC-1
Introduction
1
Introduction
to the DC-1
More than just a surround processor, the DC-1 is a digital control center with
state-of-the-art performance and flexibility. A superb line level preamp, the
DC-1 provides 8 audio, 5 video (3 S-VHS), and 4 digital (2 coaxial, 2 optical)
inputs. The video and digital inputs can be assigned to any of the audio
inputs for custom configuration. The digital inputs are processed through
true 20-bit D/A converters, providing a level of performance not found in
most stand-alone converters. Built-in digital crossovers make it possible to
tailor the output to match any speakers in a system. There is also a second
set of pre-outs with independent volume and source selection to accommo-
date music in a separate zone.
A great deal of effort went into designing an instrument which would be
flexible enough to satisfy the most critical listeners and yet be simple to
operate. Essentially, the DC-1 is a signal processing computer that can be
custom-programmed for any specific system. Once installed, it can be
operated easily via a remote, providing effects tailored for your specific
listening environment, and complete control of every aspect of operation.
The Lexicon DC-1 Digital Controller has a single goal: to draw you, the
listener, more deeply into a musical performance or film. For music the
DC-1 uses 5 or 7 channel digital processing to recreate the original recording
space, or true stereo synthesis to create a new one of your choosing. For
films, it offers Dolby Digital and Lexicon’s proprietary Logic 7™ enhance-
ments to Pro Logic® surround decoding, along with the enhancements of the
Lucasfilm® Home THX Cinema system. The increase in impact of a musical
performance or film heard with the DC-1 is incredible.
To recreate the experience of being at a live musical performance, the
DC-1 draws on ongoing studies of concert hall acoustics, and applies this
research to home listening rooms. Our auditory sense is quite adept at
interpreting clues about our physical environment. Even with your eyes
closed, it is possible to get a good mental picture of the room or hall you are
in by listening to the ambience, or reflected sound energy, in the room. We
are not aware of our auditory perception of space in everyday life because
it confirms what our eyes readily see. When we listen to recorded music,
however, there are no visual clues and we rely completely on our sense of
hearing.
More than thirty years ago, the introduction of two-speaker stereo systems
brought dramatic improvement to high fidelity music reproduction. With
a carefully designed system, and good recording, it became possible to
produce a sonic picture of the original event. But, like a photograph hanging
on a wall, conventional stereo is a two dimensional snapshot of the original
event. We can appreciate the likeness, but the picture stays in front of us
while we stay in our listening room. The DC-1 is designed to overcome this
fundamental limitation of two-speaker reproduction and bring us closer to
the ultimate goal of transporting ourselves to the original musical event.