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Topic: DCI Audio on the cheap

Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 08-14-2014 10:07 AM

quote: David Buckley
To answer Brad's question, the currently installed processor is "none".

If that's the case, then you will need one, and Doremi's or USL's D-to-A converters will not be sufficient by themselves. Since you must buy used equiment, any new cinema processor sold today will include AES decoding, so you don't need an external D-to-A converter.

I admit, I don't have much experience working "outside the box" with non-traditional cinema sound systems. Why are you needing to feed the LF from the screen channels to the subwoofer?

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Jarod Reddig
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 513
From: Hays, Ks
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 08-14-2014 11:40 AM

Enpar makes a cheap DCI processor you could look into on the used market. How cheap I am not sure.

http://www.cinetech.cn/product/227.shtml

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 08-14-2014 11:55 AM

quote:
...and features convenience, flexibility, high reliability, excellent performance and ect.

Whew. Glad to know it includes ect. That's hard to find these days.

Am also happy to see the unit has adopted Humanized computer-based interfacial operation. That's such an important thing to have in a processor.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-14-2014 02:33 PM

Smells alot like someone copied the USL product

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 08-14-2014 05:50 PM

quote: David Buckley
Which brings me to the suggested Doremi AUD-D2A, which looks like the answer, for a while at least. In a similar vein I found the USL DAX-802, are there any pros / cons that make either of this more or less preferable than the other?

I don't have any hands on experience with the USL DAX-802. The quick specs mention downmixing capabilities for stereo and mono sound systems, but I don't know if it will handle crossovers like you need. It comes with an Ethernet port for management and firmware updates. It seems to do a lot more than the AUD-D2A.

The AUD-D2A excels in simplicity. It has one button: the power button. Furthermore it has just two ports: AES/EBU in, Analog audio out. There is nothing to configure.

There are two versions though, one with a balanced and one with an unbalanced audio output. The unbalanced version seems to be the default, but be sure to get the right version for your setup to avoid unnecessary wiring complexity.

quote: Ken Lackner
If that's the case, then you will need one, and Doremi's or USL's D-to-A converters will not be sufficient by themselves. Since you must buy used equiment, any new cinema processor sold today will include AES decoding, so you don't need an external D-to-A converter.

He explicitly mentioned that used equipment is out of the question, because public money is involved and the rules and regulations don't allow for that. Something that's quite common.

Furthermore, why do you still need a "cinema processor", once you got the analog audio channels from the PCM streams? Sure, a cinema processor wraps all those fancy equalization and calibration features you need in a single package, but if you go DIY, all you need is amps and preferably something to do some equalizing and mixing.

quote: Ken Lackner
Why are you needing to feed the LF from the screen channels to the subwoofer?

I suppose those LR speakers are not your average cinema speakers.

quote: Gordon McLeod
Smells alot like someone copied the USL product

It probably comes with that signature burned transistors and exploded capacitors smell included...

They also feature an Optional 8-16channel AES-EBU digital input. Sounds strange that such an essential part would be optional [Wink]

.

For something purely digital on a shoestring budget and limited use, yeah, maybe you could try some Chinese copycat. But for something that generates or processes analog signals, you should really stay away from cheapo copycat ChinaTech(tm) products.

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 08-15-2014 08:03 AM

Holy typo, Batman! I totally meant must buy NEW equipment. Kinda changes the meaning a tad, huh?

Whoops.

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Marin Zorica
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 671
From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia
Registered: May 2003

posted 08-15-2014 05:15 PM

Or, you can use some cheap D/A converters and audio mixer, since you said it's going to be only stereo with sub? In that case i would do this.....put L to L speaker, and same with R channel, center to both L and R speakers, and sub to sub......

I used similar setup quite couple of times, even i have some AUD-D2A from doremi, they are not much better that some small china D/A converter......to be honest, i found D/A to be quite noisy!

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 08-15-2014 07:43 PM

A couple of those cheap china S/P-DIF converters make a nice and cheap backup for your cinema processor in case of a failure. I always have a few in the drawer.

Add a 50€ analog mini-mixer, and you're back on track with L/C/R and mono surround.

- Carsten

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Harold Hallikainen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 906
From: Denver, CO, USA
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 08-15-2014 10:24 PM

Backup equipment is certainly great to have on hand! Note that the JSD-60 (and other USL processors) have a "bypass function" that does D/A, input switching, front panel format and level control, etc. It's totally separate circuitry except for the small processor running the front panel.

For this particular installation, it's certainly possible to use a DAC and mixer. But you don't get EQ, sync delay, input selection, and it's a bit of a kludge. So, I suggest the JSD-60 (but I'm part of the design team).

Good luck!

Harold

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-16-2014 11:05 AM

quote: Jarod Reddig
Enpar makes a cheap DCI processor you could look into on the used market. How cheap I am not sure.

If the Enpar D to A is anything at all like their speakers run far far away as fast as you can! I installed one pair at a customers request because they were cheap. I ended up taking them back out and replacing them with QSC speakers. A cheap price is not worth the hassle you're gong to have with their stuff down the road.

Mark

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Jarod Reddig
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 513
From: Hays, Ks
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 08-16-2014 07:11 PM

I can't speak for they're durability but there's one installed at my local 8 plex that replaced a QSL processor in there best sounding room. The QSL unit had been there for years and if hadn't of peeked in the booth I would still have thought the QSL processor was installed.

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 08-16-2014 07:20 PM

Thanks Harold. Always wondered about the specific design approach for useful bypass mode circuitry on digital processors.

- Carsten

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Jarod Reddig
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 513
From: Hays, Ks
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 08-16-2014 08:26 PM

Sorry I meant a USL processor in my last post just for correction.

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David Buckley
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 525
From: Oxford, N. Canterbury, New Zealand
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 08-17-2014 06:03 AM

Thanks All

I've recommended the JSD-60, it may be a tad more than is strictly required now, but if we get around to upgrading beyond 2.1 then it will be nice not having to gang many volume controls in some external mechanism.

So now... we wait and see......

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 08-17-2014 02:32 PM

Remember when DCI standards meant something? Everyone was to have true 5.1 and 14fl of light, etc no matter what.

Now we have people all over the place folding down the audio, grossly under lighting their screens. It's just awesome.

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