Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DTS 6AD

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Posted by Patrick A. Meister (Member # 1812) on 04-05-2004, 03:00 PM:

Hello

Can you tell me something about the Digital/Analog processor of DTS?
Is it good?

Kind Regards
Patrick

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 04-05-2004, 04:22 PM:

No, their pseudo SR is exceptionally lacking. Get a real CP and attach a DTS-6D to it.

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 04-05-2004, 05:14 PM:

Patrick, if you do a search on the 6AD, you find a lot of information about the unit and why it's not a good idea to get. Mostly do to the crappy faux SR that Daryl mentioned above.

Posted by Oliver Pasch (Member # 1335) on 04-08-2004, 02:23 AM:

Sorry, but i can't support the opinions here about the optical SR decoding of a 6ad, actually i think it's the opposite: it's good, if not better than some (CP-45) "real" CPs, definitely equivalent, the only thing you need to consider is HF-alignment. Where a "real" CP pardons mistakes (= too much HF) rather friendly, a 6ad needs "correct" alignment. Use the auto-HF-alignment on a CP-500 or - 650 and you won't be amazed of optical sound of these units as well.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 04-08-2004, 02:42 AM:

Manual alingment of everything, including equalisation has always been my favourite. That is the reason I love CP65 and Smart MOD VI processor. Because in CP65 you manually equalize EVERYTHING. And in MOD VI you have full band equalization in all channels and a very good SR demodulation. All processors are good in their own way. Technicians, Installers, Projectionists need to learn that no automatic configuration is good when installing a processor. That is my opinion anyway.
Demetris

Posted by Max Biela (Member # 1919) on 04-08-2004, 02:49 PM:

[Big Grin]

the CP 45 isn't a REAl CP... Why not connect a SRA 5 to a DTS 6 AD to get REAL SR?

Max

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 04-08-2004, 02:54 PM:

Comparing things to a CP45 is pretty lame in my opinion.

Having SR fold down into centre surround is pretty lame too, and that's just what the DTS-6AD likes to do.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2004, 02:57 PM:

Dolby should have never made the CP45. It is an amazing piece of shit...just like the DTS6AD. Stay away from it. The sound quality leaves much to be desired and their SR emulation is absolutely horrid.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 04-08-2004, 03:05 PM:

I know that everyone loves to trash the CP45, but, honestly, the one that I used to work with sounded fine. I agree, though, that the quality of construction is nowhere near that of other Dolby units and I would expect it to become unrepairable much sooner.

Posted by Fabrice Dubourg (Member # 1635) on 04-08-2004, 03:17 PM:

Brad, what do you prefer ?

CP45 or CP50 !

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2004, 03:30 PM:

The CP50 is a FAR better processor.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-08-2004, 06:16 PM:

Brad,
You need to calrify that a bit... What I think you really mean is that an UPGRADED CP-50 is better than a CP-45....

I've always felt that a CP-45 IS actually better than a stock- original CP-50. The 45 does have SR noise reduction and a much, much higher quality fader circuit. Take a 20khz sine wave, feed it through a CAT 117 fader card and take a look at the nasty crossover notch at the zero point on the output sine wave. VERY UGLY!

The 45 EQ facilities do leave a bit to be desired but if you have the good fortune to have designed the room correectly and equip it with decent speakers you shouldn't need too much of the inadaquate EQ in the 45 anyway.

The build quality of the CP-45... No where near as good as an Ultra Stereo JS series processor! But I can say that I've never had any of the three CP-45s fail here in Utah.
Mark

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2004, 06:43 PM:

Yes, of course I am speaking of an upgraded CP50...something that can't be done with the CP45.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 04-08-2004, 09:49 PM:

Mark...the CP-45 only has Dolby-SR emulation not the real thing. At least the CP-50 can have the real thing...the CP-45 can't!
Steve

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-08-2004, 10:05 PM:

What's so hard about SR that it must be emulated rather than the real thing installed? I mean c'mon... it's SR! It's not like trying to run Windows on a Mac. It's ancient technology and should be easy to duplicate, especially inside Dolby's own CP's. I've heard that Dolby has had issues getting SR to be as good as it used to (SR/A cards, etc). It can't be hyper expensive, either... again it is old, ancient technology. Even Dolby can't get it right? That doesn't say much for the company's efforts.
[av=d]
Seriously, why is proper SR so damned hard to get?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-08-2004, 10:17 PM:

Steve,
Agreed but at least its Dolby's idea of how it can be done... better than several other companies attempts at it.

Joe,
Didn't you know that you're the only one that Dolby isn't allowing to buy real SR...... In a sense you're Dolby SR blacklisted [Razz]

. Gee, all I have to do is to go down to my local Dolby Retail Store at the Mall and buy genuine CAT 280's and 350's! It just a few min. from my home.... [Big Grin]

Mark

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-09-2004, 03:29 AM:

Thanks, Mark, you sure cleared that one up. Why would Dolby choose to emulate it? Like I've said, the Dolby SA/A cards are supposedly crap. The CP45 offers emulated SR and not the real thang. I've even heard that the CP500 and 650 don't even do it right. So again I ask: What gives?[av=d]

Posted by Patrick A. Meister (Member # 1812) on 04-09-2004, 04:33 AM:

Are those SR/A cards really sooo bad?
It could be, but are all of you sure, that there is a big gap between the ""real"" and the emulated SR cards?
I don't think so...

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-09-2004, 07:55 AM:

I wouold rather have a Dolby 222SR/A card than most of the other SR emulation cards out there. As long as you don't use it on mag playback to me its aceptable...although not nearly as good as the 280 or 350. The best SR available today is still the Panastereo card. Its as good or better than both the 280 and 350 and it can can playback a mag master as well.....

Mark