User Guide

Now you’re probably wondering, “What’s the catch? I can’t get something for nothing so what did I give up?”

You may be worried that your A/D noise floor got 4dB worse because we borrowed the top 4dB of your converter. This

is certainly a valid concern. Fortunately, we have the answer! Without going into the confidential technical details, by

using our proprietary analog and digital Type IV™ processing, we reclaim the original A/D noise level! So what you get

is free headroom!

The benefits of the dbx Type IV™ Conversion System can easily be heard by switching it in and out while lis-

tening to signals with high-level peaks captured in the Type IV™ Over Region. You will notice an obvious audible dif-

ference. With Type IV™ bypassed, you can’t help notice the harsh, edgy sound of the A/D converter clipping. With Type

IV™ enabled, those nasty artifacts disappear revealing a more open and natural sound. With Type IV™ enabled, you will

get a more accurate and pure representation of the original wide-dynamic-range signal. You will absolutely agree that

we really do give you “something for nothing.” We give you peace of mind knowing that you never have to worry about

clipping your A/D again! And when you listen to the noise floor of your A/D, you’ll realize that we never compromise

your noise performance with Type IV™!

The dbx Type IV™ Conversion System succeeds in combining the best of the analog and digital worlds to cap-

ture the truest essence and fullest dynamic range of audio signals. Who else but dbx would bring you this technology!

All microphones were measured in a semi-anechoic environment using an Audio Precision ® System Two

Cascade Plus. The microphones were measured at several different SPL levels and calibrated to a reference Earthworks®

M30 measurement microphone. Using proprietary algorithms, dbx engineering built models of the characteristics of all

the mics found in the ProVocal™. They then generated models of several popular dynamic microphones and built a

model based on the typical response of these types of mics. A composite model can then be built which removes the

characteristics of a typical dynamic mic and adds the characteristics of the desired microphone sound. Similarly, many

popular condenser microphones were characterized to form a typical dynamic vocal microphone model. Again, a com-

posite microphone model is formed to remove the characteristics of a typical vocal condenser microphone and then add

the specific characteristics of the desired mic sound.

All measurements were performed on-axis. As with any miking situation, microphone placement alters the response.

Good mic technique is still essential to get the best possible sound. Also, choosing a good quality input microphone

will improve your results. Finally, the age, condition, and even manufacturing variances can subtly alter the response

of any microphone. Using dbx’s proprietary modeling techniques, we have accurately modeled the mics in our collec-

tion. This technology is the most accurate way to represent the sound of these mics without actually spending thou-

sands of dollars on your own collection.

Microphone Modeling Technique

Type IV™ White Paper

Appendix

ProVocal

™

ProVocal™ User Manual