Looking for a good DSP for P.A. use that does not cost a few thousands

[Waxx]

I'm starting a new diy project for a pair of garden speakers for a friend, a 2 way with a woofer and a compression driver in a horn, and i need a good DSP for it. I was thinking about a DBX PA2, that fits the job. But i was thinking is there not something else better arround for +/- that budget (i pay 445€ for that one, and can get to 500€). Amps will probally be Crown or QSC as both deliver good sound for small budget with their smaller devices (i need about 300w per channel for the woofers (150% of their ratings). This is not very powerfull, but it does not have to be powerfull, it must be enough for small garden parties (<50 people).

MiniDSP is out of the question as they are not rugged enought. I need something very solid build, preferable rackmount and 2x4 channels or more. Behringer is for the same reasons as MiniDSP out of the question (as for pa use they are not reliable at all in my experience), not even considering sound quality the latest generations may have (the old were trash i know, mainly on the convertors). And i need something that is availeble in the EU.

 

[DVDdoug]

i need a good DSP

For what?
If you just need EQ you can get a graphic equalizer.

Or a lot of power amps have DSP built-in but I've never looked into it so I'm not exactly sure what they can do beyond a crossover filter.

for a friend

Is your friend technically competent enough to handle something like the DBX? Do you trust him/her with an equalizer?

 

[puppet]

ElectroVoice DX38 is a nice unit. Has individual driver EQ and global EQ functions. Analog inputs however. ElectroVoice DC-One has similar function and has digital input capability. These are older designs but pretty bullet proof.

 

[Waxx]

For what?
If you just need EQ you can get a graphic equalizer.

Or a lot of power amps have DSP built-in but I've never looked into it so I'm not exactly sure what they can do beyond a crossover filter.

Is your friend technically competent enough to handle something like the DBX? Do you trust him/her with an equalizer?

I also need a crossover network and time alignment for the horn and the direct radiator. Build in dsp's i know (Crown, QSC) are rather limited on the lower power amplifiers like the XLS or XLi series. Not enough for what i and the futur owner want.

And he knows the basics, take warnings serious and is willing to learn it. So i think it's safe to give him control if he wants. But i would do the initial config altough and i'm rather sure he will not mess with it, because he trust me as 'sound engineer' and will rather tell me what he does not like than messing himself. And the DBX can be password protected if it would be needed...

 

[Matthias McCready]

Unless you are really looking for a DIY project for fun, why not purchase some PA speakers? Not to diminish your skills, but the engineering going on in the top brands is quite good, and achieving better results is not easily done.

Meyer Sound, Danley, D&B, L'Acoustics, Martin etc make some very nice offerings, and bonus is that the boxes can be weather proofed from the factory.

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As far as processing goes a DBX PA2 will get the job done. You could also look into Xilica.

 

[Waxx]

Unless you are really looking for a DIY project for fun, why not purchase some PA speakers? Not to diminish your skills, but the engineering going on in the top brands is quite good, and achieving better results is not easily done.

Meyer Sound, Danley, D&B, L'Acoustics, Martin etc make some very nice offerings, and bonus is that the boxes can be weather proofed from the factory.

----

As far as processing goes a DBX PA2 will get the job done. You could also look into Xilica.

We are after a certain sound that standard pa systems don't give. An more oldskool bass heavy sound (it's mainly ment to play old reggae). The owner now has Kef Chorale SP 1016 speakers in his livingroom and wants something like that but high power and more bass. I know how to do it low power (and did it before), but now we need higher power, and then dsp wins over passive so i need a dsp or an active analog (that is harder and too expensive to do right). The dsp it'self must not colour unwanted so i want a good one. I know the DBX, but was more looking if there were more options.

 

[kipman725]

define better?

we use a mix of QSC Basis and Symetrix but these are more complicated to use than the DBX and are very old units. There is this unit that supports FIR processing: https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_t.racks_fir_dsp_408.htm

 

[gnarly]

The DBX PA2 will work fine, but i think i'd rather have a new DCX 2496.
I think the concern with dcx2496's DAC's / analog outputs often lacks SNR perspective.
I have a high spec Linea Research processor, Midas stagebox, RME, Q-sys, ....
are they better than the dcx, sure. Would i bet on a blind test, no. fwiw

If you're still concerned with the Beh's SQ, there's some older Ashly Protea's out there that are good kit. And BSS, Symetrix, & Biamp, if you're willing to get off the beaten path.
Age and software that is still compatible/usable are the sometimes issues....
The DBX Venue 360 is supposedly a nice upgrade to the PA2.
I have no experience with any of these ...


One question.....If reggae, old school bass-heavy, outdoor sub drone/beat is the goal, will a two-way work? Are you planning for subs (hope so)?

 

[Matthias McCready]

I had thought the "traditional old-school bass-heavy reggae system" is the Wall-O-Sound, comb filtering galore!

 

[Waxx]

View attachment 215551


I had thought the "traditional old-school bass-heavy reggae system" is the Wall-O-Sound, comb filtering galore!

That is because of one soundsystem in the UK, called Gladdy Waxx that ran all kind of boxes not aligned and so (the picture is his stack a few decades ago). Most sounds are using way better systems. But it will always be coloured (on purpose) compared to regular pa systems. And i will use dsp to minimise phase issues. And soundsystem is PA like, not hifi home systems for close listening.

One question.....If reggae, old school bass-heavy, outdoor sub drone/beat is the goal, will a two-way work? Are you planning for subs (hope so)?

We don't want to have the volume of a big roots sound, then 3 or 4 way is minimum. Goal is small garden parties. And the legendaric King Tubby played the same style of music with a 2 way sound system. His "King Tubby's Home Hifi" sound had Jensen Scoops and Atlec multicell horns with Altec 288 compression drivers and was said to sound by far the best of that time (late 60's and early 70's) and beyond

The system i'm planning is reflex tuned to 30Hz (more than low enough) crossing to a big compression driver (going up to 18kHz) in a big horn at about 1200Hz. I know the compression driver/Horn combo can handle that to way above the volumes we will use, and the woofer cabinet is good to about 2kHz (used it before with a dome tweeter. The goal is to start with one woofer cabinet per side and add one more if it should be needed. We don't use scoops as they only go low in groups of 4 (coupling) and throw the bass mainly with the neighbours (that we know from experience). But i'm still in the planning and design phase so...