How to hook-up a TT to a DBX 118 ?

[Mr Tech]

I recently acquired a DBX 118 to run my turntable through as Dave Mallette suggested sometime back in another thread.

I have a NAD receiver with no phono input, so I am using a NAD Phono Preamp separately.

I
have it hooked it up as shown in the pics. The first pic is the NAD
Phono Preamp & the second pic is the DBX 118. Simple setup, should
work I thought.

What I get is one channel operation only. The other channel is dead.

Everything works fine when not going throught the DBX unit.

I checked cables, connections & all is fine.

Is there something wrong with the DBX unit or am I doing something wrong?

There is a paragraph in the DBX's manual that is confusing. It says:

"The
118 may be used to process a monaural program. Because the RMS
detectors for the two channels are not independent, attempts to process
two simultaneous, but different, mono programs through the 118's two
channels will cause the channel with the stronger signal to dominate
the compression or expansion in both channels. This will result in
unwanted variations in program level in the channel carrying the
quieter signal at any given time."

I am attempting to run stereo, not mono, through the DBX.

Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Wade

[Mr Tech]

This is the DBX.

[Mallette]

I see nothing wrong with your hookup. Have you reversed cables to test? Could be a bum unit.

Dave

[jtnfoley]

Which NAD tuner? I've got an RG Dynamics RG20 dynamic decompressor looped into my T763 and it really needs to be on the tape loop. In 2CH flip on 'tape monitor' and you are off and running.

[Mr Tech]

Which NAD tuner? I've got an RG Dynamics RG20 dynamic decompressor looped into my T763 and it really needs to be on the tape loop. In 2CH flip on 'tape monitor' and you are off and running.

I have a NAD T753 Receiver which has no phono input so I use a NAD
PP2 Phono Preamp and then that inputs into the tape or aux input on the
receiver.

I'm not sure what you mean by "flip on tape monitor".

The DBX seems to work fine on one channel, just hiss noise on the other. The wires & connections are fine.

I'm pretty sure the DBX unit has a problem.

Wade

[Mallette]

Does the hiss follow when you reverse L/R???

Dave

[Mike Lindsey]

I think what he's saying is you would hook the dbx up to your preamp using the tape loop in/out, and not directly in between your phono stage and your preamp. This way, if you want to use the dbx, you just select your tape monitor setting on your preamp, and you can use it with multiple sources if you had them.

Mike

[Mr Tech]

Does the hiss follow when you reverse L/R???

Dave

Yes, this dead "hiss" channel is whichever one that is hooked up to the marked "2" channel output on the DBX.

Wade

[Mallette]

Sounds dead alright. []

Dave

[Lonelobo]

Get thee a can of DeOxit and spray all dbx buttons and switches and pots(inside & out) liberally while punching them repeatedly (hundreds of times) like a step child. Open unit to make sure there is nothing "fishy" going on that is a simple fix. Fix any simple fixes. DBX buttons are notorious for going south. Sometimes spraying them will bring them back. Sometimes you just waste a can of perfectly good DeOxit. Sometimes Jethro seems smarter than Granny....