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Author Topic: Smart DSP150 - Worthy or Unworthy? Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-23-2004 08:23 AM                        I came across a tear sheet that was burried in a pile of stuff in the booth that evidently I had give a cursory look some years ago but never followed up on it. It is for the Smart DSP150 direct replacement matrix card for the CAT150n. The claims on this tear-sheet make this digital processed matrix sound like the best thing to happen to analog matrixed sound since descrete magnetic 4 and 6 channel surround sound. Smart claims that the X-Act (TM) digital processing circuit "maintains full separation and fidelity no matter what the program material....and decodes the optical stereo soundtracks into 4 almost discrete channels with no noticeable crosstalk." In addition, it has the "....amazing SRS Sound Retrieval System enhancement built-in. Just throw the SRS switch and hear fuller, more panoramic stage sound!" Has anyone ever used/heard these card? They are direct replacements for Cat 150n in the CP50, 55, 65, 100 and 200 and need no other alignment other than checking the delay. I don't doubt that digital processing MAY have some advantages over the analog counterpart and it MAY be able to get better separation (they claim their matrixed soundfield does not collapes to near mono on low level program material), but this SRS thing sound very much like the "enhancement" features that are sometimes incorporated in many consumer boomboxes and TVs. I had a similar stand-alone unit that I tried years ago. It was IMX Dimensional Enhancement unit by SCI-coustics. You could dial in the "width" of the stereo soundfield to suit the room and presumably your taste. This "spread" processing, which primarily depends on phase-manipulation, has been around for decades and is now turning up big time in computer sound cards. Problem that I see with this is, 1) if the director and the sound desiger/mixer wanted his music and effects to sound "wider" than what they sound like played back normally, then he would have mixed them to sound "wider." They did not mix the tracks with the hopes that the theatre playback system would "enhance" them. And there is no reference or test material to set this thing up, no repeatable procedure --as I said, it is "aligned" basically to your individual tastes; could there be any more serious reason why NOT to incorporated this processor? Now the SRS is not like that -- it is either switched in or out of the circuit. 2) all these phase enhancers tend to throw the balance of the stage channels off with emphasis on the left/right stereo channels to the detriment of the center channel, which can result in dialogue getting overpowered and lost in the now over emphasised L/R music tracks. 3) likewise, all the phase enhancers that I have heard so far, including the SCI-coustics IMX unit, pretty much sound impressive from a sweet spot equidistant between the L/R speakers. I am very dubious about it working well in locations outside that fairly narrow area. 4) for some reason the particular SCI-coustic unit that I am familiar with also added bass emphasis which was not at all legitimate. But that was 15 years ago. This is now. Perhaps newer digital technology has solved much of the problems I saw in my old unit and in other products. Who knows, maybe this is an improvement over the CAT 150(whatever-letter-they-are-up-to-now) card. Besides if the digital matrix processing is as good as they claim, you can always switch off the SRS enhancement altogether. It might be worth it just to get the digital processing and forget about the "enhancement" switch.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2004 09:25 AM                     In the regular matrix mode I will put it side by side against thecat 150e make sure it has the larger switching type regulator on it though as some times they locked up during boot up The SRS is a gimmick It has only worked for me in a couple of bowling alley type theatres I have done but you can leave it switched out if one wants  |  IP: Logged Oscar Neundorfer Master Film Handler Posts: 275 From: Senoia, GA Registered: May 2000 posted 09-23-2004 09:58 AM                        Frank, I agree with Gordon. Leave the SRS feature turned off. Personally I never much cared for SRS although, as Gordon says, it does have some usefulness in certain circumstances.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-23-2004 12:28 PM                        Hi Oscar. That was my initial thinking (sorry if my critisim was a bit harsh, although it was based on general application of the phase "spreading" concept, not the DSP150), but then again, as per Gordon, I have a airplane hanger of a theatre -- 2500 seats -- and the big ones do tend to deminish the perception of stereo. Who knows, SRS just might give my place a little umph. And as I said, it's switchable. And then there is the marketing angle. Seems being able to add a sound format symbol to an ad i.e. -- SRS (O) -- may be worth it's weight in marketing gold....heh heh.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2004 10:55 PM                     Watch the base level as the SRS tends to increase it  |  IP: Logged

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