 George
Shilling reviews:
CLM Dynamics DB500s Expounder
In
the area of studio outboard, there is always room for a new twist on
an old idea, and Scottish company CLM have popped up, seemingly from
nowhere, with this ‘Dynamic Equaliser’, an EQ with several new
twists. The stunning front panel has a classy appearance mainly due
to the unusual and plentiful brassy knobs on its 3-U facing.
However, this stereo equalizer has several features, apart from
brassy knobs, that set it apart from the competition. Allow me to
expound…
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Firstly,
the four frequency bands on each channel have a terrific range and
power. The HF and LF bands can provide a massive 20dB of boost or
cut. Each band features a very wide frequency range with much
overlap; for instance, 1.5kHz is available on all except the lowest
band. All knobs are smoothly damped, (although a few were slightly
loose laterally). Gain controls feature a centre (zero) détente. In
addition, each band has a separate Enable button (with LED) which
usefully allows you to assess the effect of each individual tweak.
Every band has a small switch labelled ‘/3’ which reduces the
amount of available boost or cut to approximately one-third of
normal. This is excellent for subtler adjustments, as with up to
20dB of boost small adjustments can be tricky. The increased knob
travel certainly makes matching settings easier when working in
stereo or recalling previously noted settings. The two Mid bands on
each channel feature a variable ‘Q’ control, which varies
between an extremely narrow notch and a reasonably broad band. These
bands also feature an unusual ‘Notch’ pushbutton. When
depressed, this disables the boost function and substitutes 30dBs of
cut, with flat being fully clockwise instead of at the centre détente.
This is useful when trying to remove particularly offensive tones
such as feedback howls or nasty resonances, and tape-phase emulation
can be achieved by sweeping the frequency of a deep and narrow
notch.
The
Low and High frequency bands normally operate in shelf mode, but by
depressing ‘Bell’ will operate in peak mode. When in Bell mode
another button marked ‘Slope’ changes the steepness of the curve
from 6dB/8ve to 12dB/8ve for a narrower
‘Q’. One further button on the extreme bands is marked
‘Dynamic’, and serves to expand the selected frequencies. No
effect is obtained in a ‘cut’ situation, but with a boost the
dynamics of the high or bass frequencies are emphasised. With large
boosts there can be a dynamic increase of up to 5dBs in each band,
and with fast preset attack and release times the effects can be
quite dramatic. With smaller boosts, the low frequency band can add
subtle warmth and the high end can exhibit an apparent increase in
clarity and detail.
In
addition to the above, each channel includes powerful high and low
frequency filters, which overlap each other by a large margin. In
fact, both high and low frequency filters individually cover nearly
the entire audio spectrum. These are powerful 12dB/8ve circuits with a separate switch on each filter for even steeper
24dB/8ve filters. The High and Low filters also each have
a ‘Res’ button, which enables a ‘Res’ knob for a variable
resonant frequency boost at the cut-off point. This feature is more
usually found on synthesiser filters, but certainly has its uses in
the studio. The knob is simply marked 0 to 10, but at full boost the
gain is approximately 12dBs, safely stopping before self-oscillation
is reached. A ‘Track’ button enables envelope following by the
filter, which can be used for hiss or hum reduction, or more extreme
‘synth-filter’ special effects using a large resonance boost.
This is particularly good on drum loops, where the fast
characteristics of the ‘Track’ function can be put to good
effect to create juicy filter squelches. If using the filters for
‘semi-gating’ noise-reducing functions, the resonance control is
useful for minimising the inevitable loss of extreme frequencies in
the signal by enhancing the remaining ones by a few dBs. Each filter
has its own Enable button, and when working in stereo one must be
sure to enable both channels or a phase shift will ensue.
Each
channel features an overall Enable button, and an LED-bargraph PPM
and input gain knob. However, adjusting this does not affect the
filter-tracking sidechain. Each channel has a Dynamic Link button
for slaving to the other channel. Pressing both buttons enables
proper stereo operation with no image shifting.
The
painted front panel is exceptionally thick – a sensible move,
which makes the whole thing feel robust. The back includes XLR
connectors, +4dBu/-10dBV switching, and a useful Outputs Earth Lift
button. A torroidal mains transformer is employed, mounted on one of
thirteen vertical PCBs.
The
Expounder’s notched knob pointers can be a little difficult to set
accurately. And perhaps the panel legending could have been a little
larger and bolder. Overall, though, this box is a joy to use. For
ultimate signal control and power, nothing beats the Expounder.
Judging from the smart home-made manual, CLM is a small company, but
they have quickly won many admirers with this product, and I am
certainly one of them.
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Reproduced
with kind permission from www.George.Shilling.Com. Copyright ©1997
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