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Author Topic: SMART MOD IV Question Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 09-12-2007 09:39 AM                     A friend of mine recently hooked up a SMART MOD IV analog Dolby processor in his home screening room. It appears to be working fine, and as best as I can tell was calibrated (Dolby levels etc) correctly. It seem that Dolby A sounds much better than Dolby SR. The SR seem a little over compressed, or more specifically seems to lack high frequecies, at least as compaired to Dolby A. Yes, I realize that we are compairing different films with different mixes, but something seems not right. The unit is using the Smart Copycat 280 SR Emulation cards. Any suggestions or advice.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-12-2007 09:51 AM                     The copycat 280 like the smart a type is only a 2 band noise reduction system (dolby A is 4 band) as such it does tend to have a more compressed sound and also the high end is rolled off moreso in the SR mode  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 09-12-2007 10:30 AM                     Are the "official" Dolby 280 cards also 2 band, or do they sound better than the copycat cards?  |  IP: Logged Christos Mitsakis Expert Film Handler Posts: 242 From: Ag.Paraskevi, ATHENS, GREECE Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-12-2007 11:49 AM                     Dolby 280s are the original SR cards from midle '80s. SR uses 4 (or more - don't remember without searching Dolby's papers) bands with sliding band, instead of fixed passband (A-type), filters. Yes They sound superb. C  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-12-2007 03:59 PM                     Dolby-A used 4-bands. SR was/is much more complicated with a combination of fixed and sliding bands (10 if memory serves)...those with fixed bands have variable gain. Those with sliding bands have fixed gain. The combination allows the SR circuit to custom tailor the NR to the actual signal it is dealing with. To that, they add what they call "spectural skewing" to deal with the extreme highs and lows (a pre-emphasis/de-emphasis system).  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-12-2007 06:12 PM                        My experience with "copycat" is they make SR sound about the same as Dolby A with Dolby A film. You fail to achieve the quality-boost we expect with real SR. Better than nothing. Louis  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-14-2007 11:15 AM                     quote: Louis Bornwasser Better than nothing. I never cared at all for the CopyCat cards and this is definately a case where nothing may actually be better. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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