Hookup Question - I'm Confused

I'm trying to hook my Lafayette SQ-W decoder into my pair of dbx 200 switcher controls. Right now here's how I've got things hooked up;

1) 4 Ch Akai Reel #1 to Tape 1 (Front channels on one dbx box, rear channels on the other) That plays and records fine as hooked up.

2) 4 CH Akai Reel #2 to Tape 2 (Same hook up - plays and records fine)

3) Sansui QS-1 To Tape 3 (This has a stereo tape player running into it. It works fine as hooked up.)

Here's what I want to do; I'd like to send a 2 channel signal from my Akai 4 channel Reel #1 into the Lafayette SQ-W to decode it to four channels. My source tape is a stereo SQ matrixed tape, not a four channel quad tape. If I get this working I'll explain later what this stereo reel matrix SQ material is.

Can I hook my Lafayette SQ-W to the Processor input on the DBX box and play back my Akai (in stereo mode) to be decoded to quad?

For those who are familiar with the Lafayette, right now I've got 4 channel tape out of the Lafayette to the inputs on both dbx boxes.

I've got 4 channel tape out to the output on both dbx boxes.

That's all I have hooked up on the Lafayette. These connections remain;

4 channel REC Output
Tape - Stereo Input
Tape - Stereo Output
Source (Stereo, but not labeled In or Out - I assume it's an input.)

My Akai is set to the 2 channel mode to playback the stereo SQ material. If I select "IN" for Processor 1 and select the "PRE" button on the processor panel I can hear the 2 channel signal from the Akai. But that's all I hear, just the front speakers. How do I get the 2 channel signal to go through the Lafayette and play back in four channels?

I know this is very confusing so I hope someone out there has all three pieces of this gear.

I know that typically you would not be sending a four channel signal into the Lafayette for the purposes of decoding. Maybe the 4 channel inputs bypass the SQ circuitry in the Lafayette? Before I got the dbx boxes I had a turntable hooked up to the Lafayette. I believe the stereo signal from the turntable went to the Tape - Stereo Input. I only had the 4 channel tape out hooked up to my receiver. That worked.

So, what am I doing wrong now? Any help would be appreciated.

@: @: @:

This is a call for Quad Bob!!

Easiest way I can think of is to get some "piggyback" or "y" RCA splitters and piggyback the front input from your 4CH reel to the 2CH input on the Lafayette.

My 2 cents.

Q-Eight said:

Easiest way I can think of is to get some "piggyback" or "y" RCA splitters and piggyback the front input from your 4CH reel to the 2CH input on the Lafayette.

My 2 cents.

Click to expand...

I think I'm going to give up on trying to use the dbx 200's. It's just too confusing and I can't get it to work. I tried an alternative hookup and did get it to play. Had to unplug something else from my receiver, but I'll figure out how to hook that up later. Thanks for the advice.

Hey George,

Getting a pair of DBX 200's isn't exactly simple.........but its well worth the effort!! Once done, you'll have super flexibility and can do pretty much anything you want at the push of a button or flip of a switch!!

Ok, here goes:

1) Your two Akai reel decks are hooked up right.....leave them alone!

2) Move the 2 channel deck that you have connected into the QS-1 to the Tape 3 loop. Just connect it in and out to the "front" channel DBX 200.

3) Connect the Lafayette SQ-W to the Processor 1 loop by taking the output from Processor 1 of the front DBX-200 into the 2 channel source input of the SQ-W. Then connect the four channel output of the SQ W with the front outputs back to the front DBX200 Processor 1 input. Then the rear outputs to the rear DBX-200 processor 1 input. (note that you won't have anything connected to the rear DBX-200 processor 1 output!)

4) You won't have anything connected to the four-channel input of the SQ-W!

5) Now hook up the Sansui QS-1 into the Processor 2 loop the same way as the SQ-W.......Proc 2 output from front DBX to the main 2 channel input of the QS-1.....4 channel output to the respective inputs of the front and rear DBX units at the Processor 2 inputs.

6) Ok, the next thing to remember is that the "pre/post" switch on the DBX 200s are asking you whether you want the processor loops to be BEFORE or AFTER the tape loops! So, if you want the output of the tape decks to go to the processors next....then you need to make sure the switch is set to POST. If you want to send a signal into the SQ-W or QS-1 first then record the decoded output on the tape decks you would then set the switch to PRE.

With the connections as above to listen to your SQ reel, you would select the playback tape deck (tape 1 or 2), select "Post" on the processor switch, select which processor you want to use (processor 1 for the SQ-W or processor 2 for the QS-1) You should then be hearing the decoded output from the decoders!

Give me a call or just post if you have any other questions!

I'll give this a whirl and see what happens. Thanks for the advice.
I'll report back.

QuadBob said:

Hey George,

Getting a pair of DBX 200's isn't exactly simple.........but its well worth the effort!! Once done, you'll have super flexibility and can do pretty much anything you want at the push of a button or flip of a switch!!

Ok, here goes:

1) Your two Akai reel decks are hooked up right.....leave them alone!

2) Move the 2 channel deck that you have connected into the QS-1 to the Tape 3 loop. Just connect it in and out to the "front" channel DBX 200.

3) Connect the Lafayette SQ-W to the Processor 1 loop by taking the output from Processor 1 of the front DBX-200 into the 2 channel source input of the SQ-W. Then connect the four channel output of the SQ W with the front outputs back to the front DBX200 Processor 1 input. Then the rear outputs to the rear DBX-200 processor 1 input. (note that you won't have anything connected to the rear DBX-200 processor 1 output!)

4) You won't have anything connected to the four-channel input of the SQ-W!

5) Now hook up the Sansui QS-1 into the Processor 2 loop the same way as the SQ-W.......Proc 2 output from front DBX to the main 2 channel input of the QS-1.....4 channel output to the respective inputs of the front and rear DBX units at the Processor 2 inputs.

6) Ok, the next thing to remember is that the "pre/post" switch on the DBX 200s are asking you whether you want the processor loops to be BEFORE or AFTER the tape loops! So, if you want the output of the tape decks to go to the processors next....then you need to make sure the switch is set to POST. If you want to send a signal into the SQ-W or QS-1 first then record the decoded output on the tape decks you would then set the switch to PRE.

With the connections as above to listen to your SQ reel, you would select the playback tape deck (tape 1 or 2), select "Post" on the processor switch, select which processor you want to use (processor 1 for the SQ-W or processor 2 for the QS-1) You should then be hearing the decoded output from the decoders!

Give me a call or just post if you have any other questions!

Click to expand...

dr8track said:

I'll give this a whirl and see what happens. Thanks for the advice.
I'll report back.

Click to expand...

Well, my friend, you are a genius. Followed your instructions and the playback thru the Lafayette works great! Amazing how this equipment works if you hook it up correctly. But you have to admit, the dbx 200 is not the most "user-friendly" piece of hardware. For dummies like me, it's a bit tough to figure out. I've even got a manual for the thing. But anyway, thanks a bunch for the hookup advice Bob. Now, check out my post in the Q8/Q4 section and I'll tell you what I'm up to.

Well, my friend, you are a genius. Followed your instructions and the playback thru the Lafayette works great! Amazing how this equipment works if you hook it up correctly.

Click to expand...

I quickly realized that an under-grad in basket weaving might not pay off long term..............but a Masters in Knobology would serve me well forever!

The scene opens in an operating room during emergency knee surgery at 2:30am. Players........Doctor: Orthopedic Surgeon, Me: QuadBob in Xray Engineer mode.

Doctor: My mobile fluoroscopic C-arm monitor isn't working........

Me: Let's take a look........

Doctor: Just get it going NOW!

Me: Hmmmmmmmmm, see this switch right here Doc? The one that says On/Off that is in the "off" position. CLICK!

Doctor: Oh.......thanks, sorry to bother you.

Me: No problem, that will be $320.00........you'll get the bill! :banana:

And you wonder why Healthcare costs so much!! :ugham:

QuadBob said:

Getting a pair of DBX 200's isn't exactly simple.........but its well worth the effort!! Once done, you'll have super flexibility and can do pretty much anything you want at the push of a button or flip of a switch!!

Ok, here goes:

1) Your two Akai reel decks are hooked up right.....leave them alone!

2) Move the 2 channel deck that you have connected into the QS-1 to the Tape 3 loop. Just connect it in and out to the "front" channel DBX 200.

Click to expand...

Bob,
Just a follow up question to my old inquiry about the DBX 200's. From your original explanation, the only thing I couldn't get to work was the QS-1. Problem being, I'm using the Tape 3 loop for another component. I thought I could leave the 2 channel deck hooked up to the QS-1 and it would still work, but it doesn't seem to. If my QS-1 is hooked up to my processor inputs is there no way to utilize the tape inputs on the QS-1 itself?