Carver Digital Time Lens (stand-alone unit) questions

[brjoon1021 7]

Hello all,

 

This is my first post.

I have the standalone digital time lens unit. I like it and I use it now and again depending on the source material and how I feel..

I have more than one digital source though. I am wondering is it okay to place the digital time lens between the preamp and amp that arrangement would enable me to use it with every source? Or, does it have to come between the source and the preamp ?

 

Sorry if it's a dumb question.. A lot of people have read this so far nobody answered ...

 

I turned the dither up and I think I like it better? Have any of you fiddled with the dither and do you think it does or should make a difference by adjusting it?

Edited August 5 by brjoon1021

[Kurt 1,961]

What preamp do you have?  If you have a Carver preamp, you should have some RCA jack input/output for an "external processor" loop which gives you control to use anything like a DTL processor (essentially like an equalizer) at any time regardless which input you are listening to...  Other preamps have this feature too, I'm sure, but probably not all... 

 

Here's what the Carver Preamps usually look like..... 

 

Otherwise, the manual for the DTL unit advises putting it between CD player and preamp.  

 

But, I think you may still be ok to put it behind the preamp....I think that's how an EQ would be placed in a system without an external processing loop... But, I'm not 100% sure....there are better minds on this site who may know better.....

Edited August 5 by Kurt

[AndrewJohn 8,631]

Welcome, @brjoon1021.  Glad you found us.  There are several members here who use and love the DLT unit.

 

As @Kurt said, the processor loop on a preamp that has it, is the best way to go.

 

If you don't have a "processor loop" in your preamp setup, you can use the "Tape Loop", using the tape monitoring button which puts the DTL inline simulating a tape deck, and you set the preamp to "monitor" what is coming through that loop, processed by the DTL.

 

What kind of preamp are you using?

[brjoon1021 7]

Thanks Gentlemen

I have an audible illusions modulus  2D tube preamp. It is about the same vintage as the DTL.

The way it's buttons for selecting inputs work it seems that I have a phono and 3 line level inputs. Whether that can be configured to do what we are talking about, I do not know.

Thanks again!

Edited August 5 by brjoon1021

[4krow 5,475]

Well, not exactly but the same result can be had by using the DTL between your preamp and power amp.

[brjoon1021 7]

I thought a preamp put out considerably more than the two volts that the DTL would be expecting at the input? Wouldn't The preamps output going into the DTL's input be an overgain (maybe even distortion) situation?

[BobTFM35 1,934]

@brjoon1021 Welcome to the Carver site!!

 

Nice to have another DTL user.

 

I currently run and select between three digital sources that use my DTL. I accomplish this by using a dbx 200X.

 

Each of the digital sources are connected to the tape deck 1,2, and 3 IN tape jacks. Don't need to connect to the out on the dbx since I'm not recording on any of the CD players.

 

The Carver DTL is hooked up to Sound  Processor loop #1 utilizing both the in and out connection.

 

Your preamp is hooked up to the LINE out on the dbx to the preamp in connection, I used the CD input on my Marantz.

 

 

If you look into a dbx unit make sure that it has jumpers on the encoder and decoder connections like in the below picture. They are necessary to have unless you are using an encoder and decoder in your setup.

 

 

There is a switch, BYP (bypass), on the front of the dbx unit that allows you to have the DTL in or out of the signal path.

 

Prior to deployment of the dbx unit into my system I cleaned all the switches and checked every solder joint. The nice thing is that it has no plug nor power supply at all.

 

And that's the way to share three digital sources with one DTL.

 

Hopefully this helps.

 

Ps, download the DTL manual found on our site. It states that the DTL needs to be installed between the CD player and the preamp.

 

The manual for the dbx unit is available here,

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/dbx/200x.shtml

Edited August 6 by BobTFM35

[brjoon1021 7]

Thank you all.