Behringer DEC 2496 Equalizer how to get started

[oqvist]

Have had this for several month now but after getting my receiver not found a place for it. Mostly not installed it since it was quite a bit more complex then I expected. A bit scary.

For one thing what cable would I need. I would need to output the signal out to RCA somehow I suppose? The signal should go to my external DAC first and then the EQ or? Then somehow from the EQ to my headphone amp or receiver? Or do I must use the eq as DAC?

It has optical in and output. And some dual phono aux out? word clock is something I have to bother with? Also have some balanced female and male connections but shouldn´t use that I suppose?

 

[oqvist]

I got my behringer DEQ2496 in now. Probably running some preset since my 450 Pros and 900 is more euphonic then I remember them lol.

I noticed I had some hzz sound a second though but after just two songs I just got hssszzzsszz like the signal was corrupted. Checked the optical connections and the optical out from the DEQ2496 is blinking! so something seems faulty here

.

edit: Tried my PS 3 as well and it worked initially no blinking leds. But got a lot of distortion and then it´s the same again hxzzzzzxxzz and no music.

 

[jpelg]

re: the distortion, be sure you have the analog outs set to the consumer output levels. Otherwise it will probably be too hot for your amp.

Not sure about the the digital connection issues, or the PS3. When I had the DEQ2496, I had zero issues having it between my DVD transport & Benchmark DAC1 which was also used as the headphone amp at the time, so I didn't use the analog outs.

 

[oqvist]

did you use the optical outs? I think you can use some balanced to rca adapter and use it as coaxial? Or do you get analogue out through those? If that would help anything dunno but I hate optical anyway.

Why did you sell your behringer btw

 

[jpelg]

Yes, optical from DVD to DEQ2496, and then optical again from the DEQ to the Benchmark. Never a syncing problem at all.

I never used the digital XLR connections. Just be sure you are not using the analog XLR's as digital connectors or vice-versa. That's probably obvious, but...

 

[oqvist]

I suppose it should be the out AES and the EBU IN. Tried it on my receiver same deal it teases like hell before it start to act up

.

 

[charley phogg]

Good luck getting it starightened out. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

 

[kh6idf]

I have a DEQ2496 and am fairly familiar with it if you want to send me a PM maybe I can help.

It may appear to be complex, but you only need to use a few of the many functions. So you just need to read those sections of the manual and can ignore most of the rest.

You want to run the digital signal from the source into the DEQ2496, and then take the digital out from the DEQ2496 to the digital input of your DAC. This is the cleanest way to do it.

Since I am using the DEQ2496 for both EQ and DAC I run digital in using the optical input but I use the analog outputs with an XLR to RCA adapter to go to my preamp.

But if I had an external DAC I would keep everything digital right up to the DAC input.

 

[joe_cool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kh6idf /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a DEQ2496 and am fairly familiar with it if you want to send me a PM maybe I can help. It may appear to be complex, but you only need to use a few of the many functions. So you just need to read those sections of the manual and can ignore most of the rest. You want to run the digital signal from the source into the DEQ2496, and then take the digital out from the DEQ2496 to the digital input of your DAC. This is the cleanest way to do it. Since I am using the DEQ2496 for both EQ and DAC I run digital in using the optical input but I use the analog outputs with an XLR to RCA adapter to go to my preamp. But if I had an external DAC I would keep everything digital right up to the DAC input.

What is your problem? Too confusing...

 

[oqvist]

thanks kh6idf I will probably send you a pm

I didnt´find any way to reduce volume on my PS 3 but with my essence down to 25 % it worked fine for 30 minutes. Then I got some pauses but no distortion this time?. The metre is in the middle and never clipping according to it. Can there be some problem with sample rates or something? Do I need to run 96 hertz into it can´t run bit perfect 44.1? I tried that now and it works but seems I am going to have to do an endurance test to be sure it doesn´t come back.

However from what I read you should run max signal to your DAC or you loose detail so I suppose I should run max signal into the EQ and then somehow reduce gain to my DAC. Going to have to RTFM for that if that is correct?

 

[oqvist]

Good news it´s working properly now at 96 hertz. Also read the manual now. I hardly understand a word of it

. Don´t help much. It´s easy to actually equalize but all the other settings and what they do...

I don´t understand how I change gain in or out and sampling rate. I managed to change it from 20 to 16-bit but I could see 96 khz but not edit it.

As for gain I don´t understand which exact values to edit and where?

 

[Pricklely Peete]

The manual expects you know what your doing before reading it......which isn't very helpful for the rank noobs out there.

What you have to do is read the I/O sections very carefully (set input and output levels properly and then reset the output levels after EQ'ing).

You do need to make sure your not running at +4 db and at -10 db for single ended consumer level gear downstream.

Now I'm not 100% sure of the I/O levels when going from digital input to digital output without reading the manual myself but it's fairly straight forward once you grasp the menu system and it's subsequent settings/modes/options. Most of the stuff in this unit will be disabled for your purposes since you don't need to measure a room using it's real time analyzer (with the mic that can be bought) and I doubt you'll be using it for anything other than light EQ am I correct ?

One way to get yourself up to speed is to read up on EQ principles, digital FX I/O routing and uses. I'm sure there is plenty of material available online...google something like digital EQ's for beginners, setup of a DEQ24/96 for consumer stereo playback...etc...see what you can find.

Peete.

 

[kh6idf]

Read the relevant manual sections 3 or 4 times while following along with the DEQ2496. If you just stick to one section or function at a time you eventually learn it. It may refer to another section in which case you have to go learn that one too. But for the most part the manual, and the DEQ2496 itself is laid out in a logical and modular manner.

As for your question about levels, if you are dealing with a digital input signal and a digital output signal, I believe you want to set up I/O menu 1 to connect your digital source (optical or XLR) to the GEQ/PEQ. And on I/O menu 2, set it to connect the digital output to the line just after the PEQ. This way the input is routed through the GEQ and PEQ and goes to the digital output, but skips all the other stuff. You can then bypass the PEQ with the bypass key if you are only using the graphic EQ (or vice versa, or use both, or bypass both - its completely flexible).

Note that selecting the digital input means the input sampling rate is tracked automatically, you don't need to set it to 44.1 or 96 or whatever. Mine says SAMPLERATE: UNLOCKED and I am using the optical digital input. But that's with no source connected, just the DEQ2496 powered on. When I turn on my source, the SAMPLERATE displays the sample rate of the input source. I just turned on my SRC2496 which is feeding into the DEQ2496 and set the sample rate on the SRC to 44.1 kHz. The DEQ2496 SAMPLERATE than changed from UNLOCKED to 44.1 kHz.


The GAIN OFFSET (EQ) on the utility menu 1 sets the overall gain applied to the EQ module. I have mine set at 0.0. If you end up boosting a particular frequency in the graphic EQ by say 9db, and a particular section of music has a level of just about 0db (the clipping point) before EQ, you will clip there unless the overall gain is set to -9.0. I see the red clipping LEDs only once in a great while. Most of my EQ is reducing peaks, not boosting dips. By the way I don't use the EQ for headphones, it is for room correction with speakers. I set the DEQ2496 flat when I'm listening with headphones.


There is also a switch on the back that pops in or out, I have mine in the 'out' position for a max signal of +12dbm. But this switch only effects the analog output so if you are using digital in/out you don't need to worry about it.