DBX 166XL SIP Identification

[fontazuma]

The VCA chip in my unit is "DBX V1B" is this really a THAT 2181 ?

Date code built sometime in 2006.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

The VCA chip in my unit is "DBX V1B" is this really a THAT 2181 ?

Date code built sometime in 2006.

Certainly not. Probably a second-source 2150. These things were made in the far-east and sourced their components from local vendors.

 

[fontazuma]

Certainly not. Probably a second-source 2150. These things were made in the far-east and sourced their components from local vendors.

How can you tell if it’s a 2150? Distortion measurement?

 

[abbey road d enfer]

dbx have always used 2150's as soon as they were available. They were the inventor of the 2150, which was the first monolithic implementation of the Blackmer VCA. It came after the semi-discrete implementations. When the manufacturing went to the far east (Japan, Korea, China...) their subcontractors sourced the 2150 from local vendors. For contractual reasons, the chips were named differently. The most common was the uPC1252. It was actually identical to the 2150. uPC1253 was the equivalent of the 2252 RMS detector.
In the 90's the manufacturing and design of these chips went to THAT.
Being dated 2006, the dbx V1B is likely to be one of the 2150 clones. The 2180 did not exist then IINM. The V1B may actually be an OEM THAT chip.
I couldn't find a schemo for the XL version.
The schemos I have for models 166 and 166A indicate the uPC chips.

What is the reference of the RMS detector in your unit?

 

[fontazuma]

dbx RMS1

 

[fontazuma]

dbx V1B

 

[fontazuma]

Both chips say "INDIA" in the back. Produced in that factor, I guess?

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Seems to be a THAT OEM. THAT use (used?) an indian foundry that has burnt down; that's why the production of SIP chips is stalled.