Sabine FBX1200 FBX Feedback Exterminator

Fast, transparent, and reliable feedback control.

The performance saving power of the Sabine FBX1200 with SMARTFilters lies in its ability to control feedback during the program, not just at setup time. If feedback occurs during that crucial moment of the show, in the middle of the big solo, or just when the worship leader begins the sermon, the FBX Feedback Exterminator places a filter that only kills the feedback, not the sound and power you work so hard to achieve. Think of the Sabine FBX as a very advanced set of automatic parametric filters. If you had the time, the filters, and the test equipment, you could find the feedback frequencies, dial in the precise filter location, and make a very narrow filter, just deep enough to remove the offending tone. The FBX1200 does it all for you automatically, and it does it faster than any other method.

How does the Feedback Exterminator do it? First, let's consider just how a superior feedback control filter should behave. Filters can be described by their Speed, Accuracy, Resolution, and Sonic Integrity.

Speed: The industry's best digital signal processors that run the SMARTFilter algorithm give the FBX1200 a distinct speed advantage over all other automatic feedback controllers. And in Setup Mode the speed is increased, so you can complete your entire setup of the FBX Feedback Exterminator in fewer than 30 seconds. During the show the 24 bit FBX1200 is constantly on the watch for feedback, never allowing it to ruin your show. Filters are placed almost immediately (in 0.4 seconds at 1 KHz).

Accuracy: Is it music or is it feedback? This is the most difficult question your feedback controller must answer. A wrong decision means you waste filters (less gain for you) and punch unnecessary holes in your sound. The FBX1200 has always excelled in it's ability to make the right decision, and the new SMARTFilter technology makes it even better. Less sophisticated feedback controllers place filters on any loud tone, even if it is music, but the Sabine FBX1200 uses a patented analysis of the harmonic content of your program material. Because feedback is low in harmonics, and music and speech are rich in harmonics, the FBX1200 Feedback Exterminator is able to make the correct and accurate answer to the music or feedback question.

Resolution: This is a big one. Now that we know feedback is happening, we need to target it precisely. Many feedback controllers place their filters in the general vicinity of the feedback and then widen the filters until the feedback goes away. The FBX1200 uses a more sophisticated solution. It centers the filter exactly on the frequency that is feeding back. This unique one Hertz resolution enables the FBX1200 to control feedback with transparent filters that are ten times narrower than graphic equalizer filters, which can only muster 31 spots to place their very wide filters. Feedback frequencies are single tones, and that means there can be almost 20,000 places for them to occur in the audio spectrum. You can see that using a feedback control device with less resolution is like shooting a fly with a shotgun. You may eventually get that fly, but it will take a lot of shooting and cause a lot of damage to your sound!

In contrast, the FBX1200 places these accurately chosen filters with one Hz resolution. This means a direct hit on a single feedback tone every time.

Sonic integrity: Sabine's innovative approach to digital filtering is unique in the industry. Our filters just sound better, with far less phase distortion and a smoother response. Sabine filters maintain their integrity at all depths, providing true Constant Q performance.

Some competitors tout the benefits of more filters, but why add more filters than you need? The FBX feedback processor could easily produce 50 filters if we wanted them, but they would only degrade your sound.

Targeted Control:The FBX1200 is designed for controlling feedback in one input channel, or one group of channels and is patched at insert point.

Sabine FBX1200 FBX Feedback Exterminator Specifications:

• FILTERS
• 12 independent digital notch filters per channel, controlled automatically from
• 40 Hz to 20 KHz.
• Filter width: user controllable either 1/10 or 1/5 octave*, constant "Q"
• Resolution: 1 Hz
• Time required to find and eliminate feedback: 0.4 seconds, typical @ 1 KHz
• Number of Dynamic vs. Fixed filters per channel: user selectable. Last
• configuration stored in memory.
• Dynamic Filter Timer: Resets dynamic filters in 1, 5, 30, or 60 minutes
  
  INPUT/OUTPUT
• Input/Output Maximum Signal Levels: Balanced +27dBV peak, unbalanced
• +21 dBV peak
• Output Drive: Unit will perform as specified driving a load >600 Ohms
• Input Impedance: Balanced or unbalanced >40K Ohms, PIN 2 high
• Output Impedance: Balanced or unbalanced 150 Ohms nominal, PIN 2 high
• Bypass: True power off bypass
• Headroom: +23 dB peak @ 4 dBV nominal input, balanced
• I/O Connectors: XLR 3 and 1/4" TRS
  
  PERFORMANCE**
• Frequency response: 20 Hz 20 KHz +/ 0.3 dB
• Gain matching: +/ 0.2 dB
• Spectral Variation: + .25 dB, 20 Hz to 20 KHz
• SNR Dynamic Range: >100 dB
• THD: .005% at 1 KHz
• < 0.01% 20 Hz 10 KHz
• < 0.025% 10 KHz 20 KHz
• Dynamic Range: >105 dB
  
  POWER INPUT
• 115 VAC: 100 130 VAC 50/60 Hz
• 230 VAC: 200 240 VAC 50/60 Hz
  
  FUSE
• 115 VAC, 0.1 A, 10 W, 0.160 A SB fuse
• 230 VAC, 0.06A, 10 W, 0.160 A SB fuse
  
  DIMENSIONS
• 1 U rack mount; 19 x 1.75 x 6.25 in. nominal (rack mountable);
• 48.3 x 4.5 x 15.9 cm nominal
• WEIGHT
• 8.0 lbs. (3.6 kg) nominal
  
  OPERATING TEMPERATURE
• Safe operating temperature: 15 to +50 degrees centigrade ambient
• temperature (5 to 122F)
• *Below approximately 200 Hz the feedback filters become slightly wider to
• increase the feedback and rumble capture speed at these low frequencies.