Ask S&V

Q Is there any way to connect my old Technics SH-GE90 Equalizer/Digital Sound Processor to my new Onkyo TX- NR838 receiver? The Technics is capable of signal manipulation, but what I really miss is the graphic display of audio waveforms on its front panel. If this is not possible, are there any similar devices that connect via HDMI?—Mark Goldberg, Rochester, NY

A None that I know of. Equalizer/DSP units with snazzy graphic displays were a hot item a few decades back, but they’ve since disappeared from the market. I’m speculating that A/V gear makers have low tolerance for such frivolity in the HDMI era.

The bad news here is that your Onkyo, like many other modern-day receivers, lacks a tape loop output. This feature, which used to be standard-issue on receivers, would allow you to route audio signals from multiple sources to the Technics and then monitor its output via a tape monitor control. The main benefit is that you’d be able to view the undulating audio waveforms on its front display while simultaneously digging the effect of its Spatializer Church, Stadium, and Disco DSP modes with music.

Now for the good news: your new Onkyo receiver has a second zone analog audio output. What you need to do is first connect the Zone 2 line outputs to the RCA inputs on the Technics DSP unit. Next, configure the settings in the Onkyo’s menu so that signals sent to the main zone are simultaneously output to Zone 2. With this setup, you won’t be able to utilize the Technics’ equalizer and DSP modes (the Onkyo TX- NR838 has plenty of its own), but you will get your graphic audio waveform display back. That was the important thing, right?