diff --git a/egs/librispeech/ASR/conformer_ctc/subsampling.py b/egs/librispeech/ASR/conformer_ctc/subsampling.py
index 390d31115..d1ff7f233 100644
--- a/egs/librispeech/ASR/conformer_ctc/subsampling.py
+++ b/egs/librispeech/ASR/conformer_ctc/subsampling.py
@@ -312,33 +312,36 @@ class ExpScaleRelu(torch.nn.Module):
 
 class DerivBalancerFunction(torch.autograd.Function):
     @staticmethod
-    def forward(ctx, x: Tensor, channel_dim: int,
+    def forward(ctx, x: Tensor,
+                channel_dim: int,
                 threshold: float = 0.05,
                 max_factor: float = 0.05,
-                zero: float = 0.02,
-                epsilon: float = 1.0e-10) -> Tensor:
+                min_abs: float = 0.2) -> Tensor:
         if x.requires_grad:
             if channel_dim < 0:
                 channel_dim += x.ndim
             sum_dims = [d for d in range(x.ndim) if d != channel_dim]
-            proportion_positive = torch.mean((x > zero).to(x.dtype), dim=sum_dims, keepdim=True)
+            xgt0 = x > 0
+            proportion_positive = torch.mean(xgt0.to(x.dtype), dim=sum_dims, keepdim=True)
             factor = (threshold - proportion_positive).relu() * (max_factor / threshold)
 
-            ctx.save_for_backward(factor)
-            ctx.epsilon = epsilon
+            below_threshold = (torch.mean(x.abs(), dim=sum_dims, keepdim=True) < min_abs)
+
+            ctx.save_for_backward(factor, xgt0, below_threshold)
+            ctx.max_factor = max_factor
             ctx.sum_dims = sum_dims
         return x
 
     @staticmethod
-    def backward(ctx, x_grad: Tensor) -> Tuple[Tensor, None, None, None, None, None]:
-        factor, = ctx.saved_tensors
-        neg_delta_grad = x_grad.abs() * factor
-        if ctx.epsilon != 0.0:
-            sum_abs_grad = torch.sum(x_grad.abs(), dim=ctx.sum_dims, keepdim=True)
-            deriv_is_zero = (sum_abs_grad == 0.0)
-            neg_delta_grad += ctx.epsilon * deriv_is_zero
+    def backward(ctx, x_grad: Tensor) -> Tuple[Tensor, None, None, None, None]:
+        factor, xgt0, below_threshold = ctx.saved_tensors
+        dtype = x_grad.dtype
+        too_small_factor = below_threshold.to(dtype) * (xgt0.to(dtype) - 0.5) * (ctx.max_factor * 2.0)
 
-        return x_grad - neg_delta_grad, None, None, None, None, None
+        neg_delta_grad = x_grad.abs() * (factor + too_small_factor)
+
+
+        return x_grad - neg_delta_grad, None, None, None, None
 
 
 class BasicNorm(torch.nn.Module):
@@ -449,19 +452,17 @@ class DerivBalancer(torch.nn.Module):
     def __init__(self, channel_dim: int,
                  threshold: float = 0.05,
                  max_factor: float = 0.02,
-                 zero: float = 0.02,
-                 epsilon: float = 1.0e-10):
+                 min_abs: float = 0.2):
         super(DerivBalancer, self).__init__()
         self.channel_dim = channel_dim
         self.threshold = threshold
         self.max_factor = max_factor
-        self.zero = zero
-        self.epsilon = epsilon
+        self.min_abs = min_abs
 
     def forward(self, x: Tensor) -> Tensor:
         return DerivBalancerFunction.apply(x, self.channel_dim, self.threshold,
-                                           self.max_factor, self.zero,
-                                           self.epsilon)
+                                           self.max_factor, self.min_abs)
+
 
 
 
@@ -505,23 +506,41 @@ def _test_exp_scale_relu():
 
 
 
-def _test_deriv_balancer():
+def _test_deriv_balancer_sign():
     channel_dim = 0
     probs = torch.arange(0, 1, 0.01)
     N = 500
     x = 1.0 * (torch.rand(probs.numel(), N) < probs.unsqueeze(-1))
     x = x.detach()
     x.requires_grad = True
-    m = DerivBalancer(channel_dim=0, threshold=0.05, max_factor=0.2, epsilon=1.0e-10)
+    m = DerivBalancer(channel_dim=0, threshold=0.05, max_factor=0.2, min_abs=0.2)
 
     y_grad = torch.sign(torch.randn(probs.numel(), N))
     y_grad[-1,:] = 0
 
     y = m(x)
     y.backward(gradient=y_grad)
-    print("x = ", x)
-    print("y grad = ", y_grad)
-    print("x grad = ", x.grad)
+    print("_test_deriv_balancer_sign: x = ", x)
+    print("_test_deriv_balancer_sign: y grad = ", y_grad)
+    print("_test_deriv_balancer_sign: x grad = ", x.grad)
+
+def _test_deriv_balancer_magnitude():
+    channel_dim = 0
+    magnitudes = torch.arange(0, 1, 0.01)
+    N = 500
+    x = 1.0 * (torch.randn(magnitudes.numel(), N)  * magnitudes.unsqueeze(-1))
+    x = x.detach()
+    x.requires_grad = True
+    m = DerivBalancer(channel_dim=0, threshold=0.05, max_factor=0.2, min_abs=0.2)
+
+    y_grad = torch.sign(torch.randn(magnitudes.numel(), N))
+    y_grad[-1,:] = 0
+
+    y = m(x)
+    y.backward(gradient=y_grad)
+    print("_test_deriv_balancer_magnitude: x = ", x)
+    print("_test_deriv_balancer_magnitude: y grad = ", y_grad)
+    print("_test_deriv_balancer_magnitude: x grad = ", x.grad)
 
 
 def _test_basic_norm():
@@ -543,7 +562,8 @@ def _test_basic_norm():
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    _test_deriv_balancer()
+    _test_deriv_balancer_sign()
+    _test_deriv_balancer_magnitude()
     _test_exp_scale_swish()
     _test_exp_scale_relu()
     _test_basic_norm()
diff --git a/egs/librispeech/ASR/transducer_stateless/train.py b/egs/librispeech/ASR/transducer_stateless/train.py
index 36a1ae869..618d90490 100755
--- a/egs/librispeech/ASR/transducer_stateless/train.py
+++ b/egs/librispeech/ASR/transducer_stateless/train.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def get_parser():
     parser.add_argument(
         "--exp-dir",
         type=str,
-        default="transducer_stateless/specaugmod_baseline_randcombine1_expscale3_brelu2swish2_0.1_bnorm2z0.02",
+        default="transducer_stateless/specaugmod_baseline_randcombine1_expscale3_brelu2swish2_0.1_bnorm2ma0.1",
         help="""The experiment dir.
         It specifies the directory where all training related
         files, e.g., checkpoints, log, etc, are saved