DBX 1066 User Guide

1066

• Selectable auto (classic dbx) or manual (variable
Attack and Release) compression

• Contour switch removes unwanted low frequency
information from detector circuit

• Selectable OverEasy® or Hard Knee compression
modes

• PeakStopPlus™ limiting for setting maximum allow­able level with minimal distortion

• SC Ext and SC Mon for setting up and monitoring
external devices for gating function

• True differentially balanced gold-plated XLR and
1/4" inputs and outputs.

• True RMS level detection

• Precision metering of input level, output level, and
gain reduction

• True stereo or dual mono operation

• Switchable +4dBu or -10dBV operation per channel

• Proudly designed, manufactured and tested in the
USA

18-1690-C 01/99

The dbx 1066 is the Stereo Compressor/Limiter/Gate of the 90’s. After producing the world’s most renown series of compressors,
the task of producing a new compressor worthy of our reputation would be daunting for most engineers. Not for dbx. Our engi­neers know audio like no one else in the world. Now the fruits of their talents are available to you in the form of the 1066 Stereo
Compressor/Limiter/Gate.

Want to instantly add that classic dbx response to your mix? It’s there at the touch of the “Auto” button. Or use the independent
Attack and Release controls to tailor the 1066 to your specific needs. Unwanted frequencies or mic bleed in the signal path?
Frequency dependent gain control is a snap to set up and execute with our Side Chain External button (SC Ext). Use the Side
Chain Monitor button (SC Mon) and your favorite EQ to dial in the specific frequencies you want to trigger the device. As has
become our standard, the contour switch allows entire mixes to be easily smoothed with soft compression while keeping low fre­quencies from punching holes in the overall mix. Selectable input and output metering allow you to make sure that everything is
matched up level-wise, maximizing your signal-to-noise ratio.

For overall speaker protection, our new PeakStopPlus™ does all previous circuits one better. With a new design, the
PeakStopPlus™ represses those unwanted transients from blowing your drivers while minimizing the distortion common to many
other “hard” limiters. Selectable Hard-Knee or OverEasy® characteristics make the 1066 ideal for your gain control needs,
whether you’re looking for “heavy” almost-special-effects compression or soft, smooth gain leveling. New lightpipe technology
replaces standard LED’s found on most other units, making the 1066 both very easy to read and much easier to operate.

In the studio, broadcast facility or on the road with a P.A. system, the 1066 is designed for perfectly simple operation. The 1066
allows you to eliminate unwanted signals, flexibly control overall signal gain and guard your overall mix in dual mono or stereo
operation.

At the heart of the 1066 is our new dbx V2™ VCA. Developed especially for the 1066, 1046 and other 10 series products to come,
this revolutionary VCA boasts superb dynamic range characteristics while maintaining very low distortion and almost immeasur­able noise characteristics. The bottom line is this: a new VCA working in conjunction with world class design makes the dbx 1066
perform better than compressors selling for hundreds more.

State-of-the-technology VCA’s, meticulous component selection, and scrupulous testing procedures are just a few more reasons
that the new dbx 1066 is the latest in a long line of pedigreed dbx signal processors.

8760 S. Sandy Pkwy.

Sandy, Utah 84070

Phone [phone]

Fax [phone]

Int’l Fax [phone]

[e-mail]

http://www.dbxpro.com

A Harman International Company

+16

+12

+

+8

+6

+10

0

-10

-24 -18 -12 -6 0 +6 +12 [phone] +6 +12 +18

12.5

50

125
.15

.35

GAIN REDUCTION dB INPUT / OUTPUT LEVEL dBuTHRESHOLDTHRESHOLD THRESHOLD

1

24 212730 18 15 12 9 6 4 2 124 212730 18151296421

6:1

4:1

3:1

OverEasy

0

O +

-10

-

-20

SC Enable

4:1

3:1

2:1

1.6:1

-20

+

-

-40

-60

+16

+12

+

+8

+6

+10

0

-10

12.5

50

125
.15

.35

GAIN REDUCTION dB INPUT / OUTPUT LEVEL dBuTHRESHOLDTHRESHOLD THRESHOLD

1

6:1

4:1

3:1

OverEasy

0

O +

-10

-

-20

SC Enable

4:1

3:1

2:1

1.6:1

CHANNEL ONE CHANNEL TWO

-20

+

-

-40

-60

Limiter/Gate

Compressor/

OFF

dBu

PeakStopPlus

+4

+20

dB

-20

5

dB/Sec

250

.04

dB/mSec

3

10:1

:1

1:1

2:1

Contour Auto I/O Meter Bypass

+10

+20

dBu

-40

-30
SC Mon

1.2:1 8:1

1.4:1
0

+15

EXPANDER / GATE LIMITERCOMPRESSOR

dBu

THRESHOLD RATIO OUTPUT GAINTHRESHOLD ATTACKRATIO RELEASE

OFF

Stereo

Couple

OFF

dBu

PeakStopPlusOUTPUT GAINTHRESHOLD

+4

+20

dB

-20

5

dB/Sec

250

.04

ATTACK

dB/mSec

3

10:1

:1

1:1

2:1

Contour Auto I/O Meter Bypass

+10

+20

dBu

-40

-30

SC Mon

RATIO RELEASE

1.2:1 8:1

1.4:1
0

+15

EXPANDER / GATE LIMITERCOMPRESSOR

dBu

THRESHOLD RATIO

OFF

®

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS

The compressor/limiter/gate shall have two identical chan­nels, each with an audio frequency response of 20Hz to
20kHz, +0/-0.5dB, an electronically floating balanced input
impedance of not less than 40kΩ, balanced and 20kΩ unbal-
anced, and a maximum input level of not less than +22dBu
and 1/4" TRS and XLR connectors. The output shall have an
impedance of no more than 120Ω balanced or 60Ω unbal-
anced with a maximum output level of not less than +20dBm,
into a minimum load impedance of 600Ω and 1/4" TRS and
XLR type connectors. The unit shall also have a sidechain
detector with an input impedance of not less than 10kΩ
unbalanced, a maximum input level of not less than +24dBu
and a maximum output level of not less than +21 dBu bal­anced or unbalanced and an output impedance of not more
than 2kΩ balanced and 1kΩ unbalanced. Sidechain input
jack shall be a 1/4" TS jack; sidechain output shall be a 1/4"
TRS jack.

Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise shall be less than 0.1%
with any amount of compression (up to 40dB) at 1kHz and
Intermodulation Distortion shall be less than 0.1% SMPTE.
The unit shall have an Equivalent Input Noise level of not
more than -96dBu unweighted, and a dynamic range of not
less than 118dB. Output gain adjustment shall be variable
from -20 to +20dB. The compression threshold range shall
be variable from -40 to +20dBu and compression ratio shall
be variable from 1:1 to ∞:1. The peak limiter threshold range
shall be variable from +4 to +24dBu. The compressor attack
and release times shall be selectable for either program
dependent or manually adjustable, scalable, program depen­dent operation. The compression ratio characteristic shall be
selectable for either the hard or soft knee curve type with a
maximum compression of no less than 60dB. The
expander/gate shall have a threshold of -∞ to no less than
+15 dBu, an attack time of no more than 100µsec, a program
dependent release time and a downward expansion ratio vari­able from 1:1 to 8:1. All input, output and control signals
shall be via the rear panel. The stereo link shall be of the true
RMS summing type with Channel 1 as the master when
linked. The unit shall have the following front panel switch­es for each channel, with each switch incorporating an inte­gral LED to signal selection of that switch: Sidechain
Monitor, Sidechain Bypass, OverEasy, Contour, Auto, I/O
Meter, and Bypass. There shall also be one Stereo Link
switch. Each channel shall have the following identical con­trols: expander/gate Threshold, expander/gate Ratio, com­pression Threshold, compression Ratio, compression Attack
time, compression Release time, Output Gain, limiter Threshold; and the following identical metering and indicator LEDs for each channel: Below/Above gate threshold, Below/
At/Above compression threshold, Gain Reduction (12 LEDs), Input or Output Level (8 LEDs), peak limiter active. There shall be a rear panel switch for each channel to select
nominal input and output operating levels at -10dBV or +4 dBu. The unit shall be capable of accepting one compatible audio transformer installed for each channel. The power
requirements shall be 100-120VAC 50/60Hz or 200-240VAC, 50/60Hz, 20W, via a detachable IEC type AC cable. The size of the unit shall be 1.75" x 19" x 7.9"
(4.4cmx48.3cmx20.1cm) with a net weight of 5.11 lbs (2.3 kg) and a shipping weight of 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg). The 1U high, full rack width stereo compressor/limiter/gate shall be a dbx 1066.

COMPRESSOR / LIMITER / GATE

1066

Input

Connectors: XLR and 1/4" TRS (Pin 2 and tip hot)
Type: Electronically balanced/unbalanced, RF fil-

tered

Impedance: Balanced > 50 kOhm, unbalanced > 25

kOhm
Max Input Level: > +24 dBu balanced or unbalanced
CMRR: Typically > 50 dB at 1 kHz

Outputs

Connectors: XLR and 1/4" TRS (Pin 2 and tip hot)
Type: Servo-balanced/unbalanced, RF filtered
Impedance: Balanced 120 Ohm, unbalanced 60 Ohm
Max Output Level: > +21 dBu, > +20 dBm

Sidechain Input

Connector: 1/4" TS
Type: Unbalanced, RF filtered
Impedance: > 10 kOhm
Max Input Level: > +24 dBu

Sidechain Output

Connector: 1/4" TRS (tip hot)
Type: Impedance balanced, RF filtered
Impedance: Balanced 2 kOhm, unbalanced 1 kOhm
Max Output Level: > +21 dBu balanced or unbalanced

System Performance

Bandwidth: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +0/0.5 dB
Frequency Response: 0.35 Hz to 90 kHz, +0/-3 dB
Noise: < -96 dBu, unweighted, 22 kHz measure-

ment bandwidth
Dynamic Range: > 118 dB, unweighted
THD+Noise: 0.008% typical at +4 dBu, 1 kHz, unity

gain

0.08% typical at +20 dBu, 1 kHz, unity

gain

< 0.1%, any amount of compression up to

40 dB, 1 kHz
IMD: < 0.1% SMPTE
Interchannel Crosstalk: < -80 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Stereo Coupling: True RMS Power Summing™

Compressor

Threshold Range: -40 dBu to +20 dBu
Ratio: 1:1 to

∞

:1
Threshold Characteristic: Selectable OverEasy® or hard knee
Attack/Release Characteristic: AutoDynamic™
Attack/Release Modes: Selectable Manual or Auto
Manual Attack Time: Scalable program-dependent
Manual Release Time: Scalable program-dependent
Auto Attack Time: Program-dependent
Auto Release Time: Program-dependent
Output Gain: -20 to +20 dB

Limiter

Threshold Range: +4 dBu to +24 dBu (off)
Ratio:

∞

:1
Limiter Type: PeakStopPlus™ two-stage limiter
Stage 1: PeakStop® brickwall limiter

Attack Time: Zero
Release Time: Zero

Stage 2: Predictive intelligent program limiter

Attack Time: Program-dependent
Release Time: Program-dependent

Expander/Gate

Threshold Range: Off to +15 dBu
Ratio: 1:1 to 30:1
Attack Time: < 100 µsec
Release Time: Program-dependent

Function Switches

SC Ext: Routes the external sidechain input signal

to the detector.

SC Mon: Routes the sidechain signal to the output,

interrupting the normal audio.

OverEasy®: Activates the OverEasy® compression

function.

Contour: Activates the frequency-dependent detec-

tor function.

Auto: Activates automatic program-dependent

attack and release times, disabling the
manual Attack and Release controls.

I/O Meter: Switches between monitoring input and

output levels on the Input/Output Level
meter.

Bypass: Activates the direct input-to-output hard-

wire relay bypass. Relay automatically
hard-wire bypasses unit at power-down
and provides a power-on delay of 1.5 sec.

Operating Level (rear panel): Switches the nominal operating level

between -10 dBV and +4 dBu simultane­ously for both input and output levels.

ST Link: Links both channels for stereo operation.

Channel One becomes the master.

Indicators

Gain Reduction Meter: 12-segment LED bar graph at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9,

12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 dB

Input/Output Meter: 8-segment LED bar graph at -24, -18, -12,

-6, 0, +6, +12, and +18 dBu

Compressor Threshold Meter: 3-segment LED bar graph at Below (-),

OverEasy®. and Above (+)

Exp/Gate Threshold Meter: 2-segment LED bar graph at Below (-) and

Above (+)
Limiter, Thershold Meter: 1 LED to indicate PeakStopPlus™ limiting
Function Switches: LED indicator for each front-panel switch

Options

Output Transformer

Per Channel: Jensen®JT-123-dbx or JT-11-dbx, BCI™

RE-123-dbx or

RE-11-dbx

Power Supply

Operating Voltage: 100-120 VAC 50/60 Hz 200-240 VAC

50/60 Hz
Power Consumption: 20 Watts
Fuse: 100-120 VAC: 250 mA Slow Blow

200-240 VAC:125 mA Type T
Mains Connection: IEC receptacle

Physcial

Dimensions: 1.75"Hx19"Wx9"D
(4.4cmx48.3cmx20.1cm)
Weight: 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg)
Shipping Weight: 7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg)

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

dbx Professional Products • 8760 S. Sandy Pkwy. • Sandy, Utah 84070

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone] • Int’l Fax [phone]

[e-mail] • http://www.dbxpro.com

dbx engineers are constantly working to improve the quality of our products. Specifications are, therefore subject to change without notice.

O

+

-

CHANNEL ONE CHANNEL TWO

-40

-60

OFF

THRESHOLD RATIO

2:1

3:1

-20

1.6:1

0

1.4:1

+15

1.2:1 8:1

dBu

RATIO RELEASE

EXPANDER / GATE LIMITERCOMPRESSOR

SC Enable

4:1

SC Mon

+

-

OverEasy

-10

-20

0

-30

2:1

+10

Contour Auto I/O Meter Bypass

-40

+20

dBu

GAIN REDUCTION dB INPUT / OUTPUT LEVEL dBuTHRESHOLDTHRESHOLD THRESHOLD

4:1

3:1

1:1

.35

6:1

1

10:1

3

:1

dB/mSec
ATTACK

50

.15

125

250

.04

dB/Sec

5

0

12.5

-10

-20

dB

+

+12

+8

+10

+6

+16

Stereo
Couple

+4

+20

OFF

dBu

PeakStopPlusOUTPUT GAINTHRESHOLD

+

-

-40

-60

OFF

THRESHOLD RATIO OUTPUT GAINTHRESHOLD ATTACKRATIO RELEASE

2:1

-20

1.6:1

0

1.4:1

+15

1.2:1 8:1

dBu

EXPANDER / GATE LIMITERCOMPRESSOR

O

+

-

SC Enable

3:1

4:1

OverEasy

-10

-20

0

SC Mon

-30

2:1

+10

Contour Auto I/O Meter Bypass

-40

+20

dBu

GAIN REDUCTION dB INPUT / OUTPUT LEVEL dBuTHRESHOLDTHRESHOLD THRESHOLD

24 212730 1815129642124 212730 18151296421

4:1

3:1

1:1

.35

6:1

:1

.15

1

10:1

3

.04

dB/mSec

-24 -18 -12 -6 0 +6 +12 [phone] +6 +12 +18

50

125

250

dB/Sec

0

12.5

-10

-20

5

dB

+

+12

+8

+4

dBu

PeakStopPlus

OFF

+16

1066

Compressor/

Limiter/Gate

+10

+6

+20

CHANNEL ONE

SIDECHAIN

-

OPERATING

LEVEL

SENDRETURN

+4 dBu

-10 dBV

OUTPUTS INPUTS

PIN1 / SLEEVE

PIN 2 / TIP +

PIN 3 / RING

CHANNEL TWO

SIDECHAIN

-

OPERATING

LEVEL

SENDRETURN

+4 dBu

-10 dBV

PIN1 / SLEEVE

PIN 2 / TIP +

PIN 3 / RING

OUTPUTS INPUTS

®

A Harman International Company