
560A
500 SERIES COMPRESSOR/LIMITER
OWNER’S MANUAL

560A
Warranty
1. Please register your product online at www.dbxpro.com. Proof-of-purchase is considered to be the responsibility of the
consumer. A copy of the original purchase receipt must be provided for any warranty service.
2. dbx warrants this product, when purchased new from an authorized U.S. dbx dealer and used solely within the U.S., to be
free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service. This warranty is valid to the original purchaser
only and is non-transferable.
3. dbx liability under this warranty is limited to repairing or, at our discretion, replacing defective materials that show evidence
of defect, provided the product is returned to dbx WITH RETURN AUTHORIZATION from the factory, where all parts and labor
will be covered up to a period of two years. A Return Authorization Number must first be obtained from dbx. The company shall
not be liable for any consequential damage as a result of the product’s use in any circuit or assembly.
4. dbx reserves the right to make changes in design or make additions to or improvements upon this product without incurring
any obligation to install the same additions or improvements on products previously manufactured.
5. The foregoing is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, and dbx neither assumes nor authorizes any person to
assume on its behalf any obligation or liability in connection with the sale of this product. In no event shall dbx or its dealers be
liable for special or consequential damages or from any delay in the performance of this warranty due to causes beyond their
control.
Technical Support & Service
If you require technical support, contact dbx Technical Support. Be prepared to accurately describe the problem. Know the
serial number of your device – this is printed on a sticker attached to the chassis.
Before you return a product to the factory for service, we recommend you refer to this manual. Make sure you have correctly
followed installation steps and operating procedures. For further technical assistance or service, please contact our Technical
Support Department at (801) 566-8800 or visit www.dbxpro.com. If you need to return a product to the factory for service, you
MUST first contact our Technical Support Department to obtain a Return Authorization Number.
NO RETURNED PRODUCTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT THE FACTORY WITHOUT A RETURN AUTHORIZATION NUMBER.
Please refer to the Warranty information, which extends to the first end-user. After expiration of the warranty, a reasonable
charge will be made for parts, labor, and packing if you choose to use the factory service facility. In all cases, you are
responsible for transportation charges to the factory. If the product is still under warranty, dbx will pay the return shipping.
Use the original packing material if it is available. Mark the package with the name of the shipper and with these words in red:
DELICATE INSTRUMENT, FRAGILE! Insure the package properly. Ship prepaid, not collect. Do not ship parcel post.

560A
Table of Contents
Overview ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
Features ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
Installation ����������������������������������������������������������������������������3
The User Interface ��������������������������������������������������������������� 4
Technical Information ��������������������������������������������������������� 6
Compression Graphs ������������������������������������������������������������������6
Specifications ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������7
Recall Sheet �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������8
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560A
Overview
Introduction
The 560A is a 500 series compliant compressor/limiter. It’s design is based on the popular dbx 160A compressor/limiter. It is
a VCA design which incorporates true RMS level detection for very musical compression characteristics. The 560A functions
as a hard-knee compressor/limiter when the OverEasy® switch is disengaged – this works great when a more aggressively
compressed signal is required. When the OverEasy switch is engaged, the processor functions as a soft-knee compressor/
limiter – use this mode when more subtle compression or limiting is required.
The 560A is well suited for live sound or studio use and can be used to add punch to drums, add sustain to bass and guitar
lines, control vocal level fluctuations, or control any other mono source which has excessive dynamic range or peaks. When
recording, the 560A can be used to effectively control peaks during the tracking stage or for compressing/limiting signals
during the mixing stage.
Precision metering makes it easy to see input and output levels, as well as the exact amount of gain reduction being applied.
Combined with the simplistic controls and very musical program-dependent attack and release times, the 560A is very quick
and easy to dial in with great results.
We hope the 560A serves as an indespensible creative tool for your sound processing and music production needs. Thank you
for choosing dbx.
Features
• Compatible with 500 series chassis
• Hardwire Bypass
• True RMS level detection for very musical compression
• OverEasy® or classic hard knee compression with dbx’s ultra-musical program-dependent attack and release times
• Compression ratio variable from 1:1 through infinity:1 to -1:1
• Output gain control and bypass button for easy comparison of processed vs. unprocessed signal
• Precise RMS gain reduction and input/output meter displays
• Exclusive Infinity+ compression using negative ratios
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