DBX Full Line User Guide

INSTALL STUDIO TOUR

FULL LINE

HISTORY

It began more 35 years ago with the vision of a single man to create a better way to record audio and that vision has continued into a new millennium. The late David Blackmer, who is uni versally considered to be the father of modern Compression, had a quest to improve the dynamic range of analog recordings using decibel expansion. This quest produced the VCA and RMS detector which taken together have changed the sonic land scape and made possible so many of our current audio technologies. In 1971, Mr. Blackmer founded dbx® Professional Products which has collectively produced over 35 patents that continue to forge and reshape the landscape in the Live Sound, Stu dio Recording, and Installed Sound professional audio markets today. Our award-winning team of

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DRIVERACK® & IEM

DriveRack 4800

DriveRack 4820 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

DriveRack 480 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

DriveRack 481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

DriveRack 482 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

DriveRack 442 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

DriveRack 480R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

DriveRack 260 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

DriveRack 220i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

DriveRack Zone Controllers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

DriveRack PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

IEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ZonePRO

ZonePRO™ 640/641. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

ZonePRO™ 1260/1261. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

BLUE /PURPLE SERIES - QUANTUM II

786 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

704X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Quantum II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

160SL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

162SL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

™

designers and engineers have embraced Mr. Black mer’s passion for audio purity with a vengeance, and continue to design and build the precise and hyper-accurate tools necessary for today’s audio

production. We at dbx Professional Products ap ply the paradigm that while you can’t be everything to everyone, you can make the best tools for each individual application. From our rock-solid Analog products like the 10-Series EQs and Compressors,

to our cutting-edge Performance and Commercial Audio products the DriveRack and ZonePRO lines, we provide the tools to accommodate all of your audio needs. This brochure is designed to help you navigate through our many product solutions and

ﬁnd the one that meets your exact needs.

EQs

iEQ-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

iEQ-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2231 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2031 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

1215 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

1231 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

131 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

215 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

231 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

SILVER SERIES

386 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

376 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

DYNAMICS

1046 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

1066 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

1074 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

160A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

166XL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

266XL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CROSSOVERS

223 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

223XL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

234 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

234XL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

OTHER

AFS 224 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

120A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

286A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

PB-48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

PRODUCT SPECS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-30

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DriveRack® 480 481 482 442 480R

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Complete Equalization & Loudspeaker Management System

DriveRack® 4800 DriveRack® 4820

Complete Equalization & Loudspeaker Management System

Designed to provide incredible ﬂexibility, sonic excellence and

intuitive control for performance applications, the DriveRack

4800 is the new ﬂagship of the hugely successful DriveRack family.

From the powerful 96 kHz DSP engine and standard analog and

digital I/O, to the QVGA display and multiple control surfaces,

the 4800 provides all the processing, ﬂexibility and control neces

sary for both installation and live use. The menu-based Wizard

function enhances its capability by making the DriveRack 4800

easier to use providing a menu based setup procedure including

system conﬁguration, Auto-EQ, and an Advanced Feedback Sup

™

pression™ (AFS

FLEXIBILITY, SIMPLICITY AND SONIC PERFECTION

) Wizard.

The DriveRack 4800 is the next generation of the famous

DriveRack family, and like its predecessor it is engineered to

provide “Everything you need between the mixer and the power

amps”. In keeping with this philosophy the 4800 includes four in

puts and eight outputs with both analog and digital connectivity; a

CobraNet option rounds it out offering greater ﬂexibility for large

installations. The 96 kHz processing engine is capable of offering

insert processing functions to customize the processing path for

your application, in addition to the standard system processing

functions all with extremely low latency and extended frequency

response. From Signal Routing, EQ, and Bandpass Filters, to clas

Dynamics and Feedback Suppression all the processing

sic dbx

is available and with the sonic excellence that you would expect

from the world’s leading system processing manufacturer. With

all this processing power available, control is of paramount

importance. The DriveRack provides a full color dis

play to speed manual operation; this combined with

intuitive front panel controls, an easy to use GUI and

optional wall panel controllers means that whether

your application is tour sound or installation, the

DriveRack 4800 has what it takes.

At the heart of the DriveRack® 400 Series is the 480. The

480 includes 4 inputs and 8 outputs which can be tailored for any

conﬁguration. By including every form of processing necessary to

drive the signal from the mixer to the power amps, such as pre-

crossover EQ, notch ﬁlters, speaker delay, multiple crossovers,

speaker compensation equalizer, driver alignment delay, and com-

pression/limiting, the 480 is truly the only box you’ll need for

any sound system application. The 480 is fully programmable

from the front panel, with the 480R remote control, or through

a computer via the GUI port.

The 481 and 482 provide all the same functionality and fea-

tures of the 480 with a streamlined tamper-proof front panel.

They both incorporate 4 inputs and 8 outputs with Euroblock

connectors on the 481 and XLRs on the 482. The 442 is a 4 input

4 output version of the 482 designed speciﬁcally for monitor ap-

plications. All programming functions can be performed through

the 480, the 480R, or via the Windows GUI. Up to 99 480s, 481s,

482s and 442s can be used together in the same network making

the possibilities nearly unlimited.

The 480R is the master remote controller for the entire

DriveRack 400 Series. It is capable of controlling and program-

ming multiple 480, 481, 482, and 442s units. It features 31 ﬂying

faders which automatically recall the Graphic EQ settings of any

unit on the network. The 480R can simultaneously control mul-

tiple Drive Racks, allowing global EQ adjustments to be made

quickly. Thirty-two instant access buttons can be programmed to

immediately recall the parameter screens that you use the most.

The large custom display mirrors the display of the selected unit,

and the 480R also includes its own real time analyzer. The 480R

can be stationed up to 500 feet from the master 480 making it

the perfect choice for front of house or monitor mixing.

DriveRack® 260

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DriveRack® 220i

Complete Equalization & Loudspeaker Control System

The DriveRack® 260 was designed to provide state-of-the-

art signal processing, while maintaining a simple and intuitive con

trol interface. This goal has been realized. From the powerful DSP

modules to the multiple control surfaces, the 260 provides all the

processing and control necessary for both installation and live use.

Additionally, the Wizard function enables any user to quickly set

up and use the 260 to its full potential by streamlining the setup

process and providing a menu-based setup procedure that includes

system setup and conﬁguration, Auto-EQ, and Advanced Feedback

™

Suppression (AFS

The DriveRack 260 is based on the same unparalleled design

philosophy as the other products in the DriveRack family, namely,

to provide “Everything you need between the mixer and the pow

er amps.” In keeping with that philosophy, the 260 offers 2 inputs

and 6 outputs on XLR connectors. Each input channel provides a

choice of EQ, either a 9-band Parametric or a 28-band Graphic EQ.

Each input channel also boasts two selectable insert processors

with a selection of Notch Filtering, classic dbx

Gain Control, Sub-Harmonic Synthesis, or our own patent-pending

Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS

offers a conﬁgurable Delay with 2.7 seconds of total delay time.

The 260 provides full Bandpass and Crossover ﬁltering and routing

including Bessel, Butterworth and Linkwitz-Riley topologies. There

is parametric EQ available on each output as well as dbx PeakStop

Plus™ Limiting. The 260 provides a full-time RTA for live sound

applications, while contractors will appreciate its control inputs for

wall-panel logic and volume control.

) setup.

Compression, Auto

™

). The DriveRack 260 also

System Processor with Advanced Feedback Supression

Designed to provide all the necessary tools for installations,

ZC1

Programmable Volume Control

The Zone Controllers use analog DC voltages to provide

logic control ranging from Volume and Mute control to Contact

Closure Program selection and can be used with the DriveRack

260 and 220i. Wired with readily available and affordable CAT5

cable with universally accepted RJ-45 connectors, the ZC Zone

Controllers offer simple yet elegant solutions to the contractor.

ZC2

Programmable Volume & Mute

ZC3

Programmable Selection

ZC4

Program Selection

ZCBOB

“home-run” or parallel wiring

the DriveRack

plement of processing features and Mic/Line inputs, the DriveRack

220i can provide both system and microphone processing.

Processing in the 220i includes an input mixer and input

Graphic and Parametric EQ. Two insert positions on both inputs

provide a selection of processing functions including our new pat

ent-pending Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS

Auto Gain Control, De-Essing, Sub-Harmonic Synthesis, Ducking,

Gating, Compression, and Notch Filters. A Matrix Mixer allows

for both routing and mixing capabilities. Each output provides

Bandpass Filters, Parametric EQ, Delay, and a Dynamics insert pro

cessor with selections including Auto Gain Control, Compressor,

Noise Gate, and Limiter.

The DriveRack 220i is piloted from the intuitive DriveWare

GUI that offers both Conﬁguration and Control of the process

ing modules. Modules can be accessed, edited and saved as part

of programs. Processing modules can be set up as mono, or, un

like some processors, linked between the channels for true stereo

processing. Once a program or programs have been stored they

can be loaded from either the front panel or from wall mounted

Zone Controllers. Zone Controllers can also be used for output

muting or adjusting output volumes.

220i is truly a one stop solution. With a full com-

™

) algorithm,

DriveRack® PA

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Complete Equalization & Loudspeaker Control System

IEM

™

In Ear Monitor Processor

Drive your PA to a whole new level of performance with the DriveR-

ack® PA Complete Equalization & Loudspeaker Control System. The Driv-

eRack PA represents a complete integration of the key elements that help

ensure optimal loudspeaker system management in PA-speciﬁc applica-

tions. Capitalizing on the legendary 480 DriveRack technology, the DriveR-

ack PA is able to provide its user with top-tier, pro-level loudspeaker man-

agement speciﬁcations, yet still remain appealing to the budget-conscious

audiophile who requires a tried and true utilitarian workhorse. With its

all-inclusive, no-compromise design, the DriveRack PA has been system-

atically developed and designed to grow with your system needs for years

to come by providing state-of-the-art signal processing, while utilizing a

simple and intuitive user interface. Purpose and vision have been achieved

by offering two independent channels of processing power with a linkable

28-Band Graphic equalizer, industry-standard dbx stereo compressor

module, feedback eliminator and the 120A Subharmonic Synthesizer on

the input, with a six channel output system that includes parametric EQs,

and Peak Plus™ limiters (which are used to provide protection against

speaker blowouts) and alignment delay. These features, combined with the

Wizard setup system, also include JBL® speaker tunings and Crown®

Power Amp settings and represents a methodical design that is

guaranteed to deliver optimal, all-inclusive processing in a completely

scalable system.

The optional RTA-M real time audio an-

alyzing mic is the perfect accessory tool for

the DriveRack PA and 260. Used in conjunc-

tion with the System Setup Wizard, the RTA-

M is ideal for optimizing the sound quality of

even the most difﬁcult of acoustic environ-

ments.

HEAR NO EVIL.

The IEM™ In-Ear Monitor Processor is the ideal tool for ﬁne-tuning

mix monitoring for in-ear monitoring devices. Not only does the IEM pro-

vide the legendary dbx effects in the digital domain, such as 4-band stereo

compression, PeakStop™ limiting and 5-band parametric EQ, but the IEM

also includes stereo adjust, dbx proprietary Type IV™ conversion system,

and for good measure, we have even raised the playing ﬁeld by including

custom reverb algorithms using industry-standard Lexicon® reverb tech-

nology. The IEM was designed with the simple purpose and vision of en-

hancing the sonic quality of all in-ear monitor applications, while providing

the necessary audio level protection that artists and engineers require. The

design team at dbx has achieved this vision by building a unit that offers ef-

fects including: 4-band stereo compressor with gating and limiting, 5-Band

Parametric EQ, PeakStop™ limiting, and Stereo adjust. Additionally, the IEM

has been methodically designed with an intuitive user front panel which

provides instant access to all of the effects within the unit at the push of a

button. The IEM also provides the user with a large custom display which

clearly shows all operational information of the unit in a logical manner.

The IEM is a unit that is certain to take In-Ear Monitor processing to the

next level.

THE CURE FOR THE COMMON PA.

ZonePRO™ 640/641

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Digital Zone Processors

ZonePRO™ 1260/1261

Digital Zone Processors

™

ZonePRO

The dbx® ZonePRO™ 640 and 641 products were designed to provide ﬂexible pro-

grammable zone processing for Background Music and Paging applications.

With six inputs and four outputs the ZonePRO products are incredibly ﬂexible, al-

lowing any input to be a primary or priority override source, and two inputs designated

as paging sources. Outputs are also highly conﬁgurable with combinations including mono

and stereo zones, and zones with subwoofers.

Besides routing, the 640 and 641 provide every tool required for maximizing system

performance: from paging microphone functions like Gating and Feedback Suppression,

to system processing such as EQ, Crossovers, Dynamics, and Delay. With these powerful

DSP processes comes a Wizard functions that speeds conﬁguration and system setup.

The ZonePRO products offer full control from the computer-controlled GUI. Pro-

grammable end-user control is available from the front panel of the 640 and the ZC series

wall panels.

From signal routing to control to processing, the ZonePRO 640 and 641 are com-

plete Background Music and Paging solutions.

COMPLETE

SOLUTION

™

ZonePRO

With 12 inputs and 6 outputs and Ethernet control, the dbx ZonePro™

1260 and 1261 provide broader matrixing of inputs and outputs for even larger

applications. Designed to offer superior sonic performance and ﬂexibility, the

1260/1261 deliver the highest quality tools available. The ZonePro products of-

fer industry standard Phoenix connectors for balanced signals and RCA connec-

tors for interfacing with consumer equipment often used in commercial applica-

tions; there is also a simple analog input buss that allows inputs to be sent from

one unit to the next for unit and job scalability.

The 1260 and 1261 provide every necessary processing tool, from the in-

put processing like gain control and EQ available on all inputs to highly sophis-

ticated and speciﬁc functions such as selectable paging microphone processing

including Gating, De-Essing, Auto Gain Control, Compression and Feedback

Suppression. The heart of the ZonePro products is the Routing module that

provides of course Primary Source Selection but also Source Ducking for Paging

and Priority Override. The outputs also offer a wealth of processing designed

for commercial applications like our patent-pending AutoWarmth® function that

was co-developed with JBL to provide natural low frequency extension at any

signal level. Each output also offers EQ, Bandpass and Crossover ﬁlters, Limiting

and Delay for system optimization. With the ZonePro™ every tool is at your

disposal to maximize the response of your system.

ZC1

Programmable Volume Control

ZCBOB

“home-run” or parallel wiring

ZC9

Source Selection

ZC2

Programmable Volume & Mute

ZC6

Programmable Volume Control

ZCFIRE

Fire Safety Interface

ZC3

Programmable Selection

ZC7

Programmable Push-To-Talk Page Assignment

ZC4

Program Selection

ZC8

Programmable Volume and Source Select

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