dbx PX Quickstart Guide

®

PX

Quick Start Guide

An illustrated guide to setting up your DriveRack® PX

This Quick Start Guide will walk you through your ﬁrst and subsequent setups, step by step. To keep things simple, we’ll use a common powered speaker setup: two mains and two subwoofers, shown below. (For diagrams of additional setups, refer to your User’s Manual.) If you’re not using subwoofers, just disregard instructions that refer to subwoofers. For this example, we’ll use JBL PRX515’s and JBL PRX518’s, but you can use almost any powered speakers and powered subwoofers with the DriveRack PX. When using speakers not listed in the DriveRack PX, you should select ‘Custom’ for these components.

If you’re using the DriveRack PX for the ﬁrst time, begin on page 3.

If you’ve already set up and saved a preset for your powered speakers, and just want to optimize your powered speakers for a new room or venue, begin on page 14.

Mixer

4 6

2

8

0

10

Aux 1

4 6

2

8

0

10

0

10

Aux 2

-10+1

-2

+2

-2

+2

-3

+3

-3

-4

+4

-4

+4

-5

+5

-5

+5

Pan

Mute

L / R

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

1 2 3 4

2

8

0

10

Aux 1

4 6

2

8

2

8

0

10

0

10

Aux 2

-10+1

-2

+2

-2

+2

+3

-3

+3

-3

+3

-4

+4

-4

+4

-5

+5

-5

+5

Pan

Mute

L / R

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

2

0

Aux 1

4 6

2

0

Aux 2

-10+1

-2

-3

-4

-5

Pan

Mute

L / R

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

5

8

0

10

Aux 1

4 6

2

8

2

8

2

8

0

10

0

10

0

10

Aux 2

-10+1

+2

-2

+2

-2

+2

-2

+2

+3

-3

+3

-3

+3

-3

+3

+4

-4

+4

-4

+4

-4

+4

+5

-5

+5

-5

+5

-5

+5

Pan

Mute

L / R

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

6

R

PX

JBL PRX515

UL 60065 IEC 60065 120V - 60Hz

Left/Mono

Sub

SUB OUTPUTS

Right

Sub

Manufactured under the following U.S. Patents: 3,789,143; 4,182,993; 6,195,029; 7,203,324.

Left

Main

Left/Mono

Input

Right

Main

Right Input

GND

JBL PRX515

JBL PRX518

2

First-time Setup - Creating a New Preset

1. Remove the DriveRack PX from its box.

Rack mount the DriveRack PX and connnect the power cord.

SUB OUTPUTS

R

PX

UL 60065 IEC 60065 120V - 60Hz

Manufactured under the following U.S. Patents: 3,789,143; 4,182,993; 6,195,029; 7,203,324.

Attach power cord here.

2. Connect the mixer left and right outputs to the DriveRack PX Left/Mono and Right Inputs.

Mixer

4 6

2

8

2

8

2

8

10

0

Aux 1

4 6

2

8

2

8

2

8

0

10

0

10

0

10

Aux 2

-10+1

-2

+2

-2

+2

-2

+2

-3

+3

-3

+3

-3

+3

-4

+4

-4

+4

-4

+4

-5

+5

-5

+5

-5

+5

Pan

Mute

L / R

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

1 2 3 4

GND

4 6

0

4 6

0

-10+1

-2

-3

-4

-5

Mute

L / R

2

8

2

8

2

8

2

8

10

Aux 1

2

8

10

Aux 2

+2

+3

-3

+4

-4

+5

Pan

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

10

0

Aux 1

4 6

2

8

2

8

2

8

0

10

0

10

0

10

0

10

Aux 2

-10+1

-2

+2

-2

+2

-2

+2

-2

+2

+3

-3

+3

-3

+3

-3

+3

+4

-4

+4

-4

+4

-4

+4

-5

+5

-5

+5

-5

+5

-5

+5

Pan

Mute

L / R

+10

+5

0

-5

-10

-20

-30

-

5

6

R

PX

UL 60065 IEC 60065 120V - 60Hz

3. Make sure your powered speakers and

subwoofers are turned off.

Connect the Left and Right “OUTPUTS” to the left and right main powered speakers.

Connect the Left/Mono and Right “SUB OUTPUTS” to the left and right subwoofers.

SUB OUTPUTS

Manufactured under the following U.S. Patents: 3,789,143; 4,182,993; 6,195,029; 7,203,324.

R

PX

JBL PRX515

UL 60065 IEC 60065 120V - 60Hz

Left/Mono

Sub

SUB OUTPUTS

Right

Sub

Manufactured under the following U.S. Patents: 3,789,143; 4,182,993; 6,195,029; 7,203,324.

Main

Left/Mono

Input

Left

Right Main

Right Input

GND

JBL PRX515

JBL PRX518

3

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

4. Turn the mixer master faders down. Turn on the mixer.

Make sure the controls on your powered speakers are set the same on both speakers. For example, if you’re using subs, and they have a polarity setting, make sure they’re both set to the same polarity. Also, if your powered speakers have a Mic/Line setting, make sure they’re both set to Line, and if they have their own EQ settings, disable the EQ settings on the powered speakers. Turn the level control knobs on your powered speakers all the way down. Turn on your powered speakers and subwoofers now.

5. Now let’s create a preset to match your powered speakers. This preset is based on JBL PRX515’s and

JBL PRX518’s for illustration purposes.

Press and hold the SETUP button until “System Setup WIZARD” appears in the display.

6.

S

A

L

E

U

F

Q

1

R

B

USER

S

StOutwStSub

PREV PG

C

P L

R

L

SUB

R

L

OUT

P

L

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

Press the NEXT PG button.

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

System Setup WIZARD

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

7.

4

A. For this example, turn the Data Wheel to select STEREO.

B. Press the NEXT PG button.

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

8.

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

A. Turn the Data Wheel to select your main speakers (for our example, select PRX515).

B. Press the NEXT PG button.

9.

Main Speakers

JBL PRX500

PRX515

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

A. Turn the Data Wheel to select your subwoofer speakers (for our example,

B. Press the NEXT PG button.

select PRX518S STEREO).

PREV PG

Sub Speakers

Sub(s)

JBL PRX500

PRX518S STEREO

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

10.

A. Set the level knobs on your main speakers to match the position shown on the display.

Main Speaker Levels

Adjust speaker levels as shown > 36% Level

(Note that you also have the option to turn the Data Wheel to adjust the level shown on the display to match a preferred setting on your speakers.)

B. Press the NEXT PG button.

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

5

11.

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

A. Set the level knobs on your subwoofer speakers to match the position shown on the display.

B. Press the NEXT PG button.

12.

Sub Speaker Levels

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

SETUP

EQ

Adjust speaker levels as shown > 21% Level

PRESET

RECALL

STORE

UTILITY

AFS

WIZARD

(Note that you also have the option to turn the Data Wheel to adjust the level shown on the display to match a preferred setting on your speakers.)

Press the Data Wheel to load the preset you just created.

Load New Preset

Press Select to Load

> New Preset

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

13.

6

A. Connect the included dbx M2 RTA mic to the RTA MIC INPUT using an XLR cable at least 25’ long.

Auto Level

Connect mic to RTA input. Press RTA input button.

(Important Note! This feature requires that signal be present from both main outputs of the processor! If you are not using

B. Press the RTA INPUT button.

both of these outputs or you do not want to use this feature, you can skip this step by pressing the PRESET button. You can still Auto EQ the system by following the prompts in the display. If there are no prompts in the display, press and hold the EQ button for 5 seconds. Proceed to step 19.)

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

14. With the RTA mic connected, place the RTA

mic on a mic stand and aim it between the left and right main speakers approximately 25’ away.

15. Turn the Data Wheel until pink noise is playing through your speakers at performance level (the same

volume you intend to use during your performance). The words “SET TO PERFORMANCE LEVEL” will appear in the display when you have passed the minimum threshold. Set level higher as needed.

B. Press the NEXT PG button when your performance

A. Turn the Data Wheel to adjust pink noise level.

level is reached.

Auto Level

0 dB to 6 dB typical.

When performance level is reached, press the NEXT PG button. The DriveRack PX will now adjust the balance between left/right levels for your main speakers (and your subs, if you have them). Note that you may be prompted to readjust your speaker knob settings if needed.

16. When the display reads “Auto Level Complete,” release the RTA INPUT button.

Auto Level Complete

Release RTA INPUT button to exit.

Press the RTA INPUT button to release.

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

SETUP

EQ

AFS

WIZARD

7

17.

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Inputs

0

6

12

24

36

SIG

Headroom dB

Press the NEXT PG button.

PRX515 wSub Loaded

and levels balanced. <NEXT PG>-Auto EQ <PRESET)-Exit Wizard

18. Now the Auto-EQ wizard will begin.

DriveRack PX

Auto EQ WIZARD

<NEXT PG> to advance

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

WIZARD

Press the NEXT PG button.

PREV PG

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

WIZARD

SETUP

EQ

AFS

SETUP

EQ

AFS

19. With the RTA microphone still connected and in the same position as in step 14, press the RTA INPUT

button.

PREV PG

Auto EQ

Connect mic to RTA input. Press RTA input button.

SUBHARMONIC

PRESET

RECALL

Press the RTA INPUT button.

8

NEXT PG

COMP/LIMITER

STORE

UTILITY

SETUP

AFS

WIZARD

EQ