Harman 266xs User Manual

Dual Compressor/Gate

Professional Audio Equipment

User Manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

The symbols shown above are internationally accepted symbols that warn of
potential hazards with electrical products. The lightning flash with arrowpoint in
an equilateral triangle means that there are dangerous voltages present within
the unit. The exclamation point in an equilateral triangle indicates that it is
necessary for the user to refer to the owner’s manual.

These symbols warn that there are no user serviceable parts inside the unit.
Do not open the unit. Do not attempt to service the unit yourself. Refer all
servicing to qualified personnel. Opening the chassis for any reason will void
the manufacturer’s warranty. Do not get the unit wet. If liquid is spilled on the
unit, shut it off immediately and take it to a dealer for service. Disconnect the
unit during storms to prevent damage.

Safety InStructIonS

NOTICE FOR CUSTOMERS IF YOUR UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH A POWER CORD.

WARNING: THIS APPLIANCE SHALL BE CONNECTED TO A MAINS SOCKET OUTLET WITH A
PROTECTIVE EARTHING CONNECTION.

The cores in the mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:

WARNING FOR YOUR PROTECTION

READ THE FOLLOWING:

KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS

HEED ALL WARNINGS

FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS

THE APPARATUS SHALL NOT BE EXPOSED TO DRIPPING OR SPLASHING
LIQUID AND NO OBJECT FILLED WITHI LIQUID, SUCH AS VASES, SHALL
BE PLACED ON THE APPARATUS.

CLEAN ONLY WITH A DRY CLOTH.

DO NOT BLOCK ANY OF THE VENTILATION OPENINGS. INSTALL IN AC­CORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS.

DO NOT INSTALL NEAR ANY HEAT SOURCES SUCH AS RADIATORS,
HEAT REGISTERS, STOVES, OR OTHER APPARATUS (INCLUDING AMPLI­FIERS) THAT PRODUCE HEAT.

ONLY USE ATTACHMENTS/ACCESSORIES SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFAC­TURER.

UNPLUG THIS APPARATUS DURING LIGHTNING STORMS OR WHEN
UNUSED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A
polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding
type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or third
prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit your out­let, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

Use only with the cart stand, tripod bracket, or table specified by the manufac­ture, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving
the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

GREEN and YELLOW - Earth BLUE - Neutral BROWN - Live

As colours of the cores in the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the coloured
markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:

•

The core which is coloured green and yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug

marked with the letter E, or with the earth symbol, or coloured green, or green and yellow.

•

The core which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal marked N or coloured

black.

•

The core which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal marked L or coloured

red.

This equipment may require the use of a different line cord, attachment plug, or both, depending
on the available power source at installation. If the attachment plug needs to be changed, refer
servicing to qualified service personnel who should refer to the table below. The green/yellow
wire shall be connected directly to the units chassis.

CONDUCTOR

L LIVE BROWN BLACK

N NEUTRAL BLUE WHITE

E EARTH GND

WIRE COLOR

Normal Alt

GREEN/

YEL

GREEN

WARNING: If the ground is defeated, certain fault conditions in the unit or in the system to
which it is connected can result in full line voltage between chassis and earth ground. Severe
injury or death can then result if the chassis and earth ground are touched simultaneously.

Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when
the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug
is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or
has been dropped.

POWER ON/OFF SWITCH: If the equipment has a Power switch, the Power
switch used in this piece of equipment DOES NOT break the connection from
the mains.

MAINS DISCONNECT: The plug shall remain readily operable. For rack­mount or installation where plug is not accessible, an all-pole mains switch with
a contact separation of at least 3 mm in each pole shall be incorporated into
the electrical installation of the rack or building.

FOR UNITS EQUIPPED WITH EXTERNALLY ACCESSIBLE FUSE RECEP­TACLE: Replace fuse with same type and rating only.

MULTIPLE-INPUT VOLTAGE: This equipment may require the use of a different
line cord, attachment plug, or both, depending on the available power source at
installation. Connect this equipment only to the power source indicated on the
equipment rear panel. To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, refer servic­ing to qualified service personnel or equivalent.

If connected to 240V supply, a suitable CSA/UL certified power cord shall be
used for this supply.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

eLectroMaGnetIc

coMPatIBILIty

This unit conforms to the Product Specifications noted on the
Declaration of Conformity. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:

• this device may not cause harmful interference, and

• this device must accept any interference received, including

interference that may cause undesired operation.

Operation of this unit within significant
electromagnetic fields should be avoided.

• use only shielded interconnecting cables.

u.K. MaInS PLuG WarnInG

A molded mains plug that has been cut off from the cord is unsafe.
Discard the mains plug at a suitable disposal facility.

NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU
INSERT A DAMAGED OR CUT MAINS PLUG INTO A 13
AMP POWER SOCKET.

Do not use the mains plug without the fuse cover in place.
Replacement fuse covers can be obtained from your local retailer.
Replacement fuses are 13 amps and MUST be ASTA approved to
BS1362.

DecLaratIon of

conforMIty

Manufacturer’s Name: dbx Professional Products
Manufacturer’s Address: 8760 S. Sandy Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070, USA

declares that the product:
Product name: dbx 266xs

Note: Product name may be suffixed by the EU.
Product option: None
conforms to the following Product Specifications:
Safety: IEC 60065 -01+Amd 1

EMC: EN 55022:2006 (N/A; Analog Product)
IEC61000-4-2
IEC61000-4-3
IEC61000-4-4
IEC61000-4-5
IEC61000-4-6
IEC61000-4-8
IEC61000-4-11

Supplementary Information:
The product herewith complies with the requirements of the:

Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC
EMC Directive 2004/108/EC.
RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC
WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC

With regard to Directive 2005/32/EC and EC Regulation
1275/2008 of 17 December 2008, this product is designed,
produced, and classified as Professional Audio Equipment and
thus is exempt from this Directive.

Roger Johnsen
Vice President of Engineering
8760 S. Sandy Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070, USA
Date: November 1, 2010

If you want to dispose this product, do not mix it with general household waste. There is a
separate collection system for used electronic products in accordance with legislatio n that
requires proper treatment, recovery and recycling.

Private household in the 25 member states of the EU, in Switzerland and Norway may return their used
electronic products free of charge to designated collection facilities or to a retailer (if you purchase a similar
new one).

For Countries not mentioned above, please contact your local authorities for a correct method of disposal.

By doing so you will ensure that your disposed product undergoes the necessary treatment, recovery and
recycling and thus prevent potential negative effects on the environment and human health.

European Contact: Your local dbx Sales and Service Office or
Harman Music Group

8760 South Sandy Parkway
Sandy, Utah 84070, USA
Ph: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Table of Contents

Section 1- Introduction .......................... 1

1.1 Commom Compressor Applications .... 1

1.2 Common Gating Applications ........... 1

1.3 Service Contact Info ....................... 2

1.4 Warranty ....................................... 3

Section 2- Getting Started ...................... 4

2.1 Rear Panel Connections .................. 4

2.2 Front Panel Connections ................. 5

Section 3 - Making Connections .............. 8

Section 4 - Technical Support and Facts .... 9

4.1 Technical Support .......................... 9

4.2 Registration Card and User Feedback ... 9

Section A - Appendix ............................... 10

A.1 Technical Specifications .................. 10

A.2 Block Diagram ............................... 11

dbx 266xs

dbx 266xs

Introduction

Section 1 - Introduction

Congratulations on choosing the dbx 266xs Compressor/Gate. The 266xs provides traditional
dbx sonic quality and performance for the working musician, DJ, studio operator or anyone who
needs a friendly compressor/gate to achieve quality compression, gating and downward
expansion quickly and easily. We recommend that you take a moment and read through the
manual as it provides information that will assist you in using your unit to its fullest potential.

1.1 Common Compressor Applications

• Fattening a Kick Drum or Snare Drum

• Adding Sustain to Guitar or Synthesizer String Sounds

• Smoothing Out a Vocal Performance

• Raising a Signal Out of a Mix

• Preventing Sound System Overload

• Digital to Analog Transfers

The 266xs compressor is packed with just the right features to effectively reduce and control
the dynamic range of your audio, add punch to flabby, loose sounds, or add sustain to
instruments. The 266xs begins with the classic dbx compression made famous by our 160 line
of compressors. Just set the 266xs Attack and Release controls to 12:00 to get the same
response as those units. But there’s more. We scaled the program-dependent Attack and
Release controls with dbx’s AutoDynamic™ circuitry, so that the 266xs full range of controls
produce voicings that extend from slow leveling to aggressive peak limiting.

Section 1

1.2 Common Gating Applications

• Gating Dry Percussive Sounds (e.g., Snare Drum, Kick Drum)

• Gating Sounds That Have Longer Decay (e.g., Cymbal, Piano)

• Gating Hum or Buzz From Live Instruments or Recorded Tracks

• Downward Expansion to Reduce Noise Under Smooth Sounds (e.g., Vocals, Woodwinds)

The 266xs gate is ready to tackle all your gating needs, whether you need to remove
unwanted noise or other background sounds, tighten drum sounds, or change the
characteristic envelope of an instrument. The 266xs gate provides more flexibility than
traditional switch gates because it actually functions as a combination gate/expander. Where

switch gates are generally only suitable for a limited number of uses (e.g., gating percussion),
the gate on the 266xs acts as a gentle downward expander at low Ratio settings (suitable for
vocals, guitar, mixed program, etc.), and can effectively work as a switch gate when used at

high Ratio settings.

Refer to the following pages for suggested initial settings. These settings should suffice for

traditional compressing and gating requirements. However, the 266xs can accomplish many

more changes to sound quality. We recommend that you experiment with the 266xs controls;
take our suggested settings and run with them, try totally different settings, and try
unorthodox combinations of compressor and gating controls. You might be surprised at what
you hear. Best of all, you may create the perfect sound quality for your needs.

1