Series, 160s, 160sl – dbx 160SL User Manual
Page 12: Operations, Technical, Manual, Connection, Connection installation installation, Introduction, Controls

8
160S
lue
series
b
160S
160S
160S
controls
controls
160S
notes
notes
160S
160S
160S
Operations
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
Operations
Inspection
Inspection
Operating
Operating
Operating
Operating
Connection
Connection
Installation
Installation
Technical
Technical
Introduction
Introduction
to your system
to your system
considerations
considerations
contents
contents
concept
concept
diagram
diagram
applications
applications
support and factory service
support and factory service
160S
Specifications
Specifications
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
160S
Manual
Manual
Design
Design
Block
Block
Controls
Controls
Advanced
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STEREO
COUPLE
POWER
®
160S
COMPRESSOR
LIMITER
SIDECHAIN
1.5k
4k
400
70
10
dB / Sec
RELEASE
200
400
80
10
1
dB / mSec
ATTACK
BYPASS
PEAK
PeakStopPlus
+10
+6
+4
+20
+25
OFF
dBu
STOP LEVEL
6:1
5:1
15:1
2:1
1.5:1
1:1
4:1
3:1
COMPRESSION
-20
0
+10
+20
dB
-10
OUTPUT GAIN
-40
+30
-10
0
dBu
THRESHOLD
+20
-20
+10
SIDECHAIN
1.5k
4k
400
70
10
dB / Sec
RELEASE
200
400
80
10
1
dB / mSec
ATTACK
BYPASS
PEAK
PeakStopPlus
+10
+6
+4
+20
+25
OFF
dBu
STOP LEVEL
6:1
5:1
15:1
2:1
1.5:1
1:1
4:1
3:1
COMPRESSION
-20
0
+10
+20
dB
-10
OUTPUT GAIN
-40
+30
-10
0
dBu
THRESHOLD
+20
-20
+10
DECIBELS
20 10
7 5 3
-15
-20
-10
-25
-5
-30
0
0
3
+
-
®
DECIBELS
20 10
7 5 3
-15
-20
-10
-25
-5
-30
0
0
3
+
-
®
METER SELECTION
INPUT
G.R.
OUTPUT
METER SELECTION
INPUT
G.R.
OUTPUT
Front Panel Controls
Ove rEasy
®
Switch
:
This switch activates/deactivates the OverEasy
®
characteristics of the 160SL. When the
switch is IN, the 160SL is in OverEasy mode. OverEasy is a process which allows the user to compress
a signal more gently than a hard knee compressor through the threshold region. This action produces a
much smoother “natural-sounding” compression effect. When the OverEasy switch is OUT, the regular,
hard knee action of the compressor is active. Hard knee operation can produce a much harder (hence
the nick-name “hard knee”) compression effect as the signal passes over the threshold level. Note that
when the OverEasy switch is IN, the yellow LED above the Threshold control lights whenever the
input signal level is in the OverEasy region of compression. In hard knee mode the signal is either below
the threshold and not being compressed, or it is above the threshold and is being compressed, and
therefore the yellow LED does not light. See the section entitled Operating Notes later in this manual
for a more in-depth discussion of the differences between OverEasy and hard knee compression.
Thr eshold Control
: This control adjusts the signal amplitude (volume, or level) above which compression
occurs. In OverEasy mode the threshold of compression is defined as the approximate middle of the
OverEasy region. The markings around the Threshold control are measured in dBu (where 0dBu =
.775V) and range from -40dBu (7.8mV rms) on the low end, to +30dBu (24.5V rms) at the high end of
the scale.
Thr eshold LEDs
: These LEDs (above the Threshold control) indicate the relationship between the input
signal and the threshold set by the Threshold control. The green LED lights when the input signal is
below the set threshold. The yellow LED lights when the 160SL is set in OverEasy mode via the OverEasy
switch, and the input signal level is
in the OverEasy threshold range. The red LED lights when the input
signal level is
above the set threshold. (See the section entitled Operating Notes for a discussion on the
differences between OverEasy
®
and hard knee compression.)
Com pression Control
: This control adjusts the amount of compression that is applied to the input signal
level when it exceeds the set threshold level. The amount of compression is expressed in a ratio
formula, where the first number of the ratio indicates the amount of input signal level in dB, and the
second number indicates the amount of output signal level, in dB, when the threshold is exceeded.
For example, in hard knee mode, the compression ratio of 5:1 means that for every 5dB of signal level
that exceeds the set threshold level, the resultant output signal level is 1dB. Therefore if the threshold
level is exceeded by 15dB, and the compression ratio is set to a 5:1 ratio, the output signal level will
be 3dB. In OverEasy mode, the ratio set by the Compression control is not reached until the signal
has pased through the OverEasy region of compression (the yellow LED turns off and the red LED
lights). When the ratio of ∞:1 is selected, the input signal level is “limited” to a 0dB increase in output
level, regardless of how far the set threshold level is exceeded. This occurs in both OverEasy
®
and hard
160SL
lue
series
b
160SL
160SL
160SL
controls
controls
160SL
notes
notes
160SL
160SL
160SL
Operations
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
Operations
Inspection
Inspection
Operating
Operating
Operating
Operating
Connection
Connection
Installation
Installation
Technical
Technical
Introduction
Introduction
to your system
to your system
considerations
considerations
contents
contents
concept
concept
diagram
diagram
applications
applications
support and factory service
support and factory service
160SL
Specifications
Specifications
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
160SL
Manual
Manual
Design
Design
Block
Block
Controls
Controls
Advanced
Advanced
Warranty
Warranty
lue
series
b