Harman 160A manual

MODEL 160A COMPRESSOR LIMITER[...]

W ARNING FOR Y OUR PR O TECTION READ THE FOLLO WING: KEEP THESE INSTR UCTIONS HEED ALL W ARNINGS FOLLO W ALL INSTRUCTIONS THE APP ARA TUS SHALL NO T BE EXPOSED T O DRIPPING OR SPLASHING LIQUID AND NO OBJECT FILLED WITHI LIQUID , SUCH AS V ASES, SHALL BE PLA CED ON THE APP ARA TUS. CLEAN ONL Y WITH A DR Y CLO TH. DO NO T BLOCK ANY OF THE VENTILA TIO[...]

eLectroMaGnetIc coMP a tIBILIty 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 inter ference, and • this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operatio[...]

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dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER M anual C ontents Q uiCk s et -u p ............................................ 2 i nspeCtion .............................................. 2 i ntroduCtion ............................................ 2 a ppliCa tions ............................................ 3 O pera ting C ontrols ................................[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER QUICK SETUP To get your unit up and running as quickly as possible, do the following steps. For more detailed information, refer to the specified pages. • Unpack and Inspect the 160A Package. • Set Levels and Controls as Needed. • Connect the 160A to Your System. INSPECTION Verify that the 160A package contains t[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER APPLICATIONS The dbx 160A is capable of handling a wide range of applications. In the studio, the 160A can be used on everything from vocals to percussion. In live sound reinforcement, the 160A can allow the engineer to get that “fat studio sound” out of the drum kit or provide protection limiting for the speakers.[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER OUTPUT GAIN Contr ol: Adjust this control to vary the amount of fixed gain (up to +20dB) in the 160A's output amplifier stage. The OUTPUT GAIN control does not interact with the threshold of compression. DISPLA Y Button and LED: Depress this button to make the upper LED array display the INPUT LEVEL to the 160A. W[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER +24dBu. This jack accepts 1/4” phone plugs. In normal operation the TRS phone jack is internally wired with the TIP HOT (+), and the RING and SLEEVE connected to ground. In Bypass mode, however, the RING is connected to the COLD (-) leads of the input jacks, to allow for balanced connections. GROUND (GND) Lift Switch[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER 160A by 1dB. See Figure 3 above. The control curve of the RATIO potentiometer has been designed to provide total oper- ator control, with scale expansion at the subtle lower ratios for easy, repeatable settings. METER CALIBRA TION Control: The INPUT/OUTPUT LEVEL display in the 160A is factory-calibrated to indicate “[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER Negative ratios can also be used to prevent musicians from continually increasing the volume of their instrument (e.g., in live applications where there is no sound engineer to control the house levels). With their signal compressed by a neg- ative COMPRESSION RATIO, each volume increase initiated at the instrument or [...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER As a general rule, compressors should be as close to the amplifiers as possible in the signal chain. If the 160A is placed before the EQ (equalizer), for example, a potentially damaging boost in the EQ won't be seen by the 160A and the speakers may be damaged. (see Multi-way speaker systems, page 9.) For maximum s[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER The converse of the above EQ technique may be used: dipping the equalizer bands causes any sound with dominant energy in the affected register to pull the level up because the 160A will detect a need for less compression. De-Essing To apply de-essing to vocals (i.e., a reduction of sibilance), use a parametric equalize[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER CONNECTING THE 160A TO YOUR SYSTEM Basic Connection The 160A has balanced inputs and outputs, and can be used with any line-level device. Some common examples include: mixing consoles, musical instruments, patch bays and other signal processors. For more specific cabling information, refer to Installation Consideration[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER Using External Level Detector Inputs To control the compressor by signals other than the audio input (via an auxiliary device), connect the auxiliary device's output to the 160A's DETECTOR INPUT jack, and feed the auxiliary device's input with the same signal fed to the 160A's INPUT (Figures 4 and 5[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER Note: DO NOT CONNECT the output of a po wer amp or the speaker out of an instrument to the input of the 160A. Severe damage to system components may result. Patch Bay In the studio, the 160A may be connected to a patch bay to allow it to be used anywhere in the studio system. If your studio is not fully balanced, you m[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER Grounding For maximum hum rejection with a balanced source, avoid common grounding at the 160A's input and output. Most bal- anced (3-conductor) cables have the shield connected at both ends. This can result in ground loops which cause hum. If hum is a problem, try changing the position of the rear panel GROUND LI[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER SPECIFICATIONS Input (1/4” TRS Phone and XLR) Floating Balanced; XLR: Pin 2 Hot, Phone: Tip Hot Impedance 100k Ω balanced, 50k Ω unbalanced Maximum Level +24dBu, Balanced or Unbalanced CMRR >45dB (any frequency) Detector Input (1/4” TRS Phone) Floating Balanced Impedance 400k Ω balanced, 200k Ω unbalanced Ma[...]

dbx 160A COMPRESSOR / LIMITER NOTES 15[...]

8760 South Sandy Pkwy . Sandy , Utah 84070 Phone: (801) 568-7660 Fax: (801) 568-7662 Questions or comments? E•mail us at: customer@dbxpro.com or visit our World Wide Web home page at: www .dbxpro.com 18-2040V-C 12/08/10 Printed in China[...]