Expander/Gate RATIO Control
This control sets the amount of attenuation applied to the input signal once it is below the
threshold, from gentle downward expansion (appropriate for mixed program, vocals, etc.), to a
hard gating effect (which can be useful for percussion). Fairly low RATIO (and higher
Expander/Gate THRESHOLD) settings work best for downward expansion, whereas higher RATIO
settings (clockwise towards MAX) work best for gating. If a setting produces undesirable
pumping, readjust the Expander/Gate RATIO or THRESHOLD setting.
NOTE:
The attack and release rate of the Expander/Gate are program-dependent - very fast
for transient material (e.g., percussion) and slower for material with slow attack (e.g.,
vocals).
NOTE:
Fast gating of sustained low frequency signals can result in “chattering”. To
eliminate any “chattering” simply adjust the RATIO control. The proper THRESHOLD setting
will also minimize false triggering and “chattering.”
The 266xs can be used with any line-level device. Some common examples include
mixing consoles, electronic musical instruments, patch bays, and signal processors.
For all connections, refer to the following steps:
Turn Off all equipment before making any connections.
Mount the 266xs in a 1U rack space (optional).
The 266xs requires one rack space (height) and 1 rack space (width). It can be
mounted above or below anything that doesn’t generate excessive heat, since it
requires no special ventilation. Ambient temperatures should not exceed 113ºF (45ºC)
when equipment is powered.
Make connections via 1/4” TRS phone or XLR jacks according to your requirements.
Typical patch points include: a mixer’s channel or subgroup inserts when using the
266xs on individual instruments or tracks; the mixer’s main outputs when mixing; an
instrument preamp’s effects loop when using the 266xs for guitar or bass; main outs
of a submixer (i.e., keyboard mixer) as the signal is sent to main mixer; between a
DAT’s output and an analog cassette input. When using a chain of processors, the
266xs may be placed either before or after effects or dynamics processors. We recommend
you use common sense and experiment with different setups to see which
one provides the best results for your needs.
Connect the AC power cord (shipped with the unit) to the 266xs rear panel
POWER connector and an appropriate AC power source to turn the unit ON.
Section 3
Making Connections
8
dbx 266xs
Section 3 - Making Connections
