Bring a more professional sound to your mix

Adding a dbx® 266xs Compressor/Gate to your live sound rig or studio gives you more dynamic control to help create a more polished, professional sound. Having compression in your audio chain gives you the ability to smooth out uneven levels, add sustain to guitars and fatten up your drums. It also makes it easy to bring vocals to the front of your mix - adding greater clarity and making them stand out from the surrounding instruments.

dbx knows compressors...after all we invented them! The 266xs is the latest in a long line of the world's most successful compressors from the inventors of the technology. Its patented Overeasy® compression technology provides smooth and musical performance while the AutoDynamic™ attack and release controls, found only on dbx compressors, puts great sound within easy reach. The 266xs can operate in stereo or dual-mono modes, has true RMS power summing and features quality XLR and 1/4" TRS inputs and outputs. It cuts no corners on visual feedback with gain reduction metering and easy-to-read backlit switches.

 

Features:

  • Error proof operation to smooth uneven levels, add sustain to guitars, fatten drums or tighten up mixes
  • New gate timing algorithms ensure the smoothest release characteristics
  • Program-adaptive expander/gates
  • Great sounding dynamics control for any type of program material
  • Separate precision LED displays for gain reduction, compression threshold and gate threshold allow quick, accurate setup
  • Stereo or dual-mono operation
  • Balanced inputs and outputs on 1/4" TRS and XLR connectors
  • Side Chain insert
  • Classic dbx® "Auto" mod

Specifications

Input Connectors

1/4" TRS and female XLR (pin 2 hot)

Input Type

Electronically balanced/unbalanced, RF filtered

Input Impedance

40kΩ balanced/unbalanced

Max Input

>+22dBu Balanced or Unbalanced

Output Connectors

1/4" TRS, female XLR (pin 2 hot)

Output Type

Impedance-balanced/unbalanced, RF filtered

Output Impedance

+4dBu: 100Ω balanced, 50Ω unbalanced; -10dBu: 1kΩ balanced, 500Ω unbalanced

Max Output

>+21dBu balanced/unbalanced into 2kΩ or greater; >+18dBm balanced/unbalanced (into 600Ω)

Sidechain

1/4" TRS Phone, Normalled: Ring = Output (send); tip = Input (return)

Sidechain Impedance

Tip = >10kΩ (Input), Ring = 2kΩ (Output)

Sidechain Max Input Level

Tip = >+22dBu (Input)

Sidechain Max Output Level

Ring = >+20dBu (Output)

Compressor Threshold Range

-40dBu to +20dBu

Compressor Threshold Characteristic

Selectable OverEasy® or hard knee

Compressor Ratio

1:1 to Infinity:1

Compressor Attack Time

Scalable Program-Dependent AutoDynamic™

Compressor Release Time

Scalable Program-Dependent AutoDynamic™

Expander/Gate Threshold Range

-60dBu to +15dBu

Expander/Gate Ratio

1:1 to 4:1

Expander/Gate Attack Time

<100µs

Expander/Gate Release Time

Program-dependent

Bandwidth

0.35Hz - 90kHz, +0/-3dB

Frequency Response

Flat: 20Hz-20kHz, +0, -0.5dB

Noise

<-93dBu unweighted (22kHz measurement bandwidth)

THD+Noise

Typically <0.2%; Any Amount of Compression @1kHz

IMD

Typically <0.2% SMPTE

Dynamic Range

>114 dB, unweighted

Interchannel Crosstalk

<-95dB, 20Hz to 20kHz

CMRR

>40dB, typically >55dB at 1kHz

: DBX-266XS