DBX 160 owners. Help!

[Trevoire520]

Hey guys,

I just took delivery of a DBX 160X that I won on ebay and am giving it a test to make sure everything's ok, but it seems to be behaving a bit strangely.

I'm currently sending a vocal track out to it using my Saffire Pro 14 (using unbalanced cables as it's all I have handy right now)

According to the input meter on the DBX it's sitting at about -6 to 0dB.
I set the ratio to infinity:1 (limiting) and the threshold to -40dB and i'm getting no gain reduction. The only way I can get any GR is to set the output gain to +20dB, when doing this I'm still only getting around 6dB gain reduction in overeasy mode, without overeasy I can get the odd flicker on 1dB of GR.
This is obviously a bit confusing as I assumed the Output Gain would only effect the signal AFTER the compression. So I don't understand why it's effecting the gain reduction in the compressor section?

Do I have a defective unit? Does it need calibrated? If so how can I go about doing that?

Please help me out guys, any advice you can give would be hugely appreciated.

 

[if6was9]

Sounds wierd. My 160xt doesn't act like that.
Could it just be a faulty meter? Does it sound compressed at the original settings?

 

[Trevoire520]

No it doesn't sound like it's compressing at all. With these settings it should be absolutely smashed!

As far as I'm aware the meter calibration is for the input/output meters, rather than the detection circuit of the compressor.

I've had another look at the manual and it seems there should be metal straps connecting the signal input on the back to the detector inputs, but on mine there isn't. So maybe that's the problem, and I've only been getting compression due to crosstalk between the output and the detector circuit? I think this would explain why the output level effects the amount of compression aswell.

I'm assuming I can just stick a wire inbetween the two terminals instead of a metal strap?

 

[Trevoire520]

Sorted! The dude had removed the straps on the rear terminals that send the input signal to the compressor detection circuit. He must have had it hooked up to a patchbay so he could use it for sidechaining.

So i was only managing to get compression due to crosstalk within the unit. Hooked up a wee wire between the input and detection terminals and now it's working fine

 

[if6was9]

Awesome. Result!

 

[fade_2_black]

Nice! Was worried you had a dodgy unit there for a moment..

 

[Derykus]

So how do you like it compared to your typical ITB compressors?

 

[Trevoire520]

Not had a chance to give this one a go properly yet. I much prefer my DBX 163X's on drums compared to my itb stuff though.