Dangerous Music D-Box User manual

USER GUIDE
D-BOX® Dangerous Music’s Greatest Hits

SAFETY REVIEW
The Exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
(servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying this product
Certain precautions should be taken when using electrical products. Please observe the safety hints by reading the manual and obtaining
qualified help if necessary to adhere to the precautions.
1. Always use a properly grounded power supply cord with this product. Please do not defeat the ground pin on the mains plug. This connection
provides earth to the chassis and signal grounds inside the device for clean and quiet operation.
2. Avoid high temperature operation in equipment racks by providing air circulation. The number one killer of electronic gear is HEAT. Vented
rack panels may look like wasted space to an interior decorator, but they look like beauty to a technician or equipment designer! If the front
panel is hot, it is roasting inside the box.
3. Avoid areas of high magnetic fields. The steel chassis is designed to shield the circuits from EMI and RFI (magnetic and radio interference).
When installing equipment in racks, it is prudent to put power amplifiers and large power supplies at least several rack spaces, if not in a
different rack, away from equipment that deals with low level signals. Separation of high level and low level equipment can pre-empt trouble
caused by heat and EMI.
4. Care should be taken to avoid liquid spills around equipment. If a spill occurs, please shut off the gear and disconnect the mains. A qualified
technician should investigate accidents to prevent further equipment damage or personnel hazards caused by spills.
5. If one is uncomfortable with opening gear and changing jumpers or making adjustments, please seek qualified help if necessary.
6. If adjustments or jumper changes are required, please disconnect the mains plug before opening the top. Dropped screws or tools on a live
circuit board can manifest themselves as burn marks and smoked components. While we feel your pain, (been there) subsequent damage is
not covered by the warranty.
Dangerous Music Incorporated reserves the right to change the specifications or modify the designs of its equipment. Sending in the
registration card is our way of keeping in touch with users of our equipment should this become necessary. Registration information is always
kept confidential and never disclosed to third parties for any reason. Company contact information is on the last page of this manual.
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The CE sign on this product signifies the fact that the Additional Switching System® has been
tested and verified to conform to the applicable standards of 89/336/EEC.EN55103-1 (emissions)
EN61000-2 (immunity) and EN60065:2002 (safety requirements)
This product uses components of the types and quantities that comply with the EC RoHS stan-
dard 2002/95/EC. A list of suppliers and materials is available from DMI. We tightly control
production to use top quality materials.

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THANK YOU
Thank you for choosing products from the exciting and innovative line of
Dangerous Music recording equipment. Many years of reliable service can
be expected from our gear. This is made possible through careful design,
construction, and component choices by recording industry veterans.
The Dangerous Music D-Box is designed to improve your quality of life by
allowing you to hear on a different level. There are many features packed into
this product, so don’t skip the read. This user’s guide will help the engineer
(perhaps you?) realize the maximum benefits of this unit.
If you have any suggestions for future products, feel free to forward them!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview 3
D-BOX Front Panel Features & Benefits 4
D-BOX Rear Panel Features, Benefits & Connection 7
Connection Scenarios 9
Appendix 16
Specifications 18
Warranty 19

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OVERVIEW
The D-Box is Dangerous Music’s Greatest Hits Box. In other words, it incorporates some of the finest features and functionality from other
products in the line with ZERO audio compromise. Analog summing, headphone amplification, speaker selection, talkback and monitoring
functions are all neatly tucked away into this powerful single rack space. The D-Box provides solutions to the practical, daily needs of
today’s compact computer based studio, and executes them with no audio sacrifice.
How is this possible?
Only the most useful and requested options were incorporated into the design, with sonic purity being prioritized over feature count. This
unadulterated signal path was born out of Chris Muth’s design expertise and the critical listening skills of top-tier engineers. Enjoy.
[The Dangerous Music D-Box and Power Supply pictured above]
Inside the box you’ll find the D-Box and Power Supply.
Tip: ,Why is there an external power supply? To lower the already unbelievably low noise floor. Make certain to position it away
from sensitive audio components and audio cables. Also plug it into the D-Box BEFORE plugging it into the wall.
Place the D-Box in your rack, where it’s easily accessible, since you’ll be tweaking the knobs and buttons frequently.
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Front Panel Features & Benets
1. HEADPHONE JACKS AND LEVEL CONTROL KNOBS
Feature: Two independent, 20 watt headphone amplifiers (1).
Benefit: Tons of headroom, to audition intelligibly, make intelligent decisions and drive an inspired performance. Separate
volume knobs to accommodate different users tastes and varying headphone impedances. Please exhibit caution
when selecting a level. (See “tip”)
Operation: First choose a source to monitor from, by depressing the appropriate input select button (4). Then determine a
moderate listening level via the volume knobs.
Tip: ,Always start with the level control completely counter clockwise (minimum). The headphone amplifiers are very
powerful and there is no solution for destroyed hearing, even from the pros at Dangerous Music.
2. TALKBACK MIC & LEVEL CONTROL KNOB
Feature: Communicate with the talent via the built-in talkback mic directly into their headphones.
Benefit: Avoid figuring out a separate means of communication to the artist (i.e. complicated mic setups) Keep it quick,
easy, and simple.
Operation: Hit the tb (talkback) switch (3) to activate this function. Then starting at the minimum, gently increase the volume
utilizing the level knob until the sweet spot is achieved. More magic revealed about this switch in the next segment.
(Hint: momentoggle.)
Tip: ,Always start with the level control completely counter-clockwise (minimum). You don’t want to be the cause of
someone’s hearing loss.
Tip: , To create an isolated talkback output, choose one of the headphone outputs and turn the volume completely counter-
clockwise. The talkback level is independent of the headphone level.
3A. FUNCTION BUTTONS (TB, MONO, ALT SPKR)
Feature: The tb switch (3) injects the microphone into the Headphones.
Benefit: See section 2 and momentoggle for more.
Feature: The mono switch (3) combines the left and right channels to the monitors.
Benefit: Always check phase by depressing this button. Did things get quieter? Louder? Instruments missing? This is an
indication that left and right are not playing nicely together.
Tip: ,Many formats are still delivered in mono. Consider television and radio in developing countries. Or what about all
those folks listening to music on their iPhone’s built-in speaker?
Feature: The alt spkr switch (3) allows the engineer to switch between two sets of monitors.
Benefit: Every studio should have at least two points of reference. Not all switchers are equal! The D-Box achieves this
noiselessly, without drop outs or phase shift. Remember... every decision you make while tracking and mixing is
affected by your monitor management system. It is the only piece of gear that EVERYTHING goes through.
Tip: ,Make certain to level match your monitors, so one is not louder, since humans are often fooled by the “louder is
better” illusion. These adjustments should be made on the monitors themselves.
Feature: momentoggle is a feature built into the three function buttons above. It provides either a momentary or latching mode,
at the user’s discretion.

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Benefit: Want to dart between mono and stereo a few times quickly? [toggle mode] Or need to leave it in mono to see what’s
ailing the mix? [latch mode]
Need to step between monitors to see if that distortion is emanating from the speakers or the mix? [toggle mode] Or
listen to one set for an extended period? [latch mode]
Need to say, “rolling!” over the talkback mic to the talent? [toggle mode] Or leave it open for a lengthy discussion
between the singer in the tracking room and the drummer in the control room. [latch mode]
Operation: latch mode. If the buttons are pressed and released quickly, they will latch.
toggle mode. If pressed and held for more than a second, the function remains engaged until the button is released.
Tip:,Be certain the talkback switch is not latched on when finished addressing the artist. For example: To the artist “Okay,
we got it.” To the second engineer “How are we going to get him to sing in key?” Click. Oops. A talkback remote
switch plugged into the jack on the rear panel (9) will not latch, thus keeping this scenario from happening.
3B. SETUP BUTTONS (MONO, ALT SPKR)
Setup Mode: To enter setup mode press the mono and alt spkr buttons simultaneously (3). Both switches will flash alternately
indicating that the D-Box is waiting to set the input selection mode and the analog input gain. To exit setup mode press
one of the flashing switches. The D-Box is now reset and any input selection mode and/or analog input gain mode
changes will be saved.
Sum Switch: To monitor from up to three sources simultaneously (instead of the default single source), enter setup mode (above)
and press the sum switch (4). It will light up. Next, exit setup mode and like magic, monitor a combination of inputs
mixed together. When in setup mode, pressing the lit sum switch (4) extinguishes the light and returns the D-Box back
to normal monitoring mode. (i.e. one input at a time.) So for example, monitor from the sum switch, analog switch and
either the daw or cd switch. (The digital switches will not combine).
Analog Input Gain: The analog input gain is factory calibrated for +4dBu sources. To accommodate consumer and other -10dBV
devices, first enter setup mode (see above) and then press the analog switch (4). The switch will light and add 11.7dB
of gain. Pressing the lit analog switch (4) while in setup mode extinguishes the light and returns the calibration to
+4dBu.
4. INPUT SELECT BUTTONS (SUM, ANALOG, DAW, CD)
Tip:,The Input Select section has two analog and two digital sources to choose from. The selected input is sent to both the
speakers and headphone amplifiers.
Feature: The sum switch selects monitoring from the stereo summing mix output. (i.e. the summed combination of the 8
inputs).
Benefit: Hear your mix BEFORE it hits external processing or A/D conversion.
Feature: The analog switch selects the analog input source from the rear panel.
Benefit: Connect all sorts of devices here! Samplers, synths, drum machines, an iPod, virtual instruments, a Sound Effects
Library or two track editor fed from an alternative computer output.
Tip: ,Either +4dBu or -10dBV analog devices may be utilized (see: setup mode).
Tip: ,Plugging in a submixer to this input allows all the aforementioned devices simultaneous connection.
Feature: Both daw & cd buttons are digital inputs that feed the D-Box’s D/A converter.
Benefit: Monitoring from the same D/A allows mix decisions to be made, unbiased by different converters. “Wow, where’s all

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that top end crunch coming from? That bell ringing?” Eliminate the .10 cent converter in the mp3 player, and listen
accurately.
Tip: ,The converter will recognize and lock to either AES or SPDIF sources. Only one digital source may be monitored at a
time.
Tip: ,Pushing a lit Input Select switch will mute that input.
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5. SUM OUTPUT KNOB
Feature: The sum output trim knob (5) affects the sum output level (14) by adjusting the overall level of the stereo summed mix.
Benefit: Used to adjust the mix volume for optimum level into the mixdown A/D converter.
Tip: ,The sum output trim knob should start out near 12:00 (straight up). This gives you flexibility with your mix levels. You
can add or subtract mix level as needed.
6. SIGNAL LEDs
Feature: 8 signal leds reveal when signal is present at the summing inputs (11).
Benefit: Determine whether audio is passing into the D-Box for trouble shooting.
Tip:,If the signal lights are active and nothing is plugged into the unit, there is a DC offset present in your system. Track it
down and exterminate it.
7. PAN CONTROLS
Feature: The first six channels of the summing section are fed to the stereo bus in pairs (i.e. 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6). 7 & 8 have pan
pots.
Benefit: The pan pots for channels 7 & 8 allow the placement of their signals anywhere in the mix and for treating individual
instruments. For example, assign both the bass and vocal track to a mono output in the computer software. Now patch
their signals into your favorite outboard gear like a BAX EQ and then on into the D-Box’s sum inputs 7 and 8. Pan these
up the center and you’re summing with analog outboard. Don’t forget you can always strap stereo processors across
the other pairs as well.
Operation:First confirm that the desired signal is traveling to 7 or 8 and then adjust the pan pots to your liking.
Tip: ,An important track like lead vocals or kick drum can benefit from having its own output.
8. VOLUME KNOB
Feature: The volume knob controls the level to the monitors from whatever source(s) have been selected (4).
Operation: Always begin with the knob completely counter-clockwise to avoid hearing loss and blown drivers.
Tip: ,This knob does not affect the summing output.

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Rear Panel Features, Benets & Connections
9. TALKBACK REMOTE (FOOTSWITCH NOT INCLUDED)
Feature: Using a footswitch, communicate with the talent via the built in talkback mic directly into their headphones.
Benefit: Avoid figuring out a separate means of communication to the artist (i.e. complicated mic setups) Keep it quick, easy,
and simple, and stop reaching for the tb switch.
Operation: Click and hold down the talkback remote pedal (not included) to activate this function. Then starting at the minimum,
gently increase the volume utilizing the level knob until the sweet spot is achieved.
Tip: ,Utilize a TRS balanced 1/4” plug for this jack. Closing the ring to the tip activates the Talkback function of D-Box. Ask
for a “normally open, momentary footswitch” at your local audio dealer.
10. ANALOG INPUT
Feature: The analog input provides an alternative analog input source.
Benefit: Connect all sorts of devices here! Samplers, synths, drum machines, an iPod, virtual instruments, a Sound Effects
Library or two track editor fed from an alternative computer output.
Tip: ,Plugging in a submixer to this input allows all the aformentioned devices simultaneous connection.
Tip: ,Either +4dBu or -10dBV analog devices may be utilized (see: setup mode).
11. SUMMING INPUT
Feature: Connect a DB25 connector here from the analog line outputs of your audio interface.
Benefit: Simple, elegant, common connector that is found on many other pieces of gear and patchbays.
Tip: ,The DB25 connector adheres to the Tascam Wiring Standard for 8 channels of balanced analog input. See the wiring
diagram in appendix if you’re comfortable with soldering, or just buy an excellent quality cable with a spiral shield.
(Example M3).
12. DC INPUT
Feature: The power supply plugs into this jack.
Benefit: An external power supply allows the unit to run at a cooler temperature.
Operation:Make certain to position it away from sensitive audio components and audio cables.
Tip: ,Observe safe power supply etiquette and plug the supply into the D-Box BEFORE plugging it into the wall.

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13. DIGITAL INPUTS
Feature: Both
daw & cd connections are digital inputs that feed the D-Box’s D/A converter.
Benefit: Every decision you make is influenced by the monitor section; via headphones or reference monitors. It had better
sound transparent, or you won’t make the right decisions. Monitoring from the same D/A also allows unbiased mix
decisions to be made, unhampered by different converters. Plug your mp3 player into a digital dock and compare your
mix to a reference at the same level, through the same D/A.
Operation:Connect either an AES or S/PDIF cable and use the front panel controls to select the source (4).
Tip: ,The converter will recognize and lock to either AES or S/PDIF sources. Only one digital source may be monitored at a
time. Purchase high quality cables, see examples M1 and M4.
14. SUM OUTPUTS
Feature: This is the stereo output of the 8 summed inputs. The sum switch selects monitoring from here.
Benefit: Hear your mix BEFORE it hits external processing or A/D conversion.
Operation:Utilize the sum switch to select this monitoring source.
Tip: ,Use high quality analog quad cable with a spiral shield. (Example M2).
15 & 16. MAIN & ALTERNATE SPEAKER OUTPUTS
Feature: These jacks allow connection with two pairs of studio monitors.
Benefit: Every studio should have at least two points of reference. Not all switchers are equal! The D-Box achieves this
noiselessly, without dropouts or phase shift. Remember... every decision you make while tracking and mixing is
affected by your monitor management system. It is the only piece of gear that is ALWAYS on while in the studio.
Operation: alt spkr switch (3) allows the engineer to switch between two sets of monitors.
EXAMPLE M3:
ANALOG SNAKE
[ANALOG DB25-XLR(F)]
EXAMPLE M1:
AES CABLE
[AES XLR(F)-XLR(M)]
EXAMPLE M4:
AES to S/PDIF CABLE
[DIGITAL XLR(M)-RCA]
EXAMPLE M2:
MIC CABLE
[ANALOG XLR(F)-XLR(M)]
Tip: ,Make certain to utilize high quality analog quad cable with a spiral shield. (Example M2). Also level match the
monitors, so one is not louder, since humans are often fooled by the “louder is better” illusion. These adjustments
would be made on the monitors themselves.