Dbx 290 User manual

Stereo

Reverb

dbx

Table of Contents

Safety

and

Warranty

. .

..............................2

Introduction

and

Inspection

............................3

Setup

Front Panel 4

Back Panel ....................................5

Connections 6

Operation

Selecting Reverbs ................................8

Bypass

Mode

Noise

Gate

MIDI

Reverb

Types

What is Reverb?

Room

Hall

Chamber

Plate

Cathedral

Gated

Specifications . 14

Safety

and

Warranty

Safety

Warranty

The

symbols

shown

at left are

internationally accepted symbols

that

warn

of potential hazards

,"'"''''

ATTE

NTIO

N:R,sOUE DECHOCELECTR'OUE·HEPAS

OUYRIR

with electrical products.

The

RNIN

REDUCE

THE

RISKOFFIREOR ElECTRIC lightning flash with arrowpoint in

SHOCKDONOTEXPOSETHIS EQUIPMENTTORAINOR MOISTURE

equilateral triangle

means

that

there

are

dangerous

voltages present within

the

unit.

The

exclamation

point

equilateral triangle indicates that it is necessary for the

user

to refer to

the

owner's manual.

These

symbols

warn

that

there

are

user

serviceable

parts

inside

the

unit.

not

open

the

unit.

not

attempt

service

the

unit

yourself.

Refer

all

servicing

qualified

personnel.

Opening

the

chassis

for

any

reason

will

void

the

manufacturer's

warranty.

not

get

the

290

wet.

liquid

spilled

the

unit,

unplug

immediately

and

take

dealer

for

service.

Disconnect

the

equipment

during

storms

prevent

damage.

-----*

••

_--

The

warranty registration card must be mailed within 30 days after

purchase

date

to validate this warranty

and

proof-of-purchase is con-

sidered to

the

burden

the

consumer

dbx

warrants this product,

when

bought

and

used

solely within

the

U.S., to

free from defects in materials

and

workmanship

under

nor-

mal use

and

service.

dbx

liability

under

this warranty is limited to repairing or replacing

defective materials that

show

evidence

of defect, provided

the

product

is returned to

dbx

WITH

RETURN

AUTHORIZATION from

the

factory,

where

all parts

and

labor

will be covered

to a period of

two

years.

A Return Authorization

number

may be obtained from

dbx

by tele-

phone

The

company

shall not be liable for

any

consequential

damage

as a result

the

product

's use in any circuit or assembly.

dbx

reserves the right to

make

changes in design or

make

additions to

or improvements

upon

this

product

without

incurring

any

obligation to

install the

same

products

previously manufactured.

5. The foregoing is in lieu of all

other

warranties, expressed or implied,

and

dbx

neither

assumes

nor

authorizes any

person

assume for it

any

obligation or liability in

connection

with

the

sale of this product.

event

shall

dbx

or its dealers be liable for special or

consequen-

tial

damages

or from

any

delay in

the

performance

this warranty

due

to causes

beyond

their control.

Introduction

and

Inspection

Introduction

We congratulate and thank

you

for

your

purchase

the

dbx

290 Stereo

Reverb.

The

290 is a true stereo,

dedicated

reverb

processor

designed

for the professional

who

needs

high quality results

without

the

chal-

lenges

complex

programming.

Whether

used

the

recording studio

or in live

sound

situations,

world

class reverbs

are

just a

button

press

away.

The

290 also includes

unheard

of signal to

noise

specifications for

products in its price range along with a digital noise gate that pushes

unwanted

noise

even

further

out

the

audio

picture. Some of the 290's

features include:

• True stereo reverb processing

• Signal to noise ratio of greater than 90dB

(w/o

noise gate)

• 40kHz sampling rate, 18 bit DACs, full

bandwidth

response

• Balanced Stereo Inputs

and

Outputs

•

Hundreds

of professional quality reverb possibilities

• Receives MIDI program

changes

Although

the

dbx

290 was designed to

the easiest reverb

the mar-

ket to use,

suggest that

you

read

this

operation

manual

to fully

understand

the

290's power. We

have

kept

the

manual

simple

and

easy

to read so that

you

can get

back

work

quickly.

hope

you

enjoy

your

290

and

thanks

again for purchasing a quality

dbx

product.

-----.-----

Inspection

Before continuing any further, please inspect

the

contents

the

dbx

290

box

sure

that the following items

are

included

•

dbx

290 Stereo Reverb

• External

power

supply

• Operation Manual (yes,

you

are

already

reading

it)

• RegistrationlWarranty card

If anything is missing, please notify

your

dealer.

The

information contained in this

manual

is subject to

change

any

time without notification. Some information

contained

in this

manual

may also

inaccurate

due

undocumented

changes

the

product

operating system since this version

the

manual

was

completed

Stereo

••

•

8~.0m

Setup

Front

Panel

2 3 45 6 78

Type

Buttons

-Used to select

one

of six different reverb Types.

The

LED inside

the

selected

bunon

lights to indicate the current reverb

Type being used.

Size/Gate

Shape

Buttons

-Used to select

one

of three different

reverb Sizes or Gated Shapes if the Gated reverb Type is selected.

The

LED inside the selected

bunon

lights to indicate the current

reverb Size or Shape being used.

Color

Buttons

-Used to select

one

of three different reverb Colors.

The

LED inside the selected

bunon

lights to indicate

the

current

reverb Color being

used

Decay

Control

-Sets the length of the reverb's decay. Turning this

control clockwise increases the decay time while turning the control

counter-clockwise decreases the decay time.

There

are 12 different

times available (times are

dependent

on reverb Type

and

Size current-

ly selected).

Input

Level

Meters

-These LEDs monitor the levels of

the

incoming

signals which

can

be adjusted using the Input control.

Mix

Control

-Controls the

wet/dry

signal ratio. Turning the control

clockwise increases

the

amount of reverb

sent

to the outputs while

decreasing the original dry signal heard. Turning the control counter-

clockwise decreases the amount of reverb sent to the

outputs

while

increasing the original dry signal heard.

Input

Level

Control

-Adjusts the level of

the

sound

sourc~

being

fed into the 290's stereo inputs. For best signal performance, set

these controls so that -0- LED on the input

meter

lights occasionally.

If this control is set

too

high,

unwanted

distortion may be

heard

the

output

signals.

Output

Level

Control

-Sets

the

stereo

output

level

the

290. This

control

can

be placed in a mirror sening for

near

unity signal gain

through

the

processor (e.g,

Input

Level control

set

at a 2 o'clock posi-

tion

and

the

Output

Level control set at a 10 o'clock position).

Setup

Back Panel

23456 7 8

Left/Mono

Input

-This is the

audio

input for

the

left

channel

the

290. It can

used

in either

balanced

ernS)

unbalanced

(TS)

- applications. For

mono

input configurations,

use

the

Left

Input

jack

only

and

leave

the

Right

Input

jack di

sconnected

Right

Input

-This is the

audio

input for the right

channel

the

290.

can

used in either

balanced

(TRS)

unbalanced

(TS) applica-

tions. For

mono

input configurations, the Right

Input

jack must

disconnected.

Left/Mono

Output

-This is

the

audio

output

for

the

left

channel

the 290.

can

used

either

balanced

(TRS)

unbalanced

(TS)

applications. For

mono

output

configurations, use

the

Left

Output

jack only

and

leave the Right

Output

jack

disconnected

Right

Output

Jack

-This is the

audio

output

for

the

right

channel

the 290.

can

used

for either

balanced

(TRS)

unbalanced

(TS)

applications.

The

Right

Output

jack is

used

for

both

stereo

in/stereo

out

and

mono

/stereo

out

configurations. For

mono

output

configu-

rations,

the

Right

output

jack must be

disconnected

Remote

Footswitch

-Allows

the

connection

an external

momen-

tary footswitch (Tip-Sleeve

plug)

for remotely placing the 290 into

bypass

mode

(indicated by flashing

the

selected

Type

/Size

/Color

LEDs). A three switch type

pedal

(Tip-Ring-Sleeve

plug)

may

also

used

add

Program

and

Program

down

capabilities.

MIDI

Input

The

MIDI In port allows

the

290 to

respond

to incom-

ing MIDI program changes.

290

Serial

Number

- This is

the

29O

unique

registration serial

num-

ber

Power

Adapter

Input

-This is

where

the

power

adapter

connected

Warning:

Use only

the

Power

Adapter

supplied

with

the

290 from

the

factory. Using

any

other

Power

Supply

may

permanent-

damage

the

290.

Setup

Connections Correctly connecting audio

and

power

any

signal

processor

is the

most

important

step

towards successful

audio

processing. Please follow

these

steps

carefully for best results:

Turn

off

all

equipment

before

making

any

connections

Mount

the

290

a rack.

(optional)

The

290 requires only

one

standard rack space.

can

mounted

above

below

anything that doesn't generate excessive heat, since it

requires

special ventilation. Ambient temperatures should

not

exceed

113·F (45·C)

when

equipment

is powered.

Make

audio

connections

via

1/4"

phone

jacks

according

your

requirements.

Although

the

290 is a true

stereo

reverb processor, it can also be

used

in a

mono

in!stereo

out

mono

/mono

out

configuration.

The

290 configures itself by sensing

whether

or not plugs

are

inserted into

the

Right

Input

and

Right

Output

jacks.

For

mono

input

applications,

use

the

Left

Input

jack only. For

stereo

input

applications, use

both

Left

and

Right

Input

jacks.

Likewise, for

mono

output

applications,

use

the

Left

Output

jack only.

For

stereo

output

applications,

use

both

Left

and

Right

Output

jacks.

Typically,

the

29O

's inputs

are

connected

the

auxiliary

sends

(some-

times called effect

sends)

of a mixing console.

The

290's outputs

are

then

connected

the

effect returns

the

console

. For best results,

stereo

effect return

should

used

. See figure 1-1.

Figure

1-1

The

290

can

also

used

in a keyboard

setup

as in figure 1-2

in a

guitar rig as in figure 1-3.

Setup

Figure

1-2

Figure

1-3

Connect

the

power

supply

(shipped

with

the

unit)

the

rear

panel

jack

labeled

POWER

and

then

plug

the

power

supply

appropriate

power

source.

The 290, like any piece of

computer

hardware, is sensitive to voltage

drops, spikes,

and

surges. Interference

such

as lightning or

power

"brownouts"

can

seriously, and in extreme cases, permanently dam-

age the circuitry inside the unit.

• Spike/Surge Suppressors - This is an inexpensive solution to

all but the severest of AC line dangers. Surge protected

power

strips usually cost only slightly

than

unprotected

strips,

making them a worthy investment for protection of all

your

valuable gear.

• AC Line Conditioners - This is the best

way

for total pro-

tection from improper line voltages, albeit

the

expensive

way. Line conditioners constantly monitor for excessively high

or low voltages

and

adjust accordingly, thus delivering consis-

tent

power

levels.

To help

keep

things quiet, be sure to

keep

audio

lines as far

away

from

power

lines as possible. If it is necessary to cross

audio

and

lines, cross them perpendicular to

one

another

. As a rule,

never

allow parallel audio and AC lines to lie close to

each

other

Power

may

now

re-applied

your

other

equipment.

Stereo

fev;r

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• •

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•••

Operation

Selecting Reverbs The 290 has

been

designed

make

reverb selection as quick

and

easy

as possible. Reverbs

are

divided into four parts:

• Type -Six

standard

reverbs are available in the 290: Room, Hall,

Chamber, Plate, Cathedral,

and

Gated. These are described further

in the Reverb Types Section

(page

12).

•

Size/Shape

There

are three possibilities available: Small, Medium,

and

Large. This

parameter

changes

the overall size or volume

(width x length x height)

the

room.

also affects

the

reverb

decay setting since smaller enviroments

produce

shorter decay

times. Larger

spaces

typically

produce

longer decays.

the

Gated Reverb is selected,

these

buttons

choose

one

of three

different Linear reverb Types:

1) ..

....

",,"11111111

-Reverse lin

ear

reverb. Gives

the

illusion that the signal

is being played in reverse since

the

reverb

energy

builds

instead of decays.

111111111111111111111

-Gated linear reverb. Emulates

the

sound

of a high

energy reverb being cut

off

by a

gate

before it has a

chance

decay completely.

111111111111'10,...

. - Normal linear reverb. Contains lots

energy

but

decays quickly, making it ideal for small live

room

emulation.

•

Reverb

Color

There

are

three

ambience

colors to

choo

se from:

Dark, Medium

and

Bright. This control

does

than just

make

simple equalization changes to

the

reverb; it also changes

room

damping

and

high frequency reverb decay roll-offs. Each reverb

Type

uses its

own

set of colorations, while

the

Medium setting is

usually considered

the

least

colored

• Reverb

Decay

-Sets

the

decay time

the

reverb

and

dependent

the the

reverb Size selection. Let

your

ears be

the

judge as to

how

much

reverb decay

you

need

for

your

application.

Simply press

the

buttons associated with

the

desired reverb Type,

Color/Shape

and

Size.

The

reverb decay Time

can

be adjusted using

the

Decay control at

any

time.

The

290 also

remembers

the

last

used

set-

tings

even

after

the

unit is

powered

down

• • •

Operation

To place the 290's reverb into Bypass

mode

, press

and

hold the [ROOM]

and

[CHAMBER]

reverb Type buttons simultaneously. Bypass

mode

indicated by the flashing LEDs of the currently selected

Type

/Size/Color

buttons. Pressing any button will exit the Bypass

mode

(along with

changing the setting if a

new

Type/Size

/Color

is selected). An external

footswitch can also be

used

enter

or exit

the

Bypass mode.

NOTE: Bypass

mode

affects only the

wet

portion of

the

Wet/Dry signal

(this means that Bypass acts as a reverb

mute

-----*-----

The

dbx

290 includes a digital noise gate to

push

the

noise floor

down

ensuring that the 290 is at its quietest

when

sitting idle (the most impor-

tant time to be quiet). The noise gate is located just before the 290's

reverb, which the means reverb's decay

never

gets prematurely cut off.

Threshold is the

one

parameter that may

need

adjustment in

your

partic-

ular application. This is

the

level at

which

the

gate

will

open.

Threshold

MAU

CMA8lR

....

CAT

DMl una IIIAU .DIUII

LM.

][TI

..-=:IlllI/un

'*"

e:::--

•••

"PI

•

, Level 3 (highest threshold)

, , 9 Lavel2

Lavell

• • ,

, ,

• 0 0 0 Lavel 0 (off)

is set by doing the following:

• Simultaneously press

and

hold

the

[SMALL]

and

[LARGE]

Size but-

tons until their respective LEDs light.

• The current threshold setting is displayed using

the

reverb

Type

LEDs in

the

following

manner

• To

choose

new

Threshold setting, Simply select

one

the

first

four Type buttons for the desired level.

The 290 pauses briefly to

show

your

selection

and

then

returns to

normal operation

mode

The

purpose

of the noise gate is to eliminate

unwanted

noise in

the

absence

of program material at

the

290's inputs.

Unwanted

noise usually

come

s from other not-so-quiet pieces of

equipment.

By using

the

gate,

Bypass

Mode

Noise

Gate

Stereo

Rever

lJIJe .

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