dbx 266XL - Dual Mono/Stereo Compressor with Gate

The 266XL is a dual mono/stereo compressor/limiter. Engineered to be both easy to use and at the same time provide good sonic performance, the OverEasy compression permits extremely smooth, natural sounding compression, without artifacts. The compressor section is coupled with gating that does not swallow transients or close early, cutting off decay and reverb tails.

With OverEasy compression, input signals begin to gradually activate the 266XL's internal gain change circuitry as they approach the threshold reference level. They do not get fully processed by the ratio, attack and release controls, until they have passed somewhat above the threshold reference level. As the signal level passes the threshold level, processing increases until it is fully processed to the extent determined by the control settings. In hard-knee mode, the unit can provide abrupt compression effects as well as hard limiting applications. When using AutoDynamic attack and release controls, artists and engineers will find that the center settings deliver classic dbx compression, while the full control range produces effects that extend from slow leveling to aggressive peak limiting.

The 266XL's gate circuitry uses a new, program-dependent timing algorithm to produce ultra-smooth release characteristics, even with complex signals, such as voice or reverb decays. Taking advantage of the wide dynamic range and high precision of the dbx VCA, the circuitry has been designed with an extra-wide threshold range, to ensure top gating performance for each application. Separate precision LED displays for gain reduction, compression threshold and gate threshold allow quick, accurate setup, while the unit's intuitive operation lets users easily smooth uneven levels, add sustain to guitars, squash drums or tighten up mixes. In Stereo Couple mode, channel 1 controls become master controls, and channel 2 follows precisely to ensure a stable stereo image.