does anybody have the DBX 163X copressor manual?

I'm looking myself, though one that can't oparate it should not be doing music

is it the same basic compressor as 160 x but with less control?

I know this thread is old but it kinda cracks me up. For everyones benefit I have transcribed the entire manual from my 163x below:

Slide lever to compress.

LOL!!!!heh heh heh

LOL!

While we're on the subject: Does anybody know whether the dbx 163x is more or less identical (sounding) to the old 163 (no letter)? I have a pair of the old ones and would love a few more - nice and dirty compression. But the ones that come up on eBay are usually x's.

Cheers,

Recky

They are different in design, not operation. The X uses the 2150 dbx sip vca, the 163 uses a matched transistor pair wrapped in heat sink grease and a strip of aluminum. The rest is the same. The old one's are dirtier, the new one's benefit from the that 2180 vca.
Some call them the poor man's SSL buss compressor.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

I have a pair that I hardly ever use. Occasionally on bass. Does anyone know if the ins and outs are balanced? And what cable to link a pair?

Is it true that the 263X de-esser is the same as the 163X comp with the addition of the freq dependent sidechain ?

If that's the case, can you turn a 263 into a 163 by bypassing that circuit ?

Or is it all BS..?

Hello. All the schematics, manuals and cal procedures can be found here:

http://www.dbxpro.com/Download/discontinued.htm

Download them and have fun!

That's how I got a manual for the pair of 163x compressors that I picked up. Later on, I got an manual e-mailed to me by a guy at DBX and realized the download on their site is missing a few pages. I could e-mail the copy I got from DBX if you want. If so, feel free to drop me a line.

I would love a copy! Have you checked the DBX manual link above to see if they have already added these sheets? Either way, if you could send them I could check. Thanks so much!

I have a pair of 163A's that I pretty much dig. I hear that they are essentially the same as the X version but ever so slightly different internally. Has anyone ever compared them for objective differences or does anybody know how meaningful the circuit differences are. I assume it is fairly minor as the 163 line as a whole gets a fair amount of run on the various boards and I have yet to hear anybody say "this one but not that one" the way people sometimes do for the 160 and 166 family or other generationally related products.

OK, here is something else I found... It's the "Test Procedure" for the DBX 163X. You can find it here:

http://members.tripod.com/~coreyeng/163x_A.PDF

And if that link doesn't directly get you there, here is the page the link can be found:

http://members.tripod.com/~coreyeng/dbx1.htm

Enjoy guys!

Jim,

My old 163x (made in Hong Kong) has the C1252H2 like the 160x...

DY

That's the older marker for the same vca chip. Yank it, drop in a that 2180A and remove the 47/51 ohm resistor at pin 4 and remove the 100k trim resistor off the vca trim pot to pin 4.

Be happy.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the mod tip! 2 quick questions:

1. So I just need to unsolder these two resistors and that's it?

2. I just noticed the 2nd chip is a C1253H2...does that need yanked and if so, does it get the same THAT 2180A treatment like the C1252H2?

Thank you again - I'm very appreciative!

DY

Jim,

I answered my own question about the other chip. However, my question is: do I yank R9 (47k) & R10 (100k) and what do I do with R11?

Or do I yank R10 (100k) & R11 (47k) and what do I do with R9?

R9 & R11 are both 47k...

Thanks in advance!

You're gonna make me pull that schemo for that... just a minute..... here it is.

Snip out R9 (47 ohm) and R10 (100k ohm). Leave the 1253, it's the RMS detector. R11 the trim pot can stay.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

What does this mod do to the sound? Does it make the 163x cleaner? I like the dirt i get out of it stock but I am open to mod something to make it pleasing. I use the 263x to help get rid of hihat bleed in my snare. It kicks ass for that.

Jim,

I owe you a beer! You are to professional studio gear to what Harvey Gerst is to mics & recording


I can speak for all of us that we ALWAYS appreciate your expert advice and opinion!

Thank you once again!

Great mod idea!

Is it okay to substitute the THAT 2180A with a THAT 2181?

Can somebody who has done Jim's mod chime in about the sound before/after?

Thanks a lot!
bernd

The 2180 is pre trimmed. The 2181's are not and so you would need a decent distortion analyzer to set it for lowest THD. The A grade is their best.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

Many thanks, Jim.

bernd

So if it is made in Hong Kong, it has the C1252H2?

Where else were they made? and is that how you can tell what guts are in it?

super old thread bump.

i have a pair of dbx 163x's that were pretty noisey so i figured i'd start fiddling with them. what exactly does the the cutting of R9 and R10 do? (i assume from the discussion they are cut, not jumpered). are they something that is done only with the upgrade to the 2180 chip or are their effects heard with the stock chip.

thanks!
-will

Those resistors are for the that 2180A replacement only. Leave them if the original VCA is kept. The dual input opamp can be swapped for a National LME49860NA and the output 5534 opamp can be a LME49710NA or a ADA 4898-1 or similar. Replace the small 470 uf mains caps with 1000 uf or 2200 uf if you can fit them.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

thanks jim and everyone!

i installed the THAT 2180 chip (and pulled the resistors) in one of my 163x's. definite improvement, still a little noisy but usable! need to do an A/B for fun. then mod the second.

ordering some IC's soon so hopefully i'll replace the in/out op amps.

desoldering is far less fun than soldering.

-w

ok so i'm going to try to replace the 470uf mains caps as well. would these be C14 and C21? (i'm going to assume the 1M50E1 @ C13 and C20 are fine as-is). going to assume 25v is what they should be since it looks like they are running to the +/- 24v, but i'll double check what's currently in there.

also going to put in some sockets for the input/output IC's.

so far the 10 bucks per unit for the THAT 2180 seems to be worthwhile, hopefully 20-ish total for new vca, in/out op amps, and mains caps will be a big step from the original unit.

thanks!
-w