Vintage dbx 160X compressor in excellent, used condition with minor marks. Pots & switches cleaned & metering aligned. Tested & working 100%. Photos show the compressor for sale

The 160X is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the 1U dbx rack compressors. It was superceded by the 160XT which added XLR connectors

To my ears there is little or no difference between the 160X and the 160XT. I also have 160XTs for sale

The 160X is super-simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. The compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1 and 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel also has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“I think the 160X is the best compressor for drums that I’ve found. You just give it a little bit on the kick and snare while you’re recording and it brings them into focus. I don’t think you can find anything better for kick and snare — they’re amazing! You can really slam them too! I love the fact that they have a really quick recovery, and you can exaggerate it if you need to” – Glenn Ballard

“The 160X is about the best bang-for-your buck compressor that you can get”

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160X is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160X is superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160X is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160X a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I tested these 160Xs on drum loops and bass guitar and got superb results with both. With loops, the threshold setting is critical – too much compression and it can kill the dynamics. With the right threshold setting, and appropriate choice of hard knee or over-easy, the 160X adds snap to drums and tightens up loops. On bass guitar you can dial up quite large amounts of compression, adding colour and growl to the sound

The 160X is a great tool for parallel compression. It’s also worth experimenting with the dbx and another, softer, compressor in the signal chain

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

In excellent, used condition. Tested & working 100%. Pots & switches cleaned & metering aligned. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160X Compressor #171 appeared first on BN1studio.

dbx 160XT in excellent condition with minimal marks & scratches. Refurbished & metering aligned in our workshops. Supply voltage is  switchable between 110 and 220 Volts so the compressor can be used in most countries worldwide. Tested & working 100%. Photos show the compressor for sale

The 160XT is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the familiar 1U dbx rack compressors. The 160XT is similar to the 160X but adds XLR connectors and some updates to the circuitry

The 160XT is deceptively simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. Compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1, 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160XT is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160XT is also superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160XT is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160XT a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I tested the 160XT on Fender bass and a lead vocal and got superb results. Using quite large amounts of compression I found it sat the singer in a good space and brought up the vocal character & inflection. It also worked well with a lower ratio (between 2:1 and 4:1) with gain reduction just on the peaks. It’d be interesting to chain the 160XT with a softer compressor to use the best of both approaches

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

dbx 160XT in excellent condition with minimal marks & scratches. Refurbished & metering aligned in our workshops. Case repainted. Tested & working 100%. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160XT Compressor #174 appeared first on BN1studio.

dbx 160XT in excellent condition with minimal marks & scratches. Refurbished & metering aligned in our workshops. Supply voltage is  switchable between 110 and 220 Volts so the compressor can be used in most countries worldwide. Tested & working 100%. Photos show the compressor for sale

The 160XT is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the familiar 1U dbx rack compressors. The 160XT is similar to the 160X but adds XLR connectors and some updates to the circuitry

The 160XT is deceptively simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. Compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1, 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160XT is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160XT is also superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160XT is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160XT a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I tested the 160XT on Fender bass and a lead vocal and got superb results. Using quite large amounts of compression I found it sat the singer in a good space and brought up the vocal character & inflection. It also worked well with a lower ratio (between 2:1 and 4:1) with gain reduction just on the peaks. It’d be interesting to chain the 160XT with a softer compressor to use the best of both approaches

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

dbx 160XT in excellent condition with minimal marks & scratches. Refurbished & metering aligned in our workshops. Case repainted. Tested & working 100%. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160XT Compressor #172 appeared first on BN1studio.

The 160XT is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the familiar 1U dbx rack compressors. The 160XT is similar to the 160X but adds XLR connectors and some updates to the circuitry

The 160XT is deceptively simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. Compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1, 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160XT is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160XT is also superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160XT is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160XT a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I tested the 160XT on Fender bass and a lead vocal and got superb results. Using quite large amounts of compression I found it sat the singer in a good space and brought up the vocal character & inflection. It also worked well with a lower ratio (between 2:1 and 4:1) with gain reduction just on the peaks. It’d be interesting to chain the 160XT with a softer compressor to use the best of both approaches

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

dbx 160XT in excellent condition with minimal marks & scratches. Refurbished & metering aligned in our workshops. No rak ears. Tested & working 100%. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160XT Compressor (110 Volt) #161 appeared first on BN1studio.

Tested & working 100% and sounding really good! Pots & switches cleaned & metering aligned. Photos show the 160X for sale

The 160X is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the 1U dbx rack compressors. It was superceded by the 160XT which added XLR connectors

To my ears there is little or no difference between the 160X and the 160XT. I also have 160XTs for sale

The 160X is super-simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. The compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1 and 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel also has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“I think the 160X is the best compressor for drums that I’ve found. You just give it a little bit on the kick and snare while you’re recording and it brings them into focus. I don’t think you can find anything better for kick and snare — they’re amazing! You can really slam them too! I love the fact that they have a really quick recovery, and you can exaggerate it if you need to” – Glenn Ballard

“The 160X is about the best bang-for-your buck compressor that you can get”

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160X is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160X is superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160X is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160X a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I test 160Xs on drum loops and bass guitar. With loops, the threshold setting is critical – too much compression and it can kill the dynamics. With the right threshold setting, and appropriate choice of hard knee or over-easy, the 160X adds snap to drums and tightens up loops. On bass guitar you can dial up quite large amounts of compression, adding colour and growl to the sound

The 160X is a great tool for parallel compression. It’s also worth experimenting with the dbx and another, softer, compressor in the signal chain

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

In excellent, used condition with minor marks. Tested & working 100%. Pots & switches cleaned & metering aligned. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160X Compressor #160, USA-made appeared first on BN1studio.

The 160X is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the 1U dbx rack compressors. It was superceded by the 160XT which added XLR connectors

To my ears there is little or no difference between the 160X and the 160XT. I also have 160XTs for sale

The 160X is super-simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. The compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1 and 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel also has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“I think the 160X is the best compressor for drums that I’ve found. You just give it a little bit on the kick and snare while you’re recording and it brings them into focus. I don’t think you can find anything better for kick and snare — they’re amazing! You can really slam them too! I love the fact that they have a really quick recovery, and you can exaggerate it if you need to” – Glenn Ballard

“The 160X is about the best bang-for-your buck compressor that you can get”

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160X is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160X is superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160X is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160X a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I tested these 160Xs on drum loops and bass guitar and got superb results with both. With loops, the threshold setting is critical – too much compression and it can kill the dynamics. With the right threshold setting, and appropriate choice of hard knee or over-easy, the 160X adds snap to drums and tightens up loops. On bass guitar you can dial up quite large amounts of compression, adding colour and growl to the sound

The 160X is a great tool for parallel compression. It’s also worth experimenting with the dbx and another, softer, compressor in the signal chain

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

In excellent, used condition. Tested & working 100%. Pots & switches cleaned & metering aligned. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160X Compressor #159 appeared first on BN1studio.

The 160X is probably the best-known of the classic dbx 160 compressors. The original 160 was a half-width 2U box and the 160X was the first of the 1U dbx rack compressors. It was superceded by the 160XT which added XLR connectors

To my ears there is little or no difference between the 160X and the 160XT. I also have 160XTs for sale

The 160X is super-simple with just three controls: threshold, compression ratio and output gain. Threshold and output level are self-explanatory. The compression ratio is infinitely variable from 1:1 through 4:1 and 8:1 all the way to ∞:1 and beyond, to negative ratios, where output decreases with input. This allows for some pretty extreme compression effects

The front panel also has an Over Easy switch, to change the shape of the threshold knee, meter input / output switch, bypass switch and a slave switch for stereo linking. Metering is via two horizontal LED bargraphs, one for input or output level and one for gain reduction. Dynamics of the LED displays are excellent and it’s easy to see what the compressor is doing, even from a distance and under poor lighting conditions

“I think the 160X is the best compressor for drums that I’ve found. You just give it a little bit on the kick and snare while you’re recording and it brings them into focus. I don’t think you can find anything better for kick and snare — they’re amazing! You can really slam them too! I love the fact that they have a really quick recovery, and you can exaggerate it if you need to” – Glenn Ballard

“The 160X is about the best bang-for-your buck compressor that you can get”

“The 160x/xt is fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the price. You should buy one whatever happens”

“160X’s have that unique ability to be aggressive with grit that few compressors have”

The 160X is famous as a drum compressor. It adds punch & attitude to kicks & snares and is excellent for squashing overheads and ambience mics. Use a pair for drum bus parallel compression and you’ll have instant punch to beef up the drum mix. The 160X is superb for bass guitars and synths – it’s one of my favourites for bass guitar as it sits the bass just where you want it without killing the dynamics

The 160X is definitely a compressor with its own sound. It’s not a transparent, invisible compressor, but more like a giant hand that grabs hold of the signal to bend & twist it. The Americans call the 160X a “color compressor”. I can’t argue with that description as it adds colour and aggression to any signal that passes through it. It doesn’t suit every situation but it’s a hard compressor to live without once you’ve used one

I tested these 160Xs on drum loops and bass guitar and got superb results with both. With loops, the threshold setting is critical – too much compression and it can kill the dynamics. With the right threshold setting, and appropriate choice of hard knee or over-easy, the 160X adds snap to drums and tightens up loops. On bass guitar you can dial up quite large amounts of compression, adding colour and growl to the sound

The 160X is a great tool for parallel compression. It’s also worth experimenting with the dbx and another, softer, compressor in the signal chain

The dbx 160XT sits at #3 in my newly-revised Compressor Top Ten

1. UREI 1176
2. UREI LA-2A
3. dbx 160XT
4. SSL 4000E Bus Compressor
5. Fatso EL7X
6. Distressor EL8X
7. Valley People Dynamite
8. Gain Brain
9. dbx 163X
10. FMR Really Nice Compressor

In good, used condition. Tested & working 100%. Pots & switches cleaned & metering aligned. Photos show the compressor for sale

The post dbx 160X Compressor #144 appeared first on BN1studio.