® 386 Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp w/Digital Out User Manual IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS CAUTION RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN WARNING FOR YOUR PROTECTION PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING: KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS HEED ALL WARNINGS FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS CLEAN ONLY WITH A DAMP CLOTH. DO NOT BLOCK ANY OF THE VENTILATION OPENINGS. INSTALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT INSTALL NEAR ANY HEAT SOURCES SUCH AS RADIATORS, HEAT REGISTERS, STOVES; OR OTHER APPARATUS (INCLUDING AMPLIFIERS) THAT PRODUCE HEAT. ONLY USE ATTACHMENTS/ACCESSORIES SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER. UNPLUG THIS APPARATUS DURING LIGHTNING STORMS OR WHEN UNUSED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. A T T E N T I O N : RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE - NE PAS OUVRIR W A R N I N G : TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE The symbols shown above are internationally accepted symbols that warn of potential hazards with electrical products. The lightning flash with arrowpoint in an equilateral triangle means that there are dangerous voltages present within the unit. The exclamation point in an equilateral triangle indicates that it is necessary for the user to refer to the owner's manual. These symbols warn that there are no user serviceable parts inside the unit. Do not open the unit. Do not attempt to service the unit yourself. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel. Opening the chassis for any reason will void the manufacturer's warranty. Do not get the unit wet. If liquid is spilled on the unit, shut it off immediately and take it to a dealer for service. Disconnect the unit during storms to prevent damage. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS NOTICE FOR CUSTOMERS IF YOUR UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH A POWER CORD. WARNING: THIS APPLIANCE MUST BE EARTHED. The cores in the mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code: GREEN and YELLOW - Earth BLUE - Neutral BROWN - Live WATER AND MOISTURE: Appliance should not be used near water (e.g. near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, etc). Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings. POWER SOURCES: The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance. GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance is not defeated. POWER CORD PROTECTION: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance. SERVICING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, the user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel. FOR UNITS EQUIPPED WITH EXTERNALLY ACCESSIBLE FUSE RECEPTACLE: Replace fuse with same type and rating only. MULTIPLE-INPUT VOLTAGE: This equipment may require the use of a different line cord, attachment plug, or both, depending on the available power source at installation. Connect this equipment only to the power source indicated on the equipment rear panel. To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, refer servicing to qualified service personnel or equivalent. As colours of the cores in the mains lead of this appliance may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, proceed as follows: · The core which is coloured green and yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug marked with the letter E, or with the earth symbol, or coloured green, or green and yellow. · The core which is coloured blue must be connected to the terminal marked N or coloured black. · The core which is coloured brown must be connected to the terminal marked L or coloured red. This equipment may require the use of a different line cord, attachment plug, or both, depending on the available power source at installation. If the attachment plug needs to be changed, refer servicing to qualified service personnel who should refer to the table below. The green/yellow wire shall be connected directly to the units chassis. CONDUCTOR L N LIVE NEUTRAL WIRE COLOR Normal BROWN BLUE Alt BLACK WHITE GREEN E EARTH GND GREEN/YEL WARNING: If the ground is defeated, certain fault conditions in the unit or in the system to which it is connected can result in full line voltage between chassis and earth ground. Severe injury or death can then result if the chassis and earth ground are touched simultaneously. IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS LITHIUM BATTERY WARNING CAUTION! This product may contain a lithium battery.There is danger of explosion if the battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace only with an Eveready CR 2032 or equivalent. Make sure the battery is installed with the correct polarity. Discard used batteries according to manufacturer's instructions. U.K. MAINS PLUG WARNING A molded mains plug that has been cut off from the cord is unsafe. Discard the mains plug at a suitable disposal facility. NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU INSERT A DAMAGED OR CUT MAINS PLUG INTO A 13 AMP POWER SOCKET. Do not use the mains plug without the fuse cover in place. Replacement fuse covers can be obtained from your local retailer. Replacement fuses are 13 amps and MUST be ASTA approved to BS1362. ADVARSEL! Lithiumbatteri - Eksplosjonsfare.Ved utskifting benyttes kun batteri som anbefalt av apparatfabrikanten. Brukt batteri returneres apparatleverandøren. DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Manufacturer's Name: Manufacturer's Address: dbx Professional Products 8760 S. Sandy Parkway Sandy, Utah 84070, USA ADVARSEL! Lithiumbatteri - Eksplosionsfare ved fejlagtig håndtering. Udskiftning må kun ske med batteri av samme fabrikat og type. Levér det brugte batteri tilbage til leverandøren. VAROITUS! Paristo voi räjähtää, jos se on virheellisesti asennettu.Vaihda paristo ainoastaan laitevalmistajan suosittelemaan tyyppin. Hävitä käytetty paristo valmistajan ohjeiden mukaisesti. VARNING! Explosionsfara vid felaktigt batteribyte. Använd samma batterityp eller en ekvivalent typ som rekommenderas av apparattillverkaren. Kassera använt batteri enligt fabrikantens instruktion. declares that the product: Product name: dbx 386 Product option: N/A conforms to the following Product Specifications: EMC: EN 55013 (1990) EN 55020 (1991) ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY This unit conforms to the Product Specifications noted on the Declaration of Conformity. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: · this device may not cause harmful interference, and · this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Operation of this unit within significant electromagnetic fields should be avoided. Supplementary Information: The product herewith complies with the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC and the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC as amended by Directive 93/68/EEC. dbx Professional Products Vice-President of Engineering 8760 S. Sandy Parkway Sandy, Utah 84070, USA December 15, 1999 European Contact: Office or Your Local dbx Sales and Service Harman Music Group 8760 South Sandy Parkway Sandy, Utah 84070 USA (801) 568-7638 (801) 568-7642 386 Introduction 0.1 Defining the 386................................................i 0.2 Service Contact Info.........................................ii 0.3 Warranty............................................................ii 0.4 Installation Recommendations........................iii Table of Contents Section 3 - Digital Applications 3.1 Digital Output Front Panel Functions ...........10 3.2 Digital Rear Panel Connections .....................10 3.3 Sync Input Sample Rate Selection.................11 3.4 Direct Connection to a DAW (CPU) .............12 3.5 Direct Connection to a Digital Mixer............13 Section 1 - Getting Started 1.1 Rear Panel Connections ...................................2 1.2 Front Panel Connections..................................3 3.6 A/D Conversion..............................................14 3.7 Multi-Tracking to Digital ................................15 3.8 Analog and Digital Output Applications ......16 1.3 Type IVTM Conversion System Controls..........4 Section 2 - Analog Applications 2.1 Basic Connection..............................................6 2.2 Connection to a Mixing Console.....................6 2.3 Direct Connection to a Recorder ....................7 Appendix Sync Input Info.....................................................18 Block Diagram ......................................................19 dbx Type IVTM Conversion System......................20 D.1 Noise-Shaping Algorithms.............................25 D.2 Truncation ......................................................25 D.3 Specifications .................................................26 ® Table of Contents 386 User Manual 386 INTRODUCTION INTRO CUSTOMER SERVICE INFO 386 DEFINED WARRANTY INFO ® Introduction 386 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of the dbx 386 Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp with digital output capabilities. For over 25 years, dbx has been the industry leader in dynamics processing. With the introduction of the 386, we offer the classic smooth and warmth qualities of tube microphone pre-amplification, combined with the state-of-the-art proprietary dbx Type IVTM conversion system to offer the best characteristics of both analog and digital recording capabilities. This manual will be your guide to understanding the full functionality of the powerful 386. After you have become familiar with the unit, we encourage you to experiment and find creative ways that the 386 can help you optimize your specific application. 0.1 Defining the 386 The dbx 386 Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp provides the user with Dual Vacuum tube microphone preamp capabilities in the analog domain as well as giving you pristine digital output capabilities. Listed below, are some of features available to you in the 386: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Two channel tube microphone pre-amplifier 200V Tube Plate Voltage Insert Jack 60 dB of microphone gain and +/- 15 dB of output gain Selectable mic/line switch 48 volt phantom power 20 dB pad 75 Hz low cut filter Phase reverse 12 segment LED analog/digital level meter Type IVTM conversion system Selectable 96 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 48 kHz, or 44.1 kHz sampling rate 24, 20, and 16 bit wordlengths Selectable dither and noise shaping AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital outputs Word clock sync input and output Separate analog and digital output control With the dbx proprietary patent-pending TSETM Tape Saturation Emulation and TYPE IVTM Conversion System, your signal retains its analog warmth and character, with the pristine clarity demanded by today's digital standards. In addition, the 386 offers 96kHz A/D conversion, which results in improved frequency response. ® i 386 User Manual 386 Introduction 0.2 Service Contact Info If you require technical support, contact dbx Customer Service. Be prepared to accurately describe the problem. Know the serial number of your unit - this is printed on a sticker attached to the rear panel. If you have not already taken the time to fill out your warranty registration card and send it in, please do so now. Before you return a product to the factory for service, we recommend you refer to the manual. Make sure you have correctly followed installation steps and operation procedures. If you are still unable to solve a problem, contact our Customer Service Department at (801) 568-7660 for consultation. If you need to return a product to the factory for service, you MUST contact Customer Service to obtain a Return Authorization Number. No returned products will be accepted at the factory without a Return Authorization Number. Please refer to the warranty below, which extends to the first end-user. After expiration of the warranty, a reasonable charge will be made for parts, labor, and packing if you choose to use the factory service facility. In all cases, you are responsible for transportation charges to the factory. dbx will pay return shipping if the unit is still under warranty. Use the original packing material if it is available. Mark the package with the name of the shipper and with these words in red: DELICATE INSTRUMENT, FRAGILE! Insure the package properly. Ship prepaid, not collect. Do not ship parcel post. 0.3 Warranty This warranty is valid only for the original purchaser and only in the United States. 1). The warranty registration card that accompanies this product must be mailed within 30 days after purchase date to validate this warranty. Proof-of-purchase is considered to be the burden of th ...