160 Vu on the bench distorted output at all volumes

160 VU on the bech that is compressing and all systems seem to be working in order but the output is distorted at any gain level. suggestions?
faulty cap, opamp?

A mute FET gone bad?

I know that the 165 has mute FETs... The 160VU... (god, I HATE dbx's numbering system... they've called simply TOO many things "160" something or other) -Do you mean the little half-rack-width, 2RU high thingie..?

If so I'd have to look and see what's in the signal path, but I'm betting it's just a diff-receiver, a VCA and an output buffer... Disconnect the sidechain sense from the input to make sure that the RMS sense circuit isn't loading it down, then track onward from there... It's a blindingly short signal path in most of that era dbx product.

Keith

Q10-11-12-13 on the schemo I have - named "160", including a real-meter. And yes, the naming is terrible to say the least..

Jakob E.

Right then. That's almost certainly the culprit. It ALWAYS is with the 165's anyway.

cool. thanks guys I'll start in there. and yes keef the half rack 2 unit high compressor.

Pull 'em all. Insert sockets and replace them one at a time (you can't measure 'em with a test meter, since until there's a bias on the Gate, the Drain and Source will read as shorted, even on the good ones.)

Keith

[quote author="SSLtech"]I know that the 165 has mute FETs... The 160VU... (god, I HATE dbx's numbering system... they've called simply TOO many things "160" something or other) -Do you mean the little half-rack-width, 2RU high thingie..?
[/quote]

They had only one "160" model, which folks now refer to as the 160VU to differentiate it from the 160X and so on (even though the "X" has a VU meter too, though LED, not D?Arsonval ) I guess. But you knew that.

...Then there's the 160S:

...and its near-twin, the 160SL:


I mean, for goodness' sake, can't they just assign a new number....?

Keith