dbx ® Strengthens Line Of Digital Processors With Introduction of Four New Members To The ZonePRO™ Series

Jun 18, 2009

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dbx Professional Products today introduced four new members to its acclaimed ZonePRO™ family of digital zone processors. The new 1260m, 1261m, 640m and 641m join the 1260, 1261, 640 and 641 in the series, reflecting dbx Professional Product's commitment to applying customer feedback to strengthen its existing product lines.

The new ZonePRO devices share the same total numbers of inputs and outputs as their equivalent siblings but feature additional mic/line inputs. The 1260m and 1261m have six mic/line inputs and the 640m and 641m have four mic/line inputs. This increase in the number of available microphone inputs further extends the suitability of the ZonePRO family into applications such as conference rooms and presentation spaces.

Ambient Noise Compensation (ANC) is also introduced on the new ZonePRO Devices. This processing function allows the level of zone outputs to track the ambient noise level, monitored through a microphone and microphone input. This feature is particularly well-suited to applications such as retail environments where the volume of the audio system can be matched automatically to the number of shoppers and their associated noise level.

Iain Gregory, market manager for installed sound at Harman Music Group stated, "Since its introduction in 2004, the ZonePRO family has enjoyed global adoption and specification within many high-profile commercial environments. The 'm' versions were born out of an overwhelming user desire to extend the reach of ZonePRO into further applications requiring additional microphone inputs. More microphone inputs, complimented by the introduction of Ambient Noise Compensation, further solidify the ZonePRO family as the perfect set of solutions for multi-zone commercial audio applications."

Processing offered on all eight members of the ZonePRO family includes Advanced Feedback Suppression (AFS™) and AutoWarmth®, a psychoacoustic function that maintains full frequency bandwidth even when the signal level has dropped.

Each of the new ZonePRO devices features Ethernet and RS-232 control. ZonePRO Designer provides configuration and control of all ZonePRO devices. The Configuration Wizard within ZonePRO Designer guides users through the step-by-step configuration process.

Additional system control is offered by a range of Zone Controllers and third party control. The Zone Controllers are non-technical control interfaces for functions such as source selection, volume control and preset recall.

Each of the eight family members, with optional control, represents an inexpensive and quickly deployed solution for a diverse range of commercial audio applications.