DBX 286S Mic Preamp/Compressor

Product Information

My chain is the following: RE20 > dbx 286s > cloudlifter > SSL2 > PC. While the cloudlifter is overkill, I don't like pushing gain on the 286s or SSL2. The cloudlifter has let me keep my gain settings at +30 on the 286s and 4/10 on the SSL2. This helps avoid concerns with noise in the chain around the 286s, by adjusting gain settings to ideal configurations. The de-esser is quite a useful and most definitely a welcome addition. With it, you’re able to smooth out any excessive high-end noise caused by sibilant consonants in vocals. However, the Gear4music extended warranty scheme provides an enhanced service, and is designed to offer a higher level of protection than many 'free' warranties offered by some retailers and manufacturers. I would never recommend gating on the way in. Why would you? Just delete extraneous noise in the DAW. Collection and delivery costs are included for the first 2 years in the event of an item becoming faulty

Microphone processors give your voice clarity and a crisper feel. Radio presenters use processors to add warmth to their voice and to sound more present when broadcasting, which is key if you're going up against other stations. The process bypass disables all other settings mentioned below. It's recommend you disable this setting when you don't want to highly process your audio. Compressor We recommend adjusting the Drive to around 3 and Density to around 3 as well. Tweak these settings to develop a sound that's really good for your station and your style of voice. De-Esser Here is the deal, modern interfaces like the RME Babyface or Audient ID22 have mic preamps that are lightyears ahead of this unit. Then OK you have the gate (which worked well if If recall) and all the other gizmos, expenders compressors and so on.When I'm done, I put the end covers on the Gator case, and put it away, out of sight until I need it again.

Make sure the equipment isn't going into the red section on the metre - Keep your eyes on those metres at all times. The enhancer is what give you that " radio sound" that broadcasters look for. It enhances the highs and lows of your voice by taking audio and enhancing the levels. The enhancer is also a noteworthy addition, although it’s not an essential one. While not exactly complex or intricate, you can use it to enhance low-end or high-end frequencies. The low-end knob boosts anything between 80 and 250 Hz, while the high-end control works dynamically, depending on the input. The biggest strengths of the DBX’s 286S are all of its features and controls. Together, they’re able to create a pretty impressive sound. Which is really surprising, considering this model’s price range.It is a completely tube-driven microphone preamp, featuring two channels with their individual inputs and outputs. Both channels are controlled individually. I bought this unit because I had a specific need for this exact feature set. I hesitated initially, however, because its extremely low price point made me second-guess its quality, both build and sound. If don't see any levels it is probably because you're using a condenser mic that needs phantom power, so turn it this on. For my dynamic mic, I don't need this, so I have it set to off. I highly recommend this to people in a WFH situation as well as podcasters. The features on this piece of gear can save you a lot of work in post if you set them up properly. Is the sound quality "the best"? Of course not. You get what you pay for, but it is MORE THAN ADEQUATE for spoken word applications. Only the old crotchety snobs will find room for complaint. Enhancer LF Detail Characteristic: Bell-shaped boost @ 80Hz, bell-shaped cut @250Hz, ratio is approximately 2:1

Within the preamp section, there are several controls. First, is the input gain knob that goes from 0 to +60 decibels, and from -15 to +45 decibels for the line input. Right next to it, there’s a small LED clipping indicator. Nothing too fancy, but gets the job done, alerting you about any potential problems at the input section. What is an "enhancer" exactly? I'm not aware of many, other channel strips that would feature a function. If you want an exciter - again, better done in mix in software (or hardware I suppose).The DBX 286S mostly finds use as a microphone preamp, especially if we’re talking about condenser mics and vocal recording. It’s also used for instruments, but definitely not as often as vocals. The compressor makes a real difference to your voice. It adds a punch to what you're saying, it crunches and compresses your voice so it's at 1 level. The DBX 286s Mic Preamp Processor is a full featured Channel Strip Processor that delivers a studio quality microphone/instrument preamplifier and four processors that can be used independently or in any combination.