DBX 286S Mic Preamp/Compressor

Product Information

Generally speaking, microphone processors like the DBX 286S enhance your voice and give you a bit more punch on air. How Do I Get Setup? I leave this off because it gives you less dynamic range, but if you're in a room with a hum below that frequency, experiment with turning it on.

Finally, you set the Output Gain control to the decibel volume level you want to output the signal at. This will really depend on what levels you're getting from your input at this point and how much you are going to boost them additionally in your audio interface or mixer that you're plugged the DBX 286s into next. Final Thoughts Going further, there are also a de-esser, an enhancer, and the noise gate (or expander) effects. At the very right end, is the main output gain knob with its clipping indicator. 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).Years ago I decided I wanted this pre, but through unforeseen circumstances I never got to buy it. Since then, I have upgraded my signal chain from a 1st gen Scarlett 2i2 to a Clarett. As I am starting a new production I thought: what the hell, just buy it. At this price you really can't go wrong.

However, when using the mono cable, you’re not supposed to plug it all the way in. Otherwise, you’ll just stop the signal from going to the main output. It’s a bit of a hassle, but you can still use this output for this purpose as well. The DBX 286s is a Channel Strip processor that features a studio-quality mic preamplifier and four processors. Depending on your needs, these processors can be used all at once, or separately. I bought the dbx 286s as a way to, relatively inexpensively, upgrade my home voiceover recording setup from a simple mic preamp to something with signal processing capability. All I can say is, this was money well spent! Users have noted that one downside is the absence of a power button on the machine, which can be slightly annoying. Some have also noted that the device emitted a low hissing sound which would have to be removed in audio editing later.

Highest Rated Reviews

The sonically pristine dbx 286s Mic Preamp has all the features you need, including wide-ranging input gain control, switchable +48V phantom power, and an 80Hz high-pass filter to remove low frequency hum, rumble or wind. Use the patented dbx OverEasy compressor to transparently smooth out uneven dynamics. Eliminate vocal sibilance and high frequency distortion with the frequency tunable De-Esser. Fine-tune the Enhancer HF Detail control to add sparkle and crispness, and make adjustments to the LF Detail control to add fullness and depth. And, the separate threshold and ratio controls on the Expander/Gate allow you to subtly reduce headphone leakage or radically gate noisy sound sources. As it stands this product is not suited for musical applications and is best for live radio broadcast/streaming or podcasting. Right next to the preamp section, we have the bypass switch. This completely overrides the effects and turns the DBX 286S into a simple preamp. In fact, it may very well be the best. That’s what we aim to find out in this review. We want to know if you can do any better at this price range. Let’s find out. 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

The best way to set this is to say " S-ssss", then adjust it until you're happy with the result and it works with your voice. Enhancer The DBX 286S has a 48v phantom power switch which is used to power most condenser microphones like the Behringer B-1, Blue Spark, and Neumann TLM 103 as mentioned in How to Get a Radio Voice post and a few others in Best Microphones for Online Radio post. High-Pass This was the first channel strip that I ever owned. I've used it to record podcast dialog, studio vocals, and guitar. It's reliably gotten the job done, time and time again. To wrap up, I'm happy with the results I'm getting from this to boost the gain of my microphone plus add a simple compressor, gate, and de-esser.LF Detail: Characteristic Bell-shaped boost at 80Hz, bell-shaped cut at 250Hz, ratio is approximately 2:1

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. So you've made it through the whole device. I could have just told you where I set all my levels, but unless you're using the exact same equipment in a similar environment as me, your settings are going to need to be a little different.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. It would be great if you could run multiple mics in and out using the same settings without having to buy one for each mic, but I understand the limitations of that.