🎤 Enhanced Microphone Preamp & Channel Strip Processor - dbx 286s, Mono 4-way Review

While everyone is busy processing podcast audio with expensive foam and plywood, I just got this thing. I'm a veteran audio engineer, so here's a tip for you: you don't have to buy all the foam and sweat in a box while you're recording. Just understand. My apartment is noisy and I still get great quiet shots with it. I'm also better at Skype and conference calls. Grab a dynamic mic like the SM7B (*not* a condenser mic, trust me), crank the preamp to full power (you should), set the gate and…

I've been an audiophile for 30 years. About 15 years ago I added a subwoofer and then a couple of subwoofers to my two channel system. I did this because a pair of true full range tweeters is extremely expensive. Usually $15,000 or more. I have a pair of $10,000 speakers that will rival any speaker at any cost down to 32Hz. Below they roll down quickly. Subwoofers fill out the lower bass. For years I used a crossover to control the cutoff of the signal sent to the subwoofers, but let the main…

Here's the cure for the very shy, quiet Shure SM-7B Microphone. 7B and wow what a game changer! This gives the mic TONS of useful gain. And the 286 has really good handling. Not only can it really increase the gain, but it can also keep the extra noise and "noise floor" completely quiet! The Expander Gate eliminates all extra noise in the room - I mean ALL. It's like sitting in a fully cushioned broadcast room, when in fact you can broadcast from Grand Central Station without anyone noticing…

If you're recording at home, you need this. I got very frustrated trying to mix 'in the box' (the mixing after it's all recorded on the computer) . If you have a raw room you will try to add VST gates to reduce the noise in the room. You use VST compressors after your signal is recorded. You use a de-esser to weaken your food. It's all a big disappointment because you're swimming against the current and trying to change a bad signal that was recorded with all the built-in bugs. Get to know DBX.

This is one of the few items I would recommend taking the time to view the video review in its entirety. I'll go through the module and each of the sections and explain what each of the settings does. The video was created using this channel strip so you can get a good idea of the sound quality and features. If you don't have time to watch the video, it takes about half an hour, here are the main ones ►► ADVANTAGES ◄◄The compressor evens out the volume, which is very convenient for those who…

Powerful and clear sound, ready for podcasts or voice-overs of your videos. I have no idea what the DBX's secret recipe is, but this mic preamp makes a lot of work easier. I've never run a condenser mic with it (maybe it's amazing), but it's perfect for a dynamic mic like the Shure SM7B. Gain, gate, compression, subtle de-esser, tone enhancement, everything is ready to go and sounds exactly how I wanted it without any additional hardware or a lot of hassle. Ideal for creating a…

As other reviewers have pointed out, this is a reliable and professional microphone processor. I'm just getting ready to make YouTube videos. However, I work from home in a less than ideal acoustic environment. (I'm an amateur and I know absolutely NOTHING about audio engineering.) I'm also running Windows 10 with really crappy audio drivers: no matter how much I cranked up the mic input volume, my audio was way too quiet with USB mics. connected directly to my computer. (It doesn't help that…

Reviewed by a user who only uses voiceover recordings. Does not apply to tools. I mainly use my home office, video and web conferences. I don't need to compress voiceovers/announcers/conference calls etc. I don't need a de-esser. I don't need a crappy two-band EQ amp. None of this matters for recording speech levels. However, I've found that using a little bass boost helps mask the reverberation caused by an acoustically raw room. There is an output gain which I don't understand, it seems like…