Introduction
The DBX 286s is a versatile audio processor designed to enhance your sound quality. In this review, we’ll explore its features, performance, and discuss both its pros and cons.
Features
- Pristine Mic Preamp: The 286s comes with a high-quality microphone preamp, ensuring clean and clear audio input.
- Enhanced Compressor: Its compressor helps level out audio peaks, making your voice or instruments sound more professional.
- De-Esser: The de-esser function effectively tames sibilant sounds without compromising your audio.
- Enhanced EQ: The built-in 2-band EQ allows you to fine-tune your audio to suit your preferences.
- Expander/Gate: Noise reduction is a breeze with the expander/gate feature, keeping unwanted background noise at bay.
- LED Metering: Clear LED meters provide visual feedback for easy monitoring.
- 1U Rack-Mountable: The 286s is rack-mountable, saving valuable studio space.
Performance
The DBX 286s is a workhorse that can significantly improve your audio quality. It excels in the following areas:
- Noise Reduction: The expander/gate feature effectively minimizes background noise, resulting in cleaner recordings.
- Sibilance Control: The de-esser is efficient in reducing harsh ‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds, making your vocals more pleasant.
- Tight Compression: The compressor ensures that your audio maintains a consistent level, enhancing overall quality.
- Easy to Use: Its straightforward controls make it suitable for both beginners and professionals.
Pros
- Pristine Mic Preamp
- Effective De-Esser
- Noise Reduction Capabilities
- Compressor for Smooth Audio
- Compact Rack-Mountable Design
- Intuitive Controls
Cons
- Limited EQ Bands
- Noisy Fan (In some units)
Conclusion
The DBX 286s is a reliable audio processor that excels in noise reduction and audio enhancement. Its user-friendly design makes it a valuable tool for content creators and musicians. While the EQ is limited, and some units may have noisy fans, the overall performance and features make it a worthy addition to your audio setup.
Damian –
This thing typically sold under 190 before 2020, now it’s quite pricey. I didn’t want to do too much research, so I just bought this to go with my Shure SM7B + Focusrite Solo + CloudLifter CLX + HD Audio Isolator (to eliminate power/digital noise).It works great! It does give a slightly boxy feel with compression, so I avoid using that.
NR –
Review as a user that only uses for voiceover recording. Does not apply to those that are using for instruments. My primary use is home office, videos, and web conference calls.I have no need to compress voiceover/narration/conference calls, etc.. I have no need for a de-esser. I have no need for a crappy 2 band EQ booster. None of that matters for recording speaking levels. However, I have found that using a bit of the LF boost helps to hide reverb caused by an acoustically untreated room. There is an output gain that I don’t understand, it seems like it would be a make-up gain from another processor, but has no clear relation.All of those things aside, I like it because I couldn’t find a prosumer noise gate to accompany my USB audio interface outside of this. Why the audio interface makers don’t just add a noise gate is beyond me. It is not desired by people who plan to post produce their audio, but for live audio in a home office, it’s a great feature.There are a lot of youtube videos on this thing. Most of them seem to be wrong or misguided advice.If you’re recording speech for youtube or just web conferencing, turn the preamp gain to drive your mic to one green LED on the preamp in meter, then turn it down a few clicks. Turn your audio interface gain until you are averaging -15 to -12 db on a software meter (you can use a DAW, I just use OBS or Audacity). Turn everything but the noise gate off.For the noise gate, it could really shine if it had an attack and release adjustment. Every youtube guide I’ve found for setting it up is wrong in my opinion. It has two controls, labeled threshold and ratio. The hardcoded attack and release are not adjustable.Every video I’ve seen says to turn threshold at room noise level until it closes then turn 4 more clicks. Then set ratio to 2:1. This does not work for me. It leaves the door too far open and causes the attack and release (to slow and fast respectively in my opinion) to trip on each other. Threshold simply says what level of noise to open the gate. Ratio is how much the door is open when the gate is closed. Ratio knob all the way to the left equals door nearly completely open (i.e. gate is doing nothing when active). All the way to the right is door nearly completely closed when gate is active.First, with nothing but ambient noise (try to keep computer fans, etc. as far from your mic as possible), watch your DAW noise meter, start with the threshold and ratio completely to the left. With nothing but your normal ambient room noise, turn the threshold until the light goes red, don’t turn any further. Now adjust your ratio until you see your DAW noise meter stay at zero, don’t go any further. That’s the best you’ll get it with this.
M. Cox –
Simply put — there’s no better deal in terms of value for the dollar when it comes to mic preamps. You get compression, a gate/expander, phantom power, and high/low tone controls.I ran a signal through a spectrum analyzer and discovered those tone controls work very much like you would expect them to. There’s nothing tricky about them, it’s just a gentle high shelf and gentle low shelf which is exactly what you want.The compressor and expander/gate have limited controls, but they’re setup so that pretty much anyone could operate them by ear and the default settings “just work.” I don’t find myself needing additional attack or release for vocals or voiceover.I measured the gain stage and the dbx 286s offers very clean preamplification. You have to turn it up all the way into the red to get any harmonic distortion, but don’t hesitate to do that if you like the sound… While the red light looks scary, it’s just the kind of saturation you might get from a plugin except this has no foldback distortion since it’s analog.Sometimes you hear negativity about this device in audio production forums — after my analysis I’m convinced some people resent it because you get so much bang for the buck. It could make someone who spent a lot more feel like they wasted their money.I’ve used the dbx286s for years and I love it.
MrDIY –
Its kinda crazy that there isn’t much competition for channel processors. At this lower price point you have DBX – which is well known for their quality products at decent pricing and then you have Behringer which is mostly cheap junk that’s waiting to fail at the most inconvenient time. If you want to try and find something better than this – well that’s nearly impossible unless you are willing to spend more than 10 times the amount, about $3k-$4k, on something like a Rupert Neve Shelford Channel. It’s hard to beat what DBX is offering and maybe that’s why there is no middle ground. Price point wise, this might be difficult for someone starting out to justify but its the piece of gear that will truly help take your vocal track to the next level. Pair it with a great LDC like a Lewitt 440 Pure and you won’t need to do much post processing. Julian Krause has a great tutorial on how to get started with this and Darren O’Neill gives a little longer explanation that may help you more with the de esser and enhancer. The before and after is an astounding night and day transformation.
Gianni –
DBX223XSBuon prodotto. Sarebbe però stata preferibile la possibilità di separare le frequenze di taglio tra bassi e medioalti.
Justin Solomon SJ –
DBX – Name says it allLove this product. Best analog sounding and still worth using in a digital world.
Linda García –
Exelente herramienta de estudio, se trabaja cómodamente estoy satisfecho. Al grabar voces es impecable en relación precio calidad aun que le falta un botón de encendido
Alain DURANT –
Question qualité/prix, c’est parfait !Très content de mon achat.C’est un matériel qui m’a permis d’obtenir une qualité de son dans la voix que je n’avais pas.Il permet d’obtenir une profondeur dans la voix et est assez facile d’utilisation. Il existe le manuel d’utilisation en français sur le net. Le manuel d’utilisation est en anglais et quelques autres langues mais pas en français.Ceci dit, il suffit de brancher l’appareil et de “jouer” un peu avec ses possibilités pour se faire une idée objective de ses possibilités. A recommander ! Je m’en sert pour faire des voix off sur les reportages vidéo que je réalise.
R. Steiner –
Gutes Teil mit Mini-Macken▲ Sound Qualität empfinde ich als recht gut.▲ Eigenrauschen des Verstärkers ist wirklich recht gering bei sehr guter Verstärkung▲ DeEsser, Compressor, Effekt (Treble/Bass Boost) – alles sehr gut○ Gate könnte noch etwas feiner abgestimmt laufen, dürfte aber schon besser sein als die meisten anderen Gates, insb. für Vocals/Sprache.▼ Netzschalter hinten nervt. Kenne mich mit den Rack Einbauten nicht so aus, aber einen Schalter VORN hätte ich mir eher gewünscht.▼ Was mich wirklich nervt ist das wahnsinnige Brummen des Gerätes (nicht im Sound, sondern das Gerät/Netzteil selber). Wer denkt er muss das nicht in ein abgeschlossenes Rack einbauen und kann das irgenwo auf den Tisch stellen, der wird sein blaues Wunder erleben. Das kommt dann alles auf das Mic, sofern man ein Kondensator Mic verwendet. Ich musste das Teil in einen Schrank stecken und für Luftzirkulations sorgen.▽ Schade: Wer Mics mit Phantom Power anschließt, für den wird das Ein und Ausschalten einfach nervig. Damit bleibt einem nichts anderes übrig, als jedesmal die Regler runter zu drehen, Power on, Phantom Power on, Drehregler wieder einpegeln/einstellen und das Gleiche beim Ausschalten.Natürlich könnte man das Gerät einfach einschalten und alles so stehen lassen wie es eingepegelt wurde… und das Gerät macht das prinzipiell auch sehr gut – aber es wird ausdrücklich im Handbuch davor gewarnt und mit einem 600€ Mic will man nicht ausprobieren ob dass in jedem Falle funktioniert. Also bleibt einem zumindest bei Condenser Mics dieses Prozedere nicht erspart.◉ Fazit: Bis auf diese 3 Dinge finde ich den DBX 286S eine sehr gute und funktional durchdachte Sache für diesen Preis. Auch wenn man natürlich bei Digitalisierung für den Rechner viele Dinge sowieso evtl. noch mal durchlaufen wird (DeEsser, Gain, EQ, Finaler Limiter) und auch etwas besser tunen kann. So lässt sich auch verschmerzen, dass der DBX keinen Limiter mitbringt, auch wenn das noch der 5. Stern gewesen wäre…👍 Wenn Ihnen meine Rezension geholfen hat, dann würde ich mich über eine Bewertung freuen. Herzlichen Dank. 👍