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Transform your vocal recordings with the dbx® 286s Channel Strip Processor / Mic Pre-Amp Processor. It's a top-tier pre-amp combined with four processors that can be used independently or in any combination, making the 286s a versatile piece of equipment designed to elevate audio quality, and simplify set-up. Whether you're recording in a professional studio or setting up a home studio, the dbx 286s ensures pristine sound with its sonically superior mic preamp, making it an essential tool for any serious musician or producer. The dbx 286s features classic dbx Compression, making it easy to achieve that polished, professional, punchy sound. Its frequency-tunable De-esser effectively reduces sibilance and high-frequency distortion, ensuring your vocals and instruments are clear and crisp. The Enhancer boosts the detail and definition of both high and low frequencies, adding depth, richness, sparkle, and punch. Additionally, the program-adaptive Expander/Gate can subtly reduce headphone leakage or completely gate noisy guitar amps, providing you with flexibility and control over your sound. The insert jack also allows the addition of an external processor seamlessly. The dbx 286s also comes equipped with a full complement of meters and status LEDs, making it easy to monitor your levels and adjust settings on the fly. Plus, with +48V phantom power and precision detented controls, this preamp/processor is ready to handle any microphone or instrument you throw at it. Say goodbye to the hassle of patching together multiple processors. The dbx 286s offers all the mic processing you need in one compact box, ensuring the shortest, cleanest signal path for your music. The dbx 286s is the perfect secret weapon to add to your setup, ensuring your music always sounds its best. Rack mountable 1U Dimensions: 1.75" x 5.75" x 19"
From the Manufacturer
The cost and hassle of patching together multiple processors for use on one track can be frustrating. The dbx 286s provides you with all the mic processing you need in one box, with the shortest, cleanest signal path to keep your music sounding its best! The floating balanced XLR mic input Accepts balanced or unbalanced inputs to easily connect to professional and home studio microphones. The additional 1/4" TRS line input can accept balanced/unbalanced signals to process live electronic instruments or pre-recorded tracks at mix down. Use the insert jack to interface between the mic preamp and the signal processing sections to "Loop out" to external processors (such as EQ or delay unit) or to mix the mic preamp's signal out to an external destination.
Macy
Reviewed in Germany on February 4, 2025
Der DBX 286s Mikrofonvorverstärker & Kanalzug ist in meinem Studio unverzichtbar ! Jede Stimme läuft bei mir durch dieses Gerät, weil es einfach super klingt und vielseitige Einstellmöglichkeiten bietet. Der Mic-Preamp arbeitet sauber und zuverlässig (Kondensator und Dynamische Mikros), und der De-Esser macht genau das, was er soll – und das hörbar gut!Besonders beeindruckend finde ich das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis . Im Vergleich zu anderen Herstellern bekommt man hier ein professionelles Studio-Tool für wenig Geld . Die Filter- und Anpassungsmöglichkeiten sind durchdacht und effektiv , sodass man den Sound perfekt optimieren kann.Fazit: Top-Vorverstärker für Sprach- und Gesangsaufnahmen! Einfach zu bedienen, flexibel und preislich unschlagbar. Absolute Empfehlung für jedes Studio! 🎧✅
Txema Alonso
Reviewed in Spain on January 15, 2024
Adquirí este producto para evitar tener que subir la ganancia de mi interfaz de audio a niveles muy altos para usar el SHURE SM7B. Los preamplificadores cumplen su función a la perfección y no tengo ni que subir la ganancia de la interfaz para lograr un nivel de sonido perfecto. Las funciones añadidas de compresor, de-esser, enhancer y expander se agradecen en un producto de este rango de precio y dan al sonido un extra que se agradece. Muy contento con la compra.
Justin Solomon SJ
Reviewed in India on July 25, 2023
Love this product. Best analog sounding and still worth using in a digital world.
weekend warrior
Reviewed in Japan on August 27, 2020
This is a great tool if you don't want to fiddle around on the computer after recording. For podcasting and basic uses, you can pretty much dial everything in so that no editing of the audio is necessary. I'm a hobbyist of course and a pro would probably laugh at what I am saying.
Derick Snow, Customer
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020
I use this to enhance my voiceover audio for some projects. Considering what it does, it's a pretty great value. It provides phantom power to mics that need it. It's a clean, very low-noise preamp; compressor/limiter; noise gate to reduce breath, mouth and room noise; simple EQ (lo and hi-tone) and even a de-esser. The knobs have a little 'click' as you rotate so you can perfectly gauge where your settings are from one project to another.I patch out into the 'line in' on my USB audio interface and once I've set levels it's a very consistent device. There are days when you need a little warmth and fuzz without any software plugins, or you have a live internet session with a client and you need a little compression from your mic and this does it great!Some people use this for podcasts or game streaming but I don't.Negatives: This is a big boy. It's made for an audio rack and fills out the space entirely with lots of weight. I don't have space for a rack in my small studio space so it sits on a side table. If this weren't so darn bulky I'd consider a second one! I also wish this had a power switch so I have one on the plug itself. If you turn off the phantom power on a mic that uses it, it can start feeding back if you're not careful.Those little annoyances aside, this unit gives great flexibility when I need it for a relatively great price.
Michael Dickson
Reviewed in Canada on October 24, 2018
I did a LOT of research before dishing out for this unit and it seemed to be just what I was looking for. It was. The pre-amp is strong and quiet. The effects are very user friendly and easy to set up for any voice. The expander/gate is particularly effective for raising the sound floor and eliminating much of the room noise, that will hamper any smaller scale recording setup.
Darren O'Neill
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018
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Steven Vee
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2014
When it first arrived, I admit that I was prepared to find fault with this relatively low cost device. However, I have since found it to be a very competent performer. The dbx 286S Audio Processor packs a lot of features and performance for the approximately $200 that I paid for it.This one rack space (1.75") high device contains a microphone preamplifier with switchable phantom power for condenser microphones, a limiter, expander/gate, and a two-band effects equalizer. All of the processing sections are interconnected such that a signal inserted at the front end passes through all of the sections before emerging at line level out of this device. The amount of audio limiting, expansion/gating and equalization can be set to taste and even individually turned off if you need a particular function. All of the sections "play" well together, making audio tweaks fairly easy to accomplish. Keep in mind that this is a monaural device that can accept balanced microphone or line level input signals.I found the background noise level to be very low (virtually inaudible), even at high mic preamplifier gain settings, and I found the frequency response surprisingly wide and pleasant. This processor brought out the better qualities of the several dynamic and condenser microphones that I auditioned through it. Everything comes through clear and clean at low to moderate control settings, although it is possible to significantly modify your audio, for better or for worse, at higher control settings. Download the manufacturer's manual for this device to learn about its individual features and functions, and how they are used.I find that I really have no complaints about the dbx 286S Audio Processor. It is now in daily use in my modest studio. The 286S does what the manufacturer's literature says it's supposed to do, and it does it crisply and cleanly without added noise or fuss.You can buy high end separate mic preamplifiers, limiters, expander/gates, and equalizers, then connect them all together to do what this little dbx box does. But, you will spend very much more money to achieve or exceed the same level of performance offered by the dbx 286S. Strong bang for the buck. Highly recommended!
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