DBX 286S Mic Preamp Processor REVIEW - Do you really need it?

Рет қаралды 8,911

Күн бұрын

Here's my review on the DBX 286S Mic Preamp / Processor, with demo walkthrough on all it has to functions it has to offer in this neat little unit.
Tested with the Shure SM7b dynamic microphone and TASCAM DR-60D MK II audio recorder.
Only you will know if you need this in your studio setup, but here's my honest advice - you can probably save yourself some money if you just watch this video instead. :)
DBX 286S Mic Preamp / Processor
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Shure SM7B
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TASCAM DR-60D MK II
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CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING ► bit.ly/2KzIi40
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PATREON ► bit.ly/3aK34sF
Camera Gear
===========
Canon C100 Mark II - amzn.to/3g3BOKn
Canon 50mm F/1.8 STM - amzn.to/3vpSWQF
Fuji X-T2 - amzn.to/3q2DO8M
Fuji 16-55mm F2.8 - amzn.to/3onzDnE
Fuji 35mm F1.4 - amzn.to/3ntnSee
SWIT CM-55C 5" Monitor - amzn.to/2LssjIR
Dummy battery - amzn.to/3bzXmNt
NPF Battery + USB charger - amzn.to/2XtYA4R
Audio Setup
==========
Shure SM7B - amzn.to/3bMkt7H
DBX 286S Mic Preamp - amzn.to/3bKgngk
Tascam DR-60DMKII Recorder - amzn.to/3bMq7Xt
XLR Cable - amzn.to/30G7MoF
Bose QuietComfort QC35 II Bluetooth Headphone - amzn.to/31JF8a8
Lighting
=======
Godox SL60W LED Light - amzn.to/2MLDlcV
Neewer 48" Parabolic Softbox - amzn.to/39zNDpm
Neewer 5 in 1 180cm x 120cm reflector - amzn.to/3l6z4h2
Viltrox VL-162T LED RGB Light - amzn.to/35mJfYy
Amazon Basics Light Stands - amzn.to/39f43lz
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Diffusion Fabric - amzn.to/3npiUin
Support Gear
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Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod - amzn.to/3ovNVTa
Manfrotto Ball Head - amzn.to/3cj6eGl
edelkrone HeadONE - amzn.to/2PUV2Z5
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Smallrig Ball Head - amzn.to/3l3UjQN
Smallrig Ballhead Super Clamp - amzn.to/3nvKJ8S
X-Rite ColorChecker Passport - amzn.to/38w1o8h
Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I might make a small commission if you click them and make a qualifying purchase.
0:00 Intro
0:18 What is it? (Features)
0:46 The setup
1:16 Demo walkthrough
1:26 Demo - Mic preamp
2:02 Demo - 48V Phantom Power
2:12 Demo - 80Hz High-Pass filter
2:24 Demo - Process bypass
2:35 Demo - Compressor
3:37 Demo - De-Esser
4:36 Demo - Enhancer (LF/HF Detail)
5:26 Demo - Expander/Gate
6:55 Demo - Output Gain
7:35 End of demo portion
7:40 Why did I buy it?
8:35 Danger of using the 286S
8:40 Hardware vs Software plugins
9:20 Selling it because...
9:56 Adding a FetHead?
10:20 Final words
10:45 Outro
#DBX286S #TASCAM_DR60D_MKII #Shure_SM7B

Пікірлер: 68

@YuennyLam 3 жыл бұрын

So many dials and lights! Interesting what difference it can make without even doing it in post recording. What a great informative tutorial lesson that's easy to understand 👍👍

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Love the flashy lights 😂 but it’s bulky and not really portable having this unit plugged in.

@WEDZGAMING 2 жыл бұрын

Thx bro for explaining DRIVE and DENSITY in context for me to understand. Great tutorial, subbed and like!

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped! Thanks for checking out my video. Did you purchase the 286S too?

@sung_yun 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your sharing of your view on this preamp.

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you like it! Thank you very much for checking out my video. 😊

@bobbydolan 2 жыл бұрын

I buy things i DONT need thinking the product will give me some magical results. Thanks for saving me $200 and a headache. I really appreciate your honesty and in depth review.

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, thanks for checking out my video. Happy to hear this makes a difference. 😊

@press_pause2236 3 жыл бұрын

You are having a run with your videos, I like that!

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Really appreciate it. ☺️ i tried really hard to keep pushing them out. Hopefully I can keep at it. Thanks again ☺️

@mjww100 2 жыл бұрын

I was troubled by the small output of the BATA58A and came across this video when I was considering installing dbx. I'd love to buy one for use in live streaming! Thanks for the great info!

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

It will definitely help with the output as your mic needs high gain since it's a dynamic mic. It will work/help. But do you need all the other processing effects? It could be useful if you're live streaming though!

@mjww100 2 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial Thank you for your response. I have considered the Cloudlifter CL-1 and the DM1 DYNAMITE, but I think dbx has the advantage due to price and versatility. I think the advantage is that I can use the expander and de-esser in addition to the amp. I considered using software to process everything except the amp, but I want to use audio on multiple PCs, so I think a hardware preamp is the way to go!

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds good! For roughly the same as a mic activator. The DBX is great value considering what it can do.

@garyanderson5609 Жыл бұрын

After 49 years in broadcasting .The DBX 286s does a major improvement. If your streaming live it's the only way to go! If you record a podcast then use plug Ins!

@JoeLamOfficial Жыл бұрын

Thanks Gary. I have to agree 🙂 it is super handy though without need to do as much processing after.

@andyr8812 3 жыл бұрын

I have recently got a dbx 286s, and prefer much more a reliable hardware mic processing unit than software plugins, which can be a real pain to use with different applications, and can give all sorts of software and performance problems. The only thing that I really hate about the dbx 286s is its *very* noisy built-in power transformer. I am talking about the 50 Hz (I am in Europe) mechanical vibration noise that it produces, and it is picked up by the microphone. I had to order a Toroidal type of transformer to replace its original transformer (have just ordered one). It could be that the units produced for 120 VAC/60 Hz have much less transformer noise than the 230 VAC/50 Hz, as I don't see many complaints from the US.

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Andy! I have to agree with most of the things you have said. I did notice a very slight hum sometimes when I'm close to the device but luckily it doesn't get picked up in the recording itself. I did like it, but as mentioned, I ended up not using most of the processing after switching mics and camera. Otherwise it's a great device. :)

@cousin532 Жыл бұрын

very very helpfull thank you very much

@JoeLamOfficial Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Thank you for checking out my video.

@kry3634 3 жыл бұрын

Loved the video man. There is something in the background producing some really annoying hiss/white noise, idk if it's a fan or an air conditioner, but it's rather audible and it was a bit annoying. Idk if it's just my headphones, but if you could do something about that, it would greatly enhance the video quality! :) Keep up the good work

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Hi there. Thanks for checking out my video first of all. And you are right! It's my 2 GODOX LED lights that have built in fans that are quite high pitched and loud. That's partly why I went with SM7 dynamic mic. Hoping it will reject the background noise as much as possible. What speaker/headphone you using? I usually test on a lot of devices and speakers and I do know it's there, for the silent portion I use a noise gate to try and block the obvious parts. But obviously it's still there within my speaking portion. I could use a spectral denoiser to remove it in the speaking parts, but if I can get away with it, I really don't like using noise filters as it tends to degrade the audio. Guess I didn't get away with it this time.

@kry3634 3 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial I use the hyperx cloud 2 headphones, so nothing fancy! Are the lights positioned behind the mic by chance? That's the best way to have it reject the noise coming from those lights :)

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

@@kry3634 there’s one behind me on my right. And the key light to my left at the front. Not entirely behind it but slightly off to the side. I’m literally kissing the mic hoping my voice will be the loudest sound source and turned the gain as low as possible to minimise pickup from any other background sound. But interesting. Think you’re the first to notice it.

@BeezGotBuzz 3 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial I thought it was the noise floor of the preamp the whole time, which will confuse a lot of people watching this video thinking it's a noisy preamp and will turn them off from it.. You should state somewhere that the white noise that sounds exactly like a noise floor is from some fans in your room and not the preamp. All I could think the whole time was "Wow this preamp sounds terrible" until I scrolled the comment section.

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Hi thanks for your input. I probably should have made a bit more clear. Some of it is from the light fans HOWEVER there is preamp when you crank it all the to the max at the preamp stage or add even more on the output stage. It can drive the SM7 but it’s not entirely quiet either when you crank the gain and use the compressor drive etc. The noise gate helps to mask some of this noise also.

@jayj2702 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, is anyone getting a bit of a buzzing sound when you put your ear to the dbx286s, its only plugged into the mains, any info would be good. Thanks

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

I haven’t noticed on mine but does it get picked up in the recording? Otherwise some electrical devices do make some noises and also depend on your power supply in the house / wiring.

@ellinikosfm 7 ай бұрын

Great Video can i use same time stereo tools + cloudlifter with electrovoice re 20 mic and DBX 286s ? thanks

@JoeLamOfficial 7 ай бұрын

I'm unclear what secific "stereo tools" you are referring to? Do you mean running 2 mono mics into the 286s somehow?

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Phew had to check the dictionary. Somehow thought “simpler” wasn’t a real word 😅 but it is apparently.

@nosnitchpolicy1949 2 жыл бұрын

Can we bypass the pre amp? I prefer my Avalon as my pre amp, but I want to purchase this hardware only for the de-esser

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think you can. You can by pass the effects. But the first part of the chain is the pre amp section.

@skyace888 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review. Valid main point that hardware-based audio processing like this is primarily for live applications like live podcasting, live webinars, etc. that I regularly do in my home office. Any other similar units to consider though? Also what are some good USB audio interface options for this?

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, do you need those live processing feature? There's a new product from Focusrite Vocaster they just released that might be suitable for you? focusrite.com/en/vocaster It has processing feature and some automation, small desk size with live processing. USB and enough juice to drive SM7b. Sounds promising?

@stadiosports8690 2 жыл бұрын

Behringer UV1 / ART voicechannel

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Looks like an awesome bit of kit. Seem to tick all the boxes! Hope to try it out one day. 😉 Have you got any experience with it?

@ScorpiaIntell 3 жыл бұрын

If you want some quieter studio lights I would suggest aputure's amaran series Great lights for the money And very quiet fans never had any problems with recording on the sennheiser mkh416 and sm7b

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip. Glad to hear (pun not intended) that they are quieter. Hopefully I can afford to upgrade them one day as the SL60 are quite noisy even with the SM7B, which is quite annoying but they were affordable and do provide enough light for what I need at the moment for filming. The Aputure's amaran is a fair bit higher in the price bracket for me at the moment.

@ScorpiaIntell 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah but the overall fan noise is not distracting at all but if you wanted to try to hide it you could try applying subtle music tracks to help especially since in your newer videos the noise gate makes the pauses in your sentences stand out a bit But I know how it is to sit down in your audio editing software after you spent a good amount of money trying to perfect your audio and nitpicking your quality I hope I can learn more from you in future videos!!

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Not at all. Good to know how my audience including yourself feels about my video quality and content. Thanks again. It might help if I back off a little with the noise gate. Personally I like to add music but at the same I totally understand how subjective music is. I know what I like and don’t like. It’s very easy to annoy some people when it comes to music so I tend to avoid it as much as possible if I can help it.

@ScorpiaIntell 3 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial Nothing wrong with implementing music. So long as it's not too distracting I think it would be sick with the amazing b-roll, Maybe subtle jazz? Also, I think the setting you put into the DBX 286s was a bit off. I believe that you need to do all the processing on the dbx itself and avoid adding gain on the Tascam or anything of that sort and let the dbx do all the processing and just use the Tascam to feed the signal and I think the gain was set to high on the dbx But maybe this can help. He uses the DBX with the SM7B and you could try to copy the settings I hope I was able to help kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oqiDbJugmLXKf4k.html&ab_channel=Podcastage

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the link. Well it’s impossible to have zero gain at the recorder. And maxing out the DBX produces noise as well. It’s a tough one with music. Some like it some hate it. Too difficult to find the right music. Had people complain about music before. Which is understandable. I’m sure there are certain music you don’t like yourself? I’m ok with jazz but Again some people will probably moan about it.

@Unplugged704 8 ай бұрын

What’s the difference between 286 vs 266?

@JoeLamOfficial 7 ай бұрын

Functionality: The DBX 286 is primarily a microphone preamp and channel strip processor. It offers features such as microphone gain control, phantom power, de-esser, enhancer, EQ, and compressor. The DBX 266, on the other hand, is a dual-channel compressor/gate. It focuses on dynamics processing, including compression, limiting, and gating. Channels: The DBX 286 is a single-channel unit, designed for processing one microphone signal at a time. It is commonly used for vocals or individual instruments. In contrast, the DBX 266 is a dual-channel unit, allowing you to process two separate audio signals simultaneously. This makes it suitable for stereo applications or processing multiple sources at once. Controls: The DBX 286 offers a wider range of controls for shaping the sound, including a de-esser, enhancer, and more extensive EQ options. It also includes a variable impedance control for matching different microphone types. The DBX 266 focuses on compression and gating controls, with parameters such as threshold, ratio, attack, release, and range. Application: The DBX 286 is commonly used in recording studios, podcasting, broadcasting, and live sound environments where detailed signal processing and vocal enhancement are desired. It can be particularly useful for improving the quality of vocal recordings. The DBX 266 is often employed in live sound setups, PA systems, and audio installations to control dynamics, reduce background noise, and prevent feedback.

@realeyesrealizereallies1176 4 ай бұрын

Nothing about the backside?

@justanotherpxrson 2 жыл бұрын

the only reason im looking into this is because i do this stuff in realtime through software, but its a real pain to set up and now im trying to switch to linux and its even more of a pain on there.

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

In real-time - a hardware solution like this might be better. At least it won't be using up computer resources - with audio its very easy to get glitches and problem sometimes. What specific functions do you require?

@justanotherpxrson 2 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial noise gate, eq because of audio interface noise problems and also to get a similar result that a de esser would before I actually started using one, wanted to use a compressor but it would bring out the noise more, and a limiter mostly for gain. If I use the dbx instead, I would also upgrade my audio interface because I’m using a behringer um2 which has laughably bad noise unless you are using the drivers on windows (and I just switched to Linux).

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

I see I see, yeah the UM2 is quite noisy from what I've seen online. The DBX has plenty of gain and the compressor also adds more gain, plus the mic pre amp and out put gain option. Perhaps that will minimise the noise too, but depends on what mic you are using and your new interface. All in all, it should help to add a lot more gain.

@justanotherpxrson 2 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial I am using a shure sm58 currently and I love it. I am probably going to start by just upgrading to a focusrite scarlett solo or something just to get a better audio interface and see what I am working with from there. HOPEFULLY I wont need to go with the full on dbx route, but it would also be kind of fun if I decide I need it still lol.

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

@@justanotherpxrson ah. Nice nice. The classic sm58. Depends if you want the hardware processing 🙂 or rely on software.

@jayjones2821 2 жыл бұрын

Wow! And I don’t mean the equipment.

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

So much fun playing with it even if you don't need it. 😅

@sounddesires8506 2 жыл бұрын

We need more honesty like this in this inter§&/()"net! Great real toughts!

@JoeLamOfficial 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I always try and give my honest opinion based on what I understand at the time of making the video. :)

@hildegarden6 Жыл бұрын

Yes, you need a de-esser; your voice is sibilant. Your voice is also boomy. Stop using Bose headphones and get neutral, clear and detailed headphones such Sennheiser HD560S, HD600, or Beyerdynamic DT880.

@JoeLamOfficial Жыл бұрын

Hi. Thanks for your feedback. I have been wanting to get some flat studio headphones. I have been looking into Beyerdynamics, but can't quite decide which one yet. Any thoughts? Open or close back?

@Liam3072 Жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial Why not go with a good ol' Sennheiser HD-25? Cheap, neutral, quite precise, and incredibly durable. Excellent for monitoring and sound-taking. You definitely want closed back if you plan to use them for real time monitoring.

@mrn84d 3 жыл бұрын

Sooooooo you don’t need a deesser????????

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

I've not been using it with my recent videos with the SM7b.

@mrn84d 3 жыл бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial listen to the video .... you need it sir

@JoeLamOfficial 3 жыл бұрын

Hm could add a little in post Compared to the yeti and rode video mic I had. The SM7b is a lot darker already with less high frequencies

@Bradleybrookwood 10 ай бұрын

I've heard that all of the audio interfaces from road have all of the effects built-in as onboard digital processing effects and I've read that all of the effects on the DBX286 are included in the road audio interface? I wonder if that's true or not. I hear it sounds amazing.

@JoeLamOfficial 9 ай бұрын

I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with a brand or product called "Road" in the context of audio interfaces or digital processing effects. Do you have the specific model you're referring to?

@Bradleybrookwood 9 ай бұрын

@@JoeLamOfficial the rode caster duo is the model that I ordered that I'm expecting to come tomorrow