just got my dbx576.

[Meshuggah]

Just got my used dbx576.. 1/3 of retailprice... Guess who havn't got a single microphone at home.....

Anyways... As soon as I get the rest of my gear home, I'll post some clips of the dbx576 and the Mackie Vlz Pro preamps.

I don't know if anyone's interested in such a "shootout", but it's the first I can provide as payback for everything I've learned here..

oooh darn does this baby look GOOD!!!

[Audio_Drivel]

I am actually quite interested in seeing this, as I just picked up a 566 dual compressor and am thinking about augmenting it with a 586 later on which will essentially give me 2 576s. . I also have only owned a mackie up till now. .

where pretel did you get it for 1/3 of the price, though?? heh

[Henrik]

I'd really like to hear that comparison as well.

/Henrik

[Tom Cram]

Make sure you change the tubes in that used 576. Who knows how old those puppies are. Other than that, I'm anxious to hear your conclusions.

[JimmyT]

I'm looking at some NOS stuff online. Does the 386 come stock with standard 12AX7s, or is it the 12AT7? (I guess I'm just too darn lazy to open mine up and look for myself, huh? Actually, it's at home and I'm not)
Thanks in advance Tom.

[Tom Cram]

It comes stock with 12au7's. But you can use any tube that shares the same pin format.

[Track Rat]

Tom
That would make an interesting thread; tube types/ manufacturers and their respective virtues and sounds as it applies to DBX gear. What do you think?

[JimmyT]

That would be a good thread. I'm sure there are quite a few silver series users around.

Well, I managed to get a pair of Telefunken 12AX7/ECC83s(possibly used but still strong) and a pair of Amperex 12AX7s (NOS) for 110 bucks total. I guess not bad considering I've seen the Tele's upwards of 100 bucks a pop.

But the only thing that concerns me is the output rating of the 12AX7/ECC83s as opposed to a 12AU7. From what I'm reading here: http://users.erols.com/bluestat/preampgain.html , the 12AU7s only have 20% of the gain that a 12AX7 does. Wouldn't the 12AX7 clip the hell out of the circuit in the 386???

I could see it working if it was maybe 80%, or even 60%. But 20%, that would translate to over 6db difference(if my math is right). And those 386es seem relatively hot-rodded already. I'm almost always using the input pad.

Regardless, I think I got a decent deal on some tubes, and I've got an ART Tubepac and also an NTK that could use the Teles if the 386 can't. OOOOH, I'm salivating already.

[Audio_Drivel]

Is there anything particularly special one needs to know about changing tubes besides the type? I have heard things about tube biasing, etc, and that it can be a bit of a tricky proposition. . this was in reference to instrument amps however. .

[Tom Cram]

I use 12ax7's in both my 576 and my 386, and I like 'em. They sound more aggressive, and I get more gain before distortion. I do Rawk stuff so aggressive is good. Biasing is more important in power tubes than in pre-amp tubes, from what I understand. JimmyT I think your math is right, but it IME it doesn't overdrive the circuit.

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"Jazz, pfffft...They just make it up as they go along."
-Homer Simpson-

[JimmyT]

Pardon my un-hipness, Tom, but what is Rawk???

I like the more gain before distortion part. The 386 has just an enormous amount of gain even now, though. By more agressive do you mean edgier? I actually wanted to try to soften the tone ever so slightly. I think the Amperex tubes are supposed to be less edgy than the Telefunkens.

[Tom Cram]

Raucous, Raw, Rock-n-Roll!

WARNING---WARNING---WARNING---WARNING---PERSONAL OPINION ALERT!!!

I haven't heard the Amperex's in the 386, but I have heard the Tele's and Tung-sol's. The Tele's were very smooth with more noticeable compression than the Tung-Sol's. A buddy tells me that the Amperex's and the Tung-Sol's are very similar. If that is the case, your results may be similar to mine. I found the Tung-Sol's to be very open sounding with a "silky" high end, I love 'em.

And by aggressive I mean the 12ax7's are a little more saturated sounding. I know that contradicts the stuff I said about more gain before distortion, but that is what I hear. I think what I'm hearing is more "good" distortion earlier with 12ax7's, instead of "bad" clipping distortion. Is this making any sense at all?

This stuff is sooooo incredibly subjective, one man's silky is another man's shitty. Also, once I've had 3 or 4 scotches everything starts sounding pretty nice.

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"Jazz, pfffft...They just make it up as they go along."
-Homer Simpson-

[JimmyT]

Yeah, ditto on the Scotch.

[Audio_Drivel]

So, in replacing the tubes, it is more or less a plug and play operation?? I am thinking about retubing the 566 that i just purchased. .

[JimmyT]

It's plug and play as long as you've got compatable tubes. That's part of the discussion above...one website I read said you COULD sub a 12AX7 for a 12AU7, another said not, but Tom assures us that (at least with the DBXs) you can.

[Tom Cram]

I would burn the tubes in overnight though.

Tom Cram
dbx Senior Technical Support
(801) 568-7530
tcram@dbxpro.com

"Jazz, pfffft...They just make it up as they go along."
-Homer Simpson-

[Audio_Drivel]

do you know of any good sites for tube reviews, in terms of variations between brands and NOS and whatnot?? Im looking for a tube that will get me somewhere between a slightly dirty 60s garage sound and an early 70s glam sound, which may be a bit much to ask for a tube. . in other words, something equitable from that era. . i should probably retube the pre in key keyboard amp, I know it uses a 12AX7. .

[Meshuggah]

Been putting the 576 to work with a signal fed from my Roland GP-100 guitar-preamp today. All I can say is that the 576 can make the most modest, anonymous sound glow with life. That damned thing almost persuaded me to start playing blues...