Dbx 576 Pre/Compressor

[HangDawg]

I have been considering this unit for purchase. I currently have no "DECENT" preamps at the moment. I also do not have any outboard compressors. My setup consists of an alesis 16 channel mixer, delta 1010, and PC with Nuendo. Does anyone have any experience with this unit? Rip Rowan gives it a fairly good review for whatever that is worth. The compressors can be patched in and used independantly, which is cool. It's not a starved plate design, which is really cool. I'm pretty sure that my friend at Manny's can get me one at his discount. Is there any reason I should not consider buying it?

[chessrock]

Originally posted by HangDawg
Is there any reason I should not consider buying it?

Reviews on this one are very mixed -- you'll get as many opinions on it as you will people you ask. For starters, Rip is the only reviewer I know of who's ever given it such an enthusiastic endorsement. Most of the guys on R.A.P seem to think it ranges from bla to crappy.

I've never used this specific pre, but I've used others within the dbx Silver line, and I thought that, for the most part, it (they) sounded fine. Nothing particularly horrible about it at all. Unfortunately, nothing that really struck me as being great about it either. The preamps sounded fine . . . the EQ and compression were both usable.

My favorite thing the dbx silver line has going for it is the A/D conversion you get on some of their units. In fact, I would consider shelling out $500 for the 386 just for the a/d conversion alone! I seriously would -- I think it's world's better (to my ears, at least) than anything I've heard out of a digi card, and slightly better than the m-audio stuff. It actually reminded me of the quality I've heard out of some of the Paris recordings I've fiddled with. And it's Type IV system is pretty cool in sense that you are basically getting a peak limiter with it as well.

In a nutshell, if you're looking for an all-in-one channel strip, and a good a/d converter is very important to you, then absolutely get one - although I'd probably get the 386. If you're looking for just good mic pre / channel strip, my opinion is that it's overpriced for what it does. For the same $800, for example, you could get yourself a Soundcraft M4 mixer + 2 RNC compressors. That would give you 4 channels of good mic preamps, 4 channels of very good EQ, and 2 of really nice compression. Money much better spent, IMHO.

Two Mindprint Envoices could be had for $600 (when I last checked). And a couple of used symetrix 528's can be had for around $400 or so.

All of which are better, in my opinion, than what you'd be getting with the the dbx silver stuff (in terms of anything non-a/d related. that is).

[HangDawg]

Hmmmmm, very interesting. I hate the "GEAR PRE-PURCHASE BLUES" IT'S ALL SO CONFUSING, AAHHHHH!!!



Thanks chessrock.

[Tom Cram]

Do a web search for the James Woods Band CD "Moodswing." His stuff is being played on MTV's Undressed pretty frequently. I recorded all of the vocals for his album with a SolidTube and a dbx 576. That should give you an idea of what the 576 sounds like.

p.s. here's a good link

http://www.sonicgarden.com/sonic-web...fm?albumid=855

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

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[Audio_Drivel]

My song, "Clever" (at http://www.originalcyndi.com) uses the DBX 566 extensively on drums and vocals, so you may be able to get a feel for it there. .

[Tom Cram]

Since I posted the link to some of my work, I've had a few PM's asking about what else I used. Here is the list;

Vocals: AKG SolidTube (modified) into a dbx 576 (modified), into PARIS.

Guitars: Various guitars/amps/cabs/processors with various combinations of Shure SM57's, Sennheiser MD421's/441's, EV's, into Digitech VTP-1's and dbx 1066's, into PARIS.

Bass: Warwick StageII Streamer, into SWR Interstellar Overdrive, into PARIS.

Acoustic: Takamine recorded direct upon insistence of client.

Drums: Drum Workshop, (K) AKG D112, (SN) AKG C418, (T1/T2) AKG C418's, (T3) Sennheiser MD421, (OVH) XY AKG C1000's, all into Digitech VTP-1's and dbx1066's, and then into PARIS.

Monitors: Event 20/20 BAS, Auratone, JBL, AKG K240M's, Magnavox CD player, stock Jeep Cherokee.

Room: Untreated bedroom and living room, some stuff in the closet.

I didn't pay more than $1000 for any single piece of gear except PARIS and the Jeep. Totally bottom-feeder and mostly with gear that everybody hates.

Here is a different link for those who had trouble with the other one.

http://www.friction.pair.com/library.html

Scroll down to James Woods

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

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[HangDawg]

Thanks for the details Tom. What was the modifications done to the dbx 576?

[Tom Cram]

>What was the modifications done to the dbx 576?<

All 1% parts (inside it's a sea of blue), some electrolytics replaced, NOS Tung-Sol 12ax7's, linear pots instead of b-tapers.

I like the way 12ax7's sound, and I mentally relate more to linear pots instead of b-tapers. I've replaced most b-tapers with linear pots in all of my gear.

Don't think that these mods mean that a stock 576 sounds terrible. It just makes my unit sonically closer to the engineering spec ideal.

I modify all my crap.

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

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson-

[Hard2Hear]

We did some female vocal recording with a Solidtube through the 576. Interesting...but ours were both stock, no mods (we're not as cool as Tom!). I liked the sound, but it seemed like the 576 was very easy to clip. Maybe we were doing something wrong, but I couldn't get a level I really liked without it clipping on me. We ended up using the ISA110 that day. But I liked the sound the 576 was getting better, it just wouldn't handle the input as well.

H2H