DBX Compressors - Tom Cram, guys .. anyone ???

  • Thread starter Thread starter cjacek
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I just bought another 166 today. My other one is one the fritz and I can't afford to have it offline. Its too bad. Over the last 6 months its become useless, It started with it not passing signal at all on channel 1.... Might have to pop the top and take a look :) Maybe clean it up inside.


SoMm
 
Unplug the unit before getting into the tub with it...dont make the same mistake I did.
 
Yeah, I use it (163x) on vocals all the time and it works real good! :)

Daniel
 
do you use it live or for recording vocals? how do you like to set it up?

thanks..
 
CDT-sHaG said:
do you use it live or for recording vocals? how do you like to set it up?

thanks..
Click to expand...

I use it for recording vocals to tape. I found that it is best to be conservative when using it (or any comp for that matter) so I set the slider about 1/3 of the way to the right and threshold to no more than 15 db. I set my mic preamp (on my mixer) so that the lights on the 163x start to kick in several db before hitting red.

Daniel
 
No offense to Tom Cram, But

I purchased the 266xl mainly to tame my wife's very dynamic vocal range. I just wanted to limit the peaks with very light compression- around 3dbs average at the loudest parts.

I have to say this compressor sucks. It makes vocals sound as if they are being sung through a pillow. It removes all clarity and presence.

My chain is a LDC mic to an M-Audio Omni Studio with the 266xl inserted.

Maybe this is a great compressor for other purposes. I can't wait to get rid of this one. Until I can find out why dBX makes such a dog of a compressor (others agree...do some research) and exploits the naive home studio person, I will not buy anymore of their products.

Regards-

Woodshedder
 
Okay, but you are not naive anymore now, right? :-)

We've all been through that at one time or another (or many times). The real issue is bottom fishing, trying to get something good but not paying for it. The good stuff costs money, real money sometimes. So there's no point in boycottng DBX products because you bought their cheapest home studio unit and didn't like it. Had you researched those posts before you purchased you'd have discovered the negative reviews prior to spending your hard earned money.

For taming your wifes vocals I'd suggest a DBX 160X or 160XT. Those get used on female vocals all the time and sound great. You can find them on eBay for around $200. It's also a pro unit that has come down in price, not a cheapo design.
 
I agree with Albert. I think that their (dbx) higher line of comps, and especially some of the vintage ones like the 160, are one of the best money can buy. The 266xl I would consider to be entry level and, if set correctly, can be helpful. It's not the best but it'll do. I've had one and liked the general "robust" build of it. The comp was ok but I agree that it tames the highs quite a bit and it had a damn clicking noise when it reached about 10 db. dbx told me it was a faulty unit. I'm sure it is, but I've seen many reports of same from people. Look, I think the 266xl is a good entry level comp but it is not the best out-there. It's also very inexpensive. Personally I LOVE dbx vintage comps. They're the best!

Daniel
 
So its okay to sell an inferior product simply because most people that buy it don't know any better?

I disagree with your logic. Yes the 266 clicks like crazy above 10dbs. Yes it sounds like you are singing through a pillow. Yes it sucks overall. Why sell it then??? In my opinion, just because a product is cheap, doesn't mean it shouldn't work properly.

And I wasn't bottom fishing. I went with dBX because of the name. I could have bought a Berry, or an Aleesis. I didn't because I had heard so many good things about dBX. Why sell a piece of crap??? Why water down a good name by selling inferior crap???

No, the dBX is not a good entry level compressor. "Good" and 266xl do not belong in the same paragraph together. Do not buy this product. It will suck for you too. Don't make the mistake I did and trust the name.

Sonic wrote: "So there's no point in boycottng DBX products because you bought their cheapest home studio unit and didn't like it. Had you researched those posts before you purchased you'd have discovered the negative reviews prior to spending your hard earned money."

Your right. I am boycotting dBX because their cheapest home studio unit does not work properly. They were trying to capitalize on the home studio craze, and let $$$ get in the way of good business practices.

Regards-

Woodshedder
 
I am boycotting dBX because their cheapest home studio unit does not work properly.
Click to expand...

Uh no.

The 266xl was designed for guitar/bass rigs and small installs. Because of its price people started looking at it for home studio apps. Now back to your regularly scheduled dbx boycott, enjoy!
 
"Uh no.

The 266xl was designed for guitar/bass rigs and small installs. Because of its price people started looking at it for home studio apps. Now back to your regularly scheduled dbx boycott, enjoy!"

Important distiniction, Mr. Cram. I find it refreshing that a man with a huge stake in this topic would come on and comment, especially considering my previous post. Thanks for your input. Would you care to comment on why the 266xl does not work well for vocals?

Regards-

Woodshedder
 
I very rarely get calls about the 266xl clicking. I've read a couple posts referencing "clicking" on the net, but the actual returns do not reflect a problem. I've personally only seen two units come back with this problem in five years. Both were faulty VCA's.

If you just bought the unit, I'd return it to the dealer. If you have passed the return date, give me a call or get it to a service center in your area. Or you could boycott...
 
Hey Tom (or anyone).

I recently picked up a DBX 119 compressor through Ebay... do you think it would be better to use this than software compressor plug-ins (mostly freebie ones, or Waves (use them through the trial period)) for most things?


I actually have to run the compressor line through a Boss BR1180 for its mic pre and then into my aardvark direct pro (no inserts) in order to use the compressor while recording... how much help/good is the compressor going to do when recording guitar/vox/drums? I figured I would put it in to make sure I can get a good hot signal without it clipping as well as give the sound a nice 'color' or 'taste' (not sure whether the 119 would be a good candidate for this? better to use it just a limiter type compression?).

Thanks
 
The only thing that I use compression on normally is vocals. I find that with a dynamic vocalist, it helps to keep levels a little hotter.

Every once in a while, maybe on guitar or bass. Usually these levels stay pretty consistent, so I use a compressor to achieve a different tone or quality, but as I said early, I do this very rarely.

I don't record drums, so I have no experience.

The prevailing wisdom seems to be to NOT record through the compressor. Once recorded, you are stuck with what you have. There are many good to great compressor plugins out there- FaSoft ($20.00) for cheap or free. Use these afterwards, if necessary.

I prefer to not add color to my recordings, at least not from the compressor anyway.

YMMV

Regards-

Woodshedder
 
I think the same way...in where Ill tend to add it while bouncing tracks afterwards...if the vocal is too dynamic.
 
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