DBX 286S Mic Preamp/Compressor

This box does what it is supposed to do and I bought this box based on Mike Russell recommendation who is a Podcaster, runs Music Radio Creative blog (http://podcast.musicradiocreative.com/) as well as Youtube channel and I was impressed by the quality of the sound he was getting. The mic pre-amp are decent for the price and 60db gain is good and can run dynamic mikes such as Shure S7B and Electro Voice RE20 (which require lot of gain). The compressor is very good and works very well. The gates are also decent however my environment is very noisy so the level of gate, where it eliminates all the background noise, also cuts some of the frequencies of my voices. I feel disappointment but it is not the problem of this box rather my environment is too noisy.Although Amazon has not mentioned the power input required for this box but I was little worried that it would run (I needed between 220-240) so I wrote the question and a number of helpful amazon users replied that it does operate at these voltages. Thanks to them and this is why I like to buy things from amazon. I have very sibilant voice and the de-esser also works very well and because of that I don't need de-esser in the software. The sound enhancer also works great. All in all a very featured packed mic pre-amp. If you are skeptical that whether a mic pre-amp with so many in-built functions would perform well then do not feel so as this device works very well. Now I am going to buy the Aphex Two-Channel Aural Exciter and Optical Big Bottom Effects Processor to get that Radio God like voice for my Youtube voice-overs. Yes I can achieve that voice in software processing as explained by Mike Russell as well but a hardware dedicated for these effects work the best and also it saves time.

Works even better than expected! Well worth the value. Fast delivery and well packed.

This is a great bit of kit for cleaning up ambient noise and processing the voice for broadcasting or recording. (can also be used with instruments) Gives punch and clarity for professional v/o performers. It does not plug straight into a computer usb, and is only suited for use with a mixer or A to D recording interface.You will need a 1/4 inch stereo male jack to jack to plug the unit into a line input of the mixing console.Be aware the mains plug supplied with this unit was not the UK version. It was a continental style twin round pin version. Luckily I had on old standard computer monitor cable to reuse. Otherwise it's a trip to Maplins and about £7 more cost

Extremely good piece of kit. Would be 5 star if come with a *UK/BRITISH* plug.

Its got the lot, compressor, noise gate, pre-amp, easy to use, looks good, works great, dont know how I managed without itThe negatives: There is no switch on the unit leaving you unplugging from the mains every time, a real shame on an otherwise perfect unit.

Did not work

This is a serious bit of kit. Very professional results. Worth taking the time to set up properly. Plenty of videos out there to help you set up and understand all the features. Worth every penny.

If you're on the search for a compressor for vocals, then you already know what they do.All I can say is that this one does the job of killing background noise EXTREMELY well.Well worth the few pennies for something that does the job even better than some other 'Industry standard' name brands do for a fraction of the price.The seller and delivery service was top notch too.