DBX 286s Mic Preamp With Shure SM7B Mic 

First of all I would like to mention that I am one of your fans and I would like to thank you for your effort…I would like you to recommend a smaller version of the DBX 286s in which that it can be easy for traveling and it has almost the same features, thank you and waiting for your reply.

great tutorial, I've had this since 2017, I still struggle with the deesser, so I tend to leave it half and half, but I think your explanation of the deesser makes sense.

I would choose to pair the DBX 286S with the Electro-Voice RE20 over the Sure SM7B. I do agree that the DBS 286S would be a much smarter buy than the Cloud Lifter.

I have got one, and it is a great unit! However, there is one problem that many owners have complained about. Its internal power supply transformer makes too much noise. It is not a signal noise, but an irritating mechanical (vibration) noise that is picked up by the microphone when nearby the unit. At least, this applies to some units with 220-230 Vac/50 Hz transformers here in Europe. I am not sure if this problem occurs with 110-120 Vac/60 Hz transformers. In my case, I have ordered a Toroidal type transformer with 230 Vac primary and 2x 24 Vac secondary. The transformer must have these two specified outputs, and it should handle at least 8 VA for each output. The one I ordered handles a total of 2x 10 VA, and is small enough to mount inside the chassis after removing the original transformer. Toroidal transformers have the advantages of not producing mechanical noise, have less EMF "scattering" (important in audio products), and are more efficient and durable. I haven't received the transformer yet, but I strongly believe that this will solve the problem. It is a shame that dbx have produced a great mic amplifier, only to be let down by a cheap and noisy power supply transformer. I do not recommend that owners with no knowledge of electric circuits attempt to make any modifications by themselves, but consult an electrical/electronics technician to make the modification. have less

wish you had turned the knobs on the expander/gate too

This is a really good video. Thanks for positing it.

The prices right now here in Europe are 167 EUR for cloudlifter CL-1 and 155 EUR for DBX 286s...

with these preamp i think it's enough to get good sounding vocals, coz you still have plugins for mixing.

I try 2 let people know that this is the way 2 go....Save up even if it takes a year!...Buying this and that thinking you may find something good will add up over time!...Sometimes you just get what you pay for!..When you see all these people trying 2 compare other mics 2 this one! That should tell you something! Pairing it with this 286s makes all the difference and well worth it!..It will give you a professional sound and save you a lot of time and money in the end!...

Great video! Did I see the edge of the Audient ID14 in your setup? Are you using the DBX286s with the Audient? I have the Shure SM7b with a SE Dynamite and Audient ID14. I wanted to try the DBX286s.

Can you take out line level from both "insert" plug and "output" plugs at the same time? If that were possible, you could use stereo interface and capture both raw and processed audio.

Thanks

The audient interface's preamp is not powerful enough to push the SM7B? do you really need a mic preamp?

Would you recommend the sm7b with dbx or a cloudlifter with the rodecaster pro?

Hi! Great video! I was wondering though if you notice a white noise hiss with the sm7b + dbx 286s. I cant, for the life of me get rid of that preamp white noise. Its subtle but its there. Even more prominent with the sm7b. Using the gate/expander does eliminate it but I prefer not to use them since when I speak, it still gets picked up with the dialogue. Do you have a solution for that? Thank you!

Great walkthrough of the DBX, but your voice is clipping all the time so maybe you want check up on that. For the typical viewer it would be counter intuitive to have confidence in someones mic/preamp recommendations when that someone can’t get the basics right. (I don’t mean to sound like a jerk, it really is the basics since it is a litle ironic that you talk about why you don’t have the mic gain all the way up to avoid clipping, while you are actually clipping while saying that) All the best.

Awesome video. What’s the best load setting for the SM7B?

hi I am using id14 with Aston Spirit its good to add dbx286s to my setup?

I just don’t get it I have the dbx286 Shure 7msb and the solo scarlet I jus don’t understand why I’m always getting this fuzzy sound when I record

Curious what's the 'speaker stand' you have the DBX mounted to?

Hi can i use DBx with id14 with trs cable or need trs to xlr?

Hey man can you give me a link to the rack you have so I have one for the dbx, please and thank you. New sub too bro.

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

Hello sir! Do you think i need an power conditioner or a normal socket adapter with switch on / off for him, because it doesn't have the power botton?

I have a Shure sm7b , with a focusrite 2i2 interface and a cloud lifter. I feel like my mic sounds low even with all this so are you saying that with the dbx286 i can get rid of the cloud lifter and just connect it to my 2i2 and it will sound louder ?

in your video, I see the DBX and the SM7B. But what other equipment are you using? my sound is very low I can barely hear anything

I bought a DBX286s, and enjoyed it for a year before it died. So I bought another one, and it died within 6 months. Never again.