286S Microphone/Line Preamp Channel Strip

The dbx 286S is a full channel strip that puts a studio-quality microphone and line preamp alongside four independent processors in a single rack space. Wide-ranging input gain control, switchable +48V phantom power, and an 80Hz high-pass filter give you a clean starting point for any mic or line-level source, removing hum, rumble, and wind noise before you reach the processing section. From there, dbx's patented OverEasy compressor evens out uneven levels or delivers the classic upfront vocal sound the technology is known for, a frequency-tunable De-Esser tames sibilance and cymbal harshness, an Enhancer adds sparkle to the highs and fullness to the lows without muddying the low-mids, and a program-adaptive Expander/Gate handles anything from subtle headphone leakage to a noisy guitar amp. Each processor can run independently or stack together in a single chain. A floating balanced XLR mic input accepts both balanced and unbalanced sources, a 1/4-inch TRS line input handles electronic instruments or pre-recorded tracks, and an insert jack lets you loop out to external processing when needed. A full set of metering and status LEDs shows exactly what each section is doing, so dialing in a clean vocal or line sound doesn't require guesswork. For anyone tired of patching several boxes together for one channel, the 286S keeps the signal path short and the setup simple.