Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Ted, the bass player]

Well, I am a fledgling DAW home studio owner as some of you know, and not at all as technically knowledgable as anyone here. I am putting together this studio on a tight budget. The goal here is to have a decently clean medium to write songs and to exchange ideas with. I pretty much have all my choices down, with the exception of my pre-amp. I am looking for something around the $500.00 price-point, and have seen a couple DBX 586's for about this. The problem is, this is a discontinued item so I can't go listen to it locally. Will this suit my purpose, or am I better off going with something like a Presonus Eureka or a Focusrite MH433? I like the idea of the tubes (if the unit is quiet and clean). Here is the rest of my set up/potential set up that relates to this choice.

Protools M-box
Event TR-5 monitors
AKG K240S
Studio projects C1
Oktava MC-012
Sure SM-57

Any input is useful and appreciated.

Thanks,
Ted

[Punkity]

I'm pretty sure you will find info about this if you search the old REC forums.

Some people like it (I'm one), some people dislike it.

It is pretty clean and the tube is used for amplification, not for starved plate silliness. I think the EQ stinks and usually bypass it. There is a little emergency limiter on it too, which is convienent. It is the best DI for bass I've ever owned, but that isn't saying much.

I use a pair of 576 which are the pre/comp combination. I like the compressor a bunch. It has plenty of good character. I'd advise that if you are into the whole compression during tracking thing.

Whoa, Deja Vous.

[Ted, the bass player]

Well, I searched the forums and there was only 1 match come up, and it was on an equipment list- no real useful information.

Hmm....may go with the 576 then, I see a few of those around too. Maybe a 3xx series in the current line. I was looking at the used/discontinued market because they were at one time $1000.00 pre's and if they acted like one then it would be a good deal. I wonder if the eq in as useless on that as the others.

Thanks for the feedback.

Ted

[Punkity]

Humm, not on the old REC forums. It could have been in the TapeOp forum.

Also, I've heard that the new 386 (or whatever) is not like the 586 series. In what way, I have no idea, outside of being about 1/2 the price and 1/2 the size of the 586 new.

[debuys]

I own a 586 and I can say good and bad things about it. I'll start with the bad.

1. It's not well built. Smoke in my studio actually got into the pots and cleaning was not easy due to the construction. It's one PCB asside from the knobs and the tubes are board mounted. I have learned a bit more about construction since purchasing it and I can say in no uncertain terms it's too busy. Lots of unnecessary crap in it.

2. The gain stageing is awkward and the location of the limiter circuit is in the wrong place IMO.

The good:

1. You can get a lot of variety from the 586 once you learn it. It can be great as a DI or mic pre. You just have to get used to it.

2. It looks really cool in my rack even when it's unpluged

In short it's a good buy at $500, but not in the least bit "special". It has "token tubes". There is nothing "tubey" about the pre amp untill you figure out the gain stageing and even then the distortion you get is still very solid state in character.

[mardyk]

A lot of people are slagging off the DBX 386-586 series but they have their uses. Like debuys said you have to learn how to gain stage it. I like the the soft limit type converters for somethings. Like snares for example.

[drumsound]

I used to use the DBX silver stuff at the studio I used to work in.  I'm not a fan.  For $500 I'd try an RNP from FMR Audio.  Buy it from Mercenary who has a really good return policy and doubles manufacture?s warranties.

[Ted, the bass player]

Well, thanks for the responses all. This is the first Mic Pre I will be working with in a recording environment (my home studio), and I have pretty much settled on the Presonus Eureka.

Thanks again,
Ted

[Matt Johnson]

I've had the Eureka for about a month now and I love it.  In the past, I've used the pre's on a digi-001, midas venice, the blue tube, and mackie.  None of them really compare, not that it's a surprise.  I had a 386 for about 2 days once and boxed it up to send it back where it came from.  I thought it was noisey and just didn't do much for the sound, although I never tried it as a DI.  

The Eureka is easy to use, the EQ and Compression sound great.  I haven't really found too many bad points yet, but I'll keep looking.