dbx DriveRack PA2

I am an active performer, and sound man, and have been so for over 10 years. I could start by saying that if you do not understand Equilization, Crossovers, Compressors, and Limiters you should not buy this product. I could say that, but I won't because with the built in Wizards, you could get away with knowing very little about these things, and still get great results. I would strongly recommend, however, adding the RTA-M reference mike to your purchase, unless you have something else equivalent. There are several Wizard programs, that will take you through setting up the DriveRack to recognize your system, set volume levels, auto EQ etc... Even pros should appreciate these apps as they pave the way to a great starting point in ringing out your system, and your venue. While Pink and White noise generation is available, the Wizards use frequency sweeps to tune the system, speaker by speaker, and point by point in the room. The feedback control is quite nice. With 12 filters that can be divided in to Fixed (for room characteristics) and Active ( to handle performance characteristics) this system keeps feedback on a very short leash. Getting the best out of your sound system is achievable as the Driverack has 6 XLR outs for stereo High, Mid, and Low speaker systems OR you can run a single chain for a simple mono system. The RTA Wizard takes your configuration and figures out where you should place the reference mike for it to analyze your system. The Automatic Feedback System (AFS) is used after you have set up a rough mix with all mikes in place. This clever little wizard listens to the system as you raise your mixer faders. You can hear the feedback begin, and then get squelched as the AFS kicks in. The fixed filters are set automatically, but you can change the Fixed/Auto filters allocation if you like/need to. Pros will appreciate the ability to control pretty much anything from the Display contrast, to the Crossover frequencies on each speaker array. The only thing i can think of to complain about is the size of the display, but even I think this is unfair because, let's face it, it is a 1U sized device. There is not a lot of real estate to work with. There is also a Laptop application that will allow access to the device via a router, with makes the controls much easier to manipulate. Whichever way you choose to control this device, you do not need to drill down through more than a couple of menu layers, due to the array of buttons that will bring you to each section's "Home" screen. In summary, you get a lot of bang for the buck. For most people, with simpler P/A systems, this is probably overkill, but wouldn't you rather overkill than underkill?

So there is a small learning curve. I have some homemade PA speakers (nice ones) and some I bought, and I finally bought a TP-LINK 300 so I could set up the internet. I had to use my iPhone and set set the TP-Link as a client on my computer. I connected both the TP-Link to my phone and the device (via cable) and installed the app, and it found it automatically. From there I was finally having fun. Before that, it was a lot of head scratching. Love this thing. Makes my other speakers sound way better, and my new speakers, sound perfect. Has a limiter to save you from blowing a speaker. I am using stage mics (nice ones) to set this up. Anyways, I am not a pro DJ, I just do this for fun (if you can call it that). It really takes my set up the next level. Makes my setup sound like it should and takes all the guess work out. I bought my refurbished on here (via Amazon Prime). Saved maybe $50 from the Prime price, and I have had no problems. Honestly, of everything I own in my set up, the amps, the speakers, the controllers, the only thing I spent more on was the iPad and the controller. I buy most of my stuff used, or build it (rebuild stuff). I have very good stuff, but I dont have a $3,000 set up either. But I am sure most people could not tell. I learned about these devices from another pro in the business, and I had to find the right one form my setup, and it took me a year to save the money. I really love it. I really do.

Everybody knows that a DriveRack is a box of magic in Audio Production, so I won't comment on that. Suffice it to say however, the 260 model came highly recommended by a friend who does huge stage setups. I'm brand new to the DriveRack system, so this was a new experience for me, going from a rack full of gear to a single 1u device. I started my introduction with the PA2 model, and immediately found a HUGE flaw in the circuit design that caused me to return it immediately. Upon inquiry, my buddy also informed me that he knew about that flaw and that is one reason he did not use the PA series. So, I tried the 260, the one he recommended. I love it. It's super easy to set up, does a huge pile of magic, and once it's all set up, it just works like a champ. So... if you're new to Drive Rack and not sure if this thing is for you, or if you're ready to step up to digital processing, give this one a try. You'll be up and running in less than 15 minutes. I'm kind of amazed how this one little box can be so quick to set up for my small rig, and still be fully functional for my buddy who does huge shows of 3-30k attendance. I have not yet had a chance to play with the WIZARD mode (using the RTA Mic). Next time I set up a production stage, I'm going to give that a try. but for now, it's working great and I'm really loving the compact size of my rack now!

Tried this out the 1st time this past weekend. Took a while to configure since I listened to the tech at dbx before buying (he was wrong), and didn't bother to read the manual. You MUST read the manual for the cable routing guide if you're using more than just 2 mains or else it ain't gonna work. At all. After that it's pretty straightforward. I did not buy the reference mic because I want to learn the ins and outs of it before I just hit "auto setup". The results were an overall improvement over my normal sound. Tighter, more compressed (if you like that sort of thing) and the extra delay effects really pump the sound up. I still have a lot to learn , particularly with the anti feedback feature ,but I could tell the system was holding back some high and low feedback with just some basic configuring. However one drawback is that it doesn't appear that you can adjust the individual levels of the mains and sub from here so you'll need to adjust manually at the speakers (assuming they're powered). Another drawback is it did add some noticeable hiss into the mix but that could be because I jacked up a lot of gain with the compression. Build quality is good (all metal case) and even the power cord is heavy gauge and has decent length to it. It is a bit expensive for what it is,imo. But overall, a good, all in one processor that is designed for the non-professional. Hindsight, I should've bought the used one but Amazon's used stuff is not foolproof.

Affordable price, very good product. Excellent sound quality

I had the PA2/ driverack 260 but the Venus 360 is just epic in its own way Likes: 1: Very clear layout of paremeters and modules 2: AGC works great and helps to do the job of old TC Helicon Finalizer 3: Network setup comes with DHCP as default and connects troublefree to your mobile phone and system via a router 4: 3 Inputs system allows for Mid/side or Aux Sub processings and more 5: Operates both with 100/220 Volts 6: Very Strong Limiters with Overeasy settings 7: Input Mixer allowing A + B/ A+C/ B+C configuration 8: Sub Harmonic synthesis gives you full control over the Low and Lowest ends of the frequency spectrum 9: Locks Crossover settings to avoid accidental changes 10: Very bright Screen, great compressors, and more Dislikes 1: None 2: None None 3: None None None 4: None None None None 5:None None None None None Expectations 1: Four Input Venus 360/ 460 to jhelp process FOH sound plus Livestream together in one device. we are really trying to minimize the number of equipment we carry around in this new world we are Thanks Thanks Thanks

Solid unit for what it is. A bit dated technology and often not needed with newer mixers and powered speakers.

I only set this up an hour ago, so in no way a deep review! I have a fairly substantial system and got this to split high and lows to bi-amp my floor standers (JBL690's) I wanted to set up manually, but it sems there are only loadable presets for input to output path. Not a bother because stereo in to stereo 2-way out is one of the presets. After that I found the wizards and did setup with the RTA mic (100% must buy it separately) and that was it! My speakers sounded great before, but now: WOW! Small gripe: can't connect to USB for configuring. I had to buy a crossover Ethernet cable to wok with my laptop. Update: ignore my remark about limited configurations; anything you like is possible! After a few months of owning I added an extra sub to my LFE and used 3rd in for this to make two band outputs (5&6) to the subs. I have a new 18" sub on 26<>46hz and the old 3x12's running 40<>150hz. I love EDM and this unit makes my system kick ass!