The dbx 676 Microphone Channel Strip is well suited for a wide variety of recording and live sound applications. Whether you're working in the studio or on the stage, the dbx 676 Channel Strip adds harmonically-rich, warm analog tones to your sound sources, at a fraction of the cost of other comparable products in its class.
The dbx 676 Channel Strip represents all of the best of dbx's more than 40 years of dynamics processing. The dbx 676 Channel Strip offers a pristine high-voltage, Class-A tube preamp section that runs on 250 volts, so your signal can be as crystal clean or dirty as you need it to be. The dbx 676 also incorporates the compressor/limiter design from the highly-sought after dbx162SL, as well as a 3-band parametric EQ with sweepable mids. It provides audio professionals with the perfect channel strip for recording and live applications alike with its military-grade build, vintage-inspired controls and VU metering. When used at the front of a digital audio workstation, tracks will take on more analog warmth and sheen when compared to preamps built into standard audio recording interfaces.
The dbx 676 Channel Strip is a Class A, high-voltage (250V) vacuum tube design that can accommodate microphones or direct instrument connections thanks to the easily accessible front-panel Hi-Z instrument input. Use the pre-tube GAIN control to dial in just the right amount of tube drive, then adjust the POST TUBE ATTENUATION control to set your gain back to unity. Keep the pre-tube GAIN low and raise the POST TUBE ATTENUATION for an open, clean sound. Or, turn the pre-tube GAIN up and lower the POST TUBE ATTENUATION for a tone that's rich in harmonics and analog warmth. The dbx 676 provides up to 55 dB of gain, a 20 dB pad, +48 volt phantom power, and polarity inversion, making it well suited for a wide variety of recording and live sound applications. Use the insert jack to patch in your favorite outboard compressor, EQ, or any other signal processor post the preamp. If you can't quite achieve the tone you're after with mic selection and placement alone, use the built-in semi-parametric EQ to fine-tune the tone of the source. Engage the 80 Hz low cut filter to help keep the mix clean and maximize headroom by eliminating subsonic plosives, hum, and microphone vibration noise.
The dbx 676 Channel Strip's VCA compressor design was taken from the revered dbx 162SL (the dual-channel "purple" compressor) and delivers smooth, low-distortion compression characteristics, as well as very fast attack/release capabilities for shaping drum transients. Sources can be compressed gently by engaging the OVEREASY switch (soft-knee mode) or aggressively by disengaging the OVEREASY switch (hard-knee mode). Use the compressor to beef up instruments and voices, smooth out level fluctuations, and make your tracks more mix-ready'. Compression attack and release times can be set manually or be program-dependent by engaging the AUTO switch. Use the compressor's sidechain jack to insert an outboard EQ for frequency-weighted compression, such as de-essing, or for other creative sidechaining applications. The PeakPlus limiter can be used for level-critical applications, where you want to keep the output level under control no matter how loud the source gets. PREAMP and COMPRESSOR / LIMITER outputs are provided for parallel compression applications or for recording an uncompressed backup, so there's no need to worry about over-compressing a recorded track.
dbx 676 Microphone Channel Strip Features
- Discrete, Class A, High-Voltage Vacuum-Tube Microphone Preamplifier
- Pre-Tube Gain & Post-Tube Attenuation Controls for Varying the Amount of Tube Drive
- 3-Band Semi-Parametric EQ with Sweepable Mid Frequency
- 162SL-Style Compressor
- dbx PeakPlus Limiter
- LED Backlit Vintage-Style VU Meter with Selectable Meter Source
- Front-Panel Hi-Z Instrument Input
- 1/4 ? Preamp Insert Jack
- 1/4 ? Compressor Sidechain Jack
- Electronically Balanced XLR & TRS Preamp & Compressor / Limiter Outputs
- High-Visibility Vintage VU Meter
- 55 dB of Preamplifier Gain
- +48V Phantom Power
- 20 dB Pad
- Polarity Invert Switch
- 80 Hz Low Cut Switch
dbx 676 Microphone Channel Strip Specifications
- Preamp:
- Mic Preamp Connector: Female XLR Pin 2 Hot; Electronically balanced/unbalanced
- Mic Preamp Input Impedance: 1.9 kO
- CMRR: >85 dB from 20 Hz to 3 kHz, >70 dB from 3 kHz to 20 kHz
- Instrument Input Connector: Tip-Sleeve ¼ Jack
- Input Type: (instrument) Unbalanced
- Instrument Input Impedance: 500 k O
- Max Input (instrument): +21dBu unbalanced
- Preamp Insert:
- Connector: Tip-Ring-Sleeve ¼, RF filtered
- Type: Unbalanced, Tip = send, Ring = return
- Preamp & Compressor/Limiter:
- Line Outputs Connector: Male XLR and Tip-Ring-Sleeve ¼ (Pin 2 and Tip hot)
- Line Outputs Type: Servo-balanced/unbalanced
- Line Outputs Impedance: Balanced 30 O, unbalanced 15 O
- Line Outputs Maximum Output Level: > +21 dBm (into a 600 ohm load)
- Compressor Sidechain Insert:
- Connector: Tip-Ring-Sleeve ¼, RF filtered
- Type: Unbalanced, Ring = output, Tip = input
- Impedance: 1 kO (output), 50 kO (input)
- Vacuum Tube:
- Type: 12AU7A / ECC82
- Grid Power Supply: +250V DC
- Heater Power Supply: +12V DC
- Frequency Response:
- Mic Input: 20 Hz to 50 kHz, +0/-1dB, 40 dB gain
- Instrument Input: 30 Hz to 70 kHz, +0/-1dB, unity gain
- THD + Noise:
- Mic In to LIne Out: 0.25% typical at 0 dBu out, 1 kHz, 40 dB gain
- Instrument In to Line Out: 0.2% typical at 0 dBu out, 1kHz, unity gain
- Equivalent Noise Level: Typically > -123 dBu with a 150 O source load, 22 Hz to 22 kHz
- Noise Floor: Mic Insert to Comp Output: <-93 dBu, unity gain, EQ flat and no gain reduction
- Preamp Function Switches/Controls:
- Instrument Input: Selects between microphone XLR input and front panel ¼ instrument input
- +48V: Sends +48 VDC through 6.81 kO resistors to pins 2 and 3 of the microphone input
- 20dB Pad: Attenuates the microphone input by 20 dB
- Polarity Invert: Reverses pins 2 and 3 of the microphone input XLR
- 80 Hz Low Cut: Enables an 80 Hz, 12 dB/octave high pass filter in the microphone and instrument signal path
- Gain Control Range: -8 to +55 dB for Microphone Input; -8 to +40 dB for Instrument Input
- Post Tube Attenuation: -8 to 0 dB
- Peak Indicator: Illuminates RED when the Preamp is within 3 dB of clipping
- Equalizer:
- EQ Low Frequency: 100 Hz, Low-pass shelving filter
- EQ High Frequency: 10 kHz, High-pass shelving filter
- EQ Mid Frequency: Sweepable from 100 Hz to 8 kHz
- EQ Function Switches/Controls: Narrow: Selects the Q of the MID Frequency EQ. OUT position Q = 0.9; IN position Q = 2.9
- EQ Gain: (All Bands) Sweepable from 15 to +15 dB
- Compressor:
- Threshold Range: -40 dBu to +20 dBu
- Threshold Characteristic: Selectable OverEasy or Hard Knee
- Ratio: Variable 1:1 to 8:1; 60 dB maximum Compression
- Attack/Release Modes: Selectable Manual or Auto
- Manual Attack Time: Scalable program-dependent; Typically 400 dB/msec to 1 dB/msec
- Manual Release Time: Scalable program-dependent; Typically 4000 dB/sec to 10 dB/sec
- Auto Attack Time: Program-dependent, typically 15 ms for 10 dB, 5 ms for 20 dB, 3 ms for 30 dB
- Auto Release Time: Program-dependent, typically 120 dB/sec
- Output Level Control Range: -20 dB to +20 dB
- Peak Indicator: Illuminates RED when the Compressor/Limiter is within 3 dB of clipping
- Limiter:
- Type: dbx PeakPlus
- Threshold Range: -4 dBu to + 22 dBu (off)
- Ratio: 8:1
- Attack and Release: Program-dependent
- Power:
- Power Supply: Universal switch-mode
- Operating Voltage: 100 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
- Power Requirements: 20 Watts
- Fuse: T2.5AL 250V
- Turn-On Time: Approximately 2 seconds
- Physical:
- Dimensions: 3.5H X 19W X 8D (88.9mmH X 482.6mmW X 203.2mmD)
- Weight: 8.1 lbs (3.7 kg)
- Shipping Weight: 11.0 lbs (5.0 kg)
dbx 676 Microphone Channel Strip Includes
- dbx 676 Channel Strip Unit
- IEC Power Cable
- 4 Rack Mount Screws & Washers
- Printed Operation Manual
- Warranty Registration Card
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