DBX DriveRack PA2 Complete Loudspeaker Management System

Product Information

With the AFS2 the team at Dbx have essentially taken the existing functionality of the AFS224 processor and developed new detection and control algorithms, along with an enhanced degree of user control and the ability to save and recall settings. What It Does The compressor is a nice touch in this thing. So far I haven't needed it to make the PA louder, but I've used it a lot as a soft limiter with 2.4:1 ratio and the OverEasy setting around 4-6, just to keep peak volume in control when playing loud.

Updated Wizards make initial set up easy, while ensuring speaker tunings and other settings are up-to-date. Updated Wizards make initial setup easywhile ensuring speaker tunings and other settings are up-to-date. This cookie stores user-like settings for the chat system provider, which are required for our online chat service. Trusted Shops control app for all 4 major OSes All you need to get the most from your PA. Now with complete control from your mobile device. The setup wizard first asks if the unit is to be operated in linked mode, where the same settings and filters are applied to both channels, or as two completely independent processors (for example when used on bus or channel inserts), in which case you have to go through the wizard twice. Once that little formality is out of the way you can get on with the actual setup, which guides you through every step and is very easy to follow. I like this feature as I know of several potential users of this unit who would appreciate this level of hand–holding.

From a practical angle, the PA2 couldn't really be easier to use — there is no on/off switch, and when the unit powers up all the output channels are muted, though this can be altered in the utility menu. I crossed my fingers and cut power to the unit whilst it was still connected to my monitors, and there was no pop or noise of any kind — a big improvement over the original. Analog input to output: 2.57 ms (48 kHz), 2.28 ms (96 kHz); Digital AES input to output: 2.31 (48 kHz), 2.15 ms (96 kHz)

I have also used the PA2's RTA to set up separate EQs, eg. for monitors which are completely separate from the main PA. Just play pink noise through the system you're tuning and use the PA2's analyser to measure the frequency response, just like it used to be done before fancy AutoEQs. This method also works while setting up the crossover to make sure you have an even response around the crossover frequencies. PA2 has a noise generator for this purpose. This unit has a single stereo/mono input with three stereo outputs of which the LOW output can be configured mono for single subwoofer use. I suggest reading the manual to find out more about the features. (Yes, RTFM before buying!) Some special cases will need a bit more manual tinkering, eg. setting up a PA with three subwoofers. (Yes, one of the setups I did had a full-range stereo pair from HIGH outputs, stereo subwoofers from MID outputs, and a third mono subwoofer in the middle in front of the stage from the LOW output, and it was awesome!)The rear panel houses all the analogue I/O (one stereo input plus three stereo outs), as well as the Ethernet port, which allows for remote control via an iPad when connected to a wireless router.The user manual has some useful information on setting up crossovers, and goes some way to explaining the audible difference between the two filter types. It's easy to set up the crossover filters manually, and what I like most about this function is the live LCD display, which shows the crossover curves changing as you adjust the parameters, which is a great way of understanding what is going on. The use of a crossover is rendered partly redundant by some self‑powered speaker systems (those that have their own high/low-pass filtering built in), but the ability to set different curves using the PA2 as an external processor can significantly improve system performance in some difficult venues. To The Limit A neat feature is the ability to look at the main parameters of all the filters in place — a single press of the data wheel displays a representation of where they all are across the whole frequency range, and their individual information is displayed as each is selected with the wheel, so you can see exactly what the AFS2 is doing for you! Overall Impression The PA2 has one limiter circuit for each output band (ie. it's post‑crossover), so it's possible to apply different settings to each band as dictated by the power amps and speakers. Applying post‑crossover limiting has the advantage that, as the different frequency bands are unlikely to reach the limiter threshold at the same time, part of the output signal will remain uncompressed by the limiter meaning that the sound won't all be squashed flat just because one band has reached the limiter threshold, so the gain reduction applied will tend to sound more natural and retain some of the programme dynamics.

Digisynthetic DS24: considering the price of only ¤180 (in my country) and having all the crossover filters I needed (up to 48db/oct), it was looking really good! A 3-band PEQ at input and 5-band at output, a limiter, free routing for each output (A, B or SUM) - really all I needed. But then I tried the remote software... it was an epic horror. Buggy, with the graphs for crossover and EQ not working, limiter settings were completely invisible behind a graphics glitch - absolutely useless and out of the question.

Customer Reviews

I was looking for an active crossover and ended up deciding to just go for a full loudspeaker management system! I had been considering the Behringer DCX2496 Ultradrive Pro, because of the third input, but very glad I chose the DBX PA2 instead. The goal was - 1.) get full crossover functionality with different filters available, 2.) have remote control capability through PC and 3.) spend no more than ¤400 for it. control app for all 4 major OSes All the processing needed to supercharge your sound system. Now with complete control from your mobile device. The new Dbx AFS2 updates and replaces the well–established and successful AFS224, which has been around for a few years now. As a user of the previous model myself I was interested to have a look at its replacement in the product line.

dB with transient material, A-weighted, 22kHz BW; 121 dB with transient material, unweighted, 22kHz BW; 115 dB typical with program material, A-weighted, 22kHz BW Our rehearsal hall for my 21–piece band is a bit of a nightmare for live sound, especially with no audience in place, so I tried the AFS2 on our vocal mics and was very impressed with the results. I used one channel of the AFS2 on mono mains and the other on a single floor monitor just in front of the two singers, and not only was it possible to achieve much louder levels, but by pushing the volume during setup to force the system to ring out the worst frequencies, the whole sound became more pleasant, cleaner and less fatiguing. It’s good to know that not only have the essential filters been set and will remain set, but the AFS2 is ready to deal with anything that might crop up during rehearsal or performance. Configuring which outputs are enabled can only be done through the Wizard, which takes away half of the handling stars. When setting up special setups you will need to think which wizard choices enable what you need and then set up the crossover manually. I'd prefer a possibility to just enable and configure each output freely instead.One thing I liked was the fact you can make changes on the fly without any glitches, noises etc, so if you want to change eq mid show that's no problem. dB with transient material, A-weighted, 22 kHz BW; 126 dB with transient material, unweighted, 22 kHz BW; 121 dB typical with program material, A-weighted, 22 kHz BW A new, improved AutoEQ algorithm ensures an extremely accurate, fast, and non-intrusive automatic EQ experience. New, improved AutoEQ algorithm ensures an extremely accurate, fast, and non-intrusive automatic EQ experience.