DBX 386 Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp w/Digital Out, The Silver Series 386 dual channel tube mic preamp puts the best of both worlds into one affordable package by combining the warmth of the irreplaceable vacuum tube with the proprietary dbx® Type IV™ conversion system. The 386 boasts many of the same features as other products in the Silver Series, such as +48V phantom power, a phase invert switch, and low cut filtering; but also includes digital outputs in both AES/EBU, and S/PDIF formats.

The high impedance, 1/4" instrument input located on the front panel, as well as the mic/line switch, and 20 dB pad show our dedication to providing convenience in the studio. The 12 segment LED meters provide a visual indication of analog or digital levels at a glance. The rear panel includes both mic and line inputs and outputs, word clock sync input and output, and digital outputs. Add selectable sampling rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, or 96 kHz; selectable dithering and noise shaping; and separate analog and digital output controls to this already impressive list of features, and we think you’ll agree that the 386 lives up to the innovative dbx® standards.

Features

• Two channel tube microphone preamplifier
• Selectable 96kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz, or 44.1kHz sampling rate
• 24, 20, and 16-bit wordlengths
• Selectable dither and noise shaping
• AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital outputs
• Word clock sync input and output
• Separate analog and digital output control
• Type IV™ conversion system
• 60dB of gain and +/- 15dB of output gain
• Selectable mic/line switch
• 48 volt phantom power
• 20dB pad
• 75Hz low cut filter
• Phase reverse
• Segment LED analog/digital

Specification

Microphone Input

• Connector: Female XLR Pin 2 Hot
• Type: Electronically balanced/unbalanced
• Impedance: 330Ω
• Max Input Level: -9 dBu or +11 dBu with 20 dB pad engaged
• CMRR: >40dB, Typically 55dB
• Equivalent Input Noise: Typically 120 dBu with a 150Ω, source load 20Hz to 20kHz Bu

Line Input (Rear Panel)

• Connectors: TRS 1/4" Jack
• Type: Electronically balanced/unbalanced
• Impedance: 20kΩ unbalanced, 40kΩ balanced
• Maximum Input Level: +21dBu balanced or unbalanced
• CMRR: >40dB, Typically 55dB
• Gain (Drive Control): -15dB to +15dB

Instrument Input (Front Panel)

• Connector: TS 1/4" Jack
• Type: Unbalanced
• Impedance: 470kΩ
• Maximum Output Level: >+21 dBu unbalanced
• Insert Connector: TRS 1/4"
• Type: Unbalanced
• Impedance: 100Ω, send -20Ω return

Analog Outputs

• Connector: Male XLR Pin 2 Hot and TRS 1/4"
• Type: Servo-balanced/unbalanced
• Impedance: Balanced 120Ω, unbalanced 60Ω
• Maximum Output Level: >+21 dBu, >+20 dBm (into a 600Ω load)

Digital Outputs

• Connector: XLR for AES/EBU, RCA for S/PDIF
• Impedance: 110Ω for AES/EBU, 75Ω for S/PDIF

Word Sync Input/Output

• Connectors: BNC
• Input Impedance: 75Ω terminated by internal jumper
• Input: 96, 88.2, 48, or 44.1kHz word clock
• Output: 96, 88.2, 48, or 44.1kHz word clock

System Performance

• DRIVE Control Range: +30dB to +60dB for Mic Input, -15dB to +15dB for Line and Instrument Inputs
• LEVEL Control Range Analog and Digital): -15dB to +15dB
• LINE: Selects between microphone and line inputs
• Phantom Power: +48V
• PAD: 20dB pad
• PHASE: Reverses pins 2 and 3 of the microphone input XLR
• LOW CUT: 75Hz, 12dB/octave high pass filter
• Frequency Response: <10Hz to 75kHz
• THD + Noise: 0.35% typical at +4dBu out, 1kHz, 40 dB gain
• Interchannel Crosstalk: Typically –80dB, 20Hz to 20kHz

Analog To Digital Conversion

• Type: dbx® Type IV™ A/D Conversion System
• Sample Rate: 96, 88.2, 48, or 44.1kHz selectable
• Wordlength: 24, 20, or 16 bit selectable
• Dither Type: TPDF, SNR2, or none
• Noise Shape: Shape 1, Shape 2, or none
• Output Format: S/PDIF or AES/EBU
• Convertor Dynamic Range: 107dB typical, A-weighted, 22kHz bandwidth

Power Supply

• Operating Voltage: DO: 120VAC 60Hz, 100VAC 50/60Hz, EU: 230VAC 50/60 Hz
• Power consumption: 35W

Physical

• Dimensions: 1.75'' x 7.75'' x 19'' (4.5cm x 19.7cm x 48.5cm)
• Power consumption: 6.89 lbs (3.17kg)
• Note: 0dBu = -16dFS, 0dBu-0.775Vms