The
DBX 560A
is the version of the classic 160A in the practical and popular API 500 format. It has all the features of the 19" device together with the successful OverEasy characteristic curve. The compression ratio can be continuously adjusted from 1:1 via brickwall limiter to the negative range for reverse compression. The 560A is one of the studio classics in the compressor segment and can be heard on numerous recordings across all genres. It is characterized by its fine adjustment possibilities, musical control behavior, a neutral but high-quality sound and a wide range of applications.
It excels alone mainly on bass guitar, bass drum and snare, but is also used for vocals, and as a stereo pair on room microphones, drum overheads and actually any other signal that usually needs to be compressed. It can also be used as a limiter to protect downstream digital converters from overload. The DBX 560A is virtually unrivaled in its price.
I purchased two of these. I already had one in the past but I sold it and regretted it since then. When I saw that they were available again I purchased these new ones. They seem very well built and solid. Installation is very easy in my Midas L10. Both meters are great because of the number of leds. I find that in Overeasy mode you need to dial back the threshold since the compression starts well before reaching it and therefore you notice a lot more compression than in normal mode. Also, the threshold knob can be very sensitive, you need to be careful with tiny moves when fine tuning since otherwise the change in sound can be too abrupt and you can miss the sweet spot. I don't miss attack and release modes. It works as expected in bass and vocals, but I specially enjoy it in snare, kick or even mono drum groups or overheads, mostly because of the nice way it lifts the room sound (if you happen to track in a good sounding room). I am satisfied with this compressor and its sound, but if you consider the price then it is basically a no-brainer even if you only want to have a different flavor in your 500 rack. I may buy more in the future. What I would really like is for DBX to sell again its 500 EQ module.