Eleven months and 173 shows later, the DriveRack 480 and Remote 480R have yet to fail. I chose the dbx product because of its “all-in-one” nature. My purchase decision was also swayed by the sheer power and functionality of the unit, and its price point. Separate show and house EQ’s use either a 31-band graphic, or nine-band parametrics. The 480 has the ability to route any input to any output, and further powerful options like up to five notch filters per input, with a limit of 10 total across all four inputs. It also has predelay on the inputs, and delay on the outputs.

The configuration I use is with two inputs feeding four outputs (dual stereo out) and the other two inputs feeding two more outputs. The first two inputs are driven from my left and right from the console - having four outputs allows me to deal with the front fills, or delays, or anything that may come up. It also allows me to use the delay function to time out any of the outputs from the left or right. The other two inputs are for my Audix near-fields, which are driven by the cue outputs on my console. The two features that I use most on these are the delay, and the use of the hard limiter on the outputs. Sometimes even a small mistake in cue level could cause big problems, but since I have the limiter set, not an issue. Just as a note, you also have a separate compressor on the outputs that are totally independent of the limiter.

When I put the DriveRack through its paces, I was amazed at how it made different PA’s sound everyday. Some people thought that the unit made their PA sound more “open,” and others have noticed things in their PA’s that, with other processors, they just couldn’t hear. I like the processing power of the unit, and have been very impressed with the fact that the unit is, sonically, very transparent.

I can’t say enough about the quality of the unit’s manufacture. The casing is very sturdy, and even the knobs on the front of the unit are very stable. It takes a correct press of a button or knob to change a setting, something that I think everyone who has mixed on a Soundcraft Europa, the H3000 from Midas or even the Yamaha PM1D should understand. The keypad is very well thought out; even though there are multiple pages per function, I liked the layout and ease of use.

One of the most important features of the unit is the use of layered password protection. Most companies will benefit from the fact that unit can be locked at certain levels to only allow the engineer or tech a limited degree of mobility. This should also get some of the owners out there a little peace of mind when prepping gear.

Along with the 480 I have the 480R. This remote is amazing! It allows you to have numerous DriveRacks attached together and have one remote handle the precarious task of tying all the units to one control surface. Motorized faders and hot assign keys make anything that you feel might be cumbersome about the 480’s interface disappear. The motorized faders calibrate themselves every time the unit is powered up, giving you comfort to know that any tiny movement today is the same as tomorrow. It is also a great visual for when you are switching between inputs.

The Hot Key assignment option mean that you can assign a button to almost any spot in the menus of the unit you are driving. I have a hot key assign to my show EQ, my house EQ, my left and right dynamics, my left and right notch filters, my near field delays, all of my outputs and my high pass and low pass filters for each output. I know it may seem like a lot of keys, but the thing has 32 of them, so assign to your heart’s content!

The remote is built to be rack mounted, as well as laid on down on a rack or desk. The connections on the back make it a breeze to use either way. A great function of the remote is the fact that if you want to use the RTA feature, it does not eat up any inputs from the DriveRack 480 or its companions. It even has phantom power available from the remote to power you favorite RTA mic. Having the ability to run dual RTA (one within the DriveRack & one on the remote) is amazing. The RTA is easy to use and read which allows for quick and accurate use.

My only concern about the remote is the fact that it has to be turned on last and turned off first, to avoid blowing a fuse in the remote PSU. I hope they will have this issue fixed before the next generation comes around.

On top of all the features and functions of the unit and remote, don’t forget that it has the ability for you to access the whole unit with a computer. This allows you to download speaker settings, update the software in the unit, or just control it with the computer.

My overview of the DriveRack 480 is:

Functionality: A+
Features: A+
Ease of Use: A
Quality: A
Cool Factor: A+

My overview of the DriveRack 480R is:

Functionality: A+
Features: A+
Ease of Use: A
Cool Factor: A++