Driverack PA vs. Berry DCX 2496?

[djlivex]

I am planning on buying used of the Driverack PA or the Berry DCX 2496 units, which one for reliability and sound quality hands down? Which RTA mic should I get with the Driverack for RTA purposes? Thanks!

[Bas Gooiker]

The DCX has 6 channel out's that can be freely assigned to your needs, think the driverack can't do that many. Remember that from someone's thread here a couple of weeks ago, about a delay stack IIRC.

DCX has 48db slopes vs. 24db slopes for the driverack PA.

For the price of a driverack you can buy a DCX + a DEQ. (driverack has auto EQ)

Just my 2c

[Grant Bunter]

DBX has a name associated with pro touring, Berry less so.

I got the DCX (as new) and the DEQ (well used, power supply had been rebuilt/improved) and the Berry reference mike. The DCX came from an opened box but was apparently unused. It certainly had no settings changed. I still had to pop the top and reseat the ribbon cables to stop a glitch after half an hours use. This is quite common. To be fair, the DCX came to me from the US, via Queensland, so it had travelled a lot.

The DCX has 1dB increments on the limiter, the Driverack I believe is 3dB increments.

It's little things I guess. Bill loves his DEQ on auto FBD, one side for FOH, the other for monitors.

The manual for the Driverack is certainly more comprehensive, but still not great...

[djlivex]

So Bas you're saying that I can use one input with 6 out figuring 6 way system posible? Also Grant there is another site that modifies the Berry with great success and sound wise have you seen it alot of mods I forgot which site I think DIY audio. So a new Berry is better than the driverack? Thanks everyone!

[SoundInMotionDJ]

So a new Berry is better than the driverack? Thanks everyone!

Six -v- half a dozen.

DCX has 48db/oct slopes, granularity of the limiter, and 6 flexible outputs.
Driverack has better name recognition, and reputation.

I don't worry about resale value. I don't perform anywhere there is a rider. The extra features of the DCX make a difference to me, so that's the one I bought. But the two units are comparable in terms of capability.

[Grant Bunter]

So Bas you're saying that I can use one input with 6 out figuring 6 way system posible? Also Grant there is another site that modifies the Berry with great success and sound wise have you seen it alot of mods I forgot which site I think DIY audio. So a new Berry is better than the driverack? Thanks everyone!

Glad to help

Yes I've looked at a lot of mods for various bits of my gear.

Generally the purpose of the mod, as you say, is to increase SQ. ie take something cheap, mod it to supposedly something more expensive specs.

I think a telling point for me was looking at the Alesis 3630 Comp/limiter/gate (I have 2 in my rig) mods. It involved beefing up the power supply (Which I agree with, as "cheap" gear usually suffers there) and throwing in Burr Brown op amps and so on to reduce floor noise. Full mods and kits weren't/ aren't cheap, and if you aren't skilled, are beyond many DIYers.
All good until one day I found an article that looked at all the various suggested mods available for the 3630. The telling point was that not one single mod addressed the main design issue of the 3630, the input stage!
The input stage being the weakest link in this situation serves to remind one that you can't mod some intrinsic design limitations, and it's those limitations that allow the initial price point. This means you need to understand the entire design to see if the mod is in fact practical, or take the item as sold and just go with it.

I have found so far that (apart from the known issues with ribbon cables coming loose) that the DCX is offered at a price point that suggests to me to just use it as is, and learn how to work your way around it's probable inherent design limitations...
I guess you can say that about most Berry gear, as the ethos of Berry is to offer Joe public access to gear they otherwise couldn't afford...

[Moe]

So Bas you're saying that I can use one input with 6 out figuring 6 way system posible? Also Grant there is another site that modifies the Berry with great success and sound wise have you seen it alot of mods I forgot which site I think DIY audio. So a new Berry is better than the driverack? Thanks everyone!

You could, but there are many other configurations due to the signal routing and delay capabilities of the DCX2496
The way I use our "Berry" (Behringer) DCX is to take L and R from the board and generate L, R, Center (L+R) and Subwoofer, leaving two more outputs for a future planned rear L and R delayed zone. This is in a permanent install in a church, and gives you some idea of the incredible flexibility that this unit offers.

[djlivex]

WHOA!!! Guys these are alot of info and it amazes me how much help on this site any other reading for me to take in, Thanks!

[Tom Smit]

I installed a DCX2496 in a school gym. Input A is the source for tops (output 1) and the source for a T60 (outout 5). It may also be used for another output for fills. Input B will be used for monitors sometime in the future. Tops are delayed to match the distance of the T60 plus the distance the T60 is located behind.

[djlivex]

Nice, how is it working now Tom, no issues? Thanks!

[Tom Smit]

So far, so good! The school principal made an easy check-list for anyone to turn on/off the PA system.

[Moe]

Here's an update to this thread:

I re-cabled our system to use the third input (input C) to the DCX from an AUX output from the mixing board.
Input C is then routed directly to the Sub out. The system is now setup as follows:

Mixer Main out Left --> Input A --> Output 1 (Left) and Output 3 (Center channel)
Mixer Main out Right--> Input B --> Output 2 (Right) and and Output 3 (Center channel)
Mixer Aux out --> Input C --> Output 4 (Sub) (24db/oct @ 85hz)

Why do this? It turns out that in many live situations that you don't want ANY LF crud from the mics on stage going
to the sub. By using an AUX output off the board straight to the Sub (Via the DCX with the appropriate crossover and limiter settings) you can choose exactly what you want to go to the Sub. In our case that's the Keyboards, the Bass DI
and the Kick drum mic. Works incredibly well. Tons of Low end, and no picking up footsteps, LF feedback, or even needing to use the LF cut on the Mic inputs at the mixer. If you need LF on any channel, just turn up the bass using the Aux bus
control on that channel.

To have a Driverack do this, you would have to step up the the 4820 with an MSRP of $4300 to do the same thing.
Maybe some other contributors can find a cheaper Driverack solution.