De-esser: Dbx 902 vs 263X vs 263A

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Cardinen

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2008
Messages
102
Location
Italy
Hi all,

I'm not completely satisfied with de-esser plugins, i often receive material with hissing voices and feel like i have to use 2 deesser in series to tame the sibilances but i'm not always happy with the result.

I borrowed an old Orban broadband from a friend wich i don't like so much, i feel like the voice is "strangled" when it operate.  ( like SSLTech said in this thread :  https://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=34729.20  )

I never tried a Dbx 902 and after reading the comments i would like to try one. At the moment i'm able to find for cheap a couple of 263X but I could not find much info about it; Looking at the schematic it seem like a modern revision of 902, the discrete out is replaced with 5534 and some minor changes, what do you think about it ??

thanks  ;)
 

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  • 902 De-Esser Main Board Schematic.pdf
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I´m in your same situation. I have been thinking in make a pcb for this de esser but I have not tried them and the 263x seem to be very cheap to even try to diy it.

would be good to hear more opinions.
 
Hi,

I use the Empirical Labs DerrEsser; try to get one on demo and see if it works for you.

Same principle as the DBX 902 (level-independent de-essing) and more (can do HF limiting, ...)

Cheers Rogy
 
Cardinen said:
I never tried a Dbx 902 and after reading the comments i would like to try one. At the moment i'm able to find for cheap a couple of 263X but I could not find much info about it; Looking at the schematic it seem like a modern revision of 902, the discrete out is replaced with 5534 and some minor changes, what do you think about it ??
All dbx de-essers are very similar in operation. The 902, being discrete, was much more expensive than the 263X, but there is very little difference in performance.
 
abbey road d enfer said:
All dbx de-essers are very similar in operation. The 902, being discrete, was much more expensive than the 263X, but there is very little difference in performance.

They are very different in design and performance. There's a full breakdown from ssltech here somewhere.  The 263X is not nearly so sophisticated. 
 
EmRR said:
They are very different in design and performance.
They all use the same type of filter inserted in the signal path of a basic RMS compressor.

  The 263X is not nearly so sophisticated.
It is certainly more cheaply made, but the basic structure is the same. The THD and noise performance is certainly inferior, but it's hardly noticeable in operation.
 
abbey road d enfer said:
They all use the same type of filter inserted in the signal path of a basic RMS compressor.

I think you are wrong there, but I may be wrong.  There's a big thread already....
 
Still better to record the track clean... de-essing is required for close miked  HF sources, or vocals with too much compression... maybe track with less compression?

JR 
 
We have "our" diy version of 902.
It's called XS902

https://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=26692.0

https://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=46453.0

:)
 
JohnRoberts said:
Still better to record the track clean... de-essing is required for close miked  HF sources, or vocals with too much compression... maybe track with less compression?

JR

I've met many a singer who needed de-essing with no other processing, even with a ribbon placed in all the right 's' reducing locations.....like out back o' the building while they are inside......I'll do part of the de-essing with a 902 on the way in.....
 
EmRR said:
I've met many a singer who needed de-essing with no other processing, even with a ribbon placed in all the right 's' reducing locations.....like out back o' the building while they are inside......I'll do part of the de-essing with a 902 on the way in.....
Maybe stuff a sock in their mouth...?

JR

[edit] in hindsight my comments seem a little harsh.... I have designed several de-essers over the years and they have their place for "fit it in the mix" repair work.  Carry on...  [/edit]
 
Cardinen said:
Hi all,

I'm not completely satisfied with de-esser plugins, i often receive material with hissing voices and feel like i have to use 2 deesser in series to tame the sibilances but i'm not always happy with the result.

I borrowed an old Orban broadband from a friend wich i don't like so much, i feel like the voice is "strangled" when it operate.

Probably not in the same league as the DBX but the BSS DPR 404 has a pretty decent one iirc....

Have you tried the FAb Filter plug? Just curious....I never have....
 
Hi,

Coincident timing.

I have just pulled my dbx 263A out of the rack to sell.
I have a pair, and when I bought them I re-racked them as a 1U pair.
I bought them for a specific job with a female singer who had written some beautiful songs with very musical piano accompaniment. However her singing had overwhelming sibilance which had to be dealt with. The 263As worked  well.
It may well have been that she was unused to using a microphone, but apart from the sibilance, her singing was lovely. Nothing else I had tried worked without losing more than I gained.
I haven't used the de-essers since.
So before selling them I gave them a test.
There was a problem with the display not working correctly.
This was a combination of, a LED which had failed, and also a pass transistor and the voltage regulators needed re-soldering.
The input voltage from the transformer was a little higher than expected.
So when all was working well I had a good listen, and to my surprise, it was more useful than I expected.
So I am going to upgrade some of the audio circuit and keep it.

All the best,
aomahana.
 
EmRR said:
I think you are wrong there, but I may be wrong. 
Well, both schemos are here, you can compare them... In terms of functionalities, The 263X does not have a range control, that's the only significant difference. Not a big deal.

There's a big thread already.... 
Couldn't find anything pertinent to this discussion, only corroboration that both the 902 and the 263X perform well.
 
Both BSS DPR402 and DPR404 have very usable deessers.
The most "invisible" deesser for me is the SPL hardware, which is my #1 goto deesser. Having said that I bought a 263a some time ago just for the sake of finding out how it is. In stock state it is not the best kit, but after some help (recapping and a few modifications) it turned out pretty useable, not too far from the current dbx offering (520 for 500-racks).
 
abbey road d enfer said:
Well, both schemos are here, you can compare them... In terms of functionalities, The 263X does not have a range control, that's the only significant difference. Not a big deal.
Couldn't find anything pertinent to this discussion, only corroboration that both the 902 and the 263X perform well.

I can't find it either, memory may be wrong.  I find the first bits of speculating about the differences, but not the later specifics I think I remember. 
 
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