QSC Audio 4800 Product Points, Review Setup, toll-Free, Contracting, telephone 831-335-5299fax

Contracting

➤dbx from page 10

amps, one for the processing, one for the digital EQ – now it all comes together). And no more weird adapters like a RS232-to- USB just to run your laptop; it’s all over

Ethernet! The 4800 works best when con- nected to a tablet-style PC for its ability to

manipulate functions via touch screen. Ringing out a room can now be done with just a stroke or two of the pen. One of my later complaints about the 480 was it was very hard to get in and around the unit with-

out having the remote. On the 4800 you can access everything from the front panel and noth- ing is more than a one or

two button push. I mentioned earlier about the labeling of all your ins and outs per pro-

Product Points

Plus:

+96 kHz DSP

+Full color QVGA display

+HiQnet

+Gain/mute knobs on the front panel with lighted rings

Minus:

-People stuck in the archaic 1990s might feel left out

-The overwhelming urge to get a tablet PC

The Score:

More than just an upgrade and totally new and much better product!

190 View Circle Felton, CA 95018 toll-Free: (800) 421-0888telephone: 831-335-5299 fax: 831-335-5543

toll-Free: (800) 421-0888

telephone: 831-335-5299 fax: 831-335-5543

wb@dk-technologies.com www.dk-technologies.com

12

gram. This is a great time saver especially for a company like ours that has upwards of 40 different programs for all combinations of speakers and applications. For the old 480 we had a full sheet charted out per pro- gram of the input and corresponding output that you would have to reference every time you used it. Now it is all on the front panel display in full color.

Now, it is great to talk about the control and functional ease of the 4800; but how does it sound? Well, in one word great. It is just as good and better than the 480 due to the 96 kHz upgrade and greater “tuneablity” of the pre and post EQ. If you have used any product from the DriveRack family you will be doubly impressed by the 4800.

SUMMARY

Over the years I have noticed what seems to be an evolutionary/de-evolution- ary ebb and flow to mankind’s pursuit towards perfection. We never achieve per- fection, but we always seem to get closer, and I think dbx has its greatest shot at it yet with the 4800. They have beat all the shortcomings from its predecessor and forged ahead with future thought, to not only how this unit will be used today, but also next year and years after.

David Rittenhouse is a senior live sound engineer at RCI Sound Systems and a reg- ular contributor to Pro Audio Review.

Review Setup:

Yamaha PM5D, Yamaha 3500-40 consoles; EAW KF760, KF761, KF730, KF300 speakers; laptop PC.

Pro Audio Review – July 2006