General
The DBX 540 is a tube microphone preamplifier from the 500 series. It's a class A preamp with a 12AX7 tube that produces a warm sound. It may have compact dimensions, but make no mistake, this DBX model is a professional-quality preamp. It's equipped with an adjustable optical compressor, while the -20 dB pad, phase inverter and phantom power are all switchable. Unlike most other preamps of this size, the DBX 540 is fitted with a handy TRS microphone input for a quick connection.
DBX 540: compressor and VU meter
The compressor can be switched on or off and has controls for attack, release and the compression level. When it's turned on, the VU meter shows the level of gain reduction, which makes it easy to adjust the settings for a well-balanced signal through the mic or instrument input. As well as a control for the master volume, there's one for gain so that you can adjust the level of tube overdrive for an authentic sound.
500 series: a modular system
The biggest advantage of the 500 series system is that different components can be combined however you want. All of the products in the 500 series are compatible with each other. That means you can assemble your rack using only the components you need, depending on the situation. It also means you won't have to shell out any extra cash for additional expensive power adapters. Of course, you can put together your rack for each situation using only the components you need from your collection of equipment.
