286 S : Worth buying just for the gate

Having seen some negative reviews on this unit in recent years I was slightly dubious, but having taken the plunge I have to say that I’m highly impressed, the dbx 286s is well presented and well assembled, all the knobs and switches are well fitting, and the dials have a nice granular ‘clicking’ to help set levels with finer precision. Once you learn how to set this up it becomes a very powerful tool for any live audio or recording setup. I’ve been most impressed by the expander/gate in this unit, it’s extremely responsive and effective when set properly. The only slightly negative thing I noticed was that the unit emits a slight continuous buzzing noise because the transformer in it is directly bolted to the housing without any rubber washers or anything to insulate it from the housing. The noise is definitely not a deal breaker, but it is noticeable if the unit is sitting on the desk next to you. Note that it does not come through in the audio, and it’s better that the unit has a proper transformer instead of a switch mode power supply.