dbx DriveRack VENU360 Complete Loudspeaker Management System

I am an active performer, and sound man, and have been so for over 10 years.I could start by saying that if you do not understand Equilization, Crossovers, Compressors, and Limiters you should not buy this product. I could say that, but I won't because with the built in Wizards, you could get away with knowing very little about these things, and still get great results. I would strongly recommend, however, adding the RTA-M reference mike to your purchase, unless you have something else equivalent.There are several Wizard programs, that will take you through setting up the DriveRack to recognize your system, set volume levels, auto EQ etc... Even pros should appreciate these apps as they pave the way to a great starting point in ringing out your system, and your venue. While Pink and White noise generation is available, the Wizards use frequency sweeps to tune the system, speaker by speaker, and point by point in the room.The feedback control is quite nice. With 12 filters that can be divided in to Fixed (for room characteristics) and Active ( to handle performance characteristics) this system keeps feedback on a very short leash.Getting the best out of your sound system is achievable as the Driverack has 6 XLR outs for stereo High, Mid, and Low speaker systems OR you can run a single chain for a simple mono system. The RTA Wizard takes your configuration and figures out where you should place the reference mike for it to analyze your system.The Automatic Feedback System (AFS) is used after you have set up a rough mix with all mikes in place. This clever little wizard listens to the system as you raise your mixer faders. You can hear the feedback begin, and then get squelched as the AFS kicks in. The fixed filters are set automatically, but you can change the Fixed/Auto filters allocation if you like/need to.Pros will appreciate the ability to control pretty much anything from the Display contrast, to the Crossover frequencies on each speaker array.The only thing i can think of to complain about is the size of the display, but even I think this is unfair because, let's face it, it is a 1U sized device. There is not a lot of real estate to work with. There is also a Laptop application that will allow access to the device via a router, with makes the controls much easier to manipulate.Whichever way you choose to control this device, you do not need to drill down through more than a couple of menu layers, due to the array of buttons that will bring you to each section's "Home" screen.In summary, you get a lot of bang for the buck. For most people, with simpler P/A systems, this is probably overkill, but wouldn't you rather overkill than underkill?

I had the PA2/ driverack 260 but the Venus 360 is just epic in its own wayLikes:1: Very clear layout of paremeters and modules2: AGC works great and helps to do the job of old TC Helicon Finalizer3: Network setup comes with DHCP as default and connects troublefree to your mobile phone and system via a router4: 3 Inputs system allows for Mid/side or Aux Sub processings and more5: Operates both with 100/220 Volts6: Very Strong Limiters with Overeasy settings7: Input Mixer allowing A + B/ A+C/ B+C configuration8: Sub Harmonic synthesis gives you full control over the Low and Lowest ends of the frequency spectrum9: Locks Crossover settings to avoid accidental changes10: Very bright Screen, great compressors, and moreDislikes1: None2: None None3: None None None4: None None None None5:None None None None NoneExpectations1: Four Input Venus 360/ 460 to jhelp process FOH sound plus Livestream together in one device. we are really trying to minimize the number of equipment we carry around in this new world we areThanks Thanks Thanks

Everybody knows that a DriveRack is a box of magic in Audio Production, so I won't comment on that. Suffice it to say however, the 260 model came highly recommended by a friend who does huge stage setups. I'm brand new to the DriveRack system, so this was a new experience for me, going from a rack full of gear to a single 1u device.I started my introduction with the PA2 model, and immediately found a HUGE flaw in the circuit design that caused me to return it immediately. Upon inquiry, my buddy also informed me that he knew about that flaw and that is one reason he did not use the PA series. So, I tried the 260, the one he recommended. I love it. It's super easy to set up, does a huge pile of magic, and once it's all set up, it just works like a champ.So... if you're new to Drive Rack and not sure if this thing is for you, or if you're ready to step up to digital processing, give this one a try. You'll be up and running in less than 15 minutes.I'm kind of amazed how this one little box can be so quick to set up for my small rig, and still be fully functional for my buddy who does huge shows of 3-30k attendance.I have not yet had a chance to play with the WIZARD mode (using the RTA Mic). Next time I set up a production stage, I'm going to give that a try. but for now, it's working great and I'm really loving the compact size of my rack now!