dbx 520 De-Esser (500 Series)

The 520 tames sibilance without an outboard split-band compressor, sweeping its crossover point from 800 Hz to 8 kHz so the de-esser targets exactly where a vocal or dialogue track is getting harsh. Attenuation is variable from 0 to 20 dB and operates uniformly from -40 dBu to +22 dBu of input without needing readjustment as level changes.

Attack is program-dependent, hitting 63 percent gain reduction in as little as 600 microseconds for a 20 dB event, with an LED column showing 1 to 20 dB of reduction as it happens. A Mode switch selects HF Only for de-essing the high band alone or Normal for full-range detection, and the module runs in any 500 Series rack on the shared power bus.