Loudspeaker processing
dbx DriveRack PA2 Review: The Wizard Is a Starting Point
Quick answer
Buy the DriveRack PA2 if your church runs passive loudspeakers in a room nobody has ever tuned, because the auto setup wizard gets a volunteer to a defensible starting point for about $426. Skip it if you expect it to fix feedback caused by a microphone pointed at a speaker.
The DriveRack PA2 is the right processor for a church with passive loudspeakers and no measurement expertise, where its guided wizard produces a result far better than the untuned system it replaces. It is the wrong purchase for a church hoping it will solve a feedback problem that is really a microphone placement problem, because no processor fixes geometry.
This review is drawn from published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews, not hands-on testing. The PA2 appears on more church racks than any other processor, which makes its owner consensus worth reading closely.
On this page
What the PA2 puts in one rack unit
Five functions that would otherwise be five boxes: a crossover to split mains from subwoofers, parametric and graphic EQ for room correction, limiting to protect the loudspeakers from a volunteer, delay for time alignment, and feedback suppression. Two inputs and six outputs is enough for mains, subwoofers and a delay zone.
The auto setup wizard walks an operator through speaker selection, level setting and a measurement with the supplied microphone, and produces a tuning. For a church that has never tuned its system, that is a genuine improvement delivered by somebody who does not know what they are doing, which is a rare thing in audio. See the processor roundup for alternatives.
Published specifications
The input and output count is what decides whether it fits your system topology.
The DriveRack PA2 provides two inputs and six outputs of loudspeaker management in a single rack unit, with app control, for about $426.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Inputs | 2 |
| Outputs | 6 |
| Rack units | 1 |
| Processing | Crossover, EQ, limiting, delay, feedback suppression |
| Control | Front panel plus Android and iOS app |
| Catalog price | $426.00 |
Figures are dbx’s published specifications for the DriveRack PA2. Nothing here was measured on this site.
The limitation: the wizard is a starting point, and feedback suppression buys decibels not miracles
Two things a church should understand before buying. The auto setup wizard takes a single measurement from one position with a small microphone. That produces a reasonable starting point and it is not a system tuning: a real tuning uses multiple measurement positions and a trained listener, and it will beat the wizard every time. Treat the wizard as the floor, not the ceiling, and check the result by walking the room.
The feedback suppression is the part most often misunderstood. It buys a few decibels of headroom by notching ringing frequencies, which is genuinely useful on a lectern or lapel channel. It does not fix a microphone pointed at a loudspeaker, a lapel worn too low, or an open choir microphone under a main. Fix the geometry first using our feedback guide, then use the processor for the last few decibels.
What owners consistently report
Published owner reviews consistently describe the PA2 as transformative for untuned systems, with the wizard and the app both praised for making the process approachable. Churches and small venues make up a large share of the owner base, and the improvement reported is usually in clarity rather than in volume.
The consistent criticisms are that the auto tuning is a blunt instrument compared with proper measurement, and that the front panel interface is cramped, which is why most owners use the app. A recurring note is that feedback suppression was oversold to them by expectation rather than by dbx, which matches the caution above.
Alternatives worth considering instead
Budget pick, because your problem may be one channel: the Behringer FBQ2496 at $169.00 handles a persistent feedback problem on a single microphone for a fraction of the price.
Step-up alternative, because delay zones need outputs: the Behringer DCX2496 at $339.00 offers three in and six out with delay and limiting on every output, for a system with under-balcony fills.
Different tool, because the preaching microphone may be the issue: the dbx 286s at $345.00 adds compression, de-essing and gating on one channel, which is what a pacing preacher actually needs.
Who should buy it, and who should not
Buy it if your loudspeakers are passive, if the room has never been tuned, and if there is no budget for a professional system tune. Buy it if you are adding subwoofers and need a crossover, or adding under-balcony delay speakers and need time alignment, which you can calculate with the delay speaker timing calculator.
Do not buy it if your speakers are powered with capable onboard DSP, because you would be duplicating processing. And do not buy it as a feedback cure: see the feedback eliminator roundup for an honest account of what these devices can and cannot do.
Sources
- dbx DriveRack PA2 published specification sheet and owner’s manual
- dbx AutoEQ and AFS feedback suppression documentation
- Consensus of verified owner reviews published on major retailer listings
Frequently asked questions
Will the DriveRack PA2 fix our feedback problem?
It will buy a few decibels of headroom by notching ringing frequencies, which helps a lectern or lapel channel that is close to the edge. It will not fix a microphone pointed at a loudspeaker, a lapel worn low on the chest, or a choir microphone hung under a main. Fix placement and gain structure first, then let the processor take the last few decibels.
Is the auto tuning wizard good enough for a church?
It is far better than an untuned system and clearly worse than a proper multi-position tuning by someone who knows what they are doing. For a volunteer-run church with no budget for a professional tune, that trade is usually worth it. Run the wizard, then walk the room during a rehearsal and confirm the result rather than trusting it blindly.
Do I need a DriveRack if my speakers are powered?
Usually not. Powered speakers from QSC, JBL, Electro-Voice and Yamaha include DSP that covers crossover, limiting and basic voicing, so a PA2 would duplicate it. The exception is a system with delay zones or subwoofers that need time alignment across several outputs, where a central processor is easier to manage than settings scattered across cabinets.
How many outputs does a church system need?
Two for a pair of mains, four once subwoofers arrive on their own crossover, and six when under-balcony or mid-room delay speakers join. The PA2 six outputs cover most churches. Count the zones before buying, because running out of outputs means replacing the processor rather than expanding it.
Can a volunteer operate the PA2 safely?
Set it up once, store the configuration, and then keep volunteers out of it. The processor holds the limiters that protect your loudspeakers, and a well-meaning adjustment can remove that protection without any obvious symptom until something fails. Treat it as install equipment that lives in a locked rack rather than as a mixing tool.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, operator manuals, FCC rules, published standards and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Sound system design, rigging loudspeakers overhead, and any electrical work are jobs for a qualified professional: have flown loudspeakers and their attachment points signed off by a structural engineer or a certified rigger, and have all wiring done by a licensed electrician to your local code. Wireless microphone rules change, so confirm the current FCC position before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.