If you need eight outputs and MIDI control that might be a good option, although you would be buying a used product that has been discontinued and that probably has no warranty.The Audio Auction has 10 DBX Driverack 480T's for sale for $1,100 each.
DBX DriveRack 480T digital speaker processor - eBay (item 310262767368 end time Dec-17-10 08:36:08 PST)
I was really thinking more along the lines of schools and groups that for various reasons limit or prohibit purchases of used equipment than about the condition of the gear.Since they were Clair Bros owned I wouldn't worry them being used.
The dbx DriveRack PA+ is probably the most popular 'low budget' speaker processor with the Behringer ULTRADRIVE PRO DCX2496 and Peavey VSX26 being common alternatives. I don't see how knowing that matters since it sounds like none of these might work for your application, but those are probably the most popular speaker/system processor models.
I don't know your comfort or experience in this area, but if you plan to use the processor in the new system then the best approach would likely be to sketch out the signal flow you envision for the new system and from that determine what DSP devices can provide the connectivity and processing required for both the current application and the future application. If you don't feel comfortable doing this or don't know what the new system may be in concept then it is going to be difficult to assess what would be required to make the device appropriate for an undefined future application.
Stereo systems can be great for reproducing stereo or sources. However, as Sharyn noted, one problem with "stereo" systems is that they work based on the differences in level, frequency response and timing between the two signals. When dealing with larger listener areas, because every seat has a different relationship to the speakers and room then those differences tend to vary over the larger listener area. Thus too often the benefits noted exist for the person mixing and some of the audience but do not translate as well to other members of the audience. At the same time, due to the very fact they involve the same sound emanating from speakers in two different locations, stereo systems can be detrimental to intelligibility, especially for mono sources (like vocals and speech).I personally prefer a stereo or LCR system over a mono. These systems do not benefit in all environments and can be a challenge, but they do offer benefits. If you have a wide stage and space, it can help the connection with the stage by putting the sound where the guitar or keyboard may be if they are far stage left/right for example. This way the audience hears what they see. Also, you can create separation in the sound of instruments by panning them more one side or the other so that the freq. aren't always in battle. If you have an audio guy who may be less than experienced, you can route every thing evenly/mono quite easily. In an effort to support the wisdom of Sharyn on the stereo issue, I have seen many venues where stereo setups were useless due to the speaker configuration of the environment.
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