DBX
A dbx is a North American company famous for manufacturing professional audio equipment.
The brand has become legendary for two main reasons:
Compressors: dbx is one of the most iconic manufacturers of audio compressors. Their models, such as the dbx 160, are famous for their percussive (punchy) sound and simplicity, becoming an industry standard for processing drums and other instruments.
Noise Reduction System: The company also developed a compander (compressor/expander) system called dbx Noise Reduction. Similar to Dolby, it compressed the dynamic range of the audio during tape recording and expanded it during playback. This process pushed the audio signal away from the background noise (hiss) of the tape, resulting in a much cleaner and quieter recording.