View Specs on Popular Signal Processors

Summit Audio 2BA-221 

By Myles Boisen

Myles Boisen reviews the Summit Audio 2BA-221, a versatile preamp for microphones, electric bass, and line-level inputs....

Seven Woods Audio Ursa Major Space Station SST-206 

By Larry the O

Seven Woods Audio’s original Ursa Major Space Station SST-282 from the late 70s was a multitap delay-based echo, ambience, and reverb device. Its newest incarnation, the SST-206 ($1,195), faithfully recreates all of the earlier Space Station algorithms, and it adds a new Room algorithm that is completely different from the other programs....

Let's Split! 

By Michael Cooper

A studio pro explains how split-band (aka multiband) compression works and how it can improve your mixes and solve everyday audio problems. Then he looks at several choices you have when selecting a split-band compressor...

FMR AUDIO RNP 8380 

By Myles Boisen

The FMR RNP 8380 Really Nice Preamp is a 1/3U 2-channel mic preamp with wealth of features, such as front-panel DI inputs, inserts, and the ability to work with balanced or unbalanced signals....

DRAWMER Tube Station 1 

By Myles Boisen

Drawmer, a respected British manufacturer of midpriced pro gear, is reaching out to the personal-studio and gigging musician with its Tube Station 1 (TS1)....

LINE 6 PodXT 

By Jon Chappell

Line 6 was one of the first manufacturers to practically apply the principles of modeling to guitar-amp simulation. Though not the only company to produce...

SPL Transient Designer 4 

By Michael Cooper

The SPL Transient Designer 4 is a unique rackmount dynamics processor that can significantly improve audio signals by changing their attack and sustain characteristics....

STUDIO PROJECTS VTB1 

By Richard Alan Salz

Despite the fact that it's only half a rackspace wide, Studio Projects' VTB1 does not have what you would call a minimalist design. The variety of features in this innovative mic preamp is almost unmatched at its price point....

LEXICON MPX 550 

By Nick Batzdorf

The MPX 550 Multi-effects processor combines the famous Lexicon reverbs with time- and frequency-based effects and dynamics processing....

Little Labs IBP Analog Phase Alignment Tool 

By Myles Boisen

A review of the Little Labs IBP (In Between Phase) Analog Phase Alignment Tool, which allows continuous phase adjustment of a mono signal from 0 to 180 degrees. The processing is accomplished using high-quality passive analog filters, and without using digital or analog time-delay....

DAVE SMITH EVOLVER 

By Geary Yelton

The Dave Smith Instruments Evolver is an inexpensive monophonic synthesizer module and signal processor that combines digital and analog technology. EM explores its capabilities for producing new and unusual sounds....

TC-HELICON VOICEONE 

By Mark Nelson

TC-Helicon’s VoiceOne processor provides vocal modeling, pitch correction, and pitch-shifting functions in a rackmount unit....

MESA/BOOGIE RECTIFIER RECORDING PREAMP 

By Michael Cooper

The Rectifier Recording Preamp is a guitar preamplifier that emulates a combination of a Mesa/Boogie Dual Recitifer amp head and a 4x12 Rectifier speaker cabinet....

GROOVE TUBES 

By Michael Cooper

The Ditto Box ($399) is a tube DI with a new wrinkle: a variable gain control that provides a whopping 30 dB of gain. Capable of dishing out robust line-level...

ART DPS mic preamp/ADC 

By Eli Crews

The A.R.T. DPS (DI/O Preamp System) dual-channel, tube-hybrid mic preamp/A/D converter features Variable Valve Voicing ("V3"), which lets you choose the amount of tube saturation and the EQ profile via 15 presets....

Radial JD-7 Injector 

By Richard Alan Salz

Radial Engineering’s JD-7 Injector guitar-signal distribution amp and router takes the direct box to another level, allowing you to route a guitar or bass signal to as many as seven different amps or amp simulators without ground loops or phase problems. In addition, you can reamp: record your instrument direct, then route the recorded track through the JD-7’s line-level inputs and route them to multiple miked guitar amplifiers....

ELECTRO-HARMONIX 

By Gino Robair

In the '70s and early '80s, Electro-Harmonix pedals were ubiquitous in the garages and basements of North America. The company's line of effects pedals...

ALESIS CLX-440 

By Karen Stackpole

The latest studio tool from Alesis is the CLX-440, a four-channel digital dynamics processor that includes compressor, limiter, expander, and gate functions,...

KURZWEIL KSP8 

By Mark Nelson

Imagine being able to take every effects processor in your rack reverbs, delays, dynamics, and EQs and shoehorn them into one box. As long as we're dreaming,...

ANALOGUE SOLUTIONS 

By Mike Peake

Analogue Solutions has upped the ante in the stompbox filter wars by introducing the Phobos Filtered Coffee ($325). The feature-packed single-rackspace...