Arts >> Music >> Recording Music

USB Audio Effects

Spearheaded by Pro Tools software in the 1990s, computer-based audio recording, editing, effecting and mixing has dominated the modern market. Computer recording provides many more effects, more power and non-linear editing over its tape-based ancestors, but is limited by its own resources. Each audio effect applied to a sound with a recording program requires memory, bogging down the system performance and potentially leading to a program crash. Many manufacturers offer USB hardware effects products to allow effects processing outside of the computer's internal memory and provide additional control and interfacing to the computer.

  1. AmpliTube 3 USB Control and Interface

    • IK Multimedia's AmpliTube 3 is a software bundle designed to replicate the sound of a variety of vintage and modern tube guitar amplifiers. The USB control and interface package allows a guitarist to plug their guitar directly into a foot-rocker controller designed to mimic a wah pedal, and connect the pedal to the computer recording system via USB. This simplified system allows quick set-up time for the musician, as well as providing hardware support for the AmpliTube effects processors.

    Boss GS-10

    • Renowned for their effects pedals and long history of digital effects processing, Boss has developed the GS-10 effects system to perform seamlessly with a recording computer's USB interface. By utilizing their proprietary COSM effects processors, the GS-10 effects guitars and other instruments with distortions, overdrives, amplifier simulators and modulation. Hardware knobs on the device allow for easy editing of each effect, and all sounds can be instantly delivered into the recording program via its integrated USB jack, allowing easy connectivity.

    Behringer 1204FX

    • Germany's Behringer company has developed an integration of digital audio effects and hardware mixing with their 1204FX mini-console. This console not only allows microphones, instruments and line level devices such as MP3 players to be mixed together, but also to be effected by its onboard 24-bit digital multi-effects processors. Providing effects such as reverbs, gates, compressors and modulation, the 1204FX interfaces with a computer via its USB interface. By applying effects outside of the computer, more memory will remain on tap for recording programs and computer functions.

    Korg PX5D

    • The Korg Pandora series of digital effects boxes has a history stretching back to the 1990s and the dawn of portable guitar computer processing. This newest incarnation allows guitars to be effected with distortions, overdrives, modulation and amplifier simulation before being sent to a computer through its USB interface. Famed for its sound quality and portability, the Pandora makes connecting to a computer recording system straightforward and easy for musicians on the go.

+:
+:

Recording Music

Related Categories