A preamp or compressor is arguably the most important rack mount effect you’ll have in your studio. Compression controls the dynamics of the sounds you record. It keeps your signal from getting too loud without your having to turn the volume too low. Without a preamp, the job of maintaining a healthy input volume from your microphone can be quite difficult.
Popular preamps and compressors:
Avalon Mic Preamps – www.avalondesign.com
Manley VoxBox – www.manleylabs.com
Presonus Studio Channel – www.presonus.com
ART Tube Preamp – www.artproaudio.com
Universal Audio Preamp – www.uaudio.com
Equalizers are the second-most common rack mount effects processor. Most preamps have a built in equalizer. Stand-alone equalizers are often used on the master track so you can adjust the volume of each individual frequency.
Popular stand-alone equalizers:
Behringer EQs – www.behringer.com
Peavey Equalizers – www.peavey.com
Reverb helps add space to your recordings. Most rack mount reverbs are used on an effects send from your recording workstation, rather than your recording directly through them. This way, you can send multiple tracks through the same reverb and adjust the sound as you mix.
Popular reverbs:
Alesis Microverb4 – www.alesis.com
Lexicon MX200 – www.lexicon.com
Eventide SP2016 – www.eventide.com
Ibanez SDR 1000 – www.ibanez.com
Delays are the same as echoes, and they greatly improve the 3D qualities of your recordings. Analog delays in particular can add some warm and natural tones that are sweet to the ear, especially when chained through other effects. Delays are usually used on effects sends, so that you can adjust them as you mix.
Popular analog delays:
Ibanez AD-202 – www.ibanez.com
Electra EP-150 – www.electrasound.com
MoogerFooger MF104Z – www.moogmusic.com
Phasers and flangers are very popular rack effects that modulate the frequency, phase and pitch of your recordings. If you’ve ever heard a slow sweeping or swishing effect in a song, it is the effect caused by phasers and flangers. Most phasers and flangers are built as effects pedals, but there are some rack mount versions available, which are usable on effects sends. However, it is normal to apply the effect directly to the sound as you record it.
Popular rack mount phasers and flangers:
Dunlop MXR M117 – www.jimdunlop.com
Moog 12 Stage Phaser – www.moogmusic.com
One of the coolest and most unique effects available today, autotune, was first created as a rack mount effects processor. Essentially, autotune allows you to choose a musical scale either manually or by MIDI, and it will automatically adjust your voice so that it is always on a correct pitch. Though it is more popular and user friendly as an in-the-box plugin for recording software, it is surprisingly less expensive to buy the rack mount version.
Popular rack mount autotuners:
Antares ATR-1 – www.antarestech.com
TC Helicon Intonator HS – www.tcelectronic.com
Multi-effects processors include a variety of different built-in effects, and often will allow you to chain multiple effects together within the same unit. These are growing in popularity because of the unique tones they are capable of generating. Most of them use a combination of digital and analog processing, and can be used as direct effects or on effects sends with equally great results.
Popular multi-effects processors:
TC Electronic G-Sharp – www.tcelectronic.com
Samson PS15 – www.samsontech.com
Alesis Midiverb 4 – www.alesis.com
Antares AVP-1 Vocal Producer – www.antarestech.com