• Mixing Boardhome recording studio/mixer image by DWP from Fotolia.com
  
  Digital outboard effects are used in the studio as well as in live situations where a musician's sound must be altered from its original sound. Digital effects are cleaner than their analog counterparts and offer an inexpensive way to add compression, reverb or equalization to a sound or instrument. With many options regarding pricing and customization, outboard digital effects are a must for any recording studio.
  
  

Compressors

• Compressors are outboard digital effects processors that raise the volume of lower sounds and lower audio spikes based on the compressor's settings. These units can also be used to limit the overall stereo sound to solely reduce volumes and control audio spikes on a stereo track. These versatile effects units can also be used on individual instruments for live use or in the studio. Most bass players use some kind of compressor to even out their sound both in a live setting and in the studio. By setting the threshold low and the ratio high, you can get a squashed sound, or by setting the threshold high and the ratio low, you achieve a very subtle effect that is perfect for vocals.
  
  

Reverb

• Digital reverb units are imperative in a recording studio. As sounds are controlled and recorded in a dead room, reverb can add the right amount of ambiance to a track or selection within a song. If you record the track with natural reverb, you cannot change it later, so by recording the track dead, you can add just the right amount of digital reverb to spice it up. Adding just the right amount of reverb to a vocal track can really make the performance stand out, and reverb is also used frequently on the snare drum and on some clean guitar tracks to add overall depth.
  
  

Equalizers

• Equalization of sounds is an effect that can have great consequences in a recording environment. Sonically, every instrument and vocal occupies a place in the overall recording. By altering equalization of a track, it may fit better in the overall sonic picture. Often, bass and drums overlap in frequencies, so equalizing certain frequencies of the bass or kick drum can allow each instrument to be heard clearly in the overall mix. Digital equalizers come in many variations, from graphic models, where individual frequencies can be tweaked, to parametric, where bands of frequencies can be changed in a more general manner. Equalization is also great to use at the end of the recording during mastering to give the recording more high-end or lower mid-range oomph.
  
  

Multi-Effects Units

• Digital multi-effect units usually include multiple effects in one housing such as the ones discussed here in Sections 1 through 3. Equalization, compression, distortion and reverb are almost always included, and these all-in-one boxes are useful for easy manipulation of sound as many are limited in their customization. The advantage of single-units is their depth of parameter change options, whereas multi-effects units usually rely on preset with less options for customization.