Other Digital Effects

Digital Effects Processors are everything that is great about digital signal processing and provide multiple effects in a single box. Everything from digital reverb, digital delay and modulation effects are included. The ability to combine these effects takes everything to another level altogether. Eventide was one of the very first companies to head down this path with the Eventide H910 Harmonizer. The H910 was the world’s first commercially available digital audio effects processor. The H910 combined pitch effects with delay and feedback to create a very unique device for the time. The success Eventide enjoyed with this first product spawned many products over the years, and Eventide deservedly own the multi-effects processor market to this day. Their latest product the Eventide H9000 is an extraordinary bit of technology that will take them through the next decade.

A number of companies over the years have tried to take on Eventide, some with great success, some not so much. One such company that did succeed was Yamaha with their range of SPX signal processors. Yamaha introduced their SPX90 processor in 1985 and it offered everything from reverb to delay, chorusing and a multitude of other effects in a single rack space. The SPX90 was a massive hit for Yamaha who followed it with a string of even better processors. Companies like Alesis, Ensoniq, Korg, Kurzweil, Lexicon, Roland, Sony and TC Electronic all got into the multi-effects processor market with varying degrees of success. There are however some real standout products for those looking to buy hardware based multi-effects processors besides the Eventide and Yamaha offerings, and that includes the Ensoniq DP/4 and DP/4+ processors, as well as the Sony DPS-V77.

Released in 1993
The EMT 248 Digital Audio Processor served as a versatile solution for handling audio signal processing, rendering individual sound effects and processing units obsolete. The front panel of the device features program modules that offer quick access to a range of functions.
Released in 1994
A year before releasing the Sony DPS-V77, Sony decided to offer a more affordable multi-effects processor in the HR-MP5, a half rack sized processor. The Sony HR-MP5 is not what one would hope for if looking for a ‘Best of Sony’ and probably was not intended to be that. Aimed at home recording studios rather than topflight studios, Sony had great success with the HR-MP5.
Released in 1994
You should never have to compromise your sound when you need multiple effects. With the Alesis Quadraverb 2, you will never have to compromise at all. The best effects processors in the world are known not only for their stunning sonic quality, but also for their versatility and processing power.
Released in 1994
Roland made chorusing their thing and cemented their place in history with the Dimension D, but by all accounts, it is the SDX-330 that is the best chorus processor. The sad thing is, by the time it was released in 1994, chorusing had pretty much run its course in recording and the sales of this processor must have been very low as they rarely ever come up for sale.
Released in 1994
The Eventide DSP4000 Series Ultra-Harmonizers are multipurpose programmable digital audio signal processor with pitch change capability.  It is the latest and greatest in a line of pitch change special effects units stretching back to before most audio manufacturers ever heard of digital.
Released in 1994
The Lexicon LXP-15 II offers a rich and distinctive palette of special effects, including 128 preset effects programs to get you started. Each program has up to five display pages of variable parameters that you can adjust for subtle or dramatic changes in the program’s sound, and you can store as many as 128 customised programs in user memory.
Released in 1995
The Zoom Studio 1202 is a versatile effects processor with 512 presets across 32 effects and 16 variations. With a 44.1 kHz sampling frequency, it delivers high-quality sound, ideal for guitars, bass, and synthesizers. Its full stereo configuration provides rich, natural reverb and allows independent use of both channels.
Released in 1995
Having done all they could with the DPS series, Sony only had one place left go, and that was to combine all four DPS effects into a single processor. The Sony DPS-V77 was born! In creating the Sony DPS-V77, Sony unleashed a ‘Best of Sony’ in terms of not only the effects on offer by combining all the best DPS Series effects, but also the sonic performance of the internals too.
Released in 1995
The TC Electronic M5000 Digital Audio Mainframe is unlike any other effects processor you have ever seen, at least it was at the time…By combining TC DARC technology with the skills of the best signal processing software engineers around the world, we have created the perfect mix of effects you have access to in the TC Electronic M5000 today.
Released in 1995
Following on from the huge success Ensoniq enjoyed with the DP/4, the Ensoniq DP/4+ took a successful recipe and added subtle updates to the interface. The Ensoniq DP/4+ creates 24-bit digital effects using four independent processors and features four independent inputs and outputs with full internal mixing capabilities.
Released in 1995
The Lexicon PCM 80 brings you exciting new effects with extensive processing and control capabilities, and uncompromising sonic clarity. The Lexicon PCM 80 contains a built-in library of 200 preset programs that provide a comprehensive array of effects ranging from beautiful and lush to completely wild.
Released in 1995
The Ensoniq DP/2 is equally at home in a professional recording studio, home studio, guitar rig, MIDI setup, or PA system. The Ensoniq DP/2 creates 24-bit digital effects using two independent processors and features two independent inputs and outputs with full internal mixing capabilities and discrete stereo processing.
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