Outboard Gear
Rack compressors, equalizers, and processors used to shape recordings outside the console.
How to read the icons: Rack height matches its actual rack-space size (1U/2U/3U), with a meter needle inside.
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Convert between dBu/dBV, chain gain stages together, and check your headroom before it clips.
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Learn normalization types, get creative patching ideas, and build a printable layout for your rack.
Browse 45 outboard gear
- Universal AudioCompressor/Limiter
1176LN
1967 · Compressor / Limiter
Engineers wanting the fast, aggressive FET compression heard on countless classic drum and vocal tracks.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - TeletronixCompressor
LA-2A
1965 · Compressor / Limiter
Engineers wanting exceptionally smooth, transparent tube/optical vocal compression.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - dbxCompressor
160
1971 · Compressor / Limiter
Engineers wanting punchy, precise VCA compression on drums, bass, or bus processing.
$$Mid-RangeCompare - PultecEqualizer
EQP-1A
1951 · Equalizer
Mastering and mix engineers wanting the classic musical low-end boost/cut EQ curve.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - UREICompressor
LA-3A
1969 · Compressor / Limiter
Engineers wanting LA-2A-style smooth optical compression in a more affordable, solid-state unit.
$$$PremiumCompare - APIEqualizer
550A
1970s · Equalizer
Engineers wanting API's punchy, forward EQ character for tracking or mix-bus coloration.
$$$PremiumCompare - NeveMic Preamp / Equalizer
1073
1970 · Mic Preamp / EQ
Engineers wanting the definitive warm, transformer-colored preamp/EQ tone on vocals and instruments.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - Solid State LogicCompressor/Limiter
G-Series Bus Compressor
1980s · Compressor / Limiter
Mix engineers wanting the classic SSL mix-bus 'glue' compression sound.
$$$PremiumCompare - dbxDe-esser
902 De-Esser
1980s · De-Esser
Engineers wanting a simple, dedicated hardware de-esser for vocal tracking or mixing.
$BudgetCompare - LexiconReverb Processor
224 Digital Reverb
1978 · Reverb / Delay
Engineers wanting the lush, dense 80s digital reverb sound heard on classic pop and film-score records.
$$$PremiumCompare - RolandTape Delay / Reverb
Space Echo RE-201
1974 · Reverb / Delay
Musicians and engineers wanting the definitive warm, wobbly analog tape-echo and spring-reverb sound.
$$$PremiumCompare - EMTReverb Processor
140 Plate Reverb
1957 · Reverb / Delay
Studios wanting the original, physically-real dense plate reverb texture on vocals and drums.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - NeveCompressor/Limiter
33609
1978 · Compressor / Limiter
Mix engineers wanting classic warm Neve-flavored stereo bus compression and limiting.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - Universal AudioCompressor/Limiter
175B
1950s · Compressor / Limiter
Engineers and historians wanting the tube variable-mu compression sound that preceded the 1176.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - EventidePitch Shifter
H910 Harmonizer
1975 · Pitch Shifter
Producers and historians wanting the exact glitchy, groundbreaking digital pitch-shift sound of the mid-70s.
$$$$Collector-GradeCompare - AlesisCompressor/Limiter
3630 Compressor
1990s · Compressor / Limiter
Absolute-beginner home studios wanting the cheapest possible real hardware compressor to start learning dynamics control.
$BudgetCompare - BehringerCompressor/Limiter
Composer (MDX2600)
Late 1990s · Compressor / Limiter
Absolute-beginners wanting the single cheapest way to add real hardware compression to a home setup.
$BudgetCompare - dbxCompressor/Gate
266 Compressor/Gate
1990s · Compressor / Limiter
Home studios wanting an affordable compressor-plus-gate combo with a genuinely musical soft-knee mode.
$BudgetCompare - AlesisReverb Processor
NanoVerb
1997 · Reverb / Delay
Absolute-beginner home studios wanting the cheapest possible real outboard digital reverb unit.
$BudgetCompare - DrawmerNoise Gate
DS201 Noise Gate
1980s-90s · Noise Gate
Engineers wanting the studio-standard noise gate specifically for clean, fast drum-bleed control.
$$Mid-RangeCompare - AphexHarmonic Exciter
Aural Exciter Type C2
1990s · Harmonic Exciter
Mastering and broadcast engineers wanting genuine harmonic excitement, not just EQ boost, on dull source material.
$$Mid-RangeCompare - BBEHarmonic Exciter / Phase Processor
Sonic Maximizer 462
1990s · Harmonic Exciter / Phase Processor
Live-sound engineers and producers wanting BBE's specific phase-correction clarity trick on a budget PA or mix bus.
$BudgetCompare - SymetrixCompressor/Gate/EQ (Voice Channel Strip)
528E Voice Processor
1990s · Compressor / Limiter
Broadcast and voiceover engineers wanting a genuine all-in-one voice channel strip, not a general music-production tool.
$BudgetCompare - Klark TeknikGraphic Equalizer
DN360 Graphic EQ
1990s · Equalizer
Live-sound engineers wanting a genuine industry-standard graphic EQ for feedback control and room correction.
$$Mid-RangeCompare
