The right hardware effect for stage and studio
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- KVRist
- 378 posts since 12 Jan, 2005
If any of you musicians out there wanted to have a good hardware effects unit that would compliment both a home studio and a live stage, would it be a compressor, or a limiter? Thanks in advance for any help !
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
Neither! Or both... 
There are so many other effects types to choose from: reverb, delay, gate, gated reverb, multitap delay, graphic eq, parametric eq, flanger, phaser, chorus, lesley, pitch shift, panning, distortion, expander, exciter, etc.
And the good news is, you can buy ALL in ONE small box!!! Its called a "multi effects unit" and many manufacturers have many models.
Oh, and the compressor/limiters are widely available as a combi in one box also. Nobody has to choose which one to prefer. You just get them both.
There are so many other effects types to choose from: reverb, delay, gate, gated reverb, multitap delay, graphic eq, parametric eq, flanger, phaser, chorus, lesley, pitch shift, panning, distortion, expander, exciter, etc.
And the good news is, you can buy ALL in ONE small box!!! Its called a "multi effects unit" and many manufacturers have many models.
Oh, and the compressor/limiters are widely available as a combi in one box also. Nobody has to choose which one to prefer. You just get them both.
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
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- KVRian
- 769 posts since 2 Apr, 2005
Live and stage are totally different animals. And I don't consider a hardware compressor or a hardware limiter to be at all necessary for either. This sounds like a real newbie question - but assuming you do know exactly what a compressor or limiter is (but why would you be asking this?) then all I can say is that IF you know that you need one, only bother with the extremely expensive high-end stuff. Because freeware VST plugins are better than any of the affordable compressors or limiters.
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
Very true, Greendoor! I make music for the better half part of my life. The first guitar effects I bought were a distortion and a flanger. Those you can notice!
Only in the last couple of years I've needed a compressor. And a limiter can be seen as just a particular setting of a compressor.
Only in the last couple of years I've needed a compressor. And a limiter can be seen as just a particular setting of a compressor.
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
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- KVRian
- 769 posts since 2 Apr, 2005
Depends on what you do or play too. For a vocalist, a compressor will probably cause a feedback nightmare. But it could be great on bass or guitar. A reverb might be necessary for recording, but completely unnecessary if playing in a big room (unless you really want to sound like karaoke!). Modern keyboards with digital outputs are inherently limited - you can't go louder than full output, therefore you don't need a limiter. That's not the case with electric, acoustic or even real (voltage controlled - not digital) analog synths. But I believe you would know if you have a real need for a limiter. Until you do, enjoy the superior audio quality of shortest-path.