Signal Processors

This good-looking unit hides more than just reverb beneath its shiny exterior. Derek Johnson appreciates the ambience...

Is the dbx 160S pure technology, a work of art, or a little of both?

The world of multi-effects might be generally interdisciplinary, but Derek Johnson finds that there'll always be room for a specialist.

Viscount were there from the very beginning of the budget effects revolution, and with the EFX100 they hope to give the cash-starved masses a further option. Christopher Holder finds out whether the EFX100 holds its own in the bustling budget marketplace.

Chorus, phasing and flanging are very common processes, but they don't always achieve the effect you hoped for. Paul White offers a few tips.

Can new technology really emulate vintage equipment, or do you have to use vintage parts? Paul White test a modern compressor that claims chameleon-like abilities to emulate classic compression sounds.

SPL claim to have come up with a completely new type of compressor. Paul White puts their assertions to the test.

For serious sonic sculpting, you can't beat a parametric EQ, and this new contender from Seattle-based Symetrix is priced within reach of many project studio owners.

Paul White goes into overdrive with TLA's latest valve processor — the 02031.

Paul White finds out whether a blend of valves and photocells really can deliver the ultimate vintage compressor sound.

In the last year SOS has reviewed no less than 10 examples of the new breed of so-called 'Voice Channels', promising a one-box solution to high quality vocal recordings. Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser present a brief guide to the models we've looked at, to help you decide which you should go for.

Paul White explains why a great reverb doesn't always make a mix sound better.

A good psychoacoustic enhancer can take your sound higher than you thought possible, and though there are plenty of enhancers on the market, this new Austrian model proves there's always room at the top. Paul White tries to control his excitement...

Following on from their Freebass TB303 clone, FAT's new PCP Procoder is another take on a classic instrument of the past — that mainstay of many a disco, electro, and Kraftwerk track, the analogue vocoder. Chris Carter absolutely refuses to make silly robot voices with it.

The quest for the perfect Leslie speaker simulator continues. Nick Magnus welcomes an all-analogue member to the rotary club...

Paul White tries his luck on the green and finds that where voice channels are concerned, this box is a whole in one.

Paul White concludes his series with an exhortation to unleash your creativity...

Last month Paul White covered gates and compressors; this month it's up to enhancers to justify their existence...

Paul White studio tests a compressor whose main claim to fame is that you can't hear it working. Is transparency merely an attribute of the Emperor's new clothes, or is this unit something rather special?

High-quality equalisers have the magical property of allowing you to tweak tonal content, while themselves remaining practically invisible to the ear. Hugh Robjohns checks out a contender from an American company new to the UK market.

Tape saturation is the latest thing to get the physical modelling treatment. Can two high-powered DSPs, however, really achieve the same effect as a strip of rust being dragged over a magnet? Paul White investigates.