Free shipping
within Germany for orders over 29€
55.000 products
ready for shipment
Money Back
30 Day Return Policy
You have placed the following items into your shopping cart
Free shipping
within Germany for orders over 29€
55.000 products
ready for shipment
Money Back
30 Day Return Policy
Whether for vocals, speech or instruments, hardly any audio today remains completely unprocessed. Even simple equalizing can help a voice stand out by emphasizing its presence. We distinguish between effects that optimize the signal and creative effects that noticeably change it. The use of signal processors is as old as recording itself – though today much more affordable than in the era of huge reverb plates in studio basements. In addition to “specialist” units, there are multi-effects that combine numerous functions in one device.
These devices serve different purposes but generally help to control volume levels. In extreme cases, this is done using a limiter that caps the maximum volume during an event or in a specific room. Some processors, such as the Behringer MDX2600 V2 (PAH0020550-000), offer additional options to process mono or stereo signals – including expander, gate, or de-esser functions.
On loud stages where feedback risk is high, feedback destroyers detect and suppress resonating frequencies within milliseconds. Some units constantly analyze the mix to react automatically to feedback by adjusting filters in real time. Depending on the model, several frequencies can be handled simultaneously.
Crossovers split the frequency spectrum into separate bands and route them to the appropriate speakers. For example, a subwoofer handles only low frequencies and doesn’t need to reproduce mid or high tones. This relieves the midrange and tweeters and results in a clearer, more balanced sound where every speaker performs at its best.
Almost everyone has used an equalizer – whether on a home stereo or car radio. Basic models use two or three controls to adjust selected frequency bands. Mixer EQ sections are usually more advanced: a 3-band EQ often allows variable midrange frequency adjustment, known as a parametric equalizer. Classic SSL consoles, for instance, offer additional controls for high and low midrange frequencies.
A graphic equalizer displays fixed frequencies in a row of sliders, making the overall EQ curve easy to read at a glance. This is where names like “smile EQ” or “scoop EQ” come from. Graphic equalizers are often used at the end of the signal chain, before the amplifiers, to adapt the sound to the room. A “master EQ” can correct booming bass frequencies, while a low-cut filter removes very low frequencies below a set value entirely.
Mixers for live sound often include all the standard effects built in. However, independent multi-effects units are also widely used both at the mixer and on stage to refine the sound.
While the specialist processors mentioned earlier are designed for the overall mix, some multi-effects are used directly with instruments or microphones. Singers, for example, can add harmonies, reverb, or distortion to their vocals. Other effects like chorus or compression help deliver a ready-to-mix signal to the sound engineer – ideal when working with a new band setup.
