{"id":10730,"date":"2023-05-12T15:10:46","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T19:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/audioapartment.com\/?p=10730"},"modified":"2023-05-30T23:04:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T03:04:54","slug":"what-is-outboard-gear-in-audio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audioapartment.com\/instruments-and-equipment\/what-is-outboard-gear-in-audio\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Outboard Gear in Audio? The Hardware That Shapes Your Sound"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Picture this: You’re in the studio, the vibe is just right, the melody is humming in your head, and you’re ready to bring it to life. But there’s a catch – your mix is sounding flat. It might be your outboard gear game that needs a level-up. So, what is an outboard gear in audio production<\/strong>? Let’s dive into the basics and figure out how it can help enhance your music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is outboard gear?<\/strong> Outboard gear refers to all the standalone physical devices like compressors, equalizers, and reverb units used in a recording studio to shape and enhance the sound quality of an audio signal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Outboard gear refers to external audio processing equipment used in recording and mixing audio<\/a>. These are separate hardware units that handle tasks such as equalization (EQ), compression, reverb, and other effects. They include devices like microphones, mixers, amplifiers, and effects units. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These types of equipment are often used in professional recording studios for their unique sound characteristics and high-quality processing capabilities. Think of your music like a plain, unadorned canvas. It’s not much to look at in its raw state. But once you start adding colors, textures, and layers, that’s when it really starts to pop and catch the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter how great your raw recording is, it’s the processing that really makes it shine. And that’s where outboard gear steps in. The unique character they bring to the sound often cannot be replicated by digital plugins<\/a> or “in-the-box” processes. This can be a crucial part of achieving a particular sound or vibe in a recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some producers opt for a combination approach, recording both the outboard-processed signal and the raw source signal onto separate tracks at the same time. This way, they capture the output of their meticulously prepared recording chain and the raw sound, giving them more flexibility during mixing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider a scenario where a track is being produced and the vocals aren’t standing out in the mix. You’ve tried fiddling with the levels, but nothing seems to work. Enter the compressor. This nifty piece of outboard gear can help manage the dynamic range of your track, making sure the other elements don’t drown out the vocals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s a little “dos and don’ts” table for using outboard gear:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is outboard gear?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why is outboard gear important for music producers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n