Dirt cheap rack mount outboard gear?

builttogrind · Post by **builttogrind** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 2:37 pm

What dirt cheap rack mount gear can you not live with out? premaps, compressors, reverb, multi effects, etc...

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 2:49 pm

dbx 160a

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:44 pm

When they was all I had, Meek VC3q, VTB1 and dbx163X.

I sold some shite, but kept those thru me upgrades.

Now, dbx160XT is a good answer, <US$200, but remember they're old ...

ART Pro VLA is worthy, same price level, tube and stereo; RNC ...

I think the Presonus Eureka is amazing for the available price <US$300 used and what has a decent pre, usable EQ and comp.

My Technical Pro power supplies are <US$100, very useful, as are my used Tascam patchbays.

dbX166A is nice, also, around US$150.

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:57 pm

Alesis Micro Limiter. It's a magnificent, noisy piece of crap and I use it on almost every mix I do. It crushes drums in a fantastic way.
Yes to the 160a, also to the 163x (although it's a less enthusiastic yes).
Also a big yes to the Ashley SC-50. People wax poetic about this version or that version but they're all pretty great and hugely useful.

In the non comp world -
- the Effectron can't be beat. Any version is useful and worth the little bit of money you'll pay.
- Spring reverbs by anyone - Fostex, Intersound, Peavey, Fisher etc, etc.
- The Tascam 122, 3 head, rack mount cassette deck is also one of the best dirty, rock and roll slap back delays I've ever used. Far from hi-fi but it overloads in a really great way.
- Urei 539 graphic EQ. It's cut only, sounds great, has independent high and low pass filters and the same line amp circuit as the 1176. I use it in front of plate and spring reverbs, before or after tape delays, to dial out ugly sounds, to dial in lovely sounds, as a hardware HP-LP filter or just to get some extra clean gain.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:57 pm

Tascam 122, huh?

I have one of those stored in the garage somewhere ...

Nick Franklin · Post by **Nick Franklin** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 9:30 pm

Couple of bits of kit I use all the time and picked up for pittance:

Evans/Sound Creator Analog Echo: Bought this thing for 50 bucks with a few issues. Replaced a few parts and now its my favorite for crunchy/dirty delays and general chaos. Hours of fun!

Orban 424A Compressor: Picked this up at auction for undert $100. Great for squeezing a bit more juice out of the right master. I see these come up for nothing all the time.

Marc Alan Goodman · Post by **Marc Alan Goodman** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 11:38 am

mxr dual limiter.: smash heaven

symetrix CL 150: not as loved as the 501 but an awesome compressor, especially on guitars.

Valley People Dynamite: Still around cheap somehow. Really awesome.

Mcmartin broadcast limiters: need some modding to be really useful, but often go for almost nothing and do things many other comps wont.

Effectrons: always a blast. All of em.

DBX 120X subsynth: Put a mono signal into the Left input, and only use the Right output to get sub only.

No-Fi · Post by **No-Fi** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:07 pm

Peavey Kosmos, it's puts the bass in your face

Neal · Post by **Neal** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:10 pm

I'd like to try out one of those MXR Dual Limiters but I haven't seen any that were exactly "dirt cheap." Depends on what you consider cheap.

I really like my ART MPA and VLA. Cheap as hell used.

builttogrind · Post by **builttogrind** » Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:59 pm

My bandmates and I have been toying with recording a split 7" and then continuing to assemble a stock of decent outboard gear to continue to record ourselves as well as friends bands in the future. ART has always served me very well as well as Alesis and Foucusrite I just know at there is other stuff out there so that was the purpose of this post. Thanks for all the suggestions is far.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:03 am

RNLA

They are pretty cheap used and sound awespme.

Marc Alan Goodman · Post by **Marc Alan Goodman** » Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:32 am

Neal wrote:I'd like to try out one of those MXR Dual Limiters but I haven't seen any that were exactly "dirt cheap." Depends on what you consider cheap.

Maybe they've gone up, but I used to see them go for $250 or so. not bad for a stereo compressor. It's the modular mini series comps that go for upwards of $1k. But as you mention, cheap is always relative.

getreel · Post by **getreel** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:54 am

+1 on Symetrix 501 or CL 150. Love my 501 and it's a newer one. Smash city but sounds great on rock vocals even. Also the old Ashly compressors are pretty good for the money. I paid $75 for one of those about 8 or 9 years ago and sold it for closer to $150 which was still inexpensive. I can't remember the exact model but it was an old gray face one with the older looking knobs. I bet any of those would be a good bet though. Of course there's also the RNC which is the best transparent compressor for the money I've ever used.

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:12 pm

What about some cool Alesis stuff:
Micro Limiter
Midiverb II
Wedge

builttogrind · Post by **builttogrind** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:19 pm

I'm a big fan of the Alesis stuff and I have heard nothing but good things about the RNC stuff.

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Dirt cheap rack mount outboard gear?

Dirt cheap rack mount outboard gear?

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