1990s Studio Gear Timeline
The 1990s marked the full dominance of digital technology in studio effects and recording. Advances in processing power made digital reverbs, delays, and multi-effects units standard tools, while computer-based systems began reshaping production workflows. At the same time, digital multitrack recorders overtook analogue machines, with the arrival of the Alesis ADAT in 1991 proving a game changer. Affordable and flexible, it brought digital recording within reach of countless studios. Though analogue effects and tape retained dedicated followers, the decade was defined by the rapid shift to digital systems and the new creative possibilities they unlocked.
1990
Sinead O'Connor
When Sinead O’Connor’s cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2U hit the airwaves in early 1990, it quickly became a worldwide hit. Two things stood out in the recording: the extraordinary vocal performance by Sinead, and the liberal use of reverb on her voice. The SSL console at Westside Studios in London was used to capture Sinead’s […]
Engineered by: Chris Birkett & Sean Devitt
Mixed by: Chris Birkett
Produced by: Nellee Hooper, Sinéad O’Connor, Chris Birkett and Sean Devitt
1990
Made In U.S.A.
Manley’s modern take on the Pultec EQ - in stereo! - with extra frequencies the original never had; a vastly superior power supply and famous Manley line amps complete the package. Magic on drums, killer on guitars.
1990
Made In Japan
The Akai DR1200 was a 12-track digital hard disk recorder from the early 1990s. It was designed as a professional digital multitrack recorder, aimed at studios looking for high-quality digital recording without relying on tape formats like ADAT or DASH.
1990
Made In U.S.A.
The Manley Enhanced Pultec Equaliser is Manley’s modern take on the Pultec EQ with extra frequencies the original never had; a vastly superior power supply and famous Manley line amps complete the package. Magic on kick drum, killer on guitars.
1990
Made In Japan
Released in 1990, the Sony MU-D100 recorder features a design aesthetic that matches the Sony MU-R201, while offering advanced editing capabilities and a highly durable mechanism for professional use.
1990
Made In Germany
The Dynacord DRP-15 provides numerous varying effects in 100 pre-set programs and 126 freely programmable memory locations. A maximum of six effects can be used in the multi-effects structures at one time.
1990
Toy Matinee
So, picture this: a wildly successful music producer, credited with generating hundreds of millions of dollars for the record company through collaborations with Madonna, is asked, how can we repay you? In the case of Patrick Leonard, his response was to seek funding for his own project, thus giving birth to the remarkable Toy Matinee endeavor. […]
Engineered by: Bill Bottrell
Mixed by: Bill Bottrell
Produced by: Patrick Leonard
1990
Made In Japan
The Korg A2 Signal Processor provides 102 Separate Effects and 97 Effect Chains that work very well with guitars: all with Professional Quality, Studio Sophistication built in.
1990
Made In Japan
The Yamaha FX900 Simul-Effect Processor offers flexible control of up to seven effects with 100 presets and real-time control options. It delivers high-quality sound with advanced A/D and D/A conversion for various applications like guitar, bass, and vocals.
1990
Made In Japan
The Zoom 9010 is a highly advanced effects unit, offering four independent channels, flexible routing options, customisable send/return connections, real-time control of parameters, and the ability to run up to seven effects simultaneously.
1990
Made In Japan
The Boss NS-50 is a half-rack stereo noise suppressor using BOSS’s fast VCA-based downward expansion to remove noise without dulling highs, with flexible single-ended connections, visual gain-reduction metering and remote footswitch control, plus PRO Series power and level options.
1990
Made In Japan
The Boss CL-50 is a half-rack VCA compressor/limiter with integrated gate, fast time constants, clear metering, side-chain and stereo link, and switchable −10 dBm/+4 dBm levels, designed for professional integration in a 482.6 mm rack via the RAD-50 adaptor.
1990
Made In Japan
The Boss PQ-50 is a half-rack 4-band parametric equaliser with per-band frequency, Q and level control, selectable peak or shelving on Low and High bands, overload indication, remote in/out switching and optional 482.6 mm rack mounting.
1990
Made In Japan
The Boss SE-50 is a half-rack stereo multi-effects unit with 24-bit internal processing, 16-bit converters, 28 preset algorithms, space for 100 user patches, and deep MIDI and pedal control for studio or stage.
1990
Made In Japan
The Boss GE-21 is a precise 21-band half-octave graphic equaliser with ±15 dB sliders, ±15 dB Total Level control, overload warning, and pro-grade low noise and distortion.
1990
Made In U.S.A.
The Ensoniq EPS-16+ is a powerful digital sampling workstation featuring 16-bit sampling, 24-bit dynamic effects processing, and a built-in 16-track sequencer. With sampling rates up to 44.6 kHz, 20-voice polyphony, and advanced sound design capabilities, it offers exceptional control for music production and live performances.
1990
Made In U.S.A.
The Digitech IPS-33B is a rackmount harmony/pitch-shifting multi-effect unit from Digitech (in collaboration with IVL Technologies) introduced around 1990-1991. It offers “intelligent” harmony, arpeggiator, detune, delay, chorus/vibrato/flange, pitch correction and expression-control, among other features.
1990
Made In U.S.A.
The Alesis Midiverb III is a high quality multi-effects unit which features up to 4 simultaneous effects at a full 15KHz bandwidth and with 16 bit resolution. Since all features of Alesis Midiverb III are accessible from the front panel, the operator can set up a wide range of complex effects without a complex user interface.
1991
Made In Japan
The Sony DPS-R7 was the first in a new digital effects line up from Sony, its success spawned a number of other effects using the same architecture as the DPS-R7. The Sony DPS-R7 is an excellent digital reverb that still stands up today, with its full bandwidth and excellent reverb algorithms, it is hampered only by its truly awful interface if you wish to program it.
1991
Made In Japan
On the back of the success of the Sony DPS-R7, Sony developed and released the next processor in the line-up, the DPS-D7 Digital Delay with audible improvements. Sony didn't just add in the new algorithms and release it, they also chose to make the DPS-D7 use a higher sampling rate of 48kHz to improve the bandwidth even further than the DPS-R7.
1991
Made In Japan
The Boss EH-50 is a half-rack stereo enhancer with five modes, level-dependent expansion options, clear metering and pedal-switchable bypass, designed for studio and live integration with optional 482.6 mm rack mounting.
1991
Made In Japan
The Tascam 488 Portastudio is an eight-track, eight-channel rackmount recording system that combines a twelve-input mixer (eight mono channels with trim and EQ plus two stereo auxiliaries, four group busses and dual effect sends) with a four-track simultaneous overdub recorder at 9.5 cm/s.
1991
Made In Japan
The Yamaha DTR2 is a professional rack-mounted DAT recorder designed for studio mastering. It offers optical and coaxial digital I/O, balanced and unbalanced analogue connections, and high-quality 1-bit AD/DA conversion. With excellent audio specs, intuitive controls, and a full-function remote, it delivers strong performance but lacks external control ports for integration with automation systems.
1991
Made In Japan
The Roland DM-80 is an affordable mufti track recorder system for tapeless recording. It is a complete music production system that provides comprehensive control over recording, playback and editing operations.
1991
Made In U.S.A.
The RSP Technologies Saturator is a dual channel, two rack space unit finished in anodised blue.
1991
Made In Denmark
The Tube-Tech CL 1B is an all-tube optical mono compressor. It delivers a very musical and smooth compression, preserving the clarity of the source even at extreme settings, and this is where CL 1B really stands out compared to other compressors.
1991
Made In Denmark
The TUBE-TECH PE 1C is a passive, all-tube EQ, based on the legendary PULTEC EQP 1A design and featuring a passive EQ section and a high-quality op amp.
1991
Made In Japan
The Roland RSP-550 is a true stereo multi-effects processor offering 39 high-quality algorithms, including lush reverbs, multi-tap delays, pitch shifting, modulation effects, rotary speaker simulation, and an eight-band vocoder. With 48kHz sampling, 21kHz bandwidth, 160 user memories, and deep MIDI control, it delivered professional-grade sound and versatility at a mid-range price, making it a standout choice for studios and live use in the early 1990s.
1991
Made In U.S.A.
The Lexicon LXP-15 offers a rich and distinctive palette of special effects, including 128 preset effects programs to get you started. Each program has up to five display pages of variable parameters that you can adjust for subtle or dramatic changes in the program’s sound, and you can store as many as 128 customised programs in user memory.
1991
Made In Japan
Korg had made a number of effects units by the time the Korg A1 was released, and for this unit they went all out to match the competition. The Korg A1 was designed to surpass the usual limitations of digital multi-effect processors.
1991
Made In U.S.A.
By the 1990s Orban was owned by AKG Acoustics, and during this time they released a number of interesting products, such as the Orban 290RX. The Orban 290RX Adaptive Enhancement Processor was an interesting product that was on one hand a sound restoration device, and on the other a noise reduction system.
1991
Made In Japan
The Zoom 9030 is a versatile multi-effect device with 47 built-in effects, intuitive controls, analogue distortion, real-time modulation, and support for external effect devices, offering dynamic sound processing for a wide range of applications.
1991
Made In U.S.A.
The Alesis QuadraVerb GT is a stereo effects unit that is ideal for guitar. It combines analogue and digital electronics to provide the best of both worlds.
1991
Made In Japan
The Akai DD-1000 Magneto Optical Audio Recorder is a significant development in audio technology, known for its innovative digital recording and editing capabilities. Combining advanced technology with professional functionality, it has established itself as a key piece of studio equipment history.