Vintage Digital

The Most Popular Vintage Effects

Classic Recording Studio Equipment

Have you ever wondered which vintage effects are the most popular on Vintage Digital? Wonder no more, but the results may surprise you!

This list was last updated January 11, 2024

10.

The Roland SDE-3000 was a natural progression from the earlier SDE-2000 and offered better sound quality through increased bandwidth among other improvements. The Roland SDE-3000 is a high quality Delay Machine featuring various delay effects and also the Memory function that retains up to eight different panel settings, therefore, it is extremely helpful for both studio and live performance.

9.

The Roland SDE-1000 represented Roland’s entry into the affordable Digital Delay market and it brought quality effects for all of us. The Roland SDE-1000 Digital Delay is a high quality 12 bit digital delay machine with various attractive features including chorusing.

8.

The Lexicon PCM 70 has become something of a legend of late, with good examples selling for the same money or more, than what they sold for when new. It is ironic really…when the Lexicon PCM 70 was released everyone said it was not a ‘real’ Lexicon. While it may not be a 224X, released the same year, it does offer a taste of the Lexicon sound.

7.

The Yamaha SPX990, regardless of the name came after the Yamaha SPX1000 and continued the Yamaha tradition of providing superb quality. The Yamaha SPX990 effect systems offers 80 preset effect programs including accurate simultaneous natural reverberation and early reflections.

6.

The EMT 140 was the worlds first artificial reverb unit and it changed the recording world by allowing any studio to have “reverb on tap”, even smaller studios who did not have physical echo/reverb chambers.

5.

For many engineers, the Lexicon 480L is the pinnacle of digital reverbs and has never been bettered, not by Lexicon or any one else. The Lexicon 480L came along in 1988 and has remained in place at most studio around the world as it simply can not be replaced by a plugin according to those who own them, and love them.

4.

The AMS DMX 15-80S is a true stereo microprocessor controlled digital delay line. Originally designed to meet specifications laid down by the British Broadcasting Corporation for equipment to be supplied to them, it offers two completely independently delayed channels with precisely controlled delay times.

3.

Ensoniq were a keyboard manufacturer back in the 1980s, but their legacy seems destined to be their first multi-effect processor, the Ensoniq DP/4. Using their experience from keyboards and samplers, Ensoniq developed their first effects processor in 1992 towards the end of their keyboard era, and to this day, the Ensoniq DP/4 is still sought being after.

2.

The Lexicon 224 digital reverb announced in 1978 is the kind of stuff legends are made of. It is without a doubt the most admired and desirable reverb of the Lexicon line-up. It may be 45 years old now, but the Lexicon 224 is still in use today at many studios regardless of it’s limited bandwidth, and is loved by so many engineers, that they will only replace it when it dies. If it dies…

1.

The Yamaha SPX90 was released in 1985 as an affordable multi-effects processor for the masses. It remains today a true classic digital effects processor. It is also the most looked at effects processor on this website.