Outboard equipment Outboard audio devices are external devices used to process audio signals outside of the main unit itself.
These devices can be preamplifiers, equalizers, compressors, reverb units, delay units and other effects processors that are usually separate from the main unit, such as a mixer, amplifier or receiver.
Outboard gear can take a variety of form factors, including rack-mounted units, pedals, desktop units and boxes.
By using outboard equipment, you can achieve greater flexibility and quality in processing audio signals as you can choose specific devices that are best suited for certain purposes, and you can also adjust and fine-tune the processing of the signal more precisely.