If you’re into recording studio technology, you at least have a general understanding of effects processors, their uses, and how they can benefit a mix on both practical and creative levels. Compressors, equalizers, and reverbs are tried-and-true types of processing—but sometimes you want to experiment. Happily, there’s another way to add effects to your tracks that doesn’t get talked about that much: effects pedals.

By integrating effects pedals into your recording workflow, you can open up some seriously creative processing options that make you think differently than the normal options you’re used to working with.

In this article, we go over how this approach compares to traditional processing with outboard gear and plugins, the pros and cons of integrating effects pedals into your studio setup, and how to set yourself up whether you’re working in or out of the box.

Processing with Pedals vs. Hardware and Plugins

Using effects pedals as a part of the recording process isn’t just for morbidly curious home recording upstarts. A lot of professionals use them in their workflow, like legendary rock producer and engineer Joe Barresi.

Mixing with pedals isn’t any different conceptually than using hardware or plugins for processing. Proper gain staging is still critical, but there are some additional concerns to be aware of like impedance matching and ground loop interference.

Let’s run down some of the advantages and disadvantages of the technique.

Advantages

The biggest advantage to processing with guitar pedals are the soundscapes they open up that aren’t available with traditional outboard or plugin processing. We’re not talking about boring old compression and equalization here: the right effects can completely transform the sounds that you send through them.

Imagine using a DigiTech Whammy to manipulate a vocal in real time. Or throwing a reverse wah like the JAM Pedals Seagull on a piano part. Then there are pedals like the Pigtronix Cosmosis morphing reverb or ZVEX Fuzz Probe that don’t have a hardware or software equivalent.

The element of real time manipulation can’t be emphasized enough. Sure, you can do the same thing with plugins, or manually tweak hardware during track playback. But there’s just something about effects pedals that makes you want to twist knobs and flip switches.

It’s easy to use the same hardware and plugins over and over again and get complacent with settings. You use the same few patches because you’re familiar with them. Plus, processing mixes through pedals makes you think differently, with no mouse or MIDI controller needed. It’s a fun and experimental approach that offers a workflow that’s more performance oriented.

Disadvantages

There are some disadvantages to be aware of when integrating effects pedals into your studio setup.

If you’re working in-the-box, you’ll need an interface with line outputs, preferably at least four. Some interfaces don’t have dedicated line outputs in addition to the monitor outputs—so think about how you’ll be monitoring everything.

To make the process as streamlined as possible you shouldalso have a dedicated reamp box. If you’re processing in stereo you’ll need two, or a model like the Radial Engineering EXTC stereo reamp. Also, physical hardware takes up space, and more of it means more cabling. If you have a 500 series setup, the Radial Engineering X-Amp reduces some of the clutter in the studio space.

When working with analog gear, ground loops are always a potential point of concern. It’s recommended to use reamp and DI boxes with transformer circuitry. A ground lift on either box can sometimes help, but if you’re experiencing ground loops look at the pedal power supply. If it’s a daisy-chain style like the Truetone 1 Spot, all pedals are sharing a ground, so an isolated model like the Eventide PowerMAX or Voodoo Lab Pedal Power is recommended.

Integrating Effects Pedals into a Recording Setup

Depending on how your studio is built there are different methods for integrating pedals into your system.

For starters, you need an audio interface with outputs and inputs, which will be used for effect sends and returns, respectively. You don’t need a robust, high I/O interface—but you will probably want a two-input, four-output model at a minimum.

Impedance mismatches are the biggest concern. Guitar pedals are designed to work with an unbalanced, high impedance (Hi-Z) signal. Outboard processing hardware operates at a balanced, line level. Plugins eliminate impedance concerns altogether, but they bring their own specific set of digital dilemmas. So in order to integrate high impedance effects pedals into your recording setup, you need a device to handle the impedance mismatch. This is, again, where a reamp box comes in.

Just like a DI box converts high impedance to low impedance, a reamp box essentially works in reverse. It takes a low impedance signal and converts it to high impedance. And since most reamp boxes have a transformer in the circuit, they help to prevent ground loops. More on that later.

Setup in Your DAW

The biggest concern for reamping is making sure each piece of gear in the chain is receiving the proper signal level. Consider this scenario: you have a mono instrument track that you want to send out of your DAW, into effects pedals for processing, and then back into the DAW. When the signal is output from your interface it’s at line level, low impedance.

Impedance needs to be converted so the pedal gets an unbalanced, high impedance signal, which is what a reamp box does. You can then feed the now high impedance signal into the effects pedal(s), tweak the sound, and return it back into the DAW. But now that the signal is converted to high impedance, how do you make sure the interface is seeing the proper return level?

You have two options. If the interface, mixer, or console input that’s receiving the return signal has a Hi-Z or DI mode you can engage that to ensure a proper return level. If you’re returning the signal to an input that doesn’t have a Hi-Z option you can use a DI box.

You’ll also have to set up the track routing in your DAW or control software. Every DAW handles this slightly differently. In Pro Tools you set up specific auxiliary tracks, but in most DAWs you just create a new track. A lot of interfaces come with ancillary routing software that serves the same purpose. Regardless of how your software handles it, getting the I/O settings right is what matters most.

Recording Console or Mixer

If you’re using a recording console or mixer the process varies slightly, but the concept is the same. You’re effectively using the pedal(s) as a send effect. Depending on the type of console or mixer you might have the option to use a direct channel output, using the pedals as insert effects, or a submix output.

You can then use the various controls to determine how much signal flows into the pedal chain depending on how you have the routing set up. Keep in mind the hardware I/O reference level might operate at +4dBu or -10dBu or could be a mix of both.

Alternative Reamping Options

There are other, albeit less preferable, ways for integrating effects pedals into your studio setup. If you have a monitor controller you can place that between the interface output and the pedal input and use the gain knob to control level.

If the headphone amp on your interface has independent controls from the stereo mix you can split the headphone output with a TRS->dual TS Y cable. One channel feeds the pedals and the level can be controlled with the headphone amp’s volume knob.

But these options are not preferable, create more workflow headaches, and should only be used as a last resort. It’s best to invest in a good reamp box, and there are plenty of affordable options like Radial Engineering ProRMP or Walrus Audio Canvas Reamp.

A Creative Way to Process

There’s something about effects pedals that just makes you want to tweak them. It’s not the most convenient option, but integrating them into your studio setup is a creative way to open up sounds that either aren’t available or suck too much time out of the workflow through other methods.

It’s not complicated. Pedals are just like any other type of processor. A circuit designed to do a specific thing to a signal by twisting a few knobs, moving a few sliders, or tossing a few switches.

Sick of running to the same plugins for every mix? Are you played out with presets and want to experiment with the sounds of hardware but don’t have the budget or studio space? Integrating effects pedals into your studio setup is a great way to get creative and save some budget.

Besides, why should guitar and bass players have all the fun?

Brandon Stoner is a lifelong musician and audio engineer who owns more guitars than anyone needs. As a lover of all things writing and music technology, he crafts every piece with his dog Max on his lap.

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