So, how can a shoegazing pedalboard pilot successfully interface their pedals with a DAW,
microphone preamp, or a non-electric, non-guitar instrument? As it turns out, there are a few
different ways to make this kind of thing work, including a small handful of products which
are made specifically for encouraging stompboxes and pro audio gear to play nicely together.
There are also a very few effect pedals that have been engineered to handle line level sources
with ease, which makes them natural choices for mixing or using with non-guitar instruments.
Let’s take a look at a few ways we can safely and gracefully mix pedals with pro audio gear.
REAMP BOX
Most recordists today are familiar
with the process of reamping, which
typically involves running a prerecorded direct guitar signal out of a
DAW or other recorder, into a reamp
box (which is basically a reverse DI),
and into the amplifier of choice, the
output of which is then re-recorded
back into the DAW. This method leaves
open many options for dialing in an
ideal guitar tone at mixdown time,
and its popularity has been bolstered
by the many new reamp boxes that
have recently hit the market. These
boxes convert the low-impedance,
line-level signal coming from the
DAW or mixer into a high-impedance,
instrument-level signal that can go
straight into a guitar amp input.
This very same functionality makes a
reamp box perfect for incorporating
your guitar pedals into a mix, and with
basic reamp boxes selling for around
100 bucks, this method is also very
affordable.
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TONE TALK //
“THIS METHOD LEAVES
OPEN MANY OPTIONS
FOR DIALING IN AN
IDEAL GUITAR TONE AT
MIXDOWN TIME.”
Where Pedals and Mixing Meet: Bridging the Gap Between Stage and Studio