PEDALS
THAT HANDLE
LINE LEVEL
SOURCES
There are some pretty popular and well-regarded
guitar effects these days that are designed to handle
line level sources. Among these are Eventide’s
stompboxes, including the Space and the whole
Factor series, which have switches on the back
for selecting between instrument and line level on
both input and output. Many Strymon pedals, such
as the brilliant , tape effects-inspired Deco, can
also handle line level sources when used in Studio
Mode, easily accepting input levels up to +8 dBu
without melting down (that’s pretty darn hot, as
the pro audio line level standard is +4 dBu). These
stompboxes are ideal for integration with a DAW,
as no reamp box will be necessary, and the effects
are absolutely top notch.
Guitar pedals can be very exciting tools for creative recording engineers, both in DIY, home
recording environments, and in professional studio situations. The hands-on nature of
guitar effects inspires a more intuitive mixing approach that—though familiar to those who
came up during the era of consoles and tape machines—isn’t something one experiences
very often in the modern DAW-based studio, where most mixing is done by mouse. Guitar
pedals are also capable of generating textures that are not readily available from plugin
effects, particularly in the realm of analog dirt, distortion, and fuzz. Integrating guitar
pedals and pro audio gear has never been easier, so next time you’re mixing and you
begin to wonder how the snare drum would sound through a Pro Co Rat and a Cry Baby,
there should be nothing to hold you back (except maybe good taste or angry bandmates).
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TONE TALK //
Where Pedals and Mixing Meet: Bridging the Gap Between Stage and Studio