Digital rackmount hardware for time-based effects has been around since the 1970s, but since the DAW revolution, more of us now than ever turn to plugins for our delays, reverbs and modulation. While these software tools provide all of their forebears’ performance and more, what’s interesting is that time-based hardware effects haven’t managed to hold on to as much rack space or precious I/O as their dynamic and EQ processing siblings.
Sonic arguments aside, it is undeniable that the user interaction with a hardware tool is different to that of using a plugin, and that could even be extended to our making different decisions when feeling out the settings on a real box as opposed to being influenced by the information overload of a plugin.
Using Pedals
Any hardware can be used to get the joyous haptic experience of looking less and listening more during a mix, and this extends to effects pedals for guitars and synths. This also really comes into its own in the studio with pre-pedal guitar ‘safety’ DIs, where the talent can use as much processing as they like, with the option of re-amps later. All that is needed is taking a few extra moments before the mix to avoid overload and to minimise noise.
For true stereo pedals with one input socket, check you’re not sending balanced mono from your interface into unbalanced stereo over a TRS lead. This will cancel at the pedal otherwise. Pedals from Eventide will accept mono input from a standard instrument jack lead (or a balanced lead ignoring the Right channel) or stereo input from a balanced jack lead. On these pedals, both types of connection are made into a single jack socket which is switchable to mono or stereo modes. Use an instrument lead if you’re unsure about your own pedal.
Running a line level send into an instrument level stompbox will probably clip it, so send masters should be run pretty cold (start by pulling the interface output back by around 20dB or so). Some pedals can be noisy so run the pedal just below the point where it wants to clip.
Once you’ve hooked up the return from the pedal back into your DAW, run a -20dBFS tone through the pedals, and set your interface gain to line up on the return track. You can also enter any delay compensation if your DAW supports it. Although not essential for time based effects used 100% wet, bear in mind that you’ll need to set any time controls by ear.
Audio tracks in Input Monitor should be used as your return channels from the pedal(s) so you can take prints (record) the 100% wet output. If you can’t decide on a setting, use alternative takes/playlists.
Eventide TriceraChorus and UltraTap Pedals
Eventide are, for many, strongly associated with rackmounted studio pitch-shifting boxes, of which the H910 Harmonizer is one of the best known. As a company with half a century of audio engineering behind them, their roots began providing RAM chips and delay lines for telecommunications. They can also be credited with developing such innovations as the DL1745 (the first studio digital delay), and some of the first ever look-ahead compressors and modulation effects boxes, all landing before the beginning of the 1980s.
Their TriceraChorus and UltraTap Pedals provide classic analogue style chorus and up to 64 taps of delay in the form of two incredibly solid folded metal stomp boxes. Although these things feel like they could take the weight of a dinosaur, what makes them especially useful in the studio is their switchable input levels that will take up to a whopping 14dBu when switched to line level.
Also useful is the TRS input for switchable true stereo or mono into stereo use. Both support MIDI over TRS or USB, and are manageable using the Eventide Device Manager PC or Mac application for software updates, system settings, and creating/saving presets
Are Pedals Good Enough?
As long as you take the steps to optimise your signal path along the loop, modern, quiet pedals like the TriceraChorus and UltraTap pedals are every bit as useful in the studio as their rackmounted relatives. What’s more, when you hit the sweet spot in record you can take the sound out with you as well… If you can’t remember the last time using gear put a smile on your face, try it.
To find out more about the TriceraChorus and UltraTap pedals head over to Eventide or click the link below.