Pedals… as inserts! (For Recording)

[superheavyfunk]

Not sure if this should go here or in the recording section but we’ll start here and see what happens!

So, lately I’ve been hired to record several acts in my studio. It’s a proper studio, not just a room in my garage or basement or whatever. I own quality gear and plugins but no rack stuff cuz I just never got around to buying any… but I still like knobs and being hands on, so in a flight of fancy, I decided to put my Broughton RFE in the insert on the master bus during mixdown aaaannnnd… it was fantastic! In fact, I like it WAY more in this capacity than I do on my pedal board where it was mostly used just to improve the character of my downstream drive pedal. So it’s going to get permanently moved into the studio going forward.

Anyway, I was just curious as to whether any of you have tried using your pedals in a non-pedal fashion. I’ve also been experimenting with my Meris Ottobit, Strymon Deco, and a few others in this way. It’s definitely significantly cheaper than buying rack gear!

 

[superheavyfunk]

…definitely should have posted this in the recording forum

 

[Discount Bassy]

My pedalboard has basically evolved into a modular signal processor that looks like an oversize bass board (with a patchbay and mic preamp on a waist-height stand). Basically a mixing board with not-built-in-effects designed around bass originally, but adapted to accommodate vocal, woodwind or any mic'ed input as well. I have mix of Source Audio pedals and random favorites that see as much mic use as bass use these days.

 

[GrowlerBox]

…definitely should have posted this in the recording forum

You’re probably correct .

I don’t have a studio, but when I do record, I do so through my pedalboard. Because I’m familiar with it all, it’s easier than using plugins, and I can “master” at the tracking stage.

As for using pedals for mastering pre-recorded tracks, I haven’t (yet) done that, but I have a few pedals I would absolutely use — the API LLX and CMP, the Broughton HPF/LPF, the Echo Fix spring reverb and chorus/vibrato pedals and the Hudson Broadcast for its huge range of saturation/overdrive/distortion. There may be others, but that would cover 99% of anything I would want to do to a bass track, and more besides. These are all analogue, for what it’s worth.

 

[TOOL460002]

My pedalboard has basically evolved into a modular signal processor that looks like an oversize bass board (with a patchbay and mic preamp on a waist-height stand). Basically a mixing board with not-built-in-effects designed around bass originally, but adapted to accommodate vocal, woodwind or any mic'ed input as well. I have mix of Source Audio pedals and random favorites that see as much mic use as bass use these days.

That's kind of what I'm shooting for but I keep rearranging things and need to map all the MIDI knobs I want to twist. And don't want to have to do it another time. Guess that's a lazy thing and a "me problem."

Regarding inserts, yep. It was necessary before I went from MuRF to MIDI MuRF. Last band I recorded with was 100% insert effects. I'm just recording myself, otherwise I'd do everything 100% clean and go inserts. It just seems to have zero downsides.

 

[bassbrad]

I often use different pedals for processing, I have a dedicated interface for that purpose with stereo or dual mono ins and outs. Source Audio and Zoom pedals and a few others see action that way.

 

[Discount Bassy]

That's kind of what I'm shooting for but I keep rearranging things and need to map all the MIDI knobs I want to twist. And don't want to have to do it another time. Guess that's a lazy thing and a "me problem."

Regarding inserts, yep. It was necessary before I went from MuRF to MIDI MuRF. Last band I recorded with was 100% insert effects. I'm just recording myself, otherwise I'd do everything 100% clean and go inserts. It just seems to have zero downsides.

The patch bay solved a lot of my indecisiveness on a layout. I still arrange in primary effects and dedicated FX channels, but put patch interrupts into each to swap in addition pedals with their chain order brethren. The setup is challenging initially, but permits flexibility in ordering and placement in the chain.

 

[TOOL460002]

The patch bay solved a lot of my indecisiveness on a layout. I still arrange in primary effects and dedicated FX channels, but put patch interrupts into each to swap in addition pedals with their chain order brethren. The setup is challenging initially, but permits flexibility in ordering and placement in the chain.

Ya my chain is as simple as bass->ZOIA1->ZOIA2->Two Notes Opus->DAW/amp, but each ZOIA has a loop of either pedals in a MIDI looper or MIDI pedals in the loop. For a lot of them, like the Chase Bliss Habit, it is so much more useful being able to twist knobs. Still haven't cracked the way to get simple MIDI knob banks on my board. Etsy has gotten the closest but I need to ask a buddy if he can write code for a custom application. Just want a product that runs off not 5v usb (9v please!) and has either a 5pin or trs midi out. Will see how that goes. Need to get back to sucking at Ableton. Peace.

 

[AK Bass Guy]

Just something to keep in mind most stomp fx are unbalanced signal so keep your cables short to reduce em/rf noise. Also make sure to use clean power supplies to reduce unwanted noise as well.
Live environments allow you to get away with a greater noise floor than you would want in a studio environment.

 

[Discount Bassy]

I use an Eventide Mixtool for the mic-in onboard, so the output is pedal ready on its own channel. As for cable runs, most digital pedals have buffers enough.

 

[superheavyfunk]

I use an Eventide Mixtool for the mic-in onboard, so the output is pedal ready on its own channel. As for cable runs, most digital pedals have buffers enough.

Is that like the Eventide MixingLink? I have one of those and it’s incredibly useful for a lot of things

 

[agedhorse]

Note that many pedals operate at instrument level and most inserts operate at line level. It’s possible to overload instrument level pedals resulting in unwanted distortion.

 

[Iristone]

Isn't this the rationale behind Electro-Harmonix's USB Big Muff Pi? I believe that compressors, modulations and reverbs (the latter two we call "peripherals" in Chinese) can be especially useful in these scenarios. I think a USB Electric Mistress or USB Memory Man would be more useful.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

RFE in a line level insert at 18v should work great. It may thin and add a metallic rub to the tone, which might be desirable. Powerful mid sculpting. Not 100% neutral.

 

[CryingBass]

I never met a pedal I did not like. Or bought, for that matter.

 

[monsterthompson]

Note that many pedals operate at instrument level and most inserts operate at line level. It’s possible to overload instrument level pedals resulting in unwanted distortion.

Indeed.

Also, a fair reason to give the higher end Arturia interfaces a look. They have re-amp capabilities built in. I haven’t tried them myself, but I’m getting closer to grabbing one. I’m still on the fence between the Audiofuse v2 and the Studio. They also have insert breakouts for the preamps. Of course boosting the signal with a preamp and using an instrument level insert device gets back to the distortion potential you mentioned.

 

[AgingEngineer]

I think the old "if it sounds good, it IS good" quote applies here! The history of recorded audio reads like series of happy accidents, random experiments, and flighty inspiration as artists and engineers do non-traditional things to find a new sound. The day we stop trying to color outside the lines is the day artistry dies.

Personally, I've put a LOT of random equipment into insert and mix busses that should not be there. Many times the result was "meh," but I'd also had some true lightning strikes that made the primary engineer go "whoa.... how did you get that?"

 

[Zbysek]

I don't use pedals when recording, generally.

The only exception is using high input impedance preamp pedal for my passive piezo-equiped EUB.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Is that like the Eventide MixingLink? I have one of those and it’s incredibly useful for a lot of things

Yep. My mistake on the name.

 

[superheavyfunk]

Indeed.

Also, a fair reason to give the higher end Arturia interfaces a look. They have re-amp capabilities built in. I haven’t tried them myself, but I’m getting closer to grabbing one. I’m still on the fence between the Audiofuse v2 and the Studio. They also have insert breakouts for the preamps. Of course boosting the signal with a preamp and using an instrument level insert device gets back to the distortion potential you mentioned.

My main interface is in fact, the Arturia Audiofuse Studio. It’s fantastic!