Video summary

Turn ANY Pedal into a Plugin!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product overview (what it is)

  • ElectroHarmonics “Effects Interface”: a hardware “hardware plugin” that bridges your pedalboard and your DAW.
  • Two main concepts:
    1. Plugin-in-the-middle of a pedal chain: audio goes from the pedalboard into the DAW as an instantiated plugin, gets processed, and then routes back out to continue through pedals.
    2. DAW-to-pedals “reamping” without a dedicated reamp rig: DAW audio (vocals/keys/drums/VSTs, etc.) is sent through the interface into hardware pedals, then returned to the DAW.

Key hardware/connection features mentioned

Controls

  • Two input sliders (stereo)
  • Two output sliders (stereo)
  • Headphone level
  • Direct monitoring
  • Bypass switch

Jacks/connectivity

  • Stereo inputs/outputs
  • Headphone jack
  • USB-C

Included plugin (no extra cost / no subscription)

  • ElectroHarmonics includes a matching “effects interface” plugin.
  • The included USB-C cable links the hardware to the plugin inside the DAW.

Main use cases shown/claimed

  1. Electric guitar through plugins in the DAW, then to an amp Guitar → Effects Interface → DAW plugins → back out → guitar amp

  2. Acoustic guitar (pickup) treated like a “live performance tool” Example: acoustic → studio compressor plugin + wide reverb → big, polished sound without extra hardware

  3. Vocal “outboard-style” processing, but with pedals Vocal → JHS Colorbox v2 + EchoFix FET (1176-style) compressor (in the interface’s chain) Presented as a plugin/insert-style workflow using pedal hardware

  4. Harmonizer plugin hardware as a real-time vocal effect (EvenTide H90) Lead vocal routed to a separate channel/aux (e.g., via Pro Tools routing), allowing harmonies to be committed in real time

  5. Stereo/dual-mono drum bus processing with two compressor pedals Uses two Collaboration Devices compressors (SSL bus comp style), one per side (L/R), plus separate saturation, aiming for:

    • grit from saturation
    • controllable processing per channel
    • a wider image since the compressors aren’t “fighting” each other

  6. Pedal-only “low-fi moment” Vocal section processed with Chase Bliss & Cooper Generation Loss M2 for murky low-fi texture

  7. Stereo performance modulation during the song Old Blood Noise Black Fountain Stereo used as a parallel effect, with live control changes to evolve the sound

  8. Creative/“weird” capture using Microcosm Harmonies from a collaborator processed and captured via Microcosm, then returned to the DAW at a chosen moment

  9. Stereo “weight” on electric guitar by bouncing through boosts A stereo pair of Benson Germanium Boost pedals routed across the full electric guitar bus, then “bounced down” as the processed result for mixing

Pros mentioned (explicit/implicit)

  • Enables plugin effects to be used in the middle of a hardware pedal chain (not DAW-only).
  • Supports fully stereo pedalboard use cases for effects that were previously more DAW-restricted (example mentioned: Valhalla VintageVerb).
  • Supports real-time reamping / DAW-to-pedals processing without a reamp box/rig—covering vocals, drums, keys, synths, mixes, etc.
  • Level management via the input/output faders helps reduce clipping concerns.
  • Can function as an audio interface with headphone level and direct monitoring, avoiding some “hardware conflicts” (described as not getting into weird processing fights with an Apollo system unless desired).
  • The included plugin is not a paid add-on and not subscription-based.

Cons / limitations mentioned

  • The hardware doesn’t generate sound itself—it’s mainly an interface/router, so demos focus on routing and processing.
  • No Velcro mounting mentioned (placement appears desk-based).
  • Requires DAW routing/aux channel setup for inserts/parallel workflows (implied by vocal aux/ox routing and parallel return usage).
  • No strong negative sound-quality claims were made; the main friction is expected setup/workflow complexity, which this product is intended to reduce.

Comparisons made to similar approaches

  • Compared to DAW-only workflows: allows effects (e.g., Valhalla reverb) to be used in a pedalboard context, enabling stereo “board-mounted” reverb.
  • Compared to traditional reamping rigs / hardware inserts:
    • Traditional approaches may involve Pro Tools hardware inserts and more setup effort.
    • This approach uses a single plugin + USB-C + your pedals, reducing overhead.
  • References other plugin ecosystems (e.g., Valhalla, and examples around EvenTide/Strymon/Soundtoys) to show broad insert possibilities.

User experience / workflow impression

  • Described as desk-friendly (it “lived on the desk”).
  • Emphasis on:
    • minimal setup: drop plugin in a channel strip, plug pedals into the unit, tweak while listening
    • parallel processing: routes through auxes/parallel returns for mix-building
    • performance control: certain effects (e.g., Black Fountain Stereo) adjusted live during playback

Ratings / numerical scores

  • No numeric ratings or scores were provided.

Overall verdict / recommendation (from the video)

The reviewer describes it as one of the most important pieces of guitar gear coming out (possibly the most important in years) and calls it his favorite gear from the year.

  • Implied recommendation: highly recommended for players/engineers who want to creatively combine pedals + DAW plugins, including reamping and parallel processing without the usual rig complexity.

Unique points mentioned about the product (condensed)

  • ElectroHarmonics Effects Interface = hardware acting as a hardware plugin via USB-C
  • Included plugin: no extra cost, no subscription
  • Stereo routing with input/output faders, headphone level, direct monitoring, bypass
  • Plugin-in-the-middle of a pedal chain (DAW processing between pedalboard sections)
  • DAW-to-pedals processing (“reamping without reamp rig”)
  • Helps avoid clipping through adjustable input/output levels
  • Can operate as an audio interface (headphones/direct monitoring)
  • Doesn’t make sound itself—routes digital/analog back and forth
  • Demonstrated with: vocal chains, harmonies (H90), drum bus compression, low-fi (Generation Loss M2), evolving parallel stereo effects (Black Fountain Stereo), Microcosm capture, and stereo guitar “weight” (Benson boosts)

Speaker-specific views

  • Mark Johnston (single main speaker): provides the product overview, multiple DAW+pedal routing workflows, and strongly positive recommendations based on creative demos.

Original video