I started Euphonic Lab because I wanted to combine the singular joy of using hardware effects in novel ways with the speed and recall of plugins.

Measuring my own gear

But I couldn't just fill the Console with generic effects. Inspired by my own love of hardware, I began measuring the pieces of gear I reach for most. A phaser with a distinct sound I couldn't find in any of my plugins. A vintage chorus with an unmistakable character. An analog delay that delivers repeats with distinctive grit, warmth and warble.

I rebuilt each of these effects in plugin form to recreate sounds that exist nowhere else.

The wobbly chassis

I didn't stop with measurements. I wanted to capture the discovery that is possible when you have your hands on analog gear.

When I was an intern at a studio in Nashville, I once had the job of holding a tape echo's wobbly chassis steady while a guitarist played through it. We realized that if I nudged the chassis in either direction, the pitch would slide up or down ever-so-slightly. The guitarist ended up signaling me when he wanted it nudged for effect, and the result was a fantastic and unique take.

When I captured my tape echo, I also captured what happens when the chassis moves, and added it as a function in the plugin. Each plugin has a bonus function inspired by something that usually takes hardware, four or more hands, and a bit of magic to reproduce.

Everything in one glance

The workflow had to be fast. No menu diving. No magic algorithm sitting behind a black box. I wanted to be able to see everything in front of me in one glance, no matter how complex the effects chain.

With the FX Console, setting up a go-to vocal saturation chain takes seconds. Comparing two different flavors of delay and reverb is one click. And all of it lives inside the same plugin. For the pro who needs to work quickly, the FX Console combines simplicity, speed and tweakability.