If you haven’t heard it, or of it, yet, the Warped Vinyl Analog Vibrato/Chorus pedal is one of the hottest pieces of gear on the market right now, but Chase Bliss Audio didn’t stop there. They managed to revamp another of their flagship pedals, the Wombtone Analog Phaser, and somehow make it more incredible than it was previously. I got the chance to check both pedals out recently (click here for my review of the Warped Vinyl), and here’s what I found when I opened up that dark red-stained wooden box containing this awesome phaser.
Right away, as soon as I plugged it in, turned it on and hit the bypass switch, this pedal leapt right out of my amp, and basically continued to surprise me the entire time I got to know it. The control knobs and switches’ layout is almost identical to the Warped Vinyl, so I felt a bit more comfortable with this pedal than I did when I first opened the WV’s box. The Wombtone is an entirely different animal, however, with a different skill set and different approach to how and when it will melt your face. Equally good, mind you, just different.
The Ramp control has a whole bunch of functions, but it basically increases or decreases the overall intensity of the phasing effect, and works closely in conjunction with the Stage toggle switch, which we’ll get to in a bit. Play around with this knob, it’s a fun one, and can even be used to control other any of the other 5 parameter knobs, too. Volume and Mix are what you’d expect, with the Volume sporting a big boost range to cut through the mix, and the Mix knob able to do complete wet or complete dry, and everything else you could want it to do.
The Rate knob adjusts the speed of the phasing, and can be set manually or overridden and set using the Tap footswitch, which will come in handy in a live situation, for sure. Depth controls the range of the phasing, and the sweep present here is huge, with a plethora of sounds to be found and explored. The Form controls the ramping (up or down) of the waveform, and will get wicked funky when turned to the left or right. If you set it in the middle, that’s a perfect spot for a clean and harmonious wave. There are also 2 separate wave shape toggle switches, from which you can select Sine, Square or Triangle variations, and can mix-and-match different waveforms to create an even BIGGER sonic canvas on which to paint.
You want more? You got it! Continuing, the Wombtone also features a Stages toggle switch, which works with a back panel dip switch to change the phaser’s stages, or control the tap divisions. You can also use the Expression/CV jack and the Tap/MIDI jack to customize your journey even more. Plus, once you start messing with the entire panel of dip switches up top, and playing around with the Presets (controlled by the final switch on the pedal between the Tap and Bypass), you’ll truly start to understand the potential that this pedal is hiding, and while it make take some time to figure it all out, you’re gonna have a blast doing it.
This is one of the warmest, richest and tastiest phasers I have ever encountered – if you haven’t checked out this pedal, or any of the others they’ve got over at Chase Bliss Audio, do yourself a favor and get to their website immediately. There are some players out there who say phaser is the least favorite effect of theirs, and basically refuse to use it. I challenge anyone who has this mindset to sit down with the Wombtone and NOT be both a newly converted phaser user AND simultaneously blown away by it’s craftsmanship and sonic prowess. I Dare You.
(thanks for letting us review this bad boy, Joel and everyone at Chase Bliss!)
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
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