Throughout the years, I’ve been fortunate to get my hands on nearly every pedal that Chase Bliss has put out, except one…until today. Much like its rare and elusive namesake, the Condor HiFi Analog Tone Bird has eluded our grasp, but the long wait has finally come to and end. Building on the original version released in 2018, this updated unit has some new features, new design aspects and the “must-have” sound...
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We’re venturing back into the unpredictable world of Chase Bliss again today, as we check out their latest release. A collaboration with Goodhertz, an audio software company making plugins and algorithms, Lossy is a lo-fi bit crusher at its heart, but with a TON of other options, nooks and crannies waiting to be explored. Come along as we lose our collective minds trying to decipher what’s going on with this amazing new...
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Well, Chase Bliss has done it once again. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, they recently released the first unit of their Small Batch series, the Reverse Mode C Multidirectional Delay. This is a collaboration with Empress Effects, as the specific sound that Joel Korte and his crew were after is from the Octave Tap mode of the Empress Superdelay, which was released back in 2008. This is, as usual, one for the...
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It’s Chase Bliss Day once again!! You all know what this one is: the MOOD MKII Instant Ambience, which builds off of the already stellar MOOD released several years ago. New features include stereo (YES!!), overdubbing, freezing, syncing, fading, filtering, balancing, blending, smoothing, etc, as well as polished up sound quality…but fear not! There’s a Classic Mode for those of you who prefer dents and dings. Let’s...
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Continuing our awesome week of reviews and demos, which has included the Eventide H90 Harmonizer® and the Meris LVX Modular Delay System, we bring you the highly-anticipated Chase Bliss Generation Loss MKII VCR Duplicator. A comprehensive study and smorgasbord of tape in all its forms, this effect is somewhat hard to categorize, and those are always some of our favorite pieces of gear. We should also mention that this is the first...
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With each new release, Chase Bliss defies our expectations and manages to one-up itself as one of the top effects pedal companies in the world. Their latest effort, Habit, is a delay and looper, but it’s also much, much more than that. Combining elements of sonic manipulation, tape delays, free-form composition and shrinking subdivisions, to name a few, this is the next step in the evolution of what a pedal is truly capable...
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We’ve been ensconced in the throws of Chase Bliss Audio products for years now (see CXM 1978, Preamp MkII, Blooper, Gen Loss, MOOD, etc), and are always excited when they put out a new piece of gear. The first run of today’s pedal sold out pretty quickly, as did the second, of which we were lucky enough to snag one, and are so glad we did. The Bliss Factory Fuzz is a collaboration between Chase Bliss and ZVEX Effects, who...
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The first iteration of the Automatone pedals from Chase Bliss Audio, the Preamp MkII, was one of the most innovative and exciting pedals the world has seen. Upping their game, as they always seem to do, CBA have just released their 2nd flying-fader-infused sonic marvel, the CXM 1978 Automatone Reverb. Reaching back to a glorious year for reverb, 1978 produced massive trails, infinite decays, hifi/lofi re-imaginings and gorgeous sonic...
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Many times throughout the course of a year, there are certain pedals that have a TON of hype around them, that just about everyone in the industry is waiting for their release to the public. Today’s pedal might just top the list for 2020, even though we’re only halfway through (really, only halfway?). The Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MKII is not only a collaborative effort with Benson Amps, but a surge forward in...
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The sheer force of impact that Joel and the Chase Bliss crew have had on the musical world over the last 7 years really says something to their creativity and innovation. They keep the train that brought us the Tonal Recall, Thermae, MOOD, Dark World, Generation Loss and more a-rollin’ with their latest endeavor, the Chase Bliss Audio Blooper Looper. With the signature CBA tech stamp firmly planted on it, this baby blue wonder...
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What’s better than experimenting with a new effects pedal from Chase Bliss Audio? Experimenting with one they created alongside another pioneering company, Cooper FX, for an extremely Limited Edition piece of gear. We saw them team up (along with Keeley Electronics) for the Dark World Dual Reverb, and now they’re expanding on one of Cooper FX’s own marvelous creations. The Generation Loss is familiar to a lot of us...
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Let’s face it: we all know about Chase Bliss Audio and their contribution to the effects pedal world by now, right? From their classic Warped Vinyl and Wombtone flagship effects to the uber-popular Tonal Recall and Thermae delays, as well as the most recent M O O D Granular Looper and a bunch of others in their lineup, the innovation and advancement they’ve brought to the table is quite stellar. In keeping with this slew...
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Innovation is at the forefront for all of the effects pedals coming out from Chase Bliss Audio, and has been since they began. We’re going to dive right in to their latest tasty concoction, a 2-channel micro looper, delay and reverb pedal that breaks all the boundaries that they’ve already broken, and then some more. A collaborative effect with the crews from Drolo FX and Old Blood Noise Endeavors, MOOD is really gonna...
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Where do we begin with today’s featured pedal? Just when you thought Joel and the Chase Bliss Audio team couldn’t top themselves, here comes the Thermae, an analog delay and pitch shifter to top all analog delays and pitch shifters. Capable of more out-of-this-world sounds than you’d ever think possible, this blue marvel takes playing music to another echelon, vaulting your creativity and inspiration to entirely new...
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Happy 4/20, kiddos! We’ve got a pedal today that seeks to build upon an already existing design, giving you two different sounding but equally incredible pedals to choose from (who are we kidding, you’ll probably buy both). The original Warped Vinyl Analog Vibrato Chorus from Chase Bliss Audio was a monster modulation pedal in its own right, as was the subsequent MkII version, which took things up a notch. Their new...
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As if Joel Korte and the crew at Chase Bliss Audio hadn’t done enough over the last couple of years to enhance and electrify the effects pedal world, here they come again with another sick auditory creation. The Brothers™ is a Boost, Drive and Fuzz pedal, but, as they say, not necessarily in that order. Full of the patented control layout we’re all used to, plus the classic dipswitch array found on the top of all CBA...
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Joel Korte Anoka, MN Chase Bliss Audio chaseblissaudio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 15 or so (17 years ago). I’d like think I have been a musician for much longer. I’m biased of course, but I remember composing some pretty cool music on “Mario Paint” for Super Nintendo (they had a cool little music making tool on that). I think I’ve pretty much...
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After a quick day off yesterday to move the shop, we’re back with a bang! From the insanely talented and innovative brain of our pal Joel Korte over at Chase Bliss Audio comes one of the most talked-about and anticipated effects pedals of 2016. The Tonal Recall Analog Delay not only manages to squish a TON of options into a regular-sized, pedalboard-friendly pedal, but takes the entire genre, dumps it on its head and reinvents...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Michael W. – find him on Instagram (@mwiegand77), Twitter (@mwiegand), Facebook (MichaelWiegand) and on his band’s Facebook page (A Greyscale). When you hear the name “Warped Vinyl,” you’re transported to a thrift store record bin. All the records you find in there are dusty, scratched, sunbaked; they’ve seen better days. But you buy one because it’s...
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The Flanger effect is one of the most recognizable in all the land, and one that generally is not in the forefront of a lot of music these days (or, in the past, either, really). Sort of an oddball effect, the lone kid on the playground that’s kinda weird and is sometimes difficult to approach, flanging is mostly used in very specific settings, and even then only for short bursts or passages. Until now. Joel Korte and the team...
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The last few months have been busy for Joel and the crew at Chase Bliss Audio. After releasing brand new versions of their staple pedals the Warped Vinyl and the Wombtone, they’ve now released a THIRD pedal in almost as many weeks, and it will shatter your expectations once again. Keeping with the theme of “best modulation gear on the planet”, we present you with the Gravitas Analog Tremolo. As with the other Chase...
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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...
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The first Warped Vinyl Analog Chorus/Vibrato was an instant hit, and was always in high demand from players across the country (and world, I would assume). Originally created to sound like a warped LP record, the analog sounds and options available made it a surefire classic, and everyone wondered what they would create next. Somehow, the gang from Chase Bliss Audio have managed to step up their game yet again, and have released the...
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Usually, the pedals we review and demo here make some kind of NOISE, whether it’s delayed notes, powerful distortion, psychedelic phasing or any number of other effect genres. Today, however, the pedal we’re looking at simply helps to determine where your multiple audio signals will actually GO, making it a key piece of gear you may not have known you needed. Come along as we explore the signal-changing, super-routing...
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Today, we’ve got a special treat from our friends at El Garatge: the WEX Wireless Expression Controller. Consisting of a wireless transmitter and receiver, the WEX system controls your pedal’s parameters, as well as having some tricks up its sleeve to awaken the sonic experimenter in us all. Consisting of a transmitter and a receiver, each device has some dip-switches to configure its parameters… WEX Features: Manual...
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Rich Good Twentynine Palms, CA The Psychedelic Furs: https://thepsychedelicfurs.com/ Older projects: Kings & Queens: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1V0NT9YLzxd2oXAgwJUS9P?si=rbbgggGWSwKbWOsWFsJGug Mirrors: https://mirrors1974.bandcamp.com/ The Pleased: https://thepleased.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? It feels like most of my life that I’ve been messing around with...
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Roman Belonozhko Ridgefield, WA Shnobel Tone www.shnobeltone.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 14 years old so Ive been at it for over 20 years. I was born in Ukraine, which is a small Eastern European country, and at that time it was still part of the Soviet Union. Growing up I had uncles from both my mom’s and dad’s side that are...
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Enrico Preuß KMA Audio Machines Berlin, Germany www.kma-machines.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Well, I started playing guitar with the age of 18. A friend from school was playing a red Squier Strat and a Peavey Valveking 100W 2×12 combo and he showed me some Green Day, Ulver and Anathema riffs…oh, and he was using a Marshall jackhammer pedal (the first pedal I ever heard...
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Hey Sef – it’s been a couple years since we spoke, what have you been up to? Hi Mike! First of all, I’m happy and grateful to chat with you! Yes, it’s been a while. The last interview we did was in 2017! A lot of things happened since then! My bandmates and I went to Tangier, Morocco to work on Alex (Your Favorite Enemies’ frontman) solo project, we went all across Europe to perform his album “Windows in the Sky”, I started my...
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Today, we’ve got an ancient piece of gear that we ran through a bunch of different effects, and it was one of the funnest experiences we’ve had here in the office. The Library of Congress started building their own cassette players for handicapped people from the 1960’s until the late 2000’s. These cassette players are known for their complete control of cassette tapes that other cassette players just...
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Peter Anspach Connecticut Goose goosetheband.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? My mom would say I’ve always been a musician. She’s a music teacher, so before I could walk, I was being taught to play rhythms on drums and dance. I started playing cello when I was 9, then graduated to the electric guitar when I was 12, which I have been playing seriously ever since. I picked up keyboards...
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We’re stepping outside the old comfort zone again today, folks, and diving into another fantastic synthesizer. This one is larger and more complex than the Outer Space Sounds MOSTRO we checked out a couple weeks ago, but we’re once again pairing it up with some of our favorite pedals to create some fantastic sounds. The Novation Bass Station II Analogue Synthesizer is a powerful machine, encapsulating everything you know...
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With the vast amount of effects pedals we have coming through the office, there are bound to be some pretty incredible collaborations of sound. We recently started a new series of demo videos under the name ‘The Noisemaker Series’ and are offering them EXCLUSIVELY through our Patreon page. All of the work we do here at Pedal of the Day requires a ton of time and effort, as you may imagine. But, for just a couple bucks a...
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Patrick Garland Houston, Texas GARLAND FX garlandfx.bigcartel.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’m 33 years old, and started playing guitar at age 10 – so about 23 years. 20 on electric guitar. The first guitar I ever played was my mom’s Guild Madiera from 1970. My mom uses it for playing music to pre-schoolers – she’s quite talented and can play and sing. I also still...
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We’ve got something a little different for you today, something that’s a brand-new design, and just may totally change the MIDI landscape in the effects world. POLY Expressive is a MIDI foot controller, but one like you’ve never seen before. Using specific direction, position and pressure commands, all executed hands-free with your feet, this genius invention allows you to really open up the MIDI capabilities locked...
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Johnny Balmer Location Chicago, IL Together, with my wife Victoria, we operate Alchemy Audio www.alchemy-audio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing electric guitar since I was 14. Victoria has played bass for a couple of years. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? I was a metal kid in the 80’s. Therefore, when I started playing guitar, it...
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Ben Deane Overland Park, KS (Kansas City Metro) Monarch Musical Devices https://reverb.com/shop/monarchmusicaldevices How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve always had a connection with music. From my dad’s outlaw country vinyl LPs to my mom’s affection for artists like Paul Simon and Billy Joel, music always spoke to me and I wanted to speak back. I had a couple of years of piano lessons...
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Michael Weavers Christchurch, New Zealand Flux Effects www.fluxeffects.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar and drums when I was 15. We had a crappy nylon-string acoustic guitar with a cracked neck lying around which I began playing around with. I’d try to play U2 songs off the Joshua Tree album with the 3 chords I had learned. In my late teens I bought a...
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Jamie Stillman Akron, OH EarthQuaker Devices www.earthquakerdevices.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician since I got my first drum set around 5. I didn’t pick up playing guitar until I was about 12. I’ve always been into music as long as I can remember. A couple of my uncles were musicians and taught me some basics and I just took it from there. Who have been some of...
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Leon Wright Portland, OR Pelican NoiseWorks www.pelicannoiseworks.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Music has always been a part of my life. My dad played piano and guitar ever since I can remember. He passed away when I was 8. After that I inherited his guitar and set out to figure out how to play. Since then, it has been a constant thing in my life, not that I have ever actually...
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Tim Bluhm San Anselmo, CA The Mother Hips www.motherhips.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been singing since I was a kid, in church choirs and in school choruses. I started playing guitar right after high school. In my second year of college I started the Mother Hips with Greg Loiacono and we started getting gigs really quickly. Who have been some of your major musical...
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Neal Casal nealcasal.com Chris Robinson Brotherhood www.chrisrobinsonbrotherhood.com Hard Working Americans www.thehardworkingamericans.com Circles Around The Sun Skiffle Players (with Cass McCombs) Phil Lesh And Friends Gospelbeach How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar in 1981. I was obsessed with the Rolling Stones and the bands I saw in the Gimme Shelter film....
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Brian Spragg Morgantown, WV Bookworm Effects facebook.com/bookwormeffects How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I grew up with my whole family listening to music, and I just liked what they liked, never really having a music preference myself. My mom loved the Beatles, my dad loved progressive rock, and my sister liked a lot of the early to mid 90’s rock. It wasn’t until I was 12 when I started...
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Dave Schools Widespread Panic (Modulus Q-6 basses, D’Addario strings) widespreadpanic.com facebook.com/widespreadpanic reddit.com/r/widespreadpanic IG: @widespreadpanichq IG: @dashole Hard Working Americans (Modulus Jazz, G&L L-2000, Epiphone Jack Casady basses, D’Addario, LaBella tape wound strings) thehardworkingamericans.com facebook.com/hardworkingamericans IG: @hwamericans How long have you been a musician? How did you get...
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If you’d like to gain more exposure for your company, and help expand our site throughout the global music community, please contact us HERE. If you like the site and what we’re doing, and would also like to contribute, you can send a donation HERE. These companies and distributors have selflessly contributed gear for review to Pedal of the Day, making this adventure a reality. We can’t thank them enough for their...
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If you are looking for out-of-the-ordinary, mind-blowing, noise-creating machines, you should look no further than ezhi&aka. Made in extremely small batches and pretty hard to obtain, we’ve only had our grubby mitts on one other pedal of theirs, the Moomindrone T Drone Delay, until today. Let’s take a look at the Polarized Flutter Lofi Tapestop, a hard-to-define machine that utilizes a pad you “play” with...
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As we continue on with our Flamma Fridays series, we shift gears just a bit this week, from modulation to DIRT. The Flamma Innovation FS06 Digital Preamp provide 7 different preamp flavors to explore, with each one being based on a different well-known amplifier. Covering classic and modern tones alike, this purple-headed warrior has a ton of stuff going on, so let’s jump right in! The 7 different models you can choose from on...
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Phasers are absolutely in our top tier of favorite effects on this planet, and we love a good tremolo, too. Today’s pedal mashes both of these effects into the tiniest of enclosures, while still bringing unprecedented quality and tonal bliss to the table. The Pigtronix Moon Pool Tremvelope Phaser is part of their newly released lineup of small, pedalboard-friendly pedals, and this is a hell of a way to start it off. Bringing all...
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Over the course of the last 9 months or so, we’ve been lucky enough to check out the Distortion, Overdrive, Boost and Delay pedals from Teisco, and we’ve got another one for you today. The simply named Fuzz is a fuzz pedal, yes, but one that definitely ate too many steroids in high school. Working together with an octave circuit, this loud, powerful machine is no match for amplifiers and eardrums alike. The Teisco Fuzz is...
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If you play guitar, chances are you have wanted or still do want to emulate the amazing tones of David Gilmour from Pink Floyd. Even if their music isn’t your jam, it’s hard to deny the affect he has had on the guitar as an instrument, and his tone from the 70’s is the stuff of legend. One of the main pieces of said tone was the Colorsound Power Boost, later renamed the Overdriver, which is where today’s pedal...
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