NAMM 2018: Chase Bliss Audio Condor EQ/Pre/Filter

Just ahead of NAMM, Chase Bliss Audio has announced the Condor EQ/Pre/Filter. While Not much about the pedal is known at this point. It looks to be a powerful tone shaping tool. Chase Bliss Audio posted earlier today on Facebook, "No trolling/teasing this year, straight to it. Introducing Condor™: Analog EQ / Pre / Filter. Release: 4/16/18. $349. 100% analog signal path with digital control/presets/midi. Switchable to clean or overdrive. Parametric boost/cut mids control from 150Hz to 5kHz with 3 “Q” settings. Bass boost/cut control with 3 intensity settings. LPF filter with 3 settings: normal, slight resonant, very resonant. Ramping/hold functionality for LFO filter tremolo effects. True bypass or buffered bypass selectable via dip switch. Come try it out at NAMM next week, booth 3744. We are still tweaking the design so customer feedback is desired and appreciated."

100% analog signal path with digital control/presets/midi.
Switchable to clean or overdrive.
Parametric boost/cut mids control from 150Hz to 5kHz with 3 settings.
Bass boost/cut control with 3 intensity settings. 
LPF filter with 3 settings: normal, slight resonant, very resonant.
Ramping/hold functionality for LFO filter tremolo effects.
True bypass or buffered bypass selectable via dip switch.

This is probably one of the more major releases this year at NAMM. I'm looking forward to seeing the full range of its features. Alway exhaustive in their features, Chase Bliss seems to over produce with each of their products. This pedal seems to be no different.

Hands On Review On MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay

For a long time, the Carbon Copy analog delay has been the darling of many analog delay users. It wasn't until recently that I was able to sit down and fully review one of this pedal. I've been going through tons of delay pedals recently and I was looking forward to really get to know this pedal. So with that in mind, let's get into it.


Solid

This pedal is compact. Messing around with the new line of TC Electronic's economy line has gotten my used to a bit larger format. Even a BOSS pedal make this pedal seem slender. It also has a lot of heft. The enclosure is thick. In fact, I took the screws out of the bottom and fit of the bottom plate was so solid, I almost had to pry it off. When you hold this pedal next to something like the JOYO digital delay, the differences are huge. Quality is evident even before you plug it in. MXR did an awesome job at building a super solid pedal.


It Does What It Does

There isn't a lot of extras with this pedal. Mono in, mono out, but what is cool is that it includes a mod buttons, so that's fun. There are three controls, but you do have internal controls to control the mod. That is good, because when I first engaged the mod button it was too present. Other than Tap Tempo and longer delay times (both are almost always limited on analog delays. Also, the carbon copy has longer times than the Echobrain analog delay.) This isn't a feature pack pedal, but what it does it does quite well.


The Sounds

I did want to compare the Carbon Copy to the other delays that I had laying around. I was excited to compare the Carbon Copy to the Echobrain. The Carbon Copy blew the Echobrain away. Delay time (which is a big deal for me) was a lot of it. The Mod switch just made the Carbon Copy so much more of a pedal. I also put this up against the Behringer EM-600 Echo Machine. I set a good tone on the Carbon Copy and tried to copy it with Echo Machine. It got 90% there. The Carbon Copy just has a way of not coloring your dry signal. When making a big ambient swell, other pedals cover up higher frequencies, but the Carbon Copy is a champ. I could hear delicate note despite the huge amount of noise behind the playing. Impressive.


Conclusion

This pedal I lovely. There is a reason that this pedal is so popular. Yes, it was trendy, but there is something to be said for when I pedal is done well. There is very little to complain about with it as well. You might want stereo operation or tap tempo, but that is still rather uncommon is a small format, sub $200 pedal. The only thing that really detracts this pedal is the price tag. I'm not saying that this pedal isn't worth $150, but that price point puts it next to pedals like the EHX Canyon, BOSS DD-7 and TC Electronic Flashback II. Yes, they are all digital pedals, but I am Ok with running digital if it sounds good. So for the analog loyalist, this is awesome pedal, but those that play the field might want to check out their options.

Ugly Guitar Truth: Cock Fight Plus Wah

Talk about burying the lead, EHX has announced their third rocker pedal in the last few weeks. The Cock Fight Plus is planned for release soon. Fans of the cocked wah sound flocked to the Cock Fight for its expressive nature and unique filter. EHX has now taken that sound added more control and feature, then put it inside of a rocker pedal. Is it all good news?

No Brainer

Fans of the original Cock Fight could add an expression pedal for real-time control of the pedal's filter. The Combination of the two pedals seemed like a given. With the release of EHX's two new expression pedals, this pedal is a perfect match. In fact, it makes one wonder which they developed first. Was the Expression pedal just a byproduct of the Cock Flight Plus' development? Either way, this pedal has a lot under the hood. You have your choice of vintage wah filter or vowel sounding format filter, in addition to a pre- or post-fuzz. Certainly not a one-trick-pony.

Return To Form... Kinda

Although most of us are glad that Electro Harmonix has done away with their "no moving part" type rocker pedals, these rockers are not just like the classics. Every rocker that EHX has produced recently has been composed from a composite material. This adds cost savings and weight reduction, but at what costs. EHX has stated more than once, that these pedals are road-worthy and just as dependable as their aluminum counter parts. But what if I have to break out my car's window? What will I use if my Wah isn't made like a brick?

Chicken Feed

Fans of the original Cock Fight might not trade their pedals for this. After all, the main attraction of the original was that it was a wah pedal that was attached to a wah. You can set-it-and-forget-it unlike a wah that is easily displaced from the 'sweet spot'. However, those that want a feature heavy wah, or those that use an expression with the Cock Fight, it is time to rejoice. For less than 12 dollars over the cost of the original, you have the Cock Fight filter, an expression, and fuzz in a single box. All that for a poultry sum.

Conclusion

I enjoyed the Cock Fight when I first tried one out. I never bought one because I wouldn't use a cocked wah sound and I had a wah that did its duties well. I did think would have made more sense to put the whole thing in a rocker but maybe I just missed the point. We now have what is possibly the best of both worlds. Two filters, a fuzz, and a rocker come together to make Dunlop cry like a baby...  

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Ugly Guitar Truth: EHX Blurst Moddulated Filter

EHX has once again put a new and rather innovative product to market. They call it the Blurst and describe it as a Moddulated Filter. While that sounds like it makes sense, I don't recall anyone really talking about the limitations or features of their prized modulated filter. It seems like a oddity or niche type of effect. I decided to take a closer look at what this pedal does and see if there is any reason to get excited about this pedal.


You Don't Need(?) It

Yeah, this thing makes some weird noises. These noises are not what you typically think of when you imagine guitar noises. But that could be fun, right? Sure. There isn't a lot of information or demonstration out there right now. But, from what we can hear on the EHX demo video, it sounds like a synth filter. However, the interesting part of this filter is that it is time based rather that controlled by your guitar input. You can choose your wave form, tempo, and mix. I feel like there is a lot of versatility with this pedal, but the video only gives us a glimps at what it can do.


Its Strengths Are Its Subtleties

If you watch the demo then you hear a whole lot of 'bwwaaaahhhh' types sounds. To be honest, I don't see much use for these noises. I understand that there are types of players that can make some great sounds with filters, but typically don't use them or just use them in a very limited capacity. However, at the end of EHX's demo, they stick the Blurst in the effects loop of a Deluxe Memory Man and it's actually pretty epic. Plus, I have to give honorable mention to the sounds in the video made with help of EHX's 8-Step Program (stepping expression controller) which give you a step filter/seek wah/FM4 type sound. These two pedal can create lots of combinations, but seems like a lot hardware to create an effect done by a single pedal (just my 2 cents).


Conclusion

Look, I want to like this pedal. It looks... interesting. It has lots of knobs and buttons. It makes weird sounds, but maybe I'm just thinking to much like a guitar player. I want to be able to riff and jam, and this things seems like a noise maker. So let me completely contradict myself. The couple of sounds that I did like, were actually pretty cool. Plus the one thing that make this pedal different is what really makes this pedal. The tap feature allows you to sync up with the tempo of the music being played. I'm not the biggest fan of filters, but I'm not aware of many that let you do this. Can you make to sounds in the demo with other pedals? probably, but is a rather versatile pedal with expressive features.

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Ugly Truth: Digitech Dirty Robot Synthesizer Emulation Pedal

It is undeniable that in the last few years, electronic music has grown from an odd niche to something that has permeated its way into nearly every genre of music. EDM artist are among the highest paid artist and it has never been easier to join the ranks of DJs and artist creating new and more progressive sounds. So it has been for guitarist. Recently there has been a surge in tools to make your guitar not sound like a guitar. We emulate organs, keyboard, and rainbow... We delay, loop and shimmer to make pads and swells. We've come a long way from 'Cranking It Up To 11'... Recently we got news from Digitech about a new pedal to give us yet another tool to make crazy noises with.

It's A Filter

Yes, another filter. BOSS just gave us a Vocorder and EHX released the Cocked Wah. Auto-wah pedals have been around a long time. Talk Boxes are nearly a relic of the past now. So now we have a vocal filter that seems a little late to the game. What makes this relevant now? Most notably, the controls are expressive and functional. Turn any of the 7 knobs and change to sound dramatically. Mix, Mod, Start, Stop, Sens, Time, and Drift (not to mention the toggle to change the voice) help you wrangle your desired sound out of this box. Yes, it is another filter, but one of the best I've seen shoved into a compact pedal. This pedal easily fits in with the Polara, and Obscrua. In that it is pretty and shiny, but compared to its sister pedals, this one seems to be the first one on the scene.

It's Late

This pedal seems to be in a series of pedal that Digitech have been developing. It seemed that they are rebooting some of their core effects (delay, reverb), but this pedal is something that would fit it with more edgy builders. The sounds are unique and controllable. The pedal seems we developed. This almost excuses the wide gap in time that it took for Digitech to come to market with this pedal. The Polara and Obscrua both seem like they had to keep up with other pedal manufactures putting out similar pedals, but the Dirty Robot is a offering that doesn't seem 'directly influenced' by another pedal. This is a good thing.

It's Familiar

Guess what!? I've heard this effect before. It was in a very unlikely place. An RP series pedal. The Robot Voice effect has been around for a while. While this effect seems to be refined and very usable, this pedal has history in the pedal series that occupy the bargain bin of nearly every music store. It might have been wrong timing, or maybe the fact that they stuck it a pedal that next to useless, but it's not Digitech first attempt to make some weird robot noises.

Conclusion

This pedal is a breath of freash air. I actually like it a lot, despite the fact that I think it would basically useless for me personally. It expected more form the Delay and Reverb in this series, but they have average features, decent sound quality, but nothing groundbreaking. This pedal however exceeds expectations. So it took three tries, but Digitech did it...

The Ugly Truth About The Electro Harmonix Nano Clone

If you were like me, I've heard chorus in a ton of classic songs, but I had no idea what the sound was much less called. Those that use this effect will add it to make a subtle effect, others will add chorus to make a spacey, trippy type effect. I fall into the first category. I don't typically play big swells and soundscape type stuff, but it is something that mess with in a bedroom type setting. Delay, Chorus, and Vibe are some of my favorite thing to experiment with. So when I sat down with the Nano Clone I had some ideas of what it should sound like. What I ended up with was a little surprising.

One Knob Does It All

The first thing that you notice about this pedal is that it has a single knob. So if you want to control the depth, you are out of luck. However, the Nano Clone is a direct descendant of the Small Stone, which is legendary in it's own right. This translates into familiar, usable tones. This pedal is a great option for anyone getting into chorus and wants something simple and usable. When I started playing with this pedal, I felt like I needed more knobs to get anything desirable. Despite first impressions, There are many settings that are pleasing. However, the experienced player looking for particular tones might be disappointed with the lack of control.

There Is a Limit

Given my choice of playing, it is not a surprise that my favorite settings are on the lower end of the pedals settings. Everything that I could see using would be set before Noon. Up to that point, everything is pretty chill. When the knob get much past 12, the pedal develops a metallic sound that is somewhat unmusical. These setting might compliment certain styles of music, but they are diffidently outside my comfort zone.

The Result

In all honesty, this is a reboxing of a classic pedal. There has been changes to bring the massive Small Stone into today's compact pedal market. The original also had a strange power supply. Many of the quarks of the original have been brought into today's standards. EHX's standard Aluminum case, true bypass, and decals are present. What else is appealing is that it is less than $50 USD. So it might be the right solution for someone looking to get into chorus and doesn't want to invest a great deal of money. This pedal is not the best chorus I've ever played through, but it definitely brings a lot of good things considering the price.