Chase Bliss's latest Onward Dynamic Sampling Device is a really smart Tom Majeski pet project / extrapolation from his former Cooper FX Outward Pedal
There’s a reason why the above background is purple - for it indicates the provenance of this particular pedal - which is sort of based on Tom Majeski’s long discontinued Cooper FX Outward pedal - where the ONWARD extrapolates and expands on the Envelope-based sampling prowess of that device.
This is one of the simplest Chase Bliss pedals to deconstruct / decipher - while as always there are some smart hidden options and secret modes to be found here.
In effect this is a Dynamic Envelope Sampler with two sides of output - the ’Freeze’ side sustains the captured clip - sounding a little like a synth pad. And the other ’Glitch’ side somewhat mangles and re-arranges your sample in very interesting randomised ways.
Beyond the Sample ’Size’ / Length and Dry-Wet ’Mix’ controls, you essentially have 5 sections with which to manipulate or mangle your output. ’Octave’ basically sets the incoming signal to either 1/2 Speed CCW (Octave Down), or Double Speed CW (Octave Up), with Octave wholly Off in the middle.
For ’Error’ you have 3 Types - Timing, Condition, and Vector (Speed + Direction) which mangle your output in interesting ways - as you dial the Error up - it intensifies and increase its propensity for glitching out!
The ’Sustain’ impacts the Freeze side of the pedal - where you set your Attack, Sustain and Release Curve for the frozen / held-onto signal.
And the final knob ’Texture’ acts as a Bit Reducer CCW - delivering broken sounds in that direction, Off in the middle, and then progressively more gritty Overdrive in the CW direction.
The first of the toggle refers to the Error Type - so therefore interacting with that control, the second is the Shape of the Freeze / Sustain Curve - or Fade as mentioned, and the final Toggle allows you to add Animation / Modulation - Vibrato to the Left, and Chorusing to the Right, Off in the middle.
There are several hidden features and modes even as mentioned - I will touch on a few of those after the section on Controls. Note that this pedal is enabled for TRS Stereo Ins and Out as for recent models, and the standard functions - Presets etc. are as they have always been! But with some secondary actions too - as we shall see -a after the Controls :
CONTROLS - Size (Length of Glitch) [Sensitivity], Dry-Wet Mix [Balance / Ramp], Octave (Down / Up / Off) [Duck Depth], Error (Propensity and Intensity to Glitch), Sustain [User Set Fade], Texture (Bid Reduction / Off / Gritty OD), Error Type : Timing / Condition / Vector (Speed and Direction), Fade Curve : Slow Fade / User Set Fade / Fast Fade, Animate (Modulate) : Vibrato / Off / Chorus, Presets : 1 / Off (Panel) / 2, Engage Glitch Side Footswitch, Engage Freeze Site Footswitch - if you Hold down either Footswitch - that one will lock its signal, while the other remains dynamic. Press both Footswitches together to enter secondary and hidden features / modes!.
16 DIP-SWITCHES : CONTROL / RAMP } Size, Error, Sustain, Texture, Bounce, Sweep : Top Down / Bottom Up, Polarity : Reverse / Forward; CUSTOMIZE } MISO (Mono In Stereo Out), Stereo Spread, Latch, Sidechain, Duck, Reverse, 1/2 Speed (Lower Rez / Higher Sampling Time), Manual (set).
Some of the Cool HIDDEN & SECONDARY OPTIONS
You press both footswitches together to access Hidden Options / Modes, as follows per knob :
- SIZE - SENSITIVITY : sets the ease with which you trigger the effected signal - around noon is typically best!
- MIX - BALANCE : Adjust Left / Right Spread / Balance between the two channels
- OCTAVE - DUCK DEPTH : Controls the sensitivity and intensity of the Sidechain and Duck(ing) effects - as set via the Customise Dip-switches
- SUSTAIN - USER : allows you to set a custom values for the Middle FADE switch position
- PRESET TOGGLE - ROUTING - select which side of the pedal gets impacted by the different effects sections - Toggle Left affects only Glitch, Middl is both, Toggle Right affects only Freeze
- ERROR - ERROR BLEND : Allows you to blend in the other two unselected Error Types - so you can get a mix of all 3
- TEXTURE - TILT EQ : Renders as Low-Cut in CW direction, and Hi-Cut in CCW direction!
This is a standard fully available release - no need to rush the pre-orders on this one therefore. Goes for the now standard Chase Bliss price - which renders as $399 in the USA, and €469 for the EU and UK - obviously commensurate pricing in the other 2 key Chase Bliss regions - Australia and Japan.
I really love this concept, and as mentioned in the intro - it's one of the easier ones to understand of the recent releases - in terms of learning curve. I see it as a somewhat cousin to the Mood, maybe once to twice removed, while the Lossy is pretty much almost within in kissing-cousins range of the Generation Loss - in terms of the overall impact of effect - rather than say specific style or sub-genre!
In any case I will definitely be ordering one of these - at the very start of next month. I blew the last of this month's budget on the Keeley 'I Get Around' Beach Boys collab Stereo Rotary pedal also announced today. I do love a good Leslie / Rotary effect - and when I caught Brett Kingman's demo - I knew I just had to have that one!
This pedal acquisitions procedure needs to be so strategic these days - weighing up priorities for needs must vs limited runs and special editions! I'm very much looking forward to landing my Onward - while that is a story for another month! Oh - one more thing for those who order the Onwards early - they are likely to get one before the end of June!
Demos
