NPD: Ground-Breaking, Game-Changing - THE Best Pedal Made Thus Far ???

brucegill

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Just watched a video for the CXM 1978 reverb and it looks like it's only mono, unless they use TRS cables in and out, but if that's the case, it'll be a massive amount of coin for a mono reverb pedal!

From Reverb.com

Features include:

• Moving faders with presets & MIDI control
• 32 Bit AD/DA
• LoFi Mode for vintage digital sounds
• 3 Classic Algorithms (Hall, Room, Plate)
• Adjustable Decay Crossover for fully shapeable reverb tail
• Expression pedal control over all sliders
• Stereo input and output

Winny_Pooh

RaymondLin said:

The question I want to ask is how does it compare to the Original Effects Revival Drive?  Both are Pre Amp, both can do a lot.

Without having tried the chase bliss, from its features it's really combining multiple drives and a pre-amp circuit. You'd use this into the front of an amp or amp sim.

The revival drive is an analog replica of a valve preamp, phase inverter and power amp and you can use it straight into a clean amp as an analog amp modeller or drive pedal. If anything it's perhaps too compressed and smooth (like a real amp) to go into the front of alot of valve amps.

They are not directly comparable and in practice you would use the CB for pedal tones into the revival drive for amp tones and then an IR or appropriate amplifier/cab.

StruanRobertson

Love the review @Wazmeister!

Enjoy the pedal! 

Jonathanthomas83

brucegill said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Just watched a video for the CXM 1978 reverb and it looks like it's only mono, unless they use TRS cables in and out, but if that's the case, it'll be a massive amount of coin for a mono reverb pedal!

From Reverb.com

Features include:

• Moving faders with presets & MIDI control
• 32 Bit AD/DA
• LoFi Mode for vintage digital sounds
• 3 Classic Algorithms (Hall, Room, Plate)
• Adjustable Decay Crossover for fully shapeable reverb tail
• Expression pedal control over all sliders
• Stereo input and output

Okay that's cool, they must be using TRS or a prototype in the NAMM videos then. In that case, it's worth a look, for sure.

AntonHunter

Jonathanthomas83 said:

brucegill said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Just watched a video for the CXM 1978 reverb and it looks like it's only mono, unless they use TRS cables in and out, but if that's the case, it'll be a massive amount of coin for a mono reverb pedal!

From Reverb.com

Features include:

• Moving faders with presets & MIDI control
• 32 Bit AD/DA
• LoFi Mode for vintage digital sounds
• 3 Classic Algorithms (Hall, Room, Plate)
• Adjustable Decay Crossover for fully shapeable reverb tail
• Expression pedal control over all sliders
• Stereo input and output

Okay that's cool, they must be using TRS or a prototype in the NAMM videos then. In that case, it's worth a look, for sure.

Does that make it the first CBA pedal to have stereo then perhaps? That's cool.

kjdowd

I think that is a fair point; I tend to be impatient and Im keen to get the 'review' out. This one was written over 3 days, and even then it was rushed at the end - leaving little time for criticism as its still honeymoon.

So, in balance, I thought Id try to critique the pedal this morning.

Physically, the unit is smaller than I thought it would be; it fits nicely on my Schmidt Array, which must be a relief to all those worried about it. The CBAP is superbly built and engineered, but on first impression, the sliders did feel less stiff than I thought they would. Very solid, but slide very easily (as I guess, they need to).

Pedal operation is very very simple. None of the usual Chase Bliss spend-a-month-learning-the-manual-but-never-really-grasp-it mode - instead, it is instinctive and really pleasurable to use.

In fact, I want to own this pedal. It is a delight in the flesh, and a joy to use.

You can use the excellent JUMP option to link some of your presets together, which will be unbelievably good for me live.

The fuzz settings are great, really usable with the option to get that weird splatty stuff that some desire.

Fuzz settings tend to be loud, cleaner less so (as you would expect ?)

And it is a game changer. Ordinary set and forget ODs already look dated next to this.

Hope that provides some balance to the wise ones out there

Have one (hopefully) arriving next week. I tend to lose patience with Chase Bliss stuff but have high hopes for this. Thanks for the review @Wazmeister ;

ourmaninthenorth

ruoma said:

@Wazmeister How would you compare this one with the Big Trees tonally and feel wise? They're about the same price.

Considering the Big trees or the preamp mk2. Current drives are a CC1, cruiser, small trees and some fuzz faces.

@ruoma  ;Could I ask you a huge favour?

Could you do me a gut shot of the Audio kitchen, PM if you prefer. 

I'm looking to buy a used one at the moment and googlely gut shot images vary. 

No sweat if you don't fancy it.

Cheers either way. 

mgaw

getting the best drive/fuzz tones I have ever had today, no doubt.  what a pedal

Wazmeister

ruoma said:

@Wazmeister How would you compare this one with the Big Trees tonally and feel wise? They're about the same price.

Considering the Big trees or the preamp mk2. Current drives are a CC1, cruiser, small trees and some fuzz faces.

Different aims and sounds, imho.... the BT is really an amp on its own. All manual, but with some gorgoeus sounds.

The CBAP I guess is like a multi drive with presets.

Both top drawer, but the main similarities are the price.

mgaw

have now spent 6 hours with the Automatone….some truly great sounds in here, I do wonder whether a good eq pedal combined with the Benson preamp would give me the essence of this pedal.  At its core there is an  amazing sound ,  3 banks pf presets are handy for dialling in each pick up position to sound great with this pedal.....I haven't tried the expression pedal at all...I think a great wah is going to be better by a country mile.

I think mine is getting returned tbh….I am going to try the benson preamp and said eq pedal...that's what i really love about this pedal,  amazing drive tones

mgaw

I don't need the excellent and easy to use functionality this pedal provides..which colours my opinion somewhat

Wazmeister

mgaw said:

have now spent 6 hours with the Automatone….some truly great sounds in here, I do wonder whether a good eq pedal combined with the Benson preamp would give me the essence of this pedal.  At its core there is an  amazing sound ,  3 banks pf presets are handy for dialling in each pick up position to sound great with this pedal.....I haven't tried the expression pedal at all...I think a great wah is going to be better by a country mile.

I think mine is getting returned tbh….I am going to try the benson preamp and said eq pedal...that's what i really love about this pedal,  amazing drive tones

Interesting thoughts mate - nice review, a bit cheesy but appreciated

mgaw

I truly love cheese 

mgaw

ruoma

ourmaninthenorth said:

ruoma said:

@Wazmeister How would you compare this one with the Big Trees tonally and feel wise? They're about the same price.

Considering the Big trees or the preamp mk2. Current drives are a CC1, cruiser, small trees and some fuzz faces.

@ruoma  Could I ask you a huge favour?

Could you do me a gut shot of the Audio kitchen, PM if you prefer. 

I'm looking to buy a used one at the moment and googlely gut shot images vary. 

No sweat if you don't fancy it.

Cheers either way. 

Mine looks pretty similar to the one on this site if that helps? http://www.apollonmusic.com/audiokitchen/products/small_trees.html

ourmaninthenorth

ruoma said:

ourmaninthenorth said:

ruoma said:

@Wazmeister How would you compare this one with the Big Trees tonally and feel wise? They're about the same price.

Considering the Big trees or the preamp mk2. Current drives are a CC1, cruiser, small trees and some fuzz faces.

@ruoma  Could I ask you a huge favour?

Could you do me a gut shot of the Audio kitchen, PM if you prefer. 

I'm looking to buy a used one at the moment and googlely gut shot images vary. 

No sweat if you don't fancy it.

Cheers either way. 

Mine looks pretty similar to the one on this site if that helps? http://www.apollonmusic.com/audiokitchen/products/small_trees.html

That's great,thanks for taking the trouble, appreciated.

 It's that picture and another I'm comparing it with sans toroidal tranny that has me a little confused as to what's what. 

Cheers again.

Barnezy

mgaw said:

I truly love cheese 

Is this a paid ad? 

mgaw said:

Obvious product placement.... Ofcom will be informed. 

ruoma

Wazmeister said:

ruoma said:

@Wazmeister How would you compare this one with the Big Trees tonally and feel wise? They're about the same price.

Considering the Big trees or the preamp mk2. Current drives are a CC1, cruiser, small trees and some fuzz faces.

Different aims and sounds, imho.... the BT is really an amp on its own. All manual, but with some gorgoeus sounds.

The CBAP I guess is like a multi drive with presets.

Both top drawer, but the main similarities are the price.

If you disregard the presets and could only have one as a Gain pedal in front of an amp?

mgaw

@Barnezy     of course, 

FreddieVanHalen

mgaw said:

have now spent 6 hours with the Automatone….some truly great sounds in here, I do wonder whether a good eq pedal combined with the Benson preamp would give me the essence of this pedal.  At its core there is an  amazing sound ,  3 banks pf presets are handy for dialling in each pick up position to sound great with this pedal.....I haven't tried the expression pedal at all...I think a great wah is going to be better by a country mile.

I think mine is getting returned tbh….I am going to try the benson preamp and said eq pedal...that's what i really love about this pedal,  amazing drive tones

Not sure if serious :-)

If so, I kind of know where you are coming from because I thought the same thing myself, i.e spend £250 on a Benson pedal and then combine with other EQ and fuzz pedals.

The placement options on the automatone are good though, and by the time you've added up the cost of the other pedals you're not a million miles away from this one.

If you already have the other stuff though, I guess that's less of a factor.

Mine is staying, but I could always justify spunking on a Benson as well haha.

Will probably preserve that budget for a big trees one day in the future.....