Support
How can we help?
Contact us
EU support / repairs
helpeu@chasebliss.com
MIDI support
midi@chasebliss.com
Sales inquiries
sales@chasebliss.com
Artist relations
artists@chasebliss.com
FAQs
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How do I factory reset?
There is no factory reset on Chase Bliss pedals. If you’re looking to recreate the presets your pedal shipped with, you can find them at cbapresets.com for standard line pedals, and in the manuals for Automatone pedals.
What do the dip switches do?
The dip switches have two jobs: Customization and Advanced control. Check out our Dip 101 for an overview.
Can I use line level?
Yes, though it is possible to get some distortion depending on the strength of the signal. The character of the distortion will vary by pedal. If you’re experiencing some unwanted clipping, simply turn down the signal feeding the pedal or set up a send/return so the signal is attenuated going into the pedal, then boosted again on the way out.
What expression pedal can I use?
Any expression pedal with a TRS connection and a 10k-25k pot.
Why is my pedal doing odd things?
If you’re asking yourself this, the answer is probably in the dip switches. Turn them all off, that will usually do it. If not, check out the specific FAQ for the pedal you’re using. -
We’ve launched a chasebliss.eu site to serve customers in the EU & UK.
We’ve launched a chasebliss.au site to serve customers in Australia and New Zealand.
All US and other international customers will continue to use the chasebliss.com site.
If you are anywhere else in the world, you will use the .com site. If your country isn't listed as an option, please email sales@chasebliss.com and we will get you taken care of.
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If you’re having trouble getting MIDI going on our standard line, 6-knob pedals (not Automatone), follow these steps:
Using the correct cable. This varies from setup to setup, but the Chase Bliss end must always be TRS. The other end will be TS or TRS depending on how your MIDI is configured. TRS if sending MIDI on the ring, TS if sending MIDI on the tip.
MIDI channel. Please ensure that your pedal is on the desired MIDI channel. You can’t always assume it’s on the default channel. If you’re unsure what channel it’s on, best to just reset it. Follow the steps to set the MIDI channel on your pedal as shown in the MIDI manual.
The Midibox. Two things on your Midibox can prevent MIDI from working properly. First, is it powered up? Second, that internal jumper might be in the wrong spot. For Chase Bliss, you always want that jumper in the RING position.
Using a good cable. If you’ve made it this far and things are still not working for you, it’s likely that you have a bad cable. You may have the correct cable, but it may have a short or other internal damage. Even if you’re pretty sure it’s good, best to try so you can check off that box.
The swap. The final test is "the swap." If you have another Chase Bliss pedal that is working in another location on your board, swap it out for the one you’re having trouble with. On the working pedal, disconnect all the cables and pull that pedal out of place. Insert the one that is troubling you and see if you can get it to work in this location. It’s super important that you use all the existing cables right down to the power cable. Can you get it to work here? If so, there may be something about the cables or setup in the other spot that isn’t right.
If none of that works, email us!
midi@chaseblissaudio.com
Expression isn’t working the way I like when recalling presets on Automatone.
There are two options here:The preset recalls as programmed and you have to rock the expression pedal a bit to get it to respond (default setting)
Expression Over MIDI takes priority over the preset
Try sending CC101 for "EOM Lock," any value will work. Try sending it a few times, essentially toggling this setting off and on while giving it a test in-between. The way you would like it to perform will likely be one way or the other. The default is for your pedal to recall presets in "preset priority,” which means your pedal recalls with the faders in the preset setting and you'll need to rock the expression pedal to "wake up" Expression Over MIDI.
*Remember, expression plugged directly into your pedal will not behave the same way. In this case, expression will always have priority over the preset. In other words, when you recall a preset, it will "snap" to your current expression settings.
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Is there an overdub limit?
Yes, blooper can record a total of 16 overdubs. Within an overdub you can record for as long as you like, it’s only stored and counts towards the limit when you enter playback or stop the loop. The first 7 overdubs are stored on their own layer, while the 8th is a “super layer” that stacks up all the rest of your overdubs.
Why does my blooper seem to come in late when synced to external clock?
When you press record while externally synced, you’re essentially arming blooper. It then waits for the next clock pulse to start recording. So what you need to do is press record just before your intended starting point. Choosing longer quantize times can make this process easier and feel more natural.
Why can’t I connect to the BLIP interface?
Some USB cables won’t make a good connection with blooper, or won’t transfer data. Use the included USB cable if possible, make sure the pedal is powered, and the rest is a breeze.
Why won’t blooper save the modifiers I chose on BLIP?
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Why do I see "Connected But Not Responding" on the BLIP interface
This usually happen because you have multiple tabs of BLIP open or multiple programs trying to connect to Blooper’s USB MIDI. Be sure to close all other programs and tabs in your Chrome browser and refresh the BLIP page.
How do I access the alternate modifiers?
The Bank A and Bank B dipswitches give you access to two different sets of modifiers. You can also choose your own modifiers and arrangements using the BLIP interface.
Why is my loop getting weird when I record modifiers in ADD mode?
It’s supposed to! You may notice the start / end points of your loop changing places, or other weird behavior when you record certain modifiers. This breakdown should really help.
Can I save control settings?
Short answer: NoLong answer: Unlike other Chase Bliss pedals, blooper saves audio rather than control settings. This way, when you load up an old loop the controls won’t be invisibly locked to their saved position – what you see is what you get.
Can the transition between layers be smooth?
Short answer: No.Long answer: The layers system works like 8 levels of undo and redo. It’s an immediate effect – take away an overdub, or put it back in.
Can layers be isolated?
Short answer: NoLong answer: Because of blooper’s unique additive abilities, each layer contains all the audio from the previous layers. This makes it possible to completely transform your loop with stability and the modifiers, instead of those effects simply getting piled on top. You can go forward and backward through your layers, but you can’t isolate the audio on just one layer.
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What is the signal to noise ratio and headroom of the pedal?
9.5V pk-pk, -108 dB SNR
What is the bit depth and clock rate of the pedal?
Bit and Clock Rate vary depending on mode.In HiFi mode, the processing is 32 bit and 48kHz. This gives you 42 milliseconds of pre-delay.
In Standard mode, the processing is 16 bit and 24hKz. This gives you 168 milliseconds of pre-delay.
In LoFi mode, the processing is 16 bit with a variable sample rate. The sample rate is set by the Pre-Delay slider, ranging from 48kHz to 2.4kHz with up to 1.7 seconds of pre-delay.
How do you engage Dry Kill?
Engaging and disengaging Dry Kill can be done by holding down the left footswitch (preset) on power up. The pedal will remember what mode you’re in until the action is repeated.
How do you switch between Aux Footswitch Functions?
Hold down the JUMP button while plugging your TRS cable into the Aux Jack.
Why doesn’t my pedal work in Balanced mode?
When using balanced mode you need to use TRS cables on both the input and output. Conversely, you can only use TS cables when in unbalanced mode. -
Why is my MIDI controller inconsistent when engaging the Dark channel?
The MIDI jack also controls the left footswitch via the Tip of the TRS. If this isn't isolated, you can accidentally trigger this footswitch. Simple fix is to cut the Tip connection on one or both ends of your TRS.
What does the threshold do on Black mode? Is it like gated reverb?
Not quite. The Black mode threshold doesn’t gate - or mute - your input signal. Instead, it sets the point where new audio replaces the currently frozen audio. -
Does faves work with my Meris/Strymon/other pedals?
It does. Just set the internal jumper to TIP, and use a standard TS patch cable.
What specific MIDI messages does faves send?
Bank 1: PC0, PC1, PC2
Bank 2: PC0, PC3, PC4
Bank 3: PC0, PC5, PC6*Please keep in mind that if you are using Meris pedals, they will bypass when receiving PC#0
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My pedal is on but I'm not hearing any effect?
It's probably the Scan knob. If the Manual dipswitch is on and Scan is turned up, you're telling Habit to echo something from the memory – but you just turned the pedal on, so there's nothing there yet. In Manual mode, set Scan quite low until you play for a while, then turn it up and start exploring.
Why am I hearing sounds that I'm not playing?
This can happen for two reasons:The Collect dip is on.
You have Spread or Scan turned up.
Both are intended behavior.
What can I do with the USB jack?
Habit's USB jack is only intended for firmware updates and bug fixes. There are no current plans to add additional features or user customization.
Why am I getting distortion?
Because Habit lets you pile up sounds infinitely, you will eventually reach a volume where things start to clip. This moment will come sooner if you use louder instruments like synths and drum machines. Sometimes that distortion can sound good, but a helpful tip for managing it is putting Habit on a send: Lower the volume going into the pedal, then boost it back up on the way out.
Why am I hearing dry mixed in with the modifiers?
This will happen if you have Memory Dry set to the On or Scanning positions. You're hearing the audio from the memory directly, like another clean signal mixed in alongside the echo. See pg. 42 of the manual for your other options, and how to change it.
How is Habit different from MOOD? Or blooper?
We thought this might happen. So we created a breakdown of the difference between Habit, blooper, and MOOD. Click here to read it. -
I don’t think my MIDIbox is working?
It’s easy to forget to power the MIDIbox, but it does need it. -
When I turn the Clock knob down the pedal is very noisy. Why is this happening?
We've given MOOD a very large clock range, because sometimes a little noise is useful. This is normal. Aliasing and noise will begin to become more present at 8k and lower on the Clock knob.
Why are my loops muted for a moment when I turn on the delay?
What you’re hearing is a brief pause while the delay records the audio from the microloop. The reason you hear silence at this point is because the mix is always set to 100% when you route a microloop through the wet side of MOOD. The length of the pause is equivalent to the delay time.
Why can't I get my MOOD to sync to MIDI clock?
MOOD does not support MIDI clock.
The microloop channel is quieter than the wet channel, is there a fix for this?
The level of the two channels is slightly offset by design. While you can’t adjust the balance between them, you can adjust the overall wet volume of MOOD by turning the trimmer closest to the footswitches clockwise. -
What is the input impedance?
1 Megaohm, unless the fuzz is engaged. Turning on the fuzz switches to a low-input impedance because it sounds nice. More on that below.
Is this fuzz unhappy if there is a buffer or low-output impedance in front of it?
Yes, it’s one of those low input impedance fuzzes. Blame Joel. He loves them. It’s best to have a direct connection to your guitar to get the sound Joel intended. But heck, there are no rules. Sometimes this fuzz sounds really cool post-buffer.
Can I adjust the fuzz sound?
You can! You can adjust the gain, level and gate threshold. But you’ll need to open up the pedal to do it. It’s not hard. This video will guide you through it: https://youtu.be/u3yKdoX6txM.
Why isn't my pedal passing audio when I engage it?
You fried it. Probably got the wrong kind of power. We’ll need to fix it here at the shop unless you like your new CBA paperweight.
Why is my pedal making popping noises when switching presets?
There are a number of different switches within Preamp MK2 that turn on or off based on your settings. When you change a preset, this could mean a number of those switches change at once and interrupt the audio passing through the pedal. The best way to ensure you’re pop-free is to briefly pause while you change presets. -
Why is there no dry signal? Is my pedal broken?
Sounds like you got in Dry Kill mode somehow. Dry Kill is handy if you'd like to remove the dry signal from the output (useful for wet/dry set ups). To exit this mode, hold the TAP switch down while powering up the pedal. Done! Same process to enter Dry Kill. This preference will be remembered in the future. -
Why won’t my pedal self-oscillate / the wet signal is quiet?
This can happen when Thermae isn’t getting enough power. Make sure you’re using a 9-volt power supply with at least 200 mA current.
Why won’t my pedal stop pitch shifting?
The simplest way to fix this is to follow these steps:Make sure the Modulation dipswitch is off.
Set the Int 1 knob to noon (off).
Set the Int 2 knob to noon (off).
Now you will have a normal, steady analog delay. You can turn the Modulation dipswitch back on now if you like.
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Why isn't my pedal passing audio when I engage it?
You fried it, probably got the wrong kind of power. We’ll need to fix it here at the shop unless you like your new CBA paperweight.
Why is my pedal distorting?
Warped Vinyl uses a BBD chip to create its vibrato effect, which can overload when hit with louder signals. If you’re experiencing some unwanted clipping, simply turn down the signal feeding the pedal or set up a send/return so the signal is attenuated going into the pedal, then boosted again on the way out.
My pedal has a lot of hiss, is that normal?
There is always going to be some amount of background hiss in Warped Vinyl. You can mitigate it by setting the Lag and Tone knobs to noon or below. You can also try adjusting the internal compression trimmer.