Chase Bliss announces CLEAN stereo dual-stage VCA compressor

October 10, 2024 · 4 sources

Chase Bliss announced CLEAN on October 10, 2024. The company describes it as a studio-grade stereo dual-stage VCA compressor/limiter developed by Eric Nyffeler over several years¹. MusicRadar calls it a "creative compressor" with two stages of compression, both 100 percent analog, in full stereo². Guitar World describes it as a two-stage analog stereo [compressor] with mono-to-stereo switching that generates a moving stereo image³.

The pedal has six knobs: Dynamics, Sensitivity (Ramp), Wet, Attack, EQ and Dry¹³. Guitar World reports that the Dry and Wet knobs blend to unlock parallel processing, and that three EQ modes each offer stereo motion³. According to Guitar Pedal X, the secondary and dip-switch functions include:

Guitar Pedal X also lists customize dip switches for Dusty, Swell Aux, Motion, Noise Gate, Sidechain, Latch, Spread and MISO¹. MusicRadar counts 16 dip switches across the top of the pedal². The enclosure is the same TRS stereo model as recent Chase Bliss releases, with an added Sidechain port on the right side for triggering the compression¹. Gearnews reports MIDI, CV and expression control, presets and internal modulation of the knobs⁴. Guitar World reports a built-in noise gate and an external side chain for pairing with other pedals³.

Sources disagree on the US price. Guitar Pedal X states $399 in America¹; MusicRadar and Guitar World both state $469²³. Gearnews lists a European MSRP of EUR 469⁴. Guitar Pedal X says general release is due in November¹; Gearnews says preorders were open at publication and the first pedals should start shipping on November 1⁴, and Guitar World gives the same shipping date³.