Revv releases Chat Breaker overdrive designed with ChatGPT
June 22, 2023 · 3 sources
Revv announced the Chat Breaker on June 22, 2023, a limited-release overdrive that the company designed with the use of ChatGPT1. The pedal began as an experiment to see whether the chatbot could design an overdrive, and ended as a refined bluesbreaker-style circuit after human redesign12.
Revv president and head designer Dan Trudeau said the AI's output was not usable as delivered. But I was looking at what it was returning and realized, it's a Bluesbreaker! Well, it's trying to be a Bluesbreaker"2. MusicRadar reported that ChatGPT's version "wouldn't have powered on"1, and Gearnews reported that at least one early version was, according to an e-technician, probably not even a good enough design to be switched on3. Trudeau then refined the blueprint and added new elements of his own to create the Chat Breaker1.
The result is a low to medium gain overdrive with Tone, Drive and Level controls1. Guitar World describes the knobs as "Bluesbreaker-faithful Gain, Level and Tone" and lists a true bypass footswitch2. Revv calls it a "new REVV-voiced circuit" based on a BluesBreaker, according to Gearnews, which also reports the sound as similar to a Tube Screamer3. The enclosure is smaller than an original Bluesbreaker and has top-mounted jacks2, and its look is influenced by ChatGPT's interface1.
The Chat Breaker is a limited release priced at $19912. Gearnews reports an MSRP of $199, that it is currently only available through the manufacturer in Canada, that it is made in Canada, and that around 500 pieces are expected to be made available3.