The Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII is a preamp pedal with gain and fuzz features, built in collaboration between Chase Bliss Audio and Chris Benson of Benson Amps, and known as the first of the Automatone pedals1. Its defining feature is a set of motorized aluminum sliders: when you recall a preset, each slider physically moves to its saved position, so the panel always shows the sound you are hearing1. Guitar World describes it as a preamp pedal with motorized faders for EQ, volume and gain that adjust to match saved presets2.
Despite the preamp name, reviewers treat it as an overdrive pedal. On That Pedal Show, Dan Steinhardt and Mick Taylor called it exactly that, and the show grouped it among "three do-it-all analogue overdrives with MIDI control"34. Pedal of the Day found it could "conjure up clean boost, overdrive, fuzz and wonderful tone-shaping EQ settings in a heartbeat"5, which places it across the boost, fuzz and EQ categories as well as preamp pedals.
Where the circuit comes from
The pedal is the MKII version of the Benson Amps Preamp. The Benson Preamp is based on a transistorized version of Benson's Chimera 30-watt amp, and the pedal uses FET transistors in place of the amp's 12AX7 triode stages65. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, who was not familiar with the original Benson pedal, called the Automatone "the bells and whistles MKII version" of it6.
Delicious Audio describes the design as combining the DNA of the Chimera-in-a-box preamp with a little fuzz and some of the resonant parametric mids of Chase Bliss's own Condor1. The clipping is variable: a Diode button selects stock Benson Preamp clipping, symmetrical silicon, or asymmetrical germanium, and Delicious Audio also lists a transistor-only option51. A low impedance silicon fuzz is also on board5.
Controls and presets
The face of the pedal carries the motorized sliders, which set Volume, Gain, Treble and Bass, plus two sliders dedicated to the midrange5. The mids section offers three resonance settings with variable routing, so it can be placed before or after the preamp; by default the mids are bypassed16.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Sliders | Volume, Gain, Treble, Bass, plus two midrange sliders5 |
| Diode button | Selects clipping: stock Benson, symmetrical silicon, or asymmetrical germanium5 |
| Mids switch | Mids bypassed by default, or applied pre- or post-gain6 |
| Preset footswitch | Steps through presets 0 to 9 across 3 banks; hold to change bank6 |
| Bypass footswitch | Quick press toggles the pedal on and off; long press saves settings to the selected preset6 |
| Scroll button | 3-way push button selecting 0-9, 0-3 or 0-1 preset ranges per bank10 |
| Jump button | Instantly toggles to the 0 or 5 preset in any bank5 |
| Volume knob | Output level6 |
The pedal holds 30 presets in three banks of ten, all footswitchable61. Chase Bliss Audio posted Quick Look and Deep Dive demo videos covering both MIDI and expression use1. On That Pedal Show, the appeal of storing and recalling sounds over MIDI was a central point of the discussion3.
An expression pedal can also be programmed to control the sliders, which Pedal of the Day demonstrated in its review5. For players comparing MIDI pedals and expression pedals, the Automatone supports both routes to hands-free control.
Power and connections
The Automatone Preamp MkII requires a 9V DC center-negative supply delivering 500mA10. That current draw is well beyond a standard 100mA output, so it needs a dedicated high-current output and cannot run on a typical daisy chain or battery.
Connections are mono 1/4" input and output sockets, and a mini USB port handles firmware updates10.
What reviewers said
Reviewers consistently praised the concept while flagging the price. Pedal of the Day called it "a truly innovative, game-changer of an effect" while noting it "packs so much into one package it can be initially a little overwhelming," and judged that "the price tag may be a bit steep for some, it's pretty much 5 pedals in one"5. The same review ranked it among the most hyped pedal releases of 2020 at the year's halfway point5.
"This pedal is costly, but with its fantastic tones and amazing versatility and intuitiveness… I can imagine having literally no other overdrive after this!"
In a JHS Pedals buying guide covering pedals near the thousand-dollar mark, the Automatone MKII Preamp scored 5 out of 8 on the checklist, but the author wrote that "in my heart the Automatone MKII Preamp deserves 8/8" and judged it worth every dime11.
On That Pedal Show, Mick Taylor highlighted "the simplicity, the WYSIWYG nature of the Mark II, you can see everything, there's nothing hidden"3. In a separate That Pedal Show comparison against classic drives including the Klon, King of Tone and Fuzz Face, the verdict was that it does not nail every sound exactly, but "it comes close enough for you to be asking serious questions about all those" pedals already on the board12.
In the show's video review, Dan and Mick discuss where the pedal sits between preamp and overdrive, its preset storage, and what the motorized sliders mean in practice3111:
Videos
Andertons Music Co
Rhett Shull
chase bliss
Questions
Is the Automatone Preamp MkII an overdrive or a preamp?
Despite the name, reviewers treat it as an overdrive pedal. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick described it plainly as an overdrive, and the show grouped it with other do-it-all analogue overdrives with MIDI control. Its sounds span clean boost, overdrive, fuzz and tone-shaping EQ, which is why it gets called a preamp as well.
How much current does the Automatone Preamp MkII need?
It runs on a 9V DC center-negative supply delivering 500mA. That is far more than a standard 100mA output, so it needs a high-current output on a power brick and rules out a typical daisy chain. It is not a battery pedal.
How many presets does the Automatone Preamp MkII hold?
Thirty presets, arranged as three banks of ten, numbered 0 to 9. The Preset footswitch steps through presets and a hold changes bank, and a Scroll button can narrow each bank to 0 to 3 or 0 to 1 preset ranges. Presets can also be stored and recalled over MIDI.
What amp is the Automatone Preamp MkII based on?
Its circuit comes from the Benson Preamp, which is based on a transistorized version of Benson Amps' Chimera 30-watt tube amp. The pedal uses FET transistors in place of the amp's 12AX7 triode stages, so the tube amp's character is rebuilt in solid-state form.
Can you control the Automatone MkII sliders with an expression pedal?
Yes. An expression pedal can be programmed to control the sliders, and Chase Bliss Audio posted Quick Look and Deep Dive demo videos covering expression use. The sliders themselves are motorized, so they physically move to match whichever preset you recall.
What is the difference between the Benson Preamp and the Automatone MkII?
The Automatone Preamp MkII is the MKII version of the Benson Amps Preamp pedal, built in collaboration between Chase Bliss Audio and Chris Benson of Benson Amps. Guitar Pedal X called it the bells and whistles version of the original, adding motorized sliders, 30 presets, MIDI, extra clipping options and fuzz.
Sources (12)
- Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MKII, Delicious Audio, 2021-05-05
- Guitar World's 30 favorite guitar pedals from the past 5 years, Guitar World, 2025-06-02
- The Ultimate Do-It-All Overdrive? Poly Flat V, Kernom Ridge, CB Automatone Preamp MkII, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2023-03-10
- The Ultimate Do-It-All Overdrive? Poly Flat V, Kernom Ridge, CB Automatone Preamp MkII, That Pedal Show, 2023-03-10
- Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MKII, Pedal of the Day, 2020-07-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2020-08-04
- Chase Bliss Audio teams up with Meris for the automated slider-equipped CXM 1978 Studio Reverb, Guitar World, 2020-10-02
- NAMM 2020 : Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MKII and Blooper, gearnews.com, 2020-01-14
- Is the $749 Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MKII the new gold standard in drive pedals?, MusicRadar, 2020-07-08
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2019-01-22
- THOUSAND DOLLAR PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- Chase Bliss Automatone Vs Best Of The Best Klon, KOT, Fuzz Face & More, That Pedal Show, 2020-09-04
