The Chase Bliss Clean is a compressor pedal built around two stages of compression, and it runs 100% analog in the signal path. Each stereo channel carries both a compressor and a limiter, which Pedal of the Day describes as "two stages of the most natural and musical compression"1. Chase Bliss positions it as "a studio-grade compressor you can turn on its head and push beyond the expected"1.
What the Clean does
The Clean is a stereo compressor with independent response on each channel. Pedal of the Day calls it "a portable and creative finisher with independent response on each channel, for a polished and animated stereo" image1. Because each side has a compressor and a limiter, the pedal can handle gentle leveling and peak control at the same time, in stereo or mono.
Chase Bliss also built in ways to push past conventional compression. The pedal can go "beyond compression into tube-like sag"1, and the company says it was designed to bring the behavior of distortion circuits to a clean signal: "from the touch sensitivity of an overdrive to the unwieldy response of a fuzz"1. For players curious how that compares to the real thing, see overdrive pedals, distortion pedals and fuzz pedals.
Controls and connections
Pedal of the Day's review highlights these features1:
- Two stages of compression: each stereo channel includes both a compressor and a limiter
- Dry blend: dial up the Dry blend for bass and drum-friendly compression, mixing untreated signal back in
- Sidechain input: for syncing with external instruments, so the compressor can react to an outside source
- Tube-like sag: a mode that goes beyond compression into sag response
- True stereo I/O: independent response on each channel
The dry blend and sidechain make the Clean a practical choice beyond guitar: bassists and drummers get a control aimed directly at keeping their instruments' transients intact, and the sidechain opens the door to ducking or pumping effects triggered by another instrument1.
Release and price
Guitar Pedal X opened its review of the Chase Bliss Clean by asking whether compression can be fun, and concluded that "the sonic possibilities are, once again, seemingly endless…but, can compression really be fun? The answer is, unequivoca"1.
Guitar Pedal X's overall verdict on the Clean was that compression can be fun and the sonic possibilities seemingly endless1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Clean on November 17, 2024, and came away enthusiastic about whether a compressor could hold a player's interest: "the sonic possibilities are, once again, seemingly endless…but, can compression really be fun? The answer is, unequivocally" yes, in the reviewer's telling1. The review frames the Clean as a compressor for players who want the interactive feel of a drive pedal in a clean, studio-grade circuit1.
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Questions
Is the Chase Bliss Clean analog or digital?
The Clean is a 100% analog compressor, according to Pedal of the Day's review. Chase Bliss describes it as a studio-grade compressor that can also be pushed beyond the expected, with two stages of compression and true stereo operation in an analog signal path.
Does the Clean Creative Compressor work in true stereo?
Yes. The Clean has true stereo input and output with independent response on each channel. Each stereo channel includes both a compressor and a limiter, giving two stages of compression per side, which Pedal of the Day describes as natural and musical compression.
What is the sidechain input on the Clean for?
The Clean has a sidechain input for syncing with external instruments. In practice, that lets another instrument or source trigger the compressor's response, so the pedal reacts to an outside signal rather than only to your own guitar's dynamics.
Can the Clean be used on bass and drums?
Yes. Pedal of the Day points to the Dry blend control as the way to dial in bass and drum-friendly compression, letting you mix uncompressed signal back in with the compressed signal for a more natural response on those instruments.
When did the Chase Bliss Clean start shipping?
Chase Bliss announced the Clean in October 2024, with shipping starting on November 1, 2024, according to Guitar World and MusicRadar. Pedal of the Day published its review of the pedal on November 17, 2024.
Sources (1)
- Chase Bliss Clean Creative Compressor, Pedal of the Day, 2024-11-17
