The Chase Bliss Dirt Bird is a limited edition modified version of the Minneapolis-based company's Condor HiFi EQ pedal, described by Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio as an EQ pedal at heart1. Instead of cleaning up a distortion issue in the original circuit, Chase Bliss leaned into it: the pedal is intended to worsen, rather than fix or improve, a distortion issue linked to an op amp-generated artifact called phase reversal. Joel from Chase Bliss liked that distortion and modified the Condor's circuit to make it more usable and controllable1.
Pedal of the Day calls it an analog multi-effect that allows sophisticated control over a wide range of effects including EQ, overdrive, boost, tremolo and filter tones, and found it very unique, sounding like no other drive2. If you are comparing drives more broadly, it sits in the territory covered by the site's Distortion Pedals and Overdrive Pedals pages, though its EQ and filter side also connects it to Equalization Pedals and Filter Pedals.
Where it came from
The Dirt Bird descends directly from the Condor HiFi Analog Tone Bird, Chase Bliss's analog EQ, drive and filter pedal. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reported that the HiFi edition delivers a lower noise floor, smoother breakup and more headroom than the original, and judged it a really decent upgrade for players who mainly use the EQ and Filter elements4. The Dirt Bird goes the other way: Guitar Pedal X described it as a neat modified circuit version using the original noisier Condor chips, which have been slightly mis-biased for more interesting breakup textures3.
Pedal of the Day explains the design intent in the reviewer's own words:
"there's a 'sweet spot' if you lower the headroom on that design far enough where it really just comes alive"
The controls: parametric mids, filter modes and presets
The Dirt Bird carries the Condor's control set over. At its center is a powerful parametric Mids control that ranges from 150Hz to 4kHz2. On the Condor, Pedal of the Day described the same idea: the parametric mids are the key, freely sweeping the frequency spectrum to find the sweet spot to push, scoop or slice the tone5. The pedal also offers three separate Low Pass Filter or Bass boost/cut modes2.
Guitar Pedal X listed the Dirt Bird's full control set as follows3:
- Gain (Ramp), Freq, Volume, Bass, Mids, LPF knobs
- Bass switch: Minimal / Moderate / Most
- Mids Q switch: Wide / Moderate / Narrow
- LPF switch
- Presets 1 / Manual / 2
- Bypass and Drive/Hold footswitches
- 16 dip-switches
All of these settings can be stored in presets2, and the pedal's connectivity matches the Condor's: MIDI, CV and expression control is available45. Settings can also be ramped or controlled via expression pedal2, which makes the Ramp-labeled Gain knob and the filter controls sweepable in real time.
The Dirt Bird was never sold through normal retail. It was distributed only by placing units randomly into purchased 2024 Mystery Boxes in 2024, and only 250 were made23.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict, from June 2025: with all the usual bells and whistles Chase Bliss is known for, this one is an experimenter's dream, and the reviewer recommended it overall2. Guitar Pedal X included the Dirt Bird in its 2024 buying guide for boost and overdrive pedals, listing it at $399 and noting the high demand for the 250 units in the USA3.
For readers weighing it against Chase Bliss's other drive work, the company's Chase Bliss / Analog Man Brothers AM takes a different route, while the Dirt Bird itself is a modified version of the Condor HiFi EQ pedal1.
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Questions
What is phase reversal in an op amp?
Phase reversal is a distortion issue found in the Condor pedal, linked to an op amp-generated artifact. On the Dirt Bird, Chase Bliss set out to worsen that artifact rather than fix or improve it. Joel from Chase Bliss liked the distortion it produced and modified the Condor's circuit to make it more usable and controllable, which is what gives the Dirt Bird its drive character.
Is the Chase Bliss Dirt Bird analog or digital?
It is an analog multi-effect with a digital control brain. According to Pedal of the Day, every knob and switch is connected to a little digital brain while the guitar signal stays 100% analog and never gets digitally processed. The digital side handles presets, MIDI, CV and expression control rather than the audio itself.
Can you still buy the Chase Bliss Dirt Bird?
Not through normal channels. The Dirt Bird was released in 2024 and could only be obtained via Chase Bliss' 2024 Mystery Box promotion, with only 250 made. Guitar Pedal X reported that they are in high demand in the USA, which is the only place you can get them, so acquiring one now takes a certain amount of luck.
Does the Dirt Bird work with an expression pedal?
Yes. Pedal of the Day notes that settings can be ramped or controlled via expression pedal. Alongside expression, the pedal supports MIDI and CV control, and all of its settings can be stored in presets.
How is the Dirt Bird different from the Condor?
The Dirt Bird is a modified version of the Condor design. Pedal of the Day describes the idea as lowering the headroom on that design far enough to reach a sweet spot where the distortion artifact really comes alive. Guitar Pedal X adds that it uses the original noisier Condor chips, slightly mis-biased for more interesting breakup textures.
Sources (5)
- Chase Bliss Dirt Bird EQ, Delicious Audio, 2025-06-14
- Chase Bliss Dirt Bird Limited Edition Overdrive Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2025-06-14
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-22
- Chase Bliss Condor HiFi Analog Tone Bird, Pedal of the Day, 2024-03-03
