Exploring the Chase Bliss Onward: A Gear Nerd's Guide to Sonic Adventure

Hey, fellow gear nerds! Welcome back to BuyOrBorrow Music. Today, we're diving headfirst into the mysterious world of the Chase Bliss Onward pedal. If you've ever been puzzled by the myriad of knobs, switches, and settings on a Chase Bliss pedal, you're not alone. In this blog, we’ll explore the Onward, share our experience, and see if this pedal is a must-have for your rig or just a fleeting curiosity. 

can we dial in a great tone in under 5 minutes?

Watch us try to dial in a great tone using the Chase Bliss.... in under 5 minutes. 

First Impressions

"This is the new Chase Bliss Onward. I have no idea what the heck this thing does. I have five minutes to make it sound good or terrible. Let's go." That's how our adventure began. Armed with a vintage 1980s Fender Japanese Stratocaster, we plunged into the unknown, turning knobs and hoping for sonic magic.

Diving Into the Unknown

After a brief, confusing encounter with the manual, we decided to go freestyle. The pressure was on, and the pedal responded to our playing dynamically. As we dug into the strings, the Onward reacted, changing tones with our attack. It was like the pedal had a mind of its own.

The rhythmic nature of the glitch side caught our attention. While it seemed a bit random, it added a unique character to our sound. We wished for MIDI clock sync to control the randomness, but the unpredictability had its charm. Combining both sides of the pedal, we aimed for a cool tone. Time flew, and in a blink, our five minutes were up.

Features Breakdown

The Chase Bliss Onward is a dual effect pedal that interacts with your playing style. Here’s a quick rundown of its features:

• Texture and Octave (Free Side): The texture knob adds digital seasoning to your tone, while the octave control lets you switch between upper and lower octaves. The animate switch adds modulation, creating dynamic, evolving sounds.

• Error, Size, and Mix (Glitch Side): The error knob controls how fast the sound falls apart, the size adjusts sensitivity, and the mix knob blends the effect with your dry signal. The sustain knob determines how long the phrases last, and the fade control sets how quickly sounds fade in and out.

• Dip Switches: These switches further customize the pedal’s response. They can introduce rhythmic patterns, random sample shifts, and playback speed variations.

The Verdict

Can you make the Chase Bliss Onward sound good in five minutes? Maybe. It’s a complex beast, and mastering it takes time. For quick ambient tones, it might be over the top, but with patience, it could become a powerful tool in your arsenal.

The Onward seems to lean towards guitar players, reacting to your playing style and creating unique, in-the-moment tones. It’s a pedal that invites exploration and rewards those who dive deep into its capabilities.

Buy or Borrow?

Would you buy it? Would you pass on it? Maybe you want to borrow it. At BuyOrBorrow Music, you can try any Chase Bliss pedal for as little as $39 a month. Keep it as long as you like, and if you fall in love with it, purchase it with a single click.

Check out the Chase Bliss Onward and other gear on our website. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe for more gear reviews and musical adventures.