GEAR SPOTLIGHT
CHASE BLISS
AUDIO
BROTHERS ANALOG
GAINSTAGE
REVIEW BY ERIC TISCHLER
STREET PRICE $349.00
If you’re new to Chase
Bliss, you might have some
questions about its two-
channel gain pedal, Brothers.
Can you operate both
footswitches? Can you avoid
squashing that little toggle
between the footswitches?
Does it sound good? Is
it worth the money? The
answer to all these questions
is “Yes.”
Chase Bliss is famous for its
effects that offer elaborate
functionality. Because it’s
essentially a two-channel
dirt pedal, Brothers might
seem like it’s gilding the lily,
but it’s not. For starters,
both channels are excellent,
offering several great tones
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GEAR SPOTLIGHT //
separately and together.
Given the range that’s on
offer, Chase Bliss’s options
for saving presets ensures
that those with the gear and
patience for such things will
get gobs of bang for their
buck. For the rest of us, there
are still plenty of wonderful
sounds that are available at
our fingertips.
For all the talk of flexible
routing, the Brothers
interface is very simple:
each channels has controls
for Gain and Tone. There’s a
Master control that sets the
output for both channels and
a Mix knob that blends the
two channels together. Below
that knob is a toggle that
determines if the channels
run in parallel, if Channel
A feeds into Channel B, or
vice-versa. Each channel has
a toggle that determines
if the gain is set for Boost,
Drive or Fuzz. Between
the two footswitches that
activate each channel is a
(comparatively) recessed
toggle that allows you to
choose between two presets
(more can be accessed via
MIDI options).
So how does this company
that’s famous for modulation
and “digital brains” do with
plain ol’ dirt? Gloriously.
Brothers is a partnership with
Resonant Electric Design, and
Channel A is based around
Chase Bliss Audio Brothers Analog GainStage