Chase Bliss Generation Loss MKII is a massive further development of Tom Cooper’s best-selling tape module Generation Loss with stereo & more
There are pedals that are extremely popular. One of them is certainly the CooperFX Generation Loss. Tom Majeski has created here a tape pedal that incorporates all the characteristics we love about those vintage tape effects. Including different flavors of wow and flutter, tape errors, and more. It’s so popular that the pedal sells out consistently.
Recently, Tom of CooperFX and his dog Cooper joined Joel Korte’s company Chase Bliss Audio, who design pedals that are just as fascinating. The first result of this partnership was presented this week. It’s the Generation Loss MKII with a lot more features and of course, with the well-known Chase Bliss dip switches on the back.
Chase Bliss Audio Generation Loss MKII
The Generation Loss MKII takes everything we love about the first version from CooperFX and takes it to a new level. Or in the words of Chase Bliss: “Generation Loss MKII is a study of tape in all its forms”.
One of the biggest MKII highlights is certainly the full stereo signal path, which makes the pedal much more versatile. The pedal has a new interface, some things are familiar from the old one but many new controls are included.
Starting with a new model knob that allows you to step through a library of different tape machines, each with its own unique EQ profile. Including VCRs, dictaphones, toys, and more, all built through frequency analysis of physical hardware. From the first demo, they sound very tempting already.
Then, you get individual WOW and flutter knob to get the warble hands-on and just right. WOW infuse the classic all-time loved tape-style motion (slow, smooth, random pitch modulation) to sound like an unpredictable vibrato. Flutter, on the other side, gives you rapid, twitchy, random modulation of both amplitude and pitch. Both in combination gives you that instant vintage tape vibe.
There is a new saturate/gen control that introduces a form of magnetic saturation that occurs when hot signals are recorded in. Also known as a magnetic hysteresis loop. The failure/HP knob gradually infuses a number of small malfunctions that naturally occur in tape machines and give them that living feels. With high values you have the unique sound of a broken tape.
Secondary Switch
Also on the front panel, you can engage three different performance effects via a secondary switch. STOP is a tape-stop effect, FILTER bypasses the selected tape model letting your signal pass through unfiltered, and FAIL maxes out the aspects of the failure knob.
Dip-Switches
Chase Bliss Audio Pedals are packed with features. Rather than menu diving with a screen, Joel Korte has chosen to provide those extra functions that aren’t on the interface as a wall of dip switches on the back. And of course, the Generation Loss MKII is also equipped with these that allow you to customize its behaviour.
For example, you can set the “spread” functionality that introduces a bizarre stereo motion effect that can be seen as a malfunctioning stereo image. You can also bypass the drops that removes the drops (volume manipulations) from the effect of the failure knob.
Plus, the new GL MKII also has different noise modes made up hiss and mechanical (hum, or sampled noise from a busted VCR). You can shape the characteristics by adjusting the level of each element including three settings: none, mild, and heavy.
Connectivity
Generation Loss MKII features advanced connectivity and customization options. This goes from MIDI and CV support, expression control, presets up to internal modulation for the parameters. Many functionalities that weren’t available in the first GL pedal. Check out the announcement video below, it’s lovely.
The pedal is currently still a prototype. But what you can hear in the demos so far is already very exciting. I’m already thinking about getting one. I’m glad to see that they use the pedal a lot with electronic instruments and less with guitars.
Synths are often left out when it comes to pedal demos from companies, although synth and pedal harmonize perfectly. This will certainly be a pedal highlight of this year. I’m really looking forward to the final product
Chase Bliss Audio Generation Loss MKII will be available in late September/early November 2022. It will have a price of $399 USD/469€.
More information here: Chass Bliss Audio
Back in the day I always spent extra on fresh tapes for each important recording just so we wouldn’t get these pesky noises and distortions.
Same here, and also with vinyl, but for whatever reasons, I now love what these kinds of pedals do. They are actually nostalgic equivalents to some degree, we think they do the same things as that old gear, but it is filtered through our contemporary ears. This Generation Loss will be mine. It sounds absolutely incredible…to my ears anyway.