Utilizing Chase Bliss Audio's CXM 1978 Automatone Reverb In The Studio

Those who are fortunate enough to take the journey to the annual NAMM Show know that when you step out onto that floor, you're bound to find something that completely rocks your world. Something huge, something wild, something you've never seen before. For the past four years or so, Chase Bliss Audio has been the brand doing most of the mind blowing in the pedal realm.

Let's go back to the 2019 NAMM Show. Chase Bliss Audio owner and designer Joel Korte debuts a first of its kind pedal dubbed the Automatone Preamp MKII. It features motorized faders that adjust automatically when cycling through presets. We've seen it in the studio for years, so why not go there with a pedal? And just like that, the pedal becomes an instant success because of its innovation and fantastic sounds.

At the 2020 NAMM Show, Joel continues to evolve his offerings with a second Automatone pedal. This time he collaborates with his fellow pedal gurus Meris and announces an earth-shaking collaboration in the form of the CXM 1978 Automatone. This new reverb pedal finds its inspiration in the studio gear of... you guessed it, the digital reverbs of the late 1970s.

If you're familiar with Chase Bliss Audio designs then you know how Joel likes to give players endless options for tweaking their sounds.  The CXM 1978 features the standard six fader Automatone design with controls for Bass, Mids, Cross, Treble, Mix and Pre-Dly. Adjust them yourself or pick a preset via the Preset/Bank footswitch and watch them fly on their own.

Your reverb options are controlled via the Arcade-style buttons just below the faders. These buttons include controls for Clock (fidelity and length), Tank Mod (amount of modulation in reverb tank), Diffusion (the amount of smear), Type (choose between Room, Plate, Hall) and Jump. The Jump feature lets you skip to Preset 0 or 5 in a similar fashion to a favorite switch.

Vintage King's Dustin McLaughlin has been busy tracking and mixing with the CXM 1978 Automatone in the studio. Check out our demo video of the reverb pedal below to hear it used on vocals, drums, synth, guitar and more. Stick around after for a walkthrough of the original Automatone Preamp MKII.

 

If you're interested in ordering the CXM 1978 Automatone or Automatone Preamp MKII, we're here to help! Please contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.