Chase Bliss & Meris - CXM 1978

[@thepedalzone]

That synth outro is LIFE!! Just leave mere here back in 1978, Doc! ❤

[@lowrider1023]

I seriously just listened to that at least 20 times in a row. Good lord that was amazing.

[@DancingSketches]

Brings me back to when my brother bought a Boss digital delay in the 84. I had no idea how to use, or even plug in his guitar, but one night I snuck down the basement when he wasn't home. I wanted so bad to create some sounds but unfortunately ended up plugging it in wrong way and broke it before even starting. 40 years later out of the blue started playing bass. Haven't started buying pedals yet(besides a compressor), researching for inspiration. So many creative pedals to choose from, look forward to finally being able to create some sounds next year. I know my brother would have loved this pedal renaissance if he were still alive!

[@el0blaino]

Did he kick your butt??? lol

[@stefankarlssonice]

Another great demo Scott - sounds amazing, but boy is it pricey!

[@stefankarlssonice]

@XymXir The pedal is full stereo in/out - Left and Right!

[@TroyBlackford]

Yeah, I'm with you guys: I'm sure there's a market for this, but us "normies" ain't it. This is not worth almost as much as my Boss SY-1000 to *me*, but it's so pristine that I'm sure pros and studios find it worth the moolah.

[@kellymerrill5294]

Reverb works so much better during mixing, and software IMO does a better job. It does look nice on a desk next to some plants though.

[@HerrSpuzzmacher]

Well its relative. If i compare it to el cheapo reverbs, yeah it seens spensive. But i dont want cheap crappy reverbs, so why am I using those as a baseline. If I compare it to a nice analog Moogerfooger delay, this thing is a bargain.

[@HerrSpuzzmacher]

@@kellymerrill5294 True, but when trying to play live its kinda clumsy to continually fumble around with the laptop.

[@dougtolley]

Shit KNOBs, in the end I cracked open a couple and a smidge of wine. Watched this. Your playing style was perfect, restrained and intricate. The secret scatter and large room were extraordinary. The synth at the end, full and just wonderful. The radar sheets were the icing on the cake. Well done my friend. I absolutely fucking adored it.

[@ThoseSleepless]

man... I read some of the comments before I clicked play on the video. Thought yeah that price is some classist BS. Grabbed my pitchfork and was ready to throw some prophetic heat against the giant corporate oligarch that is Chase Bliss. Then I clicked play. Heard the verb. Clearly to my ears the best verb pedal by a lot that I've ever heard and was forced to dial down my indignation. Hate to say it, but I'll probably buy this pedal cause it just sounds so damn good.

[@j.willgooseesq.2223]

That finale sounds AMAZING. Like the best unused Blade Runner soundtrack offcut ever 👌

[@lowrider1023]

I seriously just listened to it for like 20 minutes. That was perfect.

[@gph2193]

Wow. Fantastic pedal. Wow. Very expensive. It has that high school acid trip adventure quality to it's sound. Beautiful.

[@manuelettermusic]

Woah. That synth sound at the end makes me want to be a synth.

[@Standard.Candle]

When I grow up, I want to be a synth also.

[@HuesoColorado]

It sounds just how it looks ♥

[@LithopsEffect_]

Me: "I don't need ANOTHER reverb, right?" Chase Bliss: "ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?!"

[@MadGeek17]

900 dollars THO

[@kellymerrill5294]

$100 worth of components, $800 worth of hipster snobbery

[@CLdwyer]

It’s kinda entertaining to me they priced it that much. Makes me smirk.

[@ehtikhet]

“You know, sometimes, I really doubt your commitment to Sparkle Magic!”

[@ajfraser224]

What a great looking pedal, the aesthetics alone make me want to buy it, If i wasn't a broke ass student i would so buy this

[@ForeverChillMan]

I'll probably never be able to afford this one, but my oh my props have to be given as it seems as a truly astonishing device capable of so much.

[@ektopia]

The editing with the screwdriver bits... sublime

[@NaanosVEVO]

your videos always make life okay

[@LoVeAmBiEnT]

Also I really love the nice sounding white noise that chase Bliss seems to add to quite a few of their petals but it's such a wonderful sound I love it

[@robdavies9478]

I love the end of this video as much as I love the pedal itself. And I really love the pedal.

[@myNoiseDotNet]

Great demo - as always. The background noise we hear like in 2:12 (and in other passages) - is that the CXM1978, or present in the input signal?

[@JeffHendricks]

Hey! Good to see you here! :)

[@ChaseBlissAudio]

It's all dependent on the mode. "HIFI" is suuuuuper low noise / modern, "STANDARD" is more of a faithful re-creation of that character of the original, and "LOFI" can get nasty. If you want it pristine it's best to just leave it in HIFI

[@myNoiseDotNet]

@@ChaseBlissAudio But then, the reverberation times will be shorter in HIFI mode? Does one trade longer times for higher noise? I think Meris knows how to program great reverb sounds (their Polymoon sounds fantastic) - you partnered with the right guys!

[@nicologiarrano7590]

wow I've been a my noise patron for years! this is a crossover I didn't expect!

[@palo4098]

Great noises coming out of this thing. Beautiful sounding licks too. Really killed this demo knobs. Good shit, my dude 👏👍

[@jonkelly5246]

I've had so many reverb pedals. Big sky, ventris, eventides. None of them come close to the beauty of this pedal. Something you have to experience in person. I happily paid 899$ for it

[@npsiwak]

Love the little OBNE / EQD (and a few others) reference in there... The dark star is where it's at.

[@iteritinerant9314]

Almost summer breezed @ 1:48. Sounds great.

[@martti7363]

I watched this while enjoying a bowl of tonkatsu ramen. Truly, an excellent dinner soundtrack!

[@chasetheconnect8252]

Damn it knobs ! I woke up today saying I won't buy anything lol well there goes that idea😂 . Thanks as always for the great vid. ( Adding to collection in my head)

[@rogervann5547]

My two favourite pedal designers + knobs 💜

[@charteredvessel]

I was highly anticipating this release but the price point quickly took the wind out of my sails. Beautiful sounds and piece of gear though. I guess its more geared towards high end studios as end users.

[@andrewtucker94]

This is a rare miss for me, I'm just not sure who this is aimed at. Studios can do this and more with plugins now

[@iliilili310]

You can get infinitely better sounding units for the same price for a studio setting. This thing is priced for suckers and absolutely nobody else.

[@CLdwyer]

You might feel different if you bought and tried it AND had a lot of wholes it needed to fill. Plugins will always lose value. As soon as they’re bought really. The programs won’t work 10 years from now, but a physical device will and if not, can get physical repair. The list of physical units this bare simple to use and sonically rewarding isn’t large. This thing is curated to a modern aesthetic of production too and accesses those nuanced sounds fast. I’m looking to get one. Not a guitarist. The fact people cringe at moving on it says it’s probably worth getting for a unique sonic signature. Fast use, nuanced sound, trendy, fully recallable, midi controllable from DAW. Has a good list of qualities.

[@andrewtucker94]

@@CLdwyer You speak some sense and I think this'd be great to play around with. It's just a lot for something that seems a bit fiddly for a studio!

[@JFullerUCSB]

@@iliilili310 Which units?

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Closest thing that I've heard vs. my Lexicon Rack Units. This thing sounds fantastic.

[@bonsaibloom]

900 is a big pill to swallow with so many good reverbs for half that price, but damn it’s beautiful. Hope CB makes a simpler version for a more approachable price. Beautiful demo scott 💖

[@jat5am]

for third of that price. see ventris used.

[@alexharbin4124]

just preordered mine. i like how much it happens to resemble the old lexicon LARC controller.

[@RadWorship]

Seems like there’s a lot of noise in the signal path. Is that the CXM or something else?

[@SS-gx7tg]

Wondering this too. If it's the CXM itself then that's a huge bummer.

[@RadWorship]

@@SS-gx7tg after two weeks with the CXM I can say noise is not a problem. There’s none on low, a different character to the verb I wouldn’t really call noisy on mid, and some noticeable noise/unique character repeats on hi. What I am working through is the EQ. I wouldn’t say it’s all sweet spot on synth or guitar. There are presets I’ve made that sound really nice. I love the flexibility. But others I wish I could dial the EQ differently to get exactly the sound I want and continue to try for. Something about the mids of the verb.

[@SS-gx7tg]

@@RadWorship Can you not put an EQ pedal after this one? Or even before? Or sandwich it with two EQs? I've got this guy in my cart. $900 is a lot, but man, this sounds like THE ultimate reverb. I buy this pedal, I never need to worry about reverb again. No matter what happens in life, my reverb situation is set. But the noise I hear on a few vids gives me a bit of pause. For 900, it really needs to not carry with it a line noise issue that I need to remedy with some post-prod tricks. Perhaps the noisier vids are with mid/hi settings. Thanks for your input!

[@RadWorship]

@@SS-gx7tg There is none of the noise that I hear in this video in the pedal. No constant noise presence. Noise comes into the reverb tail which is very different from a constant hiss. The “noise” from mid sounds like a synthy tail when I play my Voyager. It’s not the noise of a pedal that can’t handle its gain or power supply. I believe the noise in this video at certain points sounds more like gain boosts from low pips/recording being adjusted to a louder volume. If you want the pedal, I wouldn’t let noise keep you from it. I plan to keep and explore mine.

[@SS-gx7tg]

@@RadWorship yeah I'll probably still grab the pedal anyway (did you order from Chase Bliss or another retailer? Is the 4-6 week wait temporary or are they made to order?) But if you go to the main product page for this pedal on Chase Bliss' site (www.chaseblissaudio.com/shop-pedals/cxm-1978) and play the video, there's a lot of background noise for pretty much the entire duration. I figured since CB was linking to this video as their main demo, they were aware of the noise and didn't mind it? Just made me a little concerned but, again as you point out, other videos have no noise. Wasn't sure if that was the result of cleaning up the sound in editing or not.

[@bikingintokyo]

Damn. What a pedal. For the price, I'd use it too as like analog hardware for mixing/mastering. I wanna see demos where people use this outside guitars.

[@professorhamamoto]

Would like to hear vocals processed by the unit.

[@RadWorship]

Would like to hear synths without the extra noise. I want to hear how pristine this thing can get.

[@nolune6114]

oh chase bliss, the weaver of dreams and the taker of money, how I love thou

[@keepitshortnsweet]

Ahhh . . . so glad you're back to normal.

[@thierrythierry1013]

Somme reverbs in that review are just like some places/moments: we'd like to "visit" them and stay there a couple of hours or live that moment a little longer to enjoy them.

[@davetheserious677]

Had to watch this twice. Just wow.

[@beatsmith]

This is a product I've been waiting for all year... and now I'm going to have to wait longer... sounds amazing tho...

[@chipco5150]

I just bought this, and the pre-amp Mkii. I sold most of my pedals-(who needs'em now) and used the money to not only pay for these remarkable boxes but to buy a ticket to Iceland this summer. Oh, and the Lexicon 224 will be sold very soon too. So, tell me I wasted my money. Not!

[@MissiontoJupiter]

Is the cxm 1978 emulated the real 224 hardware quite well that you consider selling it?

[@SmashSquatch30]

This looks awesome...especially as someone that somehow doesn't have a reverb pedal. Although I would argue this can function as multiple types of pedals. I can't afford it right now, but I know creating the algorithms, designing, and manufacturing in the US is not cheap. Good job Meris and CBA :D

[@jat5am]

you may want to look at Ventris by Source Audio. could be found for 300$, but it still have lots of options (I dare to say a lot more than we see here). two DSPs work either in parallel or in cascades providing tons of different sounds + they provide a killer app to change myriads of under-the-hood settings. I became a such a fanboy of the thing at some point, still haven't found any reverb worth swapping.

[@SmashSquatch30]

@@jat5am Funny you mention that because I was thinking of a Ventris as an alternative. Thanks :)

[@IsothermeMusic]

Knobs, that ending music was emotionally superb. I would rather pay you to make an album of music you create with this pedal than pay the exorbitant street price for the pedal itself.

[@softlightsymphonyband]

The unit is beautiful and who doesn’t love sliders, but the price? Just no.

[@CLdwyer]

If all you’re using it for is guitar it may not be. But for mixing, production, guitar, hardware and virtual synth. It seems like it could be a real secret weapon. Midi control for all parameters. Recalls and automation. Simple & fast. It’s in a weird class of it’s own and could easily earn it’s worth for the right user.

[@alanevil]

@@CLdwyer Especially if you're doing a Cocteau Twins kind of thing. Anyone creating ambient sounds would love this thing. If they make it into a VST plugin I'll pay a couple hundred for that.

[@cameronmoore7675]

That's Chase Bliss for ya. The Lamborghini of guitar pedals.

[@leenoon8380]

Just got it, and well worth it imo, I'm a reverb junkie and have most of the "best" pedals, this shits all over them, and the sliders are just genius! Such a clever design and yet so simple, do not regret this purchase at all.

[@bernarddoherty2303]

I completely understand the price hesitation. I got a Chase Bliss Brothers for about 220 and I felt weird paying that much. But I got six pedals worth of sounds for my 220 and I stopped looking at drives all the time which was a damn miracle for me. I just knew I found my overdrive. I also think it's important to consider the rack units this gear is replacing. It's not competing with an RV6; it's competing. With a pcm42

[@monchikun9935]

With everyone debating price the reality is that nobody needs this pedal. This is why playing and making music is one of the best hobbies/activities/professions out there. You can get away with being a minimalist or succumb to GAS. As long as it inspires you to keep making music and growing as a musician then you do what makes you want to play.

[@pablumpicasso9207]

I believe this is Chase Bliss’s take on the old Lexicon 224 studio reverb unit, which was pretty much ubiquitous back in the early 80. For those who can’t or don’t want to plunk down $900, try a plugin version of a Lexicon 224.... probably not exactly the same as this pedal but it’s a great tool nonetheless!

[@Klaviar11]

Incredible sound quality and unusual tone, really resembles a hi definition upgrade of the vintage algos, crisp and old-school at the same time. A bit sad for the pricing (of Eventide H9 Max), but it worth it, I think.

[@mickeyjamiesonmusic]

The people complaining about price and presentation here are obviously not the people this was ever intended for. Y'all can go complain somewhere else. Is this the Big Sky? Nope. Is this the most versatile reverb pedal on the market? Probably not. That's not what it is trying to be. It is a passion project from two brilliant builders, and this is exactly what they wanted to build. It's a cool, modern take on some early reverb equipment, with a ton of functionality in today's studios, as well as on a lot of pedalboards. What you complainers are doing is essentially comparable to bitching at a Binson Echorec for being expensive and having its "sound." Just like the CXM 1978, the Echorec costs a pretty penny, and it won't do every delay sound imaginable, but it does what it does extremely well. You're more likely to find one in the studio than on someone's live rig, and it won't be used for everything. When the producer hears that sound, though, nothing else will fit.

[@masmachina803]

Beautiful machine. Is all the hiss on purpose?

[@78awhite]

Huge CBA fanboy here... I was in for this pedal until I saw that it doesn’t have a USB port for firmware updates. I can’t pay a grand for a pedal that’s not user updatable. The shots of this (and the Preamp MKll, which I do own) from NAMM showed a USB port, and while I think the Preamp can get by without it, it sure would have been nice on a reverb. I can’t wait to hear other demos. I may change my mind at some point, but I have too many reverb options already.

[@78awhite]

Just for the record, I changed my mind and bought one (it gets here today):). Still would love a USB connection, but I couldn't resist checking this thing out and I got a good deal on a used one. CBA always has my heart and the Meris team-up is a home run. Bliss on.

[@nicog8062]

For all those complaining about hiss, you may be forgetting that our friend knobs has a personal love for all things lo-fi and a lot of tones presented in the vid utilize the hiss intentionally. the hi-fi mode does not have hiss. don't let the comments sway you. trust your ears. i for one haven't heard a verb quite like this out of a pedal. and for the love of god, don't listen on phone speakers.

[@Bionicniko369]

I understand your point, but at the same time you have to remember this thing is 900 dollars, which is already extremely overpriced for ANY reverb. It does not matter what kind of music knobs likes, there should not be ANY background noise in a pedal like this unless it’s toggle-able if you want to for making things sound lo-fi, but no. This pedal has background noise all the time, and it’s really bad. Listening on headphones only brings out that noise even more.

[@nicologiarrano7590]

@@Bionicniko369 hello fellow niko. the hiss IS toggle-able. there is a lo-fi mode literally. i encourage you to look at other videos demonstrating this pedal before you pass judgement. i actually bought the pedal since my comment (after selling a LOT of other gear to fund it haha) and it'll be here soon. i'll report back on the hiss. if i can't get rid of it, then yeah dude, i'm gonna return it. but i highly doubt that will be a problem based on knob's own comments here and the other videos i have watched and listened to. cheers tho!

[@Waxlimbs]

Beautiful demo. One day this'll be in my arsenal!

[@heymrguitarman7637]

I dont regret buying this one bit

[@jat5am]

I think they just shaping new "normal" price tag for their devices. and those resellers who ask 600 for a used pedal which was 400 new help them with that.

[@MatthewHyatt]

Massive features! 32 bit? YES.

[@zachneagle4864]

I see it as a bargain and I’m not rich. There’s one lexicon 224 on reverb right now for $3,750 another for 5k. Its 44 years into its lifespan. With The 1978’s optional balanced in and out I’d argue this is every bit as legitimate a studio effect as the original, but with a zillion new modern features. It’s not a pedal it’s a modern 224. This box is a dream. Forever on the sends.

[@1Live2Love3Thrive]

How dare you make such a sexy presentation with stop motion effect. Now i have to empty my pockets once again.

[@delkel9delkel914]

Unlike most Knobs demos I didn’t particularly like this one at the time. But having since gotten a CXM and tried recreating them, I’ve got to say a lot of these settings are really good in person. Much better than they come across in the video.

[@seangriffey8669]

Very cool pedal. Maybe I'll pick one up. Clicks link, sees 900 dollar price tag: Oh

[@NoEBITDuh]

Yeah, it's best to not think of this as a pedal...it's studio hardware that can set on the floor. You'd pay double in the recording world if this was in a 2U rack format and marketed towards studios.

[@DK-qe6uo]

Brandon Bartee it’s best not to think of it at all as something you want haha

[@JG-ib7xk]

@@NoEBITDuh don't think of this pedal as a pedal. Dont think of this chair as a chair, its more of a tiny table that you can sit on. Shut up.

[@ItsThatJahncke2]

@@JG-ib7xk lol

[@orryfishburne5326]

After a couple of years of looking at reverb pedals this pedal still calls to me above all else. I would love to save up and buy one. The only other reverb i would consider upgrading to is the Empress Reverb. Im currently using a GFI Specular Tempus and even though its a fantastic reverb, i find most of its algorithms uninspiring for what im personally looking for in a reverb. Definitely want to try something new in the near future and its between the Empress Reverb and the Chase Bliss.

[@galactivation9577]

You need to rename the channel "sliders"

[@willnorthey8025]

Faders.

[@Daydreaminginmono]

It sounds beautiful, and looks beautiful. Would be great on my board, but 900$ is a looot of cashola.

[@MrRob33]

You know how many PHILIPPINES Peso's that is? All of them!

[@andrewbrown1970]

I had those buttons on an old Turntable and they were forever getting dust and dirt in them causing them to malfunction. Hope these one are a different design (?) The sliders are prone to getting dirt in them too. The sounds on the otherhand are very impressive!

[@robertlewis5439]

It sounds gorgeous, but it is definitely priced for the studio market ($899 USD is still way better than the $7500-7900 the old Lexicon 224 went for. There's currently one for sale on Reverb for $3K including shipping.)

[@skylar18100]

I’m gonna buy both,excellent & inspiring 👌🏾

[@Fugue602]

Reverb is the best effect of all time.

[@timjim10]

Turning the table upside down is as brilliant as your playing

[@verayarmo-gray1745]

would love to see more modular videos!!!!

[@adri8147]

I'm just here to hear daddy knobs play

[@thegeorgehull]

Do you think I could use this for a tenor sax. Im looking for revers like these for some experimental music. and will I need a preamp ( which one do you suggest?)

[@bakaroo23]

I’m hoping for an EHX collab for Deluxe Memory Man Delay, Chorus, Vibrato collab in this format. Throw in some POG if they want to get real fancy.

[@RedCarRecords]

3:21 sounds like the harp intro to Zora’s Domain Theme Song from Zelda: Ocarina of Time

[@stompboxtalk]

Great demo 😎👍

[@zurich9378]

Legit forgot this was a youtube video and ended up just having this on as background music while I worked...

[@limozeenjenkins]

Dude I just took the most peaceful shower of all time

[@SpinesAndSplines]

The plate. Gold star.

[@AvianBreak]

Really cool video, loved how you had a unique visual effect for each reverb type! I don’t know who this pedal is for though, from a marketing perspective. Clearly premium, but it is the price of a pretty nice guitar. The preamp one might make a little sense, since it technically can replace an amp, but I don’t understand this one.

[@millenniummastering]

Very nice reverb sound but what is with the high levels of white noise being injected taking all the headroom away from the details! I have multiple reverbs and delays with clock and none of them inject that much noise so I truly doubt its anything but artificial. Hard pass for me just based on the noise issue. At this price I would expect control over that.

[@Aruhito_0]

Beautyfull demo

[@Jotapecaster]

OMG THAT OUTRO!

[@geoffreymerrifield5666]

Great video. How do you think this would work on vocals; and Mix buss?

[@Erickchicas]

Chase Bliss killing it as usual! amazing pedal.

[@Davimre]

Is it fair to think of this as a Lexicon 224 reissue?

[@Honking_Goose]

A simplified Lexicon 224

[@Keysounds0]

F*** no

[@robertlewis5439]

'Inspired by" is what I think they're going for.

[@Davimre]

Robert Lewis do you know how easy it is to find/reprogram from scratch the original algorithms for the 224?

[@Keysounds0]

david reinecke re-creating an algo is just part of it. The thing most guitarists don’t understand (it’s understandable as this is still relatively new territory) that it’s also the hardware that contributed to the sound. In particular the chipset, “lexichips” I think this Meris tried approximate some of it with the mid/lofi setting

[@MatthewSwasta]

I'd prefer a little less bacon frying in my lofi...

[@justjoe1249]

100% ... was curious if this is the pedal or just his signal chain? 🤔

[@hotmilkcrewberlin4475]

whats the constant noise?

[@jeshkam]

Does it come with the US power supply only?

[@coolworld316]

It really does sound hella good...

[@the5chord]

chlorine mist way too much white noise for me.

[@lucascgah]

this looks pretty crazy but that 900$ price kinda hit different doe

[@manifestgtr]

I think I’ll wait a year...that way we can shakedown when it’s 1979

[@basehead617]

I'm very curious - what comes after your guitar and the pedal, how are you recording this? through amp or amp modeler or what?

[@JohnWWarrenGuitar]

Does it come with a loan application, like a home equity line of credit?

[@selfdissolution6682]

Is the finale coming from a slowdive song or ?

[@LunaticTheCat]

If I was rich I would buy every pedal Chase Bliss Audio sells lol

[@rhcpschipper]

Very nice!

[@fernandes5986]

Incredible. I would like to hear an A/B with the real thing ( Lexicon 224 ).

[@nansenscat9315]

That price is insane. Nooo wayyyy

[@jamesemerson4102]

Ummm... this thing just sounds absolutely fucking insane.

[@TheAmazingSnarf]

Me: thousand dollar monitor stand. Fanboys: it's not *for* you

[@flickerbot]

I'm not sure if this gets mentioned enough- your nails are just as dreamy as your demos

[@tomkowalski7533]

how does this compare to Dark World in terms of sound, options, etc (for those who have tried both)?

[@___Benedetto]

Yay new knobs

[@5se7en]

Considering that it's based on a Reverb (Lexicon 224) that's $5000 or more on Reverb.com it seems to me to be a good deal. This one is more modern and can do more things. So I'll get it if I can actually get my hands on one.

[@hanaogra]

めっちゃ良いな。かっこいいし、多彩にいろいろな良い音出せて

[@bigbaby1345]

were you the composer for lumino city? because damn, your guitar playing is on POINT

[@madsvadsholt5324]

I cant believe all the "overpriced" comments. This is a high-end-professional-pedal, that happens to be demo'ed on a channel that usually present more affordable pedals... To me, it sounds and looks like its worth every damn penny!

[@drkevns]

Is this the digital synth on op-1?