The first Warped Vinyl Analog Chorus/Vibrato was an instant hit, and was always in high demand from players across the country (and world, I would assume). Originally created to sound like a warped LP record, the analog sounds and options available made it a surefire classic, and everyone wondered what they would create next. Somehow, the gang from Chase Bliss Audio have managed to step up their game yet again, and have released the older, wiser, more powerful brother of the first incarnation of this pedal – ladies and gentlemen, may I present the Warped Vinyl MkII.
Having never played the first version of this pedal, I’m sort of at a loss for comparison, so I’m just going to tell you about how THIS pedal sounds, and what it can do. Now, the knobs and toggle switches may look intimidating at first, but then you start to play with the pedal and realize…you were absolutely right, this pedal has a bit of a learning curve. As the manual suggests, I started out just focusing on the main controls, and leaving the array of dip switches located on the top of the pedal. These parameters can be manipulated in a vast number of different ways, and interact with the main controls as well, for almost infinite tweakability and personal creations.
We start off the knobs with the Tone (Ramp) knob, which acts mainly as an EQ for the vibrato side of the MkII. Going from a dark low-end up to shimmering and vibrant highs, this controls adds a great deal of special sauce to the overall sound of the Warped Vinyl. Next up is the Volume knob, which is more than just what it’s labeled. Using an internal voltage doubler and JFET boost, this control really does boost your signal, and carries with it a ton of headroom, which can really send your signal into orbit. Mix is about the only normal knob on this pedal, as it adjusts how much Wet or Dry signal comes through when the pedal is engaged. This was by far the easiest thing for me to figure out.
RPM is the Rate control for the Warped Vinyl, with a good range of speed, and can also be controlled by the on-board Tap switch, making it yet another important piece of this sonic puzzle. My favorite section comes next: Modulation. The Depth of the effect is a pretty easy knob to figure out, too, and can go from extremely subtle to all-out, nutso, crazy, warp-speed modulation, especially when teamed up with the next knob, Warp. This little guy gives you the ability to control the wave section of the modulated signal: either ramping up quickly and down gradually, or vice versa. Two separate toggle switches show up here as well, the Left Wave (first half of the modulated signal) and Right Wave (the second half) toggles. Set these to either Sine, Triangle or Square waveforms, and watch this pedal take off. These four controls (known as the ModuShape engine) launch this pedal on a truly magical carpet ride, and form what I feel to be the core of what the Warped Vinyl MkII is really all about. Sure, the subtle effects are fun, but you can get those anywhere – this Modulation section makes this pedal shine, and tower above those others.
There are two footswitches as well present here: Bypass is the on/off, and Tap takes over for the RPM control knob, allowing for easy synching to the tempo of your current tune. Yet another toggle switch has been snuggly placed in between these two, and it controls how you recall the presets (another rad feature here). When placed in the middle, the pedal is controlled by where the knobs are currently set, but when moved to the left or right, the preset settings the user has chosen, in conjunction with the dip switches (on top, which add an WHOLE other dimension to this pedal) and all other controls, for a vast amount of specific arrangements and dialed-in sounds for you to choose from, with just the flick of a switch.
Plus, there’s an Expression/CV jack and a Tap/MIDI jack, for countless other sonic possibilities and unique controls for this pedal. One of those that you need to sit down with and play to get a sense of what it does? Absolutely. With so many options and variables, it’s hard to describe all that this pedal is capable of, but trying to figure that out is a fun, fun challenge. Thanks so much to Joel and the hard-working folks at Chase Bliss Audio for the opportunity to test out this pedal – can’t wait to see what they have in store for us in the near future!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
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