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NAMM 2020: Chase Bliss Audio’s Preamp MKII is for stompbox enthusiasts only

The Preamp MKII features motorised sliders and fully integrated presets.

Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MK II
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NAMM 2020: Chase Bliss Audio has revealed the utterly gorgeous Preamp MKII, a high-end overdrive pedal that incorporates motorised sliders in its EQ section.

Billed as ‘the first Automatone’, the Preamp MKII is the result of a collaboration with Benson Amps, which allowed Chase Bliss Audio to develop a pedal featuring a full-fledged preamp, along with fuzz, parametric mids and 30 fully integrated presets.

Other tone-shaping features include a variable diode clipping control that allows users to select either a transistor-only, silicon or asymmetrical germanium setting. Fuzz settings can also be toggled between open and gated, and a trio of mid resonance settings with variable routing can be positioned before or after the preamp for different effects.

Switching between the 30 integrated presets engages the sliders, which automatically shift into position. The various presets are tailored to different combinations of overdrive and fuzz settings, and can also be matched to darker and brighter sounding guitars.

With a price tag of $750, the Preamp MKII is definitely not for the light-hearted. Die-hard enthusiasts will nevertheless agree that the novel concept of motorised sliders coupled with the pedal’s brushed, anodised metal and wood-accented enclosure make the Preamp MKII hard to resist. The big question is: will anyone dare to bring a pedal worth three-quarters of a grand to a live gig (and risk damage or theft)?

Watch the video below for more details:

The Chase Bliss Audio Preamp MKII will available in May for $749. For more information, click here.

Check out all NAMM 2020 news here.

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