They might come in guitar pedal format, but the Auto Series effects have much in common with modular synths...
Gamechanger Audio’s Auto Series pedals are a sort of hybrid between traditional effects pedals and synth modules: yes, you can still plug a guitar in and stomp on them, but not only can they modulate parameters automatically based on the dynamics and pitch of your playing; they also boast an advanced tracking engine and patchbay (a generous array of patch cables is provided) that makes possible control‑voltage automation of any parameter, whether based on the level or pitch of the main input signal or of a secondary one. Such features definitely mark these pedals out as being unique, but as the algorithms available on each one are of really high quality, the sounds can be equally remarkable.
There are currently three pedals in this range: a delay, a reverb and a chorus. For this review, I was sent the delay and chorus, so it’s their features and sounds that I’ll explore below. But the reverb shares the same design concept and form factor, so much of what I write will apply to it too.
Overview
These pedals share the same enclosure design, with a patchbay protected in a recessed central section, and the main parameter controls on either side. They use 24‑bit/44.1kHz conversion and 32‑bit processing, and each offers a choice of three algorithms. For the Auto Delay these are Tape, Dig and Analog, and the Auto Chorus offers you Chorus, Ensemble or Flanger. (I’ll explore those below.)
On the rear panel are two power inlets, one accepting a standard 9V 250mA centre‑negative supply and the other USB‑C, and there are various analogue I/O either side, with two slide‑switches at the top. One switch sets the input level as EU (+10dB), Line (+5dB) or Inst (+0dB), while the other changes the mode of the Level knob (of which more later). Two pairs of quarter‑inch jack sockets provide the main inputs and outputs, and the lower one of each pair can carry either the left channel of a stereo pair or a mono signal, while the other can carry the right channel or act as a single stereo TRS connection.
There’s also a mini‑jack Track In input, and this can be used in a couple of ways. Gamechanger say that the tracking engine will be most effective when it ‘sees’ the cleanest possible signal so, should you want to use other effects before the main input, you can use the provided splitter box to feed a clean signal directly into this Track In input. Alternatively, in the spirit of experimentation, you could plug an external source into this input, to act as an automation source. A corresponding Track Out mini‑jack carries a copy of the Track In signal or, if nothing’s connected to the Track In, a copy of the main input. There’s also a clock/MIDI in, again on a mini‑jack, that can accept an analogue clock signal or act as a MIDI input.
Alongside the main audio I/O, on quarter‑inch jacks, are mini‑jack I/O for the tracking signal — these can optionally be used to feed a clean tracking signal to the unit, to track an external source, or to pass the tracking feed along to other pedals or synths.
On the top is the main control panel, and top left you’ll find the Level knob, and its function is set by the Knob Mode switch I mentioned above. This can be set to In, Wet or Mix, and when In is selected the knob sets the amount of signal that’s sent into the effect engine — the higher the level of this signal, the more extremely the signal will be altered by the effect. In the Wet position, the knob acts in much the same way, except that the dry signal is muted. In the Mix position, it becomes a wet/dry blend control.
Three more of these larger knobs adjust parameters specific to each pedal. On the chorus, these are Rate, Depth and Feedback, and, with Rate ranging from 0 to 819.16 Hz, you’re able to access anything from very subtle chorusing to abstract ring‑modulation. For the delay, there are Time, Repeat and Tone. The time ranges from 40ms to 2 seconds, which is just enough for some short phrase‑looping possibilities, and the Tone knob really helps you to get the delay working nicely alongside the dry signal. I found that this was a great target for my automation experiments too.
Each of these is accompanied by a second, smaller knob that changes how the parameter responds in Automation Mode, and a three‑way Automation Mode switch in the recessed central panel decides their function: the options are Sum, External and Alt. At the top of this panel you’ll find the algorithm selector and, next to it, a switch that’s unique to each pedal. On the delay this is a stereo spread switch called Ping Pong, with options to half or fully pan the delays, or switch this off (it only has an effect on the delay if used in stereo, of course). The same switch on the chorus sets the Mod Shape, and this offers saw, sine and ramp settings.
Algorithms
As you’d expect, the Digital delay provides uncoloured repeats of the input signal. This might not sound hugely interesting, but it’s useful and can easily become so when you use the automation features. According to Gamechanger, the Tape delay algorithm emulates the saturation and compression of a vintage tape echo but without imperfections such as wow and flutter, the idea being that you’d use the pedal’s automation features for such effects — automating the delay time, for example, can deliver these much‑loved flaws. Because of the way the delay character evolves with long repeats, this algorithm sounds to me like an emulation of a Space Echo. The Analog delay is modelled after a high‑end studio bucket‑brigade delay unit, and has a rich, warm tone that gets darker with every repeat. Sounding much like a Boss DM‑2 to my ears, it’s very nice, and the character really stands out with high feedback levels — the delays smear into that lovely, bubbly ‘analogue delay cloud’ that’s unique to such units.
The chorus’ Chorus algorithm sounds very rich, and before the Depth knob reaches the halfway point it reminds me somewhat of my much‑loved Boss CE‑2. Turn it further, and you’ll hear more extreme chorusing, and this algorithm also makes it possible to dial in a vibrato, with the Level Knob Mode set to Mix and the Level knob to maximum. The Ensemble algorithm is an enhanced, hi‑fi chorusing that, thanks to the blending of the three offset, pitch‑shifted voices, is more subtle than Chorus. And the Flange algorithm delivers the classic ‘jet flange’ sound. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to set its delay long enough to access some of those steel‑drum type effects you can create with certain units, but it’s certainly a classic, colourful‑sounding flanger.
Parameter Modulation
With the Auto switch set to off, these are straightforward, albeit great‑sounding effects, but the Auto section and patchbay mark this series out as being different from anything else available today. The tracking engine follows both the pitch and the level of the input (or Track In) signal, and the user’s first step that will determine how the automation reacts to the input is to store a ‘centre pitch’ or ‘dynamic level’. The Dynamic calibration is done by holding the Auto switch and strumming your guitar (if that’s your input source), to set the dynamic threshold. The tracking engine converts any signals that exceed this threshold into control voltages (CV), and these are used to automate the parameters.
Quite how they do so depends on the patchbay, which consists of four outputs (two each for the pitch and dynamic CV) and four inputs (one for each of the pedal’s parameters). You could, if you wanted, route the CV outputs to external synths, but normally you’d use them to automate the pedal’s own parameters.
As mentioned above, the small knobs below the main parameter knobs are automation controls, and these react differently depending on the chosen Automation Mode. In Sum mode, you can think of the small knobs as being a parameter offset: use the main knob and the automation knob to set the range of the CV automation for that parameter. In Ext mode, an external CV source can be altered by the pedal’s pitch and dynamic trackers: each auto knob can create a ducking or gating effect, in response to the pitch or dynamics of any CV source. Alt mode is, to simplify, the inverse of Sum mode. When the Auto switch is on, the small knob determines the starting point of the parameter and, depending on the amount of CV a patched parameter receives, it will jump towards the larger knob’s setting.
There are then three modes, Fast, Rise, and Gate, that influence how the CV can alter the parameters even further, and three more for the pitch‑tracking engine. In the simplest of terms, Note mode automates parameters based on how far above or below the input signal is from the centre pitch. Tone is the same idea but, instead of pitch, it’s detecting the input signal’s frequency content — think bright sounds versus dark sounds controlling the automation. Lastly, V/Oct changes the CV strength in each octave, with the centre pitch being 0V/oct.
Gamechanger Audio clearly set out to develop a unique range of effects that, dare I say, might ‘change the game’, and they absolutely have done that.
Lasting Impressions
So there’s lots of control, but how are these pedals in use? Coming from a background of playing improvised, experimental music with electronics, I’m always searching for new sounds to create and generally pleased when I stumble upon happy accidents and surprises. Not surprisingly, then, my time spent investigating these pedals was filled with excitement and spontaneity, and I created some wonderful, unique patches. Gamechanger Audio clearly set out to develop a unique range of effects that, dare I say, might ‘change the game’, and they absolutely have done that.
With the delay pedal, I found the range of sounds overall to be somewhat underwhelming and difficult to control with precision, even when they were meant to be automated by dynamics or pitch. Even dialling in the patch ideas from the manual, I never really found anything that jumped out at me as an exciting sound — not quite the reward I’d hoped for after all that patching. The ducking delay was very nice, though; automating the tone knob was a pleasant discovery; and, digging deeper, I found some very useful sounds when patching in my trusty Korg SQ‑1 sequencer. This created some rhythmic movement that I could imagine being popular with the modular synth crowd. Using the SQ‑1’s CV out to automate the Tone knob was my favourite trick. I felt that a trigger input for the Time knob could have been really useful for a pedal that lives so much in the modular world, but the MIDI and clock inputs will, of course, be useful for those sync’ing the pedal with other devices.
The chorus really is unique, and I found it much more musically reactive than the delay. The ranges of the parameters allow for such extreme changes in the modulation speed and feedback when they’re automated, and this allows for some truly wild changes in sound. For example, the high notes can have a rich vibrato while the low notes come out as unpitched, ring‑modulated sounds. So exploring its sonic possibilities sparked much more creativity in the moment than the delay pedal did for me.
On the whole, then, these Auto pedals form an exciting range that’s geared very much towards players with experimentation at their core. The effects sound excellent on their own, but the automation section allows you to dive into uncharted territory. Those looking for a good‑sounding but basic delay or chorus could well feel overwhelmed — there are modes upon modes here, and given the subtlety of their interaction with the various parameters, there’s plenty of scope for user error to breed confusion and deter creativity. It may not be the most practical pedal to have on a pedalboard, either, especially if you want easy access to patching and tweaking parameters. But this format should have lots of appeal both for the sort of experimental ‘electronic guitarist’ who may keep some pedals within reach up on a stand while playing, and table‑top musicians, especially those with a modular synth setup and who enjoy a hands‑on approach.
Patches Explained
I thought it might be helpful to run through a couple of the manual’s example patches, to help explain both the pitch and the dynamic trackers. I’ll start with the first, simplest patch example, called Dynamic Send, which can be very useful for delay: loud notes activate the delay, while quieter notes don’t ‘track into it’. This is achieved by calibrating the Dynamic level with a strum, while holding down the Auto switch. The loud notes activate the delay because the mix mode switch is set to Input (this is different from other patches, in which it’s set to Mix), and when set to Input the Level knobs allow signal above the Dyn Threshold into the delay line.
Now let’s look at the Dry/Wet Tone Follow patch, with the Automation set to Sum and the Level Knob Mode to Mix. We’re also in the Pitch Tone mode, so the CV comes from the input’s frequency spectrum. With a calibrated note/tone set on the pitch side, tones brighter than the calibrated one increase the CV level, and the Pitch knob sets how much the difference in tone will change the delayed sound. When playing, darker notes lower the Mix setting automatically, essentially turning the delay mix off, whereas brighter notes turn it back up. The notes are sent into the delay differently than in Patch 1 — all notes are sent into the delay, but their frequency (darker/brighter) affects the Mix level.
Pros
- Great‑sounding algorithms.
- Wide range of parameter adjustments.
- Creative, forward‑thinking design.
- Great for experimentation.
- Patch cables included.
- Integrates well with modular synth systems.
Cons
- A significant learning curve before you have precise control!
Summary
These unique pedals should appeal to experimental guitarists and those who like to get hands‑on with modular synths.
Information
£297.86 each including VAT and shipping.
Gamechanger Audio +1 202 657 4587.
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