How to resolve AdBlock issue? Gamechanger Audio AUTO Series
Gamechanger Audio announces the launch of its new AUTO Series. This innovative pedal line features the AUTO Delay, the AUTO Reverb, and AUTO Chorus, designed to revolutionize the way musicians experience and interact with classic audio effects. By introducing a new layer of parameter automation that responds and reacts to the player's touch, dynamics, and note choices, The AUTO Series provides an unprecedented level of effects control and creative expression. At their core, each AUTO Series pedal offers a meticulously crafted palette of sound algorithms, providing a vast range of foundational tones. The primary advantage is the ability to automate these sounds later, but even on their own, they already deliver exceptional quality, making them highly versatile and impressive standalone tools.
Each pedal's AUTO Section has two on-board signal analysis engines, engineered to transfer musical nuances onto the effects parameters. The DYNAMICS tracker is fine-tuned to capture all details of playing dynamics, and animate parameters based on the player's picking style as well as each instrument's loudness and decay. The PITCH tracker detects note choices, and changes in the instrument's tone. These automations can be linked to any of the four effect knobs, setting the parameters in motion.
The entire automation section is engaged with the AUTO footswitch. This allows for the automations to be prepared with the patch cables and then toggled ON or OFF as needed. The small PARAMETER AUTOMATION knobs directly below each of the main EFFECT PARAMETER knobs determine the amount of automation and direction for each parameter individually. The automation functions can be fine-tuned using calibration and several effect engagement modes.
The Design of the AUTO Series pedals draws inspiration from the world of modular synthesis. The series' unique patchbay interface allows to create a straightforward and robust connection between the two on-board trackers and any of the effects parameters using 3.5mm (1 / 8 inch) jack patch cables. A batch of six patch cables are included with each pedal. The AUTO Series PITCH and DYNAMICS trackers are extremely precise and versatile, flawlessly tailored for all styles of guitar playing, yet not limited to string instruments. All pedals feature an input level switch that lets you choose between instrument level (INST), line level (LINE), and Eurorack synthesizer level (EU) input. While Gamechanger are not hiding their intention of releasing a wide array of popular effects types under the “Automation” banner, the AUTO Series is debuting with three classic time-based digital stereo effects.
The AUTO Delay offers three proprietary sound algorithms Tape, Analog, and Digital, offering a wide range of delay sounds. It features controls for Level, Time, Repeat, and Tone, with ping-pong panning options at 0%, 50%, and 100%. Tempo synchronization is supported via MIDI, analog clock input, and through an innovative Track tempo function. Users can explore countless creative patching ideas such as creating ducking or gated delays, sending signal into the delay engine only on specific notes or on specific sectors of the fretboard, using your playing to control self-oscillating feedback and generating squished feedback effects.
The AUTO Reverb offers Plate, Spring and Hall algorithms, with controls for Level, Decay, Tone (input), and Filter (output). Stereo spread settings are adjustable at 0%, 50%, and 100%. It allows musicians to experiment, for instance, by creating custom ducking or gating reverb, adjusting reverb brightness according to the selected pick-up, control decay length with note choice, applying reverb selectively on specific notes or note ranges, linking the output filter to playing dynamics for a responsive reverb effect etc.
The AUTO Chorus features Chorus, Ensemble, and Flange algorithms, with controls for Level, Depth, Rate, and Feedback. Modulation shapes include Saw, Sine, and Ramp. It provides various possibilities for creating effects such as delayed vibrato, shaping resonant chorus attacks, producing an accelerating jet engine effect, and applying chorus only to high notes on the fretboard – all these examples just scratch the surface.
As mentioned earlier, each AUTO Series pedal package includes four short patch cables for patching automations on the pedal, two long patch cables for cross-patching with other AUTO Series pedals and external gear, and a specially designed Signal Splitter to be used under a pedalboard for advanced automation routing. The AUTO Series pedals boast an impressive array of features, supporting both stereo and mono signal processing, with stereo routing achievable via two TS mono cables or TRS stereo cables. Input levels can be switched between INSTRUMENT, LINE, or EURORACK settings. Even the Effect LEVEL knob offers flexibility with three distinct configurations: INPUT (effect send amount), WET (effect send with wet only output), or MIX (dry/wet mix mode). Additionally, the pedals include dedicated TRACK inputs and outputs, for routing a clean signal into the automation engines, a MIDI/CLK input for MIDI clock or analog trigger synchronization for time-based effects, and a USB-C input that allows powering the pedal, sending firmware updates and controlling all parameters via MIDI over USB.
The Gamechanger Audio team has poured extensive time and expertise into the AUTO Series, creating a cutting-edge automation system and honing the sonic features of these classic effects. This marks another step forward in Gamechanger's evolution, offering a fresh interpretation of the standard effects range while staying true to their foundational principles of innovation and commitment to pushing new ideas. This engineering journey has yielded some surprising results, such as the innovative “Track Tempo” feature on the AUTO Delay and AUTO Chorus. By combining the traditional “tap tempo” function with the AUTO Series' built-in dynamic Tracker, the TRACK TEMPO mode enables users to input tempo changes by strumming in real-time, unlocking new possibilities for both practical and experimental applications.
Each AUTO Series pedal offers more than 150 patching combinations on its own, yet the option to mix them interdependently – and with all types of different instruments and effects units externally – has opened up a brand-new network of capabilities – ranging. In the ever-changing music world, where genres, scenes, and technical approaches are constantly evolving, this feels like the best use of up-to-date technology to reimagine what a classical effects pedal can be. The AUTO Series pedals are available at USD 329 gamechangeraudio.com and dealer network starting 1/08/24.