Two pioneering companies in the pedal domain found an unexpected alliance, fueled by an individual's fixation, as they embarked on a collaborative project to engineer the ultimate overdrive.
In the world of guitar pedals, the Brothers AM pedal has quickly become one of the most sought-after overdrive solutions this side of the iconic Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. This collaboration between AnalogMan and Chase Bliss was born out of a mutual admiration and a shared vision to combine the classic AnalogMan King Of Tone (KOT) overdrive circuitry with the versatile, innovative gain stages of Chase Bliss’s Brothers pedal.
The original Brothers pedal, which inspired this collaboration, aimed to offer a wide range of tone possibilities using multiple individual overdrive, boost, and fuzz circuits. These circuits could work independently, interact, or run in parallel, enabling users to explore various sounds from gated fuzzes to pristine boost and Tejas-style overdrive. The circuitry featured a unique mix of JFET and IC analog channels to create a dynamic and flexible analog gainstage. This prior version emphasized versatility and extensive tonal control, largely through the use of multiple channels and expression switches, while maintaining a fully analog signal path.
However, the original Brothers pedal was polarizing due to its unique circuits and bigger bass response compared to most overdrives and fuzzes. Joel Korte, from Chase Bliss, wanted to improve upon this design and saw the King Of Tone as the missing puzzle piece. The Brothers AM pedal, five years in the making, takes advantage of the King Of Tone circuit's ability to have two separate pedals, each with full external control, presets, and MIDI control.
The collaboration faced technical challenges, including controlling analogue circuits via digital means and finding the right components, particularly for the Beano-style boost. The digital potentiometers in the Brothers AM pedal were designed to react like analogue ones, but this was not an easy task. The digital part of the pedal, which required avoiding weird noises and glitches when switching elements of the circuit, was challenging to create.
Despite these challenges, the feedback received from many players suggests that the digital part of the Brothers AM pedal was well-executed. The Brothers AM pedal offers four channels for any amplifier, with settings including clean, boosted, overdriven, and boosted overdrive. The pedal's digital control addition, especially the Beano boost, sets it apart from other King Of Tone-inspired pedals on the market.
The Brothers AM pedal has found a home in the rigs of many players, including those in country music, blues, and heavier rock genres such as Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree. This versatile stompbox offers advanced control over tone, with the ability to save presets and control the pedal remotely via MIDI. The journey of creating the Brothers AM pedal took over five years, during which Joel Korte and Mike Piera sourced components in Tokyo, Japan, to improve the sound and feel of the Brothers AM pedal.
In conclusion, the Brothers AM pedal is a testament to the power of collaboration and the pursuit of perfection. By blending the revered King Of Tone circuit with Chase Bliss’s modern analog gain platform, AnalogMan and Chase Bliss have created a pedal that carries the best elements of both makers' distinct approaches to overdrive and tone shaping.
- The Brothers AM pedal, a result of a collaboration between AnalogMan and Chase Bliss, is modeled after the iconic Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer in the world of guitar pedals.
- The original Brothers pedal, which inspired the collaboration, showcased multiple individual overdrive, boost, and fuzz circuits for wide tone possibilities.
- The Brothers AM pedal, five years in the making, incorporates the King Of Tone circuit's dual pedals with full external control, presets, and MIDI control.
- Facing technical challenges, including controlling analogue circuits via digital means, the digital part of the Brothers AM pedal was designed to react like analogue potentiometers.
- The Brothers AM pedal offers four channels for any amplifier, including clean, boosted, overdriven, and boosted overdrive settings.
- The versatile Brothers AM pedal can be found in the rigs of players across various genres, such as country music, blues, Dream Theater, and Porcupine Tree.
- The collaboration and creation of the Brothers AM pedal exemplify the power of partnership and the pursuit of perfection in the realm of music technology and entertainment, blending the best elements of both AnalogMan and Chase Bliss' distinct approaches to overdrive and tone shaping.
