Chase Bliss Audio Lossy User manual

Table of Contents
2
4
6
8
14
18
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
Overview
Setup
Getting Started
Controls
Hidden Options
Loss
Filter
Verb
Freeze
Gate
Customize
Ramping
External Control
Bye
Signal Flow
Power req: 9V DC Center Negative ~400 mA
Lossy was developed in collaboration with Goodhertz.
20
22
23
Modes
Packets
Ideas

The pedal can be broken into three main blocks:
You won’t find a specific format or influence
replicated here, but instead a wide-ranging
exploration of all the right and wrong sounds
made possible through data compression.
It’s both familiar and unlike anything else.
Overview
03
02
Lossy captures the special kind of degradation
that happens to digital audio when it’s shrunk,
transferred, and otherwise contorted:
Streaming music on a 56k modem,
an MP3 ripped from a CD-R,
a viral video from 2007 played
through a cellphone.
All the nasty and beautiful mistakes of heavily-
deconstructed digital audio in an easy-to-tweak
real-time pedal.
Artifacts on demand.
Let’s see.
A loss section that deconstructs
the audio (pg. 18).
A filter section to shape and
emphasize the artifacts (pg. 24).
A reverb section to feed or diffuse
the loss (pg. 26).

Setup
If you have a mono input but want to split it to
stereo output: Turn on the MISO dip switch.
And if you want to use Lossy to create a wide stereo
image: Turn on the SPREAD dip switch (pg. 32).
OPTIONS
Lossy has lots of ways to customize and fine-tune
your experience. If you’d like to get right into all
that, check out:
Hidden Options (pg. 14)
Customize (pg. 32)
Ramping (pg. 34)
External Control (pg. 36)
Otherwise it’s probably best to start with all dip
switches in this position:
Okay let’s get started.
05
04
Let’s get Lossy settled into its new home. If you’re
experienced with pedals you can probably ignore
this bit and dive right in.
POWER
Lossy requires a 9V DC, center negative power
supply with at least 400 mA of current.
You’ll see this symbol
on your power supply:
I / O
Lossy can be used in mono, stereo, or mono to
stereo. The default setting will automatically
work for either mono or stereo:
Mono in, mono out Stereo in, stereo out
TS CABLE TRS CABLE
Many stereo devices use dual mono jacks, so
you may need a TRS to dual TS-style cable.

Try out some different filter
positions and notice how
they emphasize and pull
different harmonics out of
the artifacts.
And turn on the freeze to
create a roaming spectral
companion.
Getting Started
07
06
Begin with this:
Everything right
up the middle
except GLOBAL.
FILTER GLOBAL VERB
FREQ SPEED LOSS
SLOPE PACKETS MODE
LOSS
...then SPEED down to min.
Now slowly turn LOSS up
to max...
SPEED
You should find yourself immersed
in a sea of spectral artifacts.
FILTER
FREQ
Once you have things to your liking, roll back the
GLOBAL knob to mellow out the intensity of the
effect. This is a good formula for getting comfy
with Lossy and making new presets – start with
GLOBAL at max to really hear what it can do, then
adjust to taste.
GLOBAL
There is a lot more to explore, so let’s begin.

BYPASSFREEZE PRESETS
Engage, increase, recall.
AGLOBAL (RAMP)
Sets the overall amount of processing in
place of a Mix control. You can think of
GLOBAL like a macro knob that increases
the intensity of everything. If ramping is
engaged (pg. 34), this knob’s function will
change to control the ramping speed.
General Controls
09
08
GLOBAL
A
C B
D
Tap to engage the pedal.
Hold to engage Lossy’s gate (pg. 30).
BYPASS / GATE
B
Tap to engage the freeze effect.
Hold to change to the solid state (pg. 28).
FREEZE / STATE
C
Hold both footswitches down to adjust the
Hidden Options. See pg. 14 for details.
HIDDEN OPTIONS
B
C
HOLD
DPRESETS
The left and right positions each store a
preset, while the middle position is live. To
save to the right slot, hold the right foot
switch for 3 seconds, then add the left
footswitch for another 3 seconds. Do the
same for the left slot, but start by holding
down the left footswitch. The middle LED
will blink to indicate success.

LOSS
SPEED
MODE
PACKETS
A
C
B
D
Select, deconstruct, adjust.
BLOSS
Controls the depth of the Loss and Packet
effects. This will control both the strength of
the effects, as well as which frequencies
are affected.
Loss Controls
11
10
ASPEED
Controls the rate of the Loss and Packet
effects, as well as the update rate of the
Freeze. Slower speeds introduce spectral
smearing and leave space between
packets, while faster speeds become more
garbled and textural.
CPACKETS
Selects the Packet mode (pg. 22).
PACKET REPEAT - Fills the spaces of Packet Loss
with frozen audio.
CLEAN - No Packet effect applied.
PACKET LOSS - Recreates the skips and spaces
of a bad connection.
DMODE
Selects the Loss mode (pg. 20).
INVERSE - Everything stripped away in
Standard mode.
STANDARD - Lossy data compression
reminiscent of a low bit-rate digital MP3.
JITTER - Inaccuracies in phase and timing
due to imperfect clocking.

VERBFILTER
FREQ
SLOPE
DA
B
C
Filter and Verb Controls
Cut, sweep, expand.
13
12
DVERB
Controls the reverb wet/dry mix. If the ALL
WET dip switch is engaged this control
becomes a true analog mix, blending the
Lossy-processed signal with the analog
input signal (more on pg. 33).
Controls the range of the filter, moving the
center frequency.
FREQ
B
SLOPE
C
Sets the slope of the filter.
6dB - Gentle, tone-knob-like filtering.
24dB - Balanced, mildly-resonant filtering.
96 dB - Intense, highly-emphasized filtering.
Controls the width of the filter. At the
minimum position there will be no filtering
– turning up the knob gradually introduces
filtering and narrows it to focus on a
specific range.
FILTER
A

Hidden Options
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14
Hold down both footswitches until the LEDs turn
green to access the Hidden Options.
FREEZER
Adjusts the balance between the live
and frozen signal. This will only apply
when FREEZE is engaged (pg. 28).
FREEZER
L
I
V
E
F
R
O
Z
E
N
S
H
O
R
T
DECAY
Sets the size / length of the reverb.
DECAY
L
O
N
G
GATE
Sets the cutoff for Lossy’s gate
(engaged by holding the bypass
switch, pg. 30). Any audio quieter
than this threshold will be silenced
when the gate is on.
GATE
L
O
W
E
R
H
I
G
H
E
R
H
I
G
H
E
R
L
O
W
E
R
THRESHOLD
Sets the threshold of a built-in limiter
– the lower the threshold, the more
limiting. The limiter helps keep the
output levels consistent and also
brings out the details of Lossy’s
various modes. The limiter tends to
make signals quieter, so it’s often
helpful to compensate for this using
the LOSS GAIN control.
THRESHOLD
THRESHOLD
WEIGHTING
GATE
AUTO GAIN
FREEZER
LOSS GAIN
DECAY
(Above settings are the default for all Hidden Options.)

Hidden Options - Continued
16
LOSS GAIN
Controls the overall gain of the wet
signal, with cut or boost up to 36 dB.
+
3
6
d
B
LOSS
GAIN
-
3
6
d
B
0
d
B
M
O
R
E
AUTO GAIN
Gradually introduces automatic
gain compensation for the Loss
modes. The Loss modes create their
effect by manipulating the frequency
spectrum, so this helps keep the
perceived volume the same.
AUTO
GAIN
L
E
S
S
WEIGHTING
Controls whether frequencies are
weighted equally or if they use a
psychoacoustic model for the Loss
modes. This option lets you favor
some frequenciesover others.
DARK BRIGHT
NEUTRAL
RESET - To reset all the Hidden
Options to their default setting, flip
the preset toggle to the left position
and back to center three times.
Once you see the blinking lights,
press both footswitches to confirm.

It’s made up of two
distinct parts that you
can mix and match...
...controlled by a
shared set of very
versatile knobs.
Loss
This is where it happens.
18
MODEPACKETS
LOSSSPEED
The Loss section
analyzes and breaks
down your input
audio, degrading
it and pulling out a
stream of harmonics
and artifacts.
SPEED LOSS
MODEPACKETS

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20
Loss Modes
There are three Loss modes, each with a notably
different sound, feel, and response.
Each mode starts by affecting a narrow strip of
the frequency spectrum and then gradually
spreads as the LOSS knob is turned up.
The data compression process can alter the
loudness of your audio in a pretty big way, so
there are three Hidden Controls to help with that:
They are generally set-and-forget, but you may
want to adjust them to your preferences and
musical setup. Your choices will be remembered
when the pedal is unplugged. See more on pg. 14.
PHASE JITTER
Simulates inaccuracies in phase and
timing due to imperfect clocking.
Useful for introducing digital sizzle,
noise, and irregularities.
AUTO GAIN
Helps keep the perceived volume
consistent across the Loss modes,
regardless of how the SPEED and
LOSS knobs are set.
THRESHOLD
Applies a limiter to the overall wet
signal. Similar to AUTO GAIN, except
that it applies to the pedal as a
whole instead of just the loss modes.
LOSS GAIN
Sets the overall volume of the wet
signal. The limiter lowers the
output volume so you can use this
to compensate.
INVERSE
A counterpart that plays everything
stripped away in Standard mode,
revealing a brighter, thinner sound
with a moving, feathery quality.
STANDARD
Lossy data compression reminiscent
of a low bit-rate digital MP3, with
a darker sound that is stuffed full
of chiming spectral harmonics.

You can think of the Packet effects as a supporting
flavor to introduce errors, unpredictability, and
movement to the Loss effect.
They share the same knobs as the Loss modes
when engaged.
The Packet effects also randomly alternate left and
right when SPREAD is engaged (pg. 32) and are
helpful for generating dramatic stereo movement.
Packet Modes
23
Loss Ideas
22
PACKET LOSS - Randomly generates brief
audio drop-outs – moments of silence
that replicate the skips and spaces of a
bad connection.
CLEAN - Removes the Packet effect for a
steadier, more stable sound.
PACKET REPEAT - Follows the same idea as
Packet Loss, but instead of silence the
spaces are filled with spectral smears.
GLOBAL
BAD DOWNLOAD
FILTER VERB
SPEED LOSS
FREQ
PACKETS MODE
SLOPE
This is a good starting point for that ripped MP3
sound, stuffed with chirping and bubbling artifacts.
THROUGH THE PHONE
GLOBALFILTER VERB
SPEED LOSS
FREQ
PACKETS MODE
SLOPE
A distant and dreamy copy of a copy that crumbles
and moves. Engage the GATE and adjust the cutoff
to get this one to sit just right.
JITTERBUG
GLOBALFILTER VERB
SPEED LOSS
FREQ
PACKETS MODE
SLOPE
Creates a grainy translation of your input that flickers
with bursts of spectral freeze. Best used in stereo.

Filter
Lossy includes a flexible filter block that lets you
completely reshape the frequency spectrum.
It’s a band-pass filter made up of three parts:
FILTER
Sets the width of the filter.
FREQ
Sets the position of the filter.
Sets the slope of the filter.
You can also turn the filter inside out by flicking
on the INVERT dip switch (pg. 33). Now you will
only hear the frequencies that would normally be
filtered out (called a band-reject filter). Useful for
scooping the mids and hollowing out your sound.
The filter is a powerful part of the Lossy experience.
You can use it to confine the effect for wild but
controlled textures, or to emphasize a specific
frequency range, or to create filtered reverb.
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24
LOUDNESS
FREQUENCY SPECTRUM
FILTER
FREQ

You can move the reverb to the back of the signal
chain by engaging the PRE/POST dip switch
(pg. 33). This will give you a more traditional
reverb that steadily trails out, regardless of
whatever else Lossy is doing. This can have a
useful smudging effect that blends everything
together and softens the erratic motion of the
PACKET toggle.
Lossy’s reverb is as digital as could be, with a
warm character and unique decay that fizzles
and sputters. Rather than creating realistic-
sounding spaces, it’s instead reminiscent of
the reverbs used by electronic musicians in the
early 1990s.
Verb
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26
VERB
VERB
The VERB knob is a simple
mix control:
A Hidden Option controls the
decay – from the subtlest
expansion to unnaturally long.
PRE/POST
You can also move the reverb’s
position in the signal flow using a
dip switch, which changes things
in a big way.
The reverb comes at the very front of the signal
flow by default (pg. 40). This feeds the reverb into
Lossy’s other parts, exciting and enhancing their
effect. It makes for a more cohesive and expansive
sense of degradation.
VERB
VERB POST
VERB PRE

Lossy contains a unique and versatile type of
freeze effect.
It can work like any other freeze: Hold the left
footswitch and the current sound will infinitely
sustain like an ambient pad.
Nice and simple. You can now play overtop of
the frozen sound and freely shape it with
Lossy’s various controls and modes. Try out
different LOSS modes and FILTER settings.
But it can also do more.
The freeze is able to update itself and become
a shifting spectral copy of your input audio.
You can use this to “refill” the sound of the
freeze - a new chord, for example - or leave it
running continuously like a live effect.
We call this the slushy state. Tap the left
footswitch to turn the freeze on in the slushy
state, or hold to toggle between solid and slushy
when the LATCH dip switch is engaged (pg. 32).
The SPEED knob will adjust how quickly it updates
(while simultaneously controlling the Packet and
Loss modes).
Freeze
29
28
SOLID STATE
FILTER
MODE
By default the freeze will take over completely
once engaged, which can be very interesting in
its slushy state. But you can use the Hidden
Option labeled FREEZER to adjust the balance and
reintroduce some of your live audio (pg. 15).
SLUSHY STATE
FREEZE
FREEZE

It can create sputtering effects like a distant
radio station at lower settings.
Hold down Lossy’s BYPASS switch to engage
the gate.
Now all audio quieter than the cutoff will be
silenced. It’s a simple but powerful tool for
adding a layer of dynamic, audio-controlled
loss to the mix.
The gate can be used for a variety of things
depending on how the cutoff is set.
Gate
30
Try different gate cutoff settings to explore
what’s possible for your instrument and setup.
Hold down both footswitches and adjust the
FILTER knob to change the gate cutoff.
31
CUTOFF
Medium settings work well as a performance
gesture to introduce momentary failure.
And higher settings will consume your sound,
only letting through little blips of audio.
CUTOFF
CUTOFF

33
32
MISO
Mono In, Stereo Out. Splits a mono input signal
into a stereo output.
SPREAD
Turns on stereo processing to generate movement
and create an expansive stereo image. It does this
by randomly alternating the Packet modes from
side-to-side, and gradually widening the reverb as
the VERB knob is turned up.
TRAILS
Allows Lossy’s sound to fade out naturally when
the pedal is bypassed.
LATCH
Changes the hold function for each footswitch
from momentary to *latching, so that it will
remain engaged until the footswitch is held again.
Customize
PRE/POST
Moves the reverb to the *front or back of the
signal chain (pg. 27).
SLOW
Captures the classic sound of the Lossy plugin –
bigger, darker, slower, and with more latency.
INVERT
Changes the filter from a *band-pass to
band-reject style (pg. 24).
ALL WET
A special mode designed specifically for the
pedal and the needs of live musicians. In
standard operation, Lossy uses a digital dry
signal that adds a very small amount of latency.
This will be just fine for most situations, but ALL
WET allows you to switch over to true analog dry
thru if you prefer. In this mode the reverb is
always set to 100% wet, and the VERB knob
becomes the analog mix control.
* Pink labels are the default settings.
DRY KILL - If you’d like to remove the dry signal
from the output (useful for wet/dry setups), hold
the FREEZE switch down while powering up the
pedal. Done! This preference will be remembered
in the future.
The pink-labeled dip
switches on top of
Lossy allow you to
configure it for your
setup and fine-tune
things to your liking.

Ramping
Now the artifacts and harmonics will steadily shift,
adding movement and increased nuance to the
effect. The position of the knob you’re controlling is
important, because it either sets the maximum or
minimum point of the range (depending on the
SWEEP setting).
Ramp is the same idea, but the movement only
happens once when you turn the pedal on. Your
chosen knob(s) either rise or fall to the position
set by the knob, then stay there. Useful for
creating a wave of motion and activity when
you first turn Lossy on.
Check out the Dip Switches 101 document on our
website for a step-by-step on ramping.
It’s easier to get started with Bounce, so let’s do
that. We’re essentially going to modulate a knob.
Ramping gives you the ability to automate Lossy’s
knobs, either as a one-time movement (ramp) or
continuous motion (bounce).
2. Choose which knob(s)
you wish to control.
1. Engage Bounce.
3. Choose the sweep. 4. Set the speed.
RAMPLOSS
(
B
)
O
T
T
O
M
(
T
)
O
P
35
34
END
LOSS
START
Ramping is engaged as soon as the dip switch
for a corresponding knob is set to ON. At this
point, the GLOBAL knob automatically changes
to control the ramp speed. You can still adjust
GLOBAL while ramping by holding down the left
footswitch as you move the knob.

External Control
CV and expression can be used to control
Lossy’s knobs.
MIDI lets you go deeper and control everything,
including the Hidden Options and the dip
switches.
CV and expression are set up the same way as
ramping using the dip switches on the top of the
pedal. The pedal will simply detect a CV or
expression signal when you plug it in and hand
over control.
If you plug in a CV or expression signal but
engage none of the knobs, you will have control
over GLOBAL.
Lossy is
compatible
with MIDI, CV,
expression,
and external
footswitch.
EXP/CV
MIDI/
EXT FREEZE
CV range = 0-5V
(higher voltage
or any negative
voltage could
damage the
pedal)
CV: floating ring
TRS to TS cable
EXP: TRS cable
MIDI requires a Chase Bliss MIDIbox to convert the
signal to a ¼"TRS jack. For details on getting MIDI
going with Lossy, check out the MIDI manual.
1. Choose which knob(s)
you wish to control. 2. Choose the sweep.
3. Choose the polarity. 4. Set the range.
(
B
)
O
T
T
O
M
(
T
)
O
P
37
36
The MIDI jack can also be used to control the FREEZE
with an external pedal. Plug in any normally-open
momentary footswitch using a TS cable and you’re
all set, it takes control automatically.