Setup and Connections

Connect a quality Boss-style 9v center-negative DC power adapter such as a OneSpot, etc. The pedal needs about 250 milliamps to do its thing and does not operate on batteries.

The high performance analog input and output circuitry in the C1 can accommodate a wide variety of signal levels and instrument configurations. While its natural placement is at the end of a pedal board, integrate it in whichever way works for you. Here are a few ideas and recommendations.

• Mono instrument to C1 to mono amp
  The C1 has a high impedance input buffer which will accept passive guitar input signals. However, most players will probably prefer a bit of gain in front of it to optimize the signal level, as this pedal does not provide any volume boost by itself.

• Mono pedalboard to C1 to mono amp
  Connect your last pedal to the C1’s first input jack and the first output jack to your amp. Despite the many extra jacks on the back, the C1 also works well as a mono effect.

• Mono pedalboard to C1 and two cables to amp
  If you have a Fender style amp with two instrument inputs, you can try connecting both the left and right outputs to your amp. The second channel will thicken the spatial effect. It’s a subtle difference, especially if the second input is lower gain, but it can sound nice.

• Mono pedalboard to C1 to two amps
  Connect the instrument to the first input and the two outputs to a pair of amplifiers. The left input is normalized to the right, so the direct instrument signal will be present at both amps. The C1 generates a very wide, enveloping spatial effect when used with two spaced speakers. It’s not necessary for them to be perfectly matched, but using similar cabinets will produce a more convincing spatial illusion. If you experience a ground hum when using two amplifiers, an additional transformer-based isolator unit may be necessary for the best results.

• Stereo pedalboard to C1 to two amps
  Connect both left and right input and outputs. The true stereo algorithm will preserve (and enhance) the stereo image created by any other processors.

• Amp effects loop
  The C1 will work well in most mono or stereo effects loops. This method generally creates the most natural sounding ambiance since you won’t be griming it up with preamp distortion.

• Mixer effects loop
  The unit also works well as a line level send effect when mixing. Choose the appropriate blend mode as described later (probably #3).

• Modelers, cabinet simulators, computer stuff, etc.
  Placing the C1 after amp and cabinet simulators will create a more natural sounding ambiance around your virtual amplifiers. Placing the C1 before those types of effects will replicate the sound of a close mic’d guitar amp with an effect running into it. Choose wisely!

Signal Levels

C1 is designed to work well with everything from passive instrument electronics to line level synthesizer signals. It uses 18 volt audio rails internally and has more headroom than many effects. If you do manage to overload it, the LED will flash red letting you know that you’ve gone too far and you’re getting close to clipping. The digital path has a diode clipping stage before the analog to digital converters, which helps it work pretty well even with barbaric signal levels. At this point, you might want to turn down a bit since this clipping will add considerable additional harmonic distortion to the processed signal. Some players may consider this a feature.

Buffers

The C1 is an electronically switched, buffered bypass pedal. Even when the pedal is disabled, the signal is buffered and can drive as much cable as you could possibly ever want between a pedal board and an amplifier. The input and output buffers in the C1 use high fidelity op-amps and high headroom power rails which exceed the specifications of some dedicated buffer pedals.

Blend Modes

A variety of blend modes are implemented to accommodate different setups and mixing preferences. The blending scheme uses no potentiometers or VCAs in the signal path, to ensure a long lifespan of low distortion and trouble free operation. 

There are three supported blend modes. You can advance through them by holding the footswitch down for two seconds. When you release it, the LED will flash red a number of times to tell you which mode you have entered. Hold the switch for two seconds again to advance to the next one and so on. The pedal will remember the mode you are using when you turn it off, so you should only need to use this procedure if you are changing setups or looking for new sounds.

The C1 ships from “the factory” configured with mode #2.

Blend Mode 1: Analog

• The direct instrument signal is always at unity gain and does not pass through the DSP.

• The blend knob controls the level of the processed signal.

• When the effect is bypassed, the processed signal is muted immediately. The direct signal is unaffected.

This mode is best for players who value the highest signal integrity for the direct sound of their instrument. The direct signal does not pass through the DSP, so it is never converted to digital and does not incur any additional latency. When bypassed, the signal from the DSP is cut completely, reducing the possibility of any extraneous noise making it into your signal when you are not using the effect. One disadvantage of this mode is that there is a bit of a thunk when the effect is switched.

Blend Mode 2: Analog with Tails

• The direct instrument signal is always at unity gain and does not pass through the DSP.

• The blend knob controls the level of the processed signal.

• When the effect is bypassed, the input to the DSP is muted. Any reverberant signal in the processor dies out naturally. The direct signal is unaffected.

This mode has most of the benefits of the first, but with the advantage that when the effect is switched off, any reverberant signal decays out naturally. This mode is best for players who toggle the effect often while playing. Switching is also completely silent in this mode.

Mode 3: Digital Crossfade

• The direct instrument signal passes through the DSP and is mixed with the processed signal. The analog direct path is muted.

• The blend knob controls a crossfade between the direct instrument signal and the processed signal.

• When the effect is bypassed, the input to the DSP is muted. Any reverberant signal in the processor dies out naturally. The analog direct path is restored.

This mode enables a wider range of effects, including fully-wet output. In this configuration, the direct instrument signal passes through the DSP and is mixed with the processed signal. When the blend knob is at maximum, no direct signal is present in the output at all. This is the best setting for using the pedal as an auxiliary send effect. This is also a good approach to get very distant special effect sounds. Unfortunately, switching also thunks a bit in this mode.

Controls

Step on the footswitch to engage the effect. The LED will turn green when it is on. 

The C1 utilizes a novel modeless algorithm which can smoothly reconfigure itself as you turn knobs, gradually morphing from small to larger spaces. You will very easily find settings that would often be categorized as different algorithms (room, chamber, hall) on other units. Also note that all knobs can be moved freely as you are playing and no changes will produce particularly glitchy or unusual artifacts. One exception is the size knob, which does produce a subtle modulation effect when changed. Dozens of tiny robots stealthily run around reconfiguring the walls in the room when you turn the size knob but I couldn’t figure out a way to keep them completely silent.

Blend

This knob controls how much of the spatial illusion is blended into your output signal and in some cases also affects the level of the direct instrument signal. In all modes, the minimum setting passes the dry instrument signal only, and the processed signal is added as the knob is turned up.

Tone

This knob changes the quality of the ambiance from a darker, low-end oriented sound at minimum to a brighter, high-end focused sound at maximum. The processed signal is filtered to be darker or brighter, but the spatial algorithm also adapts to this setting. At low settings, the low end will reverberate for longer and the high end will die out more quickly. At higher settings, the low end will decay more quickly. The tone is neutral and has a naturalistic decay when this knob is at noon.

In smaller spaces, lower tone settings sound like a room that has a good amount of absorption and is well dampened. Brighter settings can have an “untreated room” type of sound. At larger sizes, low tone settings develop a cavernous quality like a cave or a cathedral. Higher tone settings attenuate the low end in a way that is more characteristic of outdoor sounds.

Note also that the brightness of the reverberant sound also naturally decreases as the size is increased.

Density

This knob changes the development of the reflected sound in the spatial model over a wide range of different characteristics. At its minimum setting, the model functions more like a simple delay line, and the character set by the shape toggle switch will be very apparent in the simplistic pattern of reflections. As the knob is increased to about 25%, the distinct echos are still obvious but are blurred and diffused. Turned higher, the spatial algorithm shifts from a highly reflective space such as a rectangular-shaped club or gymnasium into a much more diffuse and complex shape such as a concert hall. The ambiance becomes smoother and fades in more gradually. The overall reverb time (RT60) remains the same at all settings.

Higher density settings are generally more realistic and less obtrusive, but they can get lost easily in a busy mix. Very low density settings are reminiscent of early digital reverb pedals that had lower echo density and add a particular character to an instrument’s sound. If you’re not sure what you want from Density at first, noon is a good place to start. 

Size

The size knob has the most dramatic effect on the quality of the spatial illusion that is created. At almost all settings, the reflections from a plausible natural space are simulated, with a reverb time that is realistic for a space of that size. While most studio reverb units provide many interactive, related controls (e.g. room size, reverb time, pre-delay) these parameters are all tied together in the size knob on the C1. Use this table as a general guide, but trust your ears and find what you like. 

• Minimum: Guitars mic’d in a small room in a studio

• 11 o’clock: Larger room

• 1 o’clock: Small club

• 3 o’clock: Boston Symphony Hall

• Maximum: Ambient wash

Shape

The toggle selects one of three characteristics that shape the most prominent reflections in the spatial model. The time delay and spacing of these reflections are set by the size control. The three options are:

• Natural
  The echoes develop naturally, increasing in density and bouncing back and forth between the left and right. Use this setting as a default choice for any natural sounding ambiance.
  

• Echo Space 
  The echoes are simplified down to one very prominent reflection, almost as in a delay effect, and do not increase in density. This setting may be used when an effect more like a delay than a reverb might be desirable.
  

• Constant
  The echoes repeat with “constant density” but are scattered widely across the stereo field. This setting is useful for very wide ambiances and for keeping long reverb times from getting too dense and cluttered. This setting also doubles the overall reverb time compared to the natural setting.

The best way to understand the difference between the three positions is to use these settings and listen to the way the selection affects the reflections:

• Blend maximum

• Tone center

• Density minimum

• Size maximum

Differences between the shape settings are more subtle when the density is set high.

Finding Your Sound

Begin exploring the pedal with all knobs at noon and the shape set to natural. Try adjusting the size knob in small increments until you find the type of space and overall reverb time you want to hear. To smooth out the sound, try increasing the density. If the ambiance is too cluttered try reducing the density or switching to the other shapes. 

Guarantees and Upgrades

C1 is guaranteed against manufacturing defects for the life of the pedal. Damage typically associated with a rock and roll lifestyle can usually be repaired for a nominal cost.

A micro usb port is available on the C1 to facilitate field upgrades to the pedal’s firmware. In the event that upgrades are made, either to fix defects or improve the sound, information on how to perform this upgrade will be made available on this site. 

Get in touch at for any further questions.