These days, there’s a litany of “glitch” pedals on the market – boxes that deconstruct guitar signal into 8-bit bleeps and lo-fi bloops. Chase Bliss’ entry is the Onward.

Unlike similar pedals, the Onward is remarkably accessible; just plug in and start twiddling knobs; Mix blends natural guitar tone with effect, while Octave adds synth-like high or low notes. Error is glitch central, and the coininciding Type switch chooses desired error. The Glitch footswitch activates the effect, while Freeze sustains the sound indefinitely. Add the highly useful, graphic manual – a rarity – and the Onward becomes a brilliant workstation for jamming or desktop recording.

What does it sound like? The box can evoke ambient sounds, synth textures, spacey harps, and robotic bleeping. If the top controls aren’t enough, 16 DIP switches in the back add pinpoint tweaking. Also, hold both footswitches down to activate Hidden Options – another level of Chase Bliss madness.

In basic terms, the Onward is a “dynamic sampler,” but more critically, it’s a musical effect that’s perfect for conjuring guitarscapes. It may not be for straight-up rock and roll, but if you dig sounds a la Radiohead or Townshend’s synthesizer on Who’s Next, it can deliver.

This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.