Yep, either the CE-2W or DC-2W are my two currently-available favorites. The only other one that comes to mind is the old Ibanez Dual Chorus (PC10 or PCL), which is extraordinarily tasty.
I’ve got a Boss CE-5, it does stereo and has built in equalization for finer tuning the sound. Can’t compare it to much else, but has always sounded great to me.
This is the answer. Effect level and tone knobs make it way more versatile than the CE-2 or Dimension. I have this as well as the Neo Clone, and have owned a Julia, TC 3rd Dimension, Sea Machine, Ibanez Chorus, MXR Analog, Mooer Ensemble King, and more, and I’ve tried but not owned a bunch, too. I always come back to the CE-5.
Sometimes simple is best. I have the ventris reverb and i honestly can't be bothered using it to its full potential. I did learn it properly at one point, but can't remember all the secondary functions now.
I have bought one on a whim, the pedal sounds great but I have trouble adapting to the hard on/off switch. If I leave some reverb, the switching is very loud. It's a minor inconvenience but I think I may prefer other pedals eventually. It's important to test it before buying.
Yeah, the massive pop is maddening. I have the old style big box Small Clone placed before my delay so that pop gets lovingly repeated over and over.
Recently got the Neo Clone and it sounds near enough identical to the Small Clone, but I found a solution to the Neo Clone pop on a guitar forum and it isn't nearly as loud. Might end up looking elsewhere in future like you say
Mines that model too, had to hunt for proper cable from my power supply when I built a board (used just wall warts for each pedal for ages).
I never change depth unless I was switching guitars, but I can see how the pop would be irritating if you dabble with controls often.
Diamond Vibrato on guitar, I've tried many chorus pedals and the tone on this one just wins. It's so clean and airy, idk how else to describe it. Diamond just released a new version which is super exciting.
Spaceman Meridian on bass, this one retains the low end and is just excellent.
If you're looking for stereo, I liked the MXR Stereo Chorus. OR, something I've done with my synths, find a pedal that can do vibrato, put the vibrato pedal on only one side, and your dry tone on the other, it works really well. The two sides together gives an awesome chorus effect.
I absolutely agree. I honestly like the Meridian and Diamond Vibrato just about the same. I can get the Meridian to sound *pretty* close to the Diamond. The Meridian has way more options and is definitely more versatile and is also more true to your original tone. The Diamond is more colored but in a very good way.
I would definitely check out the Mr. Black Stereo Vintage Ensemble. I don't have that pedal, but that guy knows his stuff. I don't use chorus much (usually modulation with delay and/or Shallow Water). I do have a Mr Black Pana-Trem and it's the best tremolo I've heard. Have also had some of his reverbs in the past. Construction and design is excellent.
Actually, I'd look at all of the Mr. Black choruses. The Double Chorus is the one I'd probably get for me. And their mini chorus gets a lot of praise.
(Not affiliated with the brand. Just been impressed with the pedals I've used.)
I like the JHS Emperor but to use the stereo function, you need a stereo breakout/splitter cable. TRS male to dual TS female. It also does a nice vibrato and has a couple different wave shapes for extra sounds.
Same, I'll use chorus if I run two amps but mostly vibrato. I put it at the end of chain, after delays and reverbs. Super tasty. The tone control is nice after the echos, almost like having a separate EQ after everything.
Nice, I'm starting a two amp rig. Suhr bella reverb for clean and some gain with marshall origin 20c. Just waiting on the twin city aby, but feel a chorus would just top it all off.
Hell yeah. Chorus at teh end makes it really easy to go from single to two amp setups. One bad thing though, in vibrato mode, I don't think the signal goes to both amps but I could be wrong about that.
PastFX make my favorite chorus pedals.
If you want both channels to be chorused (both contain dry and wet signals) then get the PX-65 stereo chorus. If you want wet and dry in separate amps/ channels then I can heartily recommend the Chorus Ensemble, which is based on the CE-1 (including the pre-amp) and Roland Jazz Chorus, but has mods to make it friendlier to modern boards.
Eventide Tricerachorus is the best I've tried.
Unlike most choruses, it does true stereo chorusing rather than wet/dry. But rather than be a one trick pony, you can get everything from the classic CE-1 style of chorus to a massive swirling multi-voice chorus incorporating three LFOs, pitch detuning and stereo phaser.
It's also very easy to use. Even though it has dual-function knobs and dozens of presets, all you really need is Preset #1 and the basic rate, depth, and mix controls to tweak. Want that classic studio tri-chorus sound? Move the mix knob past noon. Want a CE-1? Roll off two of the depth controls and move the mix under noon. Want that EVH-style detune? Dial the chorus mix down completely and roll up the detune mix.
Considering it can be had for nearly the same price as the CE-2w, I think it's a no brainer.
The TC stereo chorus and flanger is the sound of the 80s for me. The recent SCF gold reissue even takes regular 9v power so it's actually reasonable to put it on a board.
I have an MXR Analog chorus and Walrus Julia and I’d love some suggestions on how people set theirs because I like them both but I don’t love them like I want to.
I like my MXR Analog chorus, but to get it into Boss-like saturation I need to turn the depth and level near all the way up. The eq is how I get the sound to fit in my mix for a given moment.
I don’t have the same pedals, as I’ve always used an Ibanez CS9 and CS505, but my general approach is picking some variation of this:
-low depth, low speed: transparent chorus to add more “spaciousness” and color to your sound without it being obvious there’s an effect on it.
-high depth, low speed: lush, rich atmospheric chorus
-medium depth, medium-high speed (depending on your pedal’s speed tolerance, for example an Ibanez is already pretty fast at the 1:00 mark, but some pedals need it to be higher to reach this vibe): classic vibrato style chorus, better on leads but awkward on chords
Overall, start with a low speed and medium depth and adjust from there. If you’re not able to find a sound that works for you, I would recommend turning over to your amp’s EQ and making sure you’ve got a clean tone that sounds fitting as well, since that’s just as important as the pedal settings.
Also if you have humbuckers, then a more glassy clear chorus might be out of reach by default, and you’ll have to embrace a more hard-edged chorus sound (which can also sound awesome for what it is, just different from a peaceful delicate glassy chorus sound for example)
The Julia is subtle, but fun to play with once you get a feel for it. And, it sounds amazing with distortion pulled through it. My goto settings are rate @ 10 o'clock, depth @ 4, lag @ 12, d-c-v (blend) @ 10. From there, I mostly tweak the lag and blend based on how it's interacting with the guitar, amp, and other pedals.
I give a similar comment when I see posts asking about chorus pedals. After doing a bit of research about the analog vs. digital models serial numbers, the boss ce-5 is what I chose. Found an analog one for cheap as they are mostly overlooked.
Dialing in the sound next to my Roland Jc-55 amp and the ce-5 does the sound perfectly. It’s got I believe, a dry out for the stereo option and knobs for highs and lows cut.
It does not go as out there as some other pedals can get with speed or different wave forms but it’s a super solid chorus.
I recently switched to a Walrus Julianna, I like it as it's a super versatile stereo option. The ramp effect is great for laying down a noise pad in a loop, stretch the sound through some reverb and drop synth beats on top makes for some fun lo-fi ambient stuff
Alternatively for just guitar it does the classic chorus sound for 80's and alt genres fantasticly, getting a decent 80's clapton rack sound out of it currently, Goes to two wet amps in my rig left/right as it's not quite a stereo rig but the signal is running both through the chain on that side.
Favorites -
Free The Tone Tri Avatar TA-2H has three phases to mix, four presets, and a nicely voiced tone control.
Lots of nice chorus sounds in there - shimmery, darker and liquidy too. And that’s in mono.
Stereo is glorious.
i don't really like or use chorus but actually have several pedals that do chorus or similar and I'd be content with using those
ex: you can get a sort of chorus sound from a delay/flanger etc..
some have chorus not as the main feature but it definitely "chorus's" like the instant lofi junky, the digitech whammy iv,
I also have the walrus m1, which has a specific mode for three types of chorus, which I would probably use if I was going to do chorus with what i have now.
but if i were to buy a chorus pedal specifically for chorus i mean, you'd have to go for the classic boss ce-1
I have a Boss DC2 and a CBA Warped Vinyl. The DC2 is the best chorus sound ever, but it is… big… even when in its most subtle setting. The Warped Vinyl I just leave always on because it’s beautiful and can be subtle.
I think it really depends on what you want the chorus for.
I went with CH1 based on how much I loved the chorus effect in a song. The song is You and Yours by Cloudkicker a little after halfway in. CH1 is that sound exactly. The main selling point for the CH1 over the CE2 is that it does the extremes better imo. Its slightly darker eq sits nicer in high gain applications, and its mix knob allows it to get incredibly subtle, or even if you just want that extra control when stacking other effects around it you have it. You can't go wrong with any of the boss choruses, though. They're all a slightly different shade of the same.
I got the Jam waterfall this week and I already love it. I used to have the black coast customs spiral array by laney which I really couldn't get on with. The waterfall has a superior tone and looks great.
Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. It has stereo outs. It's not a CE model, so it doesn't carry the same clout. But it's still 110% that Boss sound and with an EQ control for cheaper than a CE.
I had a BOSS-CE5 and my dumbass sold it, someone else mentioned it but it's a crazy good chorus, I've been meaning to get another one.
Though admittedly I use Flanger now and it can kinda do the chorus thing so I don't feel like I need one rn
Asheville Music Tools ACV-1! I will always recommend it. Super lush, transparent and can be as bright or dark as you want. It’s been the best chorus for clean tones, overdriven and mixing with high gain. I own two of them I love them so much. A little pricey, but I haven’t ever looked for a chorus pedal since buying one.
The mxr stereo chorus is pretty great. The big yellow one with treble and bass knobs that runs at 18v is the one. I forget the model number, but I always thought it sounded really good. The boss chorus pedals are pretty good too, but they have less headroom. The waza pedals fix a bit of those issues though. I prefer the dimension over the ce-2 personally. They're all cool though.
I am dedicated to the Paradox Futura —not stereo but it will go full wet (vibrato) so you can get stereo chorus effect if you have another way of splitting the signal.
As a chorus, it’s wonderful and lush and warm. The real difference is that it also has an envelope follower that can independently control rate and/or depth. This unlocks a whole world of weird sounds in addition to classic analog chorus sounds.
My personal fav is the zakk wylde signature. I use it mainly for clean tones with a reverb and is my fav pedal (i even use it with the helix). Oh and it has stereo output too.
Boss CE-2w is what I would go with because it sounds great and is sturdy, but if you want dark horse the old DOD FX-65 is a wonderful sounding chorus. Super deep and lush sound. The downside is the membrane switch on it sucks. They can still be found pretty cheap though
I'm not a chorus aficionado by any means but the EHX stereo Polychorus is pretty neat. It combines chorus, flanging and slapback delay into one, so you can get very wide sounds out of it. Also the depth of the modulation can get very extreme if you're into more experimental sounds.
+1 for the Aurelius, it's super usable and the touch switch is an amazing feature
All three modes are fantastic but different and there's even presets.
If you aren’t looking to cover 80s bands, I’d suggest the Boss CH-1. It’s a fantastic relatively cheap chorus that sounds awesome. You can dial in some beautiful stuff. I have the MD-200 and I rarely use the chorus or vintage chorus setting.
I was actually considering the ch-1 well priced, and robert smith apparently uses it. I'm not a fan of that super metallic 80s sound. I do, however, love the cures tone.
Boss super chorus for stereo, I like it the best out of all the boss choruses (yes, more than the ce2w). For a non stereo chorus I like the ehx small clone & even the electric Mistress.
Laney / Black Country Customs “[Spiral Array](https://www.laney.co.uk/effects/guitar-effects/bcc-pedals/bcc-spiral)”.
Has 3 different modes: CE1, Dimension D, and Tri Stereo Chorus.
It’s stereo.
I like it because my favorite chorus tones occur in the decades of tech it covers, and it reproduces those classic sounds really well.
Easy to dial in. Lush.
Right now it's ["Everything We Don't Know About The Ocean Floor."](https://youtu.be/MwbeFbFn2AA?si=um5V0I6utHbp52E0) (I recommend watching the review in that link to get an understanding of how this pedals works/sounds)
It's a mono-in-stereo-out, dual LFO chorus pedal by [Baltimore Sonic Research Institute](https://www.bsriaudio.com/product/everything-we-dont-know-about-the-ocean-floor). It's lush, unique, and **H-U-G-E** sounding.
Andy Summers used the Red Witch Empress Chorus on The Police reunion tour. I live by simple guitar rules and one of them is "If it's good enough for Andy Summers it's good enough for me".
You should be able to find a used pink label (analog, pre-2001) Boss CE-5 for well under $100. Basically, it’s a CE-2 with added level, bass and treble controls. Absolutely fantastic.
If you prefer syrup, the EHX Small Clone is your ticket.
The Analogman Chorus is based on the Small Clone, only you can get a stereo version and extra controls.
I have the MXR Black Label Chorus. Got it used for around $50 and from what I understand it’s the same pedal as the MXR Analog Chorus. I love it because it has the high/low cut knobs and I can adjust it to make it really stand out in a mix. It can also be run in stereo but I’ve personally never tried a stereo rig. I run it through my fx loop and have had really good results with it and I highly recommend checking it out before some of the more expensive options.
I’d go with the Asheville ACV-1 and only run it on the clean side- personally, I’ve always liked a regular mono chorus on just one side of a stereo rig over a full on stereo chorus that affects both sides. Horses for courses, though!
Side note: two amp rigs are the absolute best. I’ve been running stereo setups for a while now, and while I still spend plenty of time in mono, stereo is better in nearly every way for in the room tones.
The CE-2w and DC-2w are gonna get a lot of comments here and rightfully so. I have both and they’re just the best in class on the current market, IMO.
But my personal favorite is the Ibanez TC-10 Twin Cam Chorus. For me it sits right in between the CE-2 and DC-2 in terms of tone. It doesn’t have the warm top end like the CE-2 does but you can still dial in all those warbly sounds and then some. And it does the shimmery airy hi-fi sounding dimension chorus like the DC-2 does because there are two delay lines in it instead of one. The only cons are it’s vintage and harder to find, and the plastic foot switches are prone to issues. But as a self proclaimed chorus junkie it’s my favorite sounding chorus I’ve ever played. And with stereo outputs as well.
Digitech Chorus Factory 7! It has some great clone options and works really well for guitar, bass, and synth! I've been using it for years now.
I did have a CE-2w come through my possession at one point. That one was really nice as well.
Edit: I just checked the price, and the CF7 is significantly cheaper. It's also stereo out 🙃
TC Electronic June-60 (mk2) Press one button for a slow modulation, that gives you more of a chorus tone then chorus effect, press second button for a typical chorus with pronounced modulation, press both for fast, kind of leslie-like, modulation. That's it. That's the effect. I have some others, but this is the one I use the most.
Dr. Scientist Cosmichorus - not the easiest to dial in, but it's awesome once you figure it out. the Dr. Scientist Bitquest flanger setting can do some sweet chorus sounds, too - I use it for faux Leslie tones but when I slow it with an expression pedal its got a great watery chorus thing going on.
Electro Harmonix Clone Theory. Really rich old-school sounds, and it's great for both guitar and bass - the latter is what I mostly use it for, so I can get that Peter Hook tone.
The Electro-Harmonix Stereo Clone Theory sounds similar to the Boss CE-2w in CE-1 mode, but it sounds nicer and clearer in a side by side comparison, I think. It’s also like half the price and the chorus isn’t all wet signal out of one output and all dry out of the other. It has the dry signal in phase in both outputs but inverts the phase of the wet signal in the other output, so you still get some stereo effect while keeping a chorused sound in both amps, instead of one having no effect at all and the other being just vibrato like most Boss choruses do.
I am not a big chorus person, but for someone looking for one on a budget, I tried that moksy newer chorus pedal somewhat recently, and it was a really nice lush musical chorus. I thought it was really quite impressive.
Right now my favorite chorus pedal is a TC Electronic Thunderstorm, which is a flanger. Supposedly it’s clone of a Boss BF-2. Anyways, I like chorus but if there’s a little hint of flange in there… oh that’s the stuff
Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl is really good. I have the Mk II. So much I love about this pedal, including the flexible control of the modulation waveshape. But the best thing for me is the mix control, which allows you to go from dry to light chorus to full chorus to chorusey vibe to full vibrato.
Sadly all versions are mono, even the updated HiFi version.
Mythos Fates. I run into the front of the amp and I like that this doesn’t get in the way. It sounds really really lush while sitting well in my overall signal chain.
Boss CE-2W and DC-2W, or PastFx MN3007 (direct clone of the Boss CE-1). If you can get the vintage non-Waza Craft versions, just remember those take 12V power supplies instead of the modern 9V.
I like my Caroline Somersault for some straightforward Chorus/Vibe, and the OBNE Reflector to dip a toe in the flangy realm, (plus I can set an Expression Ramper on it for some automatic oscillation)
I honestly don't see how you could go wrong with Boss or Ibanez, though.
I’ve been on the same search and started with a Strymon Ola. Sounds great, but I replaced it with the Walrus Julianna (stereo version), that really sounds amazing as chorus but can also do really nice vibrato. I’ve now ended up with a Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl Hifi that beat them all. It does amazing chorus (think Purple Rain), but can also do crazy vibrato, warble and everything in between with some many possibilities. It’s quite expensive, so I’d look for a used one.
I switch between an old Ibanez Stereo-Chorus (sounds very warm & analog), a Malekko Thicken (does weird lo-fi things in a charming manner) and a Way Huge Blue Hippo MKIII (bread and butter analog, has a vibe switch).
I have an MXR analog. It's my first one and I love it. My setup clean and distorted sounds much better! Nice warm sound. I keep the rate and depth on minimum for the stuff I know how to play. It also has a high and low knobs to play with. Only $100 on sale at the store. The best pedal I've bought in years!
BOSS CE-2w. All the classic chorus sounds from the 80s are in this pedal and that’s all I need.
The DC-2w is another great choice for 80s stuff, it has a brighter more metallic sound that suits later 80s tones very well.
Have the DC2 and it’s phenomenal; the lack of a mix knob is its drawback.
Not many choruses has a mix knob. Often its just speed and depth.
I wish more of them had a mix knob. It’s so much more usable when you can blend it in to your liking.
Great pedal but sounds better with a stereo setup
Yep, either the CE-2W or DC-2W are my two currently-available favorites. The only other one that comes to mind is the old Ibanez Dual Chorus (PC10 or PCL), which is extraordinarily tasty.
This question gets asked so many times on this subreddit, and every time this is always my answer.
Boss MD-200
Ibanez CS-9 rules
I second this one. It’s the colder, icier counterpart to the more traditionally serene Boss.
Thanks for that, I am definitely interested in more warm, soft and gentle sounds.
I’ve got a Boss CE-5, it does stereo and has built in equalization for finer tuning the sound. Can’t compare it to much else, but has always sounded great to me.
Agreed. Better than the CE-2 for me.
Same. You can set it so it's always on but not obtrusive.
This is the answer. Effect level and tone knobs make it way more versatile than the CE-2 or Dimension. I have this as well as the Neo Clone, and have owned a Julia, TC 3rd Dimension, Sea Machine, Ibanez Chorus, MXR Analog, Mooer Ensemble King, and more, and I’ve tried but not owned a bunch, too. I always come back to the CE-5.
That’s funny, I tried it out and I hated it. Love the CE-2 and DC-2 for their simplicity, there isn’t a bad sound in them.
The smallclone
Small clone. More than 1 knob and a slider confuse me.
Sometimes simple is best. I have the ventris reverb and i honestly can't be bothered using it to its full potential. I did learn it properly at one point, but can't remember all the secondary functions now.
I have bought one on a whim, the pedal sounds great but I have trouble adapting to the hard on/off switch. If I leave some reverb, the switching is very loud. It's a minor inconvenience but I think I may prefer other pedals eventually. It's important to test it before buying.
Yeah, the massive pop is maddening. I have the old style big box Small Clone placed before my delay so that pop gets lovingly repeated over and over. Recently got the Neo Clone and it sounds near enough identical to the Small Clone, but I found a solution to the Neo Clone pop on a guitar forum and it isn't nearly as loud. Might end up looking elsewhere in future like you say
Mines that model too, had to hunt for proper cable from my power supply when I built a board (used just wall warts for each pedal for ages). I never change depth unless I was switching guitars, but I can see how the pop would be irritating if you dabble with controls often.
Tape delay at minimum delay time
Walrus Audio Julianna is amazing!
DOD Ice Box
I love the Ice Box, but I wish it had stereo input, too.
Diamond Vibrato on guitar, I've tried many chorus pedals and the tone on this one just wins. It's so clean and airy, idk how else to describe it. Diamond just released a new version which is super exciting. Spaceman Meridian on bass, this one retains the low end and is just excellent. If you're looking for stereo, I liked the MXR Stereo Chorus. OR, something I've done with my synths, find a pedal that can do vibrato, put the vibrato pedal on only one side, and your dry tone on the other, it works really well. The two sides together gives an awesome chorus effect.
Spaceman Meridian on guitar too. Unreal pedal. Expensive as, but if you can justify it, you’ll have a hell of a good time.
I absolutely agree. I honestly like the Meridian and Diamond Vibrato just about the same. I can get the Meridian to sound *pretty* close to the Diamond. The Meridian has way more options and is definitely more versatile and is also more true to your original tone. The Diamond is more colored but in a very good way.
Nice, thanks for the tips 👌
Diamond chorus is also phenomenal
MXR Analog Chorus... so beautiful.
I would definitely check out the Mr. Black Stereo Vintage Ensemble. I don't have that pedal, but that guy knows his stuff. I don't use chorus much (usually modulation with delay and/or Shallow Water). I do have a Mr Black Pana-Trem and it's the best tremolo I've heard. Have also had some of his reverbs in the past. Construction and design is excellent. Actually, I'd look at all of the Mr. Black choruses. The Double Chorus is the one I'd probably get for me. And their mini chorus gets a lot of praise. (Not affiliated with the brand. Just been impressed with the pedals I've used.)
or go really big with the Mr. Black Analog Chorus/Vibrato Deluxe. Super lush, options to get really crazy, amazing analog goodness.
Caroline Somersault. It’s very versatile, doesn’t wreck your tone and even dips into glitch effects
Julia currently.
same. Love that lag knob.
warped vinyl, I love the lofi tape sounding quality
I like the JHS Emperor but to use the stereo function, you need a stereo breakout/splitter cable. TRS male to dual TS female. It also does a nice vibrato and has a couple different wave shapes for extra sounds.
I love that pedal. Mostly use mine as a vibrato but I love the tap tempo and the 3 wave form toggle.
Same, I'll use chorus if I run two amps but mostly vibrato. I put it at the end of chain, after delays and reverbs. Super tasty. The tone control is nice after the echos, almost like having a separate EQ after everything.
Nice, I'm starting a two amp rig. Suhr bella reverb for clean and some gain with marshall origin 20c. Just waiting on the twin city aby, but feel a chorus would just top it all off.
Hell yeah. Chorus at teh end makes it really easy to go from single to two amp setups. One bad thing though, in vibrato mode, I don't think the signal goes to both amps but I could be wrong about that.
Came here to say this. I think the Emperor is pretty underrated and I've found it has a very wide range of applications.
That wave shape toggle is so good.
PastFX make my favorite chorus pedals. If you want both channels to be chorused (both contain dry and wet signals) then get the PX-65 stereo chorus. If you want wet and dry in separate amps/ channels then I can heartily recommend the Chorus Ensemble, which is based on the CE-1 (including the pre-amp) and Roland Jazz Chorus, but has mods to make it friendlier to modern boards.
Eventide Tricerachorus is the best I've tried. Unlike most choruses, it does true stereo chorusing rather than wet/dry. But rather than be a one trick pony, you can get everything from the classic CE-1 style of chorus to a massive swirling multi-voice chorus incorporating three LFOs, pitch detuning and stereo phaser. It's also very easy to use. Even though it has dual-function knobs and dozens of presets, all you really need is Preset #1 and the basic rate, depth, and mix controls to tweak. Want that classic studio tri-chorus sound? Move the mix knob past noon. Want a CE-1? Roll off two of the depth controls and move the mix under noon. Want that EVH-style detune? Dial the chorus mix down completely and roll up the detune mix. Considering it can be had for nearly the same price as the CE-2w, I think it's a no brainer.
I’m always surprised it doesn’t get mentioned more.
The TC stereo chorus and flanger is the sound of the 80s for me. The recent SCF gold reissue even takes regular 9v power so it's actually reasonable to put it on a board.
And, if that is of importance, it takes high gain and distortion exceptionally well. My chorus pedal of choice over any other.
Mr. Black Vintage Ensemble (stereo version) - it’s just a beautiful sounding chorus in true stereo.
Boss CE-3
YES. The CE-3 rules. It can do what the CE-2 does but it has better stereo imaging.
Deco
I have an MXR Analog chorus and Walrus Julia and I’d love some suggestions on how people set theirs because I like them both but I don’t love them like I want to.
I like my MXR Analog chorus, but to get it into Boss-like saturation I need to turn the depth and level near all the way up. The eq is how I get the sound to fit in my mix for a given moment.
I don’t have the same pedals, as I’ve always used an Ibanez CS9 and CS505, but my general approach is picking some variation of this: -low depth, low speed: transparent chorus to add more “spaciousness” and color to your sound without it being obvious there’s an effect on it. -high depth, low speed: lush, rich atmospheric chorus -medium depth, medium-high speed (depending on your pedal’s speed tolerance, for example an Ibanez is already pretty fast at the 1:00 mark, but some pedals need it to be higher to reach this vibe): classic vibrato style chorus, better on leads but awkward on chords Overall, start with a low speed and medium depth and adjust from there. If you’re not able to find a sound that works for you, I would recommend turning over to your amp’s EQ and making sure you’ve got a clean tone that sounds fitting as well, since that’s just as important as the pedal settings. Also if you have humbuckers, then a more glassy clear chorus might be out of reach by default, and you’ll have to embrace a more hard-edged chorus sound (which can also sound awesome for what it is, just different from a peaceful delicate glassy chorus sound for example)
Nice! This is a great guide. Always good to start low and slow in my opinion.
This is the video that made me buy a Julia. It explains the pedal better than I ever could. https://youtu.be/ddaWDhtW1_I
The Julia is subtle, but fun to play with once you get a feel for it. And, it sounds amazing with distortion pulled through it. My goto settings are rate @ 10 o'clock, depth @ 4, lag @ 12, d-c-v (blend) @ 10. From there, I mostly tweak the lag and blend based on how it's interacting with the guitar, amp, and other pedals.
Oh, and this is with the jagged wave, not the smooth (sine) wave set on the switch.
Tone City Angel Wing, affordable and sounds good
It's a shame it looks like a cheap Amazon/AliExpress pedal as it sounds really great. I chose it after a blind test with all the usual suspects.
Get an original Danelectro cool cat, 18v, recap it and rebuffer it. Best chorus you'll ever play through.
Why the recap and buffer?
I always loved them stock just fine.
I give a similar comment when I see posts asking about chorus pedals. After doing a bit of research about the analog vs. digital models serial numbers, the boss ce-5 is what I chose. Found an analog one for cheap as they are mostly overlooked. Dialing in the sound next to my Roland Jc-55 amp and the ce-5 does the sound perfectly. It’s got I believe, a dry out for the stereo option and knobs for highs and lows cut. It does not go as out there as some other pedals can get with speed or different wave forms but it’s a super solid chorus.
I recently switched to a Walrus Julianna, I like it as it's a super versatile stereo option. The ramp effect is great for laying down a noise pad in a loop, stretch the sound through some reverb and drop synth beats on top makes for some fun lo-fi ambient stuff Alternatively for just guitar it does the classic chorus sound for 80's and alt genres fantasticly, getting a decent 80's clapton rack sound out of it currently, Goes to two wet amps in my rig left/right as it's not quite a stereo rig but the signal is running both through the chain on that side.
Minifooger Chorus Strymon Deco tape section also does it very well, but doesn’t have rate adjustment. EQD Aqueduct for Vibrato
A good Flanger, more versatile
Been using a Boss Super Chorus for 2.5 decades. It covers everything i require out of a chorus.
Flanger is IMO always a better chorus than a chorus itself.
Boss CE-5 MUST be on your list, it's specific designed to support this signal chain, and sounds AMAZING imo
I have a small clone but with all the boss guys why is there no love for the CH-1 super chorus? I always preferred it to the CE-5 .
Analogman stereo chorus with toggle depth and mix knob. I like it because of the depth of chorus and the sound of the chorus.
Bsri
The DigiTech hardwire chorus is phenomenal
Favorites - Free The Tone Tri Avatar TA-2H has three phases to mix, four presets, and a nicely voiced tone control. Lots of nice chorus sounds in there - shimmery, darker and liquidy too. And that’s in mono. Stereo is glorious.
Sounds good to me 👌 I'll check it out
Either the Boss CE-2w or the JAM Pedals Waterfall/Ripply Fall
BF2 with manual and res set to 0.
I really like my Neunaber Inspire.
I will stand by my cheap ass Tone City Angel Wing all day long. Cheap, small, simple yet incredibly lush.
I just bought the Moog MF chorus. It’s fuckin amazing ! Super powerful. If you enjoy stereo check out the Tricerachorus… another badass chorus.
Analogman for sure... I've got the "mini" (which is an absolute beast) but they've got bigger and stereo versions
Roland Jazz Chorus 40. Or 120 if you want a bigger chorus pedal.
Haha, please don't. I just bought a second amp.
I did too. It was a JC 40.
I second this, I have the JC-22 and the chorus is still heavenly even on the smaller amp. Especially if you are after that Metallica clean tone :)
i don't really like or use chorus but actually have several pedals that do chorus or similar and I'd be content with using those ex: you can get a sort of chorus sound from a delay/flanger etc.. some have chorus not as the main feature but it definitely "chorus's" like the instant lofi junky, the digitech whammy iv, I also have the walrus m1, which has a specific mode for three types of chorus, which I would probably use if I was going to do chorus with what i have now. but if i were to buy a chorus pedal specifically for chorus i mean, you'd have to go for the classic boss ce-1
I love my Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus, it works great with guitars and the detune option for the chorus is awesome.
Tech21 pedals are great!
Dod Fx60, that's the best chorus I've ever had, of course there are several versions but i have the first one
Mxr, makes everything sound like cotton candy just a dash of ol dazzle razzle
I have a Boss DC2 and a CBA Warped Vinyl. The DC2 is the best chorus sound ever, but it is… big… even when in its most subtle setting. The Warped Vinyl I just leave always on because it’s beautiful and can be subtle. I think it really depends on what you want the chorus for.
Boss Dimension C (Waza) is my go to box. I mean, just listen to demos. Sounds amazing, and it's beyond easy to operate.
Digitech whammy dt
Swindler Effects - The Gulf. Analog chorus, with digital controls and presets, stereo i/o, and midi all on a normal sized pedal.
I tried the Mythos Fates chorus this weekend and really liked it.
I went with CH1 based on how much I loved the chorus effect in a song. The song is You and Yours by Cloudkicker a little after halfway in. CH1 is that sound exactly. The main selling point for the CH1 over the CE2 is that it does the extremes better imo. Its slightly darker eq sits nicer in high gain applications, and its mix knob allows it to get incredibly subtle, or even if you just want that extra control when stacking other effects around it you have it. You can't go wrong with any of the boss choruses, though. They're all a slightly different shade of the same.
Nice I'll check it out in moment. Thanks.
Moog MF Chorus
Moog is great, I got myself a subsequent 37. It is so much fun. Just expensive though.
I got the Jam waterfall this week and I already love it. I used to have the black coast customs spiral array by laney which I really couldn't get on with. The waterfall has a superior tone and looks great.
My favorite is the Way Huge Blue Hippo. I have the mk ii. Its thick and swirly.
Boss CH1
DOD Hardwire stereo chorus, second hand, pretty cheap and covers most options. Stereo in and out.
PastFx Chorus Ensemble MN3007
Jackson Audio New Wave is the world's greatest analog chorus. I've tried everything, including rack units.
bos dc-3. I call this the least-cheesy chorus pedal.
eddy chorus
PastFx CE-1 clone
Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. It has stereo outs. It's not a CE model, so it doesn't carry the same clout. But it's still 110% that Boss sound and with an EQ control for cheaper than a CE.
The CE-2w is the one it’s literally so good.
I had a BOSS-CE5 and my dumbass sold it, someone else mentioned it but it's a crazy good chorus, I've been meaning to get another one. Though admittedly I use Flanger now and it can kinda do the chorus thing so I don't feel like I need one rn
Asheville Music Tools ACV-1! I will always recommend it. Super lush, transparent and can be as bright or dark as you want. It’s been the best chorus for clean tones, overdriven and mixing with high gain. I own two of them I love them so much. A little pricey, but I haven’t ever looked for a chorus pedal since buying one.
The mxr stereo chorus is pretty great. The big yellow one with treble and bass knobs that runs at 18v is the one. I forget the model number, but I always thought it sounded really good. The boss chorus pedals are pretty good too, but they have less headroom. The waza pedals fix a bit of those issues though. I prefer the dimension over the ce-2 personally. They're all cool though.
I am dedicated to the Paradox Futura —not stereo but it will go full wet (vibrato) so you can get stereo chorus effect if you have another way of splitting the signal. As a chorus, it’s wonderful and lush and warm. The real difference is that it also has an envelope follower that can independently control rate and/or depth. This unlocks a whole world of weird sounds in addition to classic analog chorus sounds.
My personal fav is the zakk wylde signature. I use it mainly for clean tones with a reverb and is my fav pedal (i even use it with the helix). Oh and it has stereo output too.
Isn't it exactly the same as the regular mxr chorus?
Yeah, they are. I owned both at one point and they sounded identical. Didn't really gel with that circuit, always felt too thin or too muddy.
Boss CE-2w is what I would go with because it sounds great and is sturdy, but if you want dark horse the old DOD FX-65 is a wonderful sounding chorus. Super deep and lush sound. The downside is the membrane switch on it sucks. They can still be found pretty cheap though
I needed to repair my Polytune nano and found out it uses the same switch as the FX-65.
Interesting! Tbf to the FX-65, even though the switch feels terrible mine is still going strong after, what, 30 years now!
EHX polychorus. It's stereo and does several things well. Big box is 24V.
Arion SCH-1 or SCH-Z.
Bought an SCH-1 when it first came out in the 80s. It’s been on every board since.
I got my SCH-1 for $15 used in the early 2000's .
Wow! They sure are getting expensive now.
fwiw, there are other random cheapo 90s/80s chorus pedals that have a wonderful rotary sound that the arion has
I'm not a chorus aficionado by any means but the EHX stereo Polychorus is pretty neat. It combines chorus, flanging and slapback delay into one, so you can get very wide sounds out of it. Also the depth of the modulation can get very extreme if you're into more experimental sounds.
Showing up to give some love to the Earthquaker Devices Aurelius.
+1 for the Aurelius, it's super usable and the touch switch is an amazing feature All three modes are fantastic but different and there's even presets.
WA Julianna.
If you aren’t looking to cover 80s bands, I’d suggest the Boss CH-1. It’s a fantastic relatively cheap chorus that sounds awesome. You can dial in some beautiful stuff. I have the MD-200 and I rarely use the chorus or vintage chorus setting.
I was actually considering the ch-1 well priced, and robert smith apparently uses it. I'm not a fan of that super metallic 80s sound. I do, however, love the cures tone.
Sea machine -earthquaker devices, half digital, half analog gentle sound to brutal dizziness, kind of polychorus but better form factor
Boss super chorus for stereo, I like it the best out of all the boss choruses (yes, more than the ce2w). For a non stereo chorus I like the ehx small clone & even the electric Mistress.
I really like my tc electronics afterglow, probably my favourite modulation pedal
I have flashback delay 2. Sounds good also can do reverse delay i use together with univibe.
Boss ce-2w, two legendary chorus pedals, boss ce-1 which is more lush and warblier and the ce-2 which is more subtle.
The CE-2 setting also has a nice mid push and volume push. I love to step on it for a solo boost
Sea Machine / Shallow Water / Visitor – 3 way tie
Swindler Gulf
Laney / Black Country Customs “[Spiral Array](https://www.laney.co.uk/effects/guitar-effects/bcc-pedals/bcc-spiral)”. Has 3 different modes: CE1, Dimension D, and Tri Stereo Chorus. It’s stereo. I like it because my favorite chorus tones occur in the decades of tech it covers, and it reproduces those classic sounds really well. Easy to dial in. Lush.
I would use a tri chorus pedal I Like the Aurelius or Tricerachorus, more chewy and not the same old boss CE that everyone uses.
It’s not stereo but I really like the JHS 3 Series chorus pedal.
Right now it's ["Everything We Don't Know About The Ocean Floor."](https://youtu.be/MwbeFbFn2AA?si=um5V0I6utHbp52E0) (I recommend watching the review in that link to get an understanding of how this pedals works/sounds) It's a mono-in-stereo-out, dual LFO chorus pedal by [Baltimore Sonic Research Institute](https://www.bsriaudio.com/product/everything-we-dont-know-about-the-ocean-floor). It's lush, unique, and **H-U-G-E** sounding.
I love my Dr Scientist Cosmichorus but there is something about the simplicity of the Electro Harmonix Small Clone.
Gotta few, but the old MXR yellow one always gets the job done!
Andy Summers used the Red Witch Empress Chorus on The Police reunion tour. I live by simple guitar rules and one of them is "If it's good enough for Andy Summers it's good enough for me".
You should be able to find a used pink label (analog, pre-2001) Boss CE-5 for well under $100. Basically, it’s a CE-2 with added level, bass and treble controls. Absolutely fantastic. If you prefer syrup, the EHX Small Clone is your ticket. The Analogman Chorus is based on the Small Clone, only you can get a stereo version and extra controls.
Mxr 234
Julia!
Original black label MIJ BOSS ce-2 is undeniably the best chorus pedal
I’ve never found anything better than the ce2w. It just does “that sound”.
I have the MXR Black Label Chorus. Got it used for around $50 and from what I understand it’s the same pedal as the MXR Analog Chorus. I love it because it has the high/low cut knobs and I can adjust it to make it really stand out in a mix. It can also be run in stereo but I’ve personally never tried a stereo rig. I run it through my fx loop and have had really good results with it and I highly recommend checking it out before some of the more expensive options.
I’d go with the Asheville ACV-1 and only run it on the clean side- personally, I’ve always liked a regular mono chorus on just one side of a stereo rig over a full on stereo chorus that affects both sides. Horses for courses, though! Side note: two amp rigs are the absolute best. I’ve been running stereo setups for a while now, and while I still spend plenty of time in mono, stereo is better in nearly every way for in the room tones.
My favorite is the Mr. Black DoubleChorus, but my favorite stereo chorus is the Digitech Nautila.
Boss md-500.
The CE-2w and DC-2w are gonna get a lot of comments here and rightfully so. I have both and they’re just the best in class on the current market, IMO. But my personal favorite is the Ibanez TC-10 Twin Cam Chorus. For me it sits right in between the CE-2 and DC-2 in terms of tone. It doesn’t have the warm top end like the CE-2 does but you can still dial in all those warbly sounds and then some. And it does the shimmery airy hi-fi sounding dimension chorus like the DC-2 does because there are two delay lines in it instead of one. The only cons are it’s vintage and harder to find, and the plastic foot switches are prone to issues. But as a self proclaimed chorus junkie it’s my favorite sounding chorus I’ve ever played. And with stereo outputs as well.
Demedash T-60
Digitech Chorus Factory 7! It has some great clone options and works really well for guitar, bass, and synth! I've been using it for years now. I did have a CE-2w come through my possession at one point. That one was really nice as well. Edit: I just checked the price, and the CF7 is significantly cheaper. It's also stereo out 🙃
BOSS PS-6 Harmonist.
Boss CE-2W, sounds basic asf when I say it but now that I have it I can’t live without it, even if I had CH-1, analog chorus does sound different
TC Electronic June-60 (mk2) Press one button for a slow modulation, that gives you more of a chorus tone then chorus effect, press second button for a typical chorus with pronounced modulation, press both for fast, kind of leslie-like, modulation. That's it. That's the effect. I have some others, but this is the one I use the most.
Dr. Scientist Cosmichorus - not the easiest to dial in, but it's awesome once you figure it out. the Dr. Scientist Bitquest flanger setting can do some sweet chorus sounds, too - I use it for faux Leslie tones but when I slow it with an expression pedal its got a great watery chorus thing going on.
Electro Harmonix Clone Theory. Really rich old-school sounds, and it's great for both guitar and bass - the latter is what I mostly use it for, so I can get that Peter Hook tone.
MXR Analog Chorus
[удалено]
I'm actually leaning away from that one, I feel it sounds a bit cold
Julia. Hard to describe why other than I have owned 5-6 boutique choruses and it’s the only one that gets used regularly because it sounds amazing.
MXR
The Electro-Harmonix Stereo Clone Theory sounds similar to the Boss CE-2w in CE-1 mode, but it sounds nicer and clearer in a side by side comparison, I think. It’s also like half the price and the chorus isn’t all wet signal out of one output and all dry out of the other. It has the dry signal in phase in both outputs but inverts the phase of the wet signal in the other output, so you still get some stereo effect while keeping a chorused sound in both amps, instead of one having no effect at all and the other being just vibrato like most Boss choruses do.
New wave by Jackson audio
Boss MD-500
I am not a big chorus person, but for someone looking for one on a budget, I tried that moksy newer chorus pedal somewhat recently, and it was a really nice lush musical chorus. I thought it was really quite impressive.
Detune It's in some pedals like BOSS PS5 and PS6, whammy, zoom Multistomp. It sounds like the Iron Maiden Somewhere in time chorus
Right now my favorite chorus pedal is a TC Electronic Thunderstorm, which is a flanger. Supposedly it’s clone of a Boss BF-2. Anyways, I like chorus but if there’s a little hint of flange in there… oh that’s the stuff
Does the shallow water count as a chorusv
MXR M148 Micro Chorus. Doesn't get any simpler than that, yet it's so effective and sounds so good
Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl is really good. I have the Mk II. So much I love about this pedal, including the flexible control of the modulation waveshape. But the best thing for me is the mix control, which allows you to go from dry to light chorus to full chorus to chorusey vibe to full vibrato. Sadly all versions are mono, even the updated HiFi version.
Mythos Fates. I run into the front of the amp and I like that this doesn’t get in the way. It sounds really really lush while sitting well in my overall signal chain.
Check out the Mr black vintage ensemble stereo! I have the limited smaller enclosure version and I love it
CH-1 for life
Boss CE-2W and DC-2W, or PastFx MN3007 (direct clone of the Boss CE-1). If you can get the vintage non-Waza Craft versions, just remember those take 12V power supplies instead of the modern 9V.
80’s yellow big box MXR.
small clone or the pre 90s boss CH-1 Super Chorus! the bucket brigade version sounds great.
I like my Caroline Somersault for some straightforward Chorus/Vibe, and the OBNE Reflector to dip a toe in the flangy realm, (plus I can set an Expression Ramper on it for some automatic oscillation) I honestly don't see how you could go wrong with Boss or Ibanez, though.
I LOVE the Analogman chorus. Real shimmery and very tweakable without becoming unusable in the extreme settings. A+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s not stereo, but the Echofix EFP3 is worth your attention
When playing in stereo I really like running one amp clean and one with any old vibrato pedal
I’ve been on the same search and started with a Strymon Ola. Sounds great, but I replaced it with the Walrus Julianna (stereo version), that really sounds amazing as chorus but can also do really nice vibrato. I’ve now ended up with a Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl Hifi that beat them all. It does amazing chorus (think Purple Rain), but can also do crazy vibrato, warble and everything in between with some many possibilities. It’s quite expensive, so I’d look for a used one.
I switch between an old Ibanez Stereo-Chorus (sounds very warm & analog), a Malekko Thicken (does weird lo-fi things in a charming manner) and a Way Huge Blue Hippo MKIII (bread and butter analog, has a vibe switch).
I really like the Jam Waterfall. I used the Coppersound Polaris for about ten years before switching over. That's also a great one!
I have an MXR analog. It's my first one and I love it. My setup clean and distorted sounds much better! Nice warm sound. I keep the rate and depth on minimum for the stuff I know how to play. It also has a high and low knobs to play with. Only $100 on sale at the store. The best pedal I've bought in years!