Favorite chorus pedal

[Marty Holmes]

I know a lot of Steel players aren't fond of chorus but I've heard a lot of them use chorus in the past just curious what everyone's favorite pedal is.I can't seem to find a comparison to Strymon effects as they are amazingly awesome in tonal quality.

[K Maul]

TC Electronic Corona and the good ol’ Boss CH-1 and CE-2 are my favorites. I never make it too prominent in my mix and almost always at slower speeds, adding to thickness but not “warble”!

[Tal Herbsman]

Boss Dimension. people will argue about whether it's a true chorus or not. Whatever it is, it sounds like a perfectly voiced chorus without a lot of knobs to screw around with.

[Donny Hinson]

I like the old MXR "Phase 90" for guitar and keyboards, but use a "Phase 100" on pedal steel.

[Jeff Mead]

I like the old MXR "Phase 90" for guitar and keyboards, but use a "Phase 100" on pedal steel.

Those aren't chorus pedals though.

Personally, I agree with you - phaser sounds cool on steel and I'm not a fan of chorus but that doesn't really address the original question.

[Mike Auman]

I like the old MXR "Phase 90" for guitar and keyboards, but use a "Phase 100" on pedal steel.

These are actually "phasers" rather than "chorus" and they use a different method. Chorus delays the signal slightly, varies the amount of delay, then recombines it with the clean signal, making it sound like two or more instruments are playing in unison. Phaser inverts the signal polarity at a certain frequency, moves that frequency up and down the scale, and recombines it with the clean signal, resulting in a "sweeping" or "doppler" notch in the output signal. Phase 90 has 2 separate notches, Phase 100 has three and sounds more complex. Personally, I like either chorus or phaser on steel, just not at the same time!

[Mike Auman]

Boss Dimension. people will argue about whether it's a true chorus or not. Whatever it is, it sounds like a perfectly voiced chorus without a lot of knobs to screw around with.

The Boss Dimension C Waza Craft is their recent reissue, and it's amazingly good. Like you say, just push the switch, don't have to worry about knob settings.

[ajm]

A little more techno commentary...........

A flanger is basically a chorus pedal, but has some of the output recycled back to the input and mixed back in.
If you have a flanger with a regen(eration) control, and set that control to zero, you have a chorus.

I seem to recall that the Boss Dimension chorus is actually two separate circuits in the same pedal.
I saw a schematic years ago.
Maybe someone else can confirm or refute this.

Being primarily a six string classic rocker these days, given the choice I'd opt for a flanger. But a chorus would do basically the same job as well.

Back to the original topic..........
Marty: Are you planning to run in stereo, or mono?
If you are going stereo, there are two ways to do it:
a) Both sides "wet", or.
b) One side dry, and one side "wet".

The Roland Jazz series amps, and at least some of the Peavey amps with built in chorus, used the ones side dry and the other side wet method.

[Ken Morgan]

Best? Who knows. I think best I’ve heard was a Dyno-My-Piano tri-stereo rack mounted unit…best pedal candidates include the TC SCF and Ibanez mini chorus with an excellent blend function

[ajm]

If you just want to dabble and experiment, or want something for a couple of songs.........

I recently put together an whole pedalboard composed mostly of inexpensive pedals.
They are available on Amazon.
Some of the companies are Mooer, Koogo, Kokko, Donner and others.
All kinds of chorus and flanger and delay mini pedals in the $20-$35 range. Even cheaper if they turn up on Craigslist.
I was shocked at how good they sound.

A couple of downsides.
1) They are "mini" pedals. There is no room for a battery. Therefore, you will need an AC adapter and/or a pedalboard with a power supply or some sort.
2) Most of them are built using SMD components. If they break, you're probably not going to fix them.
But they're so inexpensive that you don't care anyway.
So now they can double as a paperweight, or Christmas tree ornament, or target practice, or _______.

[John McClung]

I love a good chorus pedal, and my all-time fave was the original BOSS CE-1 from the late 70s, sadly stolen from a bandstand.

My current one is a Digitech Hardwire CR-7, very clean and nice sound, but my ear still misses that old CE-1. Might one day "rent" the newer BOSS CE-1Waza, it's supposed to be the same circuit as the old big brown box. Anyone using that one, and what's the verdict???

[Michael Hill]

I think effect level is an important control yet many chorus pedals don't include one.

[K Maul]

I think effect level is an important control yet many chorus pedals don't include one.

That’s exactly why I like the CH-1. It has an effect level control. I like my chorus mixed in subtly so that’s a perfect thing. That new WAZA sounds very interesting because I really loved those old brown CEs.

[Dwight Lewis]

These are my choices....I use the Volume/ Chorus frequently....
Dwight

[Len Amaral]

Boss Dimension. people will argue about whether it's a true chorus or not. Whatever it is, it sounds like a perfectly voiced chorus without a lot of knobs to screw around with.

The Boss Dimension C Waza Craft is their recent reissue, and it's amazingly good. Like you say, just push the switch, don't have to worry about knob settings.

I have the Waza Craft Dimension pedal and was thinking about putting it on my steel pedal board. What button layout do you use for the steel?

[Len Amaral]

Boss Dimension. people will argue about whether it's a true chorus or not. Whatever it is, it sounds like a perfectly voiced chorus without a lot of knobs to screw around with.

The Boss Dimension C Waza Craft is their recent reissue, and it's amazingly good. Like you say, just push the switch, don't have to worry about knob settings.

What setting do you use on the Boss Dimension pedal? I have one and will put it on my pedal board and give it a try

[Tal Herbsman]

not sure I understand the question, but I use the dimension mode in a boss MD500 with button 1 or 2 depressed. it's subtle but beautiful. buttons 3 and 4 are a more pronounced effect. it's especially striking in stereo if you have that set up.

[Michael Butler]

strymon deco. lots of effects built in.

play music!

[Len Amaral]

I put the Boss Dimension C on my board and it adds a subtle but thickening vibe to the tone. Pretty cool.

[Jon Irsik]

I had one of the original versions of this pedal on my standard guitar board for years. I wanted to go to a 2 amp setup for steel and bought one of the new versions, it works great with just a touch of chorus and really fills out the sound. Works great for me.

https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.ht ... Code=HE162

[John Larson]

The Dimension C is very good. The waza reissue has stereo in and out as well where as the original had mono in and stereo out. It's based on Roland Dimension rack unit from the 80s which shares genetics with the famous chorus built into the Jazz Chorus family of amplifiers.

EHX Eddy Vibrato & Chorus is quite good for a more budget option. It's like a Small Clone with more parameter adjustment. Capable of most types of Chorus and the added bonus of a true vibrato mode like a Boss VB-2.

[Robert Rogers]

My favorite chorus is the ibanez sc10

[Alex Cattaneo]

I have the Alexander Pedals Waveland. It also has an excellent Phaser and a vibrato, so three birds with one stone. And a second switch for slow/fast settings, so it can do Leslie/organ stuff as well.

[Jim Pitman]

I had bought this in the 80s and forgot about until recently when I was cleaning out my basement. It's all analog, Even as a buffer, I like it.
It can be quite extreme but I use it sparingly. I like the basic analog delay mode as well. They are pretty hard to come by though and if you do find the original large knob design like this, they are expensive.

[John Larson]

I seem to recall that the Boss Dimension chorus is actually two separate circuits in the same pedal.
I saw a schematic years ago.
Maybe someone else can confirm or refute.

You are correct. I built a clone of the original one a few years back during lockdown using the boards Aion electronics sells.
It's two parallel bucket brigade lines using the bucket brigade style of modulation as most pre DSP delays, flangers and chorus pedals used, the chips for it were quite $$$.

Easily the most complex pedal I've built, and I've built a few. It's two boards stacked to accommodate the complex circuitry. If memory serves me well the stereo outputs are fed from one of each line when its used in stereo otherwise they are summed to the mono output. It has a depth to it unlike any other chorus I've ever used. But it is the best chorus I've ever had. At the time I couldn't afford a Jazz Chorus type amp and I needed that clean tone used by 80s metal bands like Metallica and Queensryche.
I use it on my synths now (Korg MS-20, Behringer Minimoog clone) it makes leads and bass come alive.

Eventually I'll secure the new Waza version with stereo ins and outs whenever I get a stereo steel rig together.