Chorus Quest

Everyone needs a stompbox.
User avatar
OffYourFace
Mods
Mods
Posts: 13686
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by OffYourFace » Fri May 12, 2023 8:15 pm

CE-2W in stereo is pretty disappointing.

User avatar
JSett
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8804
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Old Hampshire, Old England

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by JSett » Fri May 12, 2023 8:33 pm

OffYourFace wrote:
Fri May 12, 2023 8:15 pm
CE-2W in stereo is pretty disappointing.
Apart from some kinds of ping-pong delay I'm always a bit 'meh' with stereo effects anyway...I never hear much to get excited about.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

User avatar
javier-san
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 544
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:06 pm

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by javier-san » Fri May 12, 2023 9:25 pm

OffYourFace wrote:
Fri May 12, 2023 8:15 pm
CE-2W in stereo is pretty disappointing.
Glad I'm not the only one to think that

User avatar
sal paradise
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3597
Joined: Thu May 27, 2021 12:41 am

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by sal paradise » Sat May 13, 2023 1:59 am

Not helpful to OP, but just to echo: my CE-2 in the effects loop is lush.

Annoying really. My lucky cat delay clicks in the loop, so that’s in front now. My DMM Nano & Strymon flint don’t really need to be in the loop. Only chorus would be a bit extra. Not the thread for these thoughts though!
I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?

User avatar
Shadoweclipse13
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 12435
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue May 16, 2023 6:59 pm

I was starting to think that I'd never get any time to reply! :D This past week at work and weekend were both busy. We went out of town this weekend and I had almost no signal most of the weekend. So here's where I'm at to start with, and then I'll start replying to everyone. Pedals to try:

Boss CE-2W - Rate at 10/11 o'clock // Depth at 2 o'clock on mode number 2 (switch is centered) (Thanks Jonesie!)
EHX Small/Neo Clone - deeper of the two switch positions and rate at around 11 O'Clock (Thanks Stevejamsecono!)
Boss DC-2W
Eventide Tricerachorus
Boss BF-2 (old)
Ibanez Chorus (mini/vintage)/Ibanez-Maxon CS9
MXR Micro Chorus
MXR Stereo Chorus
Danelectro Cool Cat
BSRI -Everything We Don't Know About the Ocean Floor
Strymon Deco
Boss CE-3
Boss CH-1
Unicorn Warrior wrote:
Fri May 05, 2023 6:45 pm
And then again…I’ve been dying to try this:

Pastfx New Division
All of the PastFx stuff looks awesome!! I've always loved the sound of the vintage Roland CE-1 (That Pedal Show video a few years ago), but I'd definitely prefer something new that wouldn't need any maintenance potentially.

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Fri May 05, 2023 9:59 pm
I’m a sucker for none chorus - chorus tones.

Univibe for the phaser-chorus. Detune with modulation. Dimension D. And my old standby, the A/DA Flanger.

For synths the Dimension D and detuned modulation are quite nice, but for that guitar sound I would go with what everyone else is suggesting- Boss CE-2 or Small Clone.
Good to know! Do you use the A/DA Flanger slowed down as pseudo-chorus tones too?

JSett wrote:
Sat May 06, 2023 12:47 am
I have a few chorus pedals at home and my favourite is actually my old 18v Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus. It's massively oversized and the footswitch will almost certainly die at some point but it sounds great - and cost me less than £20
I forgot that these existed! I'll add it to the list!!

stevejamsecono wrote:
Sat May 06, 2023 4:45 am
Too much CE2 love in this thread for my liking -- don't forget to try the Small Clone too!

I have the Analogman Chorus which is basically a souped up Small Clone and it's an ideal chorus sound. I find the EHX Chorus more appealing than Boss -- wetter, more dark and mysterious sounding. YMMV of course.
Ill add it to the list! If I like the Small Clone, I could see getting the Analogman version.

stevejamsecono wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 4:03 pm
hulakatt wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 3:47 pm
Love my CE-2w pretty well.

Also deeply love my AnalogMan Stereo Chorus.

Chorus in stereo is such a revelation.
This is my understanding and something I've been eager to experiment with in my own rig. Problem is bringing the two amps...
As I'm mostly an at-home player, that wouldn't be an issue here. I'm seriously excited to finally try some chorus in stereo. I'm hoping that, even if not a revelation, it'll be something I like better than some of the other chorus sounds I've tried in the past that I didn't get on with.

OffYourFace wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 10:57 pm
Early 80s Ibanez CS9. It's the best stereo chorus pedal and here's why.

The Boss/Roland stuff has a dry and wet output so one side is dry and one is modulated. With the CS9, both sides are wet and to my ears the imaging is much wider. For reference, all the early Stone Roses stuff is the CS9. Harmonically it sits a bit higher than the Boss stuff. I really like with synths as well.

I also have a CE-2 and a CE-2W. I prefer the CE-2W in CE-1 mode 1 and it's usually my go to for mono sounds.
Awesome information! Thanks! I think there's a modern chorus that does the summed wet+dry in each side of the stereo as well, but I can't remember which pedal it is at the moment. But I definitely added the CS9 to my list to try!!

Spitshaded wrote:
Mon May 08, 2023 9:25 am
I recently picked up the "Everything We Don't Know About the Ocean Floor" from BSRI & it is easily my favorite chorus I've played.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XU2DfuVhgs
That sounds amazing! I'll look more into it!

øøøøøøø wrote:
Tue May 09, 2023 9:57 am
Something to toss out there as hopefully-helpful (and hopefully not pedantic or discouraging!)

If seeking to replicate sounds from recordings, there's a fair chance that a pedal wasn't what was used, and the effect (particularly if stereo) may not have even been tracked as part of the guitar sound.

I'd say it's pretty rare to mic up two amps, but quite common to have stereo effects on a send (my most-used chorus is the "micropitchshift" patch on the old Eventide H3000, for one example).

Following on from this, "rig rundown" sorts of things aren't especially likely to reflect how the record was made--they're far more likely to offer insight into how that player tried to achieve a representative-enough sound on the tour that followed the making of the record.

It's probably fairly intuitive that chorus after the amp (and mic, and recorder, etc) will sound quite different from chorus that occurs before the amp and band-limited speaker (particularly if the amps are distorting even a *tiny* bit... chorusing an overdriven sound is very different from overdriving a chorused sound!)

If you use any kind of amp simulation as part of your setup, addressing this disparity becomes quite a bit simpler--you just put the chorus after the amp emulator.

In the hardware domain it's a bit trickier, especially for live performance. In my case I'd probably elect to just get a decent-value (not too expensive) chorus pedal and accept the compromise.

When I'm tracking a chorused sound and I want to commit to the effect, I will usually mult the output of the mic preamp to the inputs of an H3000, dial the sound in, and then print the stereo output of the H3000 (100% wet) alongside the main mono guitar track. Then I can blend it in with the unaffected signal to taste.
Definitely not discouraging! I figure that a lot of artists try new sounds in the studio, and only buy pedals to get close to a sound that they recorded with. I like your technique of using the mult with an effect at 100% wet, and then blending (essentially being a parallel signal?). That might be something really cool to try with an amp simulator, like the DSM Humboldt Simplifier (Simplifier > chorus > monitors/headphone amp). I appreciate all the advice as always Brad!!

javier-san wrote:
Thu May 11, 2023 9:52 am
I'll throw a potentially controversial pedal into the mix...how about a Strymon Deco? I know the chorus effects aren't to everyone's taste, but you can get some pretty cool depth, especially in stereo output.
I'm really not a Strymon guy, but I can try one. I had a Blue Sky reverb years ago, and it's what started me on my dislike of DSP because it sounded so sterile. But I've heard nothing but good things about the Deco. I'll add it to the list!

ryanthellama wrote:
Thu May 11, 2023 9:13 pm
Aside from my Roland JC-40, my favorite stereo chorus sounds have been mode 1 of the CE-3, the DC-2W, and the CH-1 (yes I’m a Boss/Roland fangirl). I’ve played “Little Wanderer” through all of them in the past and it sounds great and accurate.

Mode 1 of the CE-3 is different from most stereo choruses in that both channels are wet but one of them is phase inverted. It gives it a really crisp, lush shimmer that I absolutely love. Sounds absolutely phenomenal. Mode 2 is super close to the stereo CE-2W/Jazz Chorus sound, so either way you use it it’s a win.

The DC-2W, as others have said, is also more unique, but really nails that lush, beautiful chorus sound. Then the CH-1 is super versatile and feels really clean and natural—it’s actually what I’ve had on my board the last few weeks.

I know the tones you’re going after are pretty clean, but if you ever want to put chorus on a dirty sound, I think all three of these take gain better than the CE-2W as well, so that versatility is nice.

Also as for the discussion of where to place chorus in the chain and using post-amp outboard gear for recording, I think just always stick chorus in your effects loop if you have one and it’ll go a long way toward being more like that Jazz Chorus/built-in chorus sound.
As much as I'm getting a vibe that a CE-2W might be a really good option for me, your description of the CE-3 sounds amazing. Have you ever tried a CE-5? I'd have to find a used CE-3, but I wonder how the CE-5 compares. Also, I know it's been mentioned a time or two in this thread, but I never considered putting a chorus (mono or stereo) in the effects loop. Thanks for all this dude!

ryanthellama wrote:
Fri May 12, 2023 7:01 am
øøøøøøø wrote:
Fri May 12, 2023 6:36 am
Seems perhaps trickier if using the chorus in true stereo, though, right? Unless you have a chorus with stereo in and out (and use two amps), or use a preamp and stereo power amps?
Hmm I’m actually not sure. My Jazz Chorus has a stereo effects loop and that’s the only amp through which I’ve actually ever tried doing stereo chorus in the loop. On there at least a chorus pedal in stereo will come through like the onboard chorus, with one channel in one speaker and the other channel in the other speaker. Very possible other amps with stereo effects loops would do the same thing, but yeah not fully sure the best approach if you don’t have that option.
As for stereo in the effects loop... There's been mention of a JC-120 amp and how the amp sounds/feels different from stereo chorus in a pedal. Does anyone know if the JC-series amp choruses are a wet and dry to both sides, or if it's dry to one side, and wet to the other?

sal paradise wrote:
Sat May 13, 2023 1:59 am
Not helpful to OP, but just to echo: my CE-2 in the effects loop is lush.

Annoying really. My lucky cat delay clicks in the loop, so that’s in front now. My DMM Nano & Strymon flint don’t really need to be in the loop. Only chorus would be a bit extra. Not the thread for these thoughts though!
I appreciate all the feedback!!


Looking at all the responses and suggestions, one thing came to mind that I haven't seen yet. Since there's so much love for Boss stuff, and various models of them, has anyone ever tried an MD-200? Apparently it's got a chorus mode and a separate CE-1 chorus mode, with stereo inputs and outputs. It's got a bunch of other stuff, and I wonder how it sounds (don't think it's got anything like the DC-2W though).
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

User avatar
fuzzjunkie
Expat
Expat
Posts: 7277
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:32 am
Location: Seattle

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by fuzzjunkie » Tue May 16, 2023 7:47 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue May 16, 2023 6:59 pm

Do you use the A/DA Flanger slowed down as pseudo-chorus tones too?
Yes, that’s what I was referring to. I does a nice Leslie/rotary speaker effect and the basic flange thing, but I mostly use it for chorus.

Slowed down its a lush Cocteau Twins sound. It can do a faster chime style too. You can adjust the harmonics to get that Andy Summers chorus/flange tone that he got from the Electric Mistress. It’s maybe a bit thicker sounding but since it has built in compression you don’t need the Dynacomp.

Edit: to add the A/DA Flanger, at least the original version, is mono in/out. I don’t know if the latest pedal board friendly version is or not.
Last edited by fuzzjunkie on Wed May 17, 2023 6:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
ryanthellama
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 131
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 5:02 pm

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by ryanthellama » Tue May 16, 2023 10:30 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue May 16, 2023 6:59 pm
As much as I'm getting a vibe that a CE-2W might be a really good option for me, your description of the CE-3 sounds amazing. Have you ever tried a CE-5? I'd have to find a used CE-3, but I wonder how the CE-5 compares.
I like the CE-5 pretty well, but I prefer the other Boss choruses. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s a little subtler and doesn’t stand out quite as much as the other ones to me, but honestly I feel like you can’t really go wrong with any Boss chorus.
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue May 16, 2023 6:59 pm
As for stereo in the effects loop... There's been mention of a JC-120 amp and how the amp sounds/feels different from stereo chorus in a pedal. Does anyone know if the JC-series amp choruses are a wet and dry to both sides, or if it's dry to one side, and wet to the other?
The Jazz Chorus is wet one side, dry the other.

User avatar
Surfysonic
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1863
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:22 pm
Location: Walkersville, MD
Contact:

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by Surfysonic » Wed May 17, 2023 3:21 pm

I placed an order for an E-H Neo Clone back on May 6. After seven days with no shipping tracking provided and no response from seller on Reverb, I got Reverb involved for a refund. Refund granted, no problem. Lesson learned as I really need to remember to check a seller's feedback stats. This one had none. :fp:

Placed another order from a brick & mortar "Preferred Seller" on Reverb. Pedal arrived today...only, they sent me an E-H Holy Grail Neo instead. :wtf:

Contacted seller, they apologized for the error (no problem, stuff happens), and they're sending out the new Neo Clone to me right away and I have to run this Holy Grail Neo to my local UPS Store tomorrow.

Really hope this pedal turns out as amazing as I think it sounds based on the demos I've heard on Y-T. :whistle:

In the meantime, I played around with my Walrus Audio Julia on my other board - dialed in the tones I was looking for - sounds really nice. :)

Update - 05/28/2023

Received the Neo Clone the other day and finally had some time to play with it this morning. Love the darker tones! Sounds great with delay (MXR Carbon Copy) and with my '84 Tokai Flanger. gets really trippy. Lots of fun! Happyily recommended. 8)
The doofus formerly known as Snorre...

User avatar
Shadoweclipse13
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 12435
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Sun Sep 10, 2023 11:30 pm

So, months later, I finally got a chance to go to my local shop and try out some chorus pedals. There was a major lack of most of the pedals suggested, but I tried what I could.

I demo'ed the new EQD Aurelius, which was very nice, but I feel like there wasn't a huge difference in changing of the knobs.

They had an EQD Sea Machine, but I've owned that in the past and didn't really like it. They also had a Walrus Julia (and Julianna), but I forgot to try it :D

They had a decent selection of Boss stuff, but unfortunately no CE-2W, which was the pedal I was most excited to try. However, they did have an DC-2W in stock, and when I plugged it into a Fender Hot Rod (not sure if it was a Deluxe or Deville) it was the chorus sound in my head. It was perfect and glorious. I bought it. I figure, as it's stereo ins and outs, I can use it on synth as well, if I'm not feeling it on guitar for a particular day.

But, I haven't given up wanting to try the rest. There's a Guitar Center near me, as much as I loathe that store, so I may stop by at some point in the next couples months. If I like something else as well, I'd be happy to grab a second chorus too.

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! I'm not done looking, but happy so far!!
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

User avatar
Zork
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1811
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:01 am
Location: Bremen, Germany

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by Zork » Wed Sep 13, 2023 1:47 am

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Fri May 05, 2023 2:52 am
I've never been a chorus guy, [...]
Me neither. There's one I like, the ancient Ibanez RC-99 Rotary Chorus. But after trying many a chorus I found that I much prefer a subtle pitch shifter for chorusy sounds. The Boss PS-3 in mode 4 (single detune) or mode 8 (dual detune) is everything that's cool about chorus but nothing of what's cheesy about chorus. Think of the chorusy sounds of a 12-string or a synth with slightly detuned oscillators.

User avatar
Gav Haus
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1289
Joined: Tue May 06, 2014 6:23 am
Location: Leicester
Contact:

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by Gav Haus » Wed Sep 13, 2023 2:08 am

Zork wrote:
Wed Sep 13, 2023 1:47 am
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Fri May 05, 2023 2:52 am
I've never been a chorus guy, [...]
Me neither. There's one I like, the ancient Ibanez RC-99 Rotary Chorus. But after trying many a chorus I found that I much prefer a subtle pitch shifter for chorusy sounds. The Boss PS-3 in mode 4 (single detune) or mode 8 (dual detune) is everything that's cool about chorus but nothing of what's cheesy about chorus. Think of the chorusy sounds of a 12-string or a synth with slightly detuned oscillators.
I cant bring myself to move my PS-3 out of Mode 7 ;D

that said, the above is all true. Similarly the shallow detune setting on a Whammy is a really great chorus. I use a CE-2w for most things, but the whammy gets the nod for more subtle applications.
http://wearerichlist.com

User avatar
Zork
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1811
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:01 am
Location: Bremen, Germany

Re: Chorus Quest

Post by Zork » Wed Sep 13, 2023 2:20 am

Gav Haus wrote:
Wed Sep 13, 2023 2:08 am
I cant bring myself to move my PS-3 out of Mode 7 ;D
:D
So relatable! But trust me, it was a revelation when I eventually did it!

Post Reply