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New MXR pedals
- Thread starter 254 stringer
- Start date
- Feb 3, 2005
- 7,331
- 10,197
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Bergantino Audio Systems and GHS Strings
I just received my MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe today. Overall, I like everything about it. As you can see, MXR makes up the majority of my pedal board. I also have a Script Phase 90 and a Way Huge Swollen Pickle.
Nice setup you have there!
So spending a little more time with the pedal, I have to say I'm somewhat disappointed. Running through my rig at moderate levels, there seems to be a lot of noise from this pedal with the treble set flat. I have the intensity and rate at 1 o'clock with the width at 3 o'clock and every time I play a note there is a lot of hiss with the treble set flat, especially at the peak of the sweep. I just feel that this amount of noise is unacceptable. Mind you this is also with the EQ on my bass set flat and the treble on my amp cut to 10 o'clock.
While I like the Xover button, it presents way too much of a bass boost even if I cut the bass knob all the way back. Don't get me wrong, it's punchy, but there's just too much of a bump there. I was shocked.
All in all, I'm surprised at the noise level. I tried cutting the treble completely from my bass and the hiss is still the same. The Xover should have definitely been balanced out more. Way too much of a bass boost.
Minus the negatives, the overall sound of the pedal is wonderful.
While I like the Xover button, it presents way too much of a bass boost even if I cut the bass knob all the way back. Don't get me wrong, it's punchy, but there's just too much of a bump there. I was shocked.
All in all, I'm surprised at the noise level. I tried cutting the treble completely from my bass and the hiss is still the same. The Xover should have definitely been balanced out more. Way too much of a bass boost.
Minus the negatives, the overall sound of the pedal is wonderful.
After some more time today, I truly believe my pedal is defective. I plugged straight from my bass to the Bass Chorus Deluxe to my amp with a fresh 9V in the BCD (to isolate electrical wiring from the equation) and it's still just as noisy. It's completely unusable unless I turn the treble knob all the way down.
Inspecting the inside of the pedal, I believe I've found the culprit. It looks like one of the chips experienced a meltdown. Hopefully I don't have to wait too long for Dunlop to respond...
Inspecting the inside of the pedal, I believe I've found the culprit. It looks like one of the chips experienced a meltdown. Hopefully I don't have to wait too long for Dunlop to respond...
If you have not heard back from them shoot me a message with your info and I will get someone from there in touch with you.
Yeah thats gotta be the problem. I played around with mine today after reading your post and I can hear only a tiny amount of noise and thats only if my comp is on. By itself it is super quiet but with my comp on I can hear some noise but I have to really listen for it and its not something you would hear while playing. Also my micro flange seems to produce the same noise with the comp on. If your unit is noticeably noisy then it probably is defective cause I noticed your comp is before your chorus.
My compressor doesn't add any noise in my chain and like I said, this evening I removed the chorus from the board and plugged straight into my amp with it. I've owned both a Micro Flanger and an Analog Chorus neither of which had the amount of noise that this pedal produced. Glad to hear that this doesn't seem to be common. I'd be hard pressed for that to be the case as I'm a major Dunlop/MXR/Way Huge supporter as you can see. I'll keep everyone posted.
I never did receive a reply from Dunlop, but Sweetwater is taking care of everything for me and I will receive a brand new unit once they receive stock (hopefully next week). I'm surprised that Dunlop didn't take me seriously. I had preferred to deal directly with them, but no response... Sweetwater on the other hand took care of me immediately.
I just got the new MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe and Flanger and will be testing this over the week-end. I will be A/B'ing the Flanger against the AD/A, the Boss BF-2 and the Arion bass flanger. That will be interesting.
The chorus part of the pedal will be tested against a HBE TCH.
The chorus part of the pedal will be tested against a HBE TCH.
Melvin that is odd... Did your email include an attachment? Their spam filter may kick those out. Best to send attachments after or in a hot link.
Glad you are getting taken care of though!
Glad you are getting taken care of though!
I am not so sure, actually. My first impression of the MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe is amazingly positive.
This pedal seems to hit all the right spots. It's got an airy musical transparency similar to the Fulltone Choralflange (a beautiful pedal) but at the same time it shares some character of the celebrated Boss BF-2 but it's doing all this with more bass that I have ever heard on a flanger/chorus and that would include bass and chorus specific pedals (Boss and Arion primarily).
I did not get a chance to AB the new MXR but so far I am very very impressed. If one takes in account the very small form factor and the price, wow, it's a potent mix.
Both the chorus and the flanger effect were spot on as far as the effects are concerned. Very true to their style and very musical without going into extreme or weird territory as an EH or the AD/A pedal does. It provides the effects that 99% of musicians need. Extreme in a pedal is fun to test but rarely used outside a living room context.
I had this pedal in front of my SVT-CL and 115 Beyma and it was quiet as can be. A couple of times I actually had to reduce the bass. A first for me with any modulation effect.
It's also noteworthy to acknowledge that one gets a great flanger and a great chorus for the price and for the pedal board space of one single pedal.
I need to look at effect and volume parity between flanger and chorus but switching between the two was very smooth.
As someone who cycled through 200+ effects I don't get impressed too easily by stomp boxes.
MXR has had a string of incredible bass pedal hits but this might be their strongest effort yet.
More to come as I further test this pedal.
Ie not read the whole thread yet but I'd like to ask if anyone has experienced a loud buzzing noise when touching the on/off switch on a MXR (or any ) FX pedal.
I've had a M87 for a coupe of months but tonight I noticed a loud buzz when I touch the switch. This is running on battery and I've tried it with to complete different rigs.
It makes no difference if there is anything pluged in to the input lead, and it's only when the effect is on.
Other tan that, I love this pedal.
I've had a M87 for a coupe of months but tonight I noticed a loud buzz when I touch the switch. This is running on battery and I've tried it with to complete different rigs.
It makes no difference if there is anything pluged in to the input lead, and it's only when the effect is on.
Other tan that, I love this pedal.
Thanks for the quick replies guys. I know for sure mine didn't do it before but maybe there is something funky going on in my house at the moment.
I got my MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe today and love it.
Being Canadian and sensing (after talking to a couple of stores) that it may be a few month before we see them up here, I ordered mine from The Mad Ape (located in Washington state, found on eBay) on January 2, received it today and was not charged any customs or sales taxes. Not sure that would be the case with everyone, but the only additional charge I paid over the sale price of $167 Canadian ($169.99 USD) was the $4.95 standard shipping.
The pedal is very sweet and has met my higest expectations ... after owning an EHX Small Clone and an EBS MultiChorus, the chorus I had settled on for the past two years was the MXR Black Label (Zakk Wylde) Chorus. Up until now, I personally felt the Black Label was the perfect chorus for me. I would have never considered changing it but figured the Bass Deluxe had to be at least as good and I was attracted to the flanger option of the Bass Deluxe as well (I actually like flange even more than chorus in general).
The Bass Deluxe definitely retains the lows better although the Black Label was great. In fact, my ears are so calibrated to the Black Label, I thought the Bass Deluxe was actually too bassy at first. I like a lot of top end when using chorus so I had the bass control rolled all the way back and the treble at 3'clock to get to the tone I was used to with the Black Label. The more I played it though, the more I liked it and after 30 minutes I was ready to apply the velcro and commit it to my pedal board! The X-Over works great (although I probably won't use it given my preference for a top-end / glassy tone) and the range of tones overall is awesome.
As for the flanger ... that's when I was truly impressed. If this pedal was a standalone flanger without the chorus, it would be worth the price to me personally.
No QC issues here ... typical "whoosh" noises with the flanger since that's what a flanger does, but no "pops" when activating the pedal or anything like that.
Being Canadian and sensing (after talking to a couple of stores) that it may be a few month before we see them up here, I ordered mine from The Mad Ape (located in Washington state, found on eBay) on January 2, received it today and was not charged any customs or sales taxes. Not sure that would be the case with everyone, but the only additional charge I paid over the sale price of $167 Canadian ($169.99 USD) was the $4.95 standard shipping.
The pedal is very sweet and has met my higest expectations ... after owning an EHX Small Clone and an EBS MultiChorus, the chorus I had settled on for the past two years was the MXR Black Label (Zakk Wylde) Chorus. Up until now, I personally felt the Black Label was the perfect chorus for me. I would have never considered changing it but figured the Bass Deluxe had to be at least as good and I was attracted to the flanger option of the Bass Deluxe as well (I actually like flange even more than chorus in general).
The Bass Deluxe definitely retains the lows better although the Black Label was great. In fact, my ears are so calibrated to the Black Label, I thought the Bass Deluxe was actually too bassy at first. I like a lot of top end when using chorus so I had the bass control rolled all the way back and the treble at 3'clock to get to the tone I was used to with the Black Label. The more I played it though, the more I liked it and after 30 minutes I was ready to apply the velcro and commit it to my pedal board! The X-Over works great (although I probably won't use it given my preference for a top-end / glassy tone) and the range of tones overall is awesome.
As for the flanger ... that's when I was truly impressed. If this pedal was a standalone flanger without the chorus, it would be worth the price to me personally.
No QC issues here ... typical "whoosh" noises with the flanger since that's what a flanger does, but no "pops" when activating the pedal or anything like that.
