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What is missing from chorus pedals?

bongomania

bongomania

Commercial User
Oct 17, 2005
35,688
3,917
PDX, OR
www.ovnilab.com
Disclosures
owner, OVNIFX and OVNILabs
#1
When you use or shop for a chorus pedal, is there any feature or flavor you WISH it had?

I know tiny micro size is the main request, but is there anything about the chorus effect itself that could make it more exciting to you?
 
#2
One thing I like is when there's a blend knob on the chorus. Sometimes I like to set the effect to an obnoxious level and then use the blend knob to mix in just a little.

Also, some choruses take out too much low end. The blend knob lets me mix some low end back into the tone.
 
#4
LeonD said:
One thing I like is when there's a blend knob on the chorus. Sometimes I like to set the effect to an obnoxious level and then use the blend knob to mix in just a little.

Also, some choruses take out too much low end. The blend knob lets me mix some low end back into the tone.
Click to expand...

That's been my observation, as well. I could do without a blend but some form of compensation, like the Diamond Comp's EQ "tilt", would be useful in my opinion.

Riis
 
#5
+1 on blend functionality, although I prefer the Polytope's method of having separate "clean" and "effect" volume knobs for extra flexibility.

The main thing I would like to see is a knob or switch that allows to select between a more shimmery, trebly chorus (possibly even including a subtle high octave, like the Polytope) and a deeper, classic chorus sound, but with both sounds being of good enough quality to actually use. I love a deep chorus, but I'm now too accustomed to being able to use the Polytope's shimmery, high-end emphasis to make upper-register parts stand out (really "pops" with with dirt too).
 
#6
What I want most out of a chorus pedal is LUSHNESS and its ability to be pronounced. I find the really subtle choruses get very lost in the mix when engaged. I want people to be able to tell I just stepped on something. That is the biggest thing I look for in a chorus, the depth I guess. And how well it performs the more you turn that knob. The IE Poly was an awesome chorus but now that I have an SA Orbital, a Small Clone coming and a POG2, Im straight with chorus. I think these are three pedals that really excel at pronounced and lush chorus.
 
#7
Cool! You are taking aim at workhorse effects for the real player, which I am usually all about. That said, I would want an optional sag control or some other interesting filter that could be dialed in either musical/useful or weird/fun. Chorus by itself is just not very interesting to me; I always end up stacking it with other things, and I dislike pedals that need other pedals.
 
#8
Just get the Jam Waterfall and be done with if! Oh yeah, true wet/dry blend pedals, like the Mosquite Blender do wonders too, instantly make all your cheap pedals on par with their more expensive counterparts.
 
#9
jumblemind said:
Cool! You are taking aim at workhorse effects for the real player, which I am usually all about. That said, I would want an optional sag control or some other interesting filter that could be dialed in either musical/useful or weird/fun. Chorus by itself is just not very interesting to me; I always end up stacking it with other things, and I dislike pedals that need other pedals.
Click to expand...

I'll add a +1 to this as well. Since there are so many modulation effects out there, and board space is so limited, I don't buy a pedal unless it can both handle the "traditional" use of the effect as well as offer some more interesting/unique tones or other functionality. The Polytope has been a fixture on my board since it sounds nice as subtle chorus but also has tons of odd sounds on tap (and it goes nuts with fuzz).
 
#12
FWIW, my point of reference is an Analogman mini chorus with deep mod. I love the mix (25-75% blend) feature, and really don't miss having any controls besides rate and depth.

That being said, a volume knob would be a nice addition (I really like the volume control on Retro-Sonic's phaser, something most small-box phasers, flangers, choruses, etc. lack).

Would it be possible to add a filter knob that determines which frequencies are "chorused"? In other words, you could feed in the high frequencies for clean fundamentals with a shimmering top end, or feed in the low frequencies for a deeper wobble (similar to AM's deep mod).
 
#14
Charley Umbria said:
FWIW, my point of reference is an Analogman mini chorus with deep mod. I love the mix (25-75% blend) feature, and really don't miss having any controls besides rate and depth.

That being said, a volume knob would be a nice addition (I really like the volume control on Retro-Sonic's phaser, something most small-box phasers, flangers, choruses, etc. lack).

Would it be possible to add a filter knob that determines which frequencies are "chorused"? In other words, you could feed in the high frequencies for clean fundamentals with a shimmering top end, or feed in the low frequencies for a deeper wobble (similar to AM's deep mod).
Click to expand...

The Polytope has a filter knob for roughly that purpose. I believe some others do as well.
 
#17
I think I'm pretty much done with buying dedicated chorus pedals. The hardwire reverb and delay pedals sound great on the mod settings. For that nothing but "chorus" sound I've been using the whammy iv(soon to be replaced by the new bass whammy) my favorite is the hardwire rv7 because most of the time i use chorus it's when i also want a little reverb. I'm really not into that 80s type chorus sound.
 
#18
Delay should go from flanging through chorus all the way to quick slap.
Sweep speed from very slow to very fast.
Sweep depth from subtle to insane.
Sweep wavefrom from square to sin and in between, maybe random S&H style too.
Regen/feedback set so it can go into self oscillation.
Hold switch.
Stereo or dual mono switchable.
Mix.
A "Dimension D" button.
 
#19
I suppose features that would really get me interested would be a dry blend, a simple tilt style EQ post effect to compensate for any low end loss, a speed indicator LED and a lush, rich chorus sound. I typically prefer chorus pedals that aren't too subtle; like gregmon said, I find if it's too subtle, while it may sound excellent by itself, it gets lost in the mix.

Charley's idea about a crossover is interesting, it would be pretty cool to be able to send only my high frequencies to the chorus effect and have my lows pass untouched.
 

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