# Chorus Suggestions!....



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Like the Title sais, looking for a good Chorus Sugestion. I owned the Boss one..never liked it. and the yellow MXR one, but did'nt like it that much either!..

anyone has a suggestion?


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

I just picked up a Diamond Halo chorus.... I really like it, and I'm not much of a chorus guy. Not over the top, but the phase knob makes for some really nice modulation sounds (or strait phase or strait chorus). Check it out.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

sivs said:


> I just picked up a Diamond Halo chorus.... I really like it, and I'm not much of a chorus guy. Not over the top, but the phase knob makes for some really nice modulation sounds (or strait phase or strait chorus). Check it out.


that's actually the one i was looking at right now on proguitarshop.com, but damn....400$ CND!!!!!


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

You can't really go wrong with a* Small Clone*. Good price, nice sound.

EHX.com | Small Clone - Analog Chorus | Electro-Harmonix


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## Guest (May 7, 2010)

The Small Clone is also a good platform for mods. mhammer does all kinds of cool things with them.

I'll say: Ibanez CS-9. That's still my favourite chorus sound. Does subtle perfectly.


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## sivs (Aug 5, 2009)

al3d said:


> that's actually the one i was looking at right now on proguitarshop.com, but damn....400$ CND!!!!!


I've seen some great deals on them used lately... I'd expect to pay around $210 from TGP if not a bit less. Still not cheap, but it's a great pedal... and if you can find one use and don't end up liking it, flipping it is pretty easy.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

What do you need it to do for you? Is there a special feature set you need?

Apart from feature set, the audible differences between chorus units often boil down to small differences in their delay range. A chorus that sweeps from 2msec to 12msec will sound different than one which sweeps from 3msec to 18msec. That difference can often be mimicked by changing the vale of one tiny capacitor inside.

Do consider the Behringer CC300 Chorus Space-C. Yeah, I know its a Behringer in those crappy plastic boxes, but it is a to-the-dotted-i clone of a Boss Dimension C, and the Dimension C is one of the nicest-sounding, least obtrusive choruses you'll ever hear. If you haven't tried one, search around for soundclips.

The Dim C's strong point is that it employs two counterswept delay chips, such that it is never clearly/only sharp *or* flat, removing one of the biggest complaints that chorus users have - the perceptible "wobble".

Yes, the original and Behringer clone only have 4 presets instead of continuously variable speed and depth, but the presets are well-chosen. Besides, the usual depth and speed controls are really there to compensate for the shortcomings of a chorus design that only uses one delay chip.

And of course, there is the Retro-Sonic CE-1 clone. It sounds decent, and Tim Larwill has done much to the design to avoid the tone-sucking of the original. the chief virtue of the CE-1 was that it employed a different LFO waveform for vibrato and chorus. You can easily extract vibrato out of just about any chorus, but typically the sweep of the LFO is not quite as pleasing in vibrato mode as in chorus mode. The CE-1 fixed that.

The Halo does have a nice sound. One of the nice features is the internal trimpot for adjusting delay range (permitting mimickry of other chorus pedals), plus the availability of vibrato. What I find very useful though, is the inclusion of a Mix control for adjusting wet levels. These days, I pretty much always build it into a chorus, largely because subtelty is a virtue when it comes to chorus.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I'd go with the Boss CE-2 or the DC-2. If you play mostly mono, the CE-2 is gold, but the DC-2 is a different beast that might be just what you're looking for, although it really shines in stereo. CE-2 shouldn't run you more than $100-ish and the DC-2 is around $200.

Also, Ian's suggestion of the Ibanez CS-9 is a good one too.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

One of my favourites is the Small Clone Chorus. Simple and sounds great. Not very subtle though. Two other good ones that I've had experience with are the Dr. Scientist Cosmichorus and The Fulltone ChoralFlange (which you can probably pick-up used for under $150).


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

im not really a chorus guy-
and i know its not a very fashionable brand-
but ive got one of the old danelectro cool cats, runs at 18volts. newer ones run at 9volts-never tried a newer one, but ive read they arent the same.
its a big heavy metal brick, costs very little, and when i feel like playing some 80s style tunes, it sounds really good.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

heres a thread to watch maybe-
Mini - Review Of Chorus ( gasp! ) Pedals... - Telecaster Guitar Forum


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## mspizziri (Nov 16, 2009)

If you don't want to spend a lot the Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus is awesome and sells for around $50


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## CDWaterloo (Jul 18, 2008)

I bought a brand new mxr black label chorus from Long and McQuade. clean: not bad (imo better than boss), crunch and distortion: awesome. true bypass, small footprint, not too expensive ($115). highly recommended.

Btwn, I used to hate chorus too until I played a Roland JC-120. nothing beats it...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

THanks yall for all the comments. i've checked proguitars.com and so far, my choice is between he Diamond Halo Chorus and the Red Witch Empress..


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## KoskineN (Apr 19, 2007)

There is also Dr. Scientist Cosmichorus that is great! I own one and it's the best chorus I tried so far. Might worth taking a look at it.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Some time back, I went with Tim Larwill, who makes the Retro-Sonic pedals, to see Sheryl Crow's guitar player, Peter Stroud, who you see demoing a lot of the stuff in the Pro Guitar Shop videos. Tim was hoping to get Peter interested in the CE-1 clone and maybe get a celebrity endorsement out of it. Peter put the pedal through its paces, and was impressed, but in the end decided to stick with his Moolon chorus. Moollon Musical Instrument Now that was two or three years ago, so Peter might have moved on to another. However, at the time he had access to a LOT of gear, and if that was his choice, then maybe that says something....or not.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

mspizziri said:


> If you don't want to spend a lot the Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus is awesome and sells for around $50


Actually, that is a pretty good pedal for the money. I have one of those kicking around here as well


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## -mbro- (Apr 3, 2010)

The CE-2, Cool Cat chorus and Small clone are nice choices for cheap.


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

Well, I would have to agree with hollowbody and -mbro-. Even though you said you had a Boss and hated it, I have a CE-2 and have always loved it. I also know the Dano Cool Cat is a great chorus, and you should be able to get a used one pretty cheap. They have 2 models, the original one which was 18 volts (2 9V batteries) is supposed to sound great, and the newer model is just a 9v.
-Mikey


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Spikezone said:


> Well, I would have to agree with hollowbody and -mbro-. Even though you said you had a Boss and hated it, I have a CE-2 and have always loved it. I also know the Dano Cool Cat is a great chorus,They have 2 models, the original one which was 18 volts (2 9V batteries) is supposed to sound great, -Mikey


Thats the one I have, the 18 volts model. Do they not sell that one anymore?


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## The Grin (May 5, 2009)

Visual Sound Liquid Chorus

YouTube - Visual Sound Liquid Chorus Demo


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I like the Analogman Clone Chorus and have had one on my board for a while. I don't use a lot of chorus, but when I kick it in, it sounds great.

I got mine used (in mint shape) for $160.00. It's the mini 3 knob version BTW.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

mspizziri said:


> If you don't want to spend a lot the Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus is awesome and sells for around $50


...i second that recommend.

currently, i have the radial tonebone vienna chorus on my board. its a dual analog chorus. lushness personified.

-dh


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I've gone from a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus to a Danelectro Cool Cat and then to the Boss DC-3 Digital Dimension and I think I'm going to get mhammer's Behringer recommendation which is a clone of the Boss DC-2. It's $39.00 and if it could do half of what the DC-2 can do, it's worth it. The price of the DC-2 has hit the roof, some selling for over $200.


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## wintle (Mar 25, 2008)

The old Arion one lives up to the hype, but the prices have crept up lately. I'm not sure it's ever a good idea to spend too much on a Chorus.

Cheers


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

I like my small clone but i'm looking for a Polychorus


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## db62 (Sep 18, 2007)

Scottone said:


> I like the Analogman Clone Chorus and have had one on my board for a while. I don't use a lot of chorus, but when I kick it in, it sounds great.
> 
> I got mine used (in mint shape) for $160.00. It's the mini 3 knob version BTW.


Scottone - I have heard great things about the Analogman Mini with the blend knob and have been looking to pick up a used one - let me know if you get tired of yours.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I know I keep harping on this, but the difference between any two chorus pedals is really really small. Much like those classic small amps that use a 5Y3, 12AX7, and 6V6 tube, there are a bunch of have-to-dos in the design of a chorus that hem in their design in ways that make them strikingly similar.

The single most distinguishing factor between any two choruses is the delay range selected. That delay range, in turn is a function of a single tiny capacitor sitting beside the 3102 or 3101 chip (4047 chip if its a Small Clone or variant) that is used to produce the high-frequency clock that steps the delay chip. If you make the value of that capacitor (a 20-cent piece, *if* that) a little lower/smaller, the delay time will be shortened and the sound moves toward the swirlier side, verging on, but not achieving, flanging. If you make the cap value larger/higher, the sound moves towards the Pat Metheny side of the spectrum. 

It is a fairly simple matter to modify just about any chorus to be more like what you want. If the current cap in there is too large, it's a little more complicated, but not much. If you want a "thicker" sound, you can simply tack on another capacitor to the back of the circuit board without having to destroy anything. Since those caps are small and flat, they can usually be laid against the circuit board, with room to spare between the board and chassis cover. Some choruses will also have enough room inside to install a little panel-mount toggle to select between stock and other ranges. On my Small Clone, I have a 3-way switch that gets me stock, a thicker sound, and a swirlier sound.

If you want to try it out on yours, drop me a PM and I'll talk you through it. Trust me, it's not that hard, and you'll get a "new" chorus for a minimal investment.


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## monty (Feb 9, 2009)

Another vote for the old Dano.


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## whammybar (May 7, 2008)

I agree with the Analogman Chorus but will add get the bigger version with the deep switch. It is the bomb. The finest sounding chorus I have ever heard. At least to these old ears. Gotta have $$$ though cause they don't come cheap. Second choice would probably also be a Danelectro. Thos guys sure have knack at making great pedals.


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