Best Chorus Pedal: Endless Vibes, CE-1 Alternatives, and Budget Solutions
From beginner to pro: something for everyone!
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Best Chorus Pedal: Endless Vibes, CE-1 Alternatives, and Budget Solutions · Source: Boss
Depending on your sound, a chorus might not be the first pedal you’ll be in the market for. But when the time comes, you’ll probably want the best chorus pedal! In this list, we’ll take a look at what makes a good chorus pedal and which one is the best one for you.
Don’t Bore Us, Get to the Chorus (Pedal): How Did it All Begin?
While the origins of chorus effects in musical instruments can be traced back to the 1930s, it’s Roland’s legendary JC-120 amp that, in 1975, introduced the guitar world to the effect. One year later, the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble saw the light of day. And it remains, with maybe the exception to its predecessor, the gold standard of chorus pedals.
The one pretty much any chorus pedal at least also offers as an emulation. How is a chorus effect achieved, you ask? The incoming signal is duplicated, and the copy is slightly delayed (between 10 and 35 milliseconds) and then modulated by an LFO. That way, a mix of phase cancellations and slight vibrato creates an often lush and ultra-wide effect.
From The Cure to The Police to Nirvana to an endless number of indie and alternative bands in the late nineties and early aughts, the chorus is a staple effect in many genres. So, what is the best chorus pedal then? Is it one that most closely emulates the CE-1? Is it the widest? The vibiest?
Best Chorus Pedal: What to Look for
It all depends. Case closed, list done. In all seriousness, the best chorus pedal for you might be the worst chorus pedal for someone else. Whether you’re after a close emulation of the CE-1, a versatile modulation monster, or a crossover into Univibe territory, it’s all related to the sound you’re after.
One very important question, not directly related to a pedal’s sound, is one of signal flow: mono or stereo. While chorus pedals lend themselves perfectly for stereo-widening effects or ultra-smooth chorus vibes, many boards are still mainly mono. Chorus pedals with stereo-in and -out might still work in mono, but why spend the extra money on a channel you’ll never use?
Let’s check out the best chorus pedals, strictly sorted by price, as always.
Harley Benton Classic Chorus
If the best chorus pedal is also your first one, and you’re still at the beginning, Harley Benton’s Classic Chorus might be worth a try. It’s a simple affair: mono input, mono output, two dials, and a footswitch. It can also take a 9V battery, so it works on mobile rigs as well.
Don’t be fooled be the width knob, in this case it’s a bit of a misnomer. While Rate sets the speed of the chorus modulation, Width sets the intensity of the effect. Judging from the sound examples, this pedal can easily get you into Andy Summers or Bryan Adams territory. And it’s available at Thomann* for 29.90 euros.
Behringer FX600
If you’ve become interested in the world of modulation effects – phaser, flanger, chorus, tremolo – and you’re pedalboard is already cramped, the Behringer FX600 might be worth a look. It offers all of the effects above, plus a delay and a pitch-shifter. With its four dials, you can easily dial (sorry) in the sound you’re after.
With the knob on the left, Level, you set the amount of effect in your signal. The control on the right changes between different modulation effects. And the two dials in between set different parameters, depending on which effect you selected. Pretty versatile! And it’s all stereo – both input and output. The FX600 is one of the best chorus pedals to start with and you can get it from Thomann* for 35 euros. There is also the Behringer Chorus Symphony*, which is a close emulation of the original CE-1 from Boss, but you’ll have to be patient for a few months until that one is available.
TC Electronic JUNE-60 Chorus V2
It might be time to mention that a chorus effect not only sounds great on guitar, but can change the sound of a synth or a bass dramatically for the better! Roland, having acquired all this chorus expertise from creating the legendary CE-series from Boss, built a new one into their arguably even more famous and impactful synth, the Juno-60. Besides becoming the quasi-industry standard on all things epic, silky soft pad sounds, the synth also turned heads (and ears) because of its integrated chorus effect.
So much so, that, after the CE-1, few other chorus effects have been modeled as often as the one from the Juno-60. TC Electronic did an excellent job with their JUNE-60 chorus, which includes models for both chorus modes from the famous original. It’s also available from Thomann*.
Electro Harmonix Small Clone
It wasn’t just Nirvana, or namely, one Kurt Donald Cobain, who made the Small Clone famous, but he was certainly a driving force. That wonky-sounding guitar solo (if you could call it one) that followed the vocal’s melody in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”? All thanks to EHX’s Small Clone. And Cobain, of course.
First introduced in 1980, the Small Clone stunned many with its super-simple controls and sonic sheen. It’s a one-dial affair: you just set the rate or speed of the modulation with it. With the depth switch, you can choose between a more subtle chorus effect and an almost vibrato-like setting. The Small Stone is certainly a contender for the best chorus pedal, and it can be bought from Thomann* for 95 euros. There is also a smaller and more affordable Nano Clone* edition that lacks the depth switch.
MXR M 234 Analog Chorus
While the five knobs on the Analog Chorus might seem a bit intimidating at first, you’ll appreciate them done the line. Not only do you get separate controls for level (or mix), rate (or speed), and depth, this iteration of the Analog Chorus also includes a two-band EQ.
That way you can shape and control these lush chorus sounds much better. Dampen the highs, push the lows or vice versa – you’ll wonder how you could ever live without it! The Analog Chorus from MXR is available at Thomann* for 126 euros.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors BL-82 Chorus
If OBNE makes a new pedal, you can be sure it’ll be a wildly different take on a known effect. The BL-82 Chorus is no different. It’s a hybrid between a chorus and a flanger, it comes with that unique little diagonal fader the BL series is known for, and it can sound absolutely out there.
So, you’re looking for the best chorus pedal that is also one of the weirdest-sounding (and looking!) ones, this might be the one. While the three knobs are more traditional chorus parameters (mix, volume, and feedback/depth), the Clock fader is where the magic happens. The signal sounds increasingly degraded and broken, the more you turn it up. The OBNE BL-82 can be bought from Thomann* for 209 euros.
Walrus Audio Julia V2
You could argue that a chorus is a chorus and that there isn’t much you could change or improve upon the true and tested effects from Boss. Walrus Audio had other ideas. The pedal not only excels at the usual watery, vibey chorus effects, but it also has a few more unusual tricks up its sleeve.
For instance, the d – c – v knob is a continuous dial between the dry signal, then chorus, then vibrato. While rate and depth will seem familiar to most chorus aficionados, lag (or delay) is a more unusual one. With it, you can change the chorus’s sonic character from subtle to sea-sick. Plus, the waveform switch lets you change between the traditional sine wave and a saw wave. One of the best chorus pedals and also available from Thomann* for 218 euros. Additionally, there is also Julianne*, the stereo iteration of the pedal.
Boss CE-2w
And finally, Boss. The Boss. It might not be cheap, it might not offer as many settings and knobs as other chorus pedals, but this one is the real deal. If you ask around, Boss really nailed the CE-1 sound, this Waza Craft edition includes. Besides the standard CE-1 mode, the CE-2w offers the CE-1 Vibrato and the lusher-sounding CE-2.
Mono input, stereo output, knobs for rate and depth – the CE-2w is a simple affair. But it can sound for days. I hesitate to call it the best chorus pedal, but in many ways its iconic predecessors were what created and implanted the effect in music history permanently. And for a reason. It’s available from Thomann* for 248,- euros.
Conclusion
And there you have it, these are the best chorus pedals – in our opinion. The question is: which one is your favorite? Which secret weapon did we miss?
Let us know in the comments!
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