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View Full Version : Boss CE-1 Chours - Is there an Equal

guitarman1956
03-12-2008, 07:38 AM
The CE-1 is known as the "mother of all chourses". Is there anything that comes close to it?
wahwah
03-12-2008, 08:40 AM
The CE-1 is known as the "mother of all chourses". Is there anything that comes close to it?

I've just put up a video demo of the Retro-Sonic Chorus, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-n-rm0S_80 which comes closer than anything else I've heard, and includes the excellent Vibrato side of the original. I've got an original CE-1, as well as a DC-2 Dimension C, and this Chorus is right up there with them, without the noise, size and impedance mis-matching of the CE-1.


Cheers..........................wahwah
astainback
03-12-2008, 08:51 AM
I have never tried out a CE-1, but from the clips that I have heard, my CE-20 will do it plus more.
Curly
03-12-2008, 09:06 AM
I've just put up a video demo of the Retro-Sonic Chorus, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-n-rm0S_80 which comes closer than anything else I've heard, and includes the excellent Vibrato side of the original. I've got an original CE-1, as well as a DC-2 Dimension C, and this Chorus is right up there with them, without the noise, size and impedance mis-matching of the CE-1.


Cheers..........................wahwah
Great first post, Geoff!

a CE-1 has a great Leslie tone .. this pedal nails that, and the chorus only actually sounds better --- more like a chorus we're more used to now ... I thought the CE-1 chorus was a little warbly, at least on mine.
wahwah
03-12-2008, 09:35 AM
Great first post, Geoff!

a CE-1 has a great Leslie tone .. this pedal nails that, and the chorus only actually sounds better --- more like a chorus we're more used to now ... I thought the CE-1 chorus was a little warbly, at least on mine.

Hey Curly, nice to see a familiar face over here!

There was quite a bit of variance in CE-1's. When I got this Retro-Sonic, it was actually a lot warmer than my CE-1, so I spoke to Tim Larwill, the builder, and he told me that he had based it on the only CE-1 he had. He gave me directions for a mod to disconnect a cap to open up the top end, so I had my tech do the mod and this is the end result. I think it's better than the CE-1 now too. It's quieter and is specifically setup for guitar, which was more like an afterthought with the original. Tim Larwill is making great pedals. I've got his analog delay too, which is identical to my DM-2, but with double the time and a footswitch to halve the time. Just beautiful.


Cheers.............................wahwah
devnulljp
03-12-2008, 10:58 AM
I was just going to jump in, but wahah beat me to it - the retrosonic is the beast you're looking for.
wahwah
03-12-2008, 11:21 AM
I was just going to jump in, but wahah beat me to it - the retrosonic is the beast you're looking for.

Yeah, apart from the fact that the Retro-Sonic sounds just as good as the CE-1, there are other obvious advantages!

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/wahwahwells/IMG_1102.jpg



Cheers...............................wahwah
woude
03-12-2008, 02:48 PM
Hey Curly, nice to see a familiar face over here!

There was quite a bit of variance in CE-1's. When I got this Retro-Sonic, it was actually a lot warmer than my CE-1, so I spoke to Tim Larwill, the builder, and he told me that he had based it on the only CE-1 he had. He gave me directions for a mod to disconnect a cap to open up the top end, so I had my tech do the mod and this is the end result. I think it's better than the CE-1 now too. It's quieter and is specifically setup for guitar, which was more like an afterthought with the original. Tim Larwill is making great pedals. I've got his analog delay too, which is identical to my DM-2, but with double the time and a footswitch to halve the time. Just beautiful.


Cheers.............................wahwah

can you give some details on that mod? Would you like to do a video with a direct comparison between the ce-1 and the RS? I've never heard them side by side! It would be much appreciated! :-)
astigtigas
03-12-2008, 02:52 PM
how bout compared to Analogman Chorus?
Rothbardian
03-12-2008, 02:52 PM
I've just put up a video demo of the Retro-Sonic Chorus, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-n-rm0S_80 which comes closer than anything else I've heard, and includes the excellent Vibrato side of the original. I've got an original CE-1, as well as a DC-2 Dimension C, and this Chorus is right up there with them, without the noise, size and impedance mis-matching of the CE-1.


Cheers..........................wahwah


That's a killer sounding chorus! Thanks for posting. I've been wondering about a chorus that matches the CE-1, and this sounds great!
benjammin
03-12-2008, 03:20 PM
how bout compared to Analogman Chorus?

+1 to this, I've been jones'ing for the Bi-Chorus, is it based off the Boss circuit or is it original to Analogman? Sounds great either way!
jaimo
03-12-2008, 03:29 PM
yep. retro-sonic chorus, that's the one. not entirely noise free in my rig, but a beautiful sound.
andrewi
03-12-2008, 08:58 PM
Another fan of the retro-sonic. I'd been hunting for "the" JC-120 chorus sound for quite a while and totally found it in the retro-sonic. I can't say enough good things about it.
datguytim
03-12-2008, 10:22 PM
+1 : love my Retro-sonic Chorus!!! It's the bomb-diddy CE-1 clone. So rich, so succulent . . . yummy milkshake chorus & KILLER vibrato to boot!!!
cbpickin
03-12-2008, 10:47 PM
I have both the Retro Sonic and the AMan and they are very different sounding. The Analogman is more like the Small Clone, more shimmery and not as thick as the RetroSonic. I can't sell either one because they both have their uses. They are the two best to my ears, but they are pretty different sounding.
I prefer the RetroSonic for clean tones, but I like the way the AMan works with my od's better, so it stays on the board for most gigs.
wahwah
03-12-2008, 11:20 PM
can you give some details on that mod? Would you like to do a video with a direct comparison between the ce-1 and the RS? I've never heard them side by side! It would be much appreciated! :-)

Ok, here's an A/B comparison of the Retro-Sonic Chorus and my original CE-1. The audio kicks in after about 10 seconds where I am showing how I've set up the pedals through a true bypass looper so that I can simultaneously switch between them... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeKon5JC13g Also, wait for the second half of the demo where I A/B the Vibrato side of the two pedals.

Here's the pic that Tim Larwill sent me with the cap in question outlined with a rectangle. My tech disconnected the cap but left it in place. It's quite a packed board, so if you're not good with a soldering iron, I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself, you could easily kill the pedal and you will have no recourse on warranty. It would be worth checking with Tim Larwill at Retro-Sonic for full details.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/wahwahwells/RSChorus.jpg



Cheers...............................wahwah
woude
03-13-2008, 05:49 AM
thanks for that video! :-) They sound really similar, the only difference seems to be that the ce-1 has a tiny bit more topend and a tiny bit more complexity overall, but that's through my headphones.

I might try that mod with mine, the openness in the top end is what I want.
pete kanaras
03-13-2008, 06:01 AM
Retro-Sonic Chorus

very impressive
wahwah
03-14-2008, 11:54 AM
thanks for that video! :-) They sound really similar, the only difference seems to be that the ce-1 has a tiny bit more topend and a tiny bit more complexity overall, but that's through my headphones.

I might try that mod with mine, the openness in the top end is what I want.

Yeah, that's the way I hear it too. I think it has a lot to do with the actual CE-1 that Tim used to design the Retro-Sonic Chorus. But the essence of the CE-1 is definitely there.


Cheers............................wahwah