I've used both chorus and vibrato (pitch-shifting magnatone-type) in the past and like them both. I don't have either pedal right now -- I'm using a flanger at slow rate and speed when I want chorus-type effects. I'd like to add "real" chorus and vibrato so I'm debating whether to get the Red Witch Empress (chorus & vibrato in one pedal) or get two separate boxes: maybe a CE-2 or a Jacques Meistersinger for chorus and a used Austone Vibrostomp or used SIB Vibromatic for vibrato. Going with two separate pedals would be slightly cheaper (around $250, compared to $300 for the Empress). Space on my pedal board is not an issue - if it were, the Empress would be the choice for sure. Any advantage of going with two separate pedals? Any experience comparing the Vibrostomp's vibrato (I've heard it -- it's great) to the SIB Vibromatic? Thanks.
i had the vibromatic and was extremely dissapointed with it. didn't cop the maggy vibe at all. big changes in tone/volume.
...buy a used Empress (or Uber/Mojo)...the DLS Chorus~Vib is also ALWAYS an excellent choice as well...
The RetroSonic Chorus Ensemble is a good fix. It has great, fat chorus sounds and a very nice, separate vibrato switch. It is a single pedal with not that large of a footprint for the tones you get.
Thanks for all the responses. The Retro-sonic -- I used to own one. It drove me crazy that I couldn't control the depth of the chorus, it just wasn't lush enough for what I want, at times. The Boss CE-2 is my ideal chorus sound. Interesting about the experience with the Vibromatic -- doesn't sound promising. I'll have to try the BBE.
Can't help you on the chorus thing...but if you like the CE-2, get that and a Berhinger UV300 Ultra Vibrato for VB-2 clone. Suprisingly a very nice and cheap vibrato pedal.
What about the old TCF Chorus/Flanger/Pitch shifter? Does everything you want. It's a little cleaner than the CE-2 type chorus, but a great sound and a killer pedal.
The Retro-Sonic has a control for chorus intensity, it's the rate of the chorus that you can't control - just like the original CE-1. It's hard for me to immagine a thicker, lusher, warmer, fuller sounding chorus than the Retro-Sonic (or CE-1) with the intensity full up.
The Mojo Vibe has a Chorus/Vibe switch. The Chorus sound is of course a Univibe replication, which isn't much like a CE-2 but probably has some areas of overlap with one. The Vibe mode does the Magnatone sound pretty well.
My mistake about the depth control vs. the speed control, but the Retro-sonic still wasn't the chorus tone I was looking for; a CE-1 is not the same as a CE-2. Beyond that, I didn't like the vibrato on the Retro -- it couldn't get slow enough, and just wasn't Magnatonesque. Different strokes for us I guess. I guess, when it comes down to it, I'll have to wait and either get the Red Witch (disadvantage would be the inability to use light chorus and light vibrato at the same time, if I wanted to) or get a CE-2 (or something close) and the Austone.
I own the RS chorus and a boss ce-2. The ce-2 fills the void between the RS chorus and vibrato side; it does a slow vibrato and a deeper but slower (less seasick) chorus. I don't know what your defenition of 'lush' is, but the RS is fatter and deeper than the ce-2 and the ce-2 has more shimmer and is more subtle than the RS. Still, I would be looking into other pedals first. The RS sounds better al around and I think the ce-2 would dissapoint you if the RS wasn't what you're looking for...
