James... « very functional hifi chorus »
Published on 10/12/11 at 20:39I actually bought this thinking it wasn't analog, but turns out it is, which is great. MXR has really built a reputation for solid construction and I think in that aspect they are up their with some of the boutique companies. The switches are great and the pedals as a whole just feel very solid. This is a stereo chorus, although I never use that function.
UTILIZATION
This pedal has a few more knobs than some. The bass treble knobs are more there for "in case you need them" situations where certain frequencies do get lost. I don't think they're actually meant to shape the sound in drastic ways. I actually use this with keyboard in addition to guitar. Sounds great for both really.
SOUND QUALITY
Now we all know that like most pedals, a chorus' flexibility is limited to the inherent character it has. Some are more vintage sounding while others have a modern flavor. Others do the 80's thing well. There's all kinds to choose from. I feel the MXR is more in the modern camp, however you can convince it to sound a lot of ways using all the knobs it has. The knobs have a pretty wide range, especially the width control, which I feel is the secret to really shaping how you want the pedal to sound. I think everyone has their favorite chorus pedal that gets the tone they hear in their head, or maybe that cops a certain vibe they hear. For me, the MXR is flexible enough to get a lot of the tones I need. It can do 80's stuff pretty well but it also lends well to more "radio friendly" stuff if you know what I mean.
OVERALL OPINION
To me this is more of a studio pedal than for live use, although I've used it for both. If I could change one thing, I would probably take away the EQ section because I honestly don't use it much. My motto for chorus pedals is that if you have to tweak the bass knob, there's a problem somewhere else in your gear. But hey, this is a solid pedal and I would buy it again with no complaints.
UTILIZATION
This pedal has a few more knobs than some. The bass treble knobs are more there for "in case you need them" situations where certain frequencies do get lost. I don't think they're actually meant to shape the sound in drastic ways. I actually use this with keyboard in addition to guitar. Sounds great for both really.
SOUND QUALITY
Now we all know that like most pedals, a chorus' flexibility is limited to the inherent character it has. Some are more vintage sounding while others have a modern flavor. Others do the 80's thing well. There's all kinds to choose from. I feel the MXR is more in the modern camp, however you can convince it to sound a lot of ways using all the knobs it has. The knobs have a pretty wide range, especially the width control, which I feel is the secret to really shaping how you want the pedal to sound. I think everyone has their favorite chorus pedal that gets the tone they hear in their head, or maybe that cops a certain vibe they hear. For me, the MXR is flexible enough to get a lot of the tones I need. It can do 80's stuff pretty well but it also lends well to more "radio friendly" stuff if you know what I mean.
OVERALL OPINION
To me this is more of a studio pedal than for live use, although I've used it for both. If I could change one thing, I would probably take away the EQ section because I honestly don't use it much. My motto for chorus pedals is that if you have to tweak the bass knob, there's a problem somewhere else in your gear. But hey, this is a solid pedal and I would buy it again with no complaints.