The chorus pedals belong to the modulation pedal family. Having been around since the 1970s, the famous watery, shimmery, tone-thickening effect found its popularity in the 1990s with grunge music.
When shopping for music gear, it might be hard to find the right product in terms of features and price.
In this guide, we will review some of the best chorus pedalboards to see which one will get you the most bang for your buck.
How Do the Best Chorus Pedals Compare?
We have put together a comparison table to help you choose the best product. Here we list the differences and similarities between the pedals so you can see which one has the features you need.
| Product | Materials | Sound features | Bypass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donner Tutti | Aluminum-alloy | Depth, level, and rate knobs; no stereo | True bypass |
| Rowin Analog | Zinc-alloy | Depth, level, and rate knobs; no stereo | True bypass |
| Danelectro D-5 Fab | Plastic | Mix, speed, and depth knobs; no stereo | No bypass |
| Biyang CH-10 | Metal | Blend, sprend, and speed controls; stereo effect | True bypass |
| Behringer UC200 | Wood and aluminum | Level, tone, rate, and depth controls; stereo effect | No true bypass |
Donner Tutti Love Chorus — Sweet Spot in the Middle
Design. Donner Tutti Love chorus pedal has a sturdy and compact aluminum-alloy casing. On the casing you have the LED indicator with a footswitch to turn the pedal on and off; three knobs: DEPTH, LEVEL, and RATE; on each of the pedal there’s an input and output jack.
DONNER - Tutti Love (Chorus)
Donner Tutti Love Chorus - Demo Video
Features. Both of the jacks on the pedal are mono. Three knobs allow the user to control the sound in three ways: the LEVEL is for adjusting the volume, DEPTH control the chorus’ depth, and RATE lets the user change the speed of the sound effect.
- Good sound quality. Compact size. Sturdy casing. Additional effect settings.
- Mono jacks for the input and output.
Rowin Analog Chorus Pedal — Sturdy and Efficient
Design. The body of the pedal is made of zinc alloy to provide higher durability during live shows. The pedal comes in eight colors to choose from. The small size of the device is great for portability since it can be tossed almost anywhere.
Rowin Analog Chorus Pedal - Reviews
Rowin Analog Chorus Pedal - Demo Video
Features. Just like with the previous chorus pedal, here you have three different knobs to adjust the sound to your liking. You can tweak LEVEL to change the volume, DEPTH to reach a deeper effect, and RATE to adjust the speed of the chorus. LED light is here to indicate the working state of the device, and you also have a true bypass for zero tone coloration.
- Warm and clear sound, Compact size. Effect settings.
- The power supply is not included.
Danelectro D-5 Fab Chorus Effects Pedal — Budget Champ
Design. The pedal features a plastic chassis. There is a power button for turning the pedal on and off along with three knobs for sound adjustment. The pedal can boast its portability it being on the smallest side.
Danelectro FAB Chorus Demo & Review
Today we have the Danelectro FAB Chorus pedal - Demo Video
Features. The chorus pedal produces a rich vintage tone and offers three sound controls: Mix, Speed, and Depth. Unfortunately, there’s no true bypass switch on the device. Both input and output jack are present.
- Compact size. Versatile tone. Batteries included.
- Plastic build. No true bypass.
Biyang Chorus Pedal, CH-10 — Great Looks, Useful Features
Design. This pedal’s case is built from metal which will surely serve for a long time. Chassis also features a variety of colorful designs to fit in almost any setup. On the sides of the construction, you have input and output jacks with sound control knobs on top.
Biyang Tri Reverb RV-10 Pedal Review Demo
Demo of Biyang's Stereo Tri-Reverb pedal whose lush graceful washes of sound will make you forget any other reverb pedal. Has Hall, Room, and Spring reverbs along with a Intensity A/B mode switch.
Features. The features are what differentiate this pedal from the competitors. To start with, input and output jacks are stereo. In terms of sound control, the users can utilize blend and sprend controls, and adjust the speed of the effect with a fast/slowly switch.
- Classic analog chorus. Stereo input and output jacks. Durable metal casing.
- Higher price.
Behringer uc200 Ultimate Stereo Chorus — Heavy-Duty Pedal
Design. The device has a utilitarian design made of wood and aluminum with a black and yellow finish with input and output jacks on the sides. LED status is present with four knobs for better sound adjustments.
ULTRA CHORUS UC200 Ultimate Stereo Chorus Effects Pedal
In this video, we demonstrate the sounds of the BEHRINGER UC200 Ultra Chorus Effects Pedal.
Features. The pedal produces a thick chorus with a stereo effect. Users also have plenty of ways to tweak the sound in any way they like: there are dedicated level, tone, rate, and depth knobs. And the pedal is also compatible with wireless connectivity.
- Stereo effect. Affordable. Sturdy materials. Wireless connectivity.
- The audio quality may lack. No true bypass.
Bottom Line
Here you have it — some of the best affordable chorus pedals list. You get some good features for the price with many of the pedals having good build quality along with additional perks.
To sum everything up, here’s a quick rundown of the products:
- Donner Tutti Love — aluminum body with the set of the most effective tone settings, a true bypass, but no stereo. That’s where the price meets quality.
- Rowin Analog Chorus — has a good build quality and good effect settings with a true bypass feature.
- Danelectro D-5 — the pedal is on the cheaper side of things. Small and portable, it has almost everything you need, but nothing more than that.
- Biyang CH-10 — rocks the looks for sure, and has the features to back them up. Has stereo
- Behringer UC200 — has the most features out of everything on the list. Also supports a stereo effect and has an extremely tweakable sound.
The Best Chorus Pedal — Buyer’s Guide
There are a couple of things that can point you in the right direction when looking for the best chorus pedal for your needs. These are:
Price. You should have an idea about how much you want to spend on the device. It doesn’t mean that you have to give an arm and a leg — the highest price does not always translate into the highest quality.
Main features. Some chorus pedals may offer different sound controls than others, and you have to decide on which you need the most based on your style. For some, the level and depth are all they need, and others would love to have the speed controls as well.
Additional features. Take a look at what else the devices have to offer. Some of them may not include a power supply. Others may lack stereo sound. Make sure that your new gear is compatible with your setup.
We hope this guide helps you buy the right product. Good luck shopping!
FAQ:
The Donner Chorus Pedal top cap indicates “true bypass”. Users wrote that the sound in bypass mode is clear, without interference.
The volume of the sound when you press the pedal in Donner Chorus Guitar Effect Pedal does not differ from analogs. Therefore, no unnecessary sounds will be heard when using a condenser microphone when recording a guitar.
The main difference between the Donner Chorus and the Boss CE-2 is the way the sound is processed. Donner Chorus is a digital chorus pedal while the Boss CE-2 is an analog pedal. There are differences in pedal design, but it doesn’t matter. The difference in sound can only be heard when using an expensive, high quality amplifier. Therefore, for aspiring guitarists, we recommend Donner Chorus due to its cheaper price.
Donner Chorus pedals originally produced in China. The pedals are made of durable material according to English technologies. Users have no complaints about the build quality and sound.
Donner Chorus pedals support only 9V DC power from the adapter. То batters support.
Traditionally, the sound effects that have the greatest impact on the sound are put in after the rest. Chorus has minimal effect on the sound. Therefore, in most cases, it is connected first. However, it all depends on the style of music.
Yes. Unfortunately, the wires and power adapter are not included with the Rowin pedal.
To power practically any sound guitar device you will need a standard 9V DC adaptor. Usually it goes with a maximum 500mA. The most known manufactures are “D’Addario” and “Behringer”.
The chorus tail will continue to sound even after the effect is turned off. If you play a new sound after turning the pedal off, it will sound unprocessed.
The manufacturer does not indicate how long the battery will last. According to the owners’ reviews, one charge is enough for 24 hours of continuous work.
