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Boss CE2 Chorus Mod Verdict

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7/20/2000 1:09 AM

Boss CE2 Chorus Mod Verdict

Well, I finally took the weapons to the pedal.....and it sounded pretty weird!! I had a bit of trouble locating the correct link to cut. I'm assuming I found the right one as the direct signal stopped, leaving just the delayed signal. As it's a pitch shifting effect, it was more like a steady whammy wiggle than tremelo and tricky to use at a high effect level as things sound kind of out of tune. I soldered the resistor back in immediately, but after sleeping on it I think I may insert a mini toggle between the res. and the pcb in case I need this strange effect. (I'm recording some wild rockabilly stuff at the mo' and there's room for sick sounds in there!) Oh, nearly forgot, as the direct signal is gone, there is no signal at all if you turn the pedal off. Who knows, it may be a crucial part of my future sound! Then again...
PS. I have a closeup photo of the link to cut if any brave soul wants it emailed to them.

7/20/2000 7:15 AM
Ed Rembold	Craig, Thanks for the heads up on the mod. My thinking is that a "blend" pot, strung between "wet" and "dry" may be more effective Perhaps? Ed R.

7/20/2000 2:31 PM

quote:
"Thanks for the heads up on the mod"

Ditto, I didn't realize it would be a real vibrato --compared to the volume modulating trem I just built. Or did I get those backwards again...anyway, I'll try it.

-Eric

7/20/2000 4:04 PM

quote:
"My thinking is that a "blend" pot, strung
between "wet" and "dry" may be more effective"

Yes, it would be more effective in some ways. However, it would also create some problems unless you opted for a true bypass that sidesteps the entire circuit, rather than one which just lifts the delay portion. To do this, you would clearly have to excise the entire board from the chassis, stick it in another chassis that will accommodate a different footswitch, and jumper Q9's drain-source path.

This way, the mixer stage would always be getting signal from *somewhere*, and bypassing the effect would always result in signal getting through.

If you want to tamper with the CE-2 as little as possible, I think the best compromise is to simply have a "straight-lift" toggle, and repackage the whole thing in a 1590BB with a stompswitch. This will give you regular chorus, vibrato, and a clean straight bypass.

As an aside, this is one of the problems of "minimalist" electronic switching arrangements. When you can easiy and cheaply "cancel" an effect by lifting a single line, it also eliminates implementing other types of controls. Even if they wanted to, there is no way BOSS could have stuck in a balance control that permitted vibrato, using the current switching arrangement.

7/20/2000 7:28 PM
Ed Rembold	Copy that Mark, If I can soure those delay chips, I'd like to build one , and sell my CE2. Ed R.

7/20/2000 11:57 PM
Craig	The effect is like a constant whammy wiggle, so I think I may go the rate-doubling mod previously mentioned, and then have a more useful effect. Great to stomp in at the end of rockabilly solos. (Also good for instant Lonnie Mack!). I've shown a few guitarist friends and they think it's bizarre but love it. Craig

7/21/2000 4:47 AM
Mark Hammer	Given the Rate pot in the LFO, this is a perfect case for applying RG's "LERA" speed-up/slow-down circuit.

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