Visual Sound V2 Liquid Chorus Pedal Review

Visual Sound’s Liquid Chorus circuit uses analog Visual Sound “bucket brigade” chips, created using the same process as the legendary Panasonic Bucket Brigade Delay (BBD) chips. The fact that the company produces its own chips rather than using rare, expensive “New Old Stock” (NOS) allows Visual Sound to offer an analog chorus at a lower, more “digital” price.

Some chorus pedals offer only two controls, Speed and Depth. To these, Liquid Chorus adds Width and Delay Time. The Width knob thins or thickens out the chorus sound, while the Delay control sets the time of the delay sweep. All of this allows you to create a wide range of classic chorus effects. Unlike the H2O from which it is derived, the Liquid Chorus is “true stereo.” Rather than just emitting a dry signal, the second output emits a fully-chorused sound, 180 degrees out of phase with the first output’s effect.

I found that cranking the depth and width with a shorter delay time recalled the lush top-forty sound of two decades ago. A longer delay time combined with a reduced width conjured up the EH Small Clone. Fiddling with the Speed and the other knobs created a variety of Leslie-type effects. All I missed was a blend control that would allow me to add dry signal to the chorus.

The Liquid Chorus offers dead quiet operation, lots of low-end and rich analog sound. Combine this with a street price of under $150—in a market where some analog choruses top out in the $300 range—and you have a pedal that is a good bet for adding a world of swirl to your rig. – MR

Buy If...
you want a versatile, warm analog chorus.
Skip If...
you are “so over” chorus, or need a blend control.
Rating...

MSRP $207 - Visual Sound - visualsound.net