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MAXON CS-550 ANALOG CHORUS.
The CS-550 Stereo Chorus was originally commissioned by legendary
Japanese Rock guitarist Hisato "Char" Takenaka. After 25 years of
playing Char still hadn't found a chorus unit that satisfied his
critical tastes, so he approached Maxon to build him one. Char had
requested three specific points be addressed when designing this unit
first that it should have less noise than a standard chorus; second
that it should be extremely versatile; and lastly, that it had to be
analog. The results of this experiment were so overwhelmingly positive
that Maxon decided to market the unit, and thus the CS-550 Stereo
Chorus was born.
The CS-550 offers an entire range of classic and unique new
chorusing effects. Based around the Panasonic MN3207 (low voltage BBD
IC, now out of production), the CS-550's Rate and Depth control can
conjure every chorus texture from subtle to severe. The custom-tuned
oscillator circuit can provide enough speed to authentically imitate
rotary speaker cabinets and just the right amount of modulation for a
lush vibrato that won't leave you feeling seasick.
The real secret behind the CS-550's amazing tone lies in the
Delay Time control. The Delay Time control exhibits an inverse relation
between the delay time and the frequency shift of the chorus - as the
delay time increases, the frequency that is shifted decreases. This
inverse relation creates "double level" and "cancellation" peaks and
notches at particular frequency points to create an amazingly
realistic, three-dimensional chorus effect. In addition, the Delay Time
control is interactive with the Rate and Depth controls, so that if you
increase the Depth, the Delay Time range increases, and if you increase
the Speed, the Delay Time changes faster.
For even more versatility, the CS-550 features stereo outputs
for mono, stereo, or inverted mono signal routing. A rear-mounted Mix
Level control determines the level of effected signal vs. dry signal,
making the CS-550 perfect for use with bass guitar as well. All the
CS-550's features are kept dead quiet by a Signetics #NE571 compander
in the circuit that eliminates unwanted noise.
Discontinued in 2003 due to shortages of the Panasonic BBD's
that power it, the CS-550 was re-issued in 2005 in answer to
overwhelming demand for the pedal! The reissue unit has an identical
circuit to the original with the addition of a 4PDT switch for true
bypass switching of both outputs.
Input Impedance: 500K Ohms
Input Jack: 1/4 inch standard phone jack
Output Impedance: 10K Ohms or less
Output Jack: 1/4 inch standard phone jack (2)
Output: 2
Residual Noise: -100 dB (Level, VR Min)
Maximum Output Level: +5 dB
Delay Time: 0.8 mSec � 6.3 mSe
c
LFO Speed: 0.4 Hz � 8 H
z
Controls: Delay Time, Depth, Speed, Mix-Level
Switch: Normal/Effect
Power Supply: Special AC adaptor
Power Voltage: DC10 V (AC-adaptor)
Current Consumption: 21 mA (10 VDC)
AC Adaptor: AC210N (option) Input: AC120V Output: DC9V/200 mA Center - / Sleeve +)
Dimensions: (whole) 117 mm (W) x 150 mm (D) x 60 mm (H)
AUDIO DEMOS:
 MP3 CS-550 Stereo Analog Chorus Audio Demo 01
HARMONY CENTRAL USER REVIEWS:
Sound Quality:
9
- Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
- Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
- What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
- Is it noisy? On what settings?
- Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
- What amp are you using it with?
This unit's sound quality is simply outstanding. It is the warmest
sounding chorus I've used up to this point. And I've used many. What
puts this unit on top of heap IMO is the blend control that is featured
with the pedal. It lets you blend the amount of desired chorus in with
the original signal. This is a god send for me as I only use chorus to
thicken up my clean tones up a bit. Chorus pedals typically add highs
and thin out the signal a bit and this does not work for me. I set the
speed at almost the lowest setting so that my signal does not modulate
much on sustained chords. Depth is set at around 11:30 and Delay time
at around 2:30. The result is phatt thick pristine clean analog extacy.
Oh yeah, true bypass circuitry is standard on these units.
Sound Quality:
10
- Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
- Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
- What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
- Is it noisy? On what settings?
- Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
- What amp are you using it with?
Sound is more organic than any other chorus I've used. I've owned
several and this is by far the best. Doesn't destroy or change your
tone as much as the rest.
Sound Quality:
10
- Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
- Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
- What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
- Is it noisy? On what settings?
- Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
- What amp are you using it with?
Simple, can you say CE-1. I'm a pedal junkie and this thing is truely godlyke in tone. Its
quiet and very warm. I have a Fulltone Choralflange. It sounds very
good, but the Maxon edges it out in the chorus department.
- Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
- Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
- What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
- Is it noisy? On what settings?
- Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
- What amp are you using it with?
The chorus
is Lush, Watery dripping and stays that way up till the high
end. I thought the Analog Man stereo was great but this beats it IMO.
Its not as dark in the upper regions as Analog Man stereo and has delay
and effect control on the back for Bass players also. A cool feature! I
rate it Numero Uno in Chorus next to the Ibanez BiPhase chorus and over
the Analog Man JMO. A Lush transparent flowing waterfall sound that
doesnt degrade
in high or low range is the best way to describe this. Everything the
505 Maxon was and more.
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