Maxon CS-550 Stereo Chorus Pro pedal review

Lush chorusing with extended control

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MusicRadar Verdict

An extremely versatile chorus pedal in mono or stereo.

Pros

  • +

    Quiet operation; loads of control over the sound in mono or stereo.

Cons

  • -

    Hard to fault with so much adjustment on tap.

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Designed from a brief that stipulated true analogue circuitry, low noise and versatility, the CS-550 has a built-in compander to eliminate unwanted noise and features four-knob operation.

Sounds

Adjustable delay time (which changes the shifted frequency) combined with standard speed and depth controls provides a wide range of sparkle and swirl from classic chorus, rotary speaker emulation and lush vibrato.

Meanwhile a tiny, tucked-away mix control determines the level of effected sound versus the dry signal, so you can have standard chorus pedal operation or blend in really subtle amounts of chorus.

Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.