Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble Pedal

The CE-1 Chorus Ensemble was the first device developed independently by Boss in 1976. It was extremely successful among keyboardists and guitarists and set a standard for chorus pedals. Since then, its combination with Yamaha, Fender, and Wurlitzer pianos has been indispensable for sound creation. It also replaced chorus amplifiers such as Roland's JC-60 and JC-120. In 1979, the CE-2 Chorus Effect Pedal was released in a compact form with a new design from Boss and minor changes. Among other things, it has separate controls for chorus intensity and speed. However, it is not stereo. This was followed by a whole series with the CE-3 (1982), CEB-3 Bass (1995), CE-5 (1991), CE-20 (2001), CE-300 (1985), CH-1 (1989), and finally CE-2W (2016).

The CE-1 was the first effects pedal to use the BBD (Bucket Brigade Device) chip, an integrated circuit developed by Philips. "The bucket brigade memory allowed an audio signal to be delayed and mixed with the original signal. By alternately shortening and lengthening the delay time using an LFO, it was possible to achieve modulation. Shortening the delay time raises the pitch, while lengthening it lowers the pitch. This creates a slight detuning from the original signal, which is typical of the floating, sometimes slightly whining chorus sound." (amazona) In addition to chorus, the CE-1 also has a vibrato mode. With vibrato, the effect intensity and speed can be adjusted separately. Both use the same BBD circuit, so it is not possible to use both at the same time. The device can also be used as an overdrive when the chorus mode is switched off. It offers stereo outputs, which was not yet common for effects pedals at that time. The signal-to-noise ratio is only 60 dB.