Beetronics SeaBee

The core idea is a genuine bucket-brigade (BBD) chip whose delay time is digitally controlled. That gives you vintage analog chorus texture on one hand, and on the other the ability to shift pitch in ways Beetronics described at launch as a never-before-heard pitch-shifting modulation effect¹²³. With three Chorus modes and three Harmochorus modes, the maker says the Seabee delivers everything from lush vintage swirl to arpeggiated, pitch-bending patterns, chord-based arpeggios and thousands of randomized sequences⁴.

A stereo chorus with a harmonizer

The Seabee Harmochorus is what happens when a chorus pedal is also a harmonizer. The three Chorus modes handle conventional chorus work, while the three Harmochorus modes use the digitally controlled BBD delay time to shift and modulate pitch, producing arpeggiated patterns and randomized sequences rather than a steady shimmer⁴. Guitar.com's Richard Purvis described the standard Seabee as an analog bucket-brigade stereo chorus with digital control and presets⁸.

Stereo is a big part of the appeal. The pedal has stereo I/O and two stereo output options¹⁶¹¹, and Guitar World's Trevor Curwen named stereo operation as a reason to buy in his review¹³⁷¹¹. For a player running two amps or a stereo rig, that makes the Seabee a modulation centerpiece rather than a mono add-on.

Modes, presets and expression control

The Harmochorus's six modes are only the surface. The pedal also carries 16 onboard presets, MIDI, tap tempo and expression support, which Beetronics says is built for creative workflow and live use¹³. Gearnews noted at launch that the pedal includes complete MIDI control and inputs for expression and tap tempo alongside its 16 presets and two stereo output options¹⁷.

The control layout, as listed by Guitar World:

The Seabee Lite keeps the same workflow backbone in a simpler package: 16 onboard presets, MIDI, expression control, selectable input level and two stereo output options¹⁸. Its controls are Feedback, Rate and Depth, with everything labeled on the surface rather than buried in secondary functions¹⁹.

Expression works on both versions. The Harmochorus supports full expression control¹⁶, and the Lite's MIDI/EXP port accepts an expression pedal¹⁹, so either pedal can be swept in real time or tied into a MIDI rig.

Harmochorus, Lite and Custom Shop versions

The Seabee family has three tiers: the full Harmochorus, the simplified Lite, and individually numbered Custom Shop units²¹²¹.

The Lite's three modes split chorus territory in two useful ways. Chorus mode is a 50/50 blend of dry and wet signal that keeps the original tone intact, while Vibee mode runs a 100% wet signal for a more intense and immersive effect where the filters become more pronounced and expressive²¹¹⁰.

Beetronics hand builds its products in the USA, as Gearnews reported in 2016, and Guitar World lists the Seabee Harmochorus's origin as the USA¹⁴¹⁵.

What reviewers said

Reviews of the Seabee family have been positive but honest about the original's complexity⁸¹⁹.

Guitar.com's Richard Purvis reviewed the original Seabee Harmochorus in March 2023 and gave it 8/10, praising its sounds while finding it fiddly⁸²²:

Richard Purvis, Guitar.com⁸

When the Lite arrived, the same reviewer's verdict improved to 9/10:

Richard Purvis, Guitar.com⁸

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson agreed that the simplification worked, writing that "This Lite Edition is a fantastic take - which carries most everything which made the original great"¹⁹. Gearnews highlighted the build itself, reporting that the Seabee Harmochorus "looks stunning and has a lot of attention to detail in the overall design aesthetic," with the maker going the extra mile in design, circuit board layout and overall quality¹⁷.

On That Pedal Show, the Seabee was demoed in an episode rounding up six pedals, with its introduction at 42:45 and sounds from 45:43²³.

Where the Seabee sits in a chorus lineup

For a player comparing chorus pedals, the Seabee's pitch is depth: it is a chorus that can also arpeggiate, pitch-bend and randomize, with presets and MIDI to recall it all. The Lite gives up the Harmochorus modes but keeps the analog BBD core, the presets and the stereo outs at a lower price, which is the version to look at if you want a straightforward chorus with modern control. Players after a conventional chorus with fewer moving parts have plenty of simpler options in the chorus category, and the Seabee's pitch-shifting side also borders on octave and pitch pedal territory⁴²²⁴.

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