In April 2022, Behringer posted images and preliminary details of a chorus pedal that appears to be a clone of the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, the stereo chorus and vibrato unit Roland's Boss arm released in 197612. The pedal keeps the original's control set and its very familiar Chorus Ensemble font, but houses everything in a new downsized chassis1. Behringer is known for affordable clones of classic pedals, including the Klon Centaur, Tone Bender and Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe3.
The project has a twist: what Behringer, a German builder of affordable guitar pedals, released in 2022 was images and preliminary details, with the pedal housed on a new downsized chassis, complete with a very familiar Chorus Ensemble font1. This page covers the original CE-1 Chorus Ensemble clone announcement and what was revealed about it.
A Boss CE-1 chorus in a smaller chassis
The original Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble was the first chorus pedal, and it traced its circuit back further still: the same stereo chorus circuit was first issued in the Roland JC-120 and JC-60 Jazz Chorus amplifiers of 19755. TONEHOME describes the CE-1 as based on that Roland JC-120 circuit6. Boss's own history pages note that the CE-1 featured all-new analog BBD circuitry, short for bucket brigade device, the delay-line chip at the heart of analog chorus7.
The CE-1 was designed to work with electronic keyboards and bass guitars as well as electric guitars, and Boss fitted it with a High/Low input sensitivity switch and a Level control knob so it could take a range of sound sources, including microphones78. It was a mains-powered unit with stereo outputs, a feature uncommon in effects pedals at the time, and it offered both chorus and vibrato modes6. Guitar World's modulation coverage notes that it had a second footswitch that toggled between chorus and vibrato, and that the CE-1 added richness and complexity to guitar sounds9.
Behringer's clone follows that template in a smaller box. Guitar World's Michael Astley-Brown described the reveal1:
"appears to be a clone of Boss's beloved CE-1 Chorus Ensemble"
The Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble was made by Roland and was a full unit, not a compact-sized pedal; Boss later gave the design a compact-sized incarnation, the CE-2 Chorus2. The CE-1's circuit was based on one Roland used in their JC-120 Jazz Chorus amplifiers, first released in 197546. Guitar World reported that Behringer's new pedal appears to be a clone of Boss's beloved CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, housed on a new downsized chassis complete with a very familiar Chorus Ensemble font1.
The downsized chassis is the practical point for a modern player. The original CE-1 is a large mains-powered floor unit that JHS Pedals' history of legendary chorus pedals sums up bluntly: "You have to connect it with the attached power cable, but it's worth every bit of the effort and trouble"10. A compact pedal with a 9V jack and true bypass fits a pedalboard in a way the 1976 unit does not.
The controls
Guitar World reported that the clone employs the same controls as the original: Chorus Intensity, Vibrato Depth and Rate, and Level, along with the high and low preamp slider1. The original's chorus side was famously simple, with a single Intensity dial for chorus8, a point guitar.com's reviewer also made when noting that later CE-1-inspired pedals added more shaping.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Chorus Intensity | Sets the depth of the chorus effect1 |
| Vibrato Depth | Sets the depth of the vibrato effect1 |
| Rate | Sets the speed of the modulation1 |
| Level | Sets the output level1 |
| High and low preamp slider | Preamp tone shaping carried over from the original1 |
The pedal also has twin footswitches, and here Behringer made a curious change: they are swapped around compared with the original, with Vibrato/Chorus on the left and Normal/Effect on the right1. On the original CE-1, the second footswitch toggled between chorus and vibrato9, so on the clone the left switch selects the effect mode and the right switch turns the effect on and off.
Power and connections
The power story is one of the biggest differences from the original. The CE-1 was mains powered with a hardwired AC lead610; the Behringer clone instead has a 9V power jack1, the standard arrangement on modern pedalboards. No voltage polarity, current draw or battery details were included in the announcement.
Connections follow the original: mono and stereo outputs are onboard1, preserving the stereo chorus that made the CE-1 notable in 197662. The clone also has true bypass switching1, something the original predates.
The original Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble was a mains powered unit, connected with an attached power cable rather than a pedalboard-style supply610. It was fitted with a High/Low Input sensitivity switch and Level Control knob, and was designed to work with electronic keyboards and bass guitars as well as electric guitars. Behringer's teased clone instead sits in a new downsized chassis, complete with a very familiar Chorus Ensemble font1.
Where the project stands
Behringer, a German builder of affordable guitar pedals, released images and preliminary details of its CE-1 Chorus Ensemble clone, a chorus pedal that appears to be a clone of Boss's beloved CE-1 Chorus Ensemble1. The unit is housed on a new downsized chassis, complete with a very familiar Chorus Ensemble font1.
Videos
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Middle Aged Gear Junkie
Questions
Is the Behringer CE-1 clone all analog?
Yes. When Behringer revealed the pedal in April 2022, Guitar World reported it as an all-analog design, matching the original Boss CE-1, which used analog BBD (bucket brigade device) circuitry for its chorus and vibrato sounds.
Is the Behringer CE-1 clone true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's 2022 report on the announced pedal states that it will have true bypass switching. The original Boss CE-1 predates true bypass switching and instead runs through its circuit when bypassed.
Does the Behringer CE-1 clone run on a 9V power supply?
Yes, according to Guitar World's 2022 reveal. The clone has a 9V power jack, whereas the original Boss CE-1 was a mains-powered unit with a hardwired AC lead, which made it awkward on a modern pedalboard.
Does the Behringer CE-1 clone have stereo outputs?
Yes. Guitar World reported that both mono and stereo outputs are onboard, matching the original CE-1, whose stereo outputs were an uncommon feature in effects pedals when it appeared in 1976.
What do the two footswitches do on the Behringer CE-1 clone?
The pedal has twin footswitches, one toggling between vibrato and chorus and one between normal and effect. Curiously, Guitar World noted they are swapped around compared with the original, with Vibrato/Chorus on the left and Normal/Effect on the right.
Has Behringer announced a price for its CE-1 clone?
No. When Behringer revealed the pedal in April 2022 there was no word on a price or release date, and as of September 2024 Guitar World reported that the unit had not made it to the market. Behringer's released CE-1-based pedal is the Chorus Symphony at $79.
Sources (10)
- Behringer is making an affordable clone of John Frusciante's favorite chorus pedal, the Boss CE-1, Guitar World, 2022-04-13
- Best chorus pedals 2026: Top-rated chorus pedals, MusicRadar, 2022-05-24
- “That same, authentic syrupy sound onto your pedalboard without breaking the bank!”: Having unveiled super-affordable Klon and Tone Bender clones, Behringer unveils a $69 take on the Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe, MusicRadar, 2024-12-05
- “Delivers the OG of bold chorus sounds. We're thrilled to authentically bring that tone back to pedalboards”: Warm Audio debuts its take on the revered vintage chorus beloved by John Frusciante, Guitar World, 2024-09-25
- Classic Gear: Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-08-31
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME (www.tonehome.de)
- The Legend of the CE-1 and RE-201 Preamps, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2023-10-26
- The first Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble ever made has been listed on Reverb for a million dollars, MusicRadar, 2022-09-13
- Everything you need to know about modulation pedals, Guitar World, 2025-01-08
- 12 LEGENDARY CHORUS PEDALS, JHS Pedals
