The Caline CP-505 Wave Machine is a chorus pedal, a modulation effect that splits your signal, detunes a copy of it and blends the two back together to produce a shimmering, widened tone. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in August 2023, describes it as providing "lush, rich shimmering chorus" and says it is "based on a classic 1970's analogue circuit", placing it in the tradition of vintage chorus designs1. It sits alongside Caline's other modulation pedals, including the Caline CP-13 Super Chorus and the Caline G-003 Orca Chorus.
What it does
The Wave Machine takes a single guitar signal and produces the doubled, slightly detuned character that defines chorus. According to Pedal of the Day, it covers a wide range within that: "offering endless possibilities from a subtle watery sheen to full on psychedelic vibrato"1. At one end of its range it adds a light shimmer behind your core tone; pushed further, the modulation deepens into vibrato territory, where the pitch itself bends rather than simply doubling.
A Level control sets how much of the effected signal sits against your untouched tone. Pedal of the Day notes that "an added Level control lets you dial in the perfect amount of the effect to your dry signal", which matters for players who want the chorus felt rather than heard, or who need it to cut through in a band mix1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Wave Machine on 4 August 2023, alongside the CP-506 Multimod, and came away favorable on both1:
"The Wave Machine and Multimod add gorgeous modulation to any rig, creating lush, vintage-sounding tones that ring out for days."
The reviewer's emphasis falls on vintage character: the 1970s analog circuit basis and the lush, ringing quality of the tones it produces. For a player comparing chorus pedals, that positions the Wave Machine as a traditional analog chorus rather than a modern digital multi-mode design, with the Level blend as its distinguishing extra control1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
DanGuitarDK
DanGuitarSE
Questions
What kind of pedal is the Caline CP-505 Wave Machine?
It is a chorus pedal, a modulation effect that doubles your signal and detunes the copy to create a shimmering, widened sound. Pedal of the Day describes it as providing lush, rich shimmering chorus, and notes it can go from a subtle watery sheen to full-on psychedelic vibrato depending on the settings.
What does the Level control on the Wave Machine do?
The Level control sets how much of the effected signal is blended with your dry signal. Pedal of the Day notes that this added control lets you dial in the perfect amount of the effect against the untouched tone, which is useful for keeping the chorus subtle or pushing it forward.
What circuit is the CP-505 Wave Machine based on?
According to Pedal of the Day, the Wave Machine is based on a classic 1970s analogue circuit. That places it in the tradition of vintage chorus designs, which reviewers associate with the lush, vintage-sounding tones they heard from the pedal.
Sources (1)
- Caline CP-505 Wave Machine Chorus / CP-506 Multimod, Pedal of the Day, 2023-08-04
