EarthQuaker Devices Aurelius

The EarthQuaker Devices Aurelius is a digital chorus pedal with three distinct voices: Vibrato, Chorus and Rotary. EarthQuaker Devices says it was inspired by the 1970s Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, and the company describes the result as a digital unit "tirelessly tweaked and fine-tuned" to capture that character¹. It arrived in 2023 and carries a list price of $199 USD²³.

What sets the Aurelius apart from a basic chorus box is its programmability: six preset slots, expression control over three of its parameters, and even Control Voltage input, all in EarthQuaker's traditional compact chassis⁴. Guitar World's reviewer called it "a warm-sounding chorus that's richly textured and comes damn close to sounding analog"⁴.

A digital three-voice chorus inspired by the CE-1

The Aurelius is a digital pedal, but its tonal reference points are analog vintage gear. Its chorus and vibrato tones are inspired by the 1970s Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, the pedal that put chorus on the map for guitarists⁶. The Chorus mode in particular is voiced in part after the CE-1, with tweaks by the EQD team to, as Delicious Audio puts it, "further sweeten and expand the original" sound; the result is described as a blend of chorus and flanger³. Guitar World noted that at lower chorus rates the effect approaches flanger territory⁶.

The Rotary mode comes from a different lineage. EQD founder Jamie Stillman designed it after Leslie speaker cabinets, studying how the horn and rotor moved on a real Leslie and emulating the phasing and speeds of the low-frequency oscillator, "exaggerating the hell out of them"⁷. The result is a rotary chorus that combines amplitude and frequency modulation for a Doppler effect¹.

Vibrato, Chorus and Rotary modes

A mini-toggle on the face of the pedal selects between the three voices⁴. Each is a different circuit design, not just a different knob range:

In Vibrato mode, EarthQuaker says you can go from "a really subtle chorus with a seasick vibrato and alternate quickly between the two seamlessly"¹. MusicRadar noted that in Vibrato mode, dialing the Balance all the way back yields a pure pitch vibrato⁸.

The controls

The Aurelius keeps its layout simple: three main knobs plus the mode toggle and preset hardware. Guitar World praised the "good design and unfussy layout"⁴.

The Balance control changes jobs depending on the mode¹:

• Mode V (Vibrato): adjusts the amount of pitch modulation blended with the dry signal; turned fully clockwise, the dry signal is removed and the effect becomes a pitch vibrato¹.
• Mode C (Chorus): adjusts the level of the modulated signal; clockwise gives a more pronounced effect¹.
• Mode R (Rotary): adjusts the wet/dry balance; clockwise gives a more pronounced and pulsing sub-frequency effect¹.

Guitar World's reviewer noted that in Vibrato mode the Balance control blends the amount of modulation against the dry signal⁴.

Presets, expression and CV

The Aurelius has six programmable preset slots for saving and recalling settings¹. It operates in two modes³:

• Live Mode: the pedal operates exactly where the controls are set, and changes have no effect on the presets unless saved.
• Preset Mode: stored presets are selected with the Preset switch, and the physical control settings are ignored.

One tap of the Preset (Save/Recall) switch summons up to six saved settings, with the operating mode indicated by the color of its LED³⁷. Holding the footswitch activates Flexi-Switch behavior to jump between the pedal's current setting and your chosen preset⁶.

The EXP jack adds two kinds of external control. Any TRS expression pedal can be assigned to control Width, Rate or Balance, and different EXP assignments can be saved in each preset¹. The same jack also accepts Control Voltage, with a CV range of 0 to 3.3V, which opens the pedal up to modular synth and other CV sources¹.

Power and switching

The Aurelius runs on a standard 9V DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel, drawing 75 mA¹². There is no battery option mentioned, so it lives on a pedalboard power supply like most modern digital pedals.

Switching is EarthQuaker's Flexi-Switch Technology: a relay-based, true bypass design that allows momentary and latching switching simultaneously¹. Hold the footswitch for a momentary swell of chorus; press it normally to latch the effect on and off.

What reviewers said

Guitar World's Paul Riario reviewed the pedal and summed up its strengths as compact size, good design and unfussy layout, six user presets, Flexi-Switch tech, and the range of options its three modes provide⁴. His verdict on the sound: "the Aurelius is still a warm-sounding chorus that's richly textured and comes damn close to sounding analog"⁴.

Gearnews' reviewer concluded that "This could be a great chorus for any guitarist looking for a versatile, yet classic-sounding chorus effect"¹⁰. MusicRadar included the Aurelius in its roundup of must-have guitar effects pedals for 2023, noting it "takes its cues from a '70s Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble"⁸.

Where it came from and where it is made

EarthQuaker Devices unveiled the Aurelius at NAMM 2023 and launched it that April⁶. Each unit is hand-crafted in Akron, Ohio, USA², and the company backs it with a limited lifetime warranty: "If it breaks, we will fix it"²¹¹⁹. In the UK it retailed at £225 GBP at launch¹².

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