The Freqscene Effects Koldwave Analog Chorus Vibrato is a chorus and vibrato pedal built on the circuit of the Boss CE-2, the classic chorus from the 1980s. Pedal of the Day describes it as carrying "all those classic '80s lush chorus sounds you know and love, but with more functionality, range" than the original, and notes that it goes "a little more depth and speed than the classic CE-2 circuit."1
What it does to your sound
The Koldwave is a fully analog design using a BBD chipset, the bucket brigade device chips that give analog chorus pedals their character. Pedal of the Day found that reworking the CE-2 formula cleaned up its tone: "A lot of the CE-2 muddiness is now gone, too, giving it more of a '3D' tone."1
The pedal also adds a Vibrato mode alongside the chorus. In the reviewer's words, "An added Vibrato mode gives you all the lo-fi, warped vinyl, seasick sounds you could want."1
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the modulation speed; fully clockwise it can do the rotary speaker thing1 |
| Warp | Produces super detuned rubber band sounds; Pedal of the Day calls it "the Koldwave's secret weapon"1 |
The Speed control's range is wide enough that, at its top end, the pedal can imitate a rotating speaker, while the Warp knob pushes the pitch modulation into deliberately unstable territory.1
Power and switching
The Koldwave runs on standard 9V Boss style power only, with a standard 100mA draw, so it needs a proper supply rather than a battery.1 Switching is true bypass via a relay soft touch footswitch, and the pedal marks its Speed LED and bypass status with pink LEDs.1
Pedal of the Day specifies 9V Boss style power only for the Koldwave, with a 100mA draw. A supply rated below that, or a daisy chain already loaded with other pedals, may not run it reliably.1
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict was strongly positive: "If you're looking for prolly the last chorus pedal you'll ever need, the Koldwave is an excellent contender."1
For background, the CE-2 it is based on is itself well regarded: a Pedal of the Day piece on the Boss CE-2 Chorus described it as "a smooth, natural-sounding chorus effect."2
Videos
SpiralCasterPlaysPedals
Sébastien Duhamel
Pedal of the Day and PedalxChange
Questions
Can the Freqscene Koldwave run on a battery?
Pedal of the Day reports that the Koldwave runs on standard 9V Boss style power only, with a standard 100mA draw. No battery operation is mentioned, so plan on a 9V DC center negative supply rated for at least 100mA and avoid sharing a daisy chain with pedals that draw heavily.
Does the Koldwave have a vibrato mode?
Yes. In addition to its chorus sounds, the Koldwave has an added Vibrato mode. Pedal of the Day describes it as covering lo-fi, warped vinyl and seasick sounds, and notes that the Warp knob produces super detuned rubber band sounds.
Where is the Freqscene Koldwave made?
According to Pedal of the Day, the Koldwave is designed, backed and built in Canada.
Is the Freqscene Koldwave true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day lists the Koldwave as true bypass with a relay soft touch footswitch.
Sources (2)
- Freqscene Effects + PEDALXCHANGE.com Koldwave Analog Chorus Vibrato, Pedal of the Day, 2026-04-08
- Boss CE-2 Chorus (Modest Mike modded), Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2014-08-14
