MXR M234 Analog Chorus

The MXR M234 Analog Chorus is an analog chorus pedal from MXR that uses bucket-brigade circuitry to create what RockBoard's PedalPedia calls "classically lush, liquid textures that you just can't get with digital circuitry"¹. Bucket-brigade devices (BBDs) are the analog delay chips behind most vintage chorus and flanger designs, and they are the reason analog choruses are prized for their warm, rounded character.

In MXR's chorus lineup, the M234 sits, as MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen put it, "somewhere between the minimalist Micro Chorus and the larger format Stereo Chorus"². It carries five knobs rather than the Micro Chorus's two, but keeps a small footprint that saves pedalboard space³. Premier Guitar listed it among ten affordable chorus pedals at $129 street in February 2024⁴.

The controls

The M234 gives you five knobs: Rate, Level and Depth for the chorus itself, plus High cut and Low cut for tone shaping¹.

The two EQ knobs are what separate the M234 from simpler analog choruses. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes them as allowing "ultimate tone control"¹, and MusicRadar's reviewer called them "putting the tone in the zone"². For practical purposes, the Low cut is the one bass players and drop-tuned guitarists will reach for most, since thick analog chorus can muddy the low end; trimming it keeps the fundamental clean while the effect sits above it.

On the core sound, Curwen found that "juxtaposition of the rate and depth controls gives a wide range of familiar classy chorus tones"². His overall verdict on the pedal was:

He also cited the "small footprint for a five-knob pedal; useful tone controls" as reasons to buy².

Power and connections

The M234 runs on a 9V DC center-negative supply drawing 13mA¹, or on one 9-volt battery installed by removing the bottom plate³. The 13mA draw is modest by pedal standards, so it is easy on multi-output power supplies.

Connections are straightforward: a standard 1/4" input jack⁵, a Mono OUTPUT jack for your amplifier, and a THRU OUTPUT jack for sending the signal to a second destination³. The pedal is mono, not stereo⁶; players who want a stereo chorus from MXR should look at the MXR Stereo Chorus or the MXR M-134 Stereo Chorus.

The bypass is buffered, not true bypass³. MXR's manual lists the noise floor at -106 dBV A-weighted in bypass and -96 dBV A-weighted with the effect on, measured with tone controls centered and all others at maximum³. Like all MXR pedals, it comes in a heavy-duty housing with durable jacks and switches built for road use¹.

Where it came from and who it suits

The M234 continues MXR's long-running analog chorus line, positioned as the mid-size option between the MXR Micro Chorus and the stereo models². Vintage Guitar magazine reviewed it alongside the M87 Bass Compressor and concluded:

That breadth is worth noting: the High and Low cut knobs mean the pedal is not limited to guitar. Bass players can trim the lows so the chorus affects only the upper harmonics, and synth players can use it as a warm analog modulation source¹⁵.

For a player comparing options, the choice within MXR's own range comes down to control count and outputs: the Micro Chorus is smaller with fewer knobs, the Stereo Chorus is bigger with stereo outputs, and the M234 splits the difference with tone controls in a compact box². MusicRadar's 2026 chorus buying guide lists the M234 as mono with buffered bypass at 9V and 13mA⁶, consistent with the maker's own specifications.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions