PastFx Chorus Ensemble Deluxe

The PastFx Chorus Ensemble Deluxe (CED) is an analog chorus and vibrato pedal built as a recreation of the BOSS CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, the pedal PastFx calls "the Holy Grail of Chorus pedals"¹. It reproduces the CE-1's two effects in one box: a lush chorus and a Leslie-style vibrato, using an obsolete 512-stage 1970s bucket brigade (BBD) chip, the same class of delay line the original circuit used¹. Where the CE-1 was a mains-powered unit, the CED fits in a 1590BB-style enclosure that PastFx says is about one third the size and weight of an original¹.

What it does: CE-1 chorus and Leslie-style vibrato

The original CE-1, released in 1976, was the world's first chorus pedal, and BOSS's own history notes it remained available until 1984⁴². It became famous for its chorus and vibrato sounds, with stereo outputs that gave the effect its spacious two-amp spread⁵. Guitar Player's Dave Hunter describes the CE-1 as a unit that "provided luxurious chorus and vibrato," and MusicRadar's buying guide calls it Boss's iconic 1976 unit, later joined by the compact CE-2⁶⁷.

The CED carries both of those effects forward. Chorus mode uses a triangle wave LFO, while vibrato mode uses a sine wave LFO, matching the original's design¹. PastFx describes the result as the CE-1's "lush Chorus and Leslie effect Vibrato"¹. The pedal's preamp lineage runs elsewhere in the PastFx range too: the maker notes that its preamp circuit is the basis of PastFx's Preamp Crunch pedals, and that many original CE-1 owners placed a buffer before the unit to restore high frequencies lost when using the High input sensitivity setting⁸.

The controls and footswitches

The CED keeps the CE-1's control scheme rather than modernizing it. Two footswitches and a small set of knobs do the work³.

Note that chorus is not given independent rate and depth knobs: the single Intensity knob governs both, as on the CE-1. The Depth and Rate knobs belong to vibrato mode¹.

The mods

The "Deluxe" in the name comes from a set of internal modifications, each of which can be switched in or out. These are the features that separate the CED from a straight CE-1 clone¹.

The Buffer Mod is worth understanding before ordering. PastFx says the buffer's activation "can help restore some of the high frequencies" lost when the High input sensitivity setting is selected, the same fix original CE-1 owners improvised with an external buffer⁹. The Stereo True Bypass mod addresses the pedal's stock JFET switching, which is not true bypass, matching the original's behavior³.

Power and connections

The CED runs on a standard pedalboard supply: 9V DC, negative tip, 2.1mm barrel, drawing approximately 110 to 130 mA¹. That current draw is well above a typical compact analog pedal, so it needs a supply with headroom on its 9V outputs.

• Input power: 9V DC, negative tip, 2.1mm¹
• Current draw: Approximately 110 to 130 mA¹
• Outputs: Stereo and Mono jacks; in a stereo setup the wet signal goes to the Stereo jack and the dry signal to the Mono jack³

For stereo, run two cables: the Stereo jack carries the effected signal and the Mono jack the dry signal, giving the wet/dry spread the CE-1 was known for³. A single cable from the Mono jack covers mono use.

History: a compact take on the BOSS CE-1

The CE-1 arrived in 1976 as the world's first chorus pedal and stayed in the lineup until 1984⁴². BOSS notes that although it was discontinued over 30 years ago, it remains widely used by players for its characterful preamp¹¹. Its size and mains power, though, make the original impractical for a modern pedalboard, which is the gap the CED fills at roughly one third the size and weight³.

PastFx has since spun the CED circuit into a small family:

• The Chorus Ensemble MN3007, a modified Deluxe using a NOS Panasonic 1024-stage MN3007 BBD on the same PCB, with the Stereo True Bypass mod now standard⁹
• The Chorus Ensemble Mini, which PastFx calls the smallest recreation of the CE-1 available, using the same 512-stage chip¹²
• The Chorus Ensemble MN3007 Mini, combining the Mini format with the MN3007 BBD¹³

All four run on the same 9V DC negative tip power standard and draw roughly 110 to 130 mA¹.

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