The Providence Anadime ADC-4 Chorus is an analog chorus pedal that uses a BBD, or Bucket Brigade Delay, device internally, the traditional analog way of generating a chorus effect. Providence describes it as delivering a spacious sense of width and depth, along with warmth and thickness, even though its effect output is mono. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in May 2017, heard a warm, lush effect suited both to emulating guitar heroes of past decades and to creating modern sounds, and found the spacious sounds surprising coming from a mono pedal1.
How it sounds and how it works
Providence positions the ADC-4 as an analog chorus in the classic sense: the BBD device delays the signal, and a modulated version of that delayed signal is blended with the dry sound. The maker says the pedal achieves a warmth and thickness that it attributes to an analog chorus, and the mono output still gives a spacious sense of width and depth2.
Pedal of the Day placed it among the choruses that add rather than subtract, writing that the pedal "falls squarely into the former description, providing a warm, lush effect"1.
A special noise reduction circuit is included to give less of the white noise problem sometimes associated with analog chorus effects, according to Pedal of the Day's review1. On the hardware side, Providence specifies a Double Contact Grounding Circuit, which ensures the sleeve of a plug inserted into the output jack is grounded at two contact points2.
The controls: Depth, Speed, Mix and the DEEP switch
The ADC-4 keeps its front panel simple: three knobs and one toggle switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DEPTH | Sets the depth of the chorus effect2 |
| SPEED | Sets the speed of the modulation2 |
| MIX | Adjusts the mix ratio between the direct and modulated sound2 |
| DEEP | Three-way switch selecting the chorus mode (delay range): DEEP, MID or LIGHT2 |
The DEEP switch varies the perceived dimensional depth of the effect. Pedal of the Day describes the three positions as deepest setting up, shallowest down, and a neutral setting in the middle1.
The latest version
The ADC-4 is the latest version of this pedal from Providence, and the notable addition is the Mix knob. Pedal of the Day noted using "the newly added Mix knob to blend in the perfect amount of either a subtle or crazy effect"1. Providence's own description of the MIX control is that it adjusts the mix ratio between the direct and modulated sound, which is what lets the effect sit behind the dry tone at low settings or take over at high ones2.
For players looking at related choruses from the same maker, Providence also makes the Providence Anadime Bass Chorus ABC-1, and the ADC-4 sits in the wider field of chorus pedals built on both analog and digital designs.
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Questions
Is the Providence Anadime ADC-4 analog or digital?
It is an analog chorus. Providence states the ADC-4 uses a BBD, or Bucket Brigade Delay, device internally, which is the classic analog way of creating chorus by modulating a delayed copy of the signal. Pedal of the Day's review likewise describes it as an analog effect built on a Bucket Brigade Delay device.
Is the Providence ADC-4 mono or stereo?
The effect output is mono, with standard 1/4-inch input and output jacks. Providence says that even so, the pedal delivers a spacious sense of width and depth along with the warmth and thickness it attributes to an analog chorus. Pedal of the Day called the spacious sounds surprising coming from a mono pedal.
What does the DEEP switch do on the ADC-4?
The DEEP switch is a three-way toggle that changes the chorus mode, which Providence describes as the delay range, with DEEP, MID and LIGHT settings. Pedal of the Day describes the three modes as varying the perceived dimensional depth of the chorus, with the deepest setting up, the shallowest down and a neutral setting in the middle.
Does the ADC-4 have a noise reduction circuit?
Yes. Pedal of the Day notes a special noise reduction circuit introduced to give less of the white noise problem sometimes associated with analog chorus effects. Providence also specifies a Double Contact Grounding Circuit, which grounds the sleeve of a plug in the output jack at two contact points.
What changed in the latest version of the ADC-4?
The latest version adds a Mix knob, which Providence says adjusts the mix ratio between the direct and modulated sound. Pedal of the Day, reviewing that version in 2017, described using the newly added Mix knob to blend in the amount of effect, from subtle to what the review called crazy.
Sources (2)
- Providence Anadime ADC-4 Chorus, Pedal of the Day, 2017-05-05
- PROVIDENCE, Providence, 2026
