The Red Witch Empress Deus Chorus is a stereo, all-analog chorus and vibrato pedal from New Zealand-based maker Red Witch. It is a reintroduction of the company's Empress Chorus, a pedal Red Witch calls its most beloved, and according to the maker it gives you access to the exact same sounds and circuit as the original Empress unit owned and used by Andy Summers of the Police12. The range of sounds runs, in Red Witch's words, "from super-spanky sparkling clean to over-the-top sea-sick inducing, pitch bending wobble"1.
The pedal is built around a new-old-stock MN3007 bucket brigade delay (BBD) chip, the classic analog delay line used in vintage chorus designs, and Red Witch bills it as "the most versatile analog chorus ever made"13. When it launched in October 2021 as the Empress Deus Chorus/Vibrato, it was produced as an ultra-limited run of 70 units, each hand-made, numbered and signed, priced at $2493. Red Witch's current product page lists it at 199 USD and shows it as sold out1.
The controls
The Empress Deus carries over the VOICE control from the original Empress. This knob changes the delay time of the chorus circuit, which Red Witch says allows access to an infinite number of chorus pedal sounds in one box1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it the same way: "it lets you change the delay time of the chorus, which allows creating infinite chorus variations"4. Red Witch claims it is the only chorus pedal in the world to offer a fully dialable delay setting2.
A Mix knob blends the wet and dry signals3, and a pair of mini-switches handles mode selection. In Premier Guitar's review of the Red Witch Empress, the first mini-switch controls switching from Vibrato to Chorus5.
The headline new feature is Dark mode. Switching the right-hand toggle to this much darker mode emulates the high roll-off of the classic Boss CE-1, the vintage chorus/vibrato unit the original Empress was long compared against12. Delicious Audio called it "a new 'Dark' mode that simulates the high roll-off of the classic Boss CE-1"4, and Guitar World noted Dark mode among the pedal's new features at launch3.
| Control or switch | What it does |
|---|---|
| VOICE | Changes the delay time of the chorus, opening up a wide range of chorus variations14 |
| Mix | Blends the wet/dry signals3 |
| Mini-switch 1 | Switches between Vibrato and Chorus5 |
| Right-hand toggle | Dark mode, emulating the Boss CE-1's high roll-off12 |
Power: 9V or 15V, 25mA
The Empress Deus runs from either a standard 9 volt DC supply or from a 15 volt supply, which Red Witch says allows more headroom12. Current draw is 25mA12, low enough that it shares comfortably with other pedals on a typical isolated power supply.
History and versions
The Empress line goes back to the original chrome Empress, which Red Witch also lists as sold out6. The Empress Chorus that followed is now discontinued, and Red Witch's page for it directs players to the Empress Deus Chorus Vibrato for all the features and tone of the original6.
The Empress Deus arrived in October 2021. Guitar World reported it as a new-and-improved version of the popular Empress, based mostly on the original Empress design, available then for $249 in a run of 70 hand-made, numbered and signed units3. The original Empress Chorus carries a notable pedigree: Red Witch states it was "USED EXCLUSIVELY BY ANDY SUMMERS FOR ALL THE CHORUS SOUNDS ON THE POLICE REUNION TOUR"2.
The current Empress Deus product page lists the pedal at 199 USD and shows it as sold out, shipping with a limited edition black knob option1. The two prices, $249 at the 2021 launch and 199 USD on the current page, come from different points in the product's life rather than a single current figure.
Both the Empress Deus and the discontinued Empress Chorus are shown as sold out on Red Witch's site as of October 2026, so the Empress Deus is a limited-run pedal rather than a continuously stocked product16.
For players comparing Red Witch's modulation lineup, the company also makes the Red Witch Medusa Chorus Tremolo, the Red Witch Xyolia Choral Phase and the Red Witch Chorus Em, alongside the original Red Witch Empress. More generally, the Empress Deus sits in the wider field of chorus pedals.
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Questions
What does the Dark mode on the Empress Deus do?
Dark mode is a setting on the right-hand toggle switch that emulates the high roll-off of the classic Boss CE-1. Switching to it gives the chorus a much darker, more muted top end, in the spirit of that vintage unit. Red Witch introduced it as one of the new features on the Empress Deus.
Is the Empress Deus the same circuit as Andy Summers' Empress Chorus?
According to Red Witch, the Empress Deus gives you access to the exact same sounds and circuit as Andy Summers' original Empress Chorus unit, plus additional features such as Dark mode. The original Empress was used exclusively by Andy Summers for all the chorus sounds on the Police reunion tour.
Is the Red Witch Empress Deus Chorus stereo?
Yes. Red Witch describes the Empress Deus as a stereo, analog chorus and vibrato pedal, and Guitar World likewise reported it as an all-analog stereo pedal when it launched in October 2021.
What is the difference between the Empress Chorus and the Empress Deus?
The Empress Chorus is discontinued, and Red Witch points players to the Empress Deus Chorus Vibrato as its successor, carrying the original Empress's features and tone. The Deus adds a Dark mode emulating the Boss CE-1's high roll-off and runs on 9V or 15V, while keeping the original's VOICE control.
Sources (6)
- Empress Deus Chorus, Red Witch Pedals
- Empress Deus Chorus, Red Witch Pedals (redwitchpedals.com)
- Red Witch reintroduces and revamps its Andy Summers-favored Empress Chorus pedal for ultra-limited 70-unit run, Guitar World, 2021-10-19
- Red Witch Empress Deus Stereo Chorus, Delicious Audio, 2022-04-10
- Red Witch Empress Chorus Review, Premier Guitar, 2008-05-15
- Empress Chorus, Red Witch Pedals
