TC Electronics Corona Mini Chorus

The TC Electronics Corona Mini Chorus is a mini-format chorus pedal from TC Electronic, announced in 2014 as one of four miniaturized versions of the company's TonePrint pedals¹. It packs the sound set of the full-size Corona Chorus into the same compact enclosure TC Electronic uses for its PolyTune Mini and Ditto Looper, making it a board-space-friendly option for players who want chorus without a full-size box².

TC Electronic describes the pedal's range as running "from subtle swells to full-on Leslie sounds to classic SCF sound and a huge-sounding tri-chorus"³. The stock setting replicates TC's original Stereo Chorus pedal released in 1976¹, and the circuit is listed as analog⁴.

The controls and modes

The Corona Mini keeps the control set down to three knobs: speed, depth and effect level⁵. That is a simpler array than the full-size Corona Chorus, which carries Level, Speed, Depth and Tone controls⁶. On the full-size pedal, MusicRadar's reviewer noted that the FX level knob "enables you to add the slightest touch of chorus to your sound"⁷, and the Mini's effect level knob serves the same role of blending in as much or as little of the effect as you want.

The pedal's modes are where the Mini carries the Corona family's character. TC Electronic says the pedal includes the classic SCF sound and "a Tri-Chorus with 3 chorus engines that run simultaneously"³. The stock setting replicates the original TC Stereo Chorus pedal from 1976¹.

On the full-size Corona, the Tri-Chorus is explained in more detail: MusicRadar's reviewer described it as "a variation of the regular chorus that uses three stereo choruses with various offsets for both depth" and other parameters, to produce what TC calls "a unique, very broad and lush chorus"⁷. The full-size pedal also has an additional switch for on-the-fly activation of the Tri-Chorus in stereo mode⁶; the Mini reaches its modes through its reduced control layout instead.

TonePrint

TonePrint is TC Electronic's system for custom pedal sounds. On the Corona line, the pedal holds a special onboard memory slot, called up by the TonePrint position of the pedal's three-way switch on the full-size version, into which you can import a custom tuning of the pedal⁷. TC Electronic offers a free TonePrint app for Android and iPhone for loading these sounds³.

For the Mini, Premier Guitar's reviewer found that this flexibility was a large part of the pedal's appeal⁸:

Where it came from

The Corona Mini Chorus was announced in June 2014 as one of four miniaturized versions of TC Electronic's TonePrint pedals¹. Vintage Guitar reported that the mini line was "built with the same enclosures as the company's PolyTune Mini, Ditto Looper, and others"², so the Corona Mini matches those pedals in footprint.

The pedal traces its sound back further than its 2014 announcement. Its stock setting replicates TC's original Stereo Chorus pedal released in 1976¹, and the full-size Corona Chorus that the Mini shrinks down was itself introduced in 2011 with a standard chorus inspired by the vintage TC Stereo Chorus Flanger, plus a Tri-Chorus and a custom TonePrint setting⁹.

What reviewers said

Published reviews of the Corona line were positive. Premier Guitar's quick-hit review of the Corona Mini found it an impressive little chorus, with compact convenience and TonePrint flexibility setting it apart in the growing mini-pedal market⁸. Of the full-size Corona Chorus, the Pedal of the Day reviewer strongly recommended the pedal for chorus users¹⁰.

The press coverage of the Corona Chorus Anniversary Edition focused on its look rather than its sound: TC Electronic announced that "this new limited run will come in the classic black colour scheme"¹¹, a change from the standard pedal's finish and the main visual cue separating the Anniversary Edition from the regular Corona Chorus. Those verdicts speak to the Corona line as a whole; the Mini shares its sound set but not its full control array.

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