The Universal Audio Brigade Chorus & Vibrato is a compact chorus pedal from Universal Audio that emulates the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, the 1976 pedal that brought chorus to guitar players. It offers the two modes of the original, chorus and vibrato, in a single-footswitch stompbox12.
Universal Audio describes the pedal as a "perfectly captured bucket-brigade circuit" that gives "rich analog chorus and chewy vibrato" with "luxuriant, dreamy textures"1. It is a digital pedal: Delicious Audio's coverage calls it "this digital recreation of an analog classic"2, and it was released in late 2023 alongside the Teletronix LA2A and Flow tremolo compact pedals23.
A Boss CE-1 emulation with chorus and vibrato
The Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble was introduced in 1976 as a mains-powered unit with both chorus and vibrato modes and stereo outputs51. It came out of the Roland/Boss JC-120 amplifier's chorus circuit and became the pedal that defined the effect for a generation of players. The original is a large, heavy, mains-powered box, which is part of why emulations like the Brigade exist.
The Brigade reproduces the CE-1's two modes, chorus and vibrato, in a compact digital pedal12. Universal Audio says the vibrato mode ranges "from sea-sick to subtle," covering faux rotating speaker effects and gentle detuning1. Unlike the original's stereo outputs, the Brigade is mono, just like the CE-1's own mono operation in most players' setups; Delicious Audio notes "it's mono just like it (the Astra is stereo)"2.
The pedal is one of three compact UAFX pedals launched together in October 2023, alongside the Flow tremolo and the Teletronix LA2A compressor32. Delicious Audio describes it as roughly "one-third of the company's big sibling multi-modulation pedal Astra," meaning it takes the CE-1 voice from the Universal Audio UAFX Astra and puts it in a smaller, single-purpose box2.
The controls
The Brigade keeps the CE-1's control layout simple. The front panel carries controls for Rate, Depth and Level, with a switch on the back panel to engage true or buffered bypass and another to bypass the preamp2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets the speed of the chorus or vibrato modulation2 |
| Depth | Sets how deep or intense the modulation is2 |
| Level | Sets the effect output level2 |
| Footswitch | Engages and bypasses the effect |
| Back panel: bypass switch | Selects true bypass or buffered bypass12 |
| Back panel: preamp switch | Turns the vintage preamp emulation off or on12 |
The pedal also has a USB Type-C port for registration and firmware updates via a computer1.
What the preamp switch does
The original CE-1 ran its signal through a preamp section, and the Brigade emulates that vintage analog preamp, which Universal Audio says delivers "fat tones and effects"1. Delicious Audio's coverage explains that the pedal "also simulates the original's preamp, which can be bypassed via a switch on the back"2. If you want the straight chorus or vibrato sound without the preamp's coloration, you switch it off; if you want the fuller, CE-1-style tone, you leave it on.
Bypass and power
The Brigade's back panel switch selects between true bypass and buffered bypass12. True bypass keeps your signal path untouched when the pedal is off; buffered bypass keeps a buffer in the chain, which can help with long cable runs.
Power is where the Brigade differs from a typical analog chorus pedal. It uses a 2.1 x 5.5 mm barrel connector, the same as standard Boss connectors, but it requires an isolated 9V DC center-negative supply delivering at least 250 mA1.
The 250 mA current requirement means the Brigade should not be run from a low-current daisy-chain output. Use an isolated power supply with a 250 mA or higher output.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Input | 1/4" unbalanced TS1 |
| Input impedance | 1 Megohm1 |
| Output impedance | 500 Ohms1 |
| Maximum input level | 12.2 dBu1 |
| Maximum output level | 12.1 dBu1 |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±1 dB1 |
| USB | Type-C, for registration and firmware updates1 |
| Weight (unboxed) | 0.62 lbs, 0.28 kg1 |
What reviewers said
Guitar.com's Josh Gardner reviewed the Brigade in October 2024 at its $219 list price, calling it "an impressive digital recreation of the CE-1 format into something that's tiny and fantastic-sounding"4.
"an impressive digital recreation of the CE-1 format into something that's tiny and fantastic-sounding"4
Josh Gardner, guitar.com4
How it compares to the alternatives
The Brigade is one of several ways to get the CE-1 sound today. The Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble itself is a vintage, mains-powered unit, hard to find and impractical on a modern pedalboard5. The Boss CE-2W Waza Craft reproduces the CE-1's stereo chorus and vibrato sounds in a current-production analog pedal67. The Warm Audio WA-C1 is an analog clone of the CE-1 at a lower price point. The Brigade's angle is digital: it packs the CE-1's circuit, preamp and both modes into a compact mono stompbox with switchable bypass, as roughly one-third of the feature set of the larger Universal Audio Astra Modulation Machine2.
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Questions
Is the UAFX Brigade analog or digital?
It is digital. Universal Audio describes it as a captured bucket-brigade circuit, and press coverage calls it a digital recreation of the analog Boss CE-1. The pedal emulates the CE-1's bucket-brigade chorus and vibrato circuit and its vintage analog preamp in a digital format.
Is the Brigade true bypass?
It offers both. A switch on the back panel selects true bypass or buffered bypass, so you can run it true bypass for a clean signal when off, or buffered to drive long cable runs, much like choosing a dedicated buffer pedal.
Can the Brigade run on a standard pedal power supply?
It uses a standard 9V DC center-negative 2.1 x 5.5 mm barrel connector, the same as Boss pedals, but it needs an isolated supply delivering at least 250 mA. A typical low-current daisy chain output may not meet that requirement.
Is the Universal Audio Brigade discontinued?
Universal Audio's product page lists it as limited availability, while supplies last, as of October 2026. It has not been announced as discontinued outright, but stock is not guaranteed, so players wanting one may need to act sooner rather than later.
What does the preamp switch on the Brigade do?
The pedal emulates the original CE-1's analog preamp, which Universal Audio says gives fat tones. A switch on the back panel lets you turn that preamp emulation off, so you can use the chorus and vibrato effects on their own without the preamp's coloration.
Sources (7)
- Brigade Chorus & Vibrato Pedal, Universal Audio (www.uaudio.com)
- New Pedal: Universal Audio UAFX Brigade Chorus, Delicious Audio, 2023-11-06
- UAFX Brigade Flow LA2A: New additions to UAFX Compact Pedal series, gearnews.com, 2023-10-24
- Warm Audio WA-C1 chorus review, guitar.com, 2024-10-11
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME (www.tonehome.de)
- Boss CE-2W Waza Craft Stereo Chorus, Pedal of the Day, 2025-01-19
- BOSS CE-2w Chorus, Delicious Audio, 2023-10-16
