Way Huge Electronics Blue Hippo MK II Analog Chorus

The Way Huge Electronics Blue Hippo MK II Analog Chorus is an analog chorus pedal with a second trick: flip a toggle switch and it becomes a vibrato pedal, removing the dry signal entirely and producing what one reviewer called a fat, Leslie-esque vibrato¹. Built by Way Huge, it was a limited edition, with only 900 units made, and its circuit was designed by Jeorge Tripps².

What makes the MK II interesting to chorus hunters is its delay chip. It uses a NOS (new old stock) MN3007 IC, the same bucket brigade chip found in the original Boss CE-2 and the original Electro-Harmonix Clone Theory². That lineage puts it in the same family as some of the most sought-after vintage analog chorus pedals, at a fraction of what an original CE-2 in good condition typically commands.

What it does: analog chorus and a Leslie-style vibrato

In its standard mode the Blue Hippo MK II is a straightforward analog chorus. Pedal of the Day's Curtis U found that with the depth close to max and the rate around 9 o'clock, "some great slow lush chorus tones (A'la CE-2) can be achieved," and noted that the pedal "doesn't have the age-old issue of making your tone brighter which many chorus units do"².

The mode switch in the middle of the pedal selects between chorus and vibrato, which Curtis U pointed out effectively made it "the only 2-in-1 Way Huge pedal since the Camel Toe"². In vibrato mode the Vibe toggle completely removes the dry signal from the path, so what you hear is only the modulated, pitch-wobbling signal, the effect a rotary speaker produces when the dry source is out of the picture¹.

The range runs from subtle width to full rotating-speaker imitation. Mike B at Pedal of the Day described the span as going "from a normal-sounding chorus up to a fat, Leslie-esque vibrato party"¹.

The controls: Rate, Depth and the Vibe switch

The control set is minimal: two knobs and a switch, plus the footswitch. MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen summarized the design philosophy simply: "Speed and Depth knobs dial in the sound"³.

The Depth control works a bit like a blend in practice. Mike B described it as letting "you decide how intense you want the effect to be, sort of like a pseudo-blend control"¹. Useful starting points from reviewers:

• Slow, lush chorus: depth close to max, rate around 9 o'clock, in the style of a CE-2²
• Rotovibe-style tones: both controls around 1 o'clock, which Curtis U found produced "surprisingly convincing rotovibe-ish tones," useful for comping in blues or jazz contexts²

History and versions: the MN3007 chip and a run of 900

The Blue Hippo MK II is a reissue-era revival of Way Huge's original Blue Hippo chorus, updated with the vibrato toggle that the original lacked. Trevor Curwen notes the MK II "adds a toggle switch to the original version to offer vibrato as an alternative to its standard chorus mode"³. Premier Guitar described it as "a bucket brigade-driven analog resurrection of the original Blue Hippo"⁵.

The heart of the circuit is the NOS MN3007 chip. According to TONEHOME's CE-2 reference, the 3007 chip "was used in the original pedals in the late 1970s and very early 1980s and allows higher levels and less noise" than the alternative chips used in later production runs of the Boss pedal⁶². That is why a pedal built on NOS stock of this chip carries weight with players chasing vintage analog chorus character.

Way Huge decided to make only a limited run of the MK II, and Pedal of the Day put the number at 900 units². At $169.99 with an NOS chip inside, Curtis U considered the price point notable for what the pedal offered⁴.

The MKIII and the Smalls version

The Blue Hippo line did not end with the MK II. The Way Huge manual documents the Blue Hippo Analog Chorus MKIII, which keeps the same core control set: a Speed knob that "sets rate of aqueous modulation," a Vibe switch that "toggles vibrato goodness on/off," and a footswitch with a blue LED indicating the effect is on⁴. The MKIII adds a 2:1 ratio noise reduction circuit not present on the MK II³.

What reviewers said

Published reviews of the Blue Hippo family were consistently positive, with none listing drawbacks for the MK II⁵.

MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen, reviewing the MkII, found that in chorus mode it "offers a similar rich warmth to a vintage Boss CE-2," and went further: "we preferred the Blue Hippo in an A/B test on certain settings, which is saying something!" His verdict on quality and functionality was simply "Excellent"³.

Premier Guitar's reviewer praised the MKII's "pretty, deep, and shimmering analog chorus effects with nuanced modulation curves," called the vibrato circuit "hip," and noted that it "sounds killer with fuzz," listing no cons⁵.

Guitar World's Paul Riario, reviewing the Smalls version, found its "thick chorus and swirling vibrato are incredibly vintage sounding"⁷.

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