TC Electronics "TonePrint" Corona Chorus Pedal

Corona Chorus
On one of the recent line of “TonePrint” pedals from TC Electronics.
Price $130 US

Everyone knows the TC name carries a substantial reputation concerning the quality of their digital delay pedals and rackmount gear. The TonePrint series represents a group of pedals that have a small boardspace yet loaded with diverse options and quality. I have the Flashback delay of this series and it is indeed a miraculous little pedal of outstanding features for the money and small package. There is another review here of that pedal as well.

Gave this a 9 on sound as some more boutique analog based chorus units offer that more whacked and thicker analog sound. Rating it any less would not be fair as what is a 10 exactly? There are better chorus pedals to be sure and they cost a lot more, some are not as good as this pedal. If you prefer analog circuit modulation effects then no digital platform will please you. All that said, this is a very good sounding chorus, I would take it over a Boss some tend to worship and this is true bypass, with a lot more modes, plus true stereo in/out.

For a digital this is very fluid and lush. 9 on ease of use because you do need to read the manual to understand how to download and upload new patches.
Easy enough to do just some simple setup issues to make sure it works every time you do it. Some complain or have trouble because they are just not following the easy directions. Sometimes you just need to read the manual, it is 2012.

Every experienced player knows the sonic differences and issues of a digital based platform verses an analog circuit design. Sometimes the limitations of the analog give it unique qualities. In general analog delays are considered “warmer” which is really the analog circuit’s limited bandwidth ability and resulting cut of the higher frequencies, probably not so much a “better’ sound but one most players became accustomed to hearing. Digital platform pedals have improved quite a bit since they were first designed. The delays have improved from a sterile exact repeat to having modulation and filtering to mimic the lo fi of analog. The analog delay limitation has always been ms range, the limitation of digital effects have been a more sterile digital sound and a much lesser depth and organic feel than analog.

All things digital have been improving so much in recent years, the complaint of sterile and low depth of effect like in chorus and flange has much improved. The Corona Chorus represents a better design in a digital platform Chorus pedal. It has a pretty decent depth and thickness for a digital based platform. So much so that if you did not know it was not an analog chorus you might not notice.

Cutting through the usual hype and yada one always finds from the vendors and designers. One finds the Corona Chorus a decent chorus unit. An analog based unit like the Wampler of course sounds deeper and more “liquid” as is itself a rather evolved analog platform along with their delay units. Yet more expensive and there are limitations of the analog as in the ms range, and the different mode array of types of delay and chorus (modulation) types. In short the analog’s can get more whacked than the digital but there are advantages to the digital especially the new tech.

Controls and Options:
The Corona Chorus pedal 4 knob controls to vary the params of the Chorus effect, regarding Speed, Depth, Color/Tone and Level. The toneprint editor affords more options to these controls which some “toneprints’ make use. There is a 3 position mode switch which selects between TC’s classic SCF Chorus and the TriChorus, a modern thick L.A. session fav of the studio, featuring three chorus circuits blending into a very nice rich or “lush” chorus.

The 3rd mode of course offers the “toneprint” option, which varies in accord to whatever you have down/uploaded into the unit via your PC. A relative easy procedure, which involves little more than plugging in the provided USB cable connect to the TC toneprint website, download the patch, and upload it to the unit. (review TC Electronic | All TonePrints for a complete list of available toneprints of noted players).

The frustration one encounters with the Toneprint series is you realize there is a vast depth of edit params in these units that goes far beyond the knob adjustments (which are also set by the interval editor), one has to rely on some co-op patch that TC does with an artist to get different sounding toneprint patches. One longs for the release of a public editor which would allow one to completely customize the pedal for your own personal needs and wants, something far and away really unique and if TC does not open this up, they will keep these pedals limited in scope and one will no doubt be tempted in time to try another pedal.

I tend to like and use the TriChorus mode myself, which has a more deeper and musically pleasing chorus for my ear and use. The SCF mode is that sound most noted to Eric Johnson’s pedal he runs in stereo. It has more of a flange based carry to the chorus. The unit is diverse enough in the std modes to offer a very subtle chorus effect more as an undertone or perhaps with some gain. They can also get pretty rich and deep and there is room to get some whacked out warble modulation if one likes that element of chorus. This is not a rotary or a vibe type chorus but a more refined chorus, the digital platform. Some of the toneprints offer a change from the 2 main pedal modes. It is a matter of ones taste and needs in a chorus. Use it to get a rich clean tone liquid moving tone or a lesser effect than can thicken up higher gains with losing control of the tone.

Not a bad Chorus by any means and within its price range like all the Toneprint series you could pay a lot more and get a lot less.

In my view, the pedal series is good quality and featured for the price range. I would not hesitate to try any of them in the series. A lot of bang for the buck. A very functional musically sounding chorus with enough options and versatility to find something in there that works for you.

If they ever release the editor, the pedals will offer the param depth of larger processor units in a tiny package. I think TC will miss the boat on these pedals if they keep the toneprint restricted to name players, that might be appealing for younger players but for we who like to adjust our own it is a little limiting. Now if they want to get Gilmour to make some delay patches or Eric Johnson to tweak in a Chorus patch, I am all for that. I hope in time they will see getting various names to create patches is a limiting adventure.

That being aside, you have a really good 2 mode chorus here, and the toneprint is just an added mode that you may find something which takes it further. The USB also offers the ease of any software updates in the future which is quite nice.

I like this chorus through my amp loop as I think Chorus through gain sounds terrible to my ear. A Chorus is not a Vibe or a rotary and is impaired in range and beauty into OD or gain but that is up to the user of course. Hearing this Chorus in the amp loop, fed from a front compressor, into a decent amp loop reverb or delay makes for a really beautiful tone. You can get beautiful thick musical sounding chorus tones as well as adjusting it to thicken up higher gain tones. A workhorse of a chorus, something in there for any player. Priced low and great quality.

The pedal is standard 9v battery or power feed supply low mA draw. The battery compartment is unique and very thoughtful design of a large screw that one can turn with their hand to remove the bottom plate.
Inside all the toneprint series (except for the OD and gain dist models) is a bypass or buffer circuit option.