Build Quality: | |
Hardware: | |
Electronics: | |
Sound: | |
Value: | |
Average: |
Pros:
- Does what it supposed to
- Produces clear tones
- Extremely affordable
Cons:
- Made with plastic
- Tone is not very powerful
Are you looking for a usable chorus pedal that does not cost too much? Do you want to purchase something simple, yet workable? If the answer to these questions is positive, then you are in the perfect place, my friend. I know how difficult it is to trust something that costs less than a good set of strings or a pair of trousers. More often than not such units are not the best and can cause some disappointment. Nevertheless, there are some brands and products that still do their job quite well.
Even though they are inexpensive and sometimes cheap, they perform decently and give you the ability to experiment with the effect you are curious about. Behringer Ultra Chorus UC200 is just like that. It lets you create a chorus at an extremely affordable price and delivers satisfactory results. To ensure that you make the right decision, this article will discuss the features, controls and sound of this pedal and let you explore its capabilities in depth. If you are intrigued, then stay with me and we shall find out what Behringer Ultra Chorus UC200 is capable of together. Let the journey begin!
Features
When talking about the features of Behringer Ultra Chorus UC200, we cannot skip mentioning the design. From far away, you might even confuse it with Boss pedal, that’s how similar they are. It has yellow chassis and black, wide footswitch topped with black knobs on the top part of the stompbox. It is not a secret for anyone that they have copied the appearance (you know from whom).
But that is not an issue or at least a major one. UC200 is built with hard plastic that will last you quite a while unless you jump on it. Of course, it is not as durable as its metal siblings, but it is still rather sturdy. It has a standard size and the connections are pretty typical as well. This baby has two outputs, meaning that it can operate in stereo mode. You can easily plug it in with two different amplifiers and start rocking. This way your chorus will gain more depth and saturation.
It is worth mentioning that it can run on a single battery or a power supply. The battery compartment is located on the bottom of the unit and can be exposed by pressing down the hinges with a ballpoint or something of that ilk. UC200 also has a LED that indicates whether the pedal is turned on or if the battery is still in working condition. As you can see, this stompbox does not have any bells and whistles. On the contrary, everything it offers is straightforward and can be utilized in a blink of an eye.
Controls
When it comes to the actual controls, here UC200 does not have anything extraordinary either. Its knobs are intuitive and self-explanatory, but it takes some time to find your perfect spot. What I mean is that not all settings will work for everybody, but it is feasible to find the properties that suit your style and performance. Even though these controls do not require too much scrutiny and discussion, I will still go down that road and explain each of them in-depth.
The first thing you will see is Level. This tiny fella is can alter the attenuation of your sound and balance out its volume. Next comes the Tone – the most awaited control for many. What it does is that it changes the response of your original signal and allows you to make it “bassy” or trebly, depending on your taste. Though its range is not as wide as with higher-end products, it still works just fine. Then, of course, we have Rate that determines how fast the sweeps in your chorus will be. And let’s not forget the Depth, which modifies the intensity of the effect and enables you to be as subtle or saturated as your soul dictates. UC200 has a wide stomp switch that activates the pedal right away. Now you can see what I was talking about earlier. The simplicity here is next level and if we are being honest, not everybody likes it sophisticated.
BEHRINGER UC200 Sound
Before we discuss the sonic capabilities of the Behringer UC200 Ultra Chorus, there is one thing I would like to point out. This bad boy, though capable, will not substitute your trusty, more expensive apparatus. Yes, it can deliver decent results, but it not the best and deepest chorus you will ever hear. For some, it might even be so, but not every musician will agree. Just keep that in mind and be open about its capabilities. After all, we all look for different things in our pedals.
Now that we have that tiny detail out of the way, we can move on to describing the sound of UC200. This bad boy has a nice range of sweeps, which means you can travel along the spectrum freely. The Depth is probably the most usable and effective out of the controls, as it can really add dimension and intensity to your chorus. Tone equalizes your signal regardless of the position of other knobs (even with zero settings) and helps you accentuate the desired frequencies. As for the Rate, it adds a touch of speed, rhythm and weirdness to the overall sound, which might seem a bit peculiar at first. But it can be really interesting if employed correctly. UC200 can even bark up some Leslie-like tones, which is quite surprising at this price point. And one last thing, it can work with bass guitar as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Behringer Ultra Chorus UC200 is an amazing pedal for the price. It has undergone harsh criticism, but I do not think that it is fair to judge something so roughly when you know how low the cost is. It is definitely worth the money and can be an amazing starting point for beginners. It might even be helpful for gigging musicians as well. Either way, it works! Good luck!
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