Tricera-TOPS in Modulation – Eventide’s TriceraChorus Stomps the Chorusing Competition

Chorus may be one of the most polarizing guitar effects out there. Among many, it’s argued to be the defining trait of cheeseball ’80s pastel-suited guitar pop, bad-boy balladry from the waning days of the Sunset Strip hard rock scene and, for this writer, nerdy fusion guitar solos*.

That being said, it seems like the ’80s are enjoying a bit of a resurgence, and great chorusing never goes out of style. Even the anti-eighties guitar hero Kurt Cobain made judicious use of it. Today, multiple genres of music seem to be embracing “Me Decade” aesthetic and production elements; pointy guitars in bold fluorescent colors are back, as are synths, drum machines (or at least parts that sound like they came from a drum machine) and cool, clean arpeggios that sound tailor-made for chorusing.

Back in the dayglo decade, engineers and producers used Eventide units to add multiple micro-pitch effects to tracks, imparting a dense, ethereal chorus rife with thickness and complexity. Now, Eventide is back at the forefront of this movement, putting that big, atmospheric chorusing effect previously reserved for the studio into a compact pedal form-factor. The TriceraChorus has taken a number of forms over the years, mainly as a plug-in and algorithm for Eventide’s all-in-one H9 Harmonizer stompbox, but now Eventide has given it it’s very own pedal within it’s dot9 pedal line.

The TriceraChorus is built around three core modulation effects; chorus, vibrato and chorale, all based on a combination of bucket brigade-style sounds and Eventide’s classic MicroPitch effect. The chorus and vibrato effects will be recognizable to most, and you’ll definitely hear the depth and sophistication that is the hallmark of Eventide effect engineering in each of those two. You’ll also have five presets right at your feet, with up to 127 in total, which can be managed through Eventide’s computer-based device manager app.

To this writer, however, what really puts the TriceraChorus ahead of the pack is the three adjustable chorus voices that enable the player to create swimmingly deep modulation movement and pulsation across the stereo spectrum. Compared to a standard stereo chorus pedal, players can build wider, deeper, more enveloping modulation tones that were previously only usually available in a rackmount form-factor, something Eventide has become famous for with their rich slate of pedal offerings.

Beyond the usual rate, depth and level knobs you find on most modulation pedals, the TriceraChorus lets you independently control the right, left and center voices, map any control parameters to an expression pedal, choose from buffered, relay, DSP+FX or kill dry bypass modesand integrate MIDI capability through TRS or USB.

You can also dive into the more psychedelic side of modulation with the unique “Swirl” footswitch, which punches your tone into the, well, swirlier realms where flanging, phasing and pulsing Uni-Vibe type tones live. So even if straight chorus still isn’t your thing, the TriceraChorus still offers a ton of options to help outfit your rig.

Chorus may never ditch it’s strong connection with ’80s guitar and music production, but if anyone can present this storied effect in new ways, it’s Eventide. The TriceraChorus is a modulation powerhouse that can wake up any rig; it deserves strong consideration from every musician out there.

*Which I have a huge soft spot in my heart for.

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