The updated iteration sports a new Dark mode for Boss CE-1-style tones and a versatile Voice control that aims to grant access to "an infinite number of chorus pedal sounds in one box"
(Image credit: Red Witch)
New Zealand-based effects pedal specialist Red Witch has reintroduced a new-and-improved version of its popular Empress chorus pedal for an ultra-limited, 70-unit run.
Arriving in the form of the Empress Deus Chorus Vibrato pedal, the latest offering from Red Witch is said to be a faithful iteration of the original pedal, though is dubbed “even better than before” thanks to some all-new features.
The all-analog stereo pedal, boldly dubbed by the brand as “the most versatile analog chorus ever made”, is based mostly on its original Empress design, which was favored by Andy Summers during the Police reunion tour in 2007.
Other notable guitarists who have used the Empress include Faith No More’s Jon Hudson and Oasis’s Paul Stacey.
Promising to give you uncompromising access to Summers’ chorus tones “and so much more”, the pedal’s new features include a Dark mode – accessible via the right-hand toggle switch – which taps into a much darker mode that seeks to serve up high roll-off Boss CE-1-style tones.
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(Image credit: Red Witch)
(Image credit: Red Witch)
(Image credit: Red Witch)
(Image credit: Red Witch)
As for controls, the Empress Deus features four parameters lifted directly from the original: Mix, Depth, Voice and Velocity. While Depth and Velocity controls dictate modulation speed and intensity, respectively, the Mix knob is responsible for blending the wet/dry signals.
The Voice control, meanwhile, is said to be the pedal’s greatest weapon. Like the original, the Voice knob aims to access “an infinite number of chorus pedal sounds” – though “infinite” may be pushing it slightly – by enabling the user to change the delay time of the chorus.
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Thanks to the ultra-versatile Voice knob, the Empress Deus promises to serve up an array of chorus tones, ranging from “super-spanky sparkling cleans” to “over-the-top, sea-sick-inducing, pitch-bending wobble”.
One further appointment that pays homage to the original is the secondary Vibrato/Chorus toggle-switch, which gives the user access to an eclectic collection of modulation tones.
Only 70 units will be made as part of the super-limited production run, with each hand-made pedal arriving both numbered and signed.
The Empress Deus Chorus/Vibrato is available now for $249.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
