Ibanez BC10 Stereo Bass Chorus

the Ibanez Power Series pocket manual

Features

Although the chorus effect has been very popular for several years with guitarists and keyboardists, the bass player has had less than desirable success in using most chorus units. The reason is that, until now, chorus units weren't designed with the low frequency range in mind. The BC10 Stereo Bass Chorus maximizes effect potential in this region of the audio spectrum. Delay time control range is longer than usual for a chorus type pedal, giving bassists the ability to "tune" in the effect to the lower register. Standard fare for a chorus unit are speed and width controls; the BC10 has both, in addition to normal and inverted stereo outputs.

Principle

Besides audible pitch modulation, other effects such as amplitude modulation, phase shift and comb-filtering contribute to the complex chorus phenomenon. These effects are more predominant on certain frequencies. Changing the range of delay times in the sweep cycle shifts the frequency region affected. Longer delay times allow lower pitches to be chorused. This is achieved by adjusting the delay time control clockwise. The width control sets the range of the sweep as the delay time is swept or modulated, while the speed control adjusts the rate of the sweep cycle.

Use

To experiment with the BC10, start by setting the speed at 3, width and delay time both about half way up. By increasing the width, more pitch shift is heard. Decrease width for a more subtle effect. Increase speed to hear a vibrato effect. Longer delay times help thicken the sound.