MC Systems LAX Glass Chorus

If one chorus is good, why not have two?

by Phil O'Keefe

What You Need To Know

• The MC Systems LAX Glass Chorus is housed in a very attractive, industrial-looking case that brings to mind something that came out of a 1960s- or 1970s-era recording studio. The MC Systems Apollo line definitely has got its own cool visual vibe. The case is a subdued dark blue color, with top edge rings that define and separate the top panel's control and switch areas.

   

• The top panel is black; white lettering labels the various control and switch functions, and all the knobs are black with white indicators. As a result, the contrast is excellent and it's easy to see how everything's set, even in relatively dark conditions.

   

• The LAX Glass Chorus measures 3.5" W x 4.875" D x 2" H, including all the knobs, jacks, and switches.

   

• The input and output jacks are located at the top of the pedal, with the 2.1mm center-negative power jack mounted between them. The LAX Glass Chorus can be powered by a regulated 9V DC power supply or 9V battery (neither of which is included with the pedal).

• You access the battery compartment by removing the rear plate. Inside that plate there's a cool plastic clip for attaching the battery clip when you're not using a battery - a very clever idea that avoids electrical tape and possible short circuits!

   

• There are two trim pots inside - one which you can adjust, and one you shouldn't, but before we get to the details about them, we need to talk about the pedal's footswitches.

• There are two footswitches on the LAX Glass Chorus. On the left is the V-Switch. On the right is the Alternate switch.

• The V-Switch is the pedal's true bypass footswitch, but it's one with a twist. It works just like a standard true bypass footswitch whenever the small top panel V-Switch Enable toggle switch is in the right or "off" position, but that changes when you activate the toggle. Once you do, clicking on the V-Switch footswitch softly / gently / slowly kicks the pedal on, and clicking it again bypasses it, as you'd expect. However, if you hit the V-Switch footswitch fast / hard / quickly it engages the pedal with a second "V-Depth" knob selected instead of the primary Depth control, so with just one footswitch, you can go from no chorusing to chorusing - with your choice of either of two preset depths.

   

• The regular Depth knob has a corresponding green LED next to it that illuminates when the pedal is active and shuts off when it's bypassed. A red LED next to the V-Depth knob turns on whenever the pedal's V-Depth knob is active instead of the regular Depth knob.  

   

• Out of the box, I couldn't get the V-Switch to work for me. Time to read the manual! Once I did, I learned there's a small flap cut into the rubber pad on the bottom of the pedal.

• If you lift that tab up, you'll see a small hole that has been drilled through the pedal case, exposing a trim pot. This adjusts the sensitivity of the V-Switch. It took a bit of time to adjust it, flip the pedal, see if the V-Switch worked better, flip it over and adjust it some more, flip it back over and try it again - you get the idea. It would be simpler if the sensitivity control was mounted on top of the pedal, but that's a relatively minor quibble since it's really a "set and forget" type of control.

• The second trim pot inside the pedal is not accessible unless you remove the bottom panel. It's been preset at the factory and should not be adjusted.

   

• Not sure you need two different Depth settings? Can't quite master the fine-tuning and switch technique needed to master the V-Switch? It can be bypassed (turning it into a regular true bypass footswitch) with the top panel V-Switch Enable toggle switch.

   

• What about the second footswitch? It is a regular "this or that" type of switch and lacks the V-Switch properties. It allows you to select between the pedal's two different Rate knobs - a regular Rate control as well as a Alternate "Alt-Rate" control. Just as with the two Depth controls this gives you the ability to pre-set two different Rate (speed) settings for the modulation.

   

• Each of the two Rate knobs on the Glass Chorus has a corresponding "crosshair"-shaped LED indicator. The one for the regular Rate knob is green and the one for the Alt-Rate knob is red. These LEDs remain active even when the pedal is completely bypassed, allowing you to select the Rate you want before engaging the pedal.

   

• As you can see, you can easily set up two completely different combinations of chorus speed and depth. Since the two switches are fairly close together, it's even possible to hit both the V-Switch and Alternate switch with one stomp.

   

• The final knob is labeled Glass. This control is an EQ that brings extra dimension and sparkle to the highs as it's turned up.

Limitations

• There is no stereo output.

   

• The V-Switch can be a bit tricky to set up to your preferences, and in the heat of the moment in a live performance it's easy to forget to finesse the switch click when you want that option. Fortunately MC Systems also included the ability to disable the V-Switch, although doing so limits you to only one Depth setting.

   

• The location of the Alternate switch is where most dual-footswitch pedals would place their main Bypass switch - on the right side of the pedal. This may or may not bother you in the long run, but will probably take some adjustment if you're used to other dual footswitch pedals with the opposite configuration.

Conclusions

In many ways, the MC Systems LAX Glass Chorus is like having two separate analog chorus pedals in one housing. The Alternate switch provides very useful dual footswitchable modulation rates, so it's easy to go from a fast to a slow chorus sound, which is great if you're trying to cop some of the vibe of a rotary speaker.  Although it will require some experimentation and adjustment (to both the pedal's sensitivity trim pot and your footswitching technique) the V Switch is a unique, true bypass switching system with a twist. You really can get two different Depth settings from one switch, although it's not as simple to use as the Alternate switch, so you should expect to have to invest a bit of time getting it dialed up and learning how to get consistent results from it. Kudos to MC Systems for adding a V-Switch enable toggle to make life easier on those who prefer more traditional bypass switch functionality.

It's hard to find anything to complain about regarding the pedal's sound. While it is intentionally a bit brighter and "glassier" sounding chorus effect than some other analog chorus pedals, it's not at all thin or anemic sounding. It has the rich character and faux doubling capabilities that you'd expect from a good analog chorus and it's certainly able to create cool sounds; those who seek a darker, more traditional chorus pedal with a somewhat fuller-sounding low frequency response can consider the MC Systems BSL Hybrid Chorus, which is also part of the same Apollo line as the LAX Glass Chorus. Either way, you'd be getting a solid-sounding chorus pedal that not only gives you dual rate and depth controls but also takes a different approach in both the switching, and the cosmetics. The MC Systems LAX Glass Chorus is more than capable of not only reproducing the sounds of the 80s, but it is also ready to be put to use by a new generation of creative guitarists. -HC-

Resources

MC Systems Glass Chorus pedal ($149.99 MSRP, $99.99 "street")

MC Systems website    

MC Systems product web page    

You can purchase the MC Systems Glass Chorus pedal from:

B&H Photo Video    

Ebay

Amazon

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Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.