I had both a digital and an analog version at my disposal for a long time. Tbh, the differences are so minor that they will be instantly lost in any mix or recording. As with most pedals there are tolerances in electrical components that can lead to "slightly different" sounds when the settings are the same. Idk, I find it easy to get lost in "slightly warmer here" or "slightly deeper chorus" etc, the difference isn't going to be the make or break on if your playing sounds good or the song/guitar part you write is solid

Your articulate presentations are becoming habit forming . I have been playing for fifty + years, wow... Have collected pedals and amps since the seventies. Your presentations are articulate and presented in a way that captures one's attention. Keep on keeping on young man, good stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Dude! It's impressive how your explanation is concise, yet in-depth. Awesome content!

Excellent explanations of the nuts and bolts of what chorus is!

Ive had a Delta Blues 210 for about 20 years, those peavey classics are sleeper amps for sure. Great demo as always!

My old ears have endured the journey. Played in many a hall in the Delta and up and down the east coast. Done studio work to help shape classic rock. The study of music and a great ear got me there. At my age, on this night, I personally could not tell the difference. I in fact have a CE-5 on my shelf of Boss pedals. Which one? Not sure but am flagging this vid for future references. I too luv the Boss pedals (most). Good stuff young man. Keep on keeping on.

I’m hearing a stronger chorus effect and slightly less treble, “more warmth” from the analog pedal. It’s noticeable even through my phone speakers

Your channel is killer dude! Great video!

Wow, interesting. I own a CE-5 from the nineties. It is the first pedal I bought as a youngling. The right pedal sounded like mine, so I guessed it is the analogue one. I prefered the sound because I am used to it. The other one sounds nice too. Usually I use less depth than in this test and I guess the difference would be even less noticeable. Great experiment!

Thanks. Your channel always brings interesting information. I didn't even know these digital and analog Chorus Ensembles existed! I thought they were all digital. I opened my old CE-5 just before the end of this video and immediately realized that it was an analog model, although I always believed otherwise. It's from the early 90s and has a “wide and detailed” sound range. I've heard that little difference between these two pedals and maybe because of my age I bet the one on the right was digital. Great video!

I don't see how anyone could think the pedal on the right was the digital one. The pedal on the right was soupier, less precise, a hallmark of BBD chips-you can clearly hear the inconsistency in the modulation-and the pedal on the left was more clear and controlled, almost totally pristine, a hallmark of digital. That being said, I wouldn't necessarily say one was better than the other. It comes down to personal taste and the intended application. Two different sounds, both eminently usable, which do you want to use where and when? It's the same thing with analogue delay v. digital delay.

Stoked, I picked correctly! When I heard that the one on the left sounded thinner at the same setting I thought 'that's digital'.

Had know Idea there were 2 versions. Discovered I have an analog CE-5. That's cool!

Great honest comparison, I love the fact you guessed wrong! We need more unrehearsed but professional videos like this \m/ Subbed instantly!

Very good idea to do this. thanks.

just discovered this technical difference! I'm checking mine (that I love a lot too) right now!!! thanks

Nice video dude. I just noticed mine was digital :D I think it was not a bad idea that you added a big muff behind them and see how these pedals roar!

Your channel is very interesting, I subscribed.

Great comparison! Really enjoyed this. Can you touch on what exactly the filter knobs do? Thanks!

After my TC Corona chorus died I dug out my old CE-5 (GK) so must be analog and very happy with the sound. Even though there are so many choices out there I don’t feel the need to go buy another chorus.

Я сразу догодался, что слева цифровой. Правая потертая, а левая новая😂😂☝️💥

The analog sounds nicer. I compared both. If you use output B and put a dummy plug in output A you get a slight vibrato.

What I was hearing was a difference in the attack of the notes. The analog pedal sounded like it was compressing the attack a little.

I heard what you heard on opposite pedals lol. Noticed the high frequencies cutting through on the digital pedal much better and clearer.

Thx for the video! I find it psychologically fascinating that when asked to say which is digital and which is analog, you got them wrong, and then after you know, you mentally say, "Whew; I'm glad those notes that rang out clearer were actually from the analog pedal, so now I can comfortably say the analog pedal is better." I suspect, if a player had someone else swapping between the pedals so the player couldn't see what was going on, with that person trying very hard to get the same tones out of both pedals (ignoring making the dials point to the same positions on both, and instead going on how it sounds), the player wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It's a mental thing to want to BELIEVE old tech sounds better!

That fuzziness you heard it's from BBD circuit, it has a MN3007 inside. All BBD have those subtle harmonics and is nothing you can do about it! On the other side, the digital version has that crystal and noiseless sound, plus a more subtle and pleasant chorus effect. It's like a vinyl vs CD comparison. I like everything BOSS does and I am 100% for digital in matter of modulation, reverb and delay effects. But when it comes for tube screamers, overdrives and distortions I am for pure analog! And by the way, I personally didn't believed you when you guessed wrong! Great video anyway!

I have a CE-5 that's digital and I think it's great. If anything happened to one of my other chorus pedals (CE-2w and MXR Analog Chorus), I wouldn't have an issue using the CE-5 instead. I think it's every bit as good.

best show in KZfaq - I also thought the one on the left was the analog one...

Finally a clean and useful comparison. Subbed of course. Would you consider a more in depth video of the Boss dc3? I know you already did a video but I'd like to listen to it more than a few seconds. I've noticed that the knobs react in a weird way and that a good setup would be Level and Tone at 2 o'clock, Rate below half and Depth 1 o'clock. At least it sounds good on my Behringer clone.

I picked B thinking it sounded warmer, thicker, more wobbly like it should be and BETTER and guessed it was the analogue. I was correct. Was listening on crappy tv speakers too. Good test.

Wild, i thought the same as you. I forgot which was which when you showed the answers. Im confused by the comments saying how the analog one sounded darker and less pristine. I thought the digital one sounded "warmer". Of course, the eq could change this, but wow

The analog CE-5 sounded rounder, whereas the digital CE-5 had more sparkly treble, which might be perceived as too brittle by some. The chorus effect on the analog CE-5 sounded deeper and more 3D.

Analog or vintage tend to be warmer. It's even clearly heard thru KZfaq compression. But without a side to side comparison , it's impossible to tell.

Great comparison - really appreciate you efforts and time. I like the analog better. I had a feeling it was the analog. There is some merit in older technologies. Again, thank you very much brother!

great review, and fwiw, i thought the pedal on the right was analog just based on the oxidation of the rubber stomp-pad! i would say a more objective approach might be to use a recorded series of loops to remove player "bias" as far as dynamics go. but in the end if they're this close so as to involve this depth of analysis, it's not really going to "kill the song" at the end of the day if you were to use one over the other. jmo additionally, i don't think Boss is gonna make such a move in production if they really thought it was going to cost them any business.... just sayin'.

I'm curious to how they sound without the dry signal mixed in. I just got a digital CE-5 and tried to get a vibrato sound by plugging a dummy jack into output B, but the waveform sounded more like a square wave than a smooth sine wave... Maybe that's intentional, but I'm not a fan of how it works as a vibrato pedal.

The one on the right has that 90's chorus annoyingness that is impossible to duplicate digitally.

The analog one is noticeably darker. The digital has more treble. My guess was correct, but then again I wasn't there in the room and KZfaq does a lot of compression.

So funny. People whine about analog vs. digital, then rant about how amazingly great their Strymon, Line 6 or Boss DD-500 is. Great video.

Standing Ovation Excellence Sir well done ,well explained !!!

Day and night! Same diff between the DMM with the same chip and its various modern-day renditions. Vastly prefer the analog versions of the CE-5.

Given that the noticeable difference was only perceptible when you had several knobs cranked, is it possible that the audible differences are due to the potentiometer tolerances of the two pedals being different more than any of the other components? In other words, if you got another digital or analog CE-5 and tried those maxed out settings in another shootout with the same type of CE-5, would you still find differences? An interesting thought. Still, enjoyable video. I didn’t hear any meaningful difference, personally, but KZfaq does have a way of compressing audio.

Analogue is more interesting with sustained notes. Liked the digital with jangly playing.

The digital was clearer and the analog was murky. I was surprised you heard it the other way around. The difference is just a preference thing. Sometimes I think old pedals make me sound old LOL.

IMO, the analog is warmer, clearer, and has longer tails, too. I have a newer model, but have started collecting the analog models for a dedicated board with just ACA power for a vintage board to run through a '72 Peavey Studio 40 Pro (with a FX Loop, and an Unbalanced Out).

Very good the idea! i have a analogic CE-5 its sounds amazing. By the way i thought it was digital.

I have the analog pedal. I bought it new. But I knew which was the analog before you started. The rubber on the pedal had grayed out like an old pedal. The analog pedal has more mid range

Oi! Great work as always…..is there a thing about using an irregular power supply with the analog version, and does it make a difference? I read people talking about using 18v DC with analog version.

The CE-5 is very close but the old CH-1 sounded way better to me, actually useable where I don't like the digital version.

I had a CE-5 but even when switched off, I could hear the effect bleeding through very quietly, so I got rid of it. Now, I _think_ it was the digital version, but it may have been analogue. Anyway, it's something to listen for when buying one of these.

I've never had anyone come up to me and complain... 'Dude, that Boss CE-5 Digital pedal sucks!'.

I scouped up 2 analog (1 pink label CE 5s a while back after they went digital...nothing wrong with duplicates in case one gets fried or stolen

What is your favorite chorus pedal? I've used an analog Boss CEB-3 since on bass '95, and the analog Boss CH-1 was my main chorus for guitar for years, but I recently acquired the Boss DC-2W which is currently my favorite on guitar.

The difference is very slight & not worth tracking down one if you have the other. To my ears the Analog was softer sounding. I have the digital btw & it sounds great on dirt.

I’ve bought another one so I can hear for myself 👍

On the ch1 the analog backs plates are pink

Fun comparison! The digital one sounded brighter and more brittle. Thank you! 😊

Is there a chance the tolerances could be different? Maybe tweak one of the tone knobs to see if they match.

The knob settings aren't going to be the same even if they were both the same kind.

I hear the difference and I guessed it correctly right away!

I thought it was just the CH-1 that durned digital. Learned something new every day. Have you compared those?

This is very good quality video, thanks. My thought was analog on switch A and that was right, i have analog pink label CH1 and CE1 , analog is better.

just like an analog delay the analog chorus is slightly darker. The digital is is crisper and brighter.

I feel a bit better now. I only own one of those analog CE-2s.

I play both guitar and bass, should I get a CE-5 for both or CEB-3 for both?

I looked and found that mine is the analog! Do you recommend that you take the 9volt battery out if you’re going to be using the electrical power supply to power it? Or can you just leave it in there and it gets bypassed?

very interesting. I'll try to pick up an analog one!

Horses for courses. I always have both available depending on the song.

The one on the right has more wear use on the pedal, so I deduced from that that the pedal on the right is analogue...

I notice you have a Small Clone at the back, im considering either the CE-5 or Small Clone, which one you prefer & why?

digital one sounds more warm to me.

Usually analog takes better the overdrives, and digital its like playing with latency or it feels like the sound not come from your fingers and plastic sound. When I try a CH1 digital with an overdrive I sold it and buy the analog mooer ensemble king (CE2 clon), much better than the Boss digital CH1 and it has a mix knob in built too. The only downside in the mooer is the clock noise (its a little but audible compare with other analog devices I own) , but in sound and feel is superior. On a clean situation both they get the job done, but in front of an overdrive, Man... ANALOG all the way!

The analog pedal on the right had faded lettering, which was a dead giveaway.

15:27 only $950 shipping!😲 *Added to cart*

how would you know the difference if buying one?

I got a CE-5 12 years ago. I now know it was the weakest Boss offering. I should have got the Super Chorus. I've used a TC Corona but now have the DC2-w. There's no going back...

Is the analogue version more sought after and worth more money?

Digital one sounds more compressed, like if it had a CS3 built-in.

how can you tell the difference between the two?

For me, lots of times it sounds like digital is on the guitar tone, and analog sounds like its in the tone.

The analog sounds more strong, hi-cut, depth large. Like the CE-2.

It is ironically Sucky that these types of affordable kits are basically the only option for super-green newbies at this and due to the low quality and well..let's call it translation loss, they are the most confusing for someone new!

I use a Super Chorus … it’s from 2005. Is it analog or digital?

In my experience, digital effects tend to sound "glitchy" and analog effects usually have a "warm tone" instead of just sounding "glitchy".

Granted, I would rather have the analog version. But digital is all I could find when the need came, so... digital it is.

yeah the very worn out one is the newer digital one ; )

I got it right.. My luck.. Hahaa.. My mind are thinking about digital delay and analog delay..

I guessed right

Right is Analog.

By the way, you don't have to see the circuit boards to tell if it's analog or digital. The label on the bottom of the pedal will tell you. If it's a colored label like the pink label on the pedal in the video. It's analog.

Analog all the way to me.

idk i think the ce-5 wins this

I thought the digital sounded better.

Thank you for this! My husband bought me a CE-5 for our 5th anniversary, to try and get me back into playing… it took a while but I guess it worked! I was never quite sure if I had the analog or digital… however, I am pretty certain that I have an analog one (the label is grey but the second letter is M, apparently it’s from 1999). Unfortunately I saw your text telling me which was which before I listened to the pedals (maybe next time make it an optional subtitle, or display it at the end of the experiment before the reveal?), but I was unsurprised as the analog one sounds like mine… of course the pots may not be calibrated quite the same as each other and you can’t replicate playing precisely but what stood out to me was a more pronounced, kind of off-centre wobble almost like a vibe throb? I don’t know how to explain it but it sounded more lop-sided than the digital. I like it better but I might be biased! Another way to do this experiment, less fun but more precise, could be to record a track demonstrating a variety of guitar techniques (chords, single-note melodies, fingerpicking, pick strumming etc) and re-amp the same track through two pedals for comparison? Just a thought :)

BOSS CH-1 analog. THE KING OF CHORUS!!!!

Corners Rule.

I don't believed that this is between analog and digital version. The only difference could just be the chip and one is surfaced mounted. But i can say both are analog.

😐😐😐

Imho, guitarists spend far too much time worrying about digital vs. analog or tube vs. solid state. They're all tools to make music.

And then it happens that with a third of the price of the ce-5, you buy a Mooer Ensemble King analog chorus and you realize that it sounds a thousand times better than the two pedals we are looking at in the video😂. In any case, the analogue CE-5 sounds like a chorus should sound, even if compared to other choruses from different brands or to the Boss CE-2 itself the effect is much less dominant and pronounced. The digital CE-5 honestly doesn't even look like a chorus: it's really ugly, cold and has an impersonal and aseptic sound.