FX60 Stereo Chorus

Original series FX60s from 1983, 1985, and 1988 (above);
second series FX60s from 1989 and 1992 (below)

The FX60 Stereo Chorus was one of the original ten DOD FX-series pedals that debuted in 1982, replacing the Mini Chorus/460 (which used a SAD 512D BBD chip) in DOD's lineup. The FX60's circuit was revised many times (in its final version, it was modified to use the FX65's circuit board), but always used an analog MN3007 BBD chip. DOD manufactured the FX60 into the 1990s, many years after the FX65 Stereo Chorus was introduced, but it was discontinued by early 1993.

• Controls: Speed, Depth
  
  
• From the manual (1987/1989, shared with the FX62 and FX65): "The ... FX60 chorus unit [is a] variable delay unit that gives the impression that more than one instrument is playing. It does this by delaying the sound of the instrument a small amount (4-6 milliseconds) and continuously varying the amount of delay ... [which] changes the pitch of the delayed signal. The delayed, slightly pitch shifted signal is mixed with the original signal and results in the chorus effect. ... The FX60 Stereo Chorus is a two-control knob chorus effect, offering adjustment of the sweep SPEED and DEPTH."
  
  
• Catalog description:1988
  
  
• Historical context: The original Boss CE-2 Chorus is considered by many to be the standard by which all other analog chorus pedals are judged. Introduced in October 1979, the Boss CE-2 was the followup to the Boss CE-1, which was based on the chorus circuit in Roland's highly-regarded Jazz Chorus amplifier. Like the Boss CE-2, the DOD FX60 is an analog chorus (using a MN3007 BBD chip) housed in a baby-blue box, and has controls for chorus rate/speed and depth. Unlike the Boss CE-2, the DOD FX60 offers stereo output (although a stereo 1/4" plug is required) and a somewhat faster maximum chorus speed, allowing vibrato-type effects. In our opinion, the DOD FX60 can be considered as a poor man's CE-2, as it has a similar tone/timbre but can still be obtained for a bargain price in the used market. While the FX60 (and CE-2) ultimately served as the lowest-priced "entry level" chorus pedal in their respective lineups (replaced by the 3-knob FX65 and CE-3, respectively), the FX60 is worthy of consideration to anyone looking for an analog chorus pedal.
  
  
• DOD FX60B variant? In an effort to save money, DOD combined the instruction manual for the FX60, FX62, and FX65 chorus pedals into one booklet in the late 1980s, but mistakenly referred to the "FX60B" throughout the manual. However, no such cosmetic variant was ever produced.
  
  
• List price (Jan. 1983): $89.95
  
  
• Technical info:
  
  
  • Specifications (1983): Input impedance = 500 k Ohms, Output impedance = 1 k Ohms; Gain = 0 dB; Delay Time = 4-6 ms
    
    
  • Specifications (1989): Input impedance = 500 k Ohms, Output impedance = 1 k Ohms; Delay Time = 5-8 ms; Sweep Speed = 0.8-8 Hz; Bandwidth = 40 Hz-16 kHz
    
    
  • Official schematic provided with pedal by DOD (undated, but circa 1984)
    
    
  • Notable IC chips: MN3007 BBD chip driven by a MN3101 clock generator/driver CMOS chip; one TL062CP op amp; plus two more op amps (TLO22, 1458-type, or 358-type)
    
    
  • Internal trim pots: one or two, depending on the year; however, we do not recommend messing with trim pots
    
    
  • Second LED variant: We have seen one FX60 (mid-1985) that featured a second LED on the circuit board, possibly as a lower-noise substitute for a "regular" diode. This extra LED was not part of the original design, as it was not present on FX60s that we've opened up from 1983, 1984, and early 1985. By late 1988, the circuit had been revised again and the LED was gone, probably because the LED was always on when a battery was installed and a cord was plugged into the Input jack. We have also observed a few FX65 Stereo Chorus pedals with a second LED.
    
    
  • Component-side circuitboard images: January 1983 (one trim pot) January 1985 September 1985 (two trim pots plus second LED) October 1988 (one trim pot; same board as the FX65) January 1989 October 1992
    
    
  • Related circuits: FX65, FX67 (loosely based)
  
  
• External links:
  • @ ftp.dod.com - instruction manual (1987), .pdf format
  • @ discofreq's FX site
  • @ harmony-central.com
  • @ noiseguide.com
  
  

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