Visual Sound H2O Liquid Chorus & Echo

I started with the suggested settings that can be found on the website. They were very helpful in finding out how this pedal sounds at different levels and gave me a good jumping off point. The knobs are not hyper-sensitive, but still offer a wide range of tones. I get a consistant sound out of both sides, I don't have to worry if a knob is knocked a slight amount.

I like the chorus for its fast leslie sound, and its classic chorus sound. It can get that Charlie Hunter/John Scofield leslie sound. It can also get Mike Stern/John Ambercrombie tones. It can mimic Andy Summers very well, too. Lots of diversity in the chorus, and always very musical. There is some extra noise from the chorus side, but mine is used, so hopefully its not a problem with all of them. The delay side is great, it doesnt sound cold. Because of the warmth, it gets a great echo sound, from one tasteful repeat, to a few big echoes. This is the delay you want if you're going for taste. If you want a big loop, this isnt it. The short side is useless, I keep it on the long delay setting, as some of the best sounds come at the lowest settings of the long setting. There is a slight high pitch sound coming from the amp when the delay is on.

I've had the pedal for a year, and sometimes the chorus side will be acting funky, but it will always fix itself the very second I unplug and replug it.

This pedal is a good match for me because I want a light warm echo sound, and a tasteful chorus tone. This pedal brings both. If you want alot of range with your delay, get the Line 6. This pedal is for subtle effect, but great tone.

i really just wanted to comment on the sound quality of this pedal versus another review of the "features" of the pedal. you already know what features it has. if not, read below to see dozens of other reviews that will provide that info.

this is an ANALOG chorus which sounds little or nothing like the digital chorus pedals by boss, dod, ect. not that they aren't good units, i'm simply making sure that potential buyers understand the difference between analog and digital chorus. if you want to have a basic idea of what the chorus side of this unit sounds like, listen to anything andy summers did with the police. this is that chorus sound dead on. by adjusting the speed control all the way up, you can get a really cool leslie effect as well. this chorus is very organic and colorful. has a "wobbley" quality to it if that makes sense. as for the echo, well, again, it's an analog type ECHO, not a digital delay. technically, the echo is digital, but it sounds analog... you get the idea. the echo is very warm and well rounded. not the precision dealy you get with digital units.. this one has a lot of character. even with the effect level wide open on the echo side, it's not overwhelming. this echo is perfect for chicken picked country lines or rumbling rockabilly riffs. it's really a light effect. just to season your sound. this pedal is a must try for you analog / retro gear junkies out there. it's also hosed in a thick metal housing! built to last a lifetime.

Very Easy to use, intuitive and laid out well.

You know, the sound I did not really like the sound. The chorus sounded kind of "stock" to me, and when it was off my whole sounded compressed and lost all of its sparkle. I don't think I'm going to use the thing, but I think on a middle of the road amp you would be moderatly satified. the delay does what delay is supposed to do, but again not a hole lot of range.

well, I used it for one show and then let a sax player run thru it. the very next show was a live broadcast on the radio, and it just crapped out for no reason. tried new batteries and nothing worked...so I guess mine was not very reliable.

I bought it new on E-bay and havent even tried to contact anybody. I've lost the fire, and I'm broke.

It seems other people like the H20, mabey I'm just a whiner or something but I'm totally underimpressed and wish I had bought groceries.

Very simple to work, once you manipulate the settings to your likings, you're good to go

The Chorus is lush and full, very police like. The Delay is alright, but perfect for what i use it for. I have a boss dd6 digital delay (modded to sound more analog) for my super long and crazy delays. I use to the H20 for slap back echos and to add definition to my solos. I use the chorus for a leslie effect and to color chords and lines. My set up right now is a Epiphone Elite Sheraton/Fender 69 tele going into a Fulltone Fulldrive 2, Fulltone 69, The H20, Voodoo Lab Trem, Boss dd6, MXR dynacomp, Dunlop Classic Crybaby, and a Boss TU2 stage tuner going into two fender hot rod deville 212s for sterio effect with the boss. I play fusion/jazz/jam band kind of stuff and this set up works great for it.

Nothing wrong yet

I love it, it doesnt effect my sound and adds just enough shimmer and shine to my sound to give higher definition. I recomend checking it out, but if your looking for a delay pedal than this may not be good for you. It is only really good for slap back and little echo, it is more of a chorus.

The dual setup is convenient. When an accurate foot is landed on it, both can be turned on at once or separately. In a gig, accuracy is not to be taken for granted. Too many variables. As for eeking out a tolerable sound, it's up there. I'd have to say that it runs circles around anything in its price range. A TC Chorus and an Atomic or Maxon analog delay might be a better sounding pair, but it would cost well over $500 to get there. For less than $150, this piece really shines.

I run this into one amp after a Tonebone A/B box. The other amp is clean. I can achieve a fairly impressive stereo impression considering that it's a mono amp. Haven't found the panning combination yet while recording to reproduce the stereo effect in the room, though. The Delay Time parameter is what creates the stereo effect. It's very pleasing. It is a noisy pedal. Don't know if I got a lemon or what, but it hisses something fierce when all is silent. That is a disappointment, because otherwise it is a great sounding device. The delays sound analog and the chorus is sufficient for me. Again, for the price, this is a nice unit. Switching delay lengths with the delay engaged can cause a slam type effect (as in reverb units). It is best to turn the delay OFF and then select short or long.

Seems solid. Too soon to tell.

I really like the sound of this pedal and I like that it is two in one: saves on patchcords and space. The delays are muddied ala analog and the chorus shimmers appropriately. Other than the hiss, I'd say this is a keeper. It works well for classic rock sounds, modern & clean electronic guitar sounds, but the delays get a little muddy with the hyper distortion--fer me, at least.

Very big on a pedal board.
Switches are very close together which is great if you want to use them together but not so good at a gig if you don't. Chorus is easy to dial not so the delay.

Sound quality is excellent.
Pedal not noisy at all.
Delay sounds nice but is weak in a live setting and not very versatile - good for rockabilly echo.
Chorus is fab - really versatile and dripping with character - and produces the most natural flanging sound I've ever heard.

Sturdy and tough but you have to concentrate on stage to make sure you press it on and off right. I don't want to mess around with that kind of stuff - I'm in a rock band and I'm performing here!

Don't know - I think they try to sell you a bible or something.

I can see this would record well - the sounds are classy. But stomp boxes are for playing live as far as I'm concerned...and for stomping on.

I got this for the delay thinking it would be a step-up from my good old DD3 - the chorus I just took as a bonus. Well I suppose digital delay is a bit harsh and unmusical but at least you could hear it when I was playing live and the DD3 is really controllable and it's quite happy to be stomped on!

Pretty much the first sound I got out of the Chorus side was the flange I mentioned and I was hooked! Not on the H2O but on flange!

Anyway, after a few gigs the DD3 fought its way back onto my board accompanied by a new friend - a Boss BF3 - and the rather hefty H2O had to make way. Now, the Boss flanger sounds like garbage compared to the H2O and, as I set off on my search for a really good flanger, I'll always be grateful to the H2O for giving me the taste and I think I'll even miss the old boy in some ways but...really...it was like trying to race a Ferrari in a big old vintage bus!

Very easy to get a usable sound

Nice subtle chorusing and a very usable delay. The delay reminds me of the Boss analog units from the early 80's. The H2O was very noisy plugged into the front end (on high gain sounds) on my Mesa Nomad 45 with a Les Paul standard, but moving it to the effects loop solved that problem. Just needed to tweek the effects level and masters on the Nomads three channels to achive a balanced sound. For me this is the sound I remember when I started playing. Reminds me of Rush's 2112 album and a basic Frank Marino / Robin Trower sound. Very nice.

It seems dependable, metal box and all. I would never use anything without a backup on a gig.

No contact required as of yet. Visual sound is offering the new BBD chip as an upgrade for this pedal but I like what it does now. I'm not planning on upgrading.

I play all types of music except disco. (that still sucks) I've been playing for 30 years and own lots of stuff. MY NAME IS ALAN, I HAVE G.A.S. I would certainly replace this if lost/stolen. I like it's simplicity, if you want to change setting just move a knob. No memory, settings, hidden menues or claims of sounding like "?????" This really works for me. Plus it's two effects and saves on pedal board space. I am also using an old MXR dynacomp and a new Vox wa pedal in the front end.

It's all pretty simple and self explanatory.

Here's where I have a problem with this unit. I must say, I'm a little surprised to read all the rave reviews of this product. The main problem with this unit is a nasty little trick the manufacturers are hyping called "active bypass", which essentially means they chose not to put a true bypass on this pedal. Instead, the signal is "active" even when the unit is in the OFF mode, and it sucks ALL the life out of your original straight in tone. Now, ,maybe I'm a different kind of player than most. My set-up is pretty simple: Fender Strat w/Fralin pickups, Blackstone overdrive, Teese RMC2 wah, Menatone Blue Collar, then the H20 chorus/echo unit. I really like my sound to be natural and true when I'm not using any of the pedals and true bypass is a must. If you are like me, you will likely be very disappointed with the sound of this pedal. And frankly, the chorus and echo sounds are mediocre at best. My old Boss CE2 beats the chorus sound on the H20. Furthermore, this pedal is very unfriendly interacting with other pedals; sounds weird to my ear.

I had this thing hooked up through a bypass loop pedal one night on a job, and it started making more noise as the night progressed. I think it was due to the fact that the effects were left in the ON mode and switched into the circuit with the loop. It doesn't seem to like being left on for a long time. I was using the One-spot power supply with it at the time. That is the recommended power for the unit.

I went to the website for information once and it was helpful.

I've been playing professionally for about 20 years; not big time, just local jobs and limited travel. I bought this unit because I really like the idea of having chorus and echo in one unit. I don't use either effect very often, but I like to have them available when I need it. After I discovered the fault with the "active" bypass, I tried to 1) Live with it, and get used to it and 2) use a loop pedal to bypass it when not in use. Neither option has worked out very well and I think I am going to look for something else. Incidentally, it is a bit annoying when companies use marketing spin like calling a signal buffer an "active bypass". It is not a bypass at all, it is a BUFFER and it will definitely AFFECT YOUR TONE. Not for the better in my opinion.
If anyone out there knows of a combination chorus/echo that would suit my needs better, true bypass perhaps, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Fairly easy pedal to use...although i've tried for a while to get a good Leslie-esque sound, no dice...it sounds a bit too "processed".
I now only use it for some ambient delay, in fact, I leave it on all the time!

Great echo, very little coloration of the original sound. I never turn it off.

Here's where I ran into some problems...I was playing an outdoor gig in central California (warm day, not hot...September), and the pedal quit after being in the sun for about 45 minutes...no led's, no signal. So, I covered the pedal for about an hour, and when I soundchecked it again it worked...I have real fear about playing hot summer festival gigs with this pedal...i'll be looking for a backup.

I haven't contacted them yet...perhaps in the future regarding the heat issue.

Sonically, this pedal is great...my concerns are with the overheating I mentioned before...i'm going on tour this summer, so I guess i'll find out.

The knobs are logically laid out and give you the control you need to dial in a good sound - actually, there are no BAD sounds on the unit - but the knobs are small and small incremental changes can yield a substantial sonic change. It may take a while to adjust the unit to the exact sound you're after. I give it a nine only because it takes a little fiddling to get the chorus and echo just so.

The fact that this is really three (yes three - keep reading) pedals in one, means you only have one battery to change - or one power supply to connect, only one spot on your already cluttered pedal board to find, and only one additional patch cable to connect. Certainly simplifies setup and maintenance.

I am thoughly impressed with the sound quality. The chorus is smooth and adds sonic interest and texture no matter how fast or slow, wide or narrow you set the sweep. It does not go to extremes so if you're looking for totally wacked - upsidedowninsideout - phaserflanger on steroids and speed, this is not your pedal. If you want to add movement, depth and enhancement to your tone, this is bliss.

The echo is echo. It is not reverb (don't get me wrong, I love reverb) and it is not really delay (certainly not the sterile, scientific sounds of most digital delays, at any rate). The echo is simply a reproduction of the orginal sound - bouncing back to you as though from a nearly accoustically perfect wall. You control how quickly it bounces, how many times it bounces and how loudly it bounces.

Throw in the Pure Tone buffer (see Overall Rating for more on this) and you've a simply great pedal.

The pedal is built like a brick. Metal housing, quality components. I'm confident it's quite reliable.

I emailed a couple questions and Bob replied within a few hours. Very nice. Also, do youself a favor and visit visualsound.net. Click on the Real Answers to Life's Questions link. These are good people.

What can you say about a pedal that not only sounds great at essentially any setting, but makes the rest of your pedal chain sound better EVEN WHEN IT'S TURNED OFF? Visual Sound used to make a pedal they called Pure Tone. It was designed to counter the tone-sucking propensities of other pedals. If you've plugged in a pedal (certain wah-wahs are notorious for this) and noticed, when the effect is off, your guitar sound has turned wimpy and thin, you know what I'm refering to. (This is why some manufacturers make such a big deal about "true by-pass" circuitry.) The Pure Tone pedal put the tone back in. Such a deal! Then Visual Sound put the Pure Tone buffer in their Route 66 and Jekyl & Hyde pedals, and recently, the H2O as well. You're actually getting THREE pedals in one. This is a superb product and an indispensible part of my effects chain.

I've been playng for a number of decades - touring, teaching and session work - and this is truly one of the best pedals I've come across. I'm usually pretty cynical and critical and I hate to gush about a product, but the H2O really is that good.