MXR M134 Stereo Chorus Settings Guide
The MXR M134 Stereo Chorus is a rack-format studio-quality stereo chorus in a compact floor unit — producing the lush, analog BBD (bucket brigade device) chorus that defines the 1980s and early 1990s clean chorus sound. Rate, Width, Intensity, and EQ controls plus true stereo output make it the definitive analog BBD chorus for players who want the richest, most three-dimensional chorus tone.
The best MXR M134 Stereo Chorus settings start with: Rate at 3/10, Width at 7/10, Intensity at 5/10, Bass EQ at 5/10, Treble EQ at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Clean / Pop: Rate 3/10, Width 8/10, Intensity 5/10, Bass EQ 5/10, Treble EQ 6/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | 3/10 | Slow → Fast |
| Width | 7/10 | Narrow → Wide |
| Intensity | 5/10 | Mild → Deep |
| Bass EQ | 5/10 | Cut → Boost |
| Treble EQ | 5/10 | Dark → Bright |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Slow Rate, wide Width — the M134 for clean pop and ambient guitar. Slow Rate and wide Width produces the maximum stereo spread and lush chorus depth. Intensity 5 provides noticeable modulation. Treble EQ 6 slightly brightens the chorus signal. In stereo this setting produces the three-dimensional, immersive chorus sound the M134 is known for.
Standard chorus at moderate settings — the M134's natural BBD character. Intensity 6 produces obvious chorus modulation. Rate 4 provides the moderate speed of classic 1980s chorus. Width 7 produces a wide stereo image. This setting captures the Andy Summers / Police style chorus character.
Slow Rate, maximum Width, low Intensity — this pedal as a subtle stereo widener. At Rate 2 and Intensity 3 the chorus effect is barely perceptible as pitch modulation; it primarily produces a stereo widening and spatial character. Treble EQ 4 darkens the chorus for jazz warmth.
A moderate, bright setting adds shimmer to jangly rhythm parts without the heavier, more obvious modulation of the 80s Rock preset.
Low Intensity with Bass EQ pulled back keeps the low-string rhythm chunk unaffected while adding gentle upper-register width, useful for funk rhythm parts that need shimmer without softening percussive attack.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- This pedal requires stereo operation to fully realize its character — in mono, the stereo separation from the Width control collapses and the pedal sounds like a standard chorus. Run two amps, two PA channels, or a stereo interface for recording to hear the full three-dimensional character the Width control produces.
- The Bass EQ and Treble EQ controls are a genuine differentiator from simpler chorus pedals — they let the wet chorus signal be shaped independently of the dry tone, useful for keeping the chorus present without altering the fundamental guitar sound underneath it.
- Intensity and Width interact rather than stack cleanly — a high Width with low Intensity gives a wide but subtle effect, while the reverse gives a narrower but more upfront chorus; adjust both together to dial in a target character.
- For recording in mono (a single amp or DI), consider a simpler single-voice chorus instead — this pedal specific value is tied closely to its stereo imaging, which a mono signal path cannot reproduce.
- Running two separate amps panned left and right, rather than a single stereo amp, generally produces a more dramatic and convincing spatial effect from this pedal stereo output.
FAQ
MXR M134 Stereo Chorus — Common Questions
Best starting settings for MXR M134 Stereo Chorus: Rate at 3/10, Width at 7/10, Intensity at 5/10, Bass EQ at 5/10, Treble EQ at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Clean / Pop: Rate 3/10, Width 8/10, Intensity 5/10, Bass EQ 5/10, Treble EQ 6/10. Slow Rate, wide Width — the M134 for clean pop and ambient guitar. Slow Rate and wide Width produces the maximum stereo spread and lush chorus depth. Intensity 5 provides noticeable modulation. Treble EQ 6 slightly brightens the chorus signal. In stereo this setting produces the three-dimensional, immersive chorus sound the M134 is known for.
For 80s Rock: Rate 4/10, Width 7/10, Intensity 6/10, Bass EQ 5/10, Treble EQ 5/10. Standard chorus at moderate settings — the M134's natural BBD character. Intensity 6 produces obvious chorus modulation. Rate 4 provides the moderate speed of classic 1980s chorus. Width 7 produces a wide stereo image. This setting captures the Andy Summers / Police style chorus character.
Rate: LFO rate — slow is wide and lush; fast produces vibrato-like modulation. (Slow to Fast). Width: Stereo image width — at maximum, left and right channels are maximally separated. (Narrow to Wide). Intensity: Modulation depth — how deep the pitch modulation goes. (Mild to Deep). Bass EQ: Low-frequency content of the chorus signal. (Cut to Boost). Treble EQ: High-frequency content of the chorus signal. (Dark to Bright)
This pedal requires stereo operation to fully realize its character — in mono, the stereo separation from the Width control collapses and the pedal sounds like a standard chorus. Run two amps, two PA channels, or a stereo interface for recording to hear the full three-dimensional character the Width control produces. The Bass EQ and Treble EQ controls are a genuine differentiator from simpler chorus pedals — they let the wet chorus signal be shaped independently of the dry tone, useful for keeping the chorus present without altering the fundamental guitar sound underneath it. Intensity and Width interact rather than stack cleanly — a high Width with low Intensity gives a wide but subtle effect, while the reverse gives a narrower but more upfront chorus; adjust both together to dial in a target character. For recording in mono (a single amp or DI), consider a simpler single-voice chorus instead — this pedal specific value is tied closely to its stereo imaging, which a mono signal path cannot reproduce. Running two separate amps panned left and right, rather than a single stereo amp, generally produces a more dramatic and convincing spatial effect from this pedal stereo output.
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