What is it?
Yamaha CH10M II Chorus from Sound Device series, made in japan. Datecodes on the components suggest manufacture date to settle at late 1984. The year of the Orwell’s instruction manual.
Can’t help it. The coin-op design box looks real good to me, which is the biggest reason for me to hunt these down. And just look at the traces. Simply beautiful. Design is your standard BBD chorus with two controls and added direct output for stereo use. Nothing new or special. Circuitwise, a standard analog chorus desing with added clean signal ouput for stereo use.
All the boards in this Sound Device series look very pleasing. Acid trip traces with beautiful freehand drawn feeling to it. Soldering is neat and the inside enclosure design is good. These are very solid and recommended effects for your everyday use. Construction is strong enough to last couple of lifetimes.
How does it sound?
Quite mellow and soft with no particular character to it. Standard usable chorus sound that doesn’t lay too far away from mild sounding Danelectro choruses i’ve covered earlier. There is something missing though. The personality and edge. With the compressor, this is probably one the most disappointing boxes in Yamaha Sound Device series. Not bad but doesn’t get too close to the top.