DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus
Only 2 mock-ups were ever made of the DFX6 for the Winter NAMM show in 1989, loaded with FX57 Hard Rock Distortion boards.
This one belongs to DOD VP of Engineering Roger Johnsen. Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) owns the other one.
The DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus was advertised as part of DOD's DFX series, but was never produced. First announced at the 1989 Winter
NAMM show, it was advertised with the DFX5 and DFX9 in early 1990, and also appeared in DOD's FX.CAT90A catalog
(see below). Likely based on the chorus circuit in the DigiTech PDS 1700 Digital Stereo Chorus/Flanger, it is unclear why the DFX6 was
advertised but never actually produced. Even if DOD's digital stereo chorus circuit was technically feasible in a compact pedal size,
it may have been too expensive to produce. In addition, if its chorus effect was as harsh and "cold" as that of the PDS 1700, it might have
been difficult to sell. Ibanez had apparently offered a digital chorus and a digital flanger as part of their "Master"/"L" and "10" series
of pedals in the late 1980s, but they were discontinued by 1990 (which may explain why the DFX6 was announced but then dropped). To the best
of our knowledge, no other company attempted to produce a digital chorus as a compact pedal until Boss revised the circuit of their CH-1 and
CE-5 pedals in October 2001.
- Controls: Level, Speed, Width, Delay
- Catalog description: 1990
- External link: DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus on Effects Database
- External links (for the DigiTech PDS 1700):
- DigiTech PDS-1700 Digital Stereo Chorus/Flanger on Effects Database
- DigiTech PDS-1700 Digital Stereo Chorus/Flanger on Noise Guide
The DOD DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus
A pedal that was announced, advertised... and then vanished.
In the late 1980s, DOD was standing at a technological crossroads. Analog effects had defined the brand throughout the decade, but digital signal processing was rapidly becoming the future. Out of this transition came the DFX series, DOD's early push into digital effects, and among them was one of the most intriguing pedals the company ever promoted but never released: the DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus.
Announced, Not Released
The DFX6 was announced around the time of the 1989 NAMM Show, positioned as part of DOD's emerging digital lineup. Unlike the familiar FX60 and FX65 analog chorus pedals, the DFX6 was presented as a fully digital, stereo chorus, aimed squarely at players demanding higher fidelity and studio-grade performance.
Despite this public announcement and subsequent marketing, there is no confirmed evidence that the DFX6 ever reached full production or retail distribution.
What The DFX6 Was Supposed To Be
According to period DOD literature from 1990, the DFX6 was described in unusually ambitious terms for the time:
● Digital Stereo Chorus
● Variable digital delay
● 12-bit digital processing
● Approx. 90 dB signal-to-noise ratio
● Full-range frequency response (30 Hz-20 kHz)
If accurate, these specifications would have placed the DFX6 well above DOD's analog chorus pedals and firmly in competition with early rack-style and studio-oriented digital effects. Remarkable for a compact stompbox in 1989.
The Jeff Healey Advertisement
One of the strongest pieces of evidence that the DFX6 was more than just a concept is its appearance in a 1989 DOD print advertisement featuring Jeff Healey. In the ad, three DOD pedals are clearly shown, featuring the DFX9 Digital Delay, the DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus, and the DFX5 Digital Turbo Distortion.
This was not a prototype hidden behind glass, it was a pedal DOD was confident enough to photograph, label, and place in a national ad campaign featuring one of the era's most respected blues-rock guitarists.
Jeff Healey himself acknowledged experimenting with DOD pedals around this period, helping anchor the ad within a realistic development timeline.
So Why Did It Disappear?
The mystery has been solved by Roger Johnsen, VP of Engineering at DigiTech.
Quote from Roger, "We were using through-hole components and the resistors were 1/4W, which are not small, and I simply couldn't make all the parts fit for either the DFX6 or DFX7, so we just moved on to other projects."
Here's Roger and Tom Cram - leader of U.S. Operations at DOD/DigiTech - talking about the DFX6 and other cool stuff. (The video will start at 8:08 about the DFX6)
So, there you have it. As a result, the DFX6 is frequently labeled "vaporware" in pedal archives, though that term may oversimplify the situation. The DFX6 clearly progressed beyond the concept stage and into active marketing, suggesting it was at least close to production before being quietly shelved.
A Lost Piece of DOD History
Today, the DOD DFX6 Digital Stereo Chorus occupies a unique place in effects-pedal history:
● Announced publicly
● Advertised nationally
● Technically specified
● Never sold
It stands as a snapshot of a moment when DOD was experimenting boldly with digital technology, right before the company's lineup, ownership, and market strategy began to shift in the early 1990s.
For collectors and historians, the DFX6 isn't just an unreleased pedal, it's a reminder that not every great idea makes it to a pedalboard, even when it's already made it into print.
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