Chorus. How to use it properly?

[microdmitry]

Hi everybody. I own a G-Force and the only 2 effects I use in it are delay and reverb. I know chorus can add a lot of meat to the distorted sound, yet I just can't find the right blend of parameters to achieve anything remotely pleasing my ear. It's embarrassing, but I just don't know how to use chorus.

How do you guys use it? If there are any G-Force owners, could you guys take a couple of minutes and post your favorite settings here? I feel if I had some nice settings to start with it'd be much easier to tweak them for my liking. Are there any tips&tricks? I'm mainly interested in high-gain distorted sound.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[The Dark Wolf]

Wow, microdmitry... this is a simple-seeming question, but it seems harder to answer when I think about it...

I've been using chorus for years, rather intuitively. As opposed to delay, or reverb, where I calculate delay times in regards to beats, pong, stereo, mono, analog, digital delays, reverb room size, etc. Chorus, just turn knobs 'till it sounds good. I just love it! For clean, distorted, whatever, but I just tend to dial in what I think sounds good. So, with that in mind, here goes.

I don't own a G-Force, but these have been some of my observations in using chorus (pertains to high-gain situations as well. I love chorus sounds with a wall of crunch. Think Zakk Wylde or Type-O Negative.) I always prefer to have a STEREO chorus sound. In fact, just a simple stereo chorus can add SO much to the spatial/audio image. Very 3-D. It's like an instant surround sound effect. I tend to keep the rate, or speed, of chorus rather slow... I guess this would translate to only a few milliseconds. Too much adds the "swirly," or crazy tremolo sound, and of course, makes everything sound out of tune (Go figure, it is out of tune!) I use a LOT of any "depth" setting on the chorus, altho less for rhythm sounds and more for lead, to really bring out the richness of the chorused sound. Less depth usually makes for more of an up-front, mono, punchy sound, whereas more chorus depth makes for a bigger, fuller sound.
These rules usually apply for using mono chorus as well, altho I tend to use less chorus in that setting, as it sounds more like a detuning effect, which is a whole new realm to discuss (detuning mixed with stereo chorus for nifty EVH 5150 type sounds. Gotta love it!)

Hope this rambling helps in any small way.

[darren wilson]

Like wordwolf, i keep the speed of the chorusing to a minimum, and depending on the effect i'm after, i adjust the depth accordingly.

For the richest possible chorus effect, i adjust the depth to the point where the pitch is audibly detuned, then i back it off a bit. This will give you the hugest possible sound without sounding too flanged or like vibrato/tremolo effects.

I used to be heavily addicted to chorused sounds, but now i use them very sparingly. I find chorused guitars have a lot more difficulty cutting through a mix, especially if there is a second guitar involved.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by darren wilson

I find chorused guitars have a lot more difficulty cutting through a mix, especially if there is a second guitar involved.

SOOO true. This is what i actually don't like about chorusing... I mean, it's a beautiful sound, but it just gets lost. Sometimes that's advantageous- really obscure example, but check out the really "splashy" sounding clean-ish guitar in the intro to Floater's "Persecutor." The chorusing effect there takes all the "prescense" (not in the amp knob sense, but as in penetration in the mix) out of the guitar and just leaves it as a very abient background sound that calls very little attention to itself as a guitar, but more as, idunno, maybe a musical feeling. This is cool- it somehow takes up less space in the mix but seems "bigger" accordingly. It's just at the price of sounding less like a "guitar."

I realize this is making no sense, but bear with me... a chorused sound is a lot less "agressive" in the mix than an unchorused one. When this is the effect you're going for, chorusing is awesome.

This is also why i hate the sound of chorus on distorted guitar. It sounds great on its own, but when you want a big, agressive, crunchy "wall of guitar" sound, a chorus pedal is the LAST thing you want in the effects chain- it just robs the tone of all its balls, somehow. When recording if you want that "spacious" effect, try double-tracking. You'll get the same agression and "forefront-ness" in the mix, but with a more expansive sound to it.

Remember, chorus is just that- an effect. Use it when you need a "different" sound. Don't use it as a principle componant of a main guitar sound- chorus is best on guitar parts that you don't want to call attention to themselves. It's like one of those magic elven cloaks from the lord of the rings, for guitar- pretty, but don't expect to get noticed in it.

-Drew

[davester1234]

use chorus but use it sparingly. thats my take on it.


when u do use it, subtle is often best....a very slight chorus, almost off, will do wonders for your tone. I always try to think subtle when i use chorus. Its very easy to sound overprocessed if you use too much.

Its great for clean tone, although I tend to shy away from it on distorted parts, unless there's a special cirumstance. If it goes on when i have distortion on, its on so softly that you can barely notice its on...just gives the tone a different aura or spatial quality, but most of my friends can't even tell that its on the rates so slow....they'd be like " yer guitar sounds a bit different, why?" They'd have never known it was chorus if i didn't tell them....thats just the way i like it.

However, u can get some good surfing with the alien type tones if you use it a little more liberally.

[The Dark Wolf]

Same thing with me, Davester. The rate of chorus I typically use (I have global chorus, delay, and reverb settings, all stereo, that I use on 90% of my live rhythm work) is rather slow. Mainly the effect is used to create a larger stereo field. I actually have no problems cutting through with my use of chorus. I strive for a more balanced approach. Maybe a 50/50 wet/dry mix. In fact, when I use chorus, my sound is even more 'up-front', and this holds true in heavily distorted settings. I get more cut and "presence", to steal the term, with chorus on, than with off. But I like a bit of that mono, right up the middle sound, so, hence the reason for a good blend of the two. For lead settings I tend to use more chorus, more effects, etc., and a real rich, mid-heavy tone. Cuts right through. When I want a more traditional chorus sound, (Think "Purple Rain") I use detuning. Mono, works better, sounds pretty, more authentic chorused sound.

[mike777]

I LOVE Chorus! It's one of my favorite effects. True chorus effects are indeed stereo and sound real nice. Some units are inherently warmer than others so the addition of tone-control circuitry on many units is a nice plus; especially when the effect is right for the part of the song but it gets lost in the mix.

My favorite settings are a rate between 9 and 11:00 and a depth turned all the way up (sometimes I'll tuck it back). I often have the effect level control (whene available) set between 12 and 3:00. Closer to 12:00 when I'm using it with distortion to prevent the mud and keep the notes clear and prevent it from sounding like a flanger. Paul Gilbert had a nice thing going with this, too. Any EQ's I vary. I consider Chorus an FX loop must and try experimenting with it pre and post reverb. Both sound very nice.

Mike 777 Haug

[Champagne Mist]

If anyone has the money to shell out (~$120 US), buy an H2O. THye are awesome!! Visual Sound pedals are good, but they outdid themselves here. The H2O just drives me insane!!!

For a good chorus, though, set the delay relatively low, depth high, and the speed to taste (somewhere in the middle). The great thing about chorus is it fattens up a clean sound or sickens up a distorted sound (type-o-negative, nirvana).

Have fun!!!

[Jaysen]

You guys are my heroes!!

detuning mixed with stereo chorus for nifty EVH 5150 type sounds.

I've also been trying to get EVH's chorus sound.

[Drew]

I still say that the only good use for a chorus pedal is a paperweight, or maybe a doorstop, but to each their own...

-Drew

[AARRGGHHH]

i do like the sound of chorus with and without distortion, but i never use it myself. I try to get a fairly raw distortion sound with my band, and even when im doing clean parts, i usually have just the smallest amount of distortion to make a slightly grainy sound. I think that work nicely, because when i go onto a totaly clean part, it accentuates the lush open sound that i get.

[The Dark Wolf]

I still say that chorus is the best effect ever invented in the history of all mankind. But to each their own.

-Wordwolf

[Drew]

Wordwolf, you;re obviously thinking of distortion.

-Drew

[microdmitry]

Originally Posted by Drew

I still say that the only good use for a chorus pedal is a paperweight, or maybe a doorstop, but to each their own...

-Drew

In mono, yes, but stereo chorus can make guitar sound really juicy and 3D. Unfortunately it eats away the attack, and sometimes screws up vibratos.

[The Dark Wolf]

Drew, you're obviously not the best with punctuation on jemsite.

-Wordwolf

P.S. I wouldn't really call distortion an effect per se. More like cascading gain stages in an overdriven signal. More a function of the signal itself, rather than of an 'effect' applied to it. But to each thier own.