Chorus bollocks

Funkfingers

Famously, the Andy Summers "chorus" sound is actually the combination of an E-H Electric Mistress flanger and a short delay. One process provides the pitch element. The other provides the time element.

The BOSS CE-2 is, undeniably, a reference sound. So, in my opinion, are some of the more expensive American effect units.

My own money invariably ends up going into Roland/BOSS Dimension chorus effect units. These add chime and swirl without chewing up the basic guitar sound. I subscribe to the consensus that, if none of the Dimension push button permutations produces a chorus effect to match your song, the song probably does not really need chorus.

thermionic

I was going to suggest a bass chorus to minimise muddiness, I think the filter control on the CE-5 would have a similar effect.

Fretwired

EricTheWeary said:

I basically want a jangly cheesy 80s chorus sound for cheesy 80s tunes. But having had, I think, three chorus pedals and a couple of multi fx chorus patches when I get to gig level I just seem to end up with a muddy swirl  

So, am I playing wrong,do I need compression, is there a magic way to dial chorus in, do I need delay (I only use quite dark analog delay so that wouldn't help much I guess)or eq (cut the bass on the amp?) ? I find this surprisingly difficult  

Boss Chorus pedal stuck through the FX loop ...

UnclePsychosis

I really like my MXR Analogue Chorus. 

It gets you pretty close to the CE2 sound but has a mix knob and bass/treble controls for fine tuning. 

ESBlonde

Unless you are playing super clean and jangly before the chorus gets kicked in then a Dano Cool Cat gives a good un-fussy representation of chorus with some subtle warmth for not much money. Boss / Roland were the masters of Chorus with the JC amp range.

EricTheWeary

ESBlonde said:

Unless you are playing super clean and jangly before the chorus gets kicked in then a Dano Cool Cat gives a good un-fussy representation of chorus with some subtle warmth for not much money. Boss / Roland were the masters of Chorus with the JC amp range.

I bought a used Cool Cat ages ago. I can't actually remember if I still have it or not  

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

Ce2 is wonderful, as is the dod FX 65 (my personal favourite) but it might be worth looking at a ce3. It's still a great analogue chorus, but it has a bit of a bass cut to it. This should give *that* 80s sound. 

The DOD and the Ce2 are thicker sounding. I reckon the brighter ce3 might suit. 

The CE-3 does definitely have that exact 80s sound - it was a real 'flashback' moment when I heard it again after probably 25 years - even though the CE-2 was probably more commonly used back then. The bass cut did annoy me though - I've now replaced it with a CE-2, which avoids that although it does stray into that too-'syrupy' zone I've never been completely happy with.

TonyR

I have a Roland Jazz Chorus amp and with a compressor in front of it I can get the 80's sound pretty much bang on.

TheMarlin

Compressor, then chorus

UnclePsychosis

@gavrichlist that track is awesome. Great stuff. 

JezWynd

My chorus journey went CE-2, then DC-2 and now CS-550. The delay on the CS can get very wide, really sets it apart from any others I've tried. And it has a blend control which is handy. Since I started getting into dirt pedals recently, I've started using chorus a lot more.

GavRichList

UnclePsychosis said:

@gavrichlist that track is awesome. Great stuff. 

Ah cheers. Shame nothing came of that one. 

BintyTwanger77

GavRichList said:

Genuinely no intention of self promotion, but this track (I think) nails the sound you're after; the lead line is Boss CE-2. Was aiming at The Cure in terms of chorus use - pretty much the benchmark in 80s chorus for me. 

Didn't Robert Smith get his chorus sound from a JC120?

GavRichList

BintyTwanger77 said:

GavRichList said:

Genuinely no intention of self promotion, but this track (I think) nails the sound you're after; the lead line is Boss CE-2. Was aiming at The Cure in terms of chorus use - pretty much the benchmark in 80s chorus for me. 

Didn't Robert Smith get his chorus sound from a JC120?

Probably... 

EricTheWeary

Listening to Gav and having The Pretenders first album on last night ( which is much more aggressive than you'd ever know from the singles BTW)a lot of the chorus I like is quite warm, warmer than I thought really. I think Scott was using Boss pedals only on that, so now I just need a Zematis and some talent...

I think the easiest experiment will be to leave as is but switch my Zvex Channel 2 on before the chorus, then turn down off the guitar a bit. I have stopped using the Zvex mostly with my own amp and it's mainly on the board to juzz up rehearsal room amps. However, it cuts a bit of bass and adds a bit of treble so this might also explain why I have less chorus issues in rehearsal than on stage. I also don't tend to use reverb live other than as a fairly swampy effect but I could try a pinch of that.
Failing all that probably looking for a chorus pedal with a mix knob or even a compressor. The tc toneprint for The Chime on the Hypergravity came up on my YouTube feed this week​ and that's remarkably in the ball park.

ESBlonde

EricTheWeary said:

Listening to Gav and having The Pretenders first album on last night ( which is much more aggressive than you'd ever know from the singles BTW)a lot of the chorus I like is quite warm, warmer than I thought really. I think Scott was using Boss pedals only on that, so now I just need a Zematis and some talent...

Talent!
Why didn't you say, I've got loads I can't seem to use, help yourself.

EricTheWeary

ESBlonde said:

EricTheWeary said:

Listening to Gav and having The Pretenders first album on last night ( which is much more aggressive than you'd ever know from the singles BTW)a lot of the chorus I like is quite warm, warmer than I thought really. I think Scott was using Boss pedals only on that, so now I just need a Zematis and some talent...

Talent!
Why didn't you say, I've got loads I can't seem to use, help yourself.

...as long as a Zematis comes with it...

Luminous

You probably have the wrong pedal, this is what you are needing.
http://www.joyoaudio.com/en/product/show_112.html

bloodandtears

if you find yourself hankering after one of these..



let me know, I'm gonna sell one shortly..

MagicPigDetective

I don't have much experience of chorus pedals to compare, but I have a Source Audio Gemini Chorus, which makes all sorts of glorious 80's chorusy sounds and can be tweaked to death by connecting to your mobile.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has used one for a gig and how it help up.