People have strong feelings about the chorus effect. During the 1980s, it was the guitar effect. From the shimmering chords of the Crowded House classic, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” to the chorus plus high-gain lead sounds of ’80s glam and hair metal, chorus was everywhere during the decade of decadence. And when I say everywhere, I mean not just on guitars. Artists and producers were liberally slathering every track in a mix with a wash of chorus — bass guitars, synths, drums, and vocals. No sound was safe!
When grunge supplanted ’80s stadium rock in the early 1990s, chorus’s reign was seemingly at an end. The “chorus everywhere” era was finito. Still, some of the most celebrated guitarists in the 90s, including Kurt Cobain, Jerry Cantrell, and Kim Thayil, regularly engaged a chorus pedal to take their guitar lines to whirling heights. Chorus was also frequently used on bass guitar in the ’90s. Famed mix engineer Andy Wallace’s go-to bass effect was the “Symphonic” preset on the Yamaha SPX90 rack processor, a multiband chorus with a super-fat sound.
Today, chorus has had something of a resurgence — both on pedalboards and in the studio. In this article, we’ll focus on how chorus can be used in a mix, demonstrate the differences between mono chorus and stereo chorus effects, and discuss why you might choose one over the other during mixing.
- Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Electric Guitars
- Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Bass Guitars
- Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Synth Pads
- Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Drums
- Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Full Mix
Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Electric Guitars
First, let’s talk about chorus on electric guitars. During the recording process, you can print chorus effects while laying down a track. This would likely involve using a mono chorus pedal or a stereo chorus pedal in a two-amp setup. Alternatively, you can apply chorus in the session as an insert effect.
For the audio examples, I’m using the Universal Audio UAD Brigade Chorus pedal plug-in, a software emulation of the BOSS CE-1 Chorus Ensemble pedal. Released in 1976, the BOSS CE-1 was a pedal version of the chorus circuit found in BOSS’s legendary JC-120 solid-state amp, the 2×12-inch, 120-watt Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus stereo combo amp. This lush analog chorus has endured as one of the most coveted chorus tones.
You’ll hear that, in mono, you’re greeted with the familiar whooshing sound you would expect from a chorus effect. Stereo, however, is a different story! The effect is far more subtle. Rather than creating a woosh like the mono chorus, stereo chorus acts as a widener, spreading the guitar across the stereo field. This will be a repeated theme throughout the audio examples. Listen to the strummed chords and the arpeggios below to hear the difference.
Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Bass Guitars
Bass guitar and chorus are an excellent pairing! Sometimes, bass can be difficult to slot into a mix, and adding an ambience effect like reverb or delay tends to muddy up the low end of a mix. You could, of course, highpass a dedicated bass reverb to create space around the bass guitar’s mid and high frequencies. However, a simpler solution is to apply chorus.
As with guitars, mono chorus on bass results in a clearly affected sound. Mono chorus on bass is best used for stylistic purposes — when you really want to hear the chorus. Stereo chorus, on the other hand, provides width and dimension to a bass line. I recommend running stereo chorus in parallel or selecting a stereo chorus with a blend control as an insert effect to use it effectively. A little bit of chorus on bass goes a long way! For the following examples, I used the Arturia Chorus Dimension-D plug-in, an impressive software re-creation of one of the best rack chorus units ever made.
Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Synth Pads
In the synth world, chorus has never faded from popularity — it remains a staple effect. One of the most common uses of chorus for synth is to give pads texture and movement. For the audio examples, I’m using the Korg Polysix plug-in and pairing it with the Arturia Chorus JUN-6 plug-in. The JUN-6 emulates the stereo chorus circuit on the Roland JUNO-6/-60/-106 analog synthesizers, a critical element of the JUNO sound.
Are there times when you should use mono chorus on synths? Absolutely! Synth lead, bass, and sound design elements can benefit from mono chorus to add interest without cluttering the stereo field. But, if you’re going for a swirling pad to fill out an arrangement, then stereo chorus is where it’s at!
Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Drums
Wait a second . . . chorus on drums? Why would anyone do such a thing? Again, it comes down to creating a mix with dimension. Stereo chorus on certain percussive elements, particularly those with a lot of high-frequency content, can help those elements sit better in a mix. I’ll often send hats or overheads to a parallel stereo chorus — just enough that you feel them expand to the edges of the stereo field. I apply the same thinking to shakers and tambourines.
There is also a case to be made for using mono chorus on hi-hats. For instance, if your hats sound too dry, then a touch of mono chorus can give them life while retaining their position in the stereo field. After all, you sometimes want to keep your drums anchored in the center so other elements can move around them.
I again turned to the Arturia Dimension-D for the audio examples since — in my typical workflow — I use a comparable hardware unit (the Klark Teknik 3rd Dimension BBD-320 analog multi-dimensional signal processor with BBD technology) for this application.
Mono vs. Stereo Chorus: Full Mix
So far, we’ve examined mono and stereo chorus on individual elements, but the most important thing to keep in mind when selecting between the two is how they will contribute to the final mix. For instance, if you use mono chorus exclusively, then you’re not benefitting from the widening effects of a good stereo chorus. Additionally, the modulations will be very pronounced. Conversely, if you slap stereo chorus on too many elements, then your mix could lack cohesion because creating a realistic sense of space requires having some clearly defined anchor points.
Listen to the audio examples below to hear what I mean. The first example uses mono chorus exclusively, and the second example uses stereo chorus exclusively. The third example uses a combination of the two (Can you hear on which elements?), and, to my ear, it is the most successful of the three.
Join the Chorus!
Whether you’re a longtime chorus fan or just chorus curious, Sweetwater has a vast selection of chorus effects to choose from, including chorus pedals, chorus plug-ins, and more! For all questions chorus-related and otherwise, please reach out to your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700. They can help you find the proper chorus for any application!