Why does chorus make your tone "scowl"?

[petejt]

This is a strange thing I've noticed with chorusing effects, especially when used with distortion.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, in fact it's quite a good thing because that "scowling" sound helps a tone to cut through, and adds an interesting character which I suppose what makes chorusing such a cool effect.

 

Of course, as long as it's not over the top & super-cheesey (which often happens with chorus, enough to make even myself crook in the gut).

 

 

Is it just that chorusing naturally causes a "midrange hump"?

 

Is it just that chorusing circuitry tends to boost the midrange?

 

Does it create extra harmonics in the midrange? Particularly the centre midrange?

 

 

 

Here's an example. Mike Landau recording for some Spanish singer in 2001. He's got his all-famous mega-rack which processes his signal AFTER the amp (no effects loop), basically his cab mic'ed up and the line level signal sent to the rack effects. And of course it's possible that his Arion chorus pedal is also being used in front of the amp- so there's two chorus units going on at once, one in front of the amp (in mono), and other just before the signal hits the mixing desk.

 

 

 

 

Take special notice when Mike hits the footswitch to turn the chorusing on,@ 1:15. Unfortunately the audio is slightly behind the video, so there's a lag, but still you can see & hear when it comes on.

 

[YOUTUBE]tOYG4cbg82o[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

Notice how the tone has that "scowling" sound? It's like a squawk sound, a "scoooowwwwllll".

 

The tone at first has more low mids, like an "ooooh-oooohhh", then the midrange lifts up to the "scowling" sound when he switches the chorus on.

[petejt]

[ghost219]

sounds like there's something else already on like a wah at almost full toe down position.

 

 

 

EDIT: the TS could be making the sound you're hearing more pronounced. i hear it to.

[CicadaSilence]

[petejt]

What's wrong? :poke:

[petejt]

sounds like there's something else already on like a wah at almost full toe down position. EDIT: the TS could be making the sound you're hearing more pronounced. i hear it to.

 

 

I thought it was the Tube Screamer too at first, but since his tone was rather distorted when he first began playing, I thought it was already on.

 

It's just weird how the sound gets more "scowly" sounding when he presses a switch on the pedal board, and you can tell there's a chorus going 'cause only then do you hear that big stereo swirl.

 

 

Again it must be some psychoacoustic thing about chorus that creates that strange midrangey character?

 

Maybe that's why chorus is a popular effect for solos? Take the epic 'ballady' solo in Satan's Fall by Mercyful Fate (8:15-8:50), for example.

[CicadaSilence]

What's wrong? :poke:

 

 

Nothing. I just felt like scowling too.

[Dinosaur Sr.]

I hate when my tone gives me rotten looks. Chorus or not, homie don't play that, can you dig it?

[chisa]

i find a chorus give a little more top end tone. which can sound {censored} sometimes - i.e. with distortion.

[Metalhead Mike]

=

 

[ghost219]

maybe the TS is being used as a slight boost? it sounds slightly different when he turns that on.

[petejt]

Nothing. I just felt like scowling too.

okie doke


I didn't know you had your chorus on.

My bad

[petejt]

maybe the TS is being used as a slight boost? it sounds slightly different when he turns that on.

 

 

Oh yeah I definitely agree that the TS was being used as a boost, especially a clean boost ton induce more overdrive in the amp.

 

In fact yeah it could be adding to the mid-hump too, it's just that it seems like the TS was already on at the start of Mike playing (when he's tuning and checking his gear), where the tone had more of a low-mid "eerroooooohhhh" sound, rather than the centre mid "scowl" sound when he hit the footswitch to turn the chorus on.

[aeon]

Part of the reason many chorus devices seem to have a mid-hump is because that is what is left after the circuit/algo has filtered the low- and high-end away.

 

Choruses tend to sound harsh when there is too much high-end present, so most designs have a lowpass filter of some sort. Similarly, chorus tends to be muddy and have a lot of phase cancellation when low frequencies are allowed through, so they are similarly filtered out. What are left are the frequencies to which the ear is more sensitive, resulting in a more focused, and pronounced effect.

 

Multi-band chorus algos (for example, in the Roland SDX-330) allow you to shape and control the chorus per frequency. This makes it possible to have a chorus that is fast and shallow depth on the highs to get shimmer, with slow and deep on the mids to get swirl or leslie sounds, with no chorus at all on the bass so as to preserve the fundamental and mix presence.

 

This has been my experience with a number of chorus units - pedals and rack, analog and digital - anyway.

 

 

cheers,

Ian

[ghost219]

notice how he unplugs it and loses the low end slightly. i think the chorus does impact the tone but more on the mid-treble and treble register.

[CicadaSilence]

okie doke I didn't know you had your chorus on. My bad

Oh, yeah, totally. I've been using an Eventide Modfactor for chorus. I can get all like



or



or



and sometimes even

[valvestate]

I dunno what does "scoooowwwwllll" means but I love his dirt sounds in that video.

Chorus + Distortion = 80's

[petejt]

Oh, yeah, totally. I've been using an Eventide Modfactor for chorus. I can get all like or or and sometimes even

haha, love it!

[petejt]

notice how he unplugs it and loses the low end slightly. i think the chorus does impact the tone but more on the mid-treble and treble register.

 

 

Yep definitely impacts the midrange and top end. Kinda funnels it in a way....

[petejt]

This has been my experience with a number of chorus units - pedals and rack, analog and digital - anyway.

Thank you.

[monsterbot]

Are you referring to that somewhat "hollow" sound? Yes, "scowl" would be a good way to describe it also. At 0:41, when he first checks his sound, you can hear it a bit. After putting the Tubescreamer and engaging the chorus, it becomes more apparent.

 

I would attribute it to the miking and then running it through the rack setup. I was experimenting with something like that when I was trying to expand on the br00talz sound. I was running a Fab Chorus into a Metal Muff into a Valve Jr. w/ 12" cab which then was miced with a compressor mic that sent into a Real Tube II preamp and then into the recording setup. It made a very similar "hollow" or "scowling" kind of sound that was perfect for chunky riffs.

 

What I like about the clip is around 1:28 is busts out a mini Minor Threat style riff and you think there's going to be some tougher riffs to follow. Then you get thrown for a loop when Enrique Iglesias or whoever starts lulling you to sleep.

[FuzzShifter]

Let's not forget that very short delay (ie:chorus) can have a resonant peak, which changes as the delay time is lengthened or shortened.

At least to me, a chorus with 5ms delay sounds a lot different than 10ms.

I believe the proper term is comb filtering.

YMMV.

[petejt]

notice how he unplugs it and loses the low end slightly. i think the chorus does impact the tone but more on the mid-treble and treble register.

 

 

He was unplugging then re-plugging his overdrive pedal. The chorus he was using was his rackmounted chorus in the rack behind him.

 

Yep I agree that chorusing does impact the mid-treble & treble registers.

[melx]

my phaser scowls, it sounds like a cocked wah...I like it.

[petejt]

What I like about the clip is around 1:28 is busts out a mini Minor Threat style riff and you think there's going to be some tougher riffs to follow. Then you get thrown for a loop when Enrique Iglesias or whoever starts lulling you to sleep.

 

 

Yup, that's a very cool part, which demonstrates the upward swirling quality of the chorusing effect, like a slow flanger.