Chorus: The Alternative Effect You Didn’t Know You Were Hearing

Ever wondered how independent & alternative artists get that ‘shimmery’, ‘swirling’ sound we hear on so many records? We’ll show you how it’s done, the history of the effect, and just how easy it is.

We are spilling the secret for that alternative, indie, dream-pop style sound. These genres all rely heavily on an audio effect known as ‘chorus’. Chorus is tricky to describe with words, though once you hear it, you’ll be able to recognize its use in virtually any track that features it. It is most commonly used and sounds most distinct on the electric guitar, but has also been used extensively on synthesizers and bass.

In its simplest form, the chorus effect or ‘chorusing’ has existed as long as humans have been singing in unison. The slight differences in pitch and timbre between two or more vocalists cause the sound to ‘collide with itself’ in very musical and pleasing ways, which is perceived by our ears as having ‘depth’ and ‘dimension’. Naturally occurring chorus is the main contributor to the sound of choirs or other vocal ensembles. This effect could be created on-demand, on any sound source when it was electronically simulated in the late 1970’s with clever circuit design. These chorus circuits were later housed in rack units and pedal enclosures, eventually being developed digitally into software plugins.

The CE-1 Chorus Ensemble, released by the Roland Corporation in 1976, marked the first widespread use of chorus in commercial music. It was bulky, expensive, and had to be powered separately, but it was the first commercially available chorus effect ever released. In 1980, the Roland Corporation released the now legendary CE-2 Chorus pedal, which was more compact and easier to use, but had a subtler, clearer sound than the CE-1. Regarded as the definitive chorus device by generations of guitarists and producers, the CE-2 is what propelled the chorus effect into the modern sonic palette. Since its release, the CE-2 has been used by such artists as David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani, Andy Summers (The CE-2 is a cornerstone of ‘The Police’), and countless others. Whether you know it or not, it is guaranteed you’ve heard this device in use more than once.

One of the most notable attributes of chorus devices, vintage or modern, is their extreme ease of use. While the chorus effect may sound complex  when you listen to it on a record, the operation of these units simply could not be easier (especially analog choruses). In all sincerity, some light switches are more complicated to use than chorus units . For example, the chorus effect found on the legendary JUNO synthesizers are just  two buttons: on or off. You quite literally cannot make a mistake when operating some of these units. The CE-2 is arguably even simpler. While the rate and depth knobs affect the sound of the unit, there is no ‘incorrect’ way to set their positions, and the chorus will sound beautiful as long as the unit is engaged.

When chorus first emerged onto the scene in the early 80’s, the settings characteristic of the time involved a shallower, slower sound. The depth of the effect is set fairly high, and the rate is set quite slow (around 0.4 to 0.6Hz). These settings were used to great success in emulating the sound of a 12-string guitar (which naturally choruses itself), as well as producing a flange-like artifact commonly heard in tracks throughout the 80s. This style of chorus is commonly described as ‘shimmery’ and ‘lush’ and is heard consistently from artists like The Police, The Cult, Cyndi Lauper, Bananarama, and many others.

In modern alternative music, the convention with chorus has changed. Now artists (especially in indie music) prefer to set the depth of the effect quite high, sometimes turning the effect up to its maximum, a practice commonly referred to as ‘diming’ an effect. This produces an unbalanced chorus which sounds more like vibrato. This sound is often described as ‘seasick’, ‘warbly’, or ‘watery’ and lends itself nicely to bright rhythm guitar parts, being used ad nauseam, particularly with Fender Telecasters. You can hear this style of chorus from artists like Boy Pablo, Men I Trust, and Yot Club, and is honestly harder to avoid than it is to find. 

Chorus fell out of fashion in the early 90’s, and failed to see widespread popularity again until the 2010s, but it came back with a vengeance. Who knows, maybe we’ll see this same cycle repeat again in the next 40 years, but for now, chorus is here to stay.