Chorus Effect - Methods

Methods

When the effect is produced successfully, none of the constituent sounds is perceived as being out of tune. It is characteristic of sounds with a rich, shimmering quality that would be absent if the sound came from a single source. The effect is more apparent when listening to sounds that sustain for longer periods of time.

The chorus effect is especially easy to hear when listening to a choir or string ensemble. A choir has multiple people singing each part (soprano, tenor, etc.). A string ensemble has multiple violinists and possibly multiples of other stringed instruments.

In spite of the name, most electronic chorus effects do not accurately emulate this acoustic ensemble effect. Instead, they create a constantly moving electronic shimmer.

Some instruments produce a chorus effect as part of their design:

• Piano - Each hammer strikes multiple strings tuned to nearly the same pitch (for all notes except the bass notes). Professional piano tuners carefully control the mistuning of each string to add movement without losing clarity.
• 12 string guitar - Six pairs of strings tuned in octaves and unisons create a distinctive complex shimmer.
• Synthesizer. The effect can be achieved by using multiple, slightly detuned oscillators for each note, or by passing all the notes played through a separate electronic chorus circuit.
• Mandolin - 4 pairs of identically tuned strings, as opposed to octaves and unisons on the 12-string guitar.