The chorus effect gives the signal a wide and rich sound and is one of the most popular effects for guitar and bass.

It is created by a signal delay of 20 to 40 ms, which is modulated by a low-frequency oscillator (LFO).

There are different types of chorus effects:

Monochorus - with a single delay line and an LFO that mixes the modulated signal with the original signal.

Stereochorus - with two independent modules.

Multichorus - which uses four or even eight separate echo lines and LFOs.

The main parameters of the chorus are the delay time (the delay time influenced by the LFO), the depth (the intensity of the LFO), the waveform (the shape of the LFO) and the mix and pan parameters . These settings can be used to determine the relationship between the original and effect signal and to set the position of the various signals in a stereo panorama.

Construction:

The chorus effect builds on the delay effect in that each additional voice of the chorus is generated by its own delay circuit. In a chorus with six voices, the signal is tapped six times, modulated and added to the output signal with a time delay.
This time offset is crucial to creating polyphony rather than simply making the signal louder. This principle is similar to the sound of a 12-string guitar, where the double strings are struck slightly offset in time.
In addition, the sound is modulated so that each voice is played alternately at slightly different speeds. This changes the period of vibration, which in turn affects the pitch and creates the typical floating effect that becomes stronger the more voices there are.
Differences between different chorus effects lie in the number of voices, the variety of modulation and whether they are stereo or mono capable. In addition, different models sound very different depending on the circuit and components used.

Use:

Chorus is typically used when a wider sound is needed that goes beyond a single voice.
While with the acoustic guitar the saying “less is more” applies, with the electric guitar the chorus is often used a little more for psychedelic sounds.
It is also used on bass guitars, but it is recommended to use a special bass chorus.
Other instruments would include keyboard, organ, synthesizer, drums and background vocals.

Steering:

The two main controls on almost all chorus pedals are the DEPTH control, which controls the modulation depth, and the RATE control, which is responsible for the modulation speed. Depending on the manufacturer, there are also other features such as effect volume, EQ, high cut, low cut, etc.

Well-known songs in which a chorus effect can be heard on the guitar:

• Come as you are - Nirvana
• Purple rain - Prince
• Get lucky - Duft Punk
• Welcome home (sanitarium) - Metallica