Chorus Effects Pedals EXPLAINED - My Favourite Setting

Chorus thickens your sound and is primarily associated with classic 80s songs. Understanding how chorus works and when to use it unlocks countless iconic tones.

What is chorus? Chorus takes your signal and creates a slightly detuned copy, modulating it to create a thicker, richer sound. Makes one guitar sound like multiple guitars playing together.

Controls explained:

Effect level: How much chorus is mixed with your dry signal. All the way up for maximum effect.

Depth: The amount the waveform affects the sound. Low depth is subtle, high depth gets very watery and obvious.

Rate: Speed of the modulation. High rate sounds like Doctor Who ("Exterminate!"). Low rate is the classic smooth chorus sound.

Classic settings: Depth up, rate down, effect level to taste. This gives the smooth, lush 80s character.

Song examples:

"Purple Rain" by Prince - features one of the hardest chords on guitar (the opening chord) with heavy chorus. Pairs with reverb for that 80s wet dream sound - they go together perfectly.

The Police and Andy Summers - very heavy chorus, almost defining his sound. Effect level all the way up creates that instantly recognizable tone. Songs like "Message in a Bottle" showcase chorus as the primary texture.

The Cure - Used Roland Jazz Chorus amp which has built-in chorus (hence the name). This amp was also used by Metallica, The Smiths, and countless others. The Jazz Chorus provides a specific chorus character that became synonymous with 80s alternative rock.

"Just Like Heaven" demonstrated on Jazz Chorus amp settings.

Guns N' Roses - Used chorus on clean sections, like the intro to "Sweet Child O' Mine." Typically removed chorus for the overdrive/heavy sections, unlike some bands.

Def Leppard - Used chorus on everything, clean and distorted. Their signature 80s production sound came from the Rockman X100 pedal which has built-in chorus you can't adjust - just on or off. Songs like "Hysteria" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me" showcase chorus as an integral part of both rhythm and lead tones.

Settings extremes:

Everything left (low): Does very little even with effect level up - needs depth to be noticeable.

Depth all the way up, rate all the way up: Very Doctor Who, sci-fi wobble.

Depth all the way up, rate down: Very watery, like Nirvana's "Come As You Are" intro.

Typical settings: Depth around halfway or slightly up, rate in the middle, level all the way up. This gives you everything from 80s clean heaven to 80s lead tones.

Pairing with reverb: Chorus and reverb together are a match made in 80s heaven. Add room or hall reverb to chorused guitar for that quintessential 80s production sound. Works on both clean and overdriven tones.

Modern usage: Still used extensively in modern music like Tame Impala, but more tastefully than the heavy 80s application. Chorus was used heavily in 80s music because it was a relatively new effect at the time. Contemporary players use it more subtly. Even Queen songs benefit from chorus, adding that extra dimension to leads and clean sections.

The key is understanding that chorus is fundamentally an 80s sound, though applicable across eras when used with taste and paired appropriately with reverb.