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How To Use Bass Chorus ?
- Thread starter Epac
- Start date
At some point, I might re-record my silly tunes (in the same lo-fi manner I've been doing of course) except using some effects, since most of my recordings were before I got a few pedals. I'll be using my chorus for at least one of my slap sections in one of my tunes.
And yes, chorus and delay sound fantastic together. But I was playing around this morning and found phaser and delay were doing it just right for a new thing I'm working on. Part of me wishes I went with reverb instead of delay, but maybe that would affect tone a little too much.
A little drive > reverb > delay is my cup of tea these days...
I've tried a couple chorus pedals, and I like the MXR Analog (Black Label) chorus for bass.
Lots of options there for making it super 80's or super subtle.
I liked it real subtle, but eventually found I wasn't using it too much so I sold it.
Still, I remember it sounding kinda cool at low settings with a clean(ish) signal into delay...
I've tried a couple chorus pedals, and I like the MXR Analog (Black Label) chorus for bass.
Lots of options there for making it super 80's or super subtle.
I liked it real subtle, but eventually found I wasn't using it too much so I sold it.
Still, I remember it sounding kinda cool at low settings with a clean(ish) signal into delay...
I don't really like my chorus too subtle, not right now. Mind you, I don't think it (BBC) dominates the sound. And I think the BBC can chorus quite nicely without messing with your tone too much, a definite plus as I have a somewhat peculiar tone I think (lots of mids and I turn the pickup knob all the way to the right 95% of the time). I should figure out which pickup it is that I'm using, for posterity.
I personally think chorus is great for relatively slow melodic passages on the bass, as it has a tendency to make your notes more spacious, lush and somewhat more mellow and full sounding, as well as giving your tone a more pronounced sense of depth, perfect for enhancing the overall feel such passages generally will have.
Used really really subtly, by mixing in just a slight bit of the processed chorus signal with your unprocessed tone, it can also be used as a general always on effect to add a slightly more pronounced sense of depth to and thicken up your main clean tone, combined with giving it a subtle sense of movement, making it appear more 3 dimensional.
Otherwise historically it was commonly used in a lot of music in the 80's, where you would be able to find examples of it in just about every genre, though it was especially common to be found in post punk, new wave and similar related types of music.
Also commonly heard used on tracks that features melodic fretless bass parts, as for some reason that combination seems to work particularly well, I guess perhaps, beside what I already mentioned in the first paragraph of this post about melodic bass and use of chorus, because of the ability fretless basses have to do seamless slides and chorus being a pitch modulating effect, as well as the kind of mellow quality of both.
If you happen to be into sounds in the more unusual and odd end of the spectra chorus can when used in front of heavy distortion or fuzz get quite trippy, somewhat giving kind of a swirly slightly pulsating effect and at the same time making the distortion or fuzz sound really dense and thick.
Used really really subtly, by mixing in just a slight bit of the processed chorus signal with your unprocessed tone, it can also be used as a general always on effect to add a slightly more pronounced sense of depth to and thicken up your main clean tone, combined with giving it a subtle sense of movement, making it appear more 3 dimensional.
Otherwise historically it was commonly used in a lot of music in the 80's, where you would be able to find examples of it in just about every genre, though it was especially common to be found in post punk, new wave and similar related types of music.
Also commonly heard used on tracks that features melodic fretless bass parts, as for some reason that combination seems to work particularly well, I guess perhaps, beside what I already mentioned in the first paragraph of this post about melodic bass and use of chorus, because of the ability fretless basses have to do seamless slides and chorus being a pitch modulating effect, as well as the kind of mellow quality of both.
If you happen to be into sounds in the more unusual and odd end of the spectra chorus can when used in front of heavy distortion or fuzz get quite trippy, somewhat giving kind of a swirly slightly pulsating effect and at the same time making the distortion or fuzz sound really dense and thick.
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How do I use Chorus?
when a part comes (usually clean parts) and it needs chorus, I step on the chorus pedal.
on recordings is most useful to use it subtle. Crank the hell out when playing live.
when a part comes (usually clean parts) and it needs chorus, I step on the chorus pedal.
on recordings is most useful to use it subtle. Crank the hell out when playing live.
With great moderation! I think chorus is one of the easiest modulation effects to overuse because it just sounds so great when you first step on it and weirdly empty when you can finally bring yourself to switch it off!
Unlike phasers or vibes the tone of you instrument isn't continually cycled through moments of too bassy, too middly too trebly and unlike a flanger, chorus doesn’t take everybody’s head off and say “what the heck was that?”
However as stated, it’s all too easy to over do it and sound sea sickly and vomit inducingly sweet.
I think if you can find a bass chorus pedal which allows for a mix between the dry and pitch modulated signals, the best way to use it is to: max the volume and depth. Then, using the mix control, add in the chorused signal until you can just about hear the wobbly chaos in the background of your signal. Then, reduce the depth and rate to taste. Eric Johnson and musicians like him use a chorus that’s only just perceivable. This is how I try to go.
Unlike phasers or vibes the tone of you instrument isn't continually cycled through moments of too bassy, too middly too trebly and unlike a flanger, chorus doesn’t take everybody’s head off and say “what the heck was that?”
However as stated, it’s all too easy to over do it and sound sea sickly and vomit inducingly sweet.
I think if you can find a bass chorus pedal which allows for a mix between the dry and pitch modulated signals, the best way to use it is to: max the volume and depth. Then, using the mix control, add in the chorused signal until you can just about hear the wobbly chaos in the background of your signal. Then, reduce the depth and rate to taste. Eric Johnson and musicians like him use a chorus that’s only just perceivable. This is how I try to go.
I’ve always used chorus in clean, more quiet parts, like a bridge or verse part where it needed some movement. Where you can really tell it’s on. I don’t use it all the time, but when I do, it’s usually very effective. But I almost always use it with clean bass in “prettier”, cleaner parts of songs.
I love chorus on bass and use it anywhere I can haha. With fuzz it's awesome, and octave down too. I use my CE-2W with my OC-3 and play up high on the fretboard and it's such a cool but still solid sound.
Boosting your low end while the chorus is on can be really cool too, even if the chorus pedal doesn't cut any natural low end. It'll still do something extra special with boosted lows.
I always have high depth and low rate.
Boosting your low end while the chorus is on can be really cool too, even if the chorus pedal doesn't cut any natural low end. It'll still do something extra special with boosted lows.
I always have high depth and low rate.
That's one cool thing about the MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe...it has a switchable crossover that removes the chorus effect on frequencies below 100hz so you don't need to blend it with a dry signal to accomplish what you're looking for. Back when I first posted in this thread, I hated chorus because it sounded so 80's, but I've redeveloped a respect for it, if not actual love. The MXR sounding much warmer than a Boss helped, though.
I feel the same way and I have to watch myself not to overdo it. My chorus of choice over the last years has been the MXR Stereo Chorus, which is sitting pretty on my gigging board. I also recently got the the EHX Bass Clone for my home small practice board, which sounds very good. The band plays 80s cover stuff (Bon Jovi, Loverboy...), so I guess I could have the effect always on...
Yes, definitely. The MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe is particularly warmer sounding than their M234 Analog Chorus.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I recently used chorus (I think successfully) on a track. I didn't save it for the quiet part or for chords or any other stuff. Part of making it work for me is to be able to blend clean and chorus together and also have a chorus with a high pass on it so it doesn't get weird in the lows.
