Chorus/Flange

Experience the depth and richness of the chorus effect—add harmonic structure to your sound as if multiple layers are playing in unison.

The chorus effect adds a rich, shimmering quality to sounds, simulating the natural acoustic effect of multiple instruments playing the exact same part in unison.

By introducing a short, modulated delay (typically around 10 ms to 25 ms) and subtly shifting its pitch, a chorus can range from a warm, transparent ensemble thickening to a lush, warbling texture.

How Chorus Works

A standard chorus effect relies on a combination of time delay and low-frequency oscillator (LFO) modulation:

• Delay: Adds physical separation and spatial depth by delaying a copy of the input signal before mixing it back with the dry audio.
• Modulation Rate & Depth: Controls the speed and intensity of the pitch shifting, ranging from subtle movement to dramatic chorusing.

Flanging vs. Chorus

While chorus uses medium-to-long delays to simulate ensemble unison, flanging uses extremely short delays (under 10 ms) combined with a feedback loop.

This creates sweeping "comb-filter" notches across the frequency spectrum. When fed back into the input, flanging produces a metallic, jet-engine resonance that is widely used on guitars, drum overheads, and cymbals.

Key Controls Overview

Understanding these core modulation parameters lets you dial in everything from subtle width to intense sweeping textures:

• Delay: Sets the baseline delay time (shorter for flanging, longer for chorus).
• Feedback: Feeds a portion of the wet output back into the input, intensifying resonance and comb filtering.
• LFO Rate: Determines the oscillation speed (frequency) of the modulation sweep.
• LFO Sync: Synchronizes the modulation rate directly to your song’s project tempo.
• LFO Depth (Freq. Mod): Adjusts the modulation depth, dictating how wide or pronounced the pitch sweep becomes.

Working Example: Flanger on Clap

1. Original Clap Beat Without Flange:

2. Clap Beat With Flanger Effect Applied: