Software Choruses

As long as you are relatively comfortable with installing plug-ins then it should be a breeze. You really don't need a manual for this plug-in, it really is that simple! It's a one knob style interface so that's what you get, one knob and it's right there, so yep it's definitely easily accessible! SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I've been using it for 6 or 7 years now and I've never really had any issues with it. If you want to use 2 or more instances though you need to make sure your computer is up to the task, this plug-in is fairly CPU hungry for such a simple plug-in. I have not tried using this one outside of Pro-Tools so you may have other performance problems or not when used with other DAWs. OVERALL OPINION The thing that I like most about this plug-in is the vibrato, the thing I like least is the chorus. I think that the vibrato function is alot more clean and realistic compared to a high end external stompbox model than the chorus is. The chorus always seems to become a little thin which is an understandable issue yet this plug-in just isn't rich enough while using it's chorus modes. The Vibrato functions sound much more lush and don't color/thin the sound quite as much. If you got this plug-in with a Bomb-Factory bundle or for free then the price is right! I've used several external vibrato and chorus pedals for my guitar rig over the years. I would rate the vibrato function of this plug-in to be just shy of the quality that I've gotten out of a floor model in the past, and obviously much cheaper. The chorus just falls short of my expectations, if you don't have any other chorus plug-ins then use this one; it's not terrible.

U-audio does it right. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE As with all their stuff, it's solid. OVERALL OPINION The Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble is another classic effect faithfully reproduced by our ace modeling engineers. The CE-1 is considered by many to the defin- itive chorus effect, renowned for its rich and unique timbres. Even for the mix engineer, stomp boxes can provide “secret weapon effects” not found any other way. In 1976, BOSS originated the chorus effect pedal, and nobody has come close to matching the CE-1’s captivating chorus sound since then. Its unmistakable warm analog stereo chorus and vibrato have been heard on countless tracks; particularly on guitars, bass and electric keys. Universal Audio has been commissioned by Roland to accurately model the CE-1, and the results are nothing short of spectacular. The Boss CE-1 has two operating modes, chorus and vibrato. Only one mode can be active at a time. The operating mode is set using the Vibrato/Chorus switch. This is an effect bypass switch. Click to enable/disable the cho- rus or vibrato effect. The effect that will be heard is determined by the Vibrato/Chorus switch. The active state is black text. The inactive state has gray text. The default state is effect. This is not a plug-in bypass switch. The hardware CE-1 has a slight affect on the sound even when the effect is “bypassed” in normal mode. We have mod- eled the plug-in faithfully and like the hardware unit, when the effect is by- passed with this switch, audio is still processed to sound like the CE-1 in “nor- mal” mode. To disable audio processing, use the CE-1 Power Switch. The Stereo Mode switch determines the operating mode of CE-1 when the plug-in is used in a configuration with stereo input, such as a stereo audio track insert or stereo effects bus. The hardware CE-1 has only a monophonic input. Its output can be mono (wet and dry signal mixed at one output jack) or stereo (dry signal in one output jack, wet signal in other output jack). We’ve adapted the model for the modern era, enabling a true stereo input.

I installed the Digisign AIR Ensemble with no problems on my Pro Tools LE 9. It was as simple as installing any standard plug-in is on a Mac. I don't have the manual as I bought it electronically, but this is literally the easiest plug-in I have ever used as it simply has 6 preset vibrato and chorus sounds. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I am running the Digisign AIR Ensemble plug-in on a Mac Book Pro that has 4 GB of RAM and a 2.2 GHz processor. I use the plug-in in Pro Tools LE 9 that I run with a Digi 002 rack version. The software runs fine with this set up as I am able to run a few of these at once. I've never had a need to run more than three or four of these plug-ins at once, so I can't speak to how well it performs beyond that. OVERALL OPINION I've had the Digisign AIR Ensemble for a 2 years. I love the sound this produces when I am looking for a leslie type sound or for any type of chorus or vibrato application. It is amazingly easy to use as there are only six preset sounds on it that can't be manipulated with any further parameters. This is both a good and a bad thing. It is good because it makes it extremely easy to use and anyone can figure out how to get the most out of it. It is also unfortunate that it is limited in its use. You can definitely find a useful application for all of the presets. For the price it is a bargain and is nice to have in my plug-in collection as an easy way to get a nice sounding chorus or vibrato. I suggest this to anyone looking for a solid plug in with these effects, it wont make your system unstable and will never crash on you whether you’re on a mac or pc.

The Haas effect is one of the most used (and maybe overused) effects out there. It can really thicken up a mix. Basically, you're doubling a track, delaying it a touch and then maybe adding some modulation to it. That creates the illusion that it was done twice and gives you a super thick sound. To use this, you simply enable it on your buss and start adjusting. I didn't experience any compatibility issues, so I can't comment on that. I never read the manual, but that's because I don't have the patience. This plugin is one of the harder plugins to use that Waves offers. I recommend testing out the different presets and seeing how they work to get a good grasp of how what is effecting what. After that, you should have a good idea as to how everything works. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE Waves plugins have always been some of the most stable plugins I've experienced. They're cross platform compatible, so they'll work with both PCs and Macs. As a Mac user, that's a huge advantage for someone like me. They run in 32 bit mode, but Logic uses a wrapper-like application that runs so you don't interfere with your 64 bit interface. I've tried this on various different buses, and it seems to work on anything with ease. It even works nicely on MIDI, which I found a bit surprising. There are no performance issues at all, and that's a huge plus when working in a DAW filled with all kinds of synths and tracks running tons of plugins. These plugins came with my Mercury package, and I've had that for a few months now. OVERALL OPINION This plugin is more complex to use. It sound great, but it can be a real pain if you're just looking for a quick Haas effect. I usually just do that kind of stuff manually as it's quicker for me to get the results I want. I usually stay away from this on distorted guitars, but it can work out nicely for clean guitars that were only one take. Check it out, you might like it.

AIR plugins are part of the set of plugins that come together with Pro Tools. AIR stands for Advanced Instrument Research, and these are highly versatile plugins that really help expand the overall usage of Pro Tools. First of all, there are no compatibility issues with these plugins as they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. That means no unexpected crashing or weird bugs. I never read the manual on this, so I can't really comment on that. These plugins are easy enough to use that you shouldn't really need it. This is the AIR Chorus on steroids. There are all kinds of crazy options in here to get whatever chorus modulation you're looking for. In fact, it's like combining multiple AIR Choruses together and having them in one convenient plugin. It might be a bit more daunting than the regular AIR Chorus, but the added benefits are definitely worth it if you're looking to create your own unique chorus. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I use a Mac Pro Dual Quad Core machine, and while Logic is my main DAW, Pro Tools is what I've been experimenting with lately, and I can see why it's considered the best DAW out there. I never had any issues when it came to RAM or slowdowns, but it could also be because my machine is fairly hefty. I never experienced any performance issues with these plugins, and the reason is that they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. Because of that, everything is rock solid. I've only been using Pro Tools for a few months, so my opinions may change in the future. OVERALL OPINION The AIR Multichorus is the plugin that I probably use the most when I want to create a chorus effect inside of Pro Tools. It's more versatile than the regular AIR Chorus, and it sounds amazing. Just be careful not to overuse this as it can get ridiculously 80s sounding if you're not careful.

AIR plugins are part of the set of plugins that come together with Pro Tools. AIR stands for Advanced Instrument Research, and these are highly versatile plugins that really help expand the overall usage of Pro Tools. First of all, there are no compatibility issues with these plugins as they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. That means no unexpected crashing or weird bugs. I never read the manual on this, so I can't really comment on that. These plugins are easy enough to use that you shouldn't really need it. AIR Chorus is a good, solid chorus that you can include on any buss to help add that thickness and depth to your mix. It can do everything from a subtle modulation to an insane 80s chorus delay that sounds like you're under water. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I never experienced any performance issues with these plugins, and the reason is that they're made exclusively for Pro Tools. Because of that, everything is rock solid. I use a Mac Pro Dual Quad Core machine, and while Logic is my main DAW, Pro Tools is what I've been experimenting with lately, and I can see why it's considered the best DAW out there. I never had any issues when it came to RAM or slowdowns, but it could also be because my machine is fairly hefty. I've only been using Pro Tools for a few months, so my opinions may change in the future. OVERALL OPINION One thing I dislike about these AIR plugins is that they're only found in Pro Tools. While other DAWs have their own exclusive plugins, I'd like to see these available for purchase at an affordable price. That would help out both DigiDesign and everyone who uses a DAW besides Pro Tools. The plugin itself is nice, and I've used it quite a bit with great success, so no issues there.

The Clone Ensemble Bass Chorus is a free plug-in for your DAW running on Windows. You can use it as either a VST or Direct X plug-in, but it’s still limited in it’s reach since you can only install it on Windows as far as I know. The plug is downloadable from Clone Ensemble’s website still, even though this is a few years old now. Even though it’s labeled a chorus plug-in for bass, it’s also a flanger. The interface has parameters for delay, cutoff frequency, depth, rate, feedback, and mix, as well as buttons for bass mode, lo-fi, a choosing the type of channel configuration you’d like. I doubt that they made a manual for this since you don’t really need one and most free plug-ins won’t have one anyway. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I’m no longer running the Clone Ensemble Bass Chorus since my current system is no longer compatible. I have a Mac running Pro Tools now, but I ran this on my old system when I had Cubase SX on a Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv8000 Notebook. The computer had a 3.0 Ghz processor and 2 GB of RAM, while I ran the plug-in mostly in version 2.0 of Cubase SX. This plug-in is very low processing power consuming, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it taxing your system much. OVERALL OPINION Being that it’s free, there’s no reason not to have the Clone Ensemble Bass Chorus plug-in running if you’re able to. It’s a pretty nice sounding plug-in and is capable of getting a nice array of different modulation effects for bass. You can really use this on anything, but it does work best with bass guitar even though you’re probably not going to need this effect for bass too often. It’s not bad sounding, but I would never purchase the plug-in and would never have used it if it wasn’t free. If your DAW is able to run this plug-in, I’d recommend heading over to Clone Ensemble’s site and giving it a shot for yourself.

The Clone Ensemble plug-in, made by the brand of the same name, is an in depth software chorus for Windows based operating systems and in VST and Direct X plug-in formats. This is Clone Ensemble's main plug-in, hence the name. You can download a free version of the software from their site, but it's not fully functionable. I don't remember too much about the specifics here, as it's been a few years since I had it on my system. The plug-in has a lot to offer in terms of control and parameters, with sections for timing, vibrato, varying dynamics, EQ, 'sex machine,' and main controls like mix, balance, focus, dry delay, and gain. Just check out a screenshot on Clone Ensemble's website or the picture above to get a better idea of what's available here. I don't know if there's a manual or not for this plug-in. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I no longer have a compatible system to run Clone Ensemble and haven't had one for a few years. Before I switched to Pro Tools, I was running Cubase SX on a Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv8000 Notebook that I had this plug-in up and running on. I don't remember exactly how I got it, but I believe I got it a plug-in collection put together by someone else of all different brands. The HP computer I was running this on had a 3.0 Ghz processor and 2 GB of RAM, which was enough for me to run the plug-in without any problems. I wouldn't think too many users would experience performance issues with this. OVERALL OPINION For shareware software, the Clone Ensemble plug-in is a nice one to have around. Only Windows users will be able to use this, but it's not too big a deal as most Mac users will most likely have chorus plug-ins better than this one anyway. It's effective and unique, making it worth having for Windows users, but definitely isn't crucial to have by any means. When I got this a few years ago I'm pretty sure it was free for the full version, although it doesn't look like that's the case anymore. However, I would think you could find the full version as shareware pretty easily. If you can, check it out for sure but it's no sweat if you can't as there are others out there!

The Nomad Factory BT Dual-Analog Chorus CH2S is a plug-in for your DAW that is one of six in the Blue Tubes Effects Pack. I don't think you can buy this as an individual plug-in, but I'm not 100% sure on this. The plug-in is pretty in depth and unique because it's got two separate LFO's, hence the name 'Dual Chorus.' Each of the two choruses has parameters for waveform, rate and depth, as well as delay, panning, and a high and low pass filter. It has it's own panning section with rate and depth as well as further overall control with high and low EQ control, input and output levelers, and an overall mix parameter. Lastly, it has a built in limiter button for light touching. As you can probably tell, there's a ton that can be done with the plug-in and is one of the only kinds of it's type that I've seen in terms of having two separate choruses in one. I'm unaware of what the manual might offer. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE Sine I don't own Nomad's Blue Tubes Effects Pack, I'm not running the Dual-Analog Chorus CH2S at home, but rather have used it a bunch at the studio where I'm working. All of our systems our Pro Tools HD, with the main system I've used it on having a Mac Pro desktop computer with 10 GB of RAM and dual 2.66 Ghz Intel Xeon processors. This isn't a great judge of how well the plug-in runs, as we never have issues running plug-ins. I would think that as long as you're comfortable in running your DAW, you should be okay with this plug-in. OVERALL OPINION The Nomad Factory BT Dual-Analog Chorus CH2S is a great plug-in to have for anyone's DAW. It's more than just your average chorus plug-in as it's got dueling LFO's for further possibilities and thicker sounds. It's the chorus plug-in I love to mess around with at the studio and definitely wish I had it at home. If there's a sound that I get with it that I can't live without, I'll print it right then and there, but most of the time I like to wait until mixing. The Blue Tubes Effects Pack is an overall awesome and very inexpensive bundle of plug-ins that's well worth considering for any DAW owner.

The Waves Ltd. Mondo Mod software is a versatile modulation effects plug-in, compatible with all DAW's that I'm aware of. The plug-in can be purchased individually or within a number of different bundles. I installed the plug-in along with the full compliment of Waves plug-ins, which was an easy enough to do as it's just a simple as installing any piece of software. Learning to use the plug-in doesn't take an incredible amount of experience, but it did take me a few tries to get completely comfortable with the plug-in since it has a good amount of parameters to work with. It has AM, FM & Rotation modulations in here, with the AM and FM modules having depth and phase control and rotation having center and range parameters. The AM is essentially a tremolo, while FM is a vibrato and rotation is for panning purposes. The plug-in also has a tempo synch option, waveform selection, mix level, and gain. As you can probably tell, there's enough control here to give you a wide array of tones, but it's not convoluted in the least. A manual isn't something that should be necessary with this plug-in. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I've currently got the Waves Ltd. Mondo Mod plug-in running on my system at home, but have also used it at the professional studio where I work. My home studio consists of Pro Tools 9, a Digi 002R audio interface, and a Mac Book Pro computer that has 4 GB of RAM and a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. I've only used the plug-in in a limited number of instances (one or two), and this system has been more than enough to handle it... OVERALL OPINION I'm a pretty big fan of the Waves Ltd. Mondo Mod plug-in all in all, as there's a whole lot that can be done with it. Between the three main modes of FM, AM, and rotation (vibrato, tremolo and panning respectively) you can get all sorts of different modulation sounds that are great for a variety of purposes. I like using this plug-in for vocals especially as it can give you a nice and spacey vocal effect, but it's useful across the board whenever you might be looking for any sort of modulation effect. I don't know that I would have bought Mondo Mod individually had I not gotten it in a bundle, but it's definitely one worth considering either way if you're looking for something like this.

The Nomad Factory Liquid Mod II is a dual chorus and flanger effect plug-in in one. It's part of Nomad Factory's Liquid Bundle, which consists of six plug-ins of various types all together. This isn't a bundle that I personally own, but the professional recording studio that I work at has it along with pretty much all of the Nomad Factory plug-ins. Learning to use the Liquid Mod II plug-in is a pretty easy process, as I found that it was easy enough to figure out without any help from a manual. There are two modes on here - one for chorus and one for flanger. The parameters that it has to work with include those for rate and depth, delay times, and waveform, as well as further parameters for stereo width, overdrive, feedback, and overall output level. It also gives you either an analog or digital setting and control over the overall mix level. That's pretty much a breakdown of all the controls you'll need to know about here. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE Although we don't normally have any issues running any plug-ins on our systems at the studio where I work, the Nomad Factory Liquid Mod II takes up an especially low amount of processing power anyway. The main system that we've got is Pro Tools HD based that runs on a Mac Pro desk top computer with dual 2.66 Ghz Intel Xeon processors and 10 GB of RAM. This is more than enough to run multiple instances of this plug-in if I wanted to, but I haven't had a chance to run more than one or two at a time anyway... OVERALL OPINION While it's not the most unique effects plug-in out there, Nomad Factory Liquid Mod II is still a very solid chorus/flanger plug-in that's definitely worth having in any DAW's plug-in suite. The bundle as a whole is one worth having as even though the plug-ins aren't the warmest or cleanest sounding, they're versatile and bring a lot to the table at a very inexpensive price. The Liquid Mod II plug-in in particular is a nice one to have around as it can give you some really quick and easy flanging and chorus sounds that are always good to have around. If you're at all interested in this plug-in, it's worth it to check out the full bundle as it's the perfect way to get some quality plug-ins at a cheap price...

The Blue Cat Audio Blue Cat's Chorus is a free plug-in that is available in pretty much any plug-in and operating system format that you can think of. I've been running an RTAS version of this plug-in for Mac, but it's also available for PC. Installing the plug-in should only take a minute, as you can download the plug-in directly from Blue Cat Audio's website and have it up and running within a matter of minutes. As far as the interface is concerned, it's a pretty simple one. As seen in the picture above, there are a few different skins that you can use for the plug-in, but the configuration of the parameters will of course be the same no matter what your interface looks like. The parameters that it has are for gain, delay, depth, rate, dry, and wet, as well as an option to choose either a sine or triangle wave. A manual isn't necessary with this plug-in, but I can't speak to it's make up sine I haven't seen it. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I'm currently running the RTAS version for Mac of the Blue Cat Audio Blue Cat's Chorus plug-in, as right now I've got a bunch of free Blue Cat Audio plug-ins on my system at home. This system consists of Pro Tools LE 8 and a Mac Book Pro with a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I run Pro Tools LE 8 with a Digi 002R audio interface. Blue Cat's Chorus plug-in won't take up much of your processing power at all, so I can't foresee too many users having performance problems with it. OVERALL OPINION It's tough to find free plug-ins that are available in all plug-in formats and for both Mac and PC operating systems, but that's exactly what you'll get with the Blue Cat Audio Blue Cat's Chorus as well as their other plug-ins. Of course the plug-in doesn't have the most realistic chorus tone I've heard, but it's still usable for sure, and considering the plug-in is free I can't really do any complaining. I've only been using this plug-in for a relatively short amount of time, but I'm finding myself using it more and more when I need some simple chorus. At the price of free, there's no reason not to try it for yourself!