Chorused out 80's tone attempt

[Shiny_Surface]

I never understood the 80's tones that used chorus on distortion rhythms, I only liked chorus on clean tones (if at all) so I tried to mess around with it today through a Triple Rectifier.

Signal chain was very simple, guitar into a Maxon OD-9 (boost) and a 1st generation Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble with analog circuitry. An Alesis Picoverb in the effects loop was used to add some reverb to the tone.

Please forgive the playing here there is a hiccup or two.

 

[Mailman1971]

I think that clip sounded great!
Didnt even notice the Chorus on. And thats the key!
Too many times when you heard the Chorused out Gain...it was just that. TOO MUCH!!

That sounded nice and tight!

 

[nevusofota]

I second that. I think it sounds great. Just curious, what did you use to record this clip?

 

[Digital Jams]

Just got back from jamming with the creepy 40 something year olds and we play almost half of STP's Core album, want to talk about chorus used and that is the 90s

Sounded great tom, I love using some chorus in heavy riffing to make it larger sounding

 

[jcj]

Sounded good...I was expecting a warble fest

Nicely done

 

[jmgman69]

Fuck ya!!!!!

 

[jcmlespaul]

Great tone! Now i am searching for a chorus pedal

 

[gbsmusic]

Outstanding!!!!! Great tone and great playing!!

 

[Anonymous]

i think you forgot to turn on the chorus?!

 

[fek]

I have always struggled with that riff. Nicely done!

I agree with the above posts. I don't even hear the chorus. That is the way it should be done. In moderation.

 

[OUTLAW1969]

Sounded great , and I agree that a chorus (used in moderation) is a key element to reproducing some of those 80's sounds.

 

[TIBrent]

Sounded very tasteful & well done!
-Brent

 

[petejt]

I never understood the 80's tones that used chorus on distortion rhythms, I only liked chorus on clean tones (if at all) so I tried to mess around with it today through a Triple Rectifier.

Signal chain was very simple, guitar into a Maxon OD-9 (boost) and a 1st generation Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble with analog circuitry. An Alesis Picoverb in the effects loop was used to add some reverb to the tone.

Please forgive the playing here there is a hiccup or two.

Ha!


A lot of my "tone searching' has been trying to use chorus with distortion without it either muddying up the bottom end, thinning out the signal, getting too warbly, or just sounding too 80s cheesey!

It's a complex thing and I've been through it a fair bit. I've looked into the various methods used and eventually get frustrated by them all. People say that using harmoniser detune with dirt gets away from the warbly cheese sound but honestly that often sounds more cheesey too me- basically the "80s rack" sound. Then you get the chorus pedals that get seasick or add that nasal "honk", which is the earlier 80s cheese sound. But yet, as it is often said, no what the method is used- it all comes down to using TOO MUCH.


Honestly I could barely hear ANY chorusing in your clip! Yet I am listening through laptop speakers- later on I'll try some decent headphones. I liked your guitar tone- was thrashy & tight, although a little scooped (but did have some squawk). I didn't expect that from a Recto- was a nice change! Maybe the chorus pedal improved it?

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Thanks for the comments, had a few drinks when I made that yesterday.

Yes I had the pedal effect level set low so it didn't make the tone too messy/warbled.

When I clicked the pedal on there was a subtle depth/thickness added.

Here's the pedal settings:

 

[petejt]

^^ Cheers, thanks for that.

 

[Badronald]

Thanks for the comments, had a few drinks when I made that yesterday.

Yes I had the pedal effect level set low so it didn't make the tone too messy/warbled.

When I clicked the pedal on there was a subtle depth/thickness added.

Here's the pedal settings:

I use a CE-5 and use it a lot. I have it set just about like yours. I've tried the high end analog chorus pedals that sound deep and lush and they never work for me like a good old CE-5. The CE-5 always works better for me with gain, leads and clean. Almost like it's not on. Great pedal.

 

[petejt]

I don't think of 80s when I hear Zakk Wylde play with Ozzy Osbourne, or even Randy for that matter. And they're both famous (& notorious) for using chorus with dirt.
In fact that's why Zakk's pinch harmonics sound so exaggerated, because the chorusing accentuates them.

 

[ledvedder]

I've been searching for the right pedal to get me that tone, where it widens and thickens the distorted sound. Kind of like a cross between the Zakk tone, the STP Core tone, and the EVH tone of the 90's. I see you ran the CE-5 before the amp and not in the effects loop. I've always been under the assumption that chorus/modulation effects sound better in the loop. Great find!

 

[petejt]

I've been searching for the right pedal to get me that tone, where it widens and thickens the distorted sound. Kind of like a cross between the Zakk tone, the STP Core tone, and the EVH tone of the 90's. I see you ran the CE-5 before the amp and not in the effects loop. I've always been under the assumption that chorus/modulation effects sound better in the loop. Great find!

A lot of folks are/have been under the assumption of using chorus/modulation effects in the effects loop. But that's also how you get that big 80s sound, and can easily get out of hand sounding seasick & cheesey when used with dirt. While I like it for some things, personally I prefer using chorus in front of (two) amps where it has a warmer, more complex character.

The question is do you want CHORUSED distortion? (chorus in the effects loop)
Or DISTORTED chorus? (chorus in front)

Zakk uses his chorus in front, but for the solos does hit it with an overdrive pedal for more sustain, so it's kind of a combo of chorused distortion and distorted chorus.

Eddie's late 80s/90s tone is the Eventide Harmonisor Detune effect in a wet/dry/wet setup, placed AFTER his amps. It's a "static" chorusing effect. But honestly to me I still think it gets a little shrill-sounding, and while the bottom end is preserved it doesn't sound as beefy and raw- I think the harmonising takes away that rawness.

I just searched for info on Stone Temple Pilots, and found this: essentially it's a wet/dry/wet setup, but the chorus pedal is in front of the amp. It is what initially splits the signal. One signal (the dry?) goes to the little blue dirt pedal and the Vox AC30 in the middle (his chimey Vox sound). The wet signal goes to the Demeter preamp (big Marshall crunch sound) and rack effects to be further split to stereo, so it sits either side of the AC30 through the Marshall cabs.

 

[petejt]

Tell you what now THIS sounds super-chorused out, and it ROCKS!

Before the 80s too: