Which Chorus pedal to thicken up lead tones?

[Dimebag11]

Well, if not a chorus, what other pedal would work well out front? I've tried every setting imaginable with my DD-3 and it just didn't do it for me at all.

I have the DD-3, and it sounds fantastic in a loop, and like SHIT up front. I've owned many chorus pedals, looking for the right one, and this is THE chorus pedal for me..

How's it sound up front for lead tones?

 

[Badronald]

I've never liked chorus in a loop.

Always sounds better up front. Then again I was never into that 80's chorused studio rack sound. Hated it.

Just sayin'

 

[nevusofota]

I've been thinking about thickening up leads recently as well. I was thinking about going with a very subtle pitch shifter or POG.

 

[stompboxfreak72]

Well, if not a chorus, what other pedal would work well out front? I've tried every setting imaginable with my DD-3 and it just didn't do it for me at all.

I have the DD-3, and it sounds fantastic in a loop, and like SHIT up front. I've owned many chorus pedals, looking for the right one, and this is THE chorus pedal for me..

This. It was made for playing dirty. I like the Boss CE5 but I swear my bleeds into my signal when it is turned off. The Analogman Chorus is the best chorus I have ever owned.......for clean tones.

The ZW chorus sounds great in front of my Nitro. I like the Boss but the ZW is better for this application to my ears.

 

[fearhk213]

I think a phaser would better serve your needs than a chorus for thickening up lead tones. They sound thicker and chewier to my ears, and you can set it pretty subtle so it doesn't sound so obvious.

 

[rockify]

Fromel Seraph Chorus.

Top pick mate

 

[university81]

Well, if not a chorus, what other pedal would work well out front? I've tried every setting imaginable with my DD-3 and it just didn't do it for me at all.

something like a subtle phaser or flanger should thicken things up in front of an amp

i've just ordered a tc vortex flanger, an effect i've never really used in the past, but have really started to like messing with both clean and with gain

 

[chunktone]

Red Witch Empress chorus ftw!!!!!

 

[petejt]

I know I mentioned this in another "Recommend a chorus pedal" thread, but, try out a Neunaber Chroma if you can get one cheap. You can mix it as mildly or completely as you want.


There are specific reasons why some chorus pedals tend to thin out a guitar sound. It could be due to the internal buffers or compressors/compandors that may "squeeze" the signal into a narrow range, which could cut off a bit of the bottom end while spiking the upper mids (creating that slightly nasal sound).

And others might deliberately scoop the midrange if they enhance the top end, which of course can make a thin, very bright sound.

Also the effect process itself creates a comb filtering, where the signal partially goes out of phase in time with the LFO. Some pedals have more phase cancelling than others, which is why they sound thin.
You can actually exploit this with some flangers by "freezing" the Rate control and using the Manual/Delay Time control to notch out particular frequencies.