chorus effect
An audio effect that duplicates a signal with slight pitch and timing variations to create a shimmering, thickened sound.
In Depth
The chorus effect simulates the natural phenomenon of multiple voices or instruments playing in unison, where tiny tuning and timing differences create a rich, animated sound. The effect works by mixing the original signal with one or more delayed copies whose pitch is modulated by a low-frequency oscillator. Chorus is essential to the jangly guitar sound of 1980s pop and the lush clean tones of jazz fusion.
The Roland Jazz Chorus amplifier, introduced in 1975, had a built-in chorus effect so good that it defined the clean guitar sound of an entire decade.