"Warm chorus: Re-thinking the chorus effect using an orchestral section model

Abstract

"The warm chorus effect described in this paper was initially designed for a string quartet concert in which a simulated string orchestra effect was requested by the performers. Due to the fact that the various industry-standard chorus effects which were available to us at the time left a lot to be desired from a musical standpoint, it was decided to create a tailor-made effect for the concert, using the Max/MSP environment, which could be used subsequently as a generic real-time chorusing tool. In order to overcome the mechanical quality inherent in many generic chorus algorithms, the warm chorus uses a model based on the performer arrangement in an orchestral string section. This novel approach inspired by human behaviour is further enhanced with additional signal processing techniques to help reduce the perceived phasiness of the processed sound, resulting in a chorus effect that is more natural than traditional off-the-shelf chorusing effects.