10 Best Chorus VST Plugin Reviews

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Let’s help you add depth and a sense of dimension to your mixes and tracks with the best chorus plugins.

Many consider the D16 Group Syntorus 2 to be the ultimate chorus plugin with authentic analog modelling. We also believe the same thus suggest this as the top choice to get.

Although there’s a variety of modulation effects, the one that stands out the most is the chorus. And the rest of this covers 10 of those specialized plugins, so if the one we suggest for you doesn’t quite fit your requirements, or you already have it, take a look at the others we reviewed below.

Best Chorus VST Reviews

Eventide Tricera Chorus

Pros

Emulation of Tri-Stereo Chorus
Meticulous control
Supports MIDI learn

Cons

Only 4 controllable parameters

See price @ Sweetwater

Best features and specs

Eventide Tricera Chorus is a digital recreation of a Tri-Stereo Chorus, the rack mount hardware unit that was extremely popular in the 80’s. This plugin has an insane amount of controls that let you achieve any imaginable flavor of the chorus there is. On top of that, it has 3 separate LFOs to control the depth and MIDI learn functionality.

User impressions

Users say Eventide Tricera Chorus is a perfect choice for the 70’s and 80’s lovers as it uses three modulated delays and BBD chips for creating rich chorus sounds.

What we think

Eventide Tricera Chorus is very powerful and versatile beyond reason chorus plugin. At times it feels like you are getting a lot more than you ever wanted. Luckily, if you feel a bit overwhelmed with that amount of control, lots of presets are included. And by the way, if you turn the chorus mix knob all the way up to 100, the plugin turns into a vibrato effect which is a nice touch.

Bottomline

Eventide Tricera Chorus is a Swiss army knife of chorus plugins for a very reasonable price. And since it has a MIDI learn functionality with a dedicated controller, you can turn this effect into a very playable and creative instrument.

W.A. Production Orchid

Pros

Has a free demo
Very reasonable price

Cons

Might be a bit buggy
Problems with installation might occur

See price @ Plugin Boutique

Best features and specs

With W.A. Production Orchid, you get the same thick and warm chorus sound from the 80’s but with a few additional twists. In addition to standard chorus envelopes, it has a built-in delay and reverb. But where it stands out the most is its shimmer dial that generates harmonics two octaves higher.

User impressions

Users like that W.A. Production Orchid is a versatile and powerful plugin. Having a lot of effects and four-way processing, Orchid delivers rich 80’s chorus sounds.

What we think

What we found the most compelling about W.A. Production Orchid is that it actually quadruples the sound as opposed to other plugins that are only dubbing it. As it turns out, one can always appreciate some extra thickness.

Bottomline

W.A. Production Orchid is an excellent chorus effect for an extremely reasonable price. It has a very distinguishable sound and fairly simple and intuitive controls. If in doubt, you can check it out for yourself since a free demo version is available.

Waves MondoMod

Pros

Made by Waves Audio
LFO with 5 selectable waveforms

Cons

A bit outdated GUI

See price @ Waves Audio

Best features and specs

It’s safe to assume that there’re no audio producers or engineers who have not heard about Waves Audio. It’s a very respected VST plugins developer with an impressive collection of top-shelf products. So it’s only natural that at least one of their products would be on our list. Waves MondoMod has an LFO with 5 selectable waveforms AM and FM envelopes and rotation control.

User impressions

Users say that Waves MondoMod is a great plugin for adding some aggression to the sound. It’s quite easy to adjust any parameter and get the sound you need. The plugin’s versatility lets it be used for any instrument or vocals to create ear-catching effects.

What we think

Although Waves MondoMod is somewhat of a veteran of a plugin and its GUI didn’t age well, it’s still a very formidable and competitive effect. It has a great variety of sonic capabilities that are controlled by a few very simple dials.

Bottomline

Waves MondoMod is a great chorus effect from a well-regarded and renowned manufacturer. Despite its rather minimalistic controls, this plugin offers you a superior sonic variety and top-of-the-line sound quality. In terms of the price, like all of the other Waves Audio plugins, this one could be bought with a very generous discount.

D16 Syntorus

Pros

Free demo available
Scalable GUI
3 separate LFOs

Cons

None, really

See price @ Plugin Boutique

Best features and specs

D16 Syntorus is a mighty chorus processor that has a very analog and warm feel with a sharp and modern sound. It has 3 separate LFOs, each routed to one of the 3 dedicated delay lines. And since you have full control of all the parameters, you can easily achieve classic chorus and anything from simple tremolo to Leslie speaker emulation and Doppler effect.

User impressions

Users like D16 Syntorus for being extremely flexible, easy to use, and having a good sound. This plugin has three independent delay lines, an extremely fast engine, and the fact that it’s capable of other effects besides chorus, which opens endless creative possibilities.

What we think

Apart from the very distinguishable and rather awesome sound of D16 Syntorus, we are really fond of the scalable GUI. Since the interface itself is packed with controls, it’s rather useful to be able to see what the parameters are on a large screen.

Bottomline

D16 Syntorus is a very reasonably priced modulation processor with 3 separate LFOs and a scalable GUI with a great design. As if it would not be enough, they also included MIDI learn functionality and over 100 factory presets. To experience this wonderful effect, you can try a free demo version.

Waves Maserati HMX

Pros

Made by Waves Audio
Refined and subtle sound

Cons

Not a chorus effect in a traditional sense

See price @ Waves Audio

Best features and specs

Tony Maserati is one of the best mixing engineers in the world. His expertise and talent granted him an opportunity to create his own series of audio effects in collaboration with Waves Audio. Waves Maserati HMX was designed to achieve great results with very little input and tweaking. So it has very simple controls, and most of the processing is done automatically under the hood.

User impressions

Users agree that Waves Maserati HMX has an intuitive, user-friendly design and is quite versatile. Users say that it’s probably not the best choice to use it on the master bus, but it works well when used as a channel plugin on keyboards, guitars, and other instruments.

What we think

Waves Maserati HMX is not really a chorus effect in a traditional understanding of the term. So if you want to recreate an aggressive sound of the 80’s synth wave, you’d probably be rather disappointed. It’s a very subtle and gentle effect designed to embellish the sound.

Bottomline

Waves Maserati HMX is a minimalistic yet powerful effect with a very subtle and refined sound of high quality. But if you are looking for a traditional chorus, you should probably look elsewhere since this plugin enhances the sound subtly.

KiloHearts Ensemble Snapin

Pros

Free demo available
Resizable GUI
Reasonable price

Cons

A bit too simple for a standalone VST

See price @ Plugin Boutique

Best features and specs

KiloHearts Ensemble Snapin is a pretty straightforward and minimalistic chorus effect with a simple GUI and various modulations patterns.

User impressions

Users say KiloHearts Ensemble Snapin has a minimalistic, intuitive, and user-friendly interface. This plugin is compatible with all other Kilohearts plugins which is good.

What we think

KiloHearts Ensemble Snapin shows us that looks can be deceiving. Although this plugin is minimalistic and has only 4 controls, it’s very capable and versatile. And as always, a scalable GUI is a breath of fresh air.

Bottomline

KiloHearts Ensemble Snapin is a very capable minimalistic chorus effect for a fairly low price. If you’re looking for a chorus that you don’t have to tweak much to achieve great results, this one’s for you.

MeldaProduction MChorusMB

Pros

Resizable GUI
Dual user interface
Free demo available

Cons

None

See price @ Plugin Boutique

Best features and specs

MeldaProduction MChorusMB is a very mighty chorus processor with a resizable and stylish GUI. It has 4 separate modulators and multi-band processing.

User impressions

Users like MeldaProduction MChorusMB for its clean, powerful, and intuitive design. It’s an extremely versatile and powerful chorus plugin, and it can be used on vocals, guitar, percussion, and other instruments. This virtual chorus can also handle mono and stereo signals and 8 channels of surround audio, making them perfect for audio production, films, and games.

What we think

We have the deepest admiration for manufacturers who understand the importance of the resizable GUI. And if you add the ability to customize the GUI accordingly to your taste, we are definitely on board.

Bottomline

MeldaProduction MChorusMB is a chorus processor that is suitable both for people who prefer faster workflows and audio producers who choose to deeply customize their sound. This plugin is packed with features from which the most important and unique would be multi-band processing.

eaReckon EARevolve

Pros

Has great controls
Free demo available
Additional rotary speaker

Cons

Slightly too many parameters just for a chorus

See price @ Plugin Boutique

Best features and specs

EaReckon EARevolve is a stereo chorus and a rotary speaker, which also can be used as a stereo widener. It has separate LFOs for left and right channels in addition to a lot of very advanced controls. If you feel overwhelmed by the number of knobs and dials, many factory presets are included.

User impressions

Users say that eaReckon EARevolve is an excellent dual chorus combined with the rotary speaker. It has an intuitive and user-friendly GUI. Users say that its best feature is the transformation of a mono signal into a dynamic and profound stereo sound.

What we think

What is impressive about eaReckon EARevolve is that every module could be used separately or combined differently. What’s even more impressive is that you can use it only as a stereo widener or simply enhance a mono signal.

Bottomline

eaReckon EARevolve is a perfect choice for someone who is looking for a versatile stereo effect that is reasonably priced. And since you get 3 effects for the price of one, it’s really a no-brainer.

Valhalla UberMod

Pros

Made by Valhalla DSP
Versatile modulation plugin
Free demo available

Cons

A bit complicated controls

See price @ Valhalla

Best features and specs

Valhalla UberMod is a multi-tap delay and modulation plugin from the manufacturer who brought us one of the best reverbs on the market.

User impressions

Users like Valhalla UberMod for its minimalistic, intuitive, and user-friendly GUI. It’s a very versatile and great-sounding plugin. The only slight downside is that it might take you some time to be familiar with the modes. But when you get your head around it, you will get the desired result very quickly.

What we think

You might find that it’s not easy to understand the capabilities of this plugin quickly. Especially when it comes to included modes, but once you get to know it, you will find that it is a very creative and unique effect.

Bottomline

Valhalla UberMod is a perfect choice for someone who is looking for a creative and unorthodox modulation effect.

UAD Studio D Chorus

Pros

Superb sound quality

Cons

Separate DSP needed

See price @ uaudio

Best features and specs

UAD Studio D Chorus is an emulation of Rolland Dimension D, a legendary vintage hardware chorus effect.

User impressions

Users say that UAD Studio D Chorus is absolutely fantastic to use for acoustic guitar, bass, vocals, synths. It has an extremely intuitive and user-friendly GUI. This plugin sounds just great and natural. The most likable feature is that it widens and gives movement to the sounds by making it subtle or obvious.

What we think

UAD Studio D Chorus is a very thorough and meticulous recreation of a vintage chorus. So it does only one thing but does it perfectly.

Bottomline

UAD Studio D Chorus has superb sound quality and a very minimalistic but yet functional package. The only real downside to this plugin is that it doesn’t work as a conventional VST. To use it, you need to own an Apollo interface or UAD hardware processor.

Chorus VST Buying Guide

Before we start figuring out the best chorus VST, let’s try to understand what chorus actually is.

A chorus is a modulation effect achieved by mixing two almost identical signals with a time difference between them. Some choruses, in addition to the delay, use a slight variation of the pitch in relation to the original input signal. Since the delay is usually less than a couple of dozens of milliseconds and pitch varies within the quarter of the tone, all of the sounds are perceived as one. Since all of the modulation parameters are always controllable, you can have a chorus with a wide variety of flavors. Starting from a rich sound with a sense of depth and shivering movements to an aggressive and almost threatening pulsation.

Chorus can occur naturally in some specific situations. As you know, you can not achieve the sound of a full orchestra by multiplying a track with only one violin part. That is because when the orchestra plays, although the same part is performed, there’re slight timing imperfections and microtonal pitch changes amongst the individual players. In other words, although we perceive the orchestra as a whole, it obviously consists of a bunch of different individual sounds.

Some individual instruments can also produce a chorus effect naturally. Although they have to be able to make polyphonic sounds. Of course, the most prominent example would be a slightly out-of-tune honky-tonk piano or an acoustic guitar with 12 strings. Sometimes, record engineers achieve this effect with the 6 string guitar without any processing involved. After the initial guitar part is recorded, it’s overdubbed with another guitar with thinner strings that are tuned the octave higher.

Important features

Traditionally hardware choruses come in the form of guitar stompbox pedals and very rarely as studio rack mounts. Arguably, the most recognizable chorus sound comes from the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone, which Kurt Cobain used on “Come as You Are”. Naturally, most of the digital chorus effects in one way or the other are emulating their analog predecessors.

But some take a very different approach, so it’s up to you to figure out what suits you better – analog warmth or digital precision. As for the other features, choruses are fairly simple modulation effects, so it’s pretty straightforward from here. The only important thing to remember is that the best chorus plugin should be able to lift your spirit and inspire you.