Pitch detune or Chorus?

Bodde

Bodde

Fractal Fanatic
You can get a chorus type sound out of the pitch detune but it sounds slightly different. Not better or worse but just different. But are there any specific tones for which you prefer pitch detune instead of chorus and why?
And what are the settings you use for pitch detune? Any other more extreme uses than the chorus effect for pitch detune?

Just curious how others use pitch detune.
 
If you want a chorus vibe minus the swirl, detune works better. I like it for overdriven tones and chorus for clean. Actually I use the flanger for my clean sounds now
 
There are some similarities between the two. But I use detune when I don't want to alter the tones to sound like Chorus. Chorus will still sound a bit flanged and loses some bottom end compared to pitch detune - IMO. YMMV.
 
I usually use two voices of detune: one +5-10 cents and the other -5-10 cents. Want a more extreme version? Detune farther, increase the detuned levels, and/or decrease the clean level.
 
And mix has a dramatic effect as well! I use same settings as you with somewhere ~24% mix.
 
Rex said:
I usually use two voices of detune: one +5-10 cents and the other -5-10 cents.
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Yes I usually use that setting as well and pan both voices L and R, with mix at 50% (in series). That's the typical chorus-like setting. But I am not sure if I prefer this or the Chorus block. Pitch detune is more subtle and less lush so to say.

Any other suggestions for pitch detune that are not the typical chorus like sound?

And what do you think is best for the 80's Grace Under Pressure/Power Windows-era Rush sound? My favorite Rush period that I am reviving right now. Was he using chorus or pitch detune back then?
 
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Bodde said:
Yes I usually use that setting as well and pan both voices L and R, with mix at 50% (in parallel). That's the typical chorus-like setting. But I am not sure if I prefer this or the Chorus block. Pitch detune is more subtle and less lush so to say.

Any other suggestions for pitch detune that are not the typical chorus like sound?

And what do you think is best for the 80's Grace Under Pressure/Power Windows-era Rush sound? My favorite Rush period that I am reviving right now. Was he using chorus or pitch detune back then?
Click to expand...

If you run anything in parallel, run it at 100% and adjust the level for that block. Running in parallel at 50% will create a volume boost of about ~3 dB to ~6 dB.
If you turn that effect off you will notice the volume drop. Run it @ 100% and adjust the level.
See here.
http://wiki.fractalaudio.com/axefx2..._Mix_.2F_Level_.2F_Input_Gain_.2F_Bypass_Mode
 
And flanger... They are basically the same effect except flanger starts with shorter delays and often uses feedback to intensify the sweep sound.

Pitch shifters also use modulated delay. The rate of delay time change (slope of the LFO waveform) determines the amount of pitch shift. If that rate of change is linear like in a saw tooth wave, you'll get a stead pitch shift amount. There's other tricks like crossfading used to smooth out the looping of the saw wave transition from start to end to eliminated a pulsing or jumping in the pitch, but they all rely on shifting delay times.
 
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i like chorus for clean sounds (cause it's lush sounding) and pitch detune for more overdriven tones (because it doesn't get in the way).
 
Detune is a special case of Chorus. Detune is essentially identical to Chorus when the LFO chosen for Chorus is a sawtooth wave.

The pitch change in the output of either Detune or Chorus (or any modulated delay) is related to the shape of the LFO (specifically, the derivative or rate of change of the LFO signal). Any portion of the LFO waveform that is a straight line will result in a constant amount of pitch change (or no pitch change if the LFO is a horizontal line over that portion). The amount of pitch change will depend on the steepness (slope) of the LFO waveform over that portion of straight line. Any time the LFO shape curves (is not a straight line), the amount of pitch shift will change and no longer be constant.

When a sawtooth wave is used as the LFO (as it always is in Detune), the pitch change is fixed and does not vary. It will sound like a stable signal at a lower (or higher) frequency than the dry signal.

A Chorus typically uses a waveform such as triangle or sine, which will cause the pitch to rise above the dry signal, then fall below the dry signal as the LFO waveform progresses. Some prefer this, as the "average" perceived pitch agrees with the dry signal.

With Detune (or Chorus with a sawtooth LFO shape), the pitch will either always remain above that of the dry signal, or always below that of the dry signal by a constant number of cents. This can cause the signal to sound slightly sharp (with positive Detune) or slightly flat (with negative detune). Using a stereo or dual Detune with one voice above the dry and one voice below is another way to reduce this perception.

The real difference between Chorus and Detune is that Detune adds an algorithm to smooth the audio at the discontinuity in the sawtooth waveform, so no pop can be heard. Set the Chorus block to use a sawtooth LFO and you will have a Detune without the deglitch algorithm, causing periodic pops.

You still get a "swirl' using Detune, but the sweep only travels in one direction, then instantly resets at the top or bottom of the sweep.
 
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I dig the heck out of the details ... I'm still on the bus ;)

I'm like many others who've posted int hat when I want less "Swirl" I"ll use detune, and more lush/swirl" I go to Chorus. If playing Rush/Alex Lifeson I will often use Chorus for many tunes (although he may be using a special flange???) Need to learn more ... :)
 
I actually prefer to use the Rotary block with fairly low settings: 20-25% on the high/low depth, rate at 1/2 to 1/4 tempo, and mix at 10-20%. Gives me the same vibe but I just like it better for general use - it's more subtle, but more full at the same time. I really only use the chorus if i'm playing a song that specifically needs that sound.
 
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