> Step by step

1. Getting started with HoRNet Chorus CM

1 To install Chorus CM, grab the install files found on the print edition’s cover DVD or this issue’s FileSilo page ( filesilo. co.uk/computermusic). Drag these to your desktop, then copy the files to the appropriate locations on your computer.

4 A chorus effect mixes the input signal with delayed, pitchshifted copies of itself. Chorus CM features three main delay lines – One, Two and Three – which are adjusted via the main three columns of knobs. Use the Level knobs to balance the volume of each delay line.

7 When the Analog button is engaged, the delay lines emulate bucketbrigade delay (BBD) lines, losing some definition in the high end of the spectrum for a more analogue sound. This button also enables the saturation typical of operational amplifiers used in electronic circuits. When Analog is disengaged, the overall effect is brighter and more ‘hi-fi’.

2 To put Chorus CM through its paces, load up a raw initialised synth patch in your DAW, then call up an instance of Chorus CM on the synth’s channel. Chorus CM’s GUI can be resized by dragging the small yellow triangle found on the bottomright of the main window.

5 The current ‘flavour’ of chorus can be changed by modulating the time – and therefore pitch – of these delays. Each of Chorus CM’s three delay lines is modulated by its own triangle-shaped LFO. Each delay’s LFO runs at a speed ranging from 0.1Hz (when Speed is at 0%) to 2Hz (at 100%), wavering each delay line’s time between 2ms to 5ms.

8 Most analogue circuits produce some form of transistor hiss, contributing to hardware’s much-loved noisy sound. This can be emulated by lighting up the Noise button, which adds a -90dB hiss to the output of each delay line.

3 The leftmost three knobs – Input, Output and Dry Level – all range from -70dB to +24dB. Input sets the input signal’s level, Output sets the level of the overall output signal, and Dry Level mixes in the unprocessed signal. The Input and Output VU meters give a handy visual representation of signal – yellow equates to -12dBFS, while red is -6dBFS.

6 Each delay line can be panned left and right around the stereo field with its bipolar Pan knob. Use these controls to precisely adjust where you want each delay line to sit in the mix – by default, the first two are hard-panned apart, and the third sits in the middle, but there’s nothing stopping you from pocketing all three in more bespoke stereo positions.