Ahhh, ANOTHER Chorus plugin…
“Does the world need ANOTHER Chorus plugin?…” I asked myself when I was hit up my Minimal Audio with their latest update. Honestly, the answer’s probably no if all it was is just another chorus plugin.
But if anyone were to flip the script or add a new perspective on such a conventional effect as a chorus VST, it would be Minimal Audio. After all, they made some of the cooler plugins I’ve had a chance to check out over the past year.
And I’ll be frank: Minimal Audio did NOT create just another chorus plugin; instead, it made more of a unique sound design tool that does everything your conventional chorus does and a whole lot extra. So, let’s first break down what this plugin does before going into the more fun points of what I loved and didn’t.
But first, let’s talk about the most important thing (the thing you’re probably all here for in the first place)
Learn More About Flex Chorus While Supporting Our Team Of Writers At No Added Cost To You Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here
How Does This Thing Sound?!
Before we can really unpack anything else about the Flex Chorus plugin, it’s important to show what it sounds like and what it can do—it’s probably why you’re here in the first place! So, I mashed up three of my favorite presets in this short list of presets (more on this later in the article) so that you can hear the scope of sounds it can pull off.
Note that the first two bars are the dry guitar loop, with the different presets cycling through every two bars after!
What Is Flex Chorus
Flex Chorus is a plugin crafted for audio production, providing a versatile array of chorus effects to elevate musical tracks. The technology powering Flex Chorus introduces two innovative algorithms, Smooth and Glass. These algorithms offer unique sonic characteristics, letting you create anything from subtle, natural modulation to a modern, multi-dimensional sound that produces a broad stereo image.
This plugin allows up to 24 adjustable voices for chorus effects, from traditional setups to expansive, vibrant textures. The sound quality remains consistent even as the number of voices is adjusted, ensuring an amazing audio experience. The plugin offers multi-band and filtering options to precisely apply effects, enabling users to selectively apply the chorus across various frequency ranges, preserving the mix’s low end while enriching the higher frequencies.
In terms of control, Flex Chorus provides a range of customizable parameters. Users can fine-tune each voice’s time and modulation depth, introduce randomization for a more natural sound, and sync effects to the track’s BPM for rhythmic cohesion. The plugin also includes rich feedback settings, allowing users to incorporate detuned tails or resonant spaces, expanding the possibilities for textures. Moreover, the interface visually illustrates how the voices are distributed in the stereo field. With over 40 presets, Flex Chorus caters to diverse stylistic requirements, from fundamental stereo enhancements to dense, detuned spaces.
The intuitive in-app tooltips are valuable for users to grasp and master the plugin’s full potential quickly.
But now, with the more boring and vanilla tech specs out of the way, let’s dive into my hot takes, favorite things, and areas of improvement that I found in this plugin after using it in the studio for the past couple of weeks.
What I Liked About Minimal Audio’s Flex Chorus
It’s Main Two Modes Make It Super Flexible!
Flex Chorus utilizes two different chorus modes, Smooth and Glass, which drastically change the timbre of the sound, doubling the different tones and characteristics you can get from this plugin.
Below is an audio example of the same preset settings; the mode has changed. You can hear the glass mode first, followed by the smooth mode.
You’ll hear how the Glass mode gives an overly Chorus-y sound that is perfect for that washy sound, an almost cosmic tonality. The Smooth option is a lot more subtle and less obvious, perfect for that gentle width and light coloration.
It’s Parameters Pop Right Up On My Push!
I’ll discuss this more here in a second, but Flex Chorus can affect any sound it applies to. It’s as much a sound design tool as a basic chorus plugin, and scrolling through presets and messing with the handful of modulation points invite you to get even more hands-on with it.
And luckily, all the parameters pop RIGHT up, which, in turn, means that they show right up on my Push with all the most important knobs automatically assigned to the knobs on my Push. This makes it easy to get about as “hands-on” with the plugin.
Sure, I could have configured each parameter in Ableton with a handful of clicks, but having it all pop up keeps me in the zone when sound designing and just seeing the potential automation points on various presets.
It Does What Most Other Chorus Plugins Can’t
Most chorus plugins are a bit one-dimensional; they all sound like a chorus. And while you often don’t need a plugin to do or sound like anything other than its intended purpose, Flex Chorus can sound as Chorus-y or, most importantly, NON-CHORUS-Y as you need it to.
I know this sounds a little strange, and it’s honestly pretty hard to describe in words. So, instead, I used that same guitar loop and scrolled through a handful of the more complex and exciting presets. Keep in mind that a CHORUS plugin is making these sounds.
It’s Cheap!
This won’t require much-added description, but, like many of Minimal Audio’s plugins, this is incredibly affordable for what you get. Its standard price is less than $50, and Minimal Audio is no stranger to sales and seasonal discounts, meaning you can often snag it for less than $30.
There is no need to discuss this topic too much. I just wanted to give a little shoutout about its affordability.
What I Wasn’t Crazy About
There Aren’t Many Presets
Having been reviewing many plugins lately, it seems that it’s almost become industry standard to pack the plugins with tons of presets, filtering options, the ability to favorite certain ones, and more, but much of this functionality is devoid of the Flex Chorus.
The above picture shows the entire library of presets. Granted, they are organized into three nice little buckets that help classify them, but the preset library is short and sweet outside of that.
The saving grace here is that each of the presets is incredibly unique, and there isn’t a lot of redundancy. Often, massive preset libraries have a lot of unusable sounds that seem included just for the sake of hitting a quote. But this short and sweet library showcases the range of sounds Flex Chorus can offer, which is a blessing in its own right.
Final Thoughts
After extensive studio use, certain aspects of Flex Chorus stand out. The dual-mode functionality—Smooth and Glass—is a highlight, significantly diversifying the tonal possibilities. This feature extends the plugin’s utility, making it more than just a standard chorus effect unit. It becomes a versatile sound design tool, with parameters readily adjustable on compatible hardware controllers like Ableton’s Push, streamlining producers’ workflows.
This ease of interaction encourages exploration, inviting producers to delve into soundscaping territories that might otherwise be left uncharted.
Conversely, the limited preset library could be seen as a drawback compared to other plugins that boast extensive collections. However, what Flex Chorus lacks in quantity, it compensates for in the quality and uniqueness of each preset, effectively demonstrating the plugin’s vast sonic range. Focusing on providing distinctive presets far from filler reflects Minimal Audio’s commitment to quality over quantity.
Despite this, some users might miss larger libraries’ extensive browsing and customization options. Flex Chorus is a noteworthy addition for producers seeking to expand their sonic palette with a chorus effect that offers classic and unconventional sounds, packaged in an affordable and intuitive interface.
Learn More About Flex Chorus While Supporting Our Team Of Writers At No Added Cost To You Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
