Free software

Great-sounding, hardware-inspired chorus plugins aren’t usually free, so this month readers are in for a treat…

Aquality chorus is a must-have for your processing toolbox. It provides quick access to both rich, thickening tones and subtle modulations, which helps to add polish to your mixes.

Beatskillz is an established developer with a growing stable of processing and instrument plugins. They typically feature a visually engaging interface, are fun to use and deliver a wide sonic palette. Good examples are their Papyrus Kz synth, which is ideal for new age instruments and textures; Vinylistik, a classic boom-bap drum machine; and Slam2, the latest incarnation of their multistage EQ, saturation and compression processor.

Chorust (AU, VST 3, AAX) is their vintage modulation plugin. It normally retails for $29, but this month, our readers get it for free. It’s based on some of the best sounding hardware units and not only recreates those rich modulation sounds, but also tailors them. The two core modulation modes are joined by a lofi processor and high and low-pass filters, with the latter using the popular analogue ladder design. All aspects are presented in a simple, resizable plugin window with metering and level controls.

In this tutorial we’ll show you how to claim, download and install your free copy. Then we’ll take a look at the plugin layout itself, explaining what the controls do. Finally, we’ll show how Chorust sounds by auditioning each processing component. We’ll then put Chorust through its paces, demonstrating not only what it’s good for but also checking out its onboard presets.

Finally, Beatskillz has a number of excellent plugins, so if you like Chorust, why not head over to www.beatskillz.com for further information, demo versions and discounted plugin bundles.