New old pedal fun: flangers

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sal paradise
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New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by sal paradise » Fri Sep 22, 2023 11:48 pm

Been using my BF-2 clone a lot more recently, and it doesn’t quite nail the warmth & subtlety of the original, so had to scratch the itch after selling my old one. Managed to pick up an old mij for a good price. It does the aggressive chorus sound perfectly :-*

Collected the electric mistress this morning. Will test it & report back later. I think I’m going to be trying to re-learn the guitar without drive over the next week few weeks :D

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Last edited by sal paradise on Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by OffYourFace » Sat Sep 23, 2023 1:05 am

I've always had a '70s MXR Flanger around. It's a great pedal. I've always wanted the smaller Electric Mistress but they're too expensive now. I also still have my BF-2 and HF-2

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by stevejamsecono » Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:11 am

Flangers rule. I was a chorus guy for a lonnnnnng time and have been full-timing my Retrosonic Flanger for a few years now. The added sweep makes the chorusing sound more interesting and mysterious.
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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by cestlamort » Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:47 am

I love my old mxr flanger (despite its faults: volume drop, wonky switch, no led, dedicated power — a boss ls2 solves most of those) and I like the old BF2. But there’s something about the MXR that does it for me, a chewiness and whoosh that the closer-to-chorus flangers don’t have. (Although they always seem to sound great when other people use them). The MXR micro flanger (recent) has similar sounds but not as flexible. I’ve been considering the PastFX Hot for Flanger as a small box replacement. I’ve also spent probably far too long trying to get the Eventide H9 to sound like the MXR but without success. Kind of close sometimes but it doesn’t compare in person.

I agree: chorus is nice but a good flanger sound is something else. Have fun with the explorations

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by OffYourFace » Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:20 pm

cestlamort wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:47 am
I love my old mxr flanger (despite its faults: volume drop, wonky switch, no led, dedicated power — a boss ls2 solves most of those)
My doesn't really have a volume drop but that bypass tone is not great. But I did rehab mine; recap and calibrate. You might want to consider doing that. It brought some of the noise floor down too.

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by cestlamort » Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:35 pm

OffYourFace wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:20 pm
cestlamort wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:47 am
I love my old mxr flanger (despite its faults: volume drop, wonky switch, no led, dedicated power — a boss ls2 solves most of those)
My doesn't really have a volume drop but that bypass tone is not great. But I did rehab mine; recap and calibrate. You might want to consider doing that. It brought some of the noise floor down too.
Interesting. The switch has been iffy for a while, so I've alway had it in a loop of some kind (LS-2 or just a bypass switch). The volume drop isn't super severe, but noticeable. I'd also thought about having it modded to remove the power cord (and instead use 18v power).

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by OffYourFace » Sat Sep 23, 2023 3:29 pm

cestlamort wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:35 pm

Interesting. The switch has been iffy for a while, so I've alway had it in a loop of some kind (LS-2 or just a bypass switch). The volume drop isn't super severe, but noticeable. I'd also thought about having it modded to remove the power cord (and instead use 18v power).
I believe I replaced all the tantalum caps in addition to the main filter cap. I've thought about the PSU swap too but I like having the cord.

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by JVG » Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:48 pm

stevejamsecono wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:11 am
Flangers rule. I was a chorus guy for a lonnnnnng time and have been full-timing my Retrosonic Flanger for a few years now. The added sweep makes the chorusing sound more interesting and mysterious.
I went on a lengthy flanger hunt a couple of years ago, but really struggled to find anything I liked. To my ears, they mostly either sounded too way-out or too metallic.

When almost at the point of giving up on flangers, i got the Retrosonic and the PastFX Reticon. Both of these are beautiful, lush chorus-y style flangers.

Admittedly I still keep an MXR for those occasional urges to get the cliched jet plane sound, but the rest of the time either the Retrosonic or PastFX is on my board.

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by spiffy chap » Sat Sep 23, 2023 5:29 pm

I bought a ROSS FLANGER in the last few years which is my favorite modulation pedal I've used

Can do vibrato, chorus, flange, notch, Oberheim VCF-200

Only caught my eye cos I saw comparisons/rumors of it being close the MXR and I was on a McGeoch tip

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by stevejamsecono » Sun Sep 24, 2023 5:41 pm

JVG wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 4:48 pm
stevejamsecono wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:11 am
Flangers rule. I was a chorus guy for a lonnnnnng time and have been full-timing my Retrosonic Flanger for a few years now. The added sweep makes the chorusing sound more interesting and mysterious.
I went on a lengthy flanger hunt a couple of years ago, but really struggled to find anything I liked. To my ears, they mostly either sounded too way-out or too metallic.

When almost at the point of giving up on flangers, i got the Retrosonic and the PastFX Reticon. Both of these are beautiful, lush chorus-y style flangers.

Admittedly I still keep an MXR for those occasional urges to get the cliched jet plane sound, but the rest of the time either the Retrosonic or PastFX is on my board.

Image

Image
Nice! How would you rate the Reticon against the Retrosonic Flanger? I've been curious about the PastFX stuff and I feel like that blend control on them would be really nice to have.
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam

Resident Yamaha Fanboy

COYS

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sal paradise
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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by sal paradise » Sun Sep 24, 2023 10:28 pm

OffYourFace wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 3:29 pm
cestlamort wrote:
Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:35 pm
I’d thought about the MXR but opted for the deluxe electric mistress. Mainly for cost. Does the MXR offer anything different at medium settings?

Have played around with the EHX it’s a lovely warm, gentle sound and seems to have a couple of sweet spots. Not exactly versatile for such a big pedal, and an effect I use little. BF-2 seems to be the realistic contender for me as I grow older. I’m loving exploring vintage pedals though, so open to try anything that I can sell on without losing money :)
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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by OffYourFace » Mon Sep 25, 2023 12:21 am

Boss BF-2 is basically just their version of the MXR. I like both but the boss is a little more metallic sounding to me. I can do a nicer chorus sound with the MXR.

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by sal paradise » Mon Sep 25, 2023 2:57 am

OffYourFace wrote:
Mon Sep 25, 2023 12:21 am
Boss BF-2 is basically just their version of the MXR. I like both but the boss is a little more metallic sounding to me. I can do a nicer chorus sound with the MXR.
Oh right, good to know. Thanks! The boss is great & super versatile, but it doesn’t have the warmth of the electric mistress
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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by marqueemoon » Mon Sep 25, 2023 7:49 am

I had one of the yellow square button Ibanez ones. FL-301DX think?

It does a nice warm chorus sound, but can still do the swooshy/metallic thing.Kind of wish I had held onto it.

The next Half Tail single has a lil’ flanger sweep (added in post) on my guitar leading into the outro.

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Re: New old pedal fun: flangers

Post by Nevets » Mon Sep 25, 2023 2:43 pm

I've been on a flanger kick lately myself. It's the one effect that I've never been interested in over the years but since dusting off my Mooer E-Lady recently I've become obsessed with the sound! I had always written them off as a one trick pony, to do that 'airplane' whooshing sound. I grabbed the Nux Super Chorus, Flanger and Pitch Modulation last week. It's a mini copy o the classic TCF Stereo Chorus Flanger and it is a beautiful sounding little pedal. Very impressed with the flanger setting. I have an HF-2 coming in the mail this week and am looking around for what next to try.

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