How do YOU use your Phaser and Flanger?

[Da LadY In Red]

I play in a jam band, so I made sure to buy a Boss GT6-B so I'd have plenty of tonal options for jams.

Anyways, I have a dilemma, I have no idea what contexts to use a phaser or flanger. So far, the 2 times I whip them out is for some kind of bass lead (a la Sweet Emotion), something with octaves like Stranglehold, or I add it to a distortion for some a synthy trance lead/bass line. However, I've never been able to fit either of these 2 effects into a more regular song format for the following reason, I think that that a bumpy, concise bassline grooves harder than a whooshing, modulated mess.

So I come to you guys for advice on how to use these effects because I would like to give them some playing time, but I just can't figure out how they fit.

P.S. I use my chorus for a Graceland/fretless feel, but can't figure anything out for than either other than ballads.

[Toasted]

Answer: I use P and F far too much

[MakiSupaStar]

I would play it during a dub reggae breakdown, or some kind of spaced out jam if you got any of those. When I was in my jamband, I didn't play with a lot of effects. I would kick into a synth during some of our reggae dub sections, or I would play with my q-tron during a funk song, but other than that I would pretty much play clean.

[rakirksey]

I agree with the above. You also may want to try a slower rate to give it the modulation flavor, but so it isn't so much of a "whooshing, modulated mess".

Also, I'm more a phan of phase than flange.

[rustynuts]

Originally Posted by rakirksey

Also, I'm more a phan of phase than flange.

But a good sounding flange.....? Mmmmmmm.....

[jamfree]

I use them when playing arpeggios for washes and atmosphere.

[tomvelsor]

how do i use my phase.

i step on the bypass switch ;]

funk, jazz, any kind of lead, psychedelic stuff - there is no set rule, once in a while i just like to stop on it. my specific one has a really nice subtle "watery" texture, so its more versatile - if i had something like a small stone i'd probobly use it a lot less..

[bigchiefbc]

Flanger is my standby effect for bridges. I think it takes a quiet, slower, clean sounding section and makes it beautiful.

Phaser on the other hand, I usually use with some sort of distortion, for loud, heavy sections

Not sure why, but those were the most intuitive uses to me

[origami]

I used flanger (from my Zoom B2) combined with distortion (digitech bass x-tortion) for the intro of my band's song www.myspace.com/farstar "Waking up 2:15" I think it gave the song's intro a cool hook. the flanger is used more as a jet plane effect.

I also use the flanger live for the sustained last note or chord on different songs (sometimes with tremolo). so that big last note just ends and sustains with a swooosh or slicer sound.

for use of a phaser its a good idea for the song's tempo to be slower. sometimes ringing harmonics with a fast phase sound cool.

[evan_phi]

i throw it in my feedback loop and make crazy whale sounds.

[kevteop]

I only have a phaser, I find I use it for no more than 8 bars at a time, but those 8 bars kick sonic ass.

[Da LadY In Red]

I like that arpeggio idea as well as the last note, I'll see how they work out tonight... on a side note, I have my phaser patch set for Stranglehold and my flanger patch set for Phish's Weekapaug Groove slap solo/intro, so both are set relatively slow.

In response to origami, I like that flanger intro.... but I'm asking more about making up basslines with the effects as opposed to an extra jet plane texture or the phaser's "set to stun" setting.

Anyways, thanks for the suggestions, I'm really liking the different approaches everyone is adding in. Keep them coming!

[kaputsport]

I use my Flanger after Muff to create a very cool earth shattering sound for a song we are recording next week, "Falling".

My phaser is used in a chord progression I play in "Mystery" and in a few other spots in the album...

www.myspace.com/frictionbroadcast

Just to let you know, none of these recordings are final. We are going into the studio to record a full length album next week, and The songs will be updated...

[VelvetGlove]

NIB from Black Sabbath ie the bass intro from our dear Geezer. That's some delicious flanging right there. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

[leftdecay]

i dont have any phaser but i do have a flanger and love it very much. i dont use it too often for a long period of time, but there is this one song that we play where my flanger is almost always on in the first 1/2 or 2/3 of the song. go to youtube and search : depriving the distant thought
hope it can give you some ideas
(listen also to the end part, i think it's kinda cool, IMO off course )

[KarateKid25]

I normally use a flanger on its own with higher notes. I find it makes a nice sound and makes things a bit more interesting. I usually only use a fairly light flange sound. Sometimes though, I run it after a distortion with a stronger setting for some weird, kind of metallic sounds.

I don't currently use a Phaser, but when I did, I used to use it with a muff and have a slow setting. It made a cool jet, rush, kind of sound. Im thinking about getting a new Phaser. I have only owned a Phase 90 and when playing alone, I found it still added a bit of whoosh when it was bypassed. It used to bug me.

[COOL AND DEADLY]

Check out Shakedown St. by the Grateful Dead and The Promised Land by Dennis Brown. Those are cool tunes.

[Unrepresented]

Whenever I get the inkling of a vaguely reggae section, no matter how far detatched from the real thing, I throw on the phaser. It adds groove and funkiness without being as overstated as a filter.

That said, I almost always run my BMS into my phaser to increase the liquidity content.

[Deepak]

Originally Posted by VelvetGlove

NIB from Black Sabbath ie the bass intro from our dear Geezer. That's some delicious flanging right there. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Wah.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by Deepak

Wah.

Yeah, that's what I always though too, that it was wah. If the OP wants a famous example of flanger on bass, the beginning of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" is bass + flanger IIRC