• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Flanger searchin'

A

A_E_A

May 16, 2007
155
0
Melbourne, Australia
www.myspace.com
#1
Hey thanks to everyone who helped with my last thread about phasers. Now I am also on the lookout for a flanger. It seems much harder to find info on flangers and bass. Anyone have some advice or some experience with certain flangers? Seen a little bit about a polychorus and some other chorus/flanger pedals. Are all the good flangers chorus pedals also? are there decent dedicated flangers?

Thanks again in advance guys
 
#2
I have a Boss BF-2 Flanger and absolutely love it. You can find them in the Classifieds every now and then, or you gould go for the newer BF-3, but I have no experience with that one. Only criticism of the BF-2 is that it is a little noisy, like you can here the filter sweeping on some settings, but other than that it is a brilliant flanger :)
 
#3
I know I'll get flamed for this, but I still stand by my claim that for the money and level of versatility, you can't beat a Boss BF-3! (especially if you get one used!)
The regular flange mode is very nice, the ultra mode is great for me when I need to cut thru heavy guitars, or really want to get a drastic reaction, and I absolutely love the gate/pan mode. That has been invaluable to me over the years.
I have tried several, and still she stands! :cool:
 
#5
I love flangers, so I definitely have opinions here.

It really depends on what you're looking for. Some flangers can get very watery and chorus-ey sounding. The most famous example of this is the old EHX Deluxe Electric Mistress (check out the Hartmann flanger and Fulltone Choralflange for current options).

The newer EHX Stereo Electric Mistress has a chorus and flanger as well, but the flanger is much more metallic and resonant. When the depth is cranked, it can sound like ball bearings rolling down a drainpipe :p You can also freeze the flange with this pedal, and get cool bell-like ring mod tones.

Other flangers sound nothing like a chorus, get really swooshy and sound like a jet taking off. For these, check out the Toadworks Barracuda and the Strymon Orbit for awesome current examples.

For more inexpensive options, the Boss BF-2 is classic, but I think the DOD FX-72 beats it out sound-wise hands-down. The Boss BF-3 has more options, but some people have said that is sounds too digital (the BF-2 and DOD are both all-analog).
 
#6
BruceBass3901 said:
Have you encountered any noise problems with the BF-3?
Click to expand...

Nope! Or she wouldn't have been on there all these years!:)

And as far as sounding too digital, that is what I really like about it. Regular mode sounds smooth and definately more analog, whereas the ultra mode is surely digital sounding, so it's like 2 in 1, or 3 in 1 counting the gate.
I use all 3 modes throughout the night each and every gig I play! It's invaluable to me.
I mean I have a BF-2, sounds wonderful, but that smooth analog tone just isn't going to work in loud heavy or chaotic parts.
 
#7
Im interested in this too.

I have experience with only one flanger. Maxon FL9. Too subtle to stand out. Now that bigchief mentions it, the FL9 does sound more like a chorus. Maybe I should try using it more for chorus sounds, especially since I've gone through 3 chorus pedals already without find 'the one'.

Visual Sound's H2O chorus can get some nice watery flanging sounds, but thats not really what I'm looking for.

Been lusting over a stereo mistress for awhile. You gave me the last piece of description I was looking for to make the buy. Wanted something more metallic sounding or jet whizzing/zipping, and not liquidy watery sounding like dropping a small stone into a lake. In the videos of the Mistress the chorus sounds too watery and was worried the flanger would too. Gonna make this my next purchase.
Always been a fan of Pink Floyd and I know Gilmour and Waters used the original Electric Mistress on their albums. Another reason I'm drawn to the mistress sound.
 
#8
bigchiefbc said:
The newer EHX Stereo Electric Mistress has a chorus and flanger as well, but the flanger is much more metallic and resonant. When the depth is cranked, it can sound like ball bearings rolling down a drainpipe :p You can also freeze the flange with this pedal, and get cool bell-like ring mod tones.
Click to expand...

I have one of these and I LOVE it. While it's not currently on my main board (can't find a use for it with what I'm currently doing), I for sure won't ever give it up!!!

Here's a couple clips:
EHX Stereo Mistress - Various Settings
EHX Stereo Mistress - Filter Matrix Mode

My favorite sound is a slow, jet airplane-ish flanger sweep (the last section of the Various Settings clip). The recordings don't quite do this pedal justice, it sounds WAY better through a live rig. I even had a keyboardist come up to me and ask me how I was getting my sounds. ;)

5sg.
 
#9
I had a white-knob BF-2 (white knob = Korean/black-knob = Japan, which is supposed to be the better of the two) long enough to find that my modulation needs are covered with a simple chorus - that said, the BF-2 was thick and lush, and did the jet-taking-off thing really well. It was a bit noisy a times tho...
 
#19
RickenBoogie said:
Now see, I really like the maxon FL9, and it sits right next to a Maxon CS9Pro, (chorus), and sounds nothing like the chorus pedal. Very flanger-y, wet, and 100% analog.
Click to expand...

The maxon does have a broad range of sounds, but doesnt do any of them strongly. It sits far back in the mix, the wettest sounds are about 50% blended and lower regen settings are quieter than that.
The FL9 does jet planes taking off from an airport a few miles down the road sound, but not the sound of a plane flying overhead flange wooshing.
Tried getting a chorus sound out of it yesterday, it can do a little of that too, but had an usual pulsing rhythm to it.

I would like to like the CS9 chorus but im experiencing a lot of clipping that I've been unable to troubleshoot, which leads me to believe I have a bad unit.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back