Best Rackmounted Flanger?

[Chip Roberts]

As I'm going to be introducing a Roland GP8 into my setup very soon, which doesn't include flange, but analog phaser and digital chorus, I'm wondering what everybody likes for rackmounted flangers?

I have a Quadraverb, SPX90II, Midiverb, and ValveFx, so no shortage of options for me, but I'm wondering what people have found to be the "best" of the lot.

[rnolan]

Hey Chip, I used to use the Quadverb flange and it was fine.  I have an original SPX90 but it's in the PA rack for reverb on vox and drums, I haven't tried its flange.  The midiverb "should" be similar to the QV, no idea about the valve FX 

[MarshallJMP]

I use the ADA 2FX (digital)  and TFX4 (analog)

[Harley Hexxe]

I use the ADA 2FX (digital)  and TFX4 (analog)

I have the 2FX also. and the Flanger is decent. I prefer to use that as a Doubler. I never tried the TFX4. I only saw one of those one time and that was in 1983!  :o

I can also say without any doubt, that I've gotten awesome Flange effects from the S-1000, and Digitizer 4.

The "i" series delays aren't bad for it either ( You can add modulation with those).

Harley 8)

[MarshallJMP]

The TFX-4 sounds way different than the 2FX flanger, more dark, less highs.

[Harley Hexxe]

The TFX-4 sounds way different than the 2FX flanger, more dark, less highs.

So that one has a lower frequency shelf than the effects units I'm used to

Harley 8)

[MarshallJMP]

Yes it does actually, but the flange itself is very good like you would expect from an analog flanger.

The digitizer is the best all round effect unit ADA ever produced. Good flanger, good chorus, excellent delays.

[Harley Hexxe]

The digitizer is the best all round effect unit ADA ever produced. Good flanger, good chorus, excellent delays.

   I'll only agree with that because the Digitizer 4 has the ability to save and store your settings for each of those effects, thus eliminating the need for two other rack units to get the same thing.

   As a matter of personal preference though, I have to give the S-1000 and the "i" series delays first place for the chorus and flange effects. To my ears, they seem more lush and dimensional, especially when combined with the chorus from the pre amps.

Just my two cents.

Harley 8)

[MarshallJMP]

For flanger mmm yes, but chorus I find that the digitizer does a better job, plus it's stereo. Anyway good that people have personal preferences else everybody would play on the same gear  ;D

[Harley Hexxe]

That would also imply stereo flanger as well, wouldn't it?

I'll have to go back and look at the old posts about that, since I still haven't tried that yet.

I'll have to try that on the Classic, since that's the preamp that needs help with the chorus. In a previous rack configuration, I used a S-1000, set to heavy chorus, and a Digitizer 4, also at a heavy chorus, but with a different rate, and the chorus in the Classic. Effectively, a Tri-chorus, the hard way  :o With that rig, I had to use my old ADA Flanger on the floor to get Flange/Delay for solos. When it comes to pedal Flangers, nothing beats that one! Which reminds me, I have to go look for a PBF. I've been wanting to try one of those for years.

Harley 8)

[MarshallJMP]

Yes, but you have a point the flange on the digitizer is not so great, I really need to listen to my S1000, D640 and i1.28 and dial in a flanger and chorus, just to compare them again.

As for the flanger pedal, I have the impression that it's more chorus than flanger sounding at certain settings, but I love the chorus sounds you can get out of it.

Also great for chorus is the ADA STD-1, GREAT unit for that.

[Harley Hexxe]

Yes, but you have a point the flange on the digitizer is not so great, I really need to listen to my S1000, D640 and i1.28 and dial in a flanger and chorus, just to compare them again.

As for the flanger pedal, I have the impression that it's more chorus than flanger sounding at certain settings, but I love the chorus sounds you can get out of it.

Also great for chorus is the ADA STD-1, GREAT unit for that.

Hey MJMP,

        I never said the flange in the Digitizer was not so great, not at all, In point of fact, The Digitizer has good effects all the way around, but you can use only one at a time. The only possible negative thing about the Digitizer is the chorus is not as lush as the S-1000's or the "i" series delays. I can't speak about the D640 or the STD-1, as I've never had either to try out or compare. I did see a STD-1 on ebay a long time ago, but what the guy was asking for it was ridiculous! I would never pay $1000 for an old effect unit that only has a frequency response up to 12000KHz. 16000KHz was the best ADA ever did with any of their effects.

     I never tried to get chorus effects from the Flanger pedal, I always used it for flange and extreme flange settings, since I was always covered with the chorus. That pedal probably didn't have any better frequency response than any other ADA effect, but the thing I loved about it the most, is that it's the quietest Flanger I've ever heard. With all the other Flanger's I've tried, you could hear the sweep of the analog clock if the effect was on, especially if you were using a high gain setting. Not with that pedal. In fact, my only beef about it was that they didn't include a pilot light so you would know the effect was on. There have been many occasions where I'd start a song, forgetting I had it on, and hear the flange effect, and go; "Oops! Forgot to turn it off!" But it does work very nicely with the Digitizer when I have it set for a delay, I get some soaring runs with that combination! One of these days, I do need to build a CV pedal to try out with the Flanger and see how that sounds. I do have a pretty good idea of how it sounds already, having already heard that with Pat Travers and Pat Thrall! They flanged in unison with those!

Harley 8)

[MarshallJMP]

Yes STD-1's have become very expensive, I paid 300 euro for mine 15 years ago. I saw there is a plugin for the STD-1.

[Harley Hexxe]

I'm noticing the S-100's are also getting more expensive these days too. Lately they are going for $200-$300.

I'm not sure they are worth that much, no matter how much I like them.

   What would make the STD-1 worth that much?

Harley 8)

[MarshallJMP]

Really, wauw, I payed like 40$ for them, same with the digitizers and the i1.28 (never found a i2.56).

Don't know why the STD-1 goes for that kind of money, but the same applies for a ampulator and the early pedal flangers and phasers.
Well good for us I guess, our net worth rises  ;D