MXR flanger/doubler pedal

[ChurchHill]

The goofy modulation stuff is useless to me but it has a very lush chorus.

Just for the record, I think goofy modulation stuff is, well, goofy at best and usually worse. What I do like is subtle movement, something that adds space and complexity, not something that requires Dramamine. To each their own, of course. I like modulated delays, but not modulated slap-back, which is why I generally prefer flanging over chorus, the delay is much shorter. And feedback is useful to fine tune, but IMO, there's a place for airplane effects and it's not all over everything all the time.

That's why I find things like the MXR Flanger/Doubler so useful. They provide that subtle movement and widening without getting in the way of the notes, even if they are capable of more extreme sounds.

 

[Shask]

Nothing I've found so far sounds as good as the old Reticon BBDs, specifically the SAD1024, but the SAD512 does it, too. Someone with more technical expertise can probably explain this better, but I think it has to do with the clock or rather inconsistencies with the clock. They seem to have a slightly irregular asymmetric wave where the Panasonics and others have a smoother sine or triangular wave. This seems to introduce some additional phase artifacts into the audio. The net result is that the cycle sounds like a figure-8 instead of just up and down. Especially with flangers, this sounds like it's going through zero when it's really not. I don't believe this related to the make/model because everything I have with a Reticon chip does this, whether it's MXR, DOD, or Ross, and nothing with any other chip does it. Digital recreations get the sound, but they don't get the wave right, and to me, this is the biggest tell.

That is an interesting description. Sadly, I never had one in person, but there was certainly something unique and special about that design. Sadly, the Reticon chip designs are lost to time. They dont have any technical details on them, so no one knows how to replicate them.

 

[griff10672]

That is an interesting description. Sadly, I never had one in person, but there was certainly something unique and special about that design. Sadly, the Reticon chip designs are lost to time. They dont have any technical details on them, so no one knows how to replicate them.

I've never had any of the SAD chips ..... and I looked and looked for quite a while ...

 

[ChurchHill]

That is an interesting description. Sadly, I never had one in person, but there was certainly something unique and special about that design. Sadly, the Reticon chip designs are lost to time. They dont have any technical details on them, so no one knows how to replicate them.

If you get a chance, check out the old Ross Flangers. They can be found for around $200 and are close copies of the MXR Flanger complete with SAD1024, which seem to be going for $250+. The old MXR Micro Flanger and Micro Chorus use SAD512s, IIRC, as do most DOD flanger/chorus pedals.

 

[Shask]

I've never had any of the SAD chips ..... and I looked and looked for quite a while ...

Probably have to scavenge them out of old EHX and DOD pedals.

Several of the clones I have built were redesigned with 3207s or 3007s, like Electric Mistress, Polychorus, Small Clone, etc...

 

[ChurchHill]

I've never had any of the SAD chips ..... and I looked and looked for quite a while ...

Yeah, unused originals are impossibly rare and terribly expensive. There are still a lot of donor pedals available for not too much, but what a pain and expense to go through.

Edit for spelling

 

[VonBonfire]

Just for the record, I think goofy modulation stuff is, well, goofy at best and usually worse. What I do like is subtle movement, something that adds space and complexity, not something that requires Dramamine. To each their own, of course. I like modulated delays, but not modulated slap-back, which is why I generally prefer flanging over chorus, the delay is much shorter. And feedback is useful to fine tune, but IMO, there's a place for airplane effects and it's not all over everything all the time.

That's why I find things like the MXR Flanger/Doubler so useful. They provide that subtle movement and widening without getting in the way of the notes, even if they are capable of more extreme sounds.

Don't get me wrong, I love flanging, phasing, chorus, delay, echo etc etc it's just that most of it is of pretty limited usefulness when it comes to blues music.

 

[ChurchHill]

Don't get me wrong, I love flanging, phasing, chorus, delay, echo etc etc it's just that most of it is of pretty limited usefulness when it comes to blues music.

Yeah, me, too, and yeah, limited usefulness. Didn't Buddy Guy use a phaser on a handful of things back in the '70s or early '80s? Can't put my finger on it, but I seem to remember something. Vibes are great, too.

 

[VonBonfire]

Yeah, me, too, and yeah, limited usefulness. Didn't Buddy Guy use a phaser on a handful of things back in the '70s or early '80s? Can't put my finger on it, but I seem to remember something. Vibes are great, too.

Albert King used a Phaser on a lot of his 70's recordings. I think it was a MXR phase 90 but don't quote me on that. Not sure about Buddy though I've seen Buddy twice and he's not above wah-wahs and stuff like that. I really like vibes too but they are def something that are seemingly more useful and a better fit in the blues-rock realm than blues.

 

[Shask]

Don't get me wrong, I love flanging, phasing, chorus, delay, echo etc etc it's just that most of it is of pretty limited usefulness when it comes to blues music.

I would think a good doubling slapback delay would work well.

 

[VonBonfire]

I would think a good doubling slapback delay would work well.

The meridian has short delay times that I use for an always-on light doubling. I have a Rockett Alien that does a delay/echo but it's digital and I hate digital, and for whatever reason my playing style doesn't seem to benefit from delay all that much so I gave it to my wife for her board. I've been looking at analog reverbs lately to widen my tone a bit more.

 

[Shask]

The meridian has short delay times that I use for an always-on light doubling. I have a Rockett Alien that does a delay/echo but it's digital and I hate digital, and for whatever reason my playing style doesn't seem to benefit from delay all that much so I gave it to my wife for her board. I've been looking at analog reverbs lately to widen my tone a bit more.

Maybe one of giant Surfybear spring reverb pedals.

 

[VonBonfire]

Maybe one of giant Surfybear spring reverb pedals.

I looked at those. Really nice tones but between the price and the size I figured I might as well just grab an RI Fender tank at that point.

 

[c+addict]

Cool looking pedal!