Phaser- yay or nay?

xSkarloey

Are you phased by phase, or do you crave the phase? 


I've got phase as part of a multi-effects thingy, and like to muck about with it once in a while or sometimes for recording. 


But playing with others in a group is another matter. I had terrible trouble hearing my phased guitar in a band mix. I owned a Phase 90 and loved it, but mainly on a very slow setting. 

When I used it this often resulted in my guitar sound disappearing at a certain frequency, lost or cancelled out amid the other instruments. It was odd, as if someone were turning my amp down...


...or maybe it was a music lover, doing just that. :-(

fretmeister

Love it.

xSkarloey

@fretmeister ; What's your favourite phaser?

Dopesick

I can't be doing without a phaser. Phaser + Delay = Trippy heaven

In actual fact, I don't even need one - there's a good phaser engine on the Nemesis Delay which satisfies my needs.

If I did have to go for a standalone phaser, I'd probably just go for an EHX Bad Stone (sold mine a few months back...silly me) or a second hand Boss. Cheap as chips and effective. For more high end I'd love to try the Walrus Audio Vanguard.

steamabacus

A big yay from me - it's the only modulation effect I really like (except maybe on modulated delays). Back in the day I had a Boss phaser and a Boss flanger in my setup but then I ditched any modulation whatsoever for years. About 7 or 8 years ago I hooked up my old phaser after getting it back off a friend and remembered what I loved about it. I've been using it ever since.

Not all phasers are created equal though - the Boss PH-1r is the best I've used. I also now know it needs to be in front of the amp for that 'chewy' phase that I love (especially with lots of echo) - getting an amp with an fx loop and using the Boss in the loop may have been part of the reason I entered my period of abstinence. I know better these days.

sgosden

Dopesick said:

In actual fact, I don't even need one - there's a good phaser engine on the Nemesis Delay which satisfies my needs.

off topic - can the phase (and flanger) engines on the nemesis be used as decent enough standalones?

on topic - Yes phase! subtle on cleans is pretty,OTT for when you want a songs chorus to be odd as hell, switch some in and out to flavour parts of a verse.

impmann

Yay from me.

EHX Small Stone is my fave.

Dopesick

sgosden said:

Dopesick said:

In actual fact, I don't even need one - there's a good phaser engine on the Nemesis Delay which satisfies my needs.

off topic - can the phase (and flanger) engines on the nemesis be used as decent enough standalones?

No idea about the flanger as I've yet to try it, but the phaser (or 'Sweeper') is quite versatile and sounds pretty damn good. You can control the depth, the speed and even the amount of modulation. Put the time down to zero and you're away. If you dial it in enough you could get the best of both worlds by saving different phase sounds under different presets.

However if phaser is used a lot then I'd recommend a standalone fx pedal.

Flanging_Fred

I recently picked up a Boss ph-1r from @JezWynd and it's ace! So a Yay from me. My old EHX nano Small Stone was good too.

Gassage

Stunned by it. Always

Sassafras

Nay from me but I'm not big on any modulation effects apart from Leslie style rotary sounds (used sparingly).

Gassage

The best phaser I've ever heard is in the Line 6 Mod Pro, amazingly. It's stunning. 

ICBM

Yay. My favourite modulation effect.

Boss PH-1R for me too.

DesVegas

I'm ALL about the phaser .. whack a square wave tremolo after it and we're dancin

An EHX Bad Stone is on my board atm although I'm not convinced it is better than the Small Stone yet

dindude

Love phaser, EHX Small Stone is prob my fav

Laurie

Highly recommended. Great for rock, funk, blues, jazz, ambient... Sounds lush with delay and reverb. I'd say the best phasers are the simple single knob ones. MXR Phase 90, etc. I own the Skreddy, "Little Miss Sunshine", and she's a keeper. Can't imagine phase sounding any better than the LMS.

webrthomson

Love it - script phase 90 @ 9 0'clock - get in!!!

Grunfeld

Love phasers. 
Whereas a lot of overdrives and fuzzes kind of sound the same to me, different phasers seem to have more character.
And my favourite is the MXR EVH 90 -- does script or block.
Oddly it's not on my board at the moment as I've got a univibe thing going on.  Which is kinda like a phaser.

DesVegas

Who has phaser before dirt? I'm all about the after myself

lasermonkey

Love phasers! Excluding multi-effects, I have sixteen or seventeen of them so far.
Out of those I own, my favourites are the Ibanez PT-9, Ibanez Bi-Mode Phaser, MXR Phase 100 and Pearl PH-03.
There's a few more I'd like (Maxon PH-350, Effectrode Phase-O-Matic, plus the Vibro Chorus does a lovely phase) but these are somewhat out of my price range.
I tend to set them slow and swirly, with lots of delay. Mmmmm, trippy.

ICBM

DesVegas said:

Who has phaser before dirt? I'm all about the after myself

I generally have it after as well - but ideally both .