I need the Flange

[Bartimaeus]

Hey y'all!

I spent years hating flangers. Always associated them with cheezy airplane soudns... then I started hearing tape flanging used in really tasteful ways on recordings, and realized that a subtle flanger can give amazing life to a sound!

I starting messing with the flanger setting on my Bitquest, and was able to dial in an extremely nice soft flange!! It really adds a sheen to my sound, be it guitars or synths. I love the sound of the Bitquest, the problem is that I can't use any of it's other sounds because it's almost always on flanger duty...

Should I:

A) Get a Chase Bliss Spectre or other boutique flanger! (I haven't tried a Chase Bliss pedal yet and REALLY want to)

B) Just get another Bitquest! Its flanger is great!

C) Delve into the world of funky vintage flangers! Who needs extra controls when it sounds weird already?!

[actual]

C. Big time.

[DRodriguez]

Alexander F.13 for a modern take on vintage tones. Chase Bliss for most versatile flanger. Bitquest for most versatile overall

[Ev_O)))]

Chase bliss or the Moog MF Flange. I've owned the Moog and it is a super unique and funky beast.

[Chankgeez]

I spent years hating flangers.

Not sure I'm allowed to talk to you anymore.

If I were allowed to talk to you, I might recommend a four knob flanger from the '80s though.

[sylnau]

Get a Subdecay Starlight V2

[echorec]

Personally I would look into the Subdecay Starlight MKII or the F.13, if you're wanting subtle to weird. The Spectre is perhaps the most exotic and could also be used for coloration and thickening your sound, but it's also nearly double the cost of those two pedals and may be more flange than you're going to employ.

If you want to go vintage, the DOD 670 can be had for $120-140 (sometimes less) in clean condition. It's hardwired (no wall-wart) and it's kind of wide compared to modern pedals. Smaller DODs from the 80s and early 90s are usable, but can be modded easily for more animated flanging.

The Mr. Black Sub-Zero Shepard's End is currently my go-to flanger for synths. The Minifooger is also a good flange, compared to its big brother, the MF-108M. I've got the Mini & two of the 108s (the MF-108M is one of my favorite pedals of all-time). There's a lot of good options out there for watery and metallic textures, but I couldn't say for certain which pedals do the best job of actually emulating tape flange.

[hotknife]

Not a popular choice, but the Strymon Deco has some amazing "tape" flange and random vibrato/chorus. Perhaps my favorite in a pedal. Way expensive though, especially if you don't like all the other features (the tape saturation is whack).

[John Matrix]

ADA Pbf Flanger rules! Tons of tweakability, including some static sweep sounds which are awesome and don't really sound like flanging at all.

[alexsga]

My Rowin DEM Clone is sick

[JonnyAngle]

I don't really do subtle flanging.

Starlight v2, f13, boss bf2, spectre, ibanez af2, bitquest would all work well

[jrfox92]

Not a popular choice, but the Strymon Deco has some amazing "tape" flange and random vibrato/chorus. Perhaps my favorite in a pedal. Way expensive though, especially if you don't like all the other features (the tape saturation is whack).

+1, I use my Deco for stereo flange/chorus/doubletracking on my synths.
I use a Boss BF-2 with my guitar for the weird clangy flanging and chorus sounds.

[goroth]

ADA Pbf Flanger rules! Tons of tweakability, including some static sweep sounds which are awesome and don't really sound like flanging at all.

Correct.

[actual]

How's it compare to the original big box, do you know? Especially the AC vs 9v part.

[dismembermentplanned]

I am totally get behind getting a second Bitquest! I could probably justify having a Bitquest-only board when I think about it. Failing that, I had and very much enjoyed the Subdecay Starlight v2. If you can stretch to the Chase Bliss then make sure it's the blue knob version, the old one's super loud and not in a good way.