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Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:11 pm
by eLeSsDee
Does anyone know if there is an analog flanger out there that does this well other than the TZF?

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:20 pm
by adapt
mr black tunnelworm

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:49 pm
by eLeSsDee
I thought that one was digital.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 7:51 pm
by Chankgeez
Yep, Tunnelworm's digital.

So is the TC Vortex. It also sounds pretty good.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:22 pm
by eLeSsDee
I know there are digital ones out there. I'm sure they do sound good, but I was just wondering if anyone else has made an analog version. I have heard the flanger hoax can do TZF, but it's kind of huge.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:25 pm
by Scruffie
The old Jack Deville Flanger (was it the mod zero?) was analogue and did it, the Flanger hoax should be able to as you say otherwise, can't think of any analogue ones that do it no.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:26 pm
by eLeSsDee
Scruffie wrote:The old Jack Deville Flanger (was it the mod zero?) was analogue and did it, the Flanger hoax should be able to as you say otherwise, can't think of any analogue ones that do it no.


The mod zero is the other one I have heard about, but I have read that it can't really do it clean. Adds some distortion to the signal or something. Haven't confirmed it, though.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:31 pm
by Scruffie
Through zero sounds best with distortion/fuzz anyway to bring out the sound.

It was 3207 based so it might clip a little, but I believe Jack used a compander...

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 8:37 pm
by jrmy
Yeah, I had heard that the deal with that one was that it sounded great, but clipped really easily. So it wasn't intentional distortion. But hey... that's just hearsay on my end. Never tried it.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 10:22 pm
by Jack Deville
I've designed five or so through-zero flangers. A few analog, a few digital. There are ups and downs to each discipline.

In today's market, I know of a few units that can pull of TZF:

-Strymon Orbit (DSP)
-EHX Flanger Hoax (analog)
-TC Elec Vortex (I've heard, never played one; DSP)
-Mr. Black TunnelWorm (DSP, subtractive with dynamic regeneration)
-Jack Deville Mod Zero (analog, additive)
-Mr. Black DoulbleChorus (DSP, additive/subtractive alternating)

I've probably missed a few, but that's five right out the gate.
From my experience:

The Flanger Hoax sounds rad, but is a bear to dial and is physically massive.
The Mod Zero will clip if you bang it hard, and can be difficult to dial (read: NOT a plug and play pedal).
The TunnelWorm is really easy to dial in, but limits you to subtractive TZF
The DoubleChorus is easy to dial but alternates between additive and subtractive TZF with chorus thrown in between.

Because I'm inexplicably drawn to designing through-zero flangers, I've done a bit of research and recorded some findings.
Here's a few articles I wrote which may help understand the concept/system better and aide in your decision:
http://mrblackpedals.com/blogs/straight ... t-flanging
http://mrblackpedals.com/blogs/straight ... ically-rad

In general, DSP is smaller and less expensive, while analog is bigger and dirtier.
I don't know about you, but I really like cheap and dirty. :P

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 12:12 am
by bigchiefbc
Jack Deville wrote:I've designed five or so through-zero flangers. A few analog, a few digital. There are ups and downs to each discipline.

In today's market, I know of a few units that can pull of TZF:

-Strymon Orbit (DSP)
-EHX Flanger Hoax (analog)
-TC Elec Vortex (I've heard, never played one; DSP)
-Mr. Black TunnelWorm (DSP, subtractive with dynamic regeneration)
-Jack Deville Mod Zero (analog, additive)
-Mr. Black DoulbleChorus (DSP, additive/subtractive alternating)

I've probably missed a few, but that's five right out the gate.
From my experience:

The Flanger Hoax sounds rad, but is a bear to dial and is physically massive.
The Mod Zero will clip if you bang it hard, and can be difficult to dial (read: NOT a plug and play pedal).
The TunnelWorm is really easy to dial in, but limits you to subtractive TZF
The DoubleChorus is easy to dial but alternates between additive and subtractive TZF with chorus thrown in between.

Because I'm inexplicably drawn to designing through-zero flangers, I've done a bit of research and recorded some findings.
Here's a few articles I wrote which may help understand the concept/system better and aide in your decision:
http://mrblackpedals.com/blogs/straight ... t-flanging
http://mrblackpedals.com/blogs/straight ... ically-rad

In general, DSP is smaller and less expensive, while analog is bigger and dirtier.
I don't know about you, but I really like cheap and dirty. :P


The only one I'll add to that list is the Strymon Mobius, which is the pedal that allowed me to sell off a ton of my modulation. The through zero flanger on it is probably the same exact DSP from the Orbit, but I just figured I'd throw that one out there.

The Flanger Hoax is what I always used to do it before, it really does sound massive. And yes, it's a pain to dial in until you really learn it. By the time I had put a few hours on it, I could more or less dial in exactly the sound I wanted in a couple knob twists.

Jack, I know that the Mod Zero has been said to do through-zero, but none of the demos ever actually captured it. None of the youtube vids really showed it off as well, it just sounded like a normal flanger. If you have one that has it doing that huge getting-sucked-through-a-straw tzf sound, I'd love to hear it. The Tunnel worm, on the other hand, definitely does it very well, from the demos I heard.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 12:36 am
by Jack Deville
Mod Zero is an additive through-zero flanger. The "over-the-top" sound, so the speak.
TunnelWorm is a subtractive through-zero-flanger. The "sucked-through-a-straw" sound, so to speak.

Both cool, but subtractive is much more dramatic.
The cancellations that occur by an additive process are frequency dependent, while those occurring by a subtractive process are frequency independent. The first article above touches on this behavior, but I wanted to keep them somewhat easy to read and detailing this difference is at least another article in itself.
The short answer is in the first two lines of this post.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 12:42 am
by Ghost Hip
What about the Ibanez Airplane Flanger? Didn't that do the thru zero thing? I forget... I don't even use flangers, so I could be way wrong.

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 12:55 am
by THEBEERHAMMER
PumpkinPieces wrote: I don't even use flangers



What the fuck Jared...

Image

Re: Through-Zero Flanging

Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 1:08 am
by GardenoftheDead
PumpkinPieces wrote:What about the Ibanez Airplane Flanger? Didn't that do the thru zero thing? I forget... I don't even use flangers, so I could be way wrong.


No but it does Auto-whammy crazy pitch bend sounds.

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