Phasers conundrum

[oscillateur]

The only phaser I have now is a crappy Behringer UP300 (which I got for really cheap secondhand in a shop a few years ago). I've recently started to warm up to non-vibrato modulation effects and I'd like to get something a bit better than the Behringer. I thought I was going to get a Boss PH-2 (which the UP300 is based on I think) that was available for 4,000 yens (a bit less than $40) in a shop I already ordered stuff from but I checked today and it's apparently gone.

I looked at what else is available here for a decent price and here are some options. Any advice about these pedals would be welcome . I would use this with either a bass or keyboards/synths, so something that can handle line level properly would be nice.

• - Another Boss PH-2. There are a few that are a bit more expensive than the other one but still cheap enough.

• - A Pearl PH-03. This one is 8,000 yens, there aren't a lot of reviews but it seems to be quite well regarded. It has a manual knob in addition to the usual rate/depth/feedback, which is nice.

• - An Ibanez PM-7, for 7,800 yens. Might be a bit more than what these can go for but I like having several waveforms available. Can switch between 4 and 6 stages, with in/out of phase option for the 6 stages.

• - A lot of Maxon models, at various prices. From 6-7,000 to about 15,000 I guess. They almost all have the same usual controls.

• - More expensive : an A/DA Final Phase, for 16,200 yens. That one seems cool but it's definitely more expensive than what I initially planned.

• - Pigtronix EP2 Envelope Phaser, 14.800 yens. Basically same comments as above. Might be a bit overkill, though if the expression inputs can take CV it might be nice with the modular. There's also a v1 of that pedal (with a weird shape) for about 10,000 yens.

So far I'm tempted by either the Pearl PH-03 or the Ibanez PM-7.

Any advice ?

[Boxbie]

I like the maxon phase tone (pt-999).

[Iommic Pope]

Yeah any of those cheapo Japanese ones are gonna be sweet.
Particularly the ibanez of you can switch to 6 stages.
Have a play with it first though. See if you like the sound.

[hiorgos]

...

[oscillateur]

That blue Maxon looks cool but it only has a speed control, I'd probably be more interested in something with more things to tweak...
I think only one of the pedals I noticed is in a relatively local shop, the other ones are somewhere else in the country, so trying them is not really an option unfortunately.

I just tried the Behringer I have again, it kinda sounds like ass with my bass.

Does anyone have the Ibanez PM7 or the Pearl PH-03 ? These two seem the most interesting to me... Though I might be missing something obviously.

[lordgalvar]

Amdek are pretty good. They are Rolands in disguise. They are also much cheaper in Japan than in the US.

[BoatRich]

PM7 is dope, I use one in a feedback loop and it does all sorts of crazy shit. It's also a really useful/deep phaser on its own that gets really fast.

[echorec]

I've never used the PH-2, but I thought the PH-3 was fairly ho-hum. I have about 20 phasers here, and the PH-3 is one I've never considered welcoming back into the fold. The best Maxon is the PH-350 Rotary Phaser. They're around $180-220 here, so 15,000 yen sounds awesome ($133 US).

The Pearl stuff has always been a bit under the radar, but they have their fans. Zachary Vex personally endorsed their phaser as perhaps his favorite of all-time. They aren't too pricey and they aren't terribly uncommon, but I would put that one behind the PH-350 from the stuff you mentioned, based on the audio clips commonly available.

I sold my A/DA Final Phase reissue as well. I wouldn't say it's a dud, but if you've played a lot of phasers, this one doesn't really stand out. I've got a friend, who's a fellow phase junkie, and he wasn't impressed either. It's not a top-20 phaser to me, because I found it so limited for keys. It did one sound that I liked fairly well, and then I flipped it after a few months.

The EP2 was one of the most disappointing purchases I've ever made. It was so thin and vanilla. I bought it brand new and it quit working in under a year. It probably had 3 hours of usage time, before it stopped passing signal. I was using it with string synths and an electric piano, but really only for special occasions. A simple Small Stone would be a much better phaser for most keyboard players. After Pigtronix serviced mine, I sold it immediately and I've never missed it.

The PM-7 is a mixed bag. To me it’s more of a novelty than a utility piece. As a phaser it's disappointing, but as a weird sound fx box, it's far more rewarding.

If you've owned or played a lot of phasers, then you might absolutely hate the EQ for this one. I own one because I'm a phaser hoarder, but I never use it. As a synth user, I care about coloration, thickness, and how well something handles ultra-slow sweeps and soundscapes. The PM-7 is a pass in all 3 categories. In more extreme settings you'll get harsh, unmusical trails—a wispy sucking sound. On a nicer phaser like an Empress, more audible trails tend to decay quickly, dissolving softly. In this aspect, the PM7 reminds me of the nasty cups sound that made the T-Rex Tonebug one of the shittiest, most one-dimensional phasers I've ever used.

On the positive side, it gets weirder than probably any other phaser under $100. (but it's not a particularly pleasing color, and it's airy compared to many other phasers) In the US, they're about $45-70, so 7,800 Yen sounds OK, but not great for what you're getting. It really is the most diverse pedal you're going to find in its price range, but it has multiple flaws. As a synth user it's tempting to put the speed/rate at minimum and dime everything else, but with the PM7, this sounds like shit. The best way to use this pedal on keys is to set everything to about 11:55, and put the speed below 10:00. If you set the speed to minimum and dime everything else, it’s going to sound so fizzy and inorganic. It’s like uncorking a shaken soda bottle. I’m not a tone/toan guy, and I’m from the school that thinks a phaser can be used with 1970s analog string synths 99% of the time, but after playing the PM7 for an hour this morning, it’s difficult to argue that the synth doesn’t sound noticeably better without the phaser engaged. If you ever A/B a PM7 with a Moog, it’s like trying to compare pink cotton to brown cola.

That being said, it has its place and there are ways to use it. If you decide to get a PM7, put a delay or a secondary modulation unit behind it, to help thicken it and make its coloration of the original signal less prevalent. If you're looking for pseudo-RM throb or faux stepped sounds, this can be a serviceable pedal. Personally I find this pedal aggravating and redundant. Because it sounds so unpleasant on more extreme settings, it really feels like you're only able to use half of the pedal. If someone was just focused on making weird, discordant sounds, I could see why this would be a nifty tool for them. As someone with so many other tools, it's difficult for me to endorse this one, especially considering that these sound so much better with other pedals engaged. Many phasers, however, sound great on their own, without needing to be watered down or covered up by other devices.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think in the low-budget range, the Akai/Biyang phaser is possibly the best option for someone wanting to spend $40-60. I have an older 4-setting Akai, so I'm unsure if these have been revamped, but I think it's fairly cooperative for the money. I don't use it often, but it works just fine on the front end of multi-phaser chains. It doesn't have a depth knob, but it's fairly moderate in terms of presence. I think the Mooer Ninety is more intrusive, without being as diverse. I would guess that the Akai would run about 5,600 - 7,800 Yen. It's not a wild pedal by any means, but it would be a clear step up from the Behringer stuff.

[D.o.S.]

Phase 90. Stranglehold. That shitty Van Halen song. Every phase you need.

[HighDeaf1080p]

I went from the Pigtronix EP-1 to the VFE Tractor Beam.

The EP-1 had a wonderful full fat sound, but for whatever reason, the envelope side kept breaking for no reason...the thing was the size of a volkswagen, and it took 12V AC - 833mA power, so I finally had to make the decision to cut my losses and retire it. I didn't like the sound of the EP-2. The VFE will do the sounds of the EP-1 and many other fat analog sounding phaser sounds, is tiny, runs on 9V standard power, and so it won the coveted phaser slot on my ever crowding pedalboard.

It doesn't do anything crazy like the Alexander phaser, but it does the normal phaser things (Phase 90, Phase 45, Electric Mistress) in an outstanding way, with brilliant sound quality. I can definitely recommend it.

[ritz]

The EP2 was one of the most disappointing purchases I've ever made. It was so thin and vanilla. I bought it brand new and it quit working in under a year. It probably had 3 hours of usage time, before it stopped passing signal. I was using it with string synths and an electric piano, but really only for special occasions. A simple Small Stone would be a much better phaser for most keyboard players. After Pigtronix serviced mine, I sold it immediately and I've never missed it.

I like my EP2. But it's not really a phaser, it's more halfway between a phaser and an envelope filter. Lately I skip the LFO and just use the envelope. I find it good for fattening up lower frequency stuff. I've been feeding my CT5 through it for more punch when I'm dropping stuff an octave, and it works great for that.

Yeah it's kinda bulky, and has awkward power needs. Never had any issues with mine though.

[echorec]

The VFE will do the sounds of the EP-1 and many other fat analog sounding phaser sounds, is tiny, runs on 9V standard power, and so it won the coveted phaser slot on my ever crowding pedalboard.

It doesn't do anything crazy like the Alexander phaser, but it does the normal phaser things (Phase 90, Phase 45, Electric Mistress) in an outstanding way, with brilliant sound quality. I can definitely recommend it.

I would second the VFE, but with Oscillateur being in Japan, I imagine the shipping cost and possible import duties make this one a no-go.

[gaussgunn]

small stone / small stone nano / bad stone nano affordable awesomness

[echorec]

What about the Red Witch phaser, that's produced in Australia---are those affordable in Japan? In the US they list for $299, but are often available for $180-229 new and $120-160 used.

They're straightforward while maintaining a fairly diverse catalog of quality phasing textures.

[Iommic Pope]

Red Witch are Kiwis dude.
And they are expensive here in Australia, as well as NZ.
Don't you guys go thinking that gear on your side of the pond is expensive because it had half a globe to travel to get there.
It's expensive because that's how much you guys will pay for it.
Which means local stuff produced here gets a US sized price tag put on it (plus losses to exchange rate, shipping, import fees, trades, retail mark up) because that's what everything else costs.
For example, the Pi Phase is made in Adelaide, I live in Brisbane.
I still pay the same or more for the fucking thing than you guys will because the builder basically drops "that's what I can charge for this. I'm the only one doing it, and you sure as shit won't get one without trying to import it."