Flanger, Phaser or Chorus? 5 Minute Tones with Pedals

[@thechannelforeverything2170]

Man that analog man chorus has something special happening with it. I recently acquired a 1963 Fender Reverb Tank and it is absolutely lush. I've been running it into my '67 Bassman. Needless to say, killer recording setup.

[@chrisday5341]

That Chorus sounds amazing!

[@LeonTodd]

Analogman brings the goods!

[@chrisday5341]

@@LeonTodd I just hit in a prince of tone yesterday, looking forward to the experience!

[@christopherwaters608]

Been using effects for years but this is the first video that really explains how to use (chorus, phaser, flanger) effectively. Kudos Todd! You alway help us gear heads

[@heavybrett-al4082]

I love messing around with all modulation effects, but I'm definitely partial to a phaser! Especially combined with a chunky distortion 🥰

[@CC-fi3pp]

A good Phase 90 or the orange box clone is literally all I need modulation wise.

[@BradRocker]

Nice Floyd chords at the beginning. Nice comparison

[@davegmarti]

Nice selection of pedals. Have an Analogman chorus. I’d put any of those on my pedal board.

[@wolfsdenmusic9404]

I'm in aural heaven listening to those. And thank you! Between going on vacation, coming back to a clusterf* nightmare at work, and being sick, I really haven't been in the mood to even pick up a guitar. But after this one 5 minute video...I'm looking forward to playing again. 🙂

[@LeonTodd]

Let the modulation flow!

[@wolfsdenmusic9404]

@@LeonTodd Speaking of holy modulations!....how about trying to recreate Neal Schon's modulated tone on the end solo of "I'll Be Alright Without You"? Love that tone.

[@eoinjennings519]

All 3 can be fun to get some of that Grace Under Pressure tour tone (probably he used flange and chorus only but why not all 3 !)

[@TheTubeDude]

Leon, Leon, Leon. You left me wanting more.

[@paulf2534]

Thank you. Learnt a lot from this. Love your playing as well.

[@LeonTodd]

My pleasure!

[@bestboy897]

awesome pretty hard to differentiate between them on distortion

[@gkol69]

I have a Line6 M5 pedal to go from Flanger to Chorus to Phaser (that's what I bought it for). Chorus is good for thickening and widening heavy rhythm guitars while flanger makes them more narrow and focused, perfect for soloing. I prefer flanger set with Feedback low, almost like a chorus, but it doesn't have that pop sound that chorus does. Like the sound in Lita Ford/Ozzy song "If I close my eyes forever" or The Police "Message in a bottle". For thick, heavy rhythm chorus is king as Zakk Wylde proved! Phaser is for clean arpeggios or rhythm guitar that you don't want to sound like a pop song with a chorus.

[@LeonTodd]

The M5 is a great pedal!

[@peterharvin2775]

Chorus is my go-to, in no small part due to the very piece you played: Alex Lifeson's tones. Can't get enough. Thanks for the demo.

[@LeonTodd]

Lord Lifeson!

[@jeffrobodeenyehcmon5925]

Chorus is I think my favorite of the three.

[@toddstropicals]

I use them all on both guitar and bass. Mostly the chorus on bass especially on some fretless with a compressor.

[@Yupppi]

Haha very much my thoughts after watching the electric mistress video! It's good to consider how close these wobbly categories are to each other and how with slight change you can get almost crossing to another category. Like phaser and chorus can get very similar and sometimes (a delicious and good) flanger can get mistaken as chorus as well. Like in that Police song Message in a Bottle, I believe that's a very common mistaken sound. Exactly those clean arpeggios get a nice little nuance depending on if you choose chorus or flanger. Phaser I like as you said, for some "size" in rhythm or lead. Oh and you can't over-emphasize the importance of placement, first or last is a huge difference and is a great tool depending on what effect you are going for.

[@TheCyberMantis]

This type of video is super helpful. My go-to effect would be chorus. I use a subtle chorus on my main heavy rhythm tone just to make it sound wider/bigger. The other always-on effect is my Maxon OD808. I also always use a more pronounced chorus on my clean channel, combined with reverb. Flanger and Phaser are just "special effects", which I only use for like one or two measures of a song section. Like for an intro build-up to a solo or something. Same thing with the wah pedal. Use these effects sparingly, or 20 years from now, people will talk shit about you for over-using them. You will literally be known as "the guy who uses too much ( insert effect here )". Obvious example would be that Kirk dude from Metallica.

[@guitardave]

I have all three fx on my board - an MXR Micro Flanger, MXR Phase 90 script and Boss CE-2 Waza, but if I had to downsize I’d sell all of them and get the Elastic Mattress - I think a good flanger like that is the most versatile option.

[@LeonTodd]

The EM is the first flanger I've really, really loved

[@guitardave]

@@LeonTodd I really want one - every video I’ve watched it sounds amazing.

[@brandnewyou5254]

Modulation makes me all emotional

[@zombiemosher1139]

My go to is flanger & my fave is the Boss HF-2. I set the depth full & rate half to give a swirl effect. I do use chorus & phaser occasionally. Fave pedals: Electro Harmonix Small Stone phaser, Boss CE-3 & Rocktron Tsunami chorus.

[@LeonTodd]

The hi-band flanger! Underrated!

[@analogspam]

nice comparison demo!

[@LeonTodd]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for keeping these magic machines alive.

[@nickybhoof]

Rush! I been listening to Grace Under Pressure nonstop this past week... I have a Julia chorus pedal but basically never use it, i need to give it another chance.

[@Gorbyrev]

Such a great album and the first Rush album I heard on release.

[@michaelbruno7384]

If I’m not mistaken, the feed (feedback) control is indeed active for the phase 90 setting - it’s not active for the phase 45 setting only. (Great pedal - I have one!!)

[@_mysilentblue2227]

What's my go to... Chori, Flange or Phase... yes, love them all. I set up a cool patch with phase on one side and flange on the other. It's under author Overtureii on axe change.

[@eranfalek]

I prefer a phaser before the distortion, so it kinda like an auto wah. Chorus I use quite similarly. And I rarely use a flanger... But maybe I should experiment more with it. Modulation is fun, that's for sure!

[@jsullivan2112]

Oh man what a selection. The fact you're using an AnalogMan chorus and the Elastic Mattress really doesn't help things. If that phaser was a Maestro PS-1A it would be even harder for me (I prefer phasers to be more subtle). But I think at the end of the day I'd have to choose the flanger, for me it works the best on both clean and dirty. If I could only keep one of those three it would be the Mistress. Whoops, I mean Mattress. And The Spirit of Radio, I mean come on! But they're all so great!

[@jessejordache1869]

The way I remember it is Flanger is The Cure, pre-Japanese Whispers, Chorus is the cure, post-Japanese Whispers, and... the phaser is the phaser.

[@brianjones8432]

Most used? Chorus. Sort of a given on any clean tone and many times on distorted tones as well..... Favorite? Probably Flanger. But it's a very specific effect and usually only used sparingly. Chorus and Delay would be the two effects I pretty much use constantly. Well, those and a good Wah.

[@LeonTodd]

The ultimate cheat codes!

[@skelapop]

The Phaser is my favourite...Under Lock And Key - Dokken sound.Lol

[@angryasanderson191]

Chorus. Because "Somewhere in Time"

[@LeonTodd]

Correct

[@redrocker2005]

Nice, I think I still prefer these than AXE FX.

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Not really fair when the chorus is so much higher quickly.

[@Gorbyrev]

Sometimes all three together for me! (thank you Axe-Fx)

[@LeonTodd]

Yeaha!

[@rickbrunet2559]

Honestly I'm not a phaser guy. I love my chorus and flanger!

[@officialpoa3171]

*when are you going on tour? North America is calling you Leon... 2023*

[@Zoso_1990]

Phaser. Always.

[@batmandeltaforce]

I am surprised at how much they alter the tone... hmmmm

[@andrus108]

I hate chorus because I hate the 80s, and vice versa. Flanger would also fall into that category, however I could see myself use it on the spaced out leads or heavy rhythms, but only before overdrive, although I feel I get a similar vibe out of a Univibe (no pun intended) style effect already. If Univibe did not exist, I'd be Team Phaser all the way.

[@williampercival7662]

I'm a chorus man