Retro-Sonic Flanger: Brighter 2020 Version (+ 1978 Electric Mistress)

[@michaeltan_]

Thanks for these comparisons.The retro-sonic is my pick for a flanger, this helped so much.

[@petebrown8145]

Hey Perky! Excellent review. Just ordered one of the Retro Sonic Flangers.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Amazing Pete :-) Sure you'll love it!!

[@Paul-dw2cl]

This might be the best comparison video around, thank you Joe

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Thanks Paul - glad it was useful :-)

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Sounds incredible. I'd love to hear This New Brighter version compared to a Hartman and the Elastic Mattress. Enjoyed your Demo. oNe LovE from NYC (Update April 2022) I just ordered the v2 RetroSonic Flanger ( selling my E-Lady )

[@kirabarsmith9353]

You create some of the best comparisons, Joe. I'm a huge EM fan, so this was a treat, already had the Retro-Sonic on my "to purchase" list, but this comparison bumps it up another notch. I currently use the Donner Jet Convolution EM mini clone, which is a stellar bang for the buck, but definitely doesn't sound as good as the Retro-Sonic.

[@adrianfripp404]

Thanks for the high quality videos. I've watched all of your flanger vids, including the Thorpy. Very useful. Just got my RS today, choice based on your vids. I was considering Mattress and Cam too. Thought I might "need" the tone control -- but I don't. I actually have an OG EM, 18v with mini power jack. I never use it because -- all the reasons. I had forgotten how it sounded. The volume knob on the RS however is essential. Not just because of a volume drop, but the output varies depending on how you set the depth and feedback. There are some really nice sounds with feedback at nil that require more boost than the more syrupy sounds. First thing I did, of course, was run through all the standard flanger riffs. But after that I just kept playing, including "inappropriate" stuff (blues, country, folky stuff) and it all felt comfortable. Yup, I'm happy.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Really glad the videos were useful Adrian :-) Keep playing the inappropriate stuff!! :D

[@johnetone]

Yeah man! The new RS sounds as good or better imo! Excellent work and great demo. Thanks for including so many different guitars and sounds!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Glad it was useful John :-)

[@djpgreek]

I had Tim mod mine. I have #17. I found out about the difference and its so good now. It was great before but now.. phenom

[@gasarockband]

You are a great guitar player 🤘🏻 Thanks for the demo!

[@morbidrockgod]

Subscribed! Thank you for doing this comparison! The Retro-Sonic sounded 99,99% close to the original. Tim is a very talented builder. I have an early version of his chorus and it is one of my desert island pedals. He's also a gentleman, as he answered my e-mail questions promptly many years after I purchased the pedal. Solid business and great products!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Cheers mate :-) Yep, Tim is fantastic - and this new version absolutely nails the sound, despite not having the SAD1024 in it. Would love to check out some more RS pedals :-)

[@jes4932]

Thanks for the demo and playing! They are very close indeed. I looked away while listening and every time I heard you play the same thing I guessed which was which and looked up - and although you changed the order I was correct each time. So even though the tone is the same there is a difference to how I percieve the sound. The old one has slightly better tone separation (which to be honest is't the first property that comes to my mind regarding flanger) making it more distinct. On the other hand there is the noise floor of the old one. I don't think those details would be noticeable in a mix so if I were a professional musician I would go for the old one in the studio and the new one on the road.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Yep, absolutely...the noise is the big giveaway :P I think they're both fantastic - and for a non-SAD1024 flanger to get this close to a Mistress is insane!

[@marksguitars5617]

cool demo EH, I have an original just like yours with the same clock noise and everything, great demo, not sure which one I like best!

[@g.marion5888]

Nice demo. The original sounds slightly thinner and brighter, which I do prefer, but that might be achievable with the Retro-Sonic with a slight tweak of an eq pedal in the chain. They definitely have come the closest to any clone I've heard, which is great for those of us who can't afford the vintage model. What an amazing circuit, easy to hear why it's a classic.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I'd agree....but all original Mistresses would have been handwired, with tolerance in the parts, and values will have drifted over time; so especially nowadays, no two Mistresses will sound 100% the same. It might just be that mine is a tad thicker low down than the original unit this was voiced after. :-)

[@morbidrockgod]

@@JoePerkinsMusic In all the old KZbin video comparing the original Mistress to the Hartman (no longer in production) I could hear that the original had more bottom end. There's a Mike Matthews interview on the Internet in which he says that EHX didn't bother addressing the noise in the Mistress circuit because it would be detrimental to the sounds obtainable from the pedal. I suspect that the current builders' efforts to bring the noise down might be one reason why their clones don't sound exactly the same as the originals. Having said that, the Retro-Sonic sounded more than good enough and Tim's work is top notch!

[@BaronsDuju]

Wow that really does sound spot on. I currently have the Electric Lady in the loop of my amp in the volume drop kills me, so I'm looking forward to the Retro Sonic Flanger arriving in the mail!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Excellent stuff - sure you'll love it! :-)

[@mattchilled]

Good video Joe, another flanger to check out is the Foxrox Paradox!

[@recklesstoboggan]

The Electric Mistress clock noise/high noise floor is absolutely critical to the end of the song Silverf*uck by the Smashing Pumpkins, of off Siamese Dream (from about 7.55 to 8.43 on the Siamese Dream CD version). My life just wouldn't be the same without that EM clock noise. Maybe Retro-Sonic can do a version with a clock-noise toggle...

[@empathysgone96]

I have the Mooer e-lady. She sounds surprisingly amazing! And amazingly cheap

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Me too. I love mine, and I've played in a Police Tribute Band (people would frequently-comment on: how Spot-On it sounds like Andy Summers). This new Retro Sonic sounds incredible though. I may have to grab-one? Also looking at the Elastic Mattress from PastFX. Nice demo. oNe LovE from NYC

[@mikeroadblock]

RETRO FOR THE GOAL

[@davidhovey5152]

Great comparison.. in the 70's I had a Ibanez flanger that was also quite bright, and similar.. our bands lead had this Boss which was far darker and deeper.. Robin Trower tone.. honestly I more lusted after that specific tone.. alas I've never seen another one since.. but now that I'm thinking about it again I look again.. what's a heat wave in the U.K. like?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

About 30 degrees....trust me, for us, that's the firey depths of hell :P heh

[@sundrenched6248]

You mean the Boss BF-1? Great flangers, probably my favorite along with the EM. They're around, I lucked into 2 over the past year actually.

[@Vanillaroma.]

I do love me some flange

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I have the old A/DA Flanger another classic. I find it a bit of a pain as it is complex to use. I have always loved the old EH and I have to admit if I were to get another Flanger I would look no further than the Retro-Sonic!

[@morbidrockgod]

I have the A/DA, the Hartman and a BOSS BF-2 and I agree with you. I think the A/DA ia great but I spend more time tweaking its knobs than actually playing. Another thing tô consider os that the A/DA has a compressor built in the circuit, and I believe because of that the Mistress circuit ends up sounding more dynamic because its behavior in unhinged.

[@willcoxmnk]

Great demo, thank you! Anybody want a Camoflange? One careful owner, never gigged... 😈

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I've never tried a Camoflange but I've heard they're amazing...I'd love to compare one to the Retro-Sonic. I did email Thorpy a couple of times about borrowing one for a few days, but sadly never heard back.

[@olsza6969]

EQ on retro sonic has more middle frequencies and I think that noise in mistress has to have something with that sparkling beautiful dimensional high top end

[@nihilvoid4112]

The fundamental part that NO ONE seems to get right on any of these reissues (hartman, RS, etc) with the original Electric Mistress and even the early Deluxe EM's is that like the ADA Flanger, they are using two Delay Lines in parallel (which is how the SAD1024 BBD Chip is set up, two independent 512 stage BBDs) so they have a much thicker lush sound, whereas all these reissues just use a bog standard 3207/3007 chip which is only 1 delay line, and it just does not sound the same. Fortunately I think PastFX are prototyping accurate Electric Mistress Reissues which use the correct BBD setup.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I'd love to hear This version vs. the PastFX Elastic Mattress.

[@Paul-dw2cl]

Identical sounding

[@sucornisnotahorse]

Hi Joe, just saw your ThorpyFX Camoflange review. You mentioned about the headroom. Does this one gain up a bit like Camoflange? Thank you.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Nope - no such problems with this one, or the PastFX Elastic Mattress…both great pedals :-)

[@MrGuitarHack]

Great demo - the new version Retro Sonic Flanger sounds great. I know this difference in the pedal's frequency has been a topic of discussion on TGP. Any plans to compare it to a Thorpy Camoflange?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I'd love to - but I don't own one. I did email Thorpy a while ago asking to borrow one but didn't get a response...might try again :-)

[@bernalisonanouk]

This is excellent - thanks so much. But I do need to ask: Have you tried comparing the "old" Retro-Sonic with the new one, using an EQ pedal to see if that can also bring it closer?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I haven't...you could probably get fairly close with an EQ pedal after it, but generally once frequencies have been shelved off it's hard to get them back in a convincing way. You could likely get 70% of the way there with an EQ, but with that filtering it's unlikely to ever sound like this one. :-)

[@FloydColor]

hi Joe, I missed the video in question, I didn't know that retro sonic had reviewed his flanger, now it's actually perfect, before it sounded too dark, I didn't like it, .. I'm thinking of buying it; along with this, in my opinion the most beautiful flangers are the deluxe electric mistres vintage, a / da big box flanger, and the mxr m117; in addition, the flanger of the buffalo fx also looks good

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

You'll struggle with the Buffalo as - according to a thread on The Gear Page - Steve put pre-orders up for the flanger, but then he vanished and took everyone's money. I think a couple were delivered but that's it - it all sounds pretty shady. Can wholeheartedly recommend the Retro-Sonic as one that sounds so close to my original 18v Mistress :-)

[@FloydColor]

@@JoePerkinsMusic Now i understand .. in fact i noticed that the site no longer exists, and here in Italy we have practically no more sellers .... a shame because they are high quality products :( I will consider replacing the mistress reissue with the Retro Sonic. Thanks Joe 😉

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

@@FloydColor It's really strange - everybody says Steve is a great guy and makes amazing pedals, so it's weird that he suddenly completely vanished & took everyone's money. Something very strange going on there. Anyway - definitely check out the Retro-Sonic...it's amazing! :-)

[@Topsy_Krett]

Wow, your RS was set pretty low... Mine has to be set close to 2 o'clock on the Level control to be unity with the bypass signal. As such, its noise level is a bit more noticeable.

[@rjgalloway9425]

Nice video Joe. This closer to the Electric Mistress than the Mooer Elec Lady? It's pretty impressive too at a fraction of the price but interested to buy one of these for pure Summers and Lifeson tones.

[@Zwidawurzn]

I think the Mooer E-Lady is based on the Deluxe Electric Mistress while the Retro Sonic is based on the normal Electric Mistress but it's probably not that much difference.

[@arthurveldhoen3932]

It does sound even closer than the old one, this. Was the RS on 18v?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Sorry - I forgot to say in the video...18v :-)

[@Gibson1976uk]

I went for a Thorpy Flanger :) but the Retro-Sonic also sounds amazing

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Would love to try one of those sometime!

[@Gibson1976uk]

@@JoePerkinsMusic I recently discovered it, watched a few videos, read some reviews! saw one on eBay going for 199 in minty condition! Bought it! Sold some pedals and no regrets :) it’s a light sort of flanger but very very nice sounding. very useful sounds. Doesn’t do that crazy modern over the top jet stuff but I wouldn’t want that anyway :) it’s build quality is as good or better than anything out there, has a bit more weight to it though! it’s a tank but that’s not a bad thing if your going to heavily use it all the time

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

@@Gibson1976uk I do love a good flanger! Will keep an eye out for one :-) I did email Thorpy asking if I could demo one, but never heard owt back!

[@krimsonlediable]

Sounds a lot closer to it now. But I’ll wait and stick with my Hartman.

[@GuidoGVM]

Hi Joe, Thank you for your videos. I appreciate it. Quick question, did you try the Thorpy FX Camoflange flanger pedal? Kind regards.

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Not yet I'm afraid - I've sent Thorpy a couple of emails asking if I can borrow one for a few days to shoot a demo with, but have got nothing back. Would be fun though - I'd love to shoot a comparison with this pedal! :-)

[@GuidoGVM]

​@@JoePerkinsMusic I would say, if what you are looking for is the Electric Mistress but with a modern feel, then the Retro-Sonic Flanger is the best option. However, if what you are looking for is a sound within the range of the Electric Mistress but with more versatility, then the Thorpy FX Camoflange flanger is the best option. Hope it helps :)

[@olsza6969]

did you try ADA flanger PBF? If yes what do you think about it vs ehx mistress

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I used to have one - very cool flanger, but pretty different to the Mistress. Thicker, and less sparkle in the top end.

[@Zwidawurzn]

So the serial numbers above 400 are brighter? Is it possible to tweak an older one yourself to make it brighter?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

I can't remember the exact numbers - best check that with Tim. But from memory, the first 40 or so were a fair bit more filtered in the high end (that was the version I first demoed a few years back), then up to 300ish had less filtering up-top but were still a touch darker than current, and from then on has been the current iteration that absolutely nails the Mistress tone. I think Tim does mods to take older versions and bring them up to current spec, so worth dropping him a line if you're not sure which circuit iteration you've got :-)

[@condorman57]

Nice demo Joe. Are you powering the R.S flanger at 12v or 18v ?

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Yep, 18v...sorry, forgot to mention that!

[@condorman57]

Joe Perkins Thank you.

[@cubbus09]

Still can't beat the original.

[@badmen1550]

And the winner is... ...the Gibson ES330!

[@JoePerkinsMusic]

Aha....that guitar always wins :P

[@silviolutti1522]

New version retrosonic It's more jet flanger. Original electro harmonix mistress more chorus-ish/more organics sound.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Modern dull..lack dimetion