Since its appearance on the scene in the '60s, the Phaser has become one of the most recognisable guitar effects available on the market.
Pioneered by the likes of Hendrix and Van Halen, this simple pedal has the capacity to warp your tone beyond recognition. Read on for the full lowdown on how to find the perfect Phaser for you!
The term 'Phaser' was originally used in some cases to refer to the popular tape flanging effect, whereby two reels of tape played the same signal but one was slightly slowed down by regular intervals. This created a slow 'whooshing' effect that we know now as the Flanger.
It was in the late '60s, however, that the Phaser came into its own. The Uni Vibe effects pedal from Japanese manufacturer Shin-ei pioneered the phase-shift sound via an up-and-coming guitarist called Jimi Hendrix. By the early '70s, the Phaser had become a readily available portable guitar effect - and the rest is history!
In this guide, we’ll explore the Phaser effect’s unique qualities, the big names in the category, and how you can incorporate it into your sound, taking you one step closer to finding the pedal that’s right for you!
Before we begin, let's have a listen. Eddie Van Halen is known for his love of Phaser effects, among other things. Check out the intro to 'Atomic Punk':
Notice that the Phaser has an almost speech-like quality, as if your amp has a mouth that opens and closes. Although this iconic tone summarises the effect rather nicely, a Phaser can be tweaked to attain many weird and wonderful sounds!
A 'phase' is a position on a frequency spectrum - when you see a waveform, you're seeing numerous phases beginning and ending as they hit the zero degree axis.
The Phase-shift sound is achieved by mixing two identical signals together; one signal is the dry input signal, but the other has multiple peaks and troughs applied to its frequency spectrum - this is called an all-pass filter, meaning any frequency can be cut or boosted. The position of this filter can be gradually moved around using an LFO, and this altered signal is then combined with the original.
Because of the movement caused by the LFO, your guitar goes in and out of phase - the frequency spectrums of the two signals match, then unmatch, then match, and so on...and this, folks, is how you create a swirling Phaser effect!
Phasers often use multiple all-pass filters in a chain - this is why some Phasers have multiple 'stages', creating more complex overtones. In some cases, the output can also be partially fed back into the input, generating feedback that adds another dimension to the sound. Here's a nice diagram that'll do a way better job of explaining:
There are several things to consider when using a Phaser. As you've heard with our Van Halen example, it's an extremely obvious, in-your-face effect! But in order to make the most of its boldness, you'll need a little bit of extra knowhow!
These are the most common controls that you’ll encounter on a Phaser. Let’s take a closer look at what they do:
As with most modulation effects, Phaser traditionally sits towards the back end of your pedal chain, after everything except ambient effects like reverb and delay.
This means the effect will apply to everything in your chain so far, including distortion, EQ, filters and more. You can play around with this order to create more abstract sounds; it's worth noting that some prefer to put modulation pedals in the effects loop of their amp, if they have one. This ensures that the effect applies only to the cleanest version of your signal - but it's all down to preference!
These three modulation effects work in very similar ways. They all mix your dry signal with a filtered/detuned signal to create an abstract sound. Because of this, it can be easy to get them mixed up! Each one creates a modulated effect using an LFO, but tweaked slightly differently - so what is the difference between flanger, phaser and chorus? Here's a quick breakdown:
The phase of your signal's waveform is adjusted by an LFO, then mixed with the dry signal. The frequencies that are out of phase cancel eachother out, causing a warped, wavy sound.
With flanger, the dry signal is mixed with a delayed signal swaying between 5-25ms The delayed signal is then fed back into the chain creating harmonic feedback.
And with chorus, your dry signal is mixed with a slightly detuned and delayed signal. The LFO controls the pitch of the delayed signal, and the further you push the pitch, the more wobbly the effect.
IN SUMMARY: A phaser uses an LFO to adjust the phase of your waveform, a flanger uses an LFO the adjust the delay of the signal, and chorus uses an LFO to adjust the pitch!
Next up, we're going to take a look at some of the big names in the Phaser category. These pedals have helped define the effect itself, so chances are you may well recognise some of them.
This small selection is made up of just a few of our favourites, containing both vintage and abstract sounds and will fit neatly onto your board. Let's take a look:
Although most multi-fx units feature a wide range of sounds, there are some that specialise in modulation. Here are some key players:
You may have heard swirling, manic guitar effects on your favourite albums and wondered 'what effect is that?' In theory, you'll now be able to tell the difference!
The idea of a Phaser pedal in your setup should now seem like more of a reality - ask yourself: are you looking to add a throbbing, headachey quality to your riffage, a little extra colour to your plucked cleans, or just warped abstract tones to hypnotise your audience? Each of the pedals we've discussed has its own character and special feature - which one would sit best in your sound? If you get a chance, spend some time trying some effects out, and experiment with some of the example settings above to find the right tone for you!
That's all for now, folks! Don't forget to check out the rest of our buyer's guides while you're at it!
