ONE CORRECTION at about 8:37 in the video about the ROTARY SWITCH function. The audio signal is not coupled through the switch to the LFO portion of the circuit. One half of the rotary switch adds Regeneration, enhancing the notches. In Modes 2 & 4, regeneration is added by connecting the 10th opamp stage Pin 1 Output (through the 15k resistor) back to the inverting input Pin 6 of the 4th opamp stage. Effectively a "Regeneration" on/off switch with the amount fixed to a given value by the 15k resistor. Second half of the rotary switch changes the sweep width and center of the LFO output voltage swing that's driving the Vactrols. In Modes 3 & 4, it shorts together the junction of resistors (150k) & (2k4) with the junction of the (6k2) & (100k) & the Base of the darlington output transistors. This alters both the DC bias and amount of oscillating LFO voltage entering the base of the LFOs transistor output pair. Great breakdown! Loved the frequency analyzer!
Great video as always! It's fantastic that you go into details like describing parts of the circuit and the schematic, and measuring the frequency response. Such a detailed and thorough examination in such a succinct and well produced format.
Oh wow, thank you so much! I was actually at a loss for how to describe the four modes, so I did the white noise exercise just for some additional insight, which ended up being a pretty good illustration of what's going on. I'd still love to know just how that setup was cooked up and why it works, because it's pretty darned unique and I couldn't find a patent on it either.
@@StompboxBreakdown That's interesting, which part would be patentable? I have heard that you cannot patent circuits, only software such as algorithms in digital pedals
Circuits themselves can't (typically) be patented because they're just using the components in their intended fashion... or at least that's how it was explained to me. Same with formulas, software, and algorithms. If you come up with a method for doing a useful and novel thing, it can be *implementable* in software, and it can *use* an algorithm, but the claims need to explain a method or process or model that stand on their own merit. For the Phase 100, tapping into the outputs of the All-Pass Filters, and doing whatever it's doing with the LFO circuit, which results in additional configurations of the phasers seems like it would be novel, though to someone very skilled in the area, I suppose it may be considered an obvious use of the circuits. Here's a patent that looks ooooddddlly like it's describing a Uni-Vibe: patents.google.com/patent/US3418418A/
I think I'm at an advantage in that I really have no idea what to do with my DAW, so I just use it like a four-track that lives on my laptop screen. I love Pete's demos, he's equal parts inspiring and frustrating, because whenever I watch him it makes me exciting about music, but immediately realizing that my hands don't *do* that
Good that you pointed out how 4 of the 10 stages are *not* swept. In fact, the sonic outcome of any phase shifter is the result of the *total* phase shift produced, and where in the spectrum that total phase shift reaches its maximum. I have a Boss RPH-10 that provides up to 12 stages of phase shift in total, when the unswept stages are included. If a person is game, they can whip up a little daughter-board and insert additional fixed stages of phase shift to almost any phaser, to convert it from 2-to-4, 4-to-6, or however many stages you like. Personally, I find the "sweet spot" for guitar-oriented phasers to be 6 stages. While having 8, 10, or even more stages may seem tantalizing, producing notches up where there is little or no guitar frequency content is rather pointless. If used with instruments or mixes that have much broader frequency content, having more stages can sound great. A friend once demonstrated for me a 24-stage phaser he had built, and ran white noise through it. It sounded stunning,, but running a guitar through it was nothing special.
Really good video! A friend lent me an old Phase 100 and I thought it was brilliant. The tone was superb. I bought one a few years ago when I had an itch for a phaser, but I didn't get on with it at all and got rid of it. I tried a TC Electronic Helix afterwards and had it on my board briefly, but it didn't inspire me. I'm still on the hunt for an affordable phaser for occasional use.
Awesome! I just saw one of these used come up locally! I like the MXR phasers. They're very 'chewy' sounding. I have the Phase 45 and Phase 90 Script. I might grabe one of these, too. Typically, I like more of a subtle phaser (which doesn't sound like what a 10 stage would do) but there's a time and place for just about everything. Great channel as always!
Although it's digital, the Digitech Hardwire SP-7 Stereo Phaser has a good number of modes to try out. That said, for a phaser that's gonna live on a board, if I'm playing in a band, I doubt anyone not on stage would ever notice, much less appreciate, that I'm using a Phase 45 for this song, a Phase 100 for this song, etc... so I just go with what makes me happy.
I got a Mooer liquid phase cause it does everything a Phase 95 does. And there are left over features. Listening to this, now I'll try Phase 100 sounds.
Thank you for the explanation! I love mine, it's such an incredible and unique pedal, and it's good to finally see someone diving deep into it. I'm very curious about what the stages do, I was so excited when you started talking about the first and last stages, but then you basically left it there without really explaining it (I understand it might be hard to understand, though). It was very cool to see the oscilloscope recordings and see what the switch positions are doing, but I'm still left with an incomplete understanding of what's really happening there. Are these two stages actually moving, but less than the others? How is this different from a phaser where all the stages are modulated together?
I was really into MXR phase for a good while, particularly the 45, then got a 100 because of Mick Jones. Then stumbled onto the EHX Small Stone. Chewy as f_ck! I love phase, my favorite modulation.
I was going to say something about that interference I was hearing in the background, so thanks for 'splainin' that! I have MXR Phase 90 on my board and have for years. I guess this Phase 100 sounds "whooshier" for a lack of a better term. Kinda almost in flanger territory, to my ears anyway. Nice review. I always wondered what was up with that Phase 100. Now, you've got me really curious about that Greer delay!
It looks interesting, a pretty novel approach to reverb. Looks like it’d also been pretty heavily demoed so far, so I might have to wait until I can grab a good deal on one
Thanks for your detailed breakdown. I do have one question. I've had three phasers (Peavy amp, jhs 3 and now this one) each of them has been very noisy. Not intolerable but more than other pedals that don't have any gain. Is this intrinsic to phasers or just my bad luck?
Phasers have a bunch of amplifiers chained end-to-end, and are set up to emphasize certain frequencies, so they do tend to be noisier than, say, a chorus or flanger, which uses a a lot fewer amplifiers. Some have an EQ stage that cuts it pretty well, but they do tend to shine a light on any noise going in.
Phase 95 fits for more music styles, but the Phase 100 is more fun, imho. It’s totally unmissable, it mangles every frequency, where the 95 can be somewhat subtle if you want it. Favorite….. if univibes count, then the Caroline Arigato. Otherwise, Phase 100.
10 stages! That’s why it’s like that. I had one of these probably 14 or 15 years ago when I first started getting effects pedals. I literally got it because I was into Fu Manchu at the time and had seen on a website that their guitarist uses one. It was cool but I never knew what to do with it back then, so it got sold after a time. But now I finally know what makes it special. Thank you!
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I have a 1982-84 hand wired (thru-hole) MXR Phase 100, early block logo. I opened it up and the board is beautiful - a work of real craftsmanship!
Awesome! Yeah those were some real amazing pedals. MXR has always made high quality stuff, they don’t miss.
Congrats on 5000 subs!
Thank you!!
Best deep dive on the Phase 100 that I've ever seen or heard!
Wow, I'm so glad you feel that way! With these pedals, I always worry about not finding the words or riffs to do them justice.
ONE CORRECTION at about 8:37 in the video about the ROTARY SWITCH function.
The audio signal is not coupled through the switch to the LFO portion of the circuit.
One half of the rotary switch adds Regeneration, enhancing the notches.
In Modes 2 & 4, regeneration is added by connecting the 10th opamp stage Pin 1 Output (through the 15k resistor) back to the inverting input Pin 6 of the 4th opamp stage. Effectively a "Regeneration" on/off switch with the amount fixed to a given value by the 15k resistor.
Second half of the rotary switch changes the sweep width and center of the LFO output voltage swing that's driving the Vactrols.
In Modes 3 & 4, it shorts together the junction of resistors (150k) & (2k4) with the junction of the (6k2) & (100k) & the Base of the darlington output transistors. This alters both the DC bias and amount of oscillating LFO voltage entering the base of the LFOs transistor output pair.
Great breakdown!
Loved the frequency analyzer!
Great video as always! It's fantastic that you go into details like describing parts of the circuit and the schematic, and measuring the frequency response. Such a detailed and thorough examination in such a succinct and well produced format.
Oh wow, thank you so much! I was actually at a loss for how to describe the four modes, so I did the white noise exercise just for some additional insight, which ended up being a pretty good illustration of what's going on. I'd still love to know just how that setup was cooked up and why it works, because it's pretty darned unique and I couldn't find a patent on it either.
@@StompboxBreakdown That's interesting, which part would be patentable? I have heard that you cannot patent circuits, only software such as algorithms in digital pedals
Circuits themselves can't (typically) be patented because they're just using the components in their intended fashion... or at least that's how it was explained to me. Same with formulas, software, and algorithms. If you come up with a method for doing a useful and novel thing, it can be *implementable* in software, and it can *use* an algorithm, but the claims need to explain a method or process or model that stand on their own merit.
For the Phase 100, tapping into the outputs of the All-Pass Filters, and doing whatever it's doing with the LFO circuit, which results in additional configurations of the phasers seems like it would be novel, though to someone very skilled in the area, I suppose it may be considered an obvious use of the circuits.
Here's a patent that looks ooooddddlly like it's describing a Uni-Vibe: patents.google.com/patent/US3418418A/
This is hands down the best review of this pedal. Thank you very much for this.
That means so much to me, thank you so much
I love your demos.
You & Pete Thorn make tracks that don’t sound like a guitar-player messing-around with a DAW … well done 👍🏻
I think I'm at an advantage in that I really have no idea what to do with my DAW, so I just use it like a four-track that lives on my laptop screen. I love Pete's demos, he's equal parts inspiring and frustrating, because whenever I watch him it makes me exciting about music, but immediately realizing that my hands don't *do* that
Good that you pointed out how 4 of the 10 stages are *not* swept. In fact, the sonic outcome of any phase shifter is the result of the *total* phase shift produced, and where in the spectrum that total phase shift reaches its maximum. I have a Boss RPH-10 that provides up to 12 stages of phase shift in total, when the unswept stages are included. If a person is game, they can whip up a little daughter-board and insert additional fixed stages of phase shift to almost any phaser, to convert it from 2-to-4, 4-to-6, or however many stages you like. Personally, I find the "sweet spot" for guitar-oriented phasers to be 6 stages. While having 8, 10, or even more stages may seem tantalizing, producing notches up where there is little or no guitar frequency content is rather pointless. If used with instruments or mixes that have much broader frequency content, having more stages can sound great. A friend once demonstrated for me a 24-stage phaser he had built, and ran white noise through it. It sounded stunning,, but running a guitar through it was nothing special.
Really good video!
A friend lent me an old Phase 100 and I thought it was brilliant. The tone was superb.
I bought one a few years ago when I had an itch for a phaser, but I didn't get on with it at all and got rid of it. I tried a TC Electronic Helix afterwards and had it on my board briefly, but it didn't inspire me. I'm still on the hunt for an affordable phaser for occasional use.
Awesome! I just saw one of these used come up locally! I like the MXR phasers. They're very 'chewy' sounding. I have the Phase 45 and Phase 90 Script. I might grabe one of these, too. Typically, I like more of a subtle phaser (which doesn't sound like what a 10 stage would do) but there's a time and place for just about everything. Great channel as always!
Although it's digital, the Digitech Hardwire SP-7 Stereo Phaser has a good number of modes to try out. That said, for a phaser that's gonna live on a board, if I'm playing in a band, I doubt anyone not on stage would ever notice, much less appreciate, that I'm using a Phase 45 for this song, a Phase 100 for this song, etc... so I just go with what makes me happy.
One of my all time favorite pedals, not a bad sound in it, and it covers a lot of ground.
"Like the golden records sent up on the Voyage spacecraft" awesome reference!
Thanks!!
Fascinating video and great explanation. Brilliant demo pieces too.
Really glad you liked the video and the demo piece. I thought it sounded pretty sweet.
Good timing on this vid. I'm looking for my first phase, it's between this, the TC Helix, DOD fx20b, or digi hyper phase.
My only phaser.....its incredible. Mine is 30+ years old on my 3rd foot switch!
you have great knowledge....live long & prosper....!
I got a Mooer liquid phase cause it does everything a Phase 95 does. And there are left over features. Listening to this, now I'll try Phase 100 sounds.
Thank you for the explanation! I love mine, it's such an incredible and unique pedal, and it's good to finally see someone diving deep into it.
I'm very curious about what the stages do, I was so excited when you started talking about the first and last stages, but then you basically left it there without really explaining it (I understand it might be hard to understand, though).
It was very cool to see the oscilloscope recordings and see what the switch positions are doing, but I'm still left with an incomplete understanding of what's really happening there. Are these two stages actually moving, but less than the others? How is this different from a phaser where all the stages are modulated together?
I was really into MXR phase for a good while, particularly the 45, then got a 100 because of Mick Jones. Then stumbled onto the EHX Small Stone. Chewy as f_ck! I love phase, my favorite modulation.
I was going to say something about that interference I was hearing in the background, so thanks for 'splainin' that! I have MXR Phase 90 on my board and have for years. I guess this Phase 100 sounds "whooshier" for a lack of a better term. Kinda almost in flanger territory, to my ears anyway. Nice review. I always wondered what was up with that Phase 100. Now, you've got me really curious about that Greer delay!
Greer Black Tiger is up next!
@@StompboxBreakdown Excellent news!!
My local shop has a phase 100 marked as new.....theres a new model out?
Awesome video as always. Ever thought of reviewing the Catalinbread soft focus reverb?
It looks interesting, a pretty novel approach to reverb. Looks like it’d also been pretty heavily demoed so far, so I might have to wait until I can grab a good deal on one
Thanks for your detailed breakdown. I do have one question. I've had three phasers (Peavy amp, jhs 3 and now this one) each of them has been very noisy. Not intolerable but more than other pedals that don't have any gain. Is this intrinsic to phasers or just my bad luck?
Phasers have a bunch of amplifiers chained end-to-end, and are set up to emphasize certain frequencies, so they do tend to be noisier than, say, a chorus or flanger, which uses a a lot fewer amplifiers. Some have an EQ stage that cuts it pretty well, but they do tend to shine a light on any noise going in.
WHAT IS IN YOUR TANK? Kaiju FRY?
Just a coincidence that you started with the soma pedal next to the phaser which is billy Corgans favorite phaser?
Haha total coincidence, but that’d be a heck of an Easter egg.
Phase 95, or 100? Preferences? What is your favorite phaser ever? Thanks.
Phase 95 fits for more music styles, but the Phase 100 is more fun, imho. It’s totally unmissable, it mangles every frequency, where the 95 can be somewhat subtle if you want it. Favorite….. if univibes count, then the Caroline Arigato. Otherwise, Phase 100.
Have you ever tried a DOD fx20c phaser? I've been looking at them. Thanks.
Do the phase 95 and phase 99 have trim pots?
Phase simulates the wind I reckon
That’s a great way of envisioning it
Are you in a band? I would like to hear it
The band isn’t really to where I’m comfortable sharing our stuff just yet. Hopefully it gets to that place and I’ll share it then.
pedal reviewers don't have writers block..the good ones.
I'm jealous of them
Why do the knobs look different? Are these added for a reason?
Most MXR pedals come with little rubber doodads you can put on the knobs to add grip, and to make it easier to turn them with your feet.
@@StompboxBreakdown oh! Was thinking of buying one of these but never owned any MXR. Thanks for replying.
10 stages! That’s why it’s like that. I had one of these probably 14 or 15 years ago when I first started getting effects pedals. I literally got it because I was into Fu Manchu at the time and had seen on a website that their guitarist uses one. It was cool but I never knew what to do with it back then, so it got sold after a time. But now I finally know what makes it special. Thank you!
Happy to have made the connection. Gonna throw some Fu Manchu on the playlist for today, thanks for reminding me of them.
@@StompboxBreakdown We Must Obey is their best, imo, but a lot of it is great stuff.
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