I'm a bass player and had a chorus pedal for years, then recently I got a flanger and was blown away by how versatile it is! I much prefer the 'chorus' sound of my flanger than my actual chorus pedal!
@@DerRiot hey! Not that I notice. I use the TC electronics thunderstorm. I find that the position of the ‘manual’ knob makes a difference on which frequencies get ‘flanged’ so playing around with that helps optimise retention of the low end
I owned a BF-2 for many years, and only ever really used it in the "chorus" mode you described. This video has reminded me of one 1980s gig at a northern social club, where the resident organist was a bell end while we were setting up, so when he went into another room I set the pedal to what I thought sounded like an organ, turned the amp up loud and played some swell chords (using the volume control on my guitar) to make him think we were using his equipment. He reappeared instantly, much to our amusement!
Most people... Like me :D... until this Video. flanger was "that ufo/space-pedal" which i could never describe and find hard to dialing it in. Playing bf-2, too, so i got good explanation :D
@@marcosmarques982 I‘ve got a BF-2, too and use it for 80s New Wave and Independent inspired things, like early The Cure and such. It’s perfect for that kind of stuff, because most bands at that time used the BF-2 or the EHX Electric Mistress. What kind of psychedelic music or bands do you have in mind?
I had a BF-2 back in the 80s and I could get an incredible range of sounds from it, everything from a gentle phase shift to making my bass sound like a spaceship was landing on the stage. It's the best flanger pedal I've ever used.
In many commercial flangers - and the Boss BF-2 is a textbook case - the Depth control operates *reciprocally* , adjusting how much of the control voltage is coming from the onboard LFO vs the fixed voltage of the "Manual" control. So, rotating Depth clockwise yields more LFO and *less* Manual/fixed voltage. Set to the 5:00 position, the sweep will be ultra-wide (possibly annoying so), *BUT* the Manual control will do nothing no matter how you tweak it. Conversely, setting Depth to the 7:00 position allows for little, if any, modulation by the LFO, but a broad range of quite-audible adjustment by the Manual control. Setting Depth to around 11:00 or so allows the range of delay sweep to be moved upwards or downwards. There is a great deal of overlap in the delay times used for flanging and chorusing. When the delay time is short enough, our attention is drawn to the filtering and swept notches. As the delay time lengthens, our attention is drawn away from the filtering and to the small pitch deviations and time lag between the two "copies" of the signal. So, no great surprise that some chorus pedals seem to mimic some aspects of flanging (if they use or are capable of a shorter delay time), and some flangers do a pretty good job of mimicking chorus if their delay times can hover in the right range. For many years, people thought that Andy Summers was using a chorus pedal on many tunes by The Police, but it was actually an Electric Mistress flanger. Sadly, the BF-2, and pretty much any 4-knob flanger pedal, lack a Mix/Blend/Balance control that allows for mixing wet and dry. That would allow for achieving more authentic vibrato effects, as well as dialing back the intensity of flanging sound when the player wants a subtler effect. Also, the BF-2, and most other flangers that use the Panasonic/Matsushita chipset, is largely unable to achieve delays shorter than 1msec. The most dramatic-sounding "jet plane" effects generally come from use of minimum delay times of 1/2msec or less.
Yeah the more controls that you have on a flanger the better. It's hard enough to find a decently priced 4-knob. 5-knob versions are pretty pricey. I do have a Flanger Hoax, though, and that's something else entirely.
Thanks) Your explanatition is really great! Now I've finally understood how the MANUAL and DEPTHS knobs work together. And what about a better flanger pedal, that has a chipset that will allow to archieve delay shoter than 1/2msec? Isn't it an Electric Mistress? Because J Masis from Dinosuar Jr. has it and I cannot replicate his flanging sounds with my BF-2(((
@@lutzcore My first flanger was the PAiA Phlanger project, back in 1978, which was not only a 5-knobber, but also had control-voltage inputs for expression (or synthesizer) control of speed and initial delay. I eventually graduated last year to a PAiA Hyperflange, which is an 8-knobber that can go down to 350usec (0.35msec). I may or may not have played a teensy-weensy role in the design of the Flanger Hoax. Antonie "Ton" Barmentloo, who designed the Flanger Hoax, and nearly every pedal that EHX produces using tubes, responded very favorably to an idea I put forward about modulation on the DIYstompbox forum, back before the unit came out. But the pedal has SO many knobs and options, that I honestly don't know if the idea was included. It's a *deep* pedal, that should have sold more, but most players like to swim in the shallow 3-knob end of the pool, rather than the deep end.
@@markhammer643 yeah, I've read through those threads, really interesting stuff. I want to try putting a pair of mn3204s in the Hoax, but the damn chips are unobtainium. I'll check out those paia boxes too.
Set Rate to zero, you can dial in weird metallic filtered sounds that really cut through a mix. This is also a great way to understand the effects of the other controls individually.
That would be like the switchable "filter matrix" thing on the Electric Mistress. It would chime with the harmonics. I was impressed hearing Jo Shaw from Doll By Doll using that as part of his overall sound, then break out into wild modulation with guitar feedback. I recently picked up a Tokai flanger which did the same thing, but is much wilder. Basically a fast delay with modulation. Play with the delay time on that. It's great on lots of things....I've put an overdriven drum machine through it and jammed the hell out of it....completely wild.
I think it's the very first time I've seen a video of someone really mastering the Flanger effect AND explaining how the knobs work. The "Controls explained" chapter is by far the most important chapter if one really want to set up his/her own sounds. Once again, 1000 Bravos to Michael Banfield for this precious vid. Precious because Flanger cannot really be appreciated until you don't fully understand how it works, and once you've understood, you might fall in love with that marvelous, very rich effect that's Flanger. This video, along with the "Do you understand flangers ? Too afraid to ask" vid by CSGuitars (for the technical, theoretical side of it) are all you need to master your Flanger pedal, whatever brand it is. Don't forget to test your modulation out by stifling the strings while playing them, and the rule that Man+Depth
Flanger is perhaps the one effect that's easiest to make yourself sound REALLY bad with. I was completely turned off flangers in general for a couple years after buying one and using it to make myself sound even worse, because I didn't understand how to use it. With a little more experience and knowledge under my belt, I now agree - it's really versatile and useful. I could definitely get by just fine if a flanger was my only modulation effect.
I find modulation pedals in general are *really* easy to sour yourself on, as the inclination is to dime everything, which of course is a *dreadful* idea!
This was the best flanger explanation ever. Not only did it settle the essence of the effect, but also helped me understand that 'flange' is actually a word :D Learning English along the way here. After 20 years of using this effect I finally know what it refers to and most importantly why :)
I've been playing for almost 21 years and I have never seen a Flanger be given practical uses like this. I'll be honest and say I've never seen a Flanger get used like this. Looks like I'm gonna try something new.
As a bassist my longest-owned pedal is the original issue Boss BF-2B with a low-freq mod to help keep the low end. Great video and looking forward to trying some of these settings!
Another awesome clip Michael, I just bought the MXR micro Flanger, and I love it. It’s John McGeogh, Robert Smith ( early Cure ) and Andy Summers in a box. Your demo is spot on and I pick up a few new tones from watching this one, thx again!
I have owned this pedal for 23 got dang years and finally! finally, it sounds like I always wished it would have. I didn't put a pedalboard together until like 16 years ago but I put this pedal on it back then and it's sat there (just sat there!) as a decoration until now! Suddenly it sounds great! I didn't have to change any order, I just had to dial in the sound. Thank you so much! You are changing lives out here!
An excellent video with one correction: flanging was originally done with 2 tape machines in perfect synchronization, not slightly out of sync. When one would apply pressure to the reel flange, it would put the 2 audio signals slightly out of sync and gave the flanging sound. I know this to be correct because I'm an old geezer who did that on occasion back when I was using tape for recording. 🙂
@@derfalschejunge If they aren't in sync to start, it would be difficult and very time consuming to get them close enough to being in sync for producing the flanging effect. For it to be a practical effect, the tapes have to originally be 100% in sync.
@@raycooper1943 I have actually done the tape technique back in the old days. it has nothing to do with the distance between the synchronized machines. It was done by pressing on the flange of the tape reel on one machine which puts the machines slightly out of sync, causing the flanger effect.
@@jpdenk I understand the process in terms of the pressure on the flange and the comb filter. I had watched another video which led me to believe the distance was a factor via sound outputs at different locations. I have watched other videos which makes it clear that both machines had direct lines into the mixer. It follows that the location of the machines would not be a factor. You have to keep researching when first learning about these things. I have changed my notes.
More than that : - a buzzing, Sitar-like sound : Manual between 25 and 50%, Depth 25%, Rate between 0 and 25%, Res as you please (try different Res settings to master out the final sound) - a banjo sound, or "Delta Blues" sound (in open G with bottleneck) : Manual, Depth and Rate 0%, Res all the way up ! - variations on the Chorus setting displayed here : 1) Manual 50 Depth 50 Rate 100% Res according to your taste 2) Manual 75 Depth 25 Rate 100% and Res as you please - a long, slow, peaceful and windy modulation accompanying your finger-style folky ballads : Manual 50%, Depth 50%, Rate 0, Res < 50% if you want no metallic sounding, >50% if it doesn't bother you that much (depending also on which guitar pickup you use, and how far it is from the strings) You may count no less than 10 major distinct sounds that you can get off that single BF-2 pedal ! (and some will say even more 🤪 )
This brought back a lot of memories for me, the 1st modulation effect pedal I ever had was a 4 knob DOD flanger pedal back in the mid 1980's. I learned to get a lot of different sounds out it because it was all I had. I always tell young guitarists on a budget to get a flanger when they are looking for a pedal. Just like you have just shown, you can do much more than Flanger effects.
brilliant video and demonstartion. bassist here and chased the Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) bass sound for years. the flanger in its own right used as a flanger, or tweaked to sound like a phaser does the trick. flangers and phasers are a must for any bassist.
I allways prefered Flangers over Chorus on a Rhodes Piano. (Electric Mistress / BF-2 ). More possiblities and and bit of added 'metallic' midrange that enhances the Rhodes nicely.
The rotary speaker sound that you dialled in is magnificent. I've seen lots of demos using lots of different and more expensive pedals and none have come close. The way you use the BF-2 for that effect alone would tempt me to buy one. Another great video Michael. Thank you from New Zealand.
Absolutely spot on fantastic video. This should be included with every Flanger pedal purchase. Also a reminder to us all to try all settings and avoid noon-itis!
Andy Summers had created his Chorus sounds in The Police's songs also by using a Flanger pedal 🙂 Great video, thank you! 😀👍 And man, I *love* Tele Deluxes! 😍 The more affordable Squier version (with regular Tele headstock and PAF-type pick-ups) has been as close as I'd gotten to one so far 😁
I didn't know that about Andy Summers. I always presumed the chorus sounds were coming from a Roland Chorus. Just did a bit of research on the strength of your comment and it seems that Summers tried the Roland but didn't like it. Go figure. I learn something every day!
@@Splattle101 - Yeah I heard about that Flanger stuff only a couple of years ago myself and had always believed he must've used the first Boss Chorus pedal or something like that 😄
This is awesome. I've been looking for ages for someone to actually show 'how' to use a flanger rather than simply showing off ripping and riffing prowess. Please keep such actual tutorials coming!!
I have the tc electronics Thunderstorm Flanger. Your lesson here challenged me to identify more sounds. So far found a Hammond Organ sound, a light chorus and a flanger of course. Thank you
What's cool is that if you have the Boss Tone Studio this is exactly how to build these patches from legit Boss pedal ROM rips. I was told by others as kid that the flanger was probably the most versatile pedal if you're going to have one; this is the first time I've seen someone clearly demonstrate just why. Like I asked them "chorus or flanger" and I bought a flanger becuase they said "you can do a chorus with a flanger, that's why they're always a couple bucks more" so I just bought the flanger but still really haven't mastered getting what I want out of it. It's a pursuit, thanks for the great demo!
My second pedal that I’ve got was a flanger, I got a boss pedal from the 90’s, anyway… I got blown away by it and I was thinking about putting it back in my pedalboard because it’s so versatile and really helps with creativity
Great video! I'm new to guitar (I've been drumming for 30 years) and flanger was a total mystery outside of the swoosh sounds you showed at the start. It's great to see how versatile it is! Thank you!
If anything I think chorus is the "one trick pony" effect. It just always sounds like, "Oh look, someone turned the CHORUS pedal on" lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the bare-bones BOSS CE-2... but I use it sparingly.
I get what you say! I used to dislike the feeling chorus brought to the table (mainly because of some songs that relied on chorus heavily), but I've come to appreciate the nuances there are to the effect that is chorus - as I'm sure is true with any effect. Seems to me that none of them are about only one sound - I think flanger was just the last one I thought of in this way.
I bought a multi modulation pedal previously. I was contemplating between flanger, phaser and chorus. This video influenced me to get flanger. Easily the most fun out of the 3 although also difficult to get it to sound right.
Good video! I just can say typical analog chorus pedals are flangers with zero feedback and, sometimes, with a little bit different delay time range. In fact, the beloved Boss CE-1 is technically a "chorus-sounding" flanger pedal. Just add some fuzz in front of a CE-1 to reveal its evident flanging characteristics.
Excellent video. I read a Tone Report article some years ago that detailed a lot of what you also shared, maybe you saw that too. Flangers are often misunderstood and can be underrated effects as a result. I think you did a great job at showing how versatile and excellent sounding they can be. Btw, if anyone out there doesn’t wanna track down a decent condition BF-2 since they’ve been out of production for over 20 years, the TC Electronic Thunderstorm Flanger is a pretty spot on BF-2 clone and it’s dirt cheap brand new. I love mine.
Yes the TC Thunderstorm Flange looks great. I've put a link in the description to it for anyone who's interested. And yes there are some great articles online that cover what I did in the video here. I haven't seen the Tone Report article but I've put a link to an article on Reverb that helped me a lot, that's in the description too. Thanks for commenting!
Oh hey, I guess I should read the description before commenting next time, lol. That Reverb article is actually the same one I was talking about, Reverb absorbed Tone Report and transposed most of their articles to their site a couple years back. And I see the links to the Thunderstorm's too. Cool! Again, great work. Loved the video!
Bro, i have a bf-2 in the very back of my pedal shelf just collecting dust. I havent used it in YEARS. It was given to me about 10 years ago when a buddy sold his guitars and amps and gear…..he gave me a couple pedals no one wanted. I didnt sell it because its a real vintage japanese boss pedal, but i may have used it twice. This totally made me pull it out and start playing with it again. I had no idea how versitile it was. Thanks for the vid!!
Set Manual, Depth and Rate all to 9 o'clock (pointing left..) and Res to max. Couple it with a chorus and some distortion and you get an amazing screaming sound which every so often will couple up with D major for a rather special experience.
After borrowing a friends multi-fx and messing around with some digital amp modelling, the first analog guitar pedal I ever got was the Ibanez Airplane Flanger 2 and I had no idea what I was doing with it 😂 It came with a bunch of Paul Gilberts favourite settings (his signature model) and covered a range of the settings you talked about here but not why, so your explanation is fantastic! I remember being pretty blown away when I first learnt that Flanger, Chorus and Vibrato were all based on short delays and modulating them and combining them in different ways, suddenly made a lot of sense...
I've had a BF-2 for about 10 years, and I rarely ever bother to experiment with it. This has just inspired me to sit down and properly give it a try. I'm a bass player, and I've always dismissed it in favour of a CH-1, but I've still never been completely happy with the sound of that either. I've been playing for probably about 13-14 years, and I've still never really found a chorus or any kind of modulation effect I've been completely happy with. I'm definitely going to give the BF-2 another go now, though!
Kinda, sorta. But a couple of the main features I find worth pointing out of the CE-1 is 1) that it's stereo, and 2) the built in pre-amp and diode clipping stage which can give everything a bit of grit or bite, whatever you wanna call it.
Nice! A BF 2 was my second pedal and I irritated all my friends with it. I got rid of it maybe 10 years ago but not before I adjusted the interior trim pots to get maximum crazy out of it.
Excellent demonstration! I have a Joyo Classic Flanger that my kids bought me for Xmas a few years ago. Love it and soon discovered what an awesome replacement for my broken DOD chorus it is and the faux Leslie and auto wah effects you can get out of it were a welcome surprise to me 👍
i am one of these people that never knew what to do with a flanger and now i want one. there is this weird in between the worlds sounds one can achieve with a chorus, flanger, uni-vibe and even some phasers. love that sound and before watching this video i thought one could not get there with a flanger. i was so wrong.
I have a flanger but rarely use it. Insightful video, may make me rethink flanger though I don't normally use the types of sounds described here. But as a recording engineer, this is very good information if clients request these types of sounds.
I've owned lots of FX and use a full board for the 12-string electro-acoustic with 2 phasers on it. I never found a use for a flanger, thought it was an unmusical novelty noise. Now I know better! Thanks, Michael. Edit: because of this video I've bought a flanger and added it to my 6-string electro-acoustic board. On a low, slow setting it's an alternative to chorus that I happen to prefer. Further edit: that was an entry-level unit that had significant shortcomings. Upgrading, I shortlisted the TC Thunderstorm - tremendous value for money - the Fender Hammertone - extremely versatile - and the MXR Micro. I bought the MXR for its sheer sound quality. It doesn't offer the range of sounds that the Boss does, but what it does, it does with real class. For the rotary & phaser sounds I have those pedals anyway. Back to the video: thanks again Michael, that was a real education.
This is great! Flanger effects are kind of tough to dial in sometimes. Seeing a video like this is very helpful. I usually turn the resonance knob on both Boss flanger and phasers all the way off. I like that 'less pronounced' type of sound. Your 'rotary' setting sounds so good!
in my opinion this video "simply" showcases various nice usages for a flanger, rather than showing how to imitate other effects with it. Appreciate it, nonetheless
I bought this pedal second hand but was a bit disappointed as I wasn't getting the sounds I really wanted. Your explanations of how it actually works have helped massively, as of course have your suggested settings. Thanks so much - really educational.
It does even more too. You can get a great "steel drum" like sound and if you really minimize all the controls but add a little depth and keep the manual/time to the faster settings it does a faux adat double tracking kind of thing
Great video! I was experimenting myself with the bass version BF-2B, got several unique tones and was wondering why so little talk about this pedal..well, you put it all together very nicely, thanks.
This has to be one of the best demos I've ever seen. I love that you took time at the beginning to articulate what all the knobs do. Especially, given that this is a Flanger. I remember when I was like 15 years old I wanted to buy my first ever pedal and something drew me to the Boss BF-2 Flanger. I was so new to guitar I just didn't even stand a chance. Flangers were out of my league for sure and so what happened was I had to sell it when I was probably 19 for a bad habit I had..here I am 32 just purchased a BF-2 off Reverb for $90 which seemed reasonable to me the thing is in excellent condition still. So excited haha
Brilliant job - seems it is a far more diverse pedal effect than i ever gave it credit for … will be sure to give it some closer attention in the future
I just happen to have a BF-2 laying around that i use for the Jet thing and chorus only. Thank you a lot for this demonstration, i didn't know i have this swiss army pedal.
Neither did I until recently! It's great if you're into old school analogue effects but need something versatile for a small pedalboard. Thanks for commenting
I was checking out Frank Usher’s gear at a Fish gig a few years ago. He’s an amazing guitarist and his sound was sublime. The only pedals he had were a Rat and a flanger.
This is great! I had a Boss flanger pedal (my only other one was a Boss HM distortion pedal, which I never really loved) when I was a teenager with a Squier stratocaster back in the early 90s and I really wish I'd known half of this stuff, back then... God, my poor parents! Very cool.
Wow man, absolutely terrific video. Flanger so effortlessly executes a beautiful lo-fi chorus. I did not know. Excellent tone, that guitar just has it.
I just ordered a mxr 117 this morning and then this pops up on my youtube feed ha ha havent used a flanger in 25 years good info mate thanks cheers j watt
Great to see someone who knows how to use a flanger, instead of the usual, "Here's a flanger... whooshy whooshy jet plane". Had a BF-2 since forever and the chorus setting is how I use it, except I run the Depth control full up. Once had another guitarist say I must have had it modded to sound like that but no, that's the BF-2.
Great video, thanks!, I love the BF-2 and I have the excellent Boss HF-2 Hi Band Flanger (track one down if you can), also a MXR Micro Flanger and a vintage DOD FX75 (which is amazing). It's a misunderstood and underappreciated effect.
I have a Chorus and a Phaser. Humming and Haring for either Univibe or Flanger. Think the flanger will be of more use. Thanks for your great help and knowledge 👍
I definitely need to try out the BF-2 or BF-3. I had an EHX Stereo Electric Mistress, but I wanted more control over the flanger so I sold it. Putting a Big Muff before the flanger gets a really cool and intense sound.
Flanger is the only pedal I keep trying and still don't know what to to woth it to like it. This video gives me a lot of ideas. Thanks! I own a neo mistress pedal, by the way. I'll experiment more with it following ypur ideas. Cheers!
You got a new subscriber here. I have a lot of pedals and barely used my Boss Flanger... now it has a new home on my pedal board after learning how amazing it can be. Thank you!!! This was very informative.
I'm a bass player and had a chorus pedal for years, then recently I got a flanger and was blown away by how versatile it is! I much prefer the 'chorus' sound of my flanger than my actual chorus pedal!
Subtle flanger is the key to Justin Chancellors bass tone with Tool
I agree, if anything chorus is the "one trick pony."
Do you have any Bass loss in your signal chain through regular Flanger Pedals?
@@DerRiot hey! Not that I notice. I use the TC electronics thunderstorm. I find that the position of the ‘manual’ knob makes a difference on which frequencies get ‘flanged’ so playing around with that helps optimise retention of the low end
@@Longy_b thank you for your help. I should keep that in mind while testing some flanger units :) ✌🏼
I owned a BF-2 for many years, and only ever really used it in the "chorus" mode you described. This video has reminded me of one 1980s gig at a northern social club, where the resident organist was a bell end while we were setting up, so when he went into another room I set the pedal to what I thought sounded like an organ, turned the amp up loud and played some swell chords (using the volume control on my guitar) to make him think we were using his equipment. He reappeared instantly, much to our amusement!
Lmao. Gottim. Nicely done. That would have been a moment where nobody could contain themselves.
That’s funny and clever! I have done that before with the EHX Micro POG - terrific organ style sounds
gotta love a good harmless prank. i bet he couldn’t believe his eyes
Fantastic demo. Most people don’t know what to do with a flanger, but your explanation and settings were spot on 👍
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!
@@MichaelBanfieldGuitar Where's the jet plane setting? Did I miss it somewhere?
I'm still most people... I gonna trade my bf-2 I give up, I want a psychedelic sound with delays, but didn't match, but any tip for me? great video!
Most people... Like me :D... until this Video. flanger was "that ufo/space-pedal" which i could never describe and find hard to dialing it in. Playing bf-2, too, so i got good explanation :D
@@marcosmarques982 I‘ve got a BF-2, too and use it for 80s New Wave and Independent inspired things, like early The Cure and such. It’s perfect for that kind of stuff, because most bands at that time used the BF-2 or the EHX Electric Mistress. What kind of psychedelic music or bands do you have in mind?
This is the most genius way of playing Come As You Are there, trying to avoid copyright
come as you aren't
@@Wolfy808 Don't come as you are
Come as you are was a way of avoiding copyright from Killing Joke
sounds like Kurt had he been practicing all this time
@@treignsinblood Not many people know about this....
WOW ! I still have & use 3 of these I got in the mid 70's. I am blown away at all the sounds available. This old dog likes learning new tricks
Same here - this is all great stuff!
I had a BF-2 back in the 80s and I could get an incredible range of sounds from it, everything from a gentle phase shift to making my bass sound like a spaceship was landing on the stage. It's the best flanger pedal I've ever used.
This is gold. I have the bf-2 but never used it on my board. That's about to change thanks to you sir!
Thank you! I got my BF-2 a very long time ago and I don't think I fully appreciated mine at first either.
Try Manual on full and everything else on zero
Same here!! My first pedal way back in 1985….I might finally use it 🤣 Thank you!
In many commercial flangers - and the Boss BF-2 is a textbook case - the Depth control operates *reciprocally* , adjusting how much of the control voltage is coming from the onboard LFO vs the fixed voltage of the "Manual" control. So, rotating Depth clockwise yields more LFO and *less* Manual/fixed voltage. Set to the 5:00 position, the sweep will be ultra-wide (possibly annoying so), *BUT* the Manual control will do nothing no matter how you tweak it. Conversely, setting Depth to the 7:00 position allows for little, if any, modulation by the LFO, but a broad range of quite-audible adjustment by the Manual control. Setting Depth to around 11:00 or so allows the range of delay sweep to be moved upwards or downwards.
There is a great deal of overlap in the delay times used for flanging and chorusing. When the delay time is short enough, our attention is drawn to the filtering and swept notches. As the delay time lengthens, our attention is drawn away from the filtering and to the small pitch deviations and time lag between the two "copies" of the signal. So, no great surprise that some chorus pedals seem to mimic some aspects of flanging (if they use or are capable of a shorter delay time), and some flangers do a pretty good job of mimicking chorus if their delay times can hover in the right range. For many years, people thought that Andy Summers was using a chorus pedal on many tunes by The Police, but it was actually an Electric Mistress flanger.
Sadly, the BF-2, and pretty much any 4-knob flanger pedal, lack a Mix/Blend/Balance control that allows for mixing wet and dry. That would allow for achieving more authentic vibrato effects, as well as dialing back the intensity of flanging sound when the player wants a subtler effect. Also, the BF-2, and most other flangers that use the Panasonic/Matsushita chipset, is largely unable to achieve delays shorter than 1msec. The most dramatic-sounding "jet plane" effects generally come from use of minimum delay times of 1/2msec or less.
Yeah the more controls that you have on a flanger the better. It's hard enough to find a decently priced 4-knob. 5-knob versions are pretty pricey. I do have a Flanger Hoax, though, and that's something else entirely.
Thanks) Your explanatition is really great! Now I've finally understood how the MANUAL and DEPTHS knobs work together. And what about a better flanger pedal, that has a chipset that will allow to archieve delay shoter than 1/2msec? Isn't it an Electric Mistress? Because J Masis from Dinosuar Jr. has it and I cannot replicate his flanging sounds with my BF-2(((
@@lutzcore My first flanger was the PAiA Phlanger project, back in 1978, which was not only a 5-knobber, but also had control-voltage inputs for expression (or synthesizer) control of speed and initial delay. I eventually graduated last year to a PAiA Hyperflange, which is an 8-knobber that can go down to 350usec (0.35msec).
I may or may not have played a teensy-weensy role in the design of the Flanger Hoax. Antonie "Ton" Barmentloo, who designed the Flanger Hoax, and nearly every pedal that EHX produces using tubes, responded very favorably to an idea I put forward about modulation on the DIYstompbox forum, back before the unit came out. But the pedal has SO many knobs and options, that I honestly don't know if the idea was included. It's a *deep* pedal, that should have sold more, but most players like to swim in the shallow 3-knob end of the pool, rather than the deep end.
@@markhammer643 yeah, I've read through those threads, really interesting stuff. I want to try putting a pair of mn3204s in the Hoax, but the damn chips are unobtainium.
I'll check out those paia boxes too.
@@lutzcore If you thought MN3204s were hard to find,don't even *think* about making anything that uses SAD1024s!
Set Rate to zero, you can dial in weird metallic filtered sounds that really cut through a mix. This is also a great way to understand the effects of the other controls individually.
For extra fun, try doing that in front of the drive pedal.
You can do that on the BF3 and DD pedals also :D
I use it like some kind of EQ, dialing with low Rate and Depth
@@Mazut0 battlefield 3
That would be like the switchable "filter matrix" thing on the Electric Mistress. It would chime with the harmonics. I was impressed hearing Jo Shaw from Doll By Doll using that as part of his overall sound, then break out into wild modulation with guitar feedback. I recently picked up a Tokai flanger which did the same thing, but is much wilder. Basically a fast delay with modulation. Play with the delay time on that. It's great on lots of things....I've put an overdriven drum machine through it and jammed the hell out of it....completely wild.
I think it's the very first time I've seen a video of someone really mastering the Flanger effect AND explaining how the knobs work. The "Controls explained" chapter is by far the most important chapter if one really want to set up his/her own sounds.
Once again, 1000 Bravos to Michael Banfield for this precious vid. Precious because Flanger cannot really be appreciated until you don't fully understand how it works, and once you've understood, you might fall in love with that marvelous, very rich effect that's Flanger.
This video, along with the "Do you understand flangers ? Too afraid to ask" vid by CSGuitars (for the technical, theoretical side of it) are all you need to master your Flanger pedal, whatever brand it is.
Don't forget to test your modulation out by stifling the strings while playing them, and the rule that Man+Depth
Flanger is perhaps the one effect that's easiest to make yourself sound REALLY bad with.
I was completely turned off flangers in general for a couple years after buying one and using it to make myself sound even worse, because I didn't understand how to use it.
With a little more experience and knowledge under my belt, I now agree - it's really versatile and useful. I could definitely get by just fine if a flanger was my only modulation effect.
100% my experience as well with these pedals
I find modulation pedals in general are *really* easy to sour yourself on, as the inclination is to dime everything, which of course is a *dreadful* idea!
This was the best flanger explanation ever. Not only did it settle the essence of the effect, but also helped me understand that 'flange' is actually a word :D
Learning English along the way here. After 20 years of using this effect I finally know what it refers to and most importantly why :)
I always liked this roboticness of flanger pedals, but now you just showed me a whole new world for that. Wanna try it all on bass
I've been loving this rehabilitation of the Flanger in recent times! One of the most underappreciated effects out there.
This video is honestly the best pedal instructional demo of them all.
Flange is all you need. And fuzz.
Flange and fuzz 💯
I've been playing for almost 21 years and I have never seen a Flanger be given practical uses like this. I'll be honest and say I've never seen a Flanger get used like this. Looks like I'm gonna try something new.
As a bassist my longest-owned pedal is the original issue Boss BF-2B with a low-freq mod to help keep the low end. Great video and looking forward to trying some of these settings!
Another awesome clip Michael, I just bought the MXR micro Flanger, and I love it. It’s John McGeogh, Robert Smith ( early Cure ) and Andy Summers in a box. Your demo is spot on and I pick up a few new tones from watching this one, thx again!
I have owned this pedal for 23 got dang years and finally! finally, it sounds like I always wished it would have. I didn't put a pedalboard together until like 16 years ago but I put this pedal on it back then and it's sat there (just sat there!) as a decoration until now! Suddenly it sounds great! I didn't have to change any order, I just had to dial in the sound. Thank you so much! You are changing lives out here!
An excellent video with one correction: flanging was originally done with 2 tape machines in perfect synchronization, not slightly out of sync. When one would apply pressure to the reel flange, it would put the 2 audio signals slightly out of sync and gave the flanging sound. I know this to be correct because I'm an old geezer who did that on occasion back when I was using tape for recording. 🙂
I think, that's what he meant though. The effect occurs when they are out of sync. Doesn't mean they have to be from the start.
@@derfalschejunge If they aren't in sync to start, it would be difficult and very time consuming to get them close enough to being in sync for producing the flanging effect. For it to be a practical effect, the tapes have to originally be 100% in sync.
@@raycooper1943 I have actually done the tape technique back in the old days. it has nothing to do with the distance between the synchronized machines. It was done by pressing on the flange of the tape reel on one machine which puts the machines slightly out of sync, causing the flanger effect.
@@jpdenk I understand the process in terms of the pressure on the flange and the comb filter. I had watched another video which led me to believe the distance was a factor via sound outputs at different locations. I have watched other videos which makes it clear that both machines had direct lines into the mixer. It follows that the location of the machines would not be a factor. You have to keep researching when first learning about these things. I have changed my notes.
Thank you for explaining it to him that it was the tape reel flange. He seems to think a reel to reel tape machine has a flange on it.
Wow, that was AMAZING!! I've often heard the flanger is the most versatile modulation but I've never seen it demonstrated. Seven pedals in one! 🤯
More than that :
- a buzzing, Sitar-like sound : Manual between 25 and 50%, Depth 25%, Rate between 0 and 25%, Res as you please (try different Res settings to master out the final sound)
- a banjo sound, or "Delta Blues" sound (in open G with bottleneck) : Manual, Depth and Rate 0%, Res all the way up !
- variations on the Chorus setting displayed here : 1) Manual 50 Depth 50 Rate 100% Res according to your taste 2) Manual 75 Depth 25 Rate 100% and Res as you please
- a long, slow, peaceful and windy modulation accompanying your finger-style folky ballads : Manual 50%, Depth 50%, Rate 0, Res < 50% if you want no metallic sounding, >50% if it doesn't bother you that much (depending also on which guitar pickup you use, and how far it is from the strings)
You may count no less than 10 major distinct sounds that you can get off that single BF-2 pedal ! (and some will say even more 🤪 )
This brought back a lot of memories for me, the 1st modulation effect pedal I ever had was a 4 knob DOD flanger pedal back in the mid 1980's. I learned to get a lot of different sounds out it because it was all I had. I always tell young guitarists on a budget to get a flanger when they are looking for a pedal. Just like you have just shown, you can do much more than Flanger effects.
brilliant video and demonstartion. bassist here and chased the Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) bass sound for years. the flanger in its own right used as a flanger, or tweaked to sound like a phaser does the trick. flangers and phasers are a must for any bassist.
This is the clearest, most useful explanation of how a flanger works, that I've ever encountered. Thanks!
I allways prefered Flangers over Chorus on a Rhodes Piano. (Electric Mistress / BF-2 ). More possiblities and and bit of added 'metallic' midrange that enhances the Rhodes nicely.
I’ve always loved the BOSS Flanger. I’ve always been able to get all kinds of swooping effects with it
Yes! BF-2 has been may only modulation pedal for ages, and I learnt how to obtain many fantastic sounds out of it
The rotary speaker sound that you dialled in is magnificent. I've seen lots of demos using lots of different and more expensive pedals and none have come close. The way you use the BF-2 for that effect alone would tempt me to buy one. Another great video Michael. Thank you from New Zealand.
Probably the best pedal explanation video I have ever heard
Absolutely spot on fantastic video. This should be included with every Flanger pedal purchase. Also a reminder to us all to try all settings and avoid noon-itis!
Andy Summers had created his Chorus sounds in The Police's songs also by using a Flanger pedal 🙂 Great video, thank you! 😀👍 And man, I *love* Tele Deluxes! 😍 The more affordable Squier version (with regular Tele headstock and PAF-type pick-ups) has been as close as I'd gotten to one so far 😁
I didn't know that about Andy Summers. I always presumed the chorus sounds were coming from a Roland Chorus. Just did a bit of research on the strength of your comment and it seems that Summers tried the Roland but didn't like it. Go figure. I learn something every day!
@@Splattle101 - Yeah I heard about that Flanger stuff only a couple of years ago myself and had always believed he must've used the first Boss Chorus pedal or something like that 😄
YES!!! FINALLY SOMEONE MADE JUSTICE FOR FLANGERS!!!
i've been explaning why is the best and more versatile modulation for years!!!
This is awesome. I've been looking for ages for someone to actually show 'how' to use a flanger rather than simply showing off ripping and riffing prowess. Please keep such actual tutorials coming!!
I have the tc electronics Thunderstorm Flanger. Your lesson here challenged me to identify more sounds. So far found a Hammond Organ sound, a light chorus and a flanger of course. Thank you
Been on team flange for years. For basically every instrument! Best mod effect for me 🙌
The BF-2 is bar none my favorite modulation pedal. So glad to see someone highlight how versatile it is.
What's cool is that if you have the Boss Tone Studio this is exactly how to build these patches from legit Boss pedal ROM rips.
I was told by others as kid that the flanger was probably the most versatile pedal if you're going to have one; this is the first time I've seen someone clearly demonstrate just why. Like I asked them "chorus or flanger" and I bought a flanger becuase they said "you can do a chorus with a flanger, that's why they're always a couple bucks more" so I just bought the flanger but still really haven't mastered getting what I want out of it. It's a pursuit, thanks for the great demo!
Boss BF-2, Boss CE-2, MXR Phase 90 Script, Telecaster, Fender Amp. This guy uses all the best stuff
The almost famous riff n just veering off before its totally recalled 😅😅😅 awesome.. don't get monetized.. great vid very helpfull
I picked up a Neo Mistress a couple years ago for use in a bluegrass band of all things and the tones it makes are amazing, super intuitive.
Love my Boss BF-3 FLANGER & Super Chorus CH-1 and the rest of my 19 FX pedals from aDawliah Al-Khobar Saudi Arabia!!!!
Great vid. I use flanger in my staple tone. I have it set very slight and it gives me a “watery” sound.
My second pedal that I’ve got was a flanger, I got a boss pedal from the 90’s, anyway… I got blown away by it and I was thinking about putting it back in my pedalboard because it’s so versatile and really helps with creativity
Great video! I'm new to guitar (I've been drumming for 30 years) and flanger was a total mystery outside of the swoosh sounds you showed at the start. It's great to see how versatile it is! Thank you!
That chorus sounded sublime! It seems that flanger is not a one trick pony after all.
If anything I think chorus is the "one trick pony" effect. It just always sounds like, "Oh look, someone turned the CHORUS pedal on" lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the bare-bones BOSS CE-2... but I use it sparingly.
I get what you say! I used to dislike the feeling chorus brought to the table (mainly because of some songs that relied on chorus heavily), but I've come to appreciate the nuances there are to the effect that is chorus - as I'm sure is true with any effect. Seems to me that none of them are about only one sound - I think flanger was just the last one I thought of in this way.
I have finally found the demos I want to see. Your playing is fantastic.
This is superior work. Best explanation of the flanger I've seen.
I bought a multi modulation pedal previously. I was contemplating between flanger, phaser and chorus. This video influenced me to get flanger. Easily the most fun out of the 3 although also difficult to get it to sound right.
Good video! I just can say typical analog chorus pedals are flangers with zero feedback and, sometimes, with a little bit different delay time range. In fact, the beloved Boss CE-1 is technically a "chorus-sounding" flanger pedal. Just add some fuzz in front of a CE-1 to reveal its evident flanging characteristics.
I think it's made similarly to the Electric Mistress as they're made around a similar time
Excellent video. I read a Tone Report article some years ago that detailed a lot of what you also shared, maybe you saw that too. Flangers are often misunderstood and can be underrated effects as a result. I think you did a great job at showing how versatile and excellent sounding they can be. Btw, if anyone out there doesn’t wanna track down a decent condition BF-2 since they’ve been out of production for over 20 years, the TC Electronic Thunderstorm Flanger is a pretty spot on BF-2 clone and it’s dirt cheap brand new. I love mine.
Yes the TC Thunderstorm Flange looks great. I've put a link in the description to it for anyone who's interested. And yes there are some great articles online that cover what I did in the video here. I haven't seen the Tone Report article but I've put a link to an article on Reverb that helped me a lot, that's in the description too. Thanks for commenting!
Oh hey, I guess I should read the description before commenting next time, lol. That Reverb article is actually the same one I was talking about, Reverb absorbed Tone Report and transposed most of their articles to their site a couple years back. And I see the links to the Thunderstorm's too. Cool! Again, great work. Loved the video!
i got a japanese one off ebay for maybe 30 bux. did they shoot up in price?
I still have my original MXR flanger that I got in 1981. It's a wonderful pedal that can produce a range of sounds.
The BF3 does everything the BF2 did, so if you see one of those don't discount it.
Might be the best pedal video on TH-cam. Just great stuff. Thanks so much!
Bro, i have a bf-2 in the very back of my pedal shelf just collecting dust. I havent used it in YEARS. It was given to me about 10 years ago when a buddy sold his guitars and amps and gear…..he gave me a couple pedals no one wanted. I didnt sell it because its a real vintage japanese boss pedal, but i may have used it twice. This totally made me pull it out and start playing with it again. I had no idea how versitile it was. Thanks for the vid!!
Set Manual, Depth and Rate all to 9 o'clock (pointing left..) and Res to max. Couple it with a chorus and some distortion and you get an amazing screaming sound which every so often will couple up with D major for a rather special experience.
I know what you're talking about. Like an angry alien opera singer at its extreme end. It's lush.
I absolutely love this type of “getting more with less” stuff, so thanks for the video!
Awesome explanation and demonstration! Also love "Come As You Aren't" at 5:20 😅
Caught by copyleft lol
After borrowing a friends multi-fx and messing around with some digital amp modelling, the first analog guitar pedal I ever got was the Ibanez Airplane Flanger 2 and I had no idea what I was doing with it 😂 It came with a bunch of Paul Gilberts favourite settings (his signature model) and covered a range of the settings you talked about here but not why, so your explanation is fantastic! I remember being pretty blown away when I first learnt that Flanger, Chorus and Vibrato were all based on short delays and modulating them and combining them in different ways, suddenly made a lot of sense...
I've had a BF-2 for about 10 years, and I rarely ever bother to experiment with it. This has just inspired me to sit down and properly give it a try. I'm a bass player, and I've always dismissed it in favour of a CH-1, but I've still never been completely happy with the sound of that either. I've been playing for probably about 13-14 years, and I've still never really found a chorus or any kind of modulation effect I've been completely happy with. I'm definitely going to give the BF-2 another go now, though!
Been using the BF-2 as a chorus pedal. Gets really close to the CE-1 imho. Love it to bits! Awesome video. Thank you!
Kinda, sorta. But a couple of the main features I find worth pointing out of the CE-1 is 1) that it's stereo, and 2) the built in pre-amp and diode clipping stage which can give everything a bit of grit or bite, whatever you wanna call it.
Nice! A BF 2 was my second pedal and I irritated all my friends with it. I got rid of it maybe 10 years ago but not before I adjusted the interior trim pots to get maximum crazy out of it.
Excellent demonstration! I have a Joyo Classic Flanger that my kids bought me for Xmas a few years ago. Love it and soon discovered what an awesome replacement for my broken DOD chorus it is and the faux Leslie and auto wah effects you can get out of it were a welcome surprise to me 👍
i am one of these people that never knew what to do with a flanger and now i want one. there is this weird in between the worlds sounds one can achieve with a chorus, flanger, uni-vibe and even some phasers. love that sound and before watching this video i thought one could not get there with a flanger. i was so wrong.
I have a flanger but rarely use it. Insightful video, may make me rethink flanger though I don't normally use the types of sounds described here.
But as a recording engineer, this is very good information if clients request these types of sounds.
I've owned lots of FX and use a full board for the 12-string electro-acoustic with 2 phasers on it. I never found a use for a flanger, thought it was an unmusical novelty noise. Now I know better! Thanks, Michael.
Edit: because of this video I've bought a flanger and added it to my 6-string electro-acoustic board. On a low, slow setting it's an alternative to chorus that I happen to prefer.
Further edit: that was an entry-level unit that had significant shortcomings. Upgrading, I shortlisted the TC Thunderstorm - tremendous value for money - the Fender Hammertone - extremely versatile - and the MXR Micro. I bought the MXR for its sheer sound quality. It doesn't offer the range of sounds that the Boss does, but what it does, it does with real class. For the rotary & phaser sounds I have those pedals anyway.
Back to the video: thanks again Michael, that was a real education.
This is great! Flanger effects are kind of tough to dial in sometimes. Seeing a video like this is very helpful. I usually turn the resonance knob on both Boss flanger and phasers all the way off. I like that 'less pronounced' type of sound. Your 'rotary' setting sounds so good!
The most serious pedal testings i have seen on TH-cam!
in my opinion this video "simply" showcases various nice usages for a flanger, rather than showing how to imitate other effects with it. Appreciate it, nonetheless
I bought this pedal second hand but was a bit disappointed as I wasn't getting the sounds I really wanted. Your explanations of how it actually works have helped massively, as of course have your suggested settings. Thanks so much - really educational.
Great video. I used flanger a lot in my early writing days but haven't used it in so long. This video will give it some hope for future songs ha!
It does even more too. You can get a great "steel drum" like sound and if you really minimize all the controls but add a little depth and keep the manual/time to the faster settings it does a faux adat double tracking kind of thing
Great video! I was experimenting myself with the bass version BF-2B, got several unique tones and was wondering why so little talk about this pedal..well, you put it all together very nicely, thanks.
Hi there! Are you still using it today? And what else do you tend to pair it with? I'm considering picking one up soon :-) thanks!
This has to be one of the best demos I've ever seen. I love that you took time at the beginning to articulate what all the knobs do. Especially, given that this is a Flanger. I remember when I was like 15 years old I wanted to buy my first ever pedal and something drew me to the Boss BF-2 Flanger. I was so new to guitar I just didn't even stand a chance. Flangers were out of my league for sure and so what happened was I had to sell it when I was probably 19 for a bad habit I had..here I am 32 just purchased a BF-2 off Reverb for $90 which seemed reasonable to me the thing is in excellent condition still. So excited haha
Brilliant job - seems it is a far more diverse pedal effect than i ever gave it credit for … will be sure to give it some closer attention in the future
I just happen to have a BF-2 laying around that i use for the Jet thing and chorus only. Thank you a lot for this demonstration, i didn't know i have this swiss army pedal.
Neither did I until recently! It's great if you're into old school analogue effects but need something versatile for a small pedalboard. Thanks for commenting
Me2!🤘🏾🕺🏾🕺🏾🤣
Absolutely fantastic video, thanks! I love the 'get more out of less'-mentality, prioritizing skill over gear lust. A real breath of fresh air! 👍🏻
Probably the best Flanger demo I ever seen. I always thought the flanger had more to it than the classic jet flight sounds... thank you!
What a great demo. I have one of these collecting dust on my shelf and now I can't wait to try all those settings.
Hi what is the song you play at 6:35 I’d love to learn it!
I was checking out Frank Usher’s gear at a Fish gig a few years ago. He’s an amazing guitarist and his sound was sublime. The only pedals he had were a Rat and a flanger.
Thank you for your presentation on Flangers. I learned a lot about their textures, potential and fun!
I have had a flanger at the end of my board for a looooooong time and this was very eye opening for me. Thanks for doing such a wonderful explanation
Glad to help! Thanks for commenting
Top man!
This is great! I had a Boss flanger pedal (my only other one was a Boss HM distortion pedal, which I never really loved) when I was a teenager with a Squier stratocaster back in the early 90s and I really wish I'd known half of this stuff, back then... God, my poor parents! Very cool.
Wow man, absolutely terrific video. Flanger so effortlessly executes a beautiful lo-fi chorus. I did not know. Excellent tone, that guitar just has it.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
Just got my first flanger pedal so this is timely. Cool and informative video.
I just ordered a mxr 117 this morning and then this pops up on my youtube feed ha ha havent used a flanger in 25 years good info mate thanks cheers j watt
Really good demo mate. I think the BF-2 is one of the most underrated Boss Pedals.
Great to see someone who knows how to use a flanger, instead of the usual, "Here's a flanger... whooshy whooshy jet plane". Had a BF-2 since forever and the chorus setting is how I use it, except I run the Depth control full up. Once had another guitarist say I must have had it modded to sound like that but no, that's the BF-2.
Wow you deflanged my flange prejudice...some rad tones... quite simply like many had no idea on it's potential or how to use it too
That was WAY more impressive than I thought it would be!
WOW Thank you for this great tutorial!
BOSS BF-2 my first pedal i ever bought nearly 30 years ago
i loved it, time to pick it up again
Great video, thanks!, I love the BF-2 and I have the excellent Boss HF-2 Hi Band Flanger (track one down if you can), also a MXR Micro Flanger and a vintage DOD FX75 (which is amazing). It's a misunderstood and underappreciated effect.
I’ve had the green label bf2 for 2 years and didn’t know all of this. Thank you
I have a Chorus and a Phaser. Humming and Haring for either Univibe or Flanger. Think the flanger will be of more use. Thanks for your great help and knowledge 👍
I definitely need to try out the BF-2 or BF-3. I had an EHX Stereo Electric Mistress, but I wanted more control over the flanger so I sold it. Putting a Big Muff before the flanger gets a really cool and intense sound.
Best video about a flanger doing anything ...flangey- great info and background & new life for my Boss BF-3- cheers!
Glad it helped!
Good demos! Another great use of flanger is to pair the flanged signal with a dry signal. This gives a great stereo chorus sound.
Flanger is the only pedal I keep trying and still don't know what to to woth it to like it. This video gives me a lot of ideas. Thanks!
I own a neo mistress pedal, by the way. I'll experiment more with it following ypur ideas.
Cheers!
I never considered a flanger on my pedal board, now I'm getting. You just have to find the right one. Thanks for the video demo.
Outstanding! I regret selling my Boss BF-2 for these reasons. Time to buy another...Thanks!
You got a new subscriber here. I have a lot of pedals and barely used my Boss Flanger... now it has a new home on my pedal board after learning how amazing it can be. Thank you!!! This was very informative.
I like you. All killer, no filler, and didn't ask for a sub until after you gave some value. Subscribed.