The Flanger Guitar Effect is a captivating sound manipulation tool, capable of adding a swirling, jet-plane-like texture to your guitar tone. The Dynaflanger 213 pedal stands out by offering not just one, but ten distinct flanging engines, each designed to provide a unique sonic palette for guitarists seeking to explore the depths of this effect. Let’s delve into the diverse flanger engines housed within the Dynaflanger 213.
Auto Flanger: The Deluxe Automatic Experience
The Auto Flanger engine is your go-to for classic, sweeping flanger sounds. This mode delivers a wide-ranging sweep, perfect for creating dramatic shifts in your guitar’s timbre. Beyond the standard sweep, it offers manual control over delay time, allowing you to venture into chorus and doubling effects. Furthermore, the inclusion of a second delay line unlocks through-zero flanging (TZF), a sought-after effect known for its deep and pronounced flange.
Dyna Flanger: Reacting to Your Dynamics
For a more interactive flanger experience, the Dyna Flanger responds directly to your playing dynamics. This volume envelope-controlled flanger reacts to the intensity of your playing, creating a dynamic and expressive effect. The envelope detector features a selectable filter, letting you tailor the response to accentuate highs, lows, or the full frequency range of your input. Independent sweep controls for soft and loud playing ensure quick and precise adjustments to your desired dynamic flanger sound.
Dual Auto Flanger: Double the Flange, Double the Fun
Why settle for one flanger when you can have two? The Dual Auto Flanger engine features two independent flanger units, each with its own sweep generator. These units can be locked together for a synchronized flange or set in opposition using RAT2 for more complex and evolving textures. Run it in mono for a thick single-amp sound, or unleash its stereo potential across two amplifiers for a truly expansive flanger guitar effect.
Dual Dyna Flanger: Pillowy Dynamic Textures
Inspired by the desire for a “pillowy sound,” the Dual Dyna Flanger links twin flangers to the dynamic envelope sensor. In this mode, one flanger sweeps upwards while the other sweeps downwards in response to your playing. Independent controls for the range of each flanger allow you to sculpt dynamically rich and textured soundscapes, reminiscent of lush and ambient guitar tones. Like the Dual Auto, it offers both mono and stereo operation for versatile routing options.
Spiral Flanger: The Auditory Illusion
Prepare to be mesmerized by the Spiral Flanger, featuring four synchronized flangers that each spiral upwards or downwards indefinitely. This creates a unique auditory illusion, akin to an endless staircase of sound. Experiment with slow sweeps and high resonance (RESO) settings to evoke a sense of tension and unease, perfect for adding experimental textures to your guitar playing.
Step Flanger: Rhythmic Robot Rhythms
For rhythmic and sequenced flanger effects, the Step Flanger offers eight selectable patterns. This mode delivers step-sequenced flanging, reminiscent of robotic or electronic sounds. Guitarists seeking to create rhythmic modulation or synth-like textures will find this engine particularly inspiring. For advanced users, MIDI commands can be used to edit Pattern 8 and save custom patterns within your presets, expanding the creative possibilities.
Echo Flanger: Polyphonic Chorus and Beyond
The Echo Flanger, also described as a poly chorus, merges flanging with up to 800ms of echo. This combination results in a versatile effect that can range from rich, chorus-like textures to more pronounced modulated delays. The flanger can be positioned either before or after the echo, offering different sonic characteristics. Placing the flange before the echo can create unique rhythmic patterns, particularly effective for percussive guitar parts or “tom-tom” style sounds.
Flerb Flanger: Dreamy Reverb Washes
The Flerb Flanger combines a large hall reverb with the automatic flanger. This engine is designed for creating expansive, dreamy, and ethereal guitar tones. Ideal for genres like dream-pop and shoegaze, the Flerb Flanger can produce the lush, swirling textures often heard in atmospheric and ambient music. It’s perfect for crafting soundscapes that evoke vast spaces and otherworldly environments.
Filter Sample Hold Flanger: Vintage 70s Textures
For those seeking classic 1970s “sample and hold” effects, the Filter Sample Hold Flanger is the answer. This mode routes a flanger into a randomized filter, producing the distinctive stepped and unpredictable filter sweeps characteristic of this vintage effect. This specialized mode caters to guitarists who appreciate retro sounds and want to incorporate these unique textures into their playing.
Turbo Flanger: Choppy and Tremolo Textures
The Turbo Flanger explores the extreme side of the flanger effect. Pushing the pedal to its limits can result in “choppy” audio, an artifact that the designers embraced and transformed into a dedicated mode. The Turbo Flanger runs a flanger through a variable-wave amplifier, enabling fade, chop, and tremolo effects. This engine allows you to move beyond traditional flanging into rhythmic gating and tremolo-like textures. If you encounter unwanted “choppiness” in other modes, simply reduce the RESO knob to smooth out the effect.
These ten flanger engines within the Dynaflanger 213 showcase the expansive capabilities of the flanger guitar effect. From classic sweeps to dynamic responses and rhythmic patterns, this pedal provides a comprehensive toolkit for guitarists seeking to explore the sonic depths of flanging.
