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- This topic has 10 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 6 months ago by guitarnut.
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April 18, 2009 at 9:52 pm #78091andvari7Participant
I need a very versatile, very different-sounding phaser to accompany my Russian Small Stone, of which I am quite fond. How does the Stereo Polyphase stack up against it?
April 19, 2009 at 5:17 am #95810st.bedeMemberpolyphase is a killer, killer pedal…just looking at the box gets me excited…it has to be one of my all time fav pedals
April 19, 2009 at 2:18 pm #95822BlueSteelParticipantFor an ehx phaser, i’d get the polyphase, but for a non ehx phaser, the mxr phase 100 is really cool. it isnt as versatile as the polyphase but it’s still a great phaser.
April 19, 2009 at 2:26 pm #95824Fender&EHX4everModeratorThe Stereo Polyphase does have a lot of features. It’s not my favorite EHX phaser though.
If you can find one of these, go for it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=280331410466
I really love the phasing on The Worm and The Flanger Hoax as well.
April 19, 2009 at 2:39 pm #95827B.DawsParticipantPeople will laugh at me for saying this but I have been through several different phasers and I currently now have a Beringher Vintage Phaser. If you can find one of these some where to test give it a shot because it seriously has one of the thickest smoothest sounding phasers I have found (and you can get it for like $25). It isn’t built wonderfully but the sound is great!
April 21, 2009 at 6:31 am #95887hilikusMemberI’ve always wanted to try a Polyphase (both big box and stereo versions), but I will always love my NYC Small Stone, it got stolen years ago and it was the most musical phaser (while still getting to do the crazy stuff) I’ve owned, my nano is just not same.
BTW, have you guys tried the BOSS ph-2? mode II is the one sound I’ve always wanted to get close to with my SS, I wish there was another pedal with that type of sound.April 21, 2009 at 10:15 am #95889nightravenMemberthe Earthquaker Devices Grand Orbiter Phase Machine is without a doubt the most awesome phase shifter ever
(within a reasonable price)
April 22, 2009 at 10:23 pm #95970andvari7ParticipantExactly how different does a Stereo Polyphase (or an old one) sound from, say, my black, Russian Small Stone? If I can get the proper Small Stone sounds from a Polyphase, then I can consider offering mine as trade bait for one.
April 23, 2009 at 1:50 am #95978John JMemberI had limited time with a Polyphase, but here are my thoughts: You can get just about ANY phase sound out of it, plus awesome wah/envelope filter-like tones. However, it lacks that certain ‘something’ that made the Small Stone and Phase 90 classics. That having been said, if I had to choose one phaser to own it would be the Polyphase without a doubt. It can ‘get’ such a vast array of tones that it’s tough to be upset when you don’t ‘nail’ the tone, dig? Plus the expression features AND the square wave function make it the single most versatile and the 2nd most unique phaser out there IMO (second only to the Flanger Hoax). Definitely try before you trade or buy or anything, but I doubt you’ll miss the Small Stone TOO much when you have such a vast array of usable sounds at your feet. (FWIW, the differences are particularly negligible if you run it before distortion.)
My $.02, hope it helps!
June 15, 2009 at 8:33 am #97930Stoner WizardParticipantPhase shifting is one of my favorite modulation effects besides tremolo.
The first phaser I tried was from a friend’s Music Man tube combo… when I engaged, I got the sound of Thurston Moore’s guitar line for “The Diamond Sea”.
For the last six and a half years, I’ve become an avid phase user. The first phaser pedal I owned was a 2.002 catalog EH Small Stone USA reissue, but unfortunately I didn’t had much time to tweak with because an horrendous fire destroyed my rehearsal space.
When I get recovered, I got another SS reissue, but this was a later version (no Carling-type switch, no black pointer-knob), and I founded that did not sound exactly like the previous I owned.
My band mate liked it so much that we exchanged our phasers, I gave him the SS while I got an MXR Phase 90 which is my fav. phaser (it’s very close to Univibe at certain settings so you can play Hendrix or David Gilmour’s tunes from “Dark Side of the Moon” or “Wish you Were Here”).
I expanded my phaser army with an MXR Phase 100, more “modern sounding” but also a 70’s design.
Now… at last, I’m in peace with the SS because I’ve got two originals: A 1st and a 2nd generations from the mid 70’s… these two really do it fine!.
These four phasers allows me to cover lots of late 60’s/70’s classic rock and psychedelic, or the 70’s “Blaxploitation Films Dirty Funk” or late 70’s disco.
Today, phaser is still alive and can be found on many different styles.
And here’s a brief list of tricks to phase until dawn…!
* UniVibe-like: You can get this sound in a similar way just with setting the speed knob of your Phase 90 and/or Small Stone (color switch “Off”) between 11 and 1 o’clock.With this you can get it Hendrix and Gilmour territory.
* Phaser + Analog Delay: Plug your Phase 90/Small Stone and then, your after. Set the DMM with a long-delay with a slow and slight vibrato. Then, make an eight-note pattern (very “The Edge”) and once you’ve found your right delay time, tweak the “Speed” phaser knob until you can your fit your delay pattern into the phase cycle.
Once you’ve got it, try to add more blend so you have to vary your playing dynamics as you first hear almost silence and then delay… you’ll need to have a good timing but is nice!
PD: I suggest this trick with a DMM better to get a warm, driven sound.
* Vibrato-like: Just as easy as putting the speed knob to max. With a Phase 100, you can get many trippy sounds from Fu Manchu records. With a Phase 90/Small Stone, the sound is warmer. If you want to make it sound “watery”, switch the Color of your SS.
* Wah + Phaser: Set your phase speed to an interval between 9 o’clock and 12 o’clock as you like.
It’s better to start with a mid-tempo in order to be more easy to follow.Get a metronome and find the tempo that matches with the phase cycle. For an easy starting, match the tempo as a each phase sweep = 1 bar, so a complete 4 bar = 4 sweeps. Now, use wah rhytmically to combine the automatic phase sweep with your wah.
More difficult. Set the tempo as a complete phase in/out cycle = 4 bar, and then, play your melodic line with the wah making 1/4 note sweeps, 1/8 note, 1/16…
Regards and have fun!
Nacho
June 29, 2009 at 11:10 am #98570guitarnutMemberFor a non EHX Phaser, what about a Mutron Phase II if you can find one?
I love it. -
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