do phasers and wahs sound similar?

[mbengs1]

coz i have a boss phase shifter ph-3 and a dunlop original crybaby wah. when the phase shifter is in 4 stage mode, it sounds like my dunlop wah. are there really any similarities between the two effects?

[Mr.Grumpy]

Sort of, they're both "filter" type effects, but work differently. The Vox/Crybaby circuit uses and inductor coil and capacitor to form a resonant filter, and here's the neat trick, the second transistor "amplifies" the value of the capacitor allowing the resonant frequency to be changed by moving the wah treadle. So what you're hearing when a wah is active is a big mid-range boost, moving the treadle changes the frequency that's boosted.

 

Phasers use multiple stages where the signal is split into two paths: the straight "clean" signal and a second path through a capacitor. Capacitors allow high frequencies through but reduce lower frequencies. When the "phased" and clean signals are mixed back together, it causes some frequencies to be reduced and others to be boosted. The LFO modulation sweeps these frequencies back and forth giving the phaser its trademark swirling sound.

 

 

[1001gear]

Depends on the similar control.

[Verne Andru]

I have an original Pigtronix EP-1 that's a Mutron-Univibe in a single pedal. I've got the mod that turns off the phaser oscillation and lets me use the expression pedal like a wah.

 

So in answer to your question, yes - they're the same only different.

[WRGKMC]

The tonal changes can be similar. you manually shift frequencies on a wah and one uses and a phase shifter is is automated using a low frequency oscillator to shift frequencies.

 

You also have Auto-Wah type pedals like the QTron which were popular back in the 80's Disco era which used an envelope attack circuit to automate the wah tones based on how hard you hit your strings.

[AJ6stringsting]

Strange, that even Phaser pedals alter tonal shifts from model to model and brand to brand.

I own an original Univox Univibe from the 1960's, the same used by Hendrix at Woodstock, MXR, Boss, Maxon, Arion , Ross, Electro Harmonix and other.

Each make, shifts different frequencies with different voicings.

[WRGKMC]

The amount of phase shift, the blend of wet vs dry, the number of voices, even the preamp/buffer frequency response impact the tones. The theories used are the same in all but you still have all the various electronic components and they're values/tolerances that comprise the device which can be tweaked to produce tonal differences. Its really good we have all those variances. How boring would life be if the only options available were the same as every other kid on the block.

[daddymack]

You may discern similarities at certain settings of your phase shifter, but it is coincidental. The phase shifter is not altering the tonal characteristic of the signal, where as the wah is. By the same token, a chorus or a flanger don't sound the same as a phase shifter either, but are much closer in concept and process than a wah, and you may hear similarities between all three..

[mbengs1]

i have the boss ph-3 phase shifter and on the 4-stage mode its very thick. its the thickest 4-stage phaser i've ever come upon. it also sounds like a very thick wahwah. so i don't really need a strong wah cuz the phaser does it.