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What's a better overall Modulation Effect, Phase or Trem?


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I currently have a Phase 90 on my board and have previously had a Small Stone but Phase seems to be really limited and strong for me so I have been looking into Tremolos.

 

My question to you, is which of these effects is more useful and able to cover a wider range of standard Modulation tones, the Phaser or the Tremolo?

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well with the right phaser you can use it for multiple effects.

but I generally find tremolo more useful...you can add a little shimmer, you can do vintage throb, or hard choppy square wave...and with the right tremolo you can get ring mod sounds out of it too :thu:

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I think I'd do better with just phase if I had to pick between the two, but damn...I'm glad I live in 'Merica and don't have to worry about such awful things.

Trem is more rootsy and funky, and to me, is essential for texturing up noise interludes. Phaser is 'prettier' and more psychedelic, but can be set subtle enough to simply make your tone sound gorgeous.

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To me a phase 90 is more overbearing than a Small Stone, but both are more subtle in front of gain than after or in the loop. Depending on the options on the trem (wave shape and offset, depth, volume) you can get a wide variety of tones. I think I like phase better but trem is nice. Also, if you find a phaser with blend or a bypass loop with a blend control it might be more useful for you. The combo of phased tone and straight tone is cool, the movement of the phase but the tone stays strong because of the straight tone.

I hope that makes sense... :freak:

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It's not really comparing apples to apples.

If I was a reggae or funk guitarist, I wouldn't even look twice at tremolo pedals. If I played country I wouldn't touch a phaser with a {censored}ty stick.

If you know that phaser's not for you, try a tremolo. Couldn't hurt, might help.

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I guess I should have noted that I really only play alternative/garage rock ala Foo Fighters, Pumpkins, and the White Stripes and occasionally try my hand at Rockabilly.

I'm looking for something that can do Chorus (Nirvana kind of warbles), Rockabilly, and other types of modulation found in newer music.

I don't know if any of this will help your overall comments but please keep 'em coming.

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I guess I should have noted that I really only play alternative/garage rock ala Foo Fighters, Pumpkins, and the White Stripes and occasionally try my hand at Rockabilly.


I'm looking for something that can do Chorus (Nirvana kind of warbles), Rockabilly, and other types of modulation found in newer music.


I don't know if any of this will help your overall comments but please keep 'em coming.

 

Well for Nirvana warble all you need is the Small Clone.

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I'm looking for something that can do Chorus (Nirvana kind of warbles), Rockabilly, and other types of modulation found in newer music.



hmm, well that's going to be fairly wide ranging

There is the multiFX route

alternatively (not the musical style ;) ), perhaps someone* could recommend a modern delay unit with and LFO that would let you get a number of "modulation" FX
(many effects like chorus, flange, vibrato are actually variations on a modulated time delay) and even let you explore the "transition zones" where the effects kind of overlap

Trem is going to be the odd-man-out in that sort of unit though
and you be flanging instead of phasing, but they are decently similar


*I don't tend to stay on top of the latest offerings, so I'm not really the guy to ask about the current market

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I use both but they hardly compare. Phasers sound cool on any setting and tremolo's need to be in real time with your drummer or it will either sound {censored}ty or you'r drummer will punch you after the show...

 

 

ahhhhhh?

i think that really depends on what you're using it for.

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I never thought of the move thing. I guess I always assumed (and we all know what that means) that Phase went towards the end of the chain and before Delay.


I'll give it a go and see what happens.

 

 

it can be rationalised almost anywhere in the chain, but phase90s and similar types i find work best early in the chain. let us know if it works out for you.

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phase kinda helps me make sure that my melodic lines don't get bigger and bigger. Keeps me from being long winded in my ideas. Probably would be helpful in songwriting in that sense. To me you can kinda just jam forever on Tremolo. Its more rhythmic.

That said, I get super giddy when I hear trem on albums, probably has something to do with Link Wray's Rumble.:evil:

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