Flanger Hoax opinion wanted

[PeelingPaint98]

Can anyone with time and inclination give me an opinion on the EH Flanger Hoax in relation to other phasers.

The only phasers I have tried are the akai intelliphase(which I got rid of 3 years ago) and my current digitech hyperphase. I really like the tweakability of the Hoax for the price but the Modmax Phaser, Moog Phaser, and Pigtronix Ep-1 all look enticing(though a bit out of my price range)

Mostly I play shoe gazing wackyness if it factors into any info or insight you can share. Thanks.

[hempathy]

Its really a through zero flanger. If that helps.

 

It will give you shoegaze sounds as it goes through zero. Think the drone of My bloody valentine with the rythmic pitch shift.

 

Its great for experimental music. It is a bit big and is hard to use if you are not familiar with what it actually does.

 

I say buy it, if you dont like it you wont lose alot of money selling it again.

 

imo it is the best modulation device currently in mass production.

[LoneStarGuitar]

insane box, and quite the learning curve untill you actually figure it all out.

 

As a straight up phaser, I would pass, but for some through zero madness, as Hempathy mentioned, it does the job well.

Quite the variety of phase and flange tones. if EHX ever had an analog pedal that needed some ability to store settings, this is the one.

[PeelingPaint98]

well fudge, I was hoping a Hoax would fix getting rid of the hyperphase, now I'll have to save for the modmax me thinks.

[Brian Marshall]

 

Originally posted by hempathy imo it is the best modulation device currently in mass production.

 

 

I'm 180 degrees from you.

 

I think its one of the worst modulation boxes in production.

 

Simply put it just has too much going on. The knob layout is not done in a way that at all helps you understand how it works.

 

You can tweak it for half an hour to find the sound you are looking for, and turn one knob 1% and it just turns to noise.

 

It distorts a lot on almost all settings, and for the most part only the subtle settings are usable.

 

Seems like they could have done a lot better with 18volts of headroom.

[LoneStarGuitar]

 

Originally posted by PeelingPaint98 well fudge, I was hoping a Hoax would fix getting rid of the hyperphase, now I'll have to save for the modmax me thinks.

 

 

you might still want to pick it up.

this phaser/flanger has sounds that I have never achieved with ANY other phaser or flanger.

[Brian Marshall]

 

Originally posted by LoneStarGuitar insane box, and quite the learning curve untill you actually figure it all out. As a straight up phaser, I would pass, but for some through zero madness, as Hempathy mentioned, it does the job well. Quite the variety of phase and flange tones. if EHX ever had an analog pedal that needed some ability to store settings, this is the one.

 

 

I could be wrong, but i was under the impression that the flanging and phasing is all digital.. the routing is analog.

[hempathy]

 

Originally posted by Brian Marshall I'm 180 degrees from you. I think its one of the worst modulation boxes in production. Simply put it just has too much going on. The knob layout is not done in a way that at all helps you understand how it works. You can tweak it for half an hour to find the sound you are looking for, and turn one knob 1% and it just turns to noise. It distorts a lot on almost all settings, and for the most part only the subtle settings are usable. Seems like they could have done a lot better with 18volts of headroom.

 

 

It is 100% analog. AFAIK it uses MN3207 BBD's for both delay lines.

 

It is a great box with some very innovative ideas inside. It suffers from a learning curve and perhaps trying to do too much in one box, but its an experimenters delight. I think once people start getting to grips with the pedal it becomes quite intuitive.

 

I didnt find mine noisy or distorted at all, even with the MN3207 BBD's. I think it has extensive decoupling and Power supply filtering (got to when you run two LFO's) The power LED takes a long time to fade away.

 

I think the sounds in the box will produce some innovative records, and one day it will be highly sought after, because I dont think it is going to be in production long.

 

Perhaps you are a complete 180 on me because of manufacturing defects? I know some people experience noisy units while others experience quiet units. It could also be rig specific....

[idiot savant]

 

Originally posted by Brian Marshall I could be wrong, but i was under the impression that the flanging and phasing is all digital.. the routing is analog.

 

 

no it's all analog. uses 2 ea. mn3102/mn3207's IIRC. i believe the clock section uses 4046's as well. i wonder if having 2 clocks/bbd lines is what makes it noisy?

[idiot savant]

 

Originally posted by hempathy It is 100% analog. AFAIK it uses MN3207 BBD's for both delay lines. It is a great box with some very innovative ideas inside. It suffers from a learning curve and perhaps trying to do too much in one box, but its an experimenters delight. I think once people start getting to grips with the pedal it becomes quite intuitive. I didnt find mine noisy or distorted at all, even with the MN3207 BBD's. I think it has extensive decoupling and Power supply filtering (got to when you run two LFO's) The power LED takes a long time to fade away. I think the sounds in the box will produce some innovative records, and one day it will be highly sought after, because I dont think it is going to be in production long. Perhaps you are a complete 180 on me because of manufacturing defects? I know some people experience noisy units while others experience quiet units. It could also be rig specific....

 

 

beat me to it. I've wanted a hoax for a long time. I'm pretty sure it only has 1 LFO, but with quadrature outputs.

[LoneStarGuitar]

 

Originally posted by Brian Marshall I could be wrong, but i was under the impression that the flanging and phasing is all digital.. the routing is analog.

 

 

nope

just opened up mine. curren t production Chinese BBD's: BL3201's and B;3207's

 

oddly enough, space for four inductors on the board as well. silkscreened in, but not present.

[LoneStarGuitar]

crap, 3102's

[LoneStarGuitar]

 

Originally posted by hempathy I think the sounds in the box will produce some innovative records, and one day it will be highly sought after, because I dont think it is going to be in production long. It could also be rig specific....

 

 

the moment Musicians Friend blows em out at 100 each, i am picking up another three of em.

[PeelingPaint98]

so does this difference in chips mean some suck and some don't?

[LoneStarGuitar]

 

Originally posted by PeelingPaint98 so does this difference in chips mean some suck and some don't?

 

 

no.

thats the easy answer.

 

 

yes.

really long and drawn out answer that i have no real base of knowledge to tell you why w/o blowing smoke up yer ass.

 

 

interesting thought:

the bbd's are socketed. I realize the voltage would have to change, and different clock drivers might be needed, but what if a guy was to substitute in some MN3105's (was that the 4096 stage Panasonic??)

might possibly get some weird {censored} going on with much longer delay times no??

[PeelingPaint98]

 

Originally posted by LoneStarGuitar might possibly get some weird {censored} going on with much longer delay times no??

 

Well I can't give an opinion there, but if MF does start blowing them out for 100 bucks apiece it might be worth wrecking(fixing?) one to find out.

[hempathy]

 

Originally posted by LoneStarGuitar no. thats the easy answer. yes. really long and drawn out answer that i have no real base of knowledge to tell you why w/o blowing smoke up yer ass. interesting thought: the bbd's are socketed. I realize the voltage would have to change, and different clock drivers might be needed, but what if a guy was to substitute in some MN3105's (was that the 4096 stage Panasonic??) might possibly get some weird {censored} going on with much longer delay times no??

 

 

MN3205's 4096 stagers.

 

Yeah, upping the delay time would give you strange sounds.

[PeelingPaint98]

Coincedently Lonestar if you are shopping hard for a microsynth once my GR-33 gets here it may push my microsynth off my boards and on to the for sale market.

[StompboxMan]

The Flanger Hoax an innovative modulation device. Other Phaser/Flangers give certain parameter change. Go beyond that and it's bad rapped as too complicated. You really should play one. If you lived in OC I could bring it over for you to try.

 

When I first got them in stock and noticed it had no settings sheet, I called the EH Tech and got these. Just including these two settings could have changed many minds on the pedals usefulness.

 

EH marketing went way off the scale with it's Flanger Hoax name. If you don't get how the pedal works it's a hoax to you. Basically one switch changes the Flanger Hoax from Flanger to Phaser.

 

Flanger Setting: Clock Times and Switch Positions.

Blend: 2

Feedback: 3 (Vary)

Feedback Switch: WET (In WET Position the Swept Phaser Block is disabled)

Response: Disabled

Modulation Mode: Disabled

Amount: Disabled

Rate: 10 (Vary)

Delay Mode: 4 (Vary)

Invert Switch: Bypass

Fixed Phaser Switch: Bypass

Delay Amount: 10 (Vary)

Swept Phaser Switch: Bypass

Delay Amount: 1 (Vary)

 

Phaser Setting: Clock Times and switch positions.

Blend: 2

Feedback: 2

Feedback Switch: SWPT

Response: LOG

Modulation Mode: 270

Amount: 3 (Vary)

Rate:11-12 (Vary)

Delay Mode: DC

Invert Switch: Bypass

Fixed Phaser Switch: Bypass

Delay Amount: 12 (Vary)

Swept Phaser Switch: SWEPT

Delay Amount: 12 (Vary)

[LoneStarGuitar]

 

Originally posted by PeelingPaint98 Coincedently Lonestar if you are shopping hard for a microsynth once my GR-33 gets here it may push my microsynth off my boards and on to the for sale market.

 

 

PM me with a pirce when you decide what you are doing with it.

I could use one, if the price was right.

[AbbeSauniere]

Anyone compared the Hoax to the TZF? Sold my TZF and now I want that through zero flange again. How well does it do the through zero flange? Love how it's marketed as a tzf flange, but EH has no clips of it doing tzf, just the wackier stuff.

[mikeldtl]

 

Originally posted by LoneStarGuitar no. thats the easy answer. yes. really long and drawn out answer that i have no real base of knowledge to tell you why w/o blowing smoke up yer ass. interesting thought: the bbd's are socketed. I realize the voltage would have to change, and different clock drivers might be needed, but what if a guy was to substitute in some MN3105's (was that the 4096 stage Panasonic??) might possibly get some weird {censored} going on with much longer delay times no??

 

You are thinking of the MN3005, a 4096 bucket bridage IC. My instincts tell me that they have the same pinout, and would work granted you use a mn3101 clock generator. Don't hold me to it, I'd poke around here .

[bieke]

it's definitely on my "pedals to give a try" list

[StompboxMan]

Originally posted by AbbeSauniere Anyone compared the Hoax to the TZF? Sold my TZF and now I want that through zero flange again. How well does it do the through zero flange? Love how it's marketed as a tzf flange, but EH has no clips of it doing tzf, just the wackier stuff.

 

The Flanger Hoax is the only Flanger with two delay lines (Manual Controls). It sounds like your playing two flangers. If your set different delay times the Hoax is capable of one flange sound after another flange sound. With delay times closer it sounds like the flange has an echo. Quite remarkable!

[Brian Marshall]

ok damnit... im going to pull mine out of the box again