It was Les Paul who was thought to have developed the flanger effect back in the late 1940’s. So, it’s been around a while!
Before we start the review of our best flanger pedals, it’s probably worth taking a moment to familiarize (or maybe reacquaint) ourselves with what the flanger actually sounds like.
The best description is that of a sweeping jet. Fans of rock/metal/prog should be particularly familiar with it – check out the playlist below to hear some great flanger examples: –
- Heart – Barracuda
- Rush – The Spirit of Radio
- The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
- Jimi Hendrix – House Burning Down
- Small Faces – Itchycoo Park
- Van Halen – And the Cradle will Rock
The effect, similar to the chorus, is produced by delaying the sound slightly, and altering that delay over time while playing – this causes the harmonics to phase cancel, creating that distinct sweeping sound.
It’s generally a simple effect to customize (there are exceptions), with most flangers having a couple of common controls (different manufacturers use different descriptions): –
- Speed/Rate/Delay – changes the speed of the sweep
- Width/Depth/Color – makes the sweep more noticeable / intense
- Range/Resonance – sets how high the sweep goes
- Manual – determines the center of the sweep
- Feedback – controls level of feedback
Comparison Table of the Best Flanger Pedals
We’ve chosen and reviewed our favorite single effect flanger effects pedals – hopefully there should be something for everyone and every budget. At least you can now make an informed decision. If you’re looking for other effects pedals to compliment your flanger then check out our 24 Best Guitar Pedals for Beginners and Pros Alike reviews.
Table of Contents
JOYO JF-07 Classic Flanger Effects Pedal
Towards the budget end of the flanger market there are a couple of gems, the first of which is the JOYO JF-07. If you’re an “occasional flanger” and don’t want to spend a fortune, then read on.
JOYO are a Chinese manufacturer, producing a wide range of guitar gear, including amps, accessories and of course effects pedals.
Constructed of aluminum alloy, the unit feels solid and well-constructed.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Input Impedance: 500KΩ
- Output Impedance: 10KΩ
- Delay Time: 0.9ms-6 .4ms
- Speed Range: 0.4HZ-8Hz
- Running Current: 20mA
- Power: 6F22 9V Battery/ DC 9V adapter
- Dimension: 120(L) x 97(W) x 55(H) mm
- Weight: 390g
- Power indicator: Red LED when in use
It’s a simple enough flanger effects pedal to adjust to your liking, featuring the following knobs: –
- Regen – feedback
- Delay Time – sweep speed
- Width – effectively makes the flanger effect more or less noticeable
- Speed – controls the overall range of the sweep
There is also the addition of a true bypass foot switch.
I spent quite a bit of time playing around with this little unit, and enjoyed experimenting with the huge range tones and sweeping effects it could generate – even having some success recreating some early Pink Floyd. For the money you’re getting a competent all-rounder.
PROS
- Fantastic value
- Tone & Sweep range
- Build quality
CONS
- Quite big relative to some of the competition
- TBH – I can’t really be critical given what you pay for it
CONCLUSION
I’ve mentioned value for money several times; that, and the genuine range of tones and sweeping jet sounds I was able to create make the JOYO JF-07 a go-to device for new or infrequent users. Love it.
- Uses the BBD simulation circuit
- It is a nice warm tube amp
- Affordable but highly effective pedal
Check out the manufacturers demo video:
Boss BF-3 Flanger Effects Pedal
If you have a little more in your budget, or wedded to the Boss brand, then you need to check out the Boss BF-3 stereo flanger pedal. This is the latest iteration of the classic Boss BF-2.
Straight away you’ll notice separate inputs for Bass & Guitar plus stereo outputs.
SPECIFCATIONS
- Nominal Input Level: -20dBu
- Input Impedance: 1MΩ
- Nominal Output Level: -20dBu
- Output Impedance: 1KΩ
- Recommended Load Impedance: 10KΩ or greater
- Delay Time: 0.3ms to 14.4ms (Guitar), 0.3ms to 6.3ms (Bass)
- LFO Speed: 100ms to18s
- Residual Noise: -95dBu (IHF-A Typ.)
- Power Supply: DC 9V: Dry battery (9V type)
- Current Draw: 40mA (DC 9V)
- Dimension: 129(D) x 59(H) x 73(W) mm
- Weight: 420g
The Boss BF-3 flanger has a comprehensive set of controls of available: –
- Manual – Adjusts the center frequency at which to apply the effect
- Resonance – Adjusts the amount of feedback/intensity
- Depth – Adjusts the sweep depth
- Rate – Adjusts the speed of the flanging
- Mode – selects from the following modes: –
- Ultra – Adjust the flange intensity
- Standard – “Normal” flanger effect
- Gate/Pan – in mono mode a “slicer” effect is added, resulting in a “gate flanger” sound, i.e changes the volume. Using the stereo outputs, you’ll get a panned 3D the sound
- Momentary – allows you to add the flanger effect at a specific point
- Pedal Switch – used to turn the flanger effect on/off. It’s also used to input tempo
This is a feature rich flanger effects pedal – one in particular we really enjoyed experimenting with was the tap tempo! The variety of modes available provides an almost unlimited number of tones and sweeping effects. The inclusion of a separate bass input and stereo outputs puts this in a different class to some of the entry level devices available.
Build quality is as you would expect coming from Boss – bullet proof!
PROS
- Dedicated Guitar & Bass inputs
- Stereo Outputs
- Manual tempo tap input
- Build quality
- Amazing array of modes/effects
CONS
- A bit pricey – but you get what you pay for
- No true bypass
- Dual purpose Resonance / Manual knob
CONCLUSION
The Boss BF-3 flanger is a worthy successor to the famous BF-2. During our test it performed flawlessly. You’re paying for a premium product, but one that offers some amazing effects, and will hopefully last you a lifetime. I guess for some Boss fans it’s literally the only flanger effects pedal that will be considered, for the rest of us – definitely one to add to the shortlist.
- Flanger Pedal f Guitar Bass with Momentary Mode
- Ultra Gain/Pan Modes
- Tap Tempo
Check out the manufacturers demo video:
Donner Jet Convolution Flanger Effects Pedal
You may not be familiar with the Donner brand, they are a relatively young company (founded in 2012), but have made a good reputation for themselves, particularly in the affordable “mini” effects pedals niche.
The Donner Jet Convolution flanger effects pedal we reviewed packed quite a punch.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Input impedance: 1MΩ
- Output impedance: 520Ω
- Working current: 13mA
- Power Supply: 9V DC adapter only (does not take any batteries)
- Dimensions: 95(D) x 44(W) x 48(H) mm
- Weight: 240g
Unlike the Boss BF-3 and other flangers we’ve reviewed, the controls and functions of the Donner Jet Convolution are pared back a little. Not necessarily a bad thing.
Looking at the mini form factor pedal you’ll find the following available controls: –
- Rate – changes the speed of the sweep
- Range – sets how high the sweep goes
- Color – controls the intensity of the flange
- LED – Lights up when effect is active
- Footswitch – True Bypass on/off
The unit comes in a durable white aluminum alloy chassis.
This is the cheapest flanger effects pedal in our flanger show-down, but you shouldn’t associate any negative conations with that statement. We were able to create some fantastic tones and effects with it, cranking out some classic metal and hard rock tunes – I’d be more than comfortable using this live or in the studio. The knobs/switches were intuitive and easy to use.
PROS
- Excellent value
- Small form factor (if you’re pedalboard is running out of space)
- Versatile
- Great customer service
CONS
- Dials a little fiddley – but given the compact form factor, hardly surprising
CONCLUSION
For such an affordable effects pedal, the Donner Jet Convolution flanger is difficult to criticize. If you’re new to flanger / chorus effects I’d recommend checking this out, you’ll not be disappointed.
- Classical analog rolling effect, gentle and flat variation, special vibration rumbling noise effect
- Whole aluminium-alloy classic, stable and strong
- True bypass provide transparent tone, LED indicator shows the working state
Check out the manufacturers demo video:
TC Electronic Vortex Mini Flanger Effects Pedal
TC Electronic was founded in Denmark back in the mid-seventies, the first product they developed was a stereo flanger – so it’s fair to say they have quite a pedigree in this space!
The Vortex Mini Flanger is another small form factor effects pedal, but don’t let the size fool you, this effects pedal is packed with plenty of features.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Power input: Standard 9V DC, center negative >100mA (power supply not included)
- Input impedance: 1MΩ
- Output impedance: 100Ω
- USB port: Mini USB connector for uploading and editing custom TonePrints and for software updates
- Dimensions: 98(D) x 63(W) x 56(H) mm
- Weight: 270g
The standout feature has to be TonePrint – this feature lets you load custom tones from your favorite guitar players around the world (think John Petrucci, Bumblefoot, Nick Beggs, Dweezil Zappa amongst many others!), and if these don’t float your boat then you can create your own custom sounds using the free desktop and mobile apps.
TC Electronic have kept the controls on the device to a minimum, although using the app you can remap these!: –
- Speed – changes the speed of the sweep
- Depth – controls the intensity of the flange
- Feedback – controls feedback (positive, negative & neutral)
- True Bypass – effect is completely off, and has zero impact on any other external effects or tones you are using
The time we spent using the Vortex Mini flanger was not enough, there’s just so many features to play with, and once you get started with the editor, you’ll be hooked on creating your own personal tones. Check out TC Electronic TonePrint portal: –
https://www.tcelectronic.com/tonePrints.html
PROS
- TonePrint
- Form factor
- App connectivity
- User updatable firmware
CONS
- It’s not complicated, but for some there might be too many features
CONCLUSION
For a techie like me, I love the ability to create and customize my own effects, and being a fan of some of their artists – it’s a neat feature to be able to load their sounds. It’s not the cheapest flanger effects pedal out there, but the features more than compensate for that.
- Tone Print-enabled - load Vortex Mini Flanger with your favorite artist's tone
- Through-zero-flanger - get the authentic psychedelic flanger sound of the sixties.
- True-To-Tone: True bypass and analog-dry-through
Check out the manufacturers demo video:
Catalinbread Zero Point Flanger Effects Pedal
The Zero Point Flanger is the most direct analogy to studio tape flanging that anybody has come up with. It is a REAL TIME effect not a typical modulation effect.
Catalinbread Website
The Zero Point flanger by Catalinbread stands out from the crowd in that it operates in real-time – there’s no Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) that you will find on other flanger effects pedals. Note: LFO determines the frequency of the modulating time delay (higher rate = faster sweep), without LFO the flange becomes unpredictable – adding a little spice to your sound!
SPECIFICATIONS
- Input impedance: 200KΩ
- Power supply: 9-18v center-negative DC
- Current draw: 65mA
- Dimensions: 59(W) x 111(D) x 50(H) mm
- Weight: 181g
This is old school foot control only – no dials for range, speed, color etc – can’t get any simpler than that. Pressing and holding the footswitch gives you a nice warm upward flanging tone – lift your foot off and the flange sweeps back down to where it started.
There are two foot switches: –
- On / Off – turns the pedal on and off…
- Flange – use this to control the up and down sweep
You can also adjust the gain – however this will require you opening the unit – not something most of us can do with our feet…
We really liked the unpredictable sounds the effects pedal created, and the simplicity was refreshing – letting us spend more time playing that tweaking. One for the prog fans.
PROS
- Simple
- Built well
- Unpredictable (also a Con for some)
- True flanging tape sound
CONS
- A bit pricier than others in our shoot-out
- Unpredictable (also a Pro for some)
CONCLUSION
The Zero Point flanger by Catalinbread is no ordinary guitar effects pedal, this will take you back to a more authentic/analogue sound. We love the interaction with the pedal, having foot control only makes it feel like an extension of the guitar that other flanger effects pedals don’t give you. The lack of control and adjustment will be a turn-off for some, but spend a little time with it and you be delighted with the results.
- The Zero Point Flanger is the most direct analogy to studio tape flanging that anybody has come up with.
- It is a REAL TIME effect not a typical modulation effect.
- Unlike all other pedal flangers, there is no LFO that presents a predictable up and down swooshing sound, the...
Check out the manufacturers demo video:
EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids™ Stereo Flanging Device Effects Pedal
In stark contrast to Zero Point flanger by Catalinbread this American made EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids™ pedal is packed full of modes, presets and customizations.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Current Draw: 460mA
- Input Impedance: 1MΩ
- Output Impedance: 100Ω
- S/N Ratio: 115dB typical
- 24-bit 96kHz A/D & D/A converters
- All digital wet signal path with 20Hz – 20kHz frequency response
- Dimensions: 118(D) x 105(W) x 57(H) mm
Let’s start by working our way around the effects pedal: –
- Manual – adjusts the delay time of the signal (changes the pitch)
- Rate – adjusts Low Frequency Oscillator sweep speed
- Width – asjusts the range/depth of the sweep
- Mix – adjusts the volume control of the sweep
- Presets – There are 5 presets plus live mode (these can be overwritten with your own)
- Feedback – adjusts the feedback
- Modify – dependent on the Mode you have selected
- Mode – The Pyramids™ pedal comes with 8 modes: –
- Classic
- Through-Zero
- Barber Pole Up
- Barber Pole Down
- Trigger Up
- Trigger Down
- Step
- Random
- Activate – true bypass on/off. It can also be held down to use the effect
- Tap/Trigger – for some modes this switch is a tap tempo control
With so many effects and modes to choose from the ability to customize your flange sound seems endless, from the subtle to a rich roaring jet sweep you’ll definitely find something to your liking. Though you’ll probably spend more time experimenting with it than actually playing..!
PROS
- Huge assortment of controls and flange effects
- Ability to save your favorites
- Stereo & Mono outputs
CONS
- Expensive
CONCLUSION
If you’re looking for versatility then you’ll definitely not go wrong with the EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids™ flanger. The save function is great – having spent an age finding the right tone, you’ll not want to lose it. If you can stretch your budget – it’s one worthy of serious consideration.
- Stereo Flanger Effects Pedal with 8 Modes
- True Bypass Switching
- 5 User Presets
Check out the manufacturers demo video:
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Source: Amazon