flanger

techniquesFLAN-jurfrom English

An audio effect that creates a sweeping, jet-like sound by mixing a signal with a slightly delayed copy.

In Depth

Flanging produces a dramatic, swooshing, comb-filtering effect by continuously varying a very short delay time. The original technique involved pressing a finger against the flange (rim) of a tape reel to slow it down, then releasing it. This created a sweep through the frequency spectrum that sounded like a jet plane passing overhead. Modern flanger pedals and plugins automate this effect with a low-frequency oscillator.
Did you know?

John Lennon reportedly coined the word flanging, though the technique was independently discovered by Les Paul and numerous recording engineers in the 1950s and 1960s.

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