Classic Flanging for a Modern Mix
The Instant Flanger Mk II brings the great sound of vintage tape flanging to your plug-in toolbox. An authentic emulation of the original 1975 studio rackmount, the Instant Flanger was famously used on David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” A truly versatile tool, engineers and producers have used it for stereo sweetening, subtle modulations, double tracking, and extreme flanging effects.
Features
- Depth controls the intensity of the effect. 100% adds the delayed signal to the dry signal. -100 % subtracts the dry signal from the delayed signal
- Three distinct flavors of flanging. Set the Mode switch for Shallow, Deep or Wide
- Manual control allows you to control the ‘comb’ effect by turning the Big Knob
- Oscillator drives the flanging at a user defined rate
- Envelope Follower drives the flanging based on the signal’s amplitude
- Remote maps the flanging control to a mod wheel for tactile manipulation
- Bounce mimics the distinctive effect of the tape machine’s capstan motor “hunting” for its proper speed when the engineer’s thumb was lifted from the tape reel flange
- “Side Chain” allows for triggering the Envelope Follower from any source in the mix for inter-track mingling
- Exercise total control of the Oscillator with Sync and Retrig
- Tame the intensity by removing low frequencies from the flanged signal with the Low Cut control
Spread the Sound Around with Pseudo Stereo
Turn flat mono guitars into huge stereo leads or have your single- channel synthesizer fill out the sides of your mix with pseudo stereo. The Instant Flanger Mk II has dual outputs that create three different sonic images — “Shallow,” “Deep,” and “Wide.” Combining “Wide” Mode with the “Low Cut” control is an easy way to place multiple harmonies behind the lead. Fine-tune the resonance of your flanging effect by using the “Depth” and “Feedback” controls.
True End-to-end Emulation
Tape machines use servo motors to run at a constant speed. When an engineer pressed a thumb on the flange and then suddenly let go, the capstan motor servo reacts, overshooting and undershooting as it seeks to recover proper speed. In other words, it ‘bounces.’ The Instant Flanger convincingly mimicked this behavior with its innovative “Bounce” control knob. Use this feature to add a real-world groove to your tracks.
Artist Reviews
Classic gear stands the test of time. The sound of the hardware is the result of a combination of DSP processing and analog audio circuitry. Painstakingly modeling every aspect of these hardware units was neither quick nor easy, but now the must-have sonic beauty of these classic boxes is available for your use in the box or live.
“For years and years I had to set up two to three tape recorders to achieve real genuine flanging and phasing. Instant Flanger Mk II is the first plug-in to ever achieve the same exact effect without harming tape recorders. “Itchycoo Park” and “I Am the Walrus” is now available to everybody!”
—Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Morrissey)
“Eventide has done an incredible job. This new generation of plug-ins really does do what your hardware memory tells you this box is supposed to do. That’s very satisfying.”
—William Wittman (Cyndi Lauper, The Outfield, The Hooters)
Distinguishing Flanging from Phasing Since 1975
The method of tape flanging was originally achieved by playing back a track on two separate tape machines and using your thumb to apply pressure to the “tape flange” thereby slightly slowing down one of the machines. In the tape era, before the introduction of electronic effects devices, the terms “phasing” and “flanging” were used interchangeably. Then, in 1971, Eventide released the Instant Phaser which was based on analog filters rather than delay.
When the Instant Flanger was released in 1975, the original hardware manual explained: “Old model phasing units used analog circuitry to modify the frequency spectrum. Eventide’s Instant Flanger uses a true time delay circuit, producing many more nulls and thus a much deeper effect than previously available with an all-electronic unit.”
Learn more about the original Instant Flanger
Reviews
Thick analog sound-shaping potential.
Much like with hardware, as you play, you sometimes come across a sweet spot for a certain source…helping you suddenly land somewhere blissful when you weren’t expecting it. Highly recommend for some thick analog sound-shaping potential!
Andy Dollerson
Audio News Room
Interesting on any sound.
I haven’t found any excuse not to enjoy this plugin…the amount of effects it can produce make it interesting on any sound – even a go-to, despite the age of the technology behind it. Put simply, it’s a timeless flanger that’s still more than relevant today.
James Russell
Attack Magazine
Want More?
Interested in more Instant Flanger history? Check out our Flashback blogs
Artists Using Instant Flanger Mk II
