Flanging

The Flanger ( engl. flange, flange) is an effect in electronic music, which is used for sound modification and is used for sound effects.

Operation

Flanger the input signal is first split into two signal branches, which are delayed in time is supplied to a mixer. The time delay is in a small area (about 1 to 20 milliseconds) varies continuously, thereby resulting in small variations of the pitch up and down. The superposition with the unaltered original signal to interference result ( comb filter effect) that " wander" due to the varying time delay and thus make for a dynamic sound. The impression given is often described as synthetic, psychedelic or " spacey ".

The strength of the feedback, so the amount of effect that is processed again, can be finely adjusted in general and has a major influence on the sound.

Since the mid- 1970s Flanger (as well as sonically related Phaser ) by electric guitarists, but used among others by drummers. Basically, all electroacoustic signals with the flanging effect can be influenced, for example, singing in varieties of experimental music. In genres such as techno and house, the effect is more commonly used to vary their repetitive patterns in sound, in the current pop music is occasionally heard in the crash cymbals of the drums of the flanging effect.

Classic flanging with tape recorders

The flanger effect was used in the 1950s, before the era of transistors in music productions. He was known primarily for the musician and inventor Les Paul experimenting with tape machines running at the same time. His approach was to be able to play two identical recordings machines and mixing them; is in this case the orbital speed of a voice coil mechanically influenced by the finger on the edge (flange, English:. flange ), this slows down briefly minimally or accelerated arise over the other tape machine running time and pitch differences, from which the typical flanger sound results. The mutual inputs and overtaking, or the temporal crossing of the two identical audio signals is based on the classic flanger sound that is described as predominantly soft, airy, non-metallic. The comb filter notches emphasize this over a large frequency spectrum; at the time of crossing the colorations are particularly intense. Examples of such temporary crossing flanger Itchycoo Park ( 1967) of the Small Faces or Mexico ( 1972) by the Les Humphries Singers.

Electronic Flanger

Since the late 1970s, the flanging effect is produced electronically. The time delay was initially achieved by analog bucket brigade, which, however, had a negative effect on the noise performance. Today, digital delay lines using random access memory are common.

Difference between classical and electronic flanging

The sound of a tape flanger is not to create a simple electronic flanger, because the modulated signal electronic equipment may inevitably sound always after the original signal. It can not be re- accelerated after braking that one, let alone overtakes the Orignalsignal. To allow any electronic duration modulation delay is always at least about 5 msec, because the smaller the delay is, the less room is the modulation; at zero delay, it is finally no longer possible because of the acceleration of a current signal would sound information from the future required. Electronically this is simulated with only two electronic devices (or two modules in a chassis ); while only the delayed signals are used so that one can cross the other time. This method is applicable as in the classic flanging using two tape machines, only in post.

Others

Also as flanger, flanging also the unwanted distortion effect is known, is clearly heard in MP3 in low bit rate (up to about 160 kbit / s) under certain circumstances; the lower the bit rate and the worse the encoder, the more clearly.

With the flanging effect can be produced by the initial time delays for left and right channels are phase shifted even a pseudo-stereo signal. See also phasing