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Flanging is a time-based audio effect that occurs when two identical signals are mixed together, but with one signal time-delayed by a small and gradually changing amount, usually smaller than 20 ms (milliseconds). This produces a swept 'comb filter' effect: peaks and notches are produced in the resultant frequency spectrum, related to each other in a linear harmonic series. Varying the time delay causes these to sweep up and down the frequency spectrum.

Part of the output signal is usually fed back to the input (a 're-circulating delay line'), producing a resonance effect which further enhances the intensity of the peaks and troughs. The phase of the fed-back signal is sometimes inverted, producing another variation on the flanging sound.

A flanger is a device dedicated to creating this sound effect.

Example of flanging

A short sample followed by two flanging versions.

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Examples of music recordings with a flanging effect include:

1940s

• "Happy Holiday" (1942) by Bing Crosby has flanging horns^{citation needed}
• "Mamie's Boogie" (1945) by Les Paul. Paul invents the technique in his garage studio using two disk recorders, one with a variable

speed control.^[1][2]

1950s

• "The Big Hurt" (1959) by Toni Fisher - first hit song with a flanging effect.^[3]

1960s

• "From Me To You" (1963) by The Beatles - flanging can be heard during a drum fill immediately before the first verse; this came unintenionally during the process of overdubbing harmonica onto the track.^[4]
• "It's Gonna Rain" (1965) by Steve Reich - a flanging effect is among those used on this experimental loop-based tape piece.^[5]
• "The Big Hurt" (1966) by Del Shannon - a flanging effect was also heard on this cover version.^[3]
• "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1967) by The Beatles from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.^[6]
• "Itchycoo Park" (1967) by the Small Faces, the 1st British single to feature tape flanging (phasing) to accentuate its overt drug references.^[7]
• "Bold as Love" (1967) from the album Axis: Bold as Love by The Jimi Hendrix Experience - the first use of stereo phasing, done by engineer George Chkiantz,^[8] is heard during the coda of the song.
• "Blue Jay Way" from the album Magical Mystery Tour (1967) by The Beatles^[9]
• "Green Tambourine" (1967) by The Lemon Pipers^[10]
• "Pictures of Matchstick Men" (1968) by Status Quo^[11][3]
• "Rainbow Chaser" (1968) by Nirvana (UK band), phasing throughout the song.^[12]
• "Open My Eyes" by The Nazz from the album The Nazz (1968), featuring Todd Rundgren.^[13]
• "Sky Pilot" (1968) by The Animals^[14]
• "This Wheel's on Fire" (1968) by Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and The Trinity^[11]
• Strictly Personal (1968) by Captain Beefheart, significant flanging effects on drums, vocals, etc. on the album.^[15]
• In Search of the Lost Chord (1968) by The Moody Blues
• "Old John Robertson", and "Wasn't Born to Follow", by The Byrds, on the album The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968).^[16]
• Electric Ladyland (1968) by Jimi Hendrix^[3]

1970s

• Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy (1970) by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band^[17]
• "Silly Sally" from the album Just a Poke (1970) by Sweet Smoke, drum solo.
• "Celtic rock", from the album Open Road (1970), by Donovan
• The Man Who Sold the World (1970) by David Bowie^[18]
• "Nathan Jones" (1971) by The Supremes
• "Tank" (1971) by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, during the end of the drum solo.
• "After Forever" (1971) by Black Sabbath, on the intro.
• "Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song)" (1971) by The Beach Boys
• DJ Walter Gibbons, at the Galaxy 21 night club on 23rd Street near the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan (open from 1972-1976), was phasing records-playing two records at the same time to create a flange effect. The technique was picked up by future skilled DJs.^[19]
• "Listen to the Music", from the album Toulouse Street (1972) by The Doobie Brothers^[20]
• The last instrumental part of "The Bogus Man" (1973) from the Roxy Music album For Your Pleasure
• "Bridge of Sighs" (1974) by Robin Trower - using a Univox Univibe.^[21]
• "Killer Queen" (1974) by Queen, reel tape phasing on the vocal line "dynamite with a laser beam", as well as the fade-out.^[22]
• "Kashmir" (1975) by Led Zeppelin, using an Eventide Instant Phaser.^[23] on John Bonham's drum track.
• Young Americans (1975) by David Bowie
• "Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More" from the album Katy Lied (1975) by Steely Dan, on Donald Fagen's lead vocal.^[24]
• "Station to Station" (1976) by David Bowie, flanging on the minute-long opening train sound effect.^[25]
• A New World Record (1976) by Electric Light Orchestra
• "I Feel Love" (1977) by Donna Summer. Producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte use a flange effect on the Top 10 disco hit.^[26]
• Low (1977) and "Heroes" (1977), including the track "V-2 Schneider" by David Bowie^[27]
• "Barracuda" (1977) by Heart, on rhythm guitars.
• "Life in the Fast Lane" (1977) by The Eagles, on the bridge of the song.^[14]
• Trans-Europe Express (1977) by Kraftwerk, using an Eventide FL-201 Instant Flanger^[28]
• "Hong Kong Garden" (1978) by Siouxsie & the Banshees. Guitarist John McGeoch uses an MXR flanger.^[29]
• The recurring guitar in "New York Groove" (1978) by Ace Frehley
• "Run Like Hell" (1979) by Pink Floyd, the guitars.
• Reggatta de Blanc (1979) by The Police. Guitarist Andy Summers sets a light flange on his guitar using a Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress pedal.^[30]
• "((Joy part 2))" (1979) by Alf Emil Eik. Using two tape recorders for manual manipulation.

1980s

• "Memories of Green" from the album See You Later (1980) by Vangelis, a Steinway grand piano was put through an Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger pedal.^[31] The effect is used throughout the piece.
• "And the Cradle Will Rock..." (1980) on guitar and electric piano, and "Unchained" (1981) on guitar by Van Halen, using an MXR Flanger^[32]
• "Freeze-Frame" from the album Freeze Frame (1981) by the J. Geils Band - ending.
• "(Just Like) Starting Over" (1980) by John Lennon, on the final line of the song.
• "Israel" (1980) and "Dear Prudence" (1983) by Siouxsie & the Banshees
• "A Forest" (1980) and "Primary" (1981) by The Cure^[33]
• "The Spirit of Radio" (1981) by Rush, on the main guitar riff in the song.
• "Third Uncle" from the album The Sky's Gone Out (1982) and "She's in Parties" (1983) by Bauhaus, guitar effects.
• "Drowning Witch" (1982) from the album Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch by Frank Zappa, using a MicMix Dynaflanger on the guitar.^[34]
• "The Number of the Beast" (1982) by Iron Maiden, intro.
• "Rock You Like a Hurricane" (1984) by Scorpions
• "Atom Smasher", from the album King of the Dead (1984) by Cirith Ungol, second half of the solo.
• "Head Over Heels" (1985) by Tears for Fears, on the drums before the final chorus.
• "Satch Boogie", from the album Surfing with the Alien (1987) by Joe Satriani, on the guitar after the solo.
• "Freak Scene" from the album Bug (1988) by Dinosaur Jr, using the Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger.
• "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (1989) by Tears for Fears, drums at the start.
• "Made Of Stone" (1989) by Stone Roses, on the bridge riff.
• "Evil Spells" (1989) by Morbid Angel, first verse.

1990s

• Intro to "Cowboys from Hell" (1990) by Pantera
• "Can't stop this thing we started" (1991) by Brian Adams, in the second and third bar and the last chorus.
• "Money Can't Buy It" from the album Diva (1992) by Annie Lennox, on the lead vocal on the bridge.^[3]
• "Popscene" (1992) by Blur, on the opening/main guitar riff.^[35]
• "Scentless Apprentice" (1993) by Nirvana, using an Electro-Harmonix poly chorus on the guitar.^[36]
• "Moving"(1993) by Suede
• "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993) and "Believe" (1993) by Lenny Kravitz
• "Bring It On" from the album Seal (1994) by Seal, on the lead vocal during the bridge.^[3]
• "Love", from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995), and "Pulseczar" by The Smashing Pumpkins
• "Bad Horsie" from the EP Alien Love Secrets (1995) by Steve Vai, the end of the song uses a real tape flange.^[37]
• "Pepper" (1996) by The Butthole Surfers
• "Forty-Six & 2" (1996) by Tool
• "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" (1998) by Manic Street Preachers, on the beginning.
• "Guerrilla Radio" (1999) by Rage Against the Machine

2000s

• "Bodom After Midnight" (2000) by Children Of Bodom
• "Prostitute Flange" (2007) by Lil Wayne
• "Stellar" (2000) by Incubus
• "Deanne The Arsonist" (2002) by Atreyu
• "Honestly" (2002) by Zwan
• "Feeling This" (2003) by Blink-182, the beginning drum riff. The band has said the flanging effect was done using tape.
• "Stockholm Syndrome" (2003) by Muse, on rhythm guitar.
• "Dakota" (2005) by Stereophonics
• "Next Contestant" from the album All the Right Reasons (2005) by Nickelback
• The opening pick-scraping riff to "Can't Repeat" (2005) by The Offspring
• Morningwood (2006) by Morningwood, on many of the guitar parts.^[38]
• "Dani California" (2006) by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, tape phasing on the drum fill that segues into the guitar solo.^[39]
• "Nada Mais Que Nada" (2008) by STA

Uncategorized

• "Fuck Armageddon... This is Hell", from the album How Could Hell Be Any Worse? (1982), by Bad Religion.
• "Pessimiste", from the album Dix Infernal (2003) by Moi dix Mois, on the main riff.
• "Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl", from the album You Forgot It in People (2002) by Broken Social Scene, on the vocals.

References