EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

[ratherdashing]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

dunno anything about the small stone, but you can take a few resistors out of the new block phase 90 and it's alot smoother that way, with that bubbly, grabby kinda sound. it's also got a depth pot in the back when you open it up.

that second knob is a depth knob, right? the phase 90 has that knob too, it's just hidden away in the back....

Wrong. The trim pot inside the Phase 90 is a bias adjustment pot for the PNP transistors. It is NOT a depth control. You can change the character of the Phase 90 by adjusting this trim pot, but you are not really changing the depth.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I never liked the Phase 100....The Phase 90 was the better pedal....Sometimes you just shouldn't mess with a good thing!

The Phase 45 is very subtle.

The Phase 100 is a completely different design than the Phase 90. It should be no surprise that it sounds different. A lot of people think that the Phase 100 is simply a Phase 90 with a depth/intensity control, but this is not the case.

I have a modded Phase 90 myself (all I did was clip R28) and I'm very pleased with it.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

The Phase 100 is a completely different design than the Phase 90. It should be no surprise that it sounds different. A lot of people think that the Phase 100 is simply a Phase 90 with a depth/intensity control, but this is not the case.

I have a modded Phase 90 myself (all I did was clip R28) and I'm very pleased with it.

Was cheaper and more fun just to build my own Phase 90...Actually a buddy of mine has been using it...I don't use phase as a rule,but if I did,the ToneLab LE has some cool effects built in!

Yep RD.....You aren't telling me anything I didn't already know my friend...

The Phase 90 is a 4 stage phase and the Phase 100 differs..
The Small Stone I'm pretty sure is a 6?

One uses OTAs and the other doesn't....This from memory.I'd have to look at the schematics again...

Keith Richards used the Phase 100....

Good on you! :beerchug:

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Was cheaper and more fun just to build my own Phase 90...Actually a buddy of mine has been using it...I don't use phase as a rule,but if I did,the ToneLab LE has some cool effects built in!

Yep RD.....You aren't telling me anything I didn't already know my friend...

The Phase 90 is a 4 stage phase and the Phase 100 differs..
The Small Stone I'm pretty sure is a 6?

One uses OTAs and the other doesn't....This from memory.I'd have to look at the schematics again...

Keith Richards used the Phase 100....

Good on you! :beerchug:

The 90 has 4 stages that each use an op amp and a PNP transistor (these are what the bias trim pot biases). It also has an op amp in the speed circuit and an NPN transistor acting as an output buffer. There is no input buffer (probably why some report a volume drop when using the pedal).

The 100 has 10 stages which are op amp only, an op amp input buffer, and an op amp in the speed circuit (that's SIX dual op amp chips in total). There are no PNP's, and thus no bias trim pot (op amp bias is fixed).

No idea on the Small Stone.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

The 90 has 4 stages that each use an op amp and a PNP transistor (these are what the bias trim pot biases). It also has an op amp in the speed circuit and an NPN transistor acting as an output buffer. There is no input buffer (probably why some report a volume drop when using the pedal).

The 100 has 10 stages which are op amp only, an op amp input buffer, and an op amp in the speed circuit (that's SIX dual op amp chips in total). There are no PNP's, and thus no bias trim pot (op amp bias is fixed).

No idea on the Small Stone.

I always liked the Phase 90 out of the 3 MXR Phasers.....The 100 is my least favorite.....I have the schematics....The SS uses OTAs and is a different working phase shifter circuit from the MXR stuff...I prefer the SS myself,as it's got more sweep and depth to it...My Small Stone was tweaked by Howard Davis(Ex- EH Engineer) and mine almost sounds closer to a Univibe...Again the ToneLab has a killer Univibe built in...In fact the originator of the Univibe in the ToneLab,is also the creator of the Vox Valve Reactor circuit....I find that very cool... ;o)

 

[Thomas1190]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I really like the EH Small Stone Nano. Its very warm and smooth. i use it for my pink floyd covers.

 

[HighGain]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

The SS does do Floyd well. It also sounds pretty good on 70s Rush.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

The SS does do Floyd well. It also sounds pretty good on 70s Rush.

I think Lifeson used an EH Electric Mistress,but the SS can get a person there also...Andy Summers was an Electric Mistress user,as was Kurt Cobain.

I'm pretty sure Gilmour used a Univibe for songs like "Breathe"?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I think Lifeson used an EH Electric Mistress,but the SS can get a person there also...Andy Summers was an Electric Mistress user,as was Kurt Cobain.

I'm pretty sure Gilmour used a Univibe for songs like "Breathe"?

He did, and then went to the Phase 90 in the mid 70's. Doesn't stop me from playing Breathe when I plug in the Small Stone though.

I'm pretty sure Cobain's signature sound was the Small Clone.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

He did, and then went to the Phase 90 in the mid 70's. Doesn't stop me from playing Breathe when I plug in the Small Stone though.

I'm pretty sure Cobain's signature sound was the Small Clone.

Yes you're right.....The Small Clone(or Bad Sone) is what Cobain used....Not that I Liked anything Cobain ever put out... ;o)

Gilmour has used more effects probably,then anyone else on planet earth!

 

[Thomas1190]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I think Lifeson used an EH Electric Mistress,but the SS can get a person there also...Andy Summers was an Electric Mistress user,as was Kurt Cobain.

I'm pretty sure Gilmour used a Univibe for songs like "Breathe"?

true, Gilmour used the univibe quite a lot back then actually. But i can't afford a good univibe right now and the ss nano was only 75 bucks and it gets pretty darn close.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

true, Gilmour used the univibe quite a lot back then actually. But i can't afford a good univibe right now and the ss nano was only 75 bucks and it gets pretty darn close.

Understand....whatever works!

 

[Mats A]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Scott used an MXR phase 90 in the beginning. From around 1977 he used the MXR phase 100. On pictures on the Live and dangerous album and on the video he uses it anyway. He also used a Colorsound overdriver also from around 1977. He also used a Cry baby wah wah up until around 1977. Sometimes I think his sound on LAD sounds like flanged. But according to interviews from that time he did not. Later around 1979/1980 he started using an MXR flanger/doubler.

 

[WoodyTone]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

Gorham mentions an MXR flanger in one recent interview and an MXR phaser in another one -- but also according to recent interviews can't stand the flanger now and rarely uses effects:

http://www.woodytone.com/2009/05/08/thin-lizzy-john-sykes-and-scott-gorham-info/

 

[RLee]

Re: EH Small Stone or MXR Phase 90?

I just bought a small stone nano, and love the warm, organic phasing. But I'd love to be able to reduce the effect a bit, to make it more subtle. Anyone know where a schematic might be found, or a pre-existing mod to add either a mix or depth adjust?