Phasor: Before or after distortion?

PierceOkken

New member
I personally have my MXR Phase 90 before my distortion pedals, where do you put yours? I am kinda thinking about switching it up for a while!
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

Well, when you put it after, the effect is far more, shall we say, dramatic. You have to decide if that's what you're looking for.

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Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

Pretty much every pedal board order recommendation is this: guitar->wah/volume->distortion->modulation->delay/reverb

I am just wondering why they all recommend modulation after distortion?
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

When you modulate, then distort a signal, the modulation gets mushy. When you modulate a distorted signal, it gets, well, dramatic.

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Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

For me, Phaser is almost always before distortion. Sometimes I run it after OD and before distortion.

Phaser is more like a filter to me, and I like all filters, wahs, phasers and uni-vibes before distortion for the most part.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

Anything using a filter sweep has a lot more oomph after. That can be either too much or too little depending on your taste
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

before works amazing for van halen-esque tones, the only thing is, the gain gets really muddy when I use it with my amp gain, but when I use it with the be-od it is clean and tight, still don't understand why.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

Before.

I like most mod pedals before the amp's gain. It's a different sound in the loop and unless it's a REALLY good analog circuit it tends to thin out the sound too much for my taste.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

I usually put my delay and modulation Fx in the loop.
That said, i use a Strymon Mobius so that may be a different animal than a stand alone phaser.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

I always used my phaser in the FX loop. Never tried it before amp. But I only use it for the "dramatism". Think intro to Slipknot's Devil In I.
 
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Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

And as always - put it wherever you like it best. No harm in trying it each place!

I have used Flangers before and after - depending on my goal and the Flanger....YMMV - I say "M" but really it is "will" vary.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

Adrian Belew is the king of dancing on pedals.... He has put multiple pedals before and after distortion to achieve his many textures and sounds. He even approached his Roland guitar synth as just another crazy ass pedal.

That said, you should experiment.... Find ALL the sounds, dispense the ones you don't want, keep the ones you do. Learn the rules to break the rules. Break the rules to remake the rules. Have a flanger before AND after distortion... Keep an open mind and listen well.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

While I like phaser before, I like other modulation after distortion. Phaser after distortion is certainly more dramatic, but you should really try it yourself.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

I always like a slow phaser before distortion, it just makes the drive sound so chewy and rich. I have the Phase 95 on my board at the moment and I like it on the Phase 45 mode for a bit of hendrixy uni-vibe as well. I find it sounds a bit more 'natural' I guess, which fits the soul band I play in more than the 'dramatic' effect of having it after.

Like Ace I'm flanger versatile. Either or, depends on my mood, but I rarely have a flanger on my board.

Chorus I like AFTER the amp. I've never been able to bond with chorus into an amp, not even a clean one. Effects loop or parallel processing only for me.
 
Re: Phasor: Before or after distortion?

In close to 40 years playing electric, I’ve still never owned an amp that had an effects loop. All effects in front of a slightly dirty amp. Even if I was also using a fuzz Box of some sort, the phaser would go between the guitar and the fuzz. Ymmv
 
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