Creating the Effect

• To produce the flanging effect, a flanger pedal mixes two identical signals together from your instrument. One of these signals is then delayed in varying amounts. The delayed track is slowed down very slightly (as if one was gently pushing down on a tape reel as playing and then sped up in order to catch up with the other track. This creates a spinning, sweeping effect like the sound of a jet plane passing overhead.
  
  

Delay Amounts

• Although flanger pedals delay the copied signal, there is no echo heard. This is because the delay times amount only to the range of one to 10 milliseconds. The human ear can only distinguish an echo if the delay is over about 50 milliseconds. Instead, as the low amounts of delay are used and varied within this tiny range, the listener will only detect the pitch modulation from the delayed track as its signal is read slower (creating a slightly lower pitch) and then faster (for a higher pitch).
  
  

Controlling the Sound

• Most flanger pedals allow you to shape your sound by rotating dials that control the amount of delay added to the delayed signal. This is usually labeled as the "depth" control although on some pedals it will read "mix." The depth level determines how pronounced the notches in the flanger effect will sound. Some pedals also have a sweep depth (sometimes called width) dial to control how noticeable the pitch modulation in your flanger effect will be.