Two swirly modulation effects that are easy to confuse. Both sweep a filter across your signal, but a phaser is subtle and hollow, while a flanger is more dramatic and metallic — the classic "jet plane" whoosh.
| Phaser | Flanger | |
|---|---|---|
| The effect | Sweeps notch filters through the signal for a gentle, hollow, swooshing swirl. | Mixes a short modulated delay with the signal for a sharper, metallic, jet-like sweep. |
| Intensity | Subtle, warm, vocal — sits in a mix easily. | Bold, dramatic, can dominate — the "airplane" whoosh. |
| Sounds like | Van Halen "Eruption" swirl, funky rhythm shimmer, Gilmour texture. | Jet-plane sweeps, "Barracuda" intro, dramatic risers. |
| Controls | Usually just rate (sometimes depth) — simple. | Rate, depth, feedback/regen and manual — more extreme and tweakable. |
| Best for | Gentle movement on cleans and rhythm without taking over. | Standout special-effect sweeps and thick metallic modulation. |
A phaser sweeps notch filters through your signal for a subtle, hollow, warm swirl (Van Halen "Eruption", funky rhythm). A flanger mixes a short modulated delay with the signal for a sharper, metallic "jet plane" sweep that is far more dramatic. Phasers are gentle and mix-friendly; flangers are bold and attention-grabbing. Both are modulation effects, but the flanger is the more extreme of the two.