A modulation effect that mixes a signal with a slightly delayed and pitch-modulated copy of itself, producing a sweeping, jet-like comb-filtering sound.
A flanger creates a series of evenly spaced frequency cancellations, called a comb filter, by combining a signal with a copy that is delayed by a few milliseconds and continuously varied. The result is a whooshing, phase-shifting sweep that moves up and down the frequency range.
Why it matters
Flanging is most effective on sustained elements like pads or full mix-downs, where the sweep is clearly audible. On dense low-end material it tends to muddy the sound and should be used sparingly.
