Catalinbread
Zero Point
Catalinbread’s Zero Point Flanger
might be as close as you can
get to real tape flange feel on
a pedalboard. The Zero Point
dispenses with the usual LFO-based
circuitry and predictable controls of
every other flanger pedal, instead
going with a bypass switch to turn it
on and off, and a simple momentary
switch that simulates the act of
pressing one’s finger on the tape
flange of an analog tape deck, thus
altering its speed to create that
glorious lag and comb-filtering that
we all know and love. Turning the
pedal on engages a pair of delay
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TONE TALK //
lines, resulting in a subtly modulated
tone with a lovely aura of tape
saturation and analog harmonic
complexity. Kick in the momentary
switch and one delay line begins to
hang behind, creating that throughzero flanging sound that becomes
ever more dramatic as it nears the
zero point. The coolest thing about
Catalinbread’s Zero Point Flanger
is its interactivity. The momentary
switch makes it a truly real-time
effect, lending it an expressiveness
that no other flanger can match, and
its tone is warm and a little dirty, just
like the real thing.
Better than the Real Thing: 5 Incredible Tape Flangers