Huh?! BOSS HF-2 and BF-2B are the same??

[Pepe]

Today I had the time to compare the three analogue BOSS flangers that I have. I had a BF-1 years ago, but I sold it to a friend in the USA, so this was not in the shootout. So it was a comparison of all the analogue compact pedals*, the BF-2 Flanger (MIJ), HF-2 Hi Band Flanger and BF-2B Bass Flanger.

These three units are overall very similar. The biggest difference is the delay time of the three pedals. The BF-2 has the longest delay time, the HF-2 the shortest (hence the more spheric, silvery sound), the BF-2B is somewhere in the middle and has some sonic overlap with the other two models.

The BF-2 uses a Panasonic MN3207 with a maximum delay time of 52.2 ms.
The BF-2B and the HF-2 both use a Panasonic MN3204 with a maximum delay time of 25.6 ms.

I just checked the schematics of the HF-2 and the BF-2B. And do you know what? They are completely identical! Only the capacitors C6 and C7 have slightly different values, but I don't think that these change much (one is in the track of the resonance only). I haven't seen other differences.

So if I see it correctly BOSS marketed two identical pedals for different applications. Can it be that the sound of the HF-2 can be achieved if you adjust the trimpots (Clock) of a BF-2B?



The opamps in the Taiwanese BF-2B are from another brand, but everything else is the same. C6 is below the resonance trimpot, C7 is in the upper left.




*I still have to test how good the digital BF-3 mimicks the Bass Flanger - it did a very good job when I compared it with a Taiwanese BF-2 many years ago.

[laurie]

THAT is extremely interesting...

[Pepe]

So that wasn't even known to you?

[laurie]

There has never been ta reason to think about it

[fernieite]

Yeah, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a ...
Kinda like the Boss DD-2/ 3 trick, eh?

I wonder if there's any other funny stuff hiding under new paint or lettering somewhere?

Nice catch, Pepe!

[chromandre]

good spot! looks like the BF-2B'S smaller C6 and C7 caps would shave out lows on the delayed signal so it has a dryer cleaner bass.

[Pepe]

Kinda like the Boss DD-2/ 3 trick, eh?

Well, that was a comprehensible and tactical move, because the ICs became cheaper at that time, thus making it possible to offer the delay for a lower price. Had they reduced the price of the untouched DD-2 in a drastic way, it had shed a bad light on their pricing policy, so they went with the DD-3 instead.

In the case of the HF-2 and BF-2B it's a different thing. And it's not a real sham, because both pedals have a different sound factory-wise due to the trimpot settings.

I wonder if there's any other funny stuff hiding under new paint or lettering somewhere?

The HF-2 has been sold from October 1985 to February 1995, the BF-2B from February 1987 to November 1994. I doubt that we will find repainted HF-2 pedals with brown colour and vice versa, since the dates are too close to each other. I think we can exclude that BOSS used non-sold pedals to repaint them. On top the circuit boards have different letterings.

[Pepe]

good spot! looks like the BF-2B'S smaller C6 and C7 caps would shave out lows on the delayed signal so it has a dryer cleaner bass.

That's what Laurie could answer. This might very well be the case. I just wonder if it really only takes two capacitors for this purpose.

[bigtone23]

Really cool info!
I have a BF2B. If it can be tweaked to HF2, I'd do it.

[Pepe]

Really cool info!
I have a BF2B. If it can be tweaked to HF2, I'd do it.

Is it possible for you to make audio recordings of the following settings?

Setting 1:
Manual: minimum
Depth: minimum
Rate: maximum*
Resonance: maximum

Setting 2:
Manual: noon
Depth: minimum
Rate: maximum*
Resonance: maximum

I have fiddled around with the Clock trimpot when I received the BF-2B and I would like to turn it back to the factory setting. So an audio file was great. Please only hit the strings without playing a tone. I only need the sound of the resonance. If it turns out to be on par with a certain note on the fretboard (tuned guitar is a must, of course), then use it as well.

I just did the same with the HF-2, so you can try tweaking your BF-2B to the "Hi Band Flanger" BBD Clock setting. The settings are the same as above. The key note is an F in both sound files.

BOSS HF-2 Trimpot Calibration Setting 1
BOSS HF-2 Trimpot Calibration Setting 2

Our audio files could be helpful as a future reference for all those who are interested in trying out both models with one pedal.


*This has some influence on the manual mode as I just noticed when recording the short loops with the HF-2.