PH-3 feedback?

sclitheroe
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PH-3 feedback?

Post by sclitheroe » Sat Mar 02, 2019 4:21 pm

Not that kind of feedback, your feedback!

Looking at dipping my toe into the world of phasers, and I'm looking at the PH-3 as a possible choice. Is it a decent phaser? It seems like the MXR phase 90 and EHX stuff is a bit more iconic, but my default preference is Boss when I can, and it looks like it has lots of modes to experiment and learn from - the descending mode in particular caught my ear in online demos.

So what say you, go for it, or look at something else for my first phaser?

-Scott

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laurie
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by laurie » Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:34 pm

Must resist saying DingoTone LGP...

The PH-3 is too clinical for my taste.

Boss PH-1 is The.Goods. PH-1R is pretty nice too.

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Pepe
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by Pepe » Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:36 pm

I like my PH-3. It has some really decent modes. I have yet to test the 4 pole mode against my recently acquired PH-1R. Rise and Fall modes are unique and especially great sounding with synth strings.

What about a DingoTone LGP? Here's one in Edmonton: https://reverb.com/item/20004813
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sclitheroe
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by sclitheroe » Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:39 pm

LGP will be on the watch list if I see one come around again, but this is also an instant gratification situation :) I'd considered grabbing one several times and passed up because I didn't know if I even wanted phaser as an effect. And now I'm listening to reggae fairly regularly and thinking I need some phase in my life.

Leaning towards the MXR Phase 90 now, to see if I even like the effect - half the cost of the Boss or anything boutique, one knob simplicity, probably all I'm actually looking for on a snowy Saturday afternoon, especially if it ends up on the shelf. And it's orange, that always counts for something in this house.

sclitheroe
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by sclitheroe » Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:40 pm

Pepe wrote:
Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:36 pm
I like my PH-3. It has some really decent modes. I have yet to test the 4 pole mode against my recently acquired PH-1R. Rise and Fall modes are unique and especially great sounding with synth strings.

What about a DingoTone LGP? Here's one in Edmonton: https://reverb.com/item/20004813
Hmm..could grab that and a Phase 90 for roughly the cost of a PH-3 :)

sclitheroe
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by sclitheroe » Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:22 pm

Picked up the Phase 90 to play around with, wasn't going to let the snowy lazy Saturday go to waste :)

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laurie
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by laurie » Sat Mar 02, 2019 11:59 pm

sclitheroe wrote:
Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:22 pm
Picked up the Phase 90 to play around with, wasn't going to let the snowy lazy Saturday go to waste :)
Nice. They are a great pedal.

zombiwoof
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by zombiwoof » Sun Mar 03, 2019 6:49 pm

The production version of the Dunlop MXR Phase 90 is the later block logo circuit, which has the added swishy feedback. I prefer the script logo circuit, which didn't have that feedback circuit. For current MXR, the best IMO is the Custom Shop Script Phase 90, although I prefer the Whirlwind Rochester Series Orange Box, which is the original script Phase 90 circuit, with an added LED and true bypass. It was designed by a guy from the original MXR company, using the original parts, as are all of the Rochester series pedals. It has the great script sound, which doesn't have that swishy feedback of the later block logo Phase 90, which I've never liked. MXR also makes the mini pedal Phase 95, which has all the Phase 90 versions in one pedal, I've never tried one but a lot of people love it, as it has both the script logo sound and the swishy block logo sound in one pedal. I also have a really nice Boss PH1-R, which is a very nice sounding phaser.
Al

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Pepe
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by Pepe » Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:14 pm

The only downside of the PH-1R that I found out last Sunday is that it doesn't sound as great with Rhodes-type electric piano sounds as my KORG Mr. Multi does. With the PH-1R it almost vanishes in the mix of a band situation while the Mr. Multi in phaser mode really makes the piano stand out and it sounds like in all the great '70s jazz/funk/fusion recordings.

I have yet to test if the same goes to guitar sounds through a guitar amp.
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Re: PH-3 feedback?

Post by sclitheroe » Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:58 pm

zombiwoof wrote:
Sun Mar 03, 2019 6:49 pm
The production version of the Dunlop MXR Phase 90 is the later block logo circuit, which has the added swishy feedback. I prefer the script logo circuit, which didn't have that feedback circuit. For current MXR, the best IMO is the Custom Shop Script Phase 90, although I prefer the Whirlwind Rochester Series Orange Box, which is the original script Phase 90 circuit, with an added LED and true bypass. It was designed by a guy from the original MXR company, using the original parts, as are all of the Rochester series pedals. It has the great script sound, which doesn't have that swishy feedback of the later block logo Phase 90, which I've never liked. MXR also makes the mini pedal Phase 95, which has all the Phase 90 versions in one pedal, I've never tried one but a lot of people love it, as it has both the script logo sound and the swishy block logo sound in one pedal. I also have a really nice Boss PH1-R, which is a very nice sounding phaser.
Al
I'd read up on the differences, and apparently clipping R28 in the block logo is enough to neuter the feedback (which doesn't turn it into a Script, but does get it much closer). That Whirlwind looks interesting, and seems fairly priced for what it is, but it's out of the price range of what this experiment/poor impulse control was about :D (to be fair, the PH-3 would have been more money than I wanted to spend as well)

Three observations about my first foray into phaser: It changes the playing feel more than I would have expected, it's pretty clear that you can over-use phaser, and to bring it back to a Boss angle since we are in the Boss sub-forum: it sounded incredible going into a TE-2 Tera Echo set on the edge of self-oscillation :D

-Scott

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