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• Time align two signals for fat rich tones
• Single dial control gets you there fast
• Can be used with any instrument
• Low-pass filter lets you focus the effect

North American Version, 120 VAC
Our Price: $299.99
MSRP: $350.00

Radial Phazer – class-A variable phase control

Stompin notes...  Great tool for guitar and bass, live or studio.  Combine with the JDX for phenomenally fat and rich tone.

The Radial Phazer™ is a line level phase alignment tool that lets you bring two sound sources together so that the fundamentals play in sync. Once in phase, the results are impressive: On electric guitar; you can combine the direct feed of an amp with a room mic to create fat rich tones. On a kick drum, combine the 'attack' sound from a batter head mic with the 'boom' captured by a resonant head mic. On a snare drum, combine the top and bottom mics and on acoustic instruments, combine a close 'spot' mic with a room mic to capture textures like never before.

The Phazer is designed from the ground up for optimum sound quality and features 100% discreet class-A circuitry. This results in smooth and natural sounding phase curves which are particularly important in the lower frequency spectrum. 0º to 180º phase adjustment is performed with a single knob making it easy to zone in on the sweet spot. For the more adventurous, a 180º polarity reverse switch accesses the 181º to 360º range and lets you create weird to absurd ‘Phased’ tonal textures. This is augmented with a variable low-pass filter that lets you focus the effect in the lower frequency spectrum; where phasing is most audible.

Built Radial tough for the road, the Phazer is equipped with an innovative book-end design that creates a protective zone around the knobs and switches. Construction is 14-gauge steel with welded internal I-Beam frame that protects the sensitive electronics in even the harshest touring environments. A full bottom no-slip pad provides electrical insulation to eliminate electrical bonding and mechanical isolation to reduce mishap.

The Radial Phazer is a creative tool for the studio designed to expand your tonal palette. Live, it delivers great sound fast and may well turn into your best audio soul mate!

When a single sound is captured by two mics (or a combination guitar pickup and a microphone), phase cancellation or comb filtering will result that can compromise the recording. Inserting the Radial Phazer can eliminate the time differential between the two sources so that they play in phase. The Phazer's low pass filter (high cut) lets you focus the effect on the fundamentals to enhance or reduce the effect.

The magic of the Radial JDX is fully revealed when used with a Phazer. Combining the JDX’s direct feed with a microphone and using the Phazer to phase-align the two signals let’s you dial-in the ‘sweet spot’ to produce fat rich guitar tones in a flash. This is of particular advantage to touring bands by providing a consistent repeatable guitar sound devoid of phase-related problems as they travel from venue to venue.

One of the most common requests received from engineers was to help them solve the problem of phase cancellation of the bass signal in a live venue. This common problem is caused by the bass amp stage volume mixing with the bass signal in the sound system which, depending on where you are sting will either cancel out or be amplified.

Here’s the problem: Because of the enormous power required to generate bass, the bass amplifier on stage will often be three to 6 times greater than the power employed by the electric guitar. For example, the Ampeg SVT is 300 watts while a Marshal 50 watt half stack can easily keep up. Once the bass is generated, it travels further and of course sends out a wider dispersion pattern, particularly at low frequencies.

 
In a typical club, the bass from the bass amp coming off the stage is often so loud, that it mixes with the bass signal from the PA. Because the two sound sources are positioned differently with respect to the front of house (FOH) mix position, they arrive at a different time and therefore become out of phase. This not only happens at the fundamentals, but also at the harmonics which of course send information to the brain such as slap, tone and localization. As the bass level coming off the stage increases, the resulting effect (called comb-filtering) makes mixing the sound al the more difficult. Unfortunately, when the stage volume exceeds the sound engineer’s ability to control the signal, the bass is often turned off (muted) in the front of house mix and the definition from the bass is lost for most listeners.

As it is impossible to solve all of the phase problems in a room, (due to reflections off walls and ceilings and seating position) the intent is to at least provide the mix position with the best sound possible so that the end mix is balanced. This is where the Phazer comes in.

A typical stage set up is as follows: The bass connects to a direct box which feeds the PA. The bass signal then goes to the stage amp. As the electrical signal from the bass is traveling from the DI box to the front of house travels at almost light speed, it will arrive, be mixed and sent to the PA virtually instantaneously. The sound from the PA system reach the engineer’s mixing position based on how far he is stationed away from the PA system. Sound travels through the air at 1130 feet per second. Let’s assume the mix position is 50 feet away fro the PA. This means that the sound will arrive in 56 milliseconds.

The sound from the bass amp will also be generated almost instantaneously but since the bass amp is positioned at the back of the stage, say, 15 feet behind the PA speakers, the bass signal will arrive at the same place some 17 milliseconds later. By slightly delaying the signal going into the PA system, you can time-align the two signals so that together, they sound better.

Bass is like the foundation of a house. Fix the bass and all of a sudden, everything else becomes easier to manage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect a mic directly to the Phazer?
No. You must first connect the mic to a preamplifier and then to the Phazer, as it is designed to accept +4dB or -10dB line level signals. A microphone does not have sufficient output to drive the Phazer’s circuit.

Can I use the Phazer on stage on a bass amp to improve the mix in my monitors?
Yes. Bass players often complain of hot spots on stage where the sound can be very boomy or where the bass will completely disappear. This is caused by the interaction of the bass amplifier with the PA system. By inserting the Phazer into either the PA system or the line-level insert on the bass amplifier, this effect can be minimized.

How does the Phazer compare to the Little Labs device?
Radial's friends at Little Labs make some really cool devices that are very well designed. They employ Class-AB circuits and chips and manage to make them sound just fine. The Radial Phazer is a pure Class-A device that employs discreet components (more old-school if you wish). Users have found that the Phazer has been characterized as having a beefier bottom end. Both are very good and will compliment each other in any studio.

Why not build the Phazer into a direct box?
Radial originally did this, only to find out that nine out of ten times, the person who really needs to control the phase is at the mix position. Trying to adjust the phase of a 100W Marshall while standing right next to it is absolutely futile. You need to hear both sources to make a value judgment.

Can I use the Phazer like an effects pedal and sweep the sound?
Sure! You can create phase shifter effects by rotating the knob back and forth to create fun effects. Half the fun in recording is creating new sounds. The Phazer should be viewed as a fun tool to do just that.

Can I create a similar phasing effect by sliding tracks on my digital recorder?
Yes, however because the phasing effect in the Phazer is 100% analogue, it sounds very different. Also, the proprietary phase curves Radial employ were developed by their engineering team to sound good – not be clinically correct.