MXR has unveiled the Flanger/Doubler, a guitar effects pedal that brings you the same sound and functionality of its classic M-126 rack unit in a more compact and user-friendly format.
The Flanger/Doubler is one of those OG units that was used extensively during the ‘70s and ‘80s.
The name explains exactly what it does; it is a flanger (whoooooosh!), and it is a doubler, with the latter effect creating a second track of your electric guitar and running it slightly delayed to your own signal for a thickening effect – as though it has been double-tracked, albeit without the differences in pick attack.
In some settings it can sound like a slapback delay.
The Flanger/Doubler’s most famous user was the late Dimebag Darrell, who deployed one as an ever-present in his guitar rig. As the sole guitar player in the band, it helped his instrument occupy a bit more bandwidth. Some players have boosts or compressor pedals as an always-on tone sweetener. Dimebag had the M-126.
“An MXR Flanger/Doubler was used in the main ‘wet’ head loop 100 per cent of the time,” said Grady Champion, Dimebag’s tech, speaking to MusicRadar in 2019.
Sometimes the flanger side came to the fore. The intro to Cowboys From Hell springs to mind. But there’s a lot more you can do with this unit. It might be a Pantera essential, but it has a wide range of sounds, all catered for a by an analogue BBD circuit.
The M-126 was an excellent design so there was no need for MXR to switch things up for the pedal. It has the same controls. Toggle the modes using the Doubler button.
There are dials for Manual, Width and Speed, with the Regen knob behaving as a feedback knob on most flangers, feeding some of the signal back on itself to make it more intense and metallic.
Then there is a Mix knob for controlling your wet/dry blend – and finally an Invert button that reverses the polarity of the wet signal to “discover everything from airy, hollow vocality to a bold low-mid punch”.
There is a CV output for connecting with synths and sequencers – or indeed an expression pedal – plus there’s a Line Level switch for those occasions when you do. The LEDs on the front of the pedal give you a useful visual indicator of how you have the pedal set.
The MXR Flanger/Doubler is available now priced £339/$339. See Jim Dunlop for more details.
