Classic
Pyramids’ Classic Mode delivers the “classic” jet-plane liquid-silk flanging sound we all know and love and have
come to expect from any reputable flanging Device. Try this mode to recreate the sounds of old-school ADT
(Automatic Double Tracking) effects as heard on records by those loveable mop-tops from England (you know
which ones) and on the most ripping riffs to come from the NWOBHM.
Through-Zero
Try this one in stereo. In Through-Zero Mode, Pyramids gives you authentic tape-style flanging without all the
calibration, biasing, demagnetizing of heads, and so on that a real tape machine - two of ‘em, actually - requires.
In ye olden days of real tape flanging, one tape was played straight through on one machine, while on another
machine, a tape containing a copy of the guitar track played simultaneously as the recording engineer pressed
down on the flange (tape reel) of the second machine, causing the second signal to vary in tempo and pitch.
When the two signals are combined, the result is a psychedelic comb-filtering effect that sounds like a black hole
collapsing on itself while the rest of the stars in the galaxy go supernova in unison.
Savvy recording engineers discovered that if they introduced a delay on the dry signal by doing the exact same
thing - pressing down on the flange of the other tape machine - they could achieve intensified, swirly, and dramatic
cancellation as the two signals being flanged at different speeds nearly disappear at what’s called the “zero-point,”
hence the term Through-Zero flanging.
We don’t recommend Through-Zero flanging and driving, as the resulting sound is quite disorienting and may impair
your ability to operate heavy machinery. But it’s probably okay for playing heavy metal. And if you’re going to Djent,
please Djent responsibly.
In Through-Zero Mode, the
Modify
control adjusts the delay of the dry signal and
Manual
controls the delay time of
the wet signal. Experiment with these controls in unison to dial in the sweet spot for the dropout!
Barber Pole Up
“Barber Pole” flanging refers to an infinitely sweeping upward flange with no beginning, middle, or end. This,
depending on your point of view, sounds either like Ms. Poppins taking flight with her umbrella, or a nightmarish,
Kafkaesque hellscape where time is meaningless and we spend the rest of our natural lives staring into the void,
forever dwellers on the threshold.
Barber Pole Down
Barber Pole Down is exactly like Barber Pole Up, except the flanging effect goes downward in pitch, rather than upward.
Trigger Up
Trigger Up Mode is similar to Barber Pole Up mode, minus the existential dread. The flanger still produces a
continuous upwards sweep; except in this mode, your pick attack (or pressing the
Tap/Trigger Switch
) re-triggers
the flange from the beginning. It’s like getting a fresh start with every note! In Trigger Up mode, the
Rate
control
adjusts how quickly the sweep reaches the top and
Modify
acts as a sensitivity control for the re-triggering effect.
Trigger Down
Trigger Down is exactly the same as Trigger Up, only the flanger sweeps downward. Cool, huh?
Pro Tip
In Trigger Up/Down modes, you may re-trigger the flanger using an external source in what we call
Side Chain Flanging
.
To trigger Pyramids using an external source, plug your
primary instrument
(the signal on which you want to hear
the flanger) into the Right Input and connect Pyramids’ Right Output to your amplifier or DAW.
Connect the
external trigger source
(drum machine, sequencer, or CV) to Pyramids’ Left Input.
To hear only the affected primary instrument signal (as modulated by the external trigger source), do not connect
the Left Output. Your primary instrument’s signal will pass through Pyramids’ Right Input / Output, but the flanger
will react to changes in the external trigger signal instead of your primary instrument.
To monitor the trigger source, connect Pyramids’ Left Output to a separate amplifier or DAW input.
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