Before flangers lived in pedals, they lived between two tape machines and a brave finger. Then came Bucket Brigade Devices (BBDs) — tiny analog conveyor belts that pass charge from capacitor to capacitor, delaying sound by teensy weensy amounts. Mix that delayed copy back with the original, and voilà: the comb-filter swoosh we call flanging. (BBDs come in “families”: the higher-voltage MN300x line and the lower-voltage MN320x line; same idea, different supply/behavior. Higher voltage generally = more headroom and lower noise; lower voltage = easier pedal power, slightly rowdier noise floor. Pick your poison, or keep both on the shelf.) 

 

BBD Hall of Fame (Why Some Chips Get Spoken Of In Church Voices)

 

 

• Reticon SAD-1024 (1970s): A dual 512-stage BBD famous for going very short on delay time (perfect for deep, ripping flanging) and for a texture players describe as lively, slightly gritty, and gloriously “jetty.” It’s rare now, which only increases the halo. You’ll find it in early legends and high-end studio toys; many Electric Mistress and MXR units from the ’70s rode this chip into history. 

• Panasonic/Matsushita MN300x vs. MN320x (late ’70s→’80s):

   

  • MN300x (e.g., MN3007, MN3005) run at higher voltages (10–15V), which typically buys more headroomand better SNR — the smoother, “studio-friendly” cousin. Often paired with MN3101/MN3102 clock chips and companders for extra polish. 

  • MN320x (e.g., MN3207, MN3209) are low-voltage (around 9V) workhorses that made compact pedals practical and affordable in the ’80s. They trade a smidge of headroom for convenience and that slightly rowdier analog vibe. Designers’ clock choices & surrounding circuits determine whether they chorus sweetly or flange fiercely. 

   

• Philips/Signetics TDA1022 (mid ’70s): An early European BBD that shows up in vintage rack delays and some modulation designs — historically important in proving the concept at scale. 

 

Why the reverence? Three things: (1) headroom/noise (how big a signal you can push before fizz), (2) min/max clock range (how short/long the delay can sweep — short = deeper flanging notches), and (3) “fingerprint” (clock feedthrough, non-idealities, and companders that give each chip family its own perfume). SAD-1024s feel like vintage jet fuel; MN3007s feel silky-big; MN3207s feel compact and lively. None is “best”; they’re different flavors of whoosh. 

 

Flanger Pedals by Decade (A Swooshing, Stomping Timeline)

 

1960s — Tape & Myth: Two synchronized tape machines, a fingertip on the flange, and a third deck to print the chaos. “Through-zero” moments (when the delayed signal catches the original) gave that breathtaking suck-out. Psychedelia loved it; radio listeners wondered if their sets were haunted. 

1970s — BBDs Arrive, Stage Left (and Right):

 

• Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (1976): The first musician-facing flanger pedal. Early versions famously used Reticon SAD-1024; later revisions transitioned as parts changed. Instant icon status (ask Andy Summers and David Gilmour’s boards). 

• MXR M-117 Flanger (late ’70s): Early units rode the SAD-1024A—huge, chewy swoosh with authority. Later production saw other BBDs, but the mystique of those Reticon-stuffed boxes endures. 

• A/DA Flanger (1977): A feature-rich, famously deep flanger whose earliest runs used SAD-1024 before migrating to other BBDs. It’s the pedal players invoke when they want to part clouds. 

• Boss BF-1 (’77): Boss’s big-box pioneer. Period documentation and community teardown lore point to SAD-1024in original units. (Think: proto-Boss swirl with studio ambitions.) 

 

1980s — Compact, 9V, Everywhere:

 

• Boss BF-2 (1980→): The classic purple box moved to MN3207 low-voltage BBDs in many revisions — part of the great ’80s compact-pedal wave. It can chorus sweetly or flange politely, and it’s on a million records. (Yes, there are tasteful mods to push it deeper.) 

• Ibanez, DOD, et al.: A spread of flangers using MN320x or MN300x parts + companders. Rack units piled on options and stereo tricks; pedals got sturdier, cheaper, and toured the world.

 

1990s–2000s — Reissues, Clones, DSP:

 

• Boutique reissues tried to source NOS MN300x parts; others embraced MN320x/modern clones or jumped to digital with analog-ish voicing. DAWs start shipping with flanger plugins; the whoosh leaves the hardware world and moves into your laptop.

 

2010s–2020s — Choose Your Poison:

 

• Analog revival pedals chase specific chips’ fingerprints (SAD-ish midrange sparkle, MN3007 headroom), while DSP units do “Tape/Through-Zero” modes and barber-pole illusions on command. The Electric Mistress story keeps getting told because it still just… sounds right. 

 

 

Zero-Through vs. “Regular” Flanging (When Time Crosses Its Own Shadow)

Regular flanging mixes your dry signal with a slightly delayed, modulated copy. The comb-filter notches sweep as delay changes; it never quite hits zero delay, so the two signals don’t perfectly coincide. Big whoosh, no total “blackout.” 

Through-zero flanging recreates the tape trick: the modulated path meets the dry at exactly zero delay and even passes it momentarily. If one path is phase-inverted, that instant can cancel frighteningly hard — the famous “suck-down” before the signal returns from the other side. It feels like audio jumping its own shadow. Modern pedals/plugins fake it by delaying the dry path a smidge (incurring latency) so the modulated path can cross zero. Result: a deeper, hair-raising sweep — the jet crossing Mach 1 version of flange. 

Chip angle: Early tape flanging could be clocked “to the moon,” so pedal builders prized BBDs that tolerated very high clock rates (shorter minimum delays) for a closer tape feel. The SAD-1024 earned its rep partly because designs around it could go ultra-short, carving those dramatic notches; MN3007 designs brought headroom/silence; MN3207 made compact 9V boxes ubiquitous, with designers deciding whether to target chorus-sweet or flange-feral behavior by how they clocked and filtered the circuit. 

 

 

Quick “Spotter’s Guide” to Famous Chips in Famous Boxes 

 

 

• DOD 640 Flanger (c. 1976–77) — Widely cited as DOD’s first pedal ever. Big metal chassis, mains cord, and a gloriously chewy sweep. Early units are associated with Reticon SAD-series mojo. Think “industrial-strength whoosh.” 

• DOD 670 Flanger (early ’80s) — Successor to the 640 with more tweakability; same “brick” energy, thinner on the used market, still very whoosh-forward. 

• DOD 575 / 575-A Flanger (early ’80s) — Compact era. DIY lore and schems point to Reticon SAD-512D in the 575-A; short delays = deep notches = proper jet. 

• DOD FX75-B Stereo Flanger (1987–97) — Analog, typically MN3007 + MN3101 clock. Stereo outs, “Delay” control, very musical—DOD’s sleeper hit. 

• Boss BF-1 (1977–80) — Boss’s first flanger, and yes, many units carry the Reticon SAD1024. Big-box pre-compact vibe; syrupy-to-savage depending on feedback. 

• Boss BF-2 (1980–2001) — The purple classic. Long run, loads of records. Commonly MN3207 + MN3102 in many revisions; can do sweet chorusy swirl or proper flange if you push it. 

• Boss HF-2 Hi-Band Flanger (1985–95) — Flanges the highs for a glassier, brighter shimmer. Cult favorite for clean tones. 

• Boss BF-3 (2001→) — Digital stereo descendant with “Ultra” and “Gate/Pan” modes; the live-friendly whoosh box. 

• Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (1976) — The iconic stompbox flanger. Early versions associated with SAD1024; Filter Matrix mode = frozen comb magic. (Deluxe version followed ~1978.) 

• EHX Deluxe Electric Mistress (’78→) — Early runs with SAD1024; later moved off Reticon as parts vanished. Wider range, tamer noise floor vs the original. 

• MXR M-117 Flanger (’78→) — Script/logo era units famously SAD1024—EVH jet-engine territory. Later reissues changed guts, but the legend endures. 

• A/DA Flanger (’77→) — Boutique legend. Early units with SAD1024A, revised to MN3010 in ’78. Wild sweep range, studio-quiet design, and that unmistakable “tears the sky open” sound. 

• Ibanez FL-301 (late ’70s, 18V) — Maxon-built; commonly MN3007 + MN3101 clock. Warm, wide analog flange; the “butterfly” narrow-box era is collectible. 

• Ibanez FL-301DX (’80–’81, 9V) — The compact sibling; community reports of MN3207/MN3102. Same vibe, easier power, a bit more “’80s tidy.” 

• Ibanez FL-9 (’81–’84) — Part of the 9-series classics; typically MN3207 under the hood. Strong, musical flange without losing low-end body.

• Electro-Harmonix EchoFlanger (EH-1311, late ’70s) — cult EHX box related to the Polychorus/Polyflangecircuit; think flanger/chorus/echo party in one enclosure. Famously used by Kurt Cobain around the In Utero era; it can self-oscillate and get unruly in the best way

• Maxon FL-301 / Ibanez FL-301 (1979–82) — early compact analog flangers; 18-volt variants and later 9-volt siblings exist. Typical builds show MN3007 delay + MN3101 clock for smooth headroom and classic “jet.” (Maxon = Nisshin Onpa, Ibanez’s longtime OEM.) 

 

 

tiny chip notes (why your ears hear “personalities”)

 

 

Reticon SAD-1024/SAD-512D → very short min delays + lively non-idealities = deeper comb notches, “vintage jet” tone (shows up in early DOD 640, A/DA, some EHX/MXR). 

• Panasonic/Matsushita MN300x (e.g., MN3007) → higher-voltage operation, more headroom/lower noise; smooth, hi-fi flanging (Maxon/Ibanez FL-301 family, many ’80s designs). 

• Panasonic/Matsushita MN320x (e.g., MN3207) → low-voltage, compact; a touch rowdier but super musical when clocked/filtered right (Boss BF-2 revisions, BC-9). 

 

 

 

TL;DR Feelings Report

 

 

• SAD-1024 = the vintage flanger that shows up late, orders espresso, and revs a jet engine under the table.

• MN3007 = smooth operator with great posture and a black turtleneck.

• MN3207 = 9V party starter who fits in every backpack and knows everyone at the club.

 

Between them, the swoosh survives every decade: sometimes silky, sometimes savage — always a little supernatural.