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<<< Modes >>>
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.
Step
Step mode tries to restore order to the universe by sweeping up and down in stepped increments, kind
of like the sequencer on a synthesizer. In Step mode, the Modify control adjusts the glide between
steps. Low Modify settings produce sharp, stair-stepped transitions between steps. Higher Modify
settings introduce a smoother glissando effect.
Random
Random mode is like Step mode, except the sweep is randomized without reason or rhyme. Some
men just want to watch the world burn.
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