There are a group of pedals from DOD, manufactured decades ago that have been making a resurgence as of late, and we’ve got one of ’em for you today. The 490 Phasor doesn’t have a ton of information on it, but we have narrowed the production date down to around 1978 (we think), making it a vintage classic that features some wild tones that ooze out of this effect. Can’t get much simpler than two knobs, but don’t let that fool you: this is one powerful funk and space-inspired machine.
The controls are pretty easy: Speed controls the speed/rate of the LFO wave that controls the effect, while Regen sets the amount of effected signal fed back into the effect, basically an intensity control. These deceivingly basic parameters are anything but, and are able to produce a vast array of exploratory sonic enhancements, keeping you on your toes waiting to see (or hear) what is coming up next. With a very Uni-Vibe-esque auditory texture at times, the 490 is definitely a bad-ass phaser, but can be so much more when dialed in as well.
As with many of these older effects, however, the tone suck problem comes into question. Although not horrible, it was still present, and would probably benefit from a true bypass loop pedal to keep it out of your regular signal when not in use. Then again, some players enjoy that aspect of these older effects, and see it as a mark of sound you can only get with pedals from this era. It’s all in the individual’s ears, we suppose, but regardless, the 490 Phasor sounds incredible. Check out our demo video below to see how subtle and overpowering this pedal can truly be!
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