What is Clearmountain’s Phases?
Clearmountain’s Phases is a flanger/phaser plugin meticulously modeled after Bob Clearmountain’s rare, vintage flanger and phaser rack modules from the mid-seventies. The plugin adds Expanded settings modules, so you can replicate Bob’s advanced workflow, easily dialing in the distinct, engaging modulation effects heard on songs from the world’s most influential artists.
What are the system requirements to run Clearmountain’s Phases?
The plugin has been validated on macOS 10.14.6 and above and Windows 10 20H2, though it should work on Mac OS El Capitan 10.11.6 and any version of Windows 10.
We’ve tested with all major DAWs on Mac & Windows including Apple Logic Pro, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase & Nuendo, Presonus Studio One, Reaper.
Do I need an iLok to run Clearmountain’s Phases?
You don’t need a physical iLok, but you do need iLok License Manager version 5.4.0 or greater installed on your computer. You can activate the iLok license to your computer’s hard drive, a physical iLok if you prefer, or your iLok Cloud.
Can I use the flanger and phaser at the same time?
With the Module Config control, you can use each module individually, you can route the flanger into the phaser, the phaser into the flanger, or connect them in parallel. Clearmountain chained modules to create some of the more extreme textures in his mixes.
What do the Expanded settings modules offer?
The original modules offered just the basic flanging/phasing controls - a means to vary the flanger delay/phaser phase either manually or with an LFO, a Mix control and an In/Out button.
The Expanded settings offer :
- Routing and processing that would have been done on an external console when using the hardware modules, such as feedback, polarity reverse and high-pass filtering;
- Plugin settings to emulate other hardware vintage flangers/phasers, such as Flanger BBD (Bucket Brigade Device) and Phaser Stages;
- Plugin controls to add the “analog” characteristics of the hardware modules, such as flanger distortion and aliasing, phaser component age and feedback topology.
Can I resize the plugin?
Yes, click the Resize icon to the left of the Preset dropdown to choose a size between 50% and 150%.
What is Tape Flange?
The Tape Flange button simulates the original mechanical means of flanging using two expertly manipulated tape machines, where the phase relationship between the two signals crosses a 0 degree point and then inverts, creating an especially deep flanging sound. Also known as “zero crossing” flanging.
How do the Manual, Sweep Depth and Sweep Rate knobs work together?
To explain the interaction between these knobs, it’s helpful to start with the settings where they don’t interact:
When Sweep Depth is set to 0%, the Manual knob solely controls the sweep of the flanger/phaser through its full range. The Manual knob can be controlled, uh, manually or can be controlled with automation from your DAW. The Sweep Depth and Rate knobs have no function at this setting.
When Sweep Depth is set to 100%, the Manual knob has no function. The flanger/phaser oscillates through 100% of its range at the speed of the Sweep Rate knob.
When the Sweep Depth is set to any other percentage, the Sweep Depth sets what percent of the full range the flanger/phaser sweeps through, and the Manual sets the center point of the sweep. So, for example, if Sweep Depth is set to 50% and Manual is set at 12 o’clock to 0.70 ms , the flanger/phaser sweeps between 1.30 and 0.40ms, which is 50% of the total available range.
Using these controls, you can precisely set the range, width and speed of the flanger/phaser.
How do the Sweep Rate knobs work?
When the plugin output is stereo (i.e. instantiated as a mono > stereo or stereo plugin) the flanger and phaser Sweep Rate knobs have two modes of operation, Spit left-right and Linked.
When Sweep Rate Select toggle switch is set to Linked, the modules Sweep Rate knob sets the rate for both the left and right outputs.
When Sweep Rate Select is set to Left or Right, the knob sets the rate for that output only. This offers the possibility of setting the left and right outputs to different Sweep Rates, for effects that sweep across the stereo soundstage.
Why are some of the Window Size percentages greyed out when I use the plugin in Pro Tools?
Based on the resolution of your monitor, certain sizes can’t be correctly displayed in Pro Tools. This is currently beyond our control.
Was Clearmountain himself actually involved in the development of the plugin?
Bob is quite involved in every stage of development, from the earliest product spec through prototype testing to his careful creation of the presets. He also provided his personal collection of hardware flanger and phaser modules, from which we chose the best-performing units to model.