A/DA Final Phase

[fuzzjunkie]

Don't want to jump on Yannis' train and call it a "vintage hottie" but here 'tis:

Full Frontal:


Rear View:


the A/DA Final Phase is a 10-stage pulse modulated phase shifter with a positive feedback circuit that adds a randomly modulated sweep across the main sine wave that gives gives a very Leslie like speed up/ slow down vibe. There is also an overdrive circuit that can only be used in conjunction with the phaser that adds a nice guttural growl to the tone and keeps it from getting lost in a dense mix.

[Stereordinary]

I used to have one of those, before I ever knew what it was (I played drums a little bit, but never picked up guitars at the time).  I think I traded it with a friend.  Wish I had a second chance to check it out now.  :-\

[fuzzjunkie]

it also has a Pedal Controller that sweeps the Range Control function. If you rock it like a Wah you get a very vocal Wah'd Phaser sound:



Other controls are for sweep modulation, sweep rate, range control, intensity and overdrive:

[fuzzjunkie]

I got it years ago during a shoot out between an MXR Phase 90 and Phase 100, a Ross Phaser, a green Sovtek and a vintage Electro Harmonix Small Stone.

It kicked all the scrubs to the curb. 

[fuzzjunkie]

I used to have one of those, before I ever knew what it was (I played drums a little bit, but never picked up guitars at the time).  I think I traded it with a friend.  Wish I had a second chance to check it out now.

The only thing in it's class is the Moog and maybe a Mutron Bi-Phase...I tried it against a Lovetone Doppleganger once, but the Final Phase is much thicker and aggressive sounding. The Doppleganger sounds like a thinner, more hi-fi version of a Bi-Phase.

[JazzBlaster]

I had one of the flangers, I always wanted to try the phase.

[fuzzjunkie]

I had one of the flangers, I always wanted to try the phase.

I have a non-vintage A/DA Flanger. I've shot it out with 2 vintage models and there was minimal if any difference. Other than a couple of cosmetic differences it's would be hard to tell which was which without opening them up. *I would say that the Flanger is easier to dial in useful tones repeatedly. It has all the classic flange tones really well...a nice Leslie tone...and is probably the best sounding Chorus I've ever heard. You can get some pretty wild Vibrato tones too. I like Phaser/Leslie/Uni-vibe tones more than flange or chorus, so I use it mostly for that.

The Final Phase covers most of the Phase-90/Small Stone tones in the first 5-30% of it's range and some of the tones at the far middle range are just beeps and blips before it settles down for some reason at the last 90-100% and has some really cool, really thick tones that I've never heard from another phaseshifter. Compared to the 12 stage Moog; which also has a drive function as well as the other controls, it has most of the same range of tones but sounds a bit different. What the Moog has over the Final Phase that I wish the A/DA had was the ability to control any parameter with the pedal controller. The pedal control for range is nice, but a bit limited...I would really like to control the speed of the modulation!

*On both the A/DAs the controls are very interactive, but probably more so on the Final Phase were a small tweak of one knob can shift the sound quite a bit, which is why I say the Flanger is easier to reset for repeatable tones.

[light years]

so whats up with the new reissues? anyone here any updates?

[fuzzjunkie]

so whats up with the new reissues? anyone here any updates?

the only reissues that I know about were made in '94-95. My Flanger is a reissue and sounds 99-100% of the vintage. It also has a built in power supply and not a wall wart. There were a few Final Phase reissued at that time as well. I think less than 100. I don't think very many originals were made either. Mine is from 1978 and is #2xx. It has a wall wart and the amp and barrel connection are an odd size. Not something you can power with a Boss adapter.

[BlueSparkle]

10 years on, and I'm looking around for a final phase, do a google and this thread pops up!

I also notice that the reissues are all 110Vac, which crushes it for me. Pity.

downside is that it might be left to my mobius and maybe a purchase of an mxr phase 90 / 100 or somesuch.

I'm trying to off the mobius from my pedalboard, but it keeps pulling out the joker and leaves me with no option.

[señormisterioso]

10 years on, and I'm looking around for a final phase, do a google and this thread pops up!

I also notice that the reissues are all 110Vac, which crushes it for me. Pity.

downside is that it might be left to my mobius and maybe a purchase of an mxr phase 90 / 100 or somesuch.

I'm trying to off the mobius from my pedalboard, but it keeps pulling out the joker and leaves me with no option.

this?
https://reverb.com/item/15671735-a-da-f ... -no-reissu

[fuzzjunkie]

I thought you could get the most recent reissue c.2009-2010 in both 110 or 240? They have the hardwired plug. My vintage one uses a strange sized adapter.

The reissue, at least that most recent one, does NOT sound like my vintage unit. It’s a fine sounding Phaser and still has that secondary modulation thing going on, but it’s much tamer. It does a great classic phaser, but doesn’t do much of the weird sounds. It’s much easier to dial in a good sound, but you loose all the strange tones that set this apart.

The overdrive is also different. It’s much more higher gain, almost more of a distortion. The gain/boost isn’t any higher, but the grit/distortion on mine all the way up is 35-40% range on the newer one. It sounds great though, just different and adds a lot more dirt.

[BlueSparkle]

I thought you could get the most recent reissue c.2009-2010 in both 110 or 240? They have the hardwired plug. My vintage one uses a strange sized adapter.

The reissue, at least that most recent one, does NOT sound like my vintage unit. It’s a fine sounding Phaser and still has that secondary modulation thing going on, but it’s much tamer. It does a great classic phaser, but doesn’t do much of the weird sounds. It’s much easier to dial in a good sound, but you loose all the strange tones that set this apart.

The overdrive is also different. It’s much more higher gain, almost more of a distortion. The gain/boost isn’t any higher, but the grit/distortion on mine all the way up is 35-40% range on the newer one. It sounds great though, just different and adds a lot more dirt.

This is exactly why I'm chasing an original. That, and I want it to match my original '77 A/DA Flanger

[somanytoys]

A/DA has put out some nice stuff over the years. I have no doubts those are some rich sounding pedals.

I have a VFE Tractor Beam (used to be called Phasers) that are nice, although Peter has closed shop. If you don't get the A/DA you're looking for, that's definitely worth looking for used.

Right now I'm using 2 Keeley Bubbletrons. They're probably all of 2 years old, but they are based on an old phaser, a flanger and a filter from the '70's, I think. I think I'm using the phaser setting on both of those, and the flanger on the Polymoons.

There are a few of those available on Reverb right now (4 atm). A bit on the pricey side, but that's how vintage works. Don't know if they're the right ones for what you're looking for or not.
https://reverb.com/p/a-slash-da-final-phase-1979