The Foxrox Electronics Paradox TZF 2 is an analog flanger built around through-zero flanging, the style of flanging first made with two tape machines in the 1960s. It comes in two versions: the original Paradox TZF2, which was purple, and the TZF2 Green, a redesign of that pedal. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the TZF2 Green as being sold from a waiting list, with a special order link opening up when a buyer's name comes up1.
What through-zero flanging does
A flanger mixes a guitar's signal with a delayed copy of itself and sweeps that delay time, producing the familiar jet-like sweep. What sets the Paradox apart is the through-zero part: as Foxrox's Dave Fox explains on the Analog Man page for the original pedal, "Through-zero-flanging was done in the 60's using a pair of analog tape decks," and the Paradox brings that effect, "the part where the flange goes over the top like 60's tape flanging," to a pedal3.
TZF2 compared with the original Paradox TZF
The original Paradox TZF is no longer available3.
Dave Fox published a feature-by-feature comparison of the two designs in July 2015. The main difference he describes is in switching:
"TZF1 has a foot switch with two-color LED for selecting mix polarity."2
"TZF2 uses a 3pdt footswitch."2
In other words, the original pedal used its footswitch to select mix polarity, indicated by a two-color LED, while the TZF2 uses a standard 3PDT footswitch for true bypass switching2.
Power and practical notes
The TZF2 runs on 18V DC, center negative, and draws 100mA1. That voltage and current draw mean it needs a supply output suited to its requirements rather than a shared daisy chain position.
The original Paradox TZF used a 2.5mm power plug3, so owners of both pedals should not assume the two share a power connection.
Videos
amalgam audio
Questions
What is through-zero flanging?
Through-zero flanging is the effect heard on 1960s tape flanging, where the flanged sound passes through the point at which the delayed and undelayed signals are perfectly aligned. Dave Fox notes that through-zero-flanging was originally done in the 60s using a pair of analog tape decks, and the Paradox TZF pedals recreate that effect in a stompbox.
How is the TZF2 different from the original Paradox TZF?
The original Paradox TZF, sometimes called TZF1, had a footswitch with a two-color LED for selecting mix polarity. The TZF2 instead uses a 3PDT footswitch for bypassing. The TZF2 also arrived in two versions: the original purple TZF2 and the later TZF2 Green redesign.
Sources (3)
- Paradox TZF 2 by Foxrox Electronics, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- The Differences Between Original Paradox TZF and TZF2, Foxrox Electronics, 2015-07-27
- TZF1, analogman.com, 2015