The Hochstrasser Electronics Chemtrail Analog Flanger is an analog flanger built around bucket brigade chips, which create and modulate a short delay line, the classic analog way of producing flanging. Pedal of the Day describes it as an unassuming and powerful modulation device that can function as a flanger, chorus or vibrato effect, with a mode toggle to move between them1. For players looking at chorus and vibrato pedals as well as flangers, it covers all three in one box.
The controls
The Chemtrail has four knobs and two toggles. Pedal of the Day lays out what each does1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Changes the rate of modulation |
| Depth | Increases or decreases the size or intensity of modulation |
| Res | Tweaks the amount of feedback to emphasize the flanging |
| Time | Adjusts the median delay time around which the LFO oscillates, getting shorter as the control is turned up |
| Mode toggle (right) | Up for flanging, down for vibrato |
| +/- toggle (left) | Inverts the polarity of the feedback/resonance circuit, to change the harmonics being emphasized |
The Time control is worth noting for players used to simpler flangers: rather than a fixed delay time, it sets the center point the modulation sweeps around, and that point moves higher (shorter delay) as the knob is turned up1.
Flanging, chorus and vibrato
The Mode toggle on the right of the pedal selects between flanging (up) and vibrato (down), and Pedal of the Day notes the pedal can function as a flanger, chorus or vibrato effect1. The +/- toggle on the left works with the Res knob: it inverts the polarity of the feedback/resonance circuit, changing which harmonics are emphasized, which shifts the character of the flanging1.
On the sound, Pedal of the Day's reviewer described metallic swooshes and swirling, tunnel-like textures, saying the Chemtrail can add everything from a little wobble to what the review calls full-on bending of the space-time continuum1.
Background and reception
The pedal was reviewed by Pedal of the Day on 28 June 2021, in a piece that also noted flangers were becoming the effect of 2021 and included a demo of the pedal1. The builder is referred to as Erich, and the site noted that "Erich has always sent us his new stuff when it comes out"1. The reviewer's overall verdict was that it is "a wonderful, unassuming and powerful pedal with specific sonic flavors to experiment with"1.
Videos
Hochstrasser Electronics
Pedal of the Day
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Questions
Is the Hochstrasser Chemtrail analog or digital?
The Chemtrail is an analog pedal. Pedal of the Day describes it as an analog flanger, and notes that it uses bucket brigade chips to create and modulate a short delay line, the classic analog approach to flanging rather than a digital delay line.
Does the Chemtrail do vibrato as well as flanging?
Yes. A Mode toggle on the right of the pedal selects flanging when flipped up and vibrato when flipped down. Pedal of the Day notes that the pedal can function as a flanger, chorus or vibrato effect, so one pedal covers several modulation sounds.
What does the +/- switch do on the Chemtrail?
The +/- toggle switch inverts the polarity of the feedback and resonance circuit, which changes the harmonics being emphasized. In practice it shifts the character of the flanging, since different harmonics are boosted depending on the switch position.
Who designed the Hochstrasser Chemtrail?
The pedal comes from Hochstrasser Electronics, and Pedal of the Day refers to Erich as the builder, noting that he has sent the site his new releases as they come out.
Sources (1)
- Hochstrasser Electronics Chemtrail Analog Flanger, Pedal of the Day, 2021-06-28