The Ibanez Flanger Mini is a compact flanger pedal that Ibanez debuted at NAMM 2020 as part of a downsized series of mini pedals. MusicRadar described it as "clearly inspired by the Ibanez FL9 from the eighties", Ibanez's classic flanger, and its yellow finish is a deliberate nod to that pedal: Guitar World called it "an obvious reference to the classic 9 Series FL9 flanger pedal".1
"The Flanger Mini's yellow finish is an obvious reference to the classic 9 Series FL9 flanger pedal"
Controls and layout
The Flanger Mini is clearly inspired by the Ibanez FL9 from the eighties, and its yellow finish is a nod to that eighties 9 Series pedal. Its width control is now called Depth, alongside Speed and Regen knobs, so the mini format carries a three-knob control set: Depth, Speed and Regen.31
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Depth | The FL9's width control, renamed Depth on the mini version1 |
| Speed | Flanger modulation speed1 |
| Regen | Regeneration, carried over from the FL9-style design14 |
Where it came from
"The yellow finish of the Flanger Mini is a nod to the old eighties 9 Series FL9"
The pedal it references, the Ibanez FL9, was Ibanez's flanger from the 9 Series of the eighties, and the mini version carries its concept into a much smaller enclosure.1
Related Ibanez mini flangers
Ibanez also offers the Mini Flanger FLMINI in its MINI pedal series. Like the Flanger Mini, it is a compact flanger whose controls cover the same territory: depth, regen and speed.6
A pedal with the same name but no connection to Ibanez also exists: the Monoprice Flanger Mini, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in 2015, which uses three pots and a two-way toggle. The reviewer found that "for three pots and a two-way toggle, there's more possibilities than you'd imagine", covering flange, filter, chorus-like, phase-like and oscillating sounds.7
Questions
Is the Ibanez Flanger Mini the same pedal as the Ibanez Mini Flanger FLMINI?
They are closely related but were announced separately. The Flanger Mini was shown at NAMM 2020 as part of Ibanez's downsized mini series, while the Mini Flanger FLMINI was unveiled in January 2021 as a true bypass, 100% analog mini flanger with Depth, Regen and Speed controls, made in Japan. Both share the same three-control layout and the FL9-inspired concept.
What controls does the Ibanez Flanger Mini have?
It has three knobs: Depth, Speed and Regen. MusicRadar noted that the width control of the original FL9 design is now called Depth, alongside the Speed and Regen knobs. The mini-pedal format pairs one main control with the others in a bare-bones layout, in a downsized enclosure that takes up little pedalboard space.
Sources (7)
- The best new effects pedals of NAMM 2020, MusicRadar, 2020-01-24
- NAMM 2020: Ibanez debuts mini Tremolo and Flanger pedals and revives the Echo Shifter, Guitar World, 2020-01-01
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- NAMM 2020: Ibanez brings back the Echo Shifter, Guitar.com, 2020-01-02
- NAMM 2020: Ibanez launches trio of new effects pedals, MusicRadar, 2020-01-02
- New Pedal: Ibanez Mini Flanger FLMINI, Delicious Audio, 2021-01-18
- Monoprice Flanger Mini, Pedal of the Day, 2015-02-08
