The Mr. Black Shepard's End is a flanger pedal, and by its maker's account unlike other flangers: Mr. Black calls it "the world's first Barber Pole Through-Zero Flanger"1. Where a conventional flanger sweeps up and then jumps back down, the Shepard's End sweeps continually in one direction, with no beginning or end to its cycle, and it can pass through the zero point depending on the control settings12.
Speed and regeneration
The Speed knob sets how fast the sweep runs, and Mr. Black describes its range in characteristically plain terms: "From draggingly slow to space-ray-gun fast. And its all in one little knob called 'Speed'"1. The same speed control appears on the Sub-Zero edition4.
Regeneration is where the two editions differ. The Sub-Zero edition adds a Regen control covering both directions of feedback4:
- Positive regeneration: swishy, phaser-y sounds4
- Negative regeneration: tubular, hollow, sucking-into-itself sounds4
What the barber pole sweep does
On a normal flanger, the sweep runs from a low point to a high point and then restarts, which is what gives the effect its familiar rising-and-falling whoosh. The Shepard's End instead sweeps continually up or down without resetting. As Mr. Black puts it, "this flanger does not have a beginning, or an end to its cycle"1.
Paolo De Gregorio, writing on Delicious Audio in April 2019, described the same behavior: "It goes up, continually. It goes down, continually. It can even go through the zero-point"2. Passing through the zero point, where the delayed and dry signals line up exactly, is what produces the deepest flanging sounds, and whether the Shepard's End crosses it depends on the control settings2.
The Sub-Zero edition
The Shepard's End Sub-Zero is the same barber pole through-zero flanger with a subtractive through-zero mode added. Mr. Black describes it as "the world's first Barber Pole Through-Zero Flanger" with a "Special Sub-Zero edition features subtractive TZF!"4. The Sub-Zero is made in the U.S.A.4. For other takes on through-zero flanging, see the Chase Bliss Audio Spectre Analog TZ Flanger, the Foxrox Paradox TZF 2 and the Catalinbread Zero Point Flanger, or browse the full range on the Flanger Pedals type page.
B-stock and warranty
Mr. Black sells B-stock versions of the Shepard's End at a lower price. The maker's terms3:
- B-stock units have minor cosmetic defects, but the internal components are the same as a standard pedal3
- B-stock units "carry the standard 1-year Mr. Black Warranty"3
- "NO RETURNS/EXCHANGES/REFUNDS. ALL B-STOCK SALES FINAL!"3
B-stock purchases are final. If a cosmetic blemish would bother you, the standard edition is the safer route; if not, the B-stock price of $149.95 against the $229.95 list price is the difference13.
Videos
Jack Deville
collector//emitter
FiftyFeetofEarth
Questions
What is a barber pole flanger?
A barber pole flanger is a flanger whose sweep has no beginning or end. Instead of cycling from a top point back down to a bottom point like a conventional flanger, the effect sweeps continually up or down, like the stripes on a rotating barber pole that appear to climb forever. Mr. Black calls the Shepard's End the world's first Barber Pole Through-Zero Flanger.
What does through-zero mean on a flanger?
Through-zero means the flanger's sweep can pass through the zero point, the moment where the delayed signal and the dry signal are perfectly in step. Crossing that point produces the deep, over-the-top flanging sound that conventional flangers approach but never reach. On the Shepard's End, whether the sweep passes through zero depends on the control settings.
What is the difference between positive and negative regeneration?
Regeneration feeds the flanged signal back into the effect. Positive regeneration gives swishy, phaser-like sounds, while negative regeneration gives tubular, hollow sounds that seem to suck into themselves. The Shepard's End Sub-Zero edition provides both on its Regen control.
What is a Mr. Black B-stock pedal?
A Mr. Black B-stock pedal has minor cosmetic defects, but the internal components are the same as a standard pedal. B-stock units carry the standard 1-year Mr. Black Warranty, and all B-stock sales are final, with no returns, exchanges or refunds.
Does the Shepard's End come with a warranty?
B-stock units of the Shepard's End carry the standard 1-year Mr. Black Warranty. The trade-off is that all B-stock sales are final: the maker states no returns, exchanges or refunds on B-stock pedals.
Sources (4)
- Shepard's End, Mr. Black
- Mr. Black Shepard's End, Delicious Audio, 2019-04-10
- Shepard's End B-stock, Mr. Black
- Shepard's End Sub-Zero, Mr. Black
