- Published: 24 March 2020 24 March 2020
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Hello Effects Fans!
As you might guess, things are going a little slowly for us as everyone shifts into low gear for a while. But that’s OK – low gear is the most powerful gear! So we continue to move forward with developing new rack effect modules. Today we announce the availability of our Little Rock phaser module. The Little Rock compares to the EHX Small Stone Phaser, one of the most popular phasers of all time since its debut in 1974. The simple controls and lush, liquid swirl have spiced up everything from jazz, blues, and country to pop, grunge, and rock.
There have been numerous versions of the Small Stone phaser over the decades. Our Little Rock compares most closely to v2 and v3, which are the preferred versions for most. In addition to the simple Rate control and Color switch, we have half a dozen extra options to choose from to tailor it to your likings.
One random note about the different versions of the Small Stone. Some of the circuit versions look much different from others. All use several IC chips, but some also have a bunch of transistors in addition to the ICs. Those extra parts must be doing something, right? Yes, those transistors are important. But if you notice carefully, the IC is different in the versions with and without the “extra” transistors. The difference is that one IC version has those extra transistors already built into the chip. That was the original early versions of the Small Stone, using CA3094 ICs. The extra transistors are not needed with the CA3094 (or EHX part number EH1048). If the other version of the chip is used, the CA3080, you must add those transistors since they aren’t built-in on the chip. That makes the circuits look completely different, but they really aren’t that different at all. It is unlikely your ears could tell the difference between the two IC/transistor configs. The other significant difference between versions involves parts in the LFO section of the circuit. The audio signal doesn’t go through the LFO, so those differences have no direct impact to the sound. The LFO gives you the ability to control the Rate (Speed) of the phasing. Of course, in our usual GT style, our boards are designed to work with either IC/transistor config. The original CA3094 parts are difficult to find, but we try to keep them in stock. You can request either IC.
You can see the details about our Little Rock at: Little Rock. Or look for it in the Phaser Modules section under Products -> Modules -> Modules By Type.
It’s difficult to provide accurate time estimates right now, but we have a significant number of new modules winding their way through our R&D process. The list includes some great effects you probably know and some others you may not have had a chance to try yet. Watch here for more announcements coming as soon as we can get back to second or third gear!