Blue Cat’s Flanger Preset Pack: 10 Creative Sounds to Try

Comparing Blue Cat’s Flanger Settings for Guitar, Synth, and VocalsBlue Cat’s Flanger is a versatile modulation plugin capable of delivering anything from subtle vintage chorus-like movement to extreme, metallic whooshes and jet-like sweeps. Though the core controls remain the same — delay, feedback, modulation shape and depth, stereo spread, and wet/dry mix — how you set them depends heavily on the source material. Below I compare practical starting points and techniques for three common uses: guitar, synthesizer, and vocals. Each section includes goals, suggested parameter ranges, workflow tips, and quick preset recipes to get you moving fast.

Overview: key controls to know

• Delay (base delay time): sets the static delay around which modulation occurs. Shorter delays produce classic flanger comb filtering; longer delays turn toward chorus/echo territory.
• Depth (modulation amount): how far the delay is swept. More depth = more dramatic comb notches and movement.
• Rate (LFO speed): controls the speed of the sweep — slow for slow motion and rhythmic sync, fast for jet/metallic textures.
• Feedback: feeds output back into input to accentuate peaks and notches; positive feedback emphasizes peaks, negative feedback emphasizes notches.
• Phase / Stereo Spread: sets the stereo relationship between left/right modulation; widens the effect when different.
• Mix (Wet/Dry): balances processed vs. dry signal. For guitars and vocals, parallel blending often sounds more natural than 100% wet.
• Sync: locks the LFO to host tempo for tempo-synced sweeps — useful for rhythmic synth parts or vocal effects timed to the beat.

Guitar

Goal: add movement and width without obscuring attack or muddying the low end. Flanging on guitar is often used for texture, especially on clean electric parts, arpeggiated patterns, or ambient rhythm beds.

Suggested starting ranges

• Delay: 0.2–2.0 ms (very short for classic flanger notch; increase slightly for more chorus-like sound)
• Depth: 20–60% (keeps the effect tasteful)
• Rate: 0.5–2.5 Hz (slow for subtle movement, up to 5 Hz for more surf/psychedelic tones)
• Feedback: 10–40% (positive feedback gives that vocal-like flange resonance)
• Stereo Spread: 20–70% (adds stereo interest)
• Mix: 15–40% (parallel blend to retain attack)
• Sync: Off for natural tempo-independent swing

Workflow tips

• Place the flanger after amp/cab simulation for a more natural guitar-in-room result, or before amp for dramatic metallic modulations from the amp’s non-linearities.
• Use an EQ before the flanger to remove excessive low end (high-pass ~80–120 Hz) so the comb filtering doesn’t create mud.
• Automate Depth or Rate on choruses or solos for evolving textures.

Quick presets

• Clean Rhythm: Delay 0.6 ms, Depth 30%, Rate 0.8 Hz, Feedback 15%, Spread 40%, Mix 25%
• Surf/Retro: Delay 1.2 ms, Depth 55%, Rate 3.5 Hz, Feedback 30%, Spread 60%, Mix 35%
• Heavy Metallic: Delay 0.3 ms, Depth 70%, Rate 6–8 Hz (sync optional), Feedback 50–70%, Mix 60% (use post-distortion for extra grit)

Synthesizer

Goal: exploit the full range of the flanger — from subtle width to dramatic rhythmic sweeps and metallic timbres. Synths often benefit from tempo-synced modulation and extreme parameter settings because the raw material is harmonically rich and electronically stable.

Suggested starting ranges

• Delay: 0.1–4 ms (very short for strong comb effects; longer for chorus-like spread)
• Depth: 40–100% (synths can take more extreme modulation)
• Rate: 0.25–8 Hz, or sync to 1/4–1/16 notes for rhythmic movement
• Feedback: -20% to +80% (negative feedback can create hollow notch effects; positive gives resonant peaks)
• Stereo Spread: 50–100% (use full stereo spread for wide pads and leads)
• Mix: 30–100% (100% wet can be useful for FX tracks)

Workflow tips

• Use sync to tie LFO speed to project tempo for rhythmic gating and sidechain-like motion.
• Automate Feedback or Depth to evolve pads across sections.
• For bass synths, keep Delay and Mix conservative to preserve low-end power; consider multiband processing (flange mids/highs only).

Quick presets

• Wide Pad: Delay 2.0 ms, Depth 65%, Rate sync ⁄₄, Feedback 10%, Spread 100%, Mix 50%
• Metallic Lead: Delay 0.2 ms, Depth 85%, Rate 5 Hz, Feedback 60%, Spread 80%, Mix 70%
• Rhythmic Pluck: Delay 0.8 ms, Depth 50%, Rate sync ⁄₈ with slight groove offset, Feedback 20%, Mix 40%

Vocals

Goal: add subtle movement, doubling, or dramatic sci-fi textures without making lyrics unintelligible. Flangers on vocals should be used sparingly; they can sound huge when tastefully applied, or distracting when misused.

Suggested starting ranges

• Delay: 0.5–3.0 ms (short delays for doubling; slightly longer for noticeable whoosh)
• Depth: 10–40% for subtle doubling, 40–80% for stylistic FX
• Rate: 0.2–3.0 Hz (slow for shimmer/doubling, faster for warbles)
• Feedback: 0–30% (low feedback to avoid resonant ringing)
• Stereo Spread: 30–70% (adds width while keeping center focus)
• Mix: 10–30% for subtlety, up to 50–70% for clear FX sections
• Sync: Off usually — natural organic motion is preferred

Workflow tips

• Use on doubled vocal tracks or send/aux so the dry lead stays intelligible.
• High-pass the flanger send (80–200 Hz) to avoid low-end phasing and muddiness.
• Automate Mix or Bypass for specific words/phrases to maintain clarity when needed.

Quick presets

• Gentle Double: Delay 1.0 ms, Depth 20%, Rate 0.5 Hz, Feedback 5%, Spread 40%, Mix 20% (send)
• Dreamy Vocal FX: Delay 2.5 ms, Depth 60%, Rate 1.2 Hz, Feedback 25%, Spread 60%, Mix 45%
• Sci-Fi Lead Vocal: Delay 0.4 ms, Depth 80%, Rate 4–6 Hz, Feedback 40%, Mix 60% (use on an FX track)

Comparison Table: Guitar vs Synth vs Vocals

Practical workflow pointers

• Use sends/aux busses for vocals and guitars when you want consistent parallel processing and easy automation.
• When in doubt, start subtle: low Depth, low Mix, and then increase to taste.
• Use EQ before and/or after the flanger to sculpt the effect — high-pass to remove mud, notch or dip resonances if Feedback produces ringing.
• Experiment with negative feedback settings if Blue Cat’s flanger offers polarity/feedback inversion; it can yield hollow, comb-like notches useful for sound design.

Closing notes

Blue Cat’s Flanger is flexible enough to serve as a subtle enhancer or a dramatic sound-design tool. The same controls act differently across sources, so rely on your ears: use the suggested ranges above as starting points, then tweak Delay, Depth, Feedback, and Mix to fit the arrangement and preserve clarity.