Bob Clearmountain's Trademark Flange and Phase Effects
Legendary mix engineer Bob Clearmountain is as renowned for his ear-grabbing use of effects as he is for his arsenal of coveted vintage outboard gear. Apogee Clearmountain's Phases offers true-to-life emulations of Bob's 1970s-era flanger and phaser rack units. You get period-correct controls and parameters that weren't present on the original hardware. Plus, you can optionally add distortion, processing artifacts, and component aging for authentic vintage sound. A Module Config feature emulates Bob's advanced workflow, enabling you to dial in the wide range of distinct, engaging modulation effects found throughout his extensive back catalog. Beyond that, Clearmountain-crafted presets give you plenty of familiar-sounding starting points. For out-of-this-world flange and phase effects with a decidedly vintage twist, you can't go wrong with Clearmountain's Phases.
Note: This product requires that you have an iLok account for authorization, although it does not require a physical iLok key. Please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer if you have questions.
Related Videos: Clearmountain's Phases Flanger/Phaser Plug-in
A flanger chock-full of BBD-style character
The flanger module in Clearmountain's Phases teems with BBD-style flavor, invoking the sound of '70s-era analog hardware. This module includes period-accurate Manual, Sweep, and Mix controls, along with Feedback, LFO, and highpass filter controls that weren't present on the original hardware. A Tape Flange button mimics the dramatic sound when two tape machines flange perfectly. You can also swap out the virtual bucket brigade delay chip to achieve greater sweep ranges, plus you can add hardware-style grit and flavor by dialing in distortion and delightfully nasty artifacts.
An exhaustive collection of vintage-tinged phasers
When Bob requires subtle modulation, he reaches for his phaser module, which is meticulously re-created in the Apogee Clearmountain's Phases plug-in. For watery electric pianos or psychedelic-tinged drums, this is the module to use. The phaser module contains many of the same controls as the flanger module — Feedback, LFO, and highpass filters — to maintain a consistent user experience. The Stages knob reproduces a variety of hardware phasers, from stompboxes to vintage rackmount units to modern plug-ins. You can dial in feedback to add intensity and resonance to your effect and adjust the Tap knob for even more sonic flexibility. What's more, an Analog button closely models the feedback implementation of Bob's original hardware, and an Age trimpot simulates the mellowing effects of aging hardware components.
Emulates complex workflows — no external gear required
Our favorite part of Clearmountain's Phases here at Sweetwater is the Module Config feature, which emulates Bob's complex workflow — something that requires a gear-packed studio to achieve in the real world. This versatile feature enables you to flange your phaser, phase your flanger, or apply both in a range of creative ways. You can also add swirling width that moves across the stereo soundstage, à la the Rolling Stones' "Heaven" or David Bowie's "China Girl," via the plug-in's Module Config and Sweep Rate controls. Not sure where to start? No problem. This plug-in includes a sizable cache of Clearmountain-crafted presets based on specific instruments and effects from the Grammy winner's extensive back catalog.
Bob Clearmountain: the architect of the modern mix
In the pantheon of audio engineering, Bob Clearmountain isn't just a name — it's a legend. Over a career spanning five decades, he's shaped the sound of everyone from Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones to David Bowie, Roxy Music, the Pretenders, and Bryan Adams. More than just an engineer, Bob invented the role we now know as the dedicated mix engineer, turning the act of blending tracks into an art form. Bob's obsession with sound began in his teens, playing bass in local bands while rigging up a home studio to capture demos and live shows. That hands-on tinkering landed him behind the console for jazz titan Duke Ellington on his first day as an assistant engineer at New York's fabled Mediasound Studios. He later engineered albums for Kool & the Gang and even played bass on the Dead Boys' debut album, Young, Loud and Snotty, before becoming chief engineer at Tony Bongiovi's state-of-the-art Power Station studio. Bob's restless curiosity hasn't slowed. He's the go-to mix engineer for live shows, an early pioneer in surround sound and immersive audio, and a constant source of knowledge for the Sweetwater family, running advanced training on Apogee interfaces and Dolby Atmos workflows for our Sweetwater Sales Engineers. Through every project, Bob's razor-sharp ears and passion for sonic detail continue to redefine how a great mix should sound.
Apogee Clearmountain's Phases Features:
- True-to-life emulations of Bob Clearmountain's 1970s-era flanger and phaser rack units
- Includes period-correct controls and parameters that weren't present on the original hardware
- Optionally add distortion, processing artifacts, and component aging for authentic vintage sound
- Module Config feature emulates Bob's complex workflow without a gear-packed studio
- Includes crafted presets based on Bob's extensive back catalog