Editing Flanging (section)

== Comparison with phase shifting ==
[[Image:Flanging vs Phasing effect.png|200px|thumb|right|[[Spectrogram]]s of phasing and flanging effects]]
Flanging is one specific type of [[Phaser (effect)|phase-shifting]], or "phasing".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-whats-difference-between-phasing-and-flanging |title=Q. What's the difference between phasing and flanging? |work=soundonsound.com |access-date=17 April 2017}}</ref> In phasing, the signal is passed through one or more [[all-pass filter]]s with non-linear [[phase response]] and then added back to the original signal.  This results in [[Destructive interference#Constructive and destructive interference|constructive and destructive interference]] that varies with frequency, giving a series of peaks and troughs in the frequency response of the system. In general, the position of these peaks and troughs do not occur in a [[Harmonic series (music)|harmonic series]].

In contrast, flanging relies on adding the signal to a uniform time-delayed copy of itself, which results in an output signal with peaks and troughs which ''are'' in a harmonic series.  Extending the comb analogy, flanging yields a comb filter with regularly spaced teeth, whereas phasing results in a comb filter with irregularly spaced teeth.

In both phasing and flanging, the characteristics (phase response and time delay respectively) are generally varied in time, leading to an audible sweeping effect. To the ear, flanging and phasing sound similar, yet they are recognizable as distinct colorations. Commonly, flanging is referred to as having a "jet-plane-like" characteristic.  In order for the comb filter effect to be audible, the spectral content of the program material must be full enough within the frequency range of this moving comb filter to reveal the filter's effect.  It is more apparent when it is applied to material with a rich harmonic content, and is most obvious when applied to a [[white noise]] or similar [[noise]] signal. If the frequency response of this effect is plotted on a linearly-scaled graph, the trace resembles a comb, and so is called a [[comb filter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Bundle_FreewarePack/ |title=Blue Cat's Freeware Plug-ins Pack II |work=bluecataudio.com |access-date=17 April 2017}}</ref>