Flanger

Name: Flanger
Author: Kilohearts

by Kilohearts · Modulation · Flanger with barberpole scroll

Not rated yet

A free flanger from Kilohearts that mixes the signal with a short modulated delay, with feedback and stereo spread.

Its Scroll mode adds a moving phase offset for barberpole-style flanging that seems to rise or fall endlessly.

Best for: Guitars, Keys & Synths, Drums, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Rock & Indie, Pop.

Keywords: flanger, free, drums, wide, CPU-light, electric guitar, synths, clean, mixing, sound design, spacious, swirling.

What it does

Flanger is Kilohearts' "Sweeping comb filter": it mixes audio with a slightly delayed copy, and can add a phase shift for barberpole effects.

Delay and Depth: set the minimum delay and how far the modulation moves it.
Rate and Spread: set the modulation speed and the stereo offset between channels.
Scroll: enables Offset and Motion, which shift and move the phase between dry and wet for barberpole-style sweeps.
Feedback and Mix: feedback strengthens the comb-filter peaks; Mix balances dry and wet.
Snapin use: loads in Phase Plant, Multipass or Snap Heap, where its knobs can be modulated and it can be combined with other Snapins.

It also loads as a Snapin inside Kilohearts' Phase Plant, Multipass and Snap Heap. It is free as part of Kilohearts Essentials.

Source: Kilohearts product page

When to use it

Kilohearts Flanger is the pick when you want the barberpole Scroll effect, or a flanger that can be modulated inside Phase Plant and Snap Heap. It is less of a vintage hardware sound than Eventide Instant Flanger Mk II, which is based on Eventide's classic Instant Flanger hardware, and it has fewer modulation settings than Blue Cat's Flanger, another free option.

Best for: jet sweeps on guitars, drums and synths, and endless rising or falling barberpole effects.
Genres: electronic, rock and pop.
Look elsewhere if: you want a vintage hardware flanger sound; Instant Flanger Mk II is a closer match.
Standout: the Scroll mode for barberpole-style flanging.

What producers say

Reviews of this Snapin on its own are rare; opinion on the Kilohearts Essentials set it belongs to is positive, with the main criticism that the plugins are minimal on their own.

KVR users rate the Kilohearts Essentials set 5/5 from two reviews: one (2022) called it a "Good, useful collection of professional, but compact plugins," and another (2025) praised "Superb lightweight plugins rivaling many commercial and on-hype products!"
The Pro Audio Files (2019) reviewing the Snapin range, found them light on CPU and cost, "yet they sound unexpectedly great," with "clean aesthetic and uncluttered interfaces."
Gripe: a 2026 review of Essentials found that "many of the Essentials plugins feel minimal" on their own, and that they are "designed for precision rather than coloration."

Where to buy

Kilohearts: Free

Tutorials and reviews

Flanger by Kilohearts

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