The emergence of bucket-brigade device (BBD) integrated circuits like the Panasonic/Matsushita MN3001 in late 1974 and the Philips TDA1022 and Reticon SAD1024 in late 1975 kicked off the music industry’s equivalent of the Space Race.
These ICs enabled the creation of a wide variety of cool effects, including analog delay, chorus and flanger pedals, which numerous manufacturers rushed to develop. The first flangers to hit the market were studio rackmount products – the Eventide FL201 Instant Flanger and MXR M-111 Auto Flanger – followed shortly afterwards by the first (relatively) affordable stompbox flangers.
