Tortuga Effects founder Matt Johnson clearly likes his cocktails in the evening. No, there’s nothing sloppy or woozy about his hip line of timedomain and distortion/fuzz pedals. On the
Tortuga Effects founder Matt Johnson clearly likes his cocktails in the evening. No, there’s nothing sloppy or woozy about his hip line of timedomain and distortion/fuzz pedals. On the contrary, they’re thoughtfully designed, with smart, common-sense controls and clear, warm sonics. But with names like the Mai Tai Dual Classic Phaser, the Single Malt Dual Vintage Delay, and the Martini Dual Analog Chorus, it’s easy to see that Johnson enjoys making pedals as much as some folks enjoy a night on the town. But there’s a sonic precision and warmth to these all-analog effects that is anything but tipsy—though you may well get a buzz while drinking one in.
Pour Me Another
The latest addition to Tortuga’s
cocktail list is the Manhattan
Dual Analog Flanger. Housed
in a rugged, powder-coated
aluminum enclosure, the
Manhattan is relatively light but
feels solid and roadworthy. It
has two independent channels
governed by controls labeled
“single” and “double,” so you
always have two modulation
options on tap. In fact, the
Manhattan does chorusing
just as well as it does combfilter-
style flanging, so you can
switch from chorusing to a jet
swoosh without another piece
of hardware in the mix—pretty
nice for such a compact pedal!
Switching between channels
is as simple as stepping on
the footswitch labeled “How
Strong?” The order footswitch
turns the effect on and off, with
true-bypass switching.
Ratings
Pros:
Dual modulation flavors instantly available.
Analog voicings of everything from spectral chorus to
jet swooshes and Leslie sounds.
Cons:
Inconvenient back-panel battery access.
Somewhat pricey.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$299
Tortuga Effects
tortugaeffects.com
Taking the Town
Maybe it’s because of its newold-
stock bucket-brigade delay
chip or the tastefully voiced
range of the two rate knobs
(single and double), as well as
the depth and feedback controls
(mix and bourbon), but the
Manhattan just plain sounds
good. With the mix control
and single and double knobs
around 3 to 6 o’clock, and
bourbon set at minimum, it
generates creamy chorus effects
reminiscent of the classic Boss
Chorus Ensemble, with rich
low-mid seasoning and diffuse
filter effects that lend pleasant
graininess without a hint of ’80s
cheesiness. Bump the rates up
even further (again, using single
and double) and goose the
mix, and you’re in underwater
territory—the kinds of fast,
Leslie-speaker tones that are
perfect for ’80s chime licks or
psychedelic “Black Hole Sun”
moments.
With bourbon past noon, mix at or past noon, and rate controls anywhere from 9 to 6 o’clock, you’re in the proper flange zone. Here you’ll find milky, swooshing sounds ideal for arpeggiated clean chords— imagine Eddie Van Halen’s intro to “Hear About It Later” and you’re on the right track. I especially liked the glassy, arcing overtones that swooshed and combed across the high-end frequencies when mix, single, double, and bourbon were all at higher settings. With bourbon maxed, those swirling overtones almost resembled distinct parts—as if a guitar synth with a Moog resonance control was taking musical cues from your chords and adding space-age orchestration. These are really lovely swaths of sound—exactly what you hope to get out of a genuine analog flanger.
The Verdict
It’s easy to hear the Manhattan’s
sonic kinship to the venerable
MXR Flanger, the Electro-
Harmonix Deluxe Electric
Mistress, and the legendary
A/DA Flanger—all classic,
standard-bearer flangers capable
of variable millisecond delay,
generating comb-filter artifacts,
and moving easily between chorusing
and phasing modes. But
while the Manhattan certainly
pays homage to those classic
flange recipes of yore, its dualchannel
flexibility, sweet voicing,
and righteous combination
of smoothness, complexity, and
depth make it a unique concoction.
Bottoms up!