Eventide FL-201
Documentation for the Eventide FL-201 is thin, but what exists is good. There's a long, detailed review in Studio Sound and a later appearance in Eventide's own advertising. The FL-201 was the "Instant Flanger," a flanging effects unit from the late 1970s. An internal swept oscillator varied the flanging effect continuously and automatically.
Studio Sound (July 1977, p.94) ran a substantial review by Nik Condron and Hugh Ford. It reprinted the manufacturer's specification: nominal input level of 0 to +4 dBm, clipping at +18 dBm where flanger gain is unity, and an oscillator sweeping between 0.05 and 20 Hz. The reviewers measured at maximum in-phase depth and 0 dBm input. They found the second harmonic down 55 dB, the third down 80 dB, and other harmonics undetectable. They were far less kind about the noise floor. They said it got high enough to become a problem when the output was routed through the console and gain was raised. They also discussed what narrowing the bandpass does to the flanging character. The review included measured frequency-response curves down to 20 Hz.
The FL-201 stuck around in Eventide's lineup for years. Eventide's own advertising in Studio Sound (April 1981, p.63) listed the "FL 201 Instant Flanger" alongside the H910 and H949 Harmonizers under the banner "Sets the standard for Signal Processing." Beyond that, the record stays quiet. No service manual, confirmed production-year range, or original price has surfaced in the Archive's files.
Known specs (as printed in the Studio Sound review, July 1977):
- Flanger effects unit ("Instant Flanger")
- Nominal input: 0 to +4 dBm; clipping at +18 dBm (unity flanger gain)
- Automatic sweep oscillator: 0.05 to 20 Hz
- Harmonic distortion at maximum depth in phase, 0 dBm input: 2nd harmonic −55 dB, 3rd −80 dB, others undetectable
If you own an FL-201, or have a manual, price list, or studio stories, the Archive would welcome scans.
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