Source audio Lunar Phaser User Manual
Lunar Phaser User’s Guide
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing the Lunar Phaser. This powerful stereo effects pedal features a collection of
meticulously crafted phaser sounds ranging from 60s vibe sounds to quad-stage 80s shredder solos
and modern sounds that explore new experimental sonic territory. With a simple control set, the
Lunar can work in a wide variety of musical settings, and the powerful MIDI and Neuro control
options under the hood provide access to a vast array of additional tonal possibilities.
The Lunar is housed in a durable, lightweight aluminum housing, packing rack mount power and
flexibility into a compact, easy-to-use stompbox.
SA241 Lunar Phaser User’s Guide 1
The USB and Neuro ports transform the Lunar from a simple phaser pedal into a powerful multieffects unit. Using the free Neuro App (iOS and Android), a wide range of additional control
parameters and effect types (chorus, flanger, resonator) are accessible. When used together with the
Neuro Hub, the Lunar is fully MIDI-controllable and 128 multi-pedal presets, or “scenes,” can be
saved for instant recall on the stage or in the studio. The Lunar can also connect directly to a passive
expression pedal or the Hot Hand for expressive control of any parameter.
The Quick Start guide will help you with the basics. For more in-depth information about the Lunar
Phaser, move on to the following sections, starting with Connections.
Enjoy!
- The Source Audio Team
Overview
Diverse Phaser Sounds – Choose from traditional phaser tones such as Vibe, Classic, and Multi, or
delve deeper into unique sounds cooked up in the Source Audio lab.
Flexible Stereo Routing – The Lunar is equally at home in a mono rig or a stereo rig. A variety of
routing modes such as True Stereo, Mono, Mono-to-Stereo, Sum-to-Mono and External Loop allow
the Lunar to harness the true power of stereo signal chains.
Compact Design – The durable, anodized aluminum housing has a slim profile, a small footprint, and
sturdy hardware that will withstand the rigors of the road.
Universal BypassTM – True bypass or buffered bypass? The choice is yours. The Lunar features high-
quality signal relays for true bypass and transparent buffers for analog bypass.
Preset Saving – Save your favorite sound by pressing and holding the footswitch. No need to
remember knob positions in the middle of a show.
Neuro Technology – The Neuro App opens up new possibilities for the Lunar, including completely
new effect types, additional control parameters, and access to the Neuro Community, including free
presets from artists and other users. The Neuro Hub can store up to 128 presets for the Lunar, easily
recalled with a MIDI controller. You can also download any effects for the Gemini Chorus or Mercury
Flanger and use them on the Lunar Phaser.
Deep Control Set – Beyond the four knobs on the face of the Lunar are many additional parameters.
The Neuro App provides access to the inner workings of the phaser effect for advanced users who
want to create a unique signature sound.
Parametric EQ and Low Cut – A 4-band parametric EQ is included in the Lunar, allowing for fine tonal
control, and a low cut filter tightens up the low end.
MIDI Control – All of the Lunar’s parameters can be accessed and controlled using MIDI via the
Neuro Hub or USB. Class compliant USB-MIDI allows the Lunar to work as a plug-and-play device with
recording software running on Mac and Windows, and the MIDI Learn feature makes control
mapping simple. The Lunar can also sync to your DAW or other MIDI devices using MIDI clock.
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Quick Start
Power
To power the unit, connect the included 9V DC power supply to the jack labeled DC 9V on the back
panel.
Warning: Using a non-Source Audio supply, especially an unregulated supply, could damage the unit.
Please be very cautious when using 3rd-party power supplies.
Guitar/Audio Connections
Using standard ¼” mono cables, connect your guitar, bass, or other instrument to the INPUT 1 jack
and your amp (or the next audio device in the signal chain) to the OUTPUT 1 jack.
When the power and audio connections have been made, the Lunar is ready to play.
Brief Knob, Footswitch, and Button Descriptions
Depth Knob: Controls the depth of the Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO), which determines the
strength or prominence of the phaser effect.
Speed Knob: Controls the frequency of the LFO, which determines the speed of the phaser effect.
Resonance Knob: Controls the resonance of the effect by feeding the output back into the input –
higher resonance could be described as “intense,” “brighter” or “chime-like.”
Shape Knob: Sets the shape of the LFO – choose between Sine, Square, Sawtooth, and more.
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Effect Switch: Selects between the three basic phaser effect types – Vibe, Classic, and Multi.
Footswitch: Enables or bypasses the phaser effect. The large LED will be lit green when the phaser
effect is engaged.
Contents
Welcome .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Quick Start ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Connections ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Basic Phaser Operation ............................................................................................................................ 9
Effect Types ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Controls .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Preset Storage and Recall ...................................................................................................................... 14
Universal Bypass TM ................................................................................................................................ 15
Stereo Routing ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Parametric EQ ........................................................................................................................................ 16
External Control ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Neuro App .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Specifications ......................................................................................................................................... 31
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................................................... 32
Frequently Asked Questions .................................................................................................................. 33
Rubber Feet ........................................................................................................................................... 35
Waste Disposal Notes ............................................................................................................................ 35
Warranty ................................................................................................................................................ 36
Version History ...................................................................................................................................... 37
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Connections
Input Side Connections
Input 1
This is the primary input for guitar, bass, or other instruments. It can also accept line-level inputs.
Connect it to your instrument or other audio source using a mono (TS) ¼” cable.
Input 2
Input 2 can act either as an audio input or as the data connection for the Neuro App, or both at the
same time.
Input 2 as an Audio Input
The tip contact on Input 2 acts as a secondary input for guitar, bass, or other instruments. It is only
active when the Lunar is configured with a signal routing that uses stereo inputs. Connect it to your
instrument (or the previous effect in the signal chain) using a mono (TS) ¼” cable. By default, the
Lunar will auto-detect the routing mode. Other routing options are available using the Neuro App.
For more information about stereo routing, refer to the Stereo Routing section.
Input 2 as a Neuro App Data Input
The ring contact on Input 2 acts as a data connection for the Neuro App. Connect it to your mobile
device using a stereo (TRS) ¼” cable. It can also accept daisy-chained Neuro data from another
Neuro-compatible pedal in the chain, provided that a TRS cable is used. The audio signal (if
applicable) will be on the tip contact of the plug, and the Neuro App data will be on the ring contact.
Input 2 only accepts data from the Neuro App. Data from the Neuro Hub comes from the Control
Input port.
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Output Side Connections
Output 1
This is the primary output. Connect it to your amplifier, recording interface, or the next device in
your effects signal chain using a mono (TS) ¼” cable.
Output 2
Output 2 can act either as an audio output or as the daisy-chain data connection for the Neuro App,
or both.
Output 2 as an Audio Output
The tip contact on Output 2 acts as the secondary audio output. It carries an audio signal when the
Lunar is configured with a signal routing that uses stereo outputs. Connect it to your amplifier,
recording interface, or the next device in your effects signal chain using a mono (TS) ¼” cable.
Output 2 as a Neuro App Data Daisy-Chain Output
The ring contact on Output 2 acts as a data connection for the Neuro App, passing data from the
Lunar to the next Source Audio effect in your signal chain. You can daisy-chain the Neuro App data
regardless of whether Output 2 is configured to output audio or not. Connect Output 2 to the next
device’s Neuro App Data input (usually Input 2) using a stereo (TRS) ¼” cable. The audio signal (if
applicable) will be on the tip contact of the plug, and the Neuro App data will be on the ring contact.
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Guitar In
Neuro In
Out to Amp
Neuro
Daisy-Chain
Guitar In
Neuro In
Out to Amp (Left)
Audio (Right)
and
Neuro Daisy-Chain
Out to Amp (Right)
Audio (Left)
Example Neuro Daisy-Chain Connections
Mono Audio Path with Neuro Daisy-Chain
In the case of a purely mono audio signal path, the Neuro data can be input to the first effect directly
from the mobile device and then carried on to the second effect via TRS cable.
Mono-To-Stereo Audio Path with Neuro Daisy-Chain
In the case of a signal path that splits a mono input to stereo outputs, the Neuro data can be input to
the first effect directly from the mobile device and then carried on to the second effect via TRS cable.
The audio signal is carried on the same cable.
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Power and Control Connections
DC 9V (Power)
Connect to the included 9 Volt DC power supply. The power supply must be regulated at 9 Volts
(direct current), able to source at least 180 mA (milliamps) of current, and the plug should have a tipnegative, sleeve-positive polarity (the center tip is ground and the sleeve is power).
USB
Connect to your computer (Mac or Windows) to the Lunar’s USB port (denoted by the icon)
using a standard mini USB cable. The Lunar is a class compliant USB device, meaning that it should be
recognized by Mac and Windows computers automatically. For more information about the Lunar’s
USB capabilities, refer to the USB section of the User’s Guide.
Control Input
The 3.5 mm Control Input port connects to external control devices such as the Dual Expression
Pedal, Reflex Universal Expression Pedal, Neuro Hub, and Hot Hand Motion Controller. For more
information, refer to the Expression Pedal Input, Hot Hand Input, and Neuro Hub sections of the
User’s Guide.
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PHASE SHIFT
TIME
PHASE SHIFT
TIME
Basic Phaser Operation
A phaser, or phase shifter, is an effect that was originally designed to reproduce the sound of a
“Leslie” rotating speaker cabinet. The phaser effect can be produced by several methods, the most
common of which involves a network of all-pass filters, which introduce phase shifts into the input
signal. When the phase-shifted signal is mixed with the original input, audible interferences are
created, creating notches. If the phase shift amount is modulated over time, the notches sweep back
and forth across the frequency spectrum, creating the phasing effect.
In technical terms, a phaser sweeps non-uniformly spaced notch filters through the frequency
spectrum of an input signal.
The amount of phase shift in the phaser effect needs to be changed over in order to sweep the notch
filters across the spectrum. In order to do this, a low frequency oscillator (also known as an LFO) is
used to control the phase shift, as well as several other parameters. This is illustrated by the
following graph:
The blue line in the graph is known as the LFO. It changes the phase shift over time.
The frequency (a.k.a. “rate” or “speed”) of the LFO can be increased to get a more rapid change in
the phase shift, as shown in this graph:
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PHASE SHIFT
TIME
OUTPUT GAIN
TIME
OUTPUT GAIN
TIME
The depth of the LFO can also be changed to make the phaser effect more or less prominent, as
shown in this graph:
Finally, the shape of the LFO can be changed to give the phaser effect a different character.
Sine wave:
Square wave:
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Effect Types
The Lunar includes three basic effect types, with more effects available in the Neuro mobile app.
Vibe
The Vibe Phaser effect was modeled after the Shin-Ei Univibe, the original rotating speaker simulator
(i.e. the original phaser pedal). This effect contains 2 relatively wide frequency notches spaced
farther from one another than a typical phaser.
Classic
The Classic Phaser effect is based on the same idea as the classic Phase 90, which uses 4 stages of
phase shifters to create two relatively closely-spaced notches in the spectrum. This is the “chewy”
phaser sound that has become nearly ubiquitous in rock and funk music, and feels right at home on
guitars, basses, keyboards and electric pianos.
Multi
As a rule, every pair of phase shift stages creates one notch in the frequency response, so the Multi
Phaser effect, which has 8 stages, creates 4 notches. This abundance of notches creates a more
animated phaser effect when compared to the Classic and Vibe settings.
Additional Effect Types
Additional effect types can be loaded into the Lunar using the Neuro App on your mobile device (iOS
and Android).
The Lunar Phaser is compatible with Source Audio’s Chorus and Flanger effects, so it is possible to
load chorus, phaser, and flanger effects on the Lunar at the same time.
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Depth Knob
Effect Switch
Resonance
Knob
Speed Knob
Shape Knob
Engage/Bypass
LED
Engage/Bypass
Footswitch
Control LED
Control Input Button
PHASE SHIFT
TIME
PHASE SHIFT
TIME
Low Depth High Depth
Controls
Knobs
Depth Knob
Controls the depth of the LFO, which determines how prominent the phaser effect is. When the
depth is set fully counter-clockwise, the phaser effect will be most subtle. When the depth is set fully
clockwise, the phaser effect will be most prominent.
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