Source audio Mercury Flanger User Manual
Mercury Flanger User’s Guide
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing the Mercury Flanger. This powerful stereo effects pedal features a
collection of meticulously crafted flanger sounds ranging from classic two-voice sounds inspired by
60s studio tape flangers to the swooshing jet engine sounds of the 70s and 80s and beyond. With a
simple control set, the Mercury 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.
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The Mercury is housed in a durable, lightweight aluminum housing, packing rack mount power and
flexibility into a compact, easy-to-use stompbox.
The USB and Neuro ports transform the Mercury from a simple flanger 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, phaser, resonator) are accessible. When used together with the
Neuro Hub, the Mercury 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 Mercury 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 Mercury
Flanger, move on to the following sections, starting with Connections.
Enjoy!
- The Source Audio Team
Overview
Diverse Flanger Sounds – Choose from traditional flanger tones such as Classic, Thru-Zero, and
Shadow, or delve deeper into unique sounds cooked up in the Source Audio lab.
Flexible Stereo Routing – The Mercury 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 Mercury 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 Mercury 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 Mercury, 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 Mercury,
easily recalled with a MIDI controller. You can also download any effects for the Gemini Chorus or
Lunar Phaser and use them on the Mercury Flanger.
Deep Control Set – Beyond the four knobs on the face of the Mercury are many additional
parameters. The Neuro App provides access to the inner workings of the flanger 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 Mercury, allowing for fine
tonal control, and a low cut filter tightens up the low end.
MIDI Control – All of the Mercury’s parameters can be accessed and controlled using MIDI via the
Neuro Hub or USB. Class compliant USB-MIDI allows the Mercury to work as a plug-and-play device
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with recording software running on Mac and Windows, and the MIDI Learn feature makes control
mapping simple. The Mercury can also sync to your DAW or other MIDI devices using MIDI clock.
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 Mercury 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 flanger effect.
Speed Knob: Controls the frequency of the LFO, which determines the speed of the flanger effect.
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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.”
Delay Knob: Controls the delay time for the delayed signal in the effect – experiment with the delay
knob for different effect characteristics.
Effect Switch: Selects between the three basic flanger effect types – Classic, Thru-Zero, and Shadow.
Footswitch: Enables or bypasses the flanger effect. The large LED will be lit green when the flanger
effect is engaged.
Contents
Welcome .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Quick Start ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Connections ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Basic Flanger Operation ........................................................................................................................... 9
Effect Types ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Controls .................................................................................................................................................. 13
Preset Storage and Recall ...................................................................................................................... 15
Universal Bypass TM ................................................................................................................................ 15
Stereo Routing ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Parametric EQ ........................................................................................................................................ 17
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 Mercury 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 Mercury 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
Mercury 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
Mercury 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 Mercury’s USB port (denoted by the icon)
using a standard mini USB cable. The Mercury is a class compliant USB device, meaning that it should
be recognized by Mac and Windows computers automatically. For more information about the
Mercury’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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DELAY TIME
TIME
Basic Flanger Operation
Flanging is a delay effect that has been used in recording studios since the late 1960s. The original
effect relied on using two tape machines playing the same tape simultaneously, with their outputs
combined.
By touching the flange of one of the tape players, the corresponding reel will slow by a small amount,
introducing a delay into the signal. The flange is then released, and the tape returns to its original
speed. The flange for the other tape player is then touched, causing it to slow down slightly, and the
process is repeated. This creates a slowly modulating difference in timing between the two tape
players, typically only a few milliseconds at most. The resulting effect can be described as a “whoosh”
sound that is similar to the sound of a jet plane passing by in the sky. In fact, the comparison is very
accurate – a passing jet sounds the way it does because the sound waves arriving directly at your
ears and the reflected waves bouncing off the ground are delayed slightly from each other, and this
delay time changes as the jet changes its position relative to you.
In technical terms, a flanger sweeps uniformly spaced notch filters through the frequency spectrum
of an input signal.
Over the years, as technology has permitted, methods for producing flanger effects have become
possible without the need for big, bulky tape players. The Mercury packs all of the power of a
traditional tape flanger into a compact package, and brings some new technology to the table as well.
The amount of delay in the flanger effect needs to be changed over time to sweep the notches across
the spectrum. In order to do this, a low frequency oscillator (also known as an LFO) is used to control
the delay time, 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 amount of delay over time.
The frequency (a.k.a. “rate” or “speed”) of the LFO can be increased to get a more rapid change in
the delay time, as shown in this graph:
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DELAY TIME
TIME
DELAY TIME
TIME
If the speed is set to a high enough rate, the effect will resemble the Doppler shift common in “Leslie”
rotating speaker effects.
The depth of the LFO can also be changed to make the flanger effect more or less prominent, as
shown in this graph:
SA240 Mercury Flanger User’s Guide 10
OUTPUT GAIN
TIME
OUTPUT GAIN
TIME
Finally, the shape of the LFO can be changed to give the flanger effect a different character.
Sine wave:
Square wave:
By default, the Mercury uses a sine wave for its LFO, but other wave shapes can be selected using the
Neuro App.
Effect Types
The Mercury includes three basic effect types, with more effects available in the Neuro mobile app.
Classic
The Classic Flanger effect combines the original dry input signal with a single modulating clone signal,
creating the simple sound of two voices in unison. It is very similar to the classic chorus effect except
that the delay time is relatively long in a chorus effect and relatively short in a flanger effect.
Thru-Zero
The Thru-Zero Flanger effect tries to recreate the original tape flange effect in which the two tape
machines would alternately be slowed down and sped up so that their signals would pass in front of
and behind each other. Obviously, this is a difficult feat to pull off during a live performance (without
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the assistance of a time machine). The Mercury achieves this effect with two delay lines, one of
which is very short, but stationary, which functions as the dry signal - the other signal modulates. As
the modulating signal passes through and moves ahead of the stationary tap, we hear the classic
through zero twist (a split second of complete phase cancellation) as the frequency response inverts.
Shadow
The Shadow Flanger effect features two modulating signals. This setup generates a more animated
flanging effect, with the primarily flange closely shadowed by a subtle, more resonant reflection.
Additional Effect Types
Additional effect types can be loaded into the Mercury using the Neuro App on your mobile device
(iOS and Android).
The Mercury Flanger is compatible with Source Audio’s Phaser and Chorus effects, so it is possible to
load chorus, phaser, and flanger effects on the Mercury at the same time.
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