Purple Phaze Unlocked: Meet the Asheville Music Tools APH-12 Analog Phaser

Purple Phaze Unlocked: Meet the Asheville Music Tools APH-12 Analog Phaser

If you thought phasers were a one-trick modulation pony, Asheville Music Tools is here to prove otherwise. The new APH-12 from their Analoger Series is not just a phaser, it’s a full-blown analog modulation workstation packed into a pedalboard-friendly footprint. With 12 selectable all-pass filter stages, built-in envelope following, a richly voiced drive circuit, and deep modulation control, this isn’t just a nod to vintage units, it’s a reinvention of what a phaser can be.

Vintage Soul, Modern Engineering

At its core, the APH-12 captures the beloved swirl and pulse of classic 12- and 6-stage phasers, while pushing into territory never before explored in this format. From subtle shimmer to stuttering vibrato, faux Leslie tones, and filtery funk, the APH-12 is full of surprises. The ability to select any number of stages between 1 and 12 unlocks a universe of possibilities, each with its own distinct character.

Stage counts this low rarely exist in phasers, and Asheville Music Tools made sure to exploit their unique tonal behavior. One stage? That’s a high-pass filter, great for tremolo. Two stages? A musical notch filter. Three? Throw in the envelope follower, and you're in auto-wah heaven. This pedal rewards experimentation.

Expression in Every Sense

With modulation driven by either a sine wave LFO or an envelope follower, your playing dynamics become part of the tone. Whether you prefer traditional slow sweeps or wild, touch-sensitive phase shifts, the APH-12 makes it intuitive to dial in.

A sculpted resonance circuit pushes the phasing effect to dramatic, expressive extremes without ever feeling harsh. Combined with a three-way Mix switch (FX, Phase, and Vibrato modes), you can blend wet/dry signals to taste or dive headfirst into full vibrato.

And let’s not forget the Drive circuit. With up to 30dB of boost, this JFET-based saturation stage doesn’t just add volume, it adds harmonics, warmth, and punch that sweeten the entire modulation process.

Built to Be Played, Designed to Be Explored

The APH-12 isn’t just sonically powerful, it’s also highly versatile and performance-friendly. External expression or control voltage input lets you modulate nearly any parameter from an external source. Whether you're a guitarist, synth player, or sound designer, this pedal adapts to your creative workflow.

On the inside, it’s just as impressive. Over 400 components, including low-noise op-amps, matched transistor pairs, and a precision OTA filter network, make the APH-12 a studio-quality processor in pedal form. Add in temperature-stabilized circuitry, a high-voltage bi-polar power supply, and careful component matching, and you get a phaser that sounds rich, clear, and dimensional at any setting.

Wrap Up: Modulation Reimagined

The APH-12 is more than a phaser. It's a flexible, analog-driven modulation platform. It can be your secret weapon for expressive solos, the textural bedrock of a studio mix, or the playground where synths and signal chains run wild.

Asheville Music Tools didn’t just resurrect the 12-stage phaser, they redefined it. From classic swirl to experimental chaos, this pedal delivers.

Available now at Cream City Music.

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