Phaser volume losses?
Steve in New Zealand asks:
"Why does my Hardwire Phaser pedal reduce the volume when I turn it on?"
Well Steve, there's a number of things that could be happening here. The first thing that comes to mind is how a phaser works. Essentially, a phaser creates a series of related notches in the frequency spectrum, similar to a flanger pedal like the TunnelWorm TZF, but the "mechanical" operation of the effects' are different.
In short, what is probably happening here is not a actual reduction in volume, but a reduction in perceived volume due to the frequency response of the notches created by the phaser. Think of this analogy: you setup a graphic EQ pedal an make a large cut at 400Hz. While the output of the EQ circuit isn't actually reducing total volume, it is reducing volume around 400Hz, which in turn makes the output level seem quieter since we're just removing a part of the frequency spectrum (especially a part we are sensitive to) without adding additional output to compensate for the reduction. Just an idea, but I believe everything starts with an idea...