Preset management

You can use the "Preset..." menu button to perform basic FXP/FXB preset/bank management tasks. The "Set as default" menu option of the "Presets..." menu allows you to assign the currently loaded program to the default preset program. This default program will be loaded whenever you enable a new instance of the plug-in or reset the current program. You can use the "Reset default" option to restore the default factory preset.

By pressing the "A|B" button, you can exchange the current and shadow (or, alternatively, "A" and "B") programs. The "Copy" button copies the current program to a shadow one.

Since only a single shadow program is used for the whole program bank, you can use "A|B" button to copy programs. To do so, you first need to switch to a program you want to copy and press the "Copy" button. Next, switch to a program where you want to put the first program and press the "A|B" button.

The "Reset" button can be used to reset the current program. All parameters will return to their default states.

Knob control

To change a knob control's value, drag it with the left mouse button and move it up or down. For finer adjustment, press the right mouse button while dragging. Double-clicking on the knob with the left mouse button will return the knob to its default position.

The "Phase L" and "Phase R" knobs can be synchronized with the SHIFT and the ALT keys.

Pressing this button will display the plug-in's info screen. This screen shows copyright and registration information, and contains the "Help" button which opens the bundled HTML help file you are reading now.

I am wondering if there is a set latency amount in ms or samples that this plugin introduces to a track so I can compensate for it?

Latency is static 8192 samples (which is 0.186 seconds at 44100).

I don't like latency! Can you please get it to zero?

This is simply impossible, in the case of PHA-979.

I was wondering is the technology of this plugin is the same as in the Little Labs IBP? http://www.littlelabs.com/ibp.html

Probably PHA-979 is very close to IBP in the idea. However, since IBP is an analog box, it is not linear-phase and thus it may add some additional 'analog' coloration, it may also shift some range of frequencies more than the rest (it has a lo/hi switch for this). This may or may not be good in a particular situation. PHA-979 is neutral in this respect. When applying PHA-979 you can be sure nothing is destroyed in the process.

How PHA-979 is different from a simple delay plug-in?

PHA-979 halves the time shift if frequency doubles. For some it might be interesting to know that at 90 deg. phase shift, PHA-979 works as a Hilbert transformer. This makes this plug-in totally different to a delay plug-in. You may see PHA-979 as a frequency-dependent delay. PHA-979 won't cure every possible problem, but in a way it works, it covers more bases than frequency-independent time shifting (time aligning). I.e. with the latter you may still get some 'problem spots' while with PHA-979 you can minimize this number to one or none.

More in-depth information:

Phase alignment should never be analysed without a time anchor. There should always be a time anchor. Then, all phase/time changes should be compared to this anchor. You may perceive the anchor as a soundwave with all frequencies at unity at once. This anchor stays untouched while you are adjusting another signal.

What time shift does to the signal relative to the anchor? For example, we are at 96kHz, and shifting the audio for 500 samples (5 milliseconds). What does that mean for the frequencies relative to the anchor sound? Let's introduce 'phase shift per sample' value for each acoustic frequency. This will be:
48kHz: 2*pi*48000/96000 = pi (means if we shift audio for 1 sample we get this 'pi' value shift for this '48kHz' frequency, relative to the anchor).
24kHz: 2*pi*24000/96000 = pi/2
12kHz: 2*pi*12000/96000 = pi/4
6kHz: 2*pi*6000/96000 = pi/8
etc.

So, when you are time-shifting your signal by 500 samples, frequencies in it are shifted relative to the anchor by:
48kHz: 500*pi
24kHz: 250*pi
12kHz: 125*pi
6kHz: 62.5*pi
3kHz: 31.25*pi
1.5kHz: 15.63*pi
750Hz: 7.81*pi
375Hz: 3.8*pi
187.5Hz: 1.95*pi

You get the idea. Nobody knows what you'll get when you sum this shifted signal with the anchor sound: comb filtering at the least. While process like PHA-979 rotates ALL frequencies for the same phase amount, and it never exceeds pi (unlike the ordinary time shift outlined above). Acoustically speaking, PHA-979 does nothing to the signal since it preserves phase linearity and basically a linear frequency response. Its effect can be heard only compared to the anchor sound, when summed with that anchor sound. And the result is simple: out of phase frequencies get reduction, inphase frequencies get amplification, all in a very precise manner. This is the same as getting an optimal balance between two sounds without equalization or frequency-dependent phase-shifting.

Would PHA-979 be used more for individual instruments tracks, or more for whole mixes?

PHA-979 is not totally usable for the whole stereo mixes unless you specifically want to adjust the stereo-field. PHA-979 is meant to be used during mixing, for aligning the most important instruments to each other: drums to bass, acoustic guitars to each other, overdriven guitars to each other, and so on.

If PHA-979 is just used on single sounds/instruments, would it only be used on stereo sources?

It can be used on individual stereo sources like double-mic recordings. But probably you will mostly use it on mono sources: vocals, guitars, bass, drums. PHA-979 helps things to mix together better. When PHA-979 is being used on a mono source, there is a special 'Force Mono' switch available which you can enable to save CPU resources.

How can I set up PHA-979 to get a stereo track with the Left at -90 and the right at +90 compared to the rest of a mix?

+270 (90+180) deg. is the same as -90 deg.

Should PHA-979 be used first or last in the effect chain?

I suggest to use phase shifting plug-in first in the chain.

Would the PHA-979 be the best tool for aligning the microphone bleed that occurs when I record acoustic guitar and vocals at the same time?

Sure thing, PHA-979 can be used for such task, but since microphone bleed has "distance" component (distance between two mics and two sound sources), you may also need to time-shift the signal before applying PHA-979.

I'm slightly frustrated. I am trying the plug-in on one mic track from a spaced stereo pair. I'm hearing no change at all.

You should always use two tracks - one unchanged and the other affected by PHA-979 to evaluate the difference. When applying PHA-979 on one track its effect cannot be heard, at all. The effect is heard only when you mix the affected track with another track.

I would like to reproduce a sound coming "out" of the stereo field, like sometimes when watching TV we feel that sound coming "extra wide". The source is mono. Is this relative to phase?

I guess what you are describing as 'extra wide' can be created using different phase shift on every channel, but you should also understand that this kind of phase shift cancels out when stereo is mixed to mono. Getting mono-compatibe 'extra wide' sound usually requires some additional processing like delaying, chorusing, etc. It is possible to get such effect with PHA-979, but the more your approach 180 degrees phase shift between channels, the less 'stereo compatible' your sound will be.