Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: MrBump on October 03, 2009, 09:13:31 PM

Title: Univibes
Post by: MrBump on October 03, 2009, 09:13:31 PM
OK, with absolutely ZERO replies on my last FX thread, time for another (i'm itching to buy a new pedal, in case you haven't guessed...)

I think that I'm going to ditch my chorus in favour of a univibe type pedal - sick to death of chorus, and I've got an EH one - great for Nirvana, but not great for much else...

Sooo...

I'm liking the idea of a Univibe or such like.  Listened to loads of clips, but was wondering if you guys have any experience of them... 

Mark.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: Andrew W on October 03, 2009, 09:48:10 PM
I have a Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe and I love it.  It's great for all your Hendrix, Trower, Gilmour, wigging out sixties psychedelia needs.  If you want to hear what one sounds like, listen to any recent Robin Trower record - he uses them exclusively these days though he has the extra posh version with a pedal to control the speed of the effect.  The "Mini" version uses a knob which works out fine for me as I don't really change the speed of the effect on the fly.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: maverickf1jockey on October 03, 2009, 11:22:41 PM
The way I see it you have three options:

You could go for a digitally modelled rotational speaker, which will sound and act more like an authentic Lesley cabinet (minus the obvious potential of feedback.). For example the COSM - modelled double pedal.

A phaser unit, giving you the sound of a studio filter used to approximate the harmonic cancellations of a Lesley unit but not quite hitting the exact mark. This is very much THE sound for funk or more distorted sounds as it retains the note clarity in a way that chorus and flanger units generally cannot offer.

OR

An analogue rotational speaker pedal, such as the Dunlop pedal you mentioned or it's foot-controllable sister pedal. These will give you the sound used live by a number of acts (such as Jimi Hendrix) because the real cabinets were very cumbersome and not best suited to the guitar for constant use.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: HTH AMPS on October 04, 2009, 12:37:30 AM
I had an EH Wiggler pedal in for repair recently and it had all the various rotating cab settings - sounded great, very close to the real thing and better than any univibe if you want an authentic leslie tone. 

Otoh, I do like univibes for what they are and its a cool effect in itself by falling short of the mark.

The Line6 roto-machine sounds crackin too... http://line6.com/tonecore/rotomachine.html
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: Supernaught on October 04, 2009, 12:39:06 AM
I have the Lovepedal Pickle Vibe and absolutely love it!    Ive never had any other piece of gear that as soon as I turn it on my eyes close, my mouth opens and I start playing the coolest stuff ever.

As a practical note I will say I dont get a HUGE amount of use out of it.  All I seem to do is Hendrix or Trower impressions with it, but its all down to what you plan on doing with it.

Love it to bits tho.

Check it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwNjZvKRWhc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwNjZvKRWhc)
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: MrBump on October 04, 2009, 08:15:50 AM
Thanks, Guys - love the sounds of the Lovepickle pedal, but I wonder if it might be a little limited...

Hadn't considered the Wiggler, but checking out some clips it sounds like it might be a pretty decent addition to the old pedal board...

Mark.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: Doctor X on October 04, 2009, 08:59:35 AM
I'm another happy Deja Vibe owner, very nice pedal.  If you're after something less limited then it's worth checking out the Red Witch Moon Phaser.  It's not a vibe pedal as such but does a very good approxmation, and a lot more too.  An expensive thing for sure but very nice indeed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ex09CDDzI
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: MrBump on October 04, 2009, 02:26:38 PM
I'm another happy Deja Vibe owner, very nice pedal.  If you're after something less limited then it's worth checking out the Red Witch Moon Phaser.  It's not a vibe pedal as such but does a very good approxmation, and a lot more too.  An expensive thing for sure but very nice indeed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ex09CDDzI

Like that very much indeed...  It would definitely fulfil my Floyd needs...
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: camf on October 04, 2009, 10:03:42 PM
Yeah, much impressed with the Red Witch Moon Phaser. I'd like one of them too.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: horsehead on October 05, 2009, 02:21:19 PM
Pickle vibe lover here, it may seem limited, but it's mazing & for the price beats hands down everything else
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: HTH AMPS on October 05, 2009, 09:53:50 PM
I really like this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTXK-dmzihc&feature=channel

However, more from a design POV as it uses valves for a Univibe type design.  Lets be honest, it just sounds like a good Univibe, but probably not quite as chewy.

Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: jpfamps on October 06, 2009, 11:49:56 AM
I've had a quick go with this pedal and it's very good, as is their phaser.



Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: darcym on October 08, 2009, 07:24:23 PM
I've got a sweet sound mojo vibe, it's mega, really really good. They are hard to find, but worth it if you can grab one.

The Roger Mayer univibe I've also owned, and that was equally as good, I only got the sweet sound as I broke the Roger Mayer one and at the time of re-purchase got a shot at a Sweet Sound so grabbed one.


Either would do you proud
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: timski on October 09, 2009, 02:44:54 PM
A univibe is pretty much a one-sound pedal. But what a sound!

I, too, have a Mojovibe, but have owned a Danelectro Chicken Salad (incredible value, and my 1st recommendation if you want a feel for what a univibe is all about without breaking the bank), a Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe (too large, complex, expensive, and not as good as the Mojovibe), Voodoo Lab Microvibe (doesn't go fast enough for the warbly effects but great otherwise) and Dunlop Rotovibe (pants).

Phasers and Leslie-simulations are a different matter (and I've owned a host of both). They can sound similar to a univibe, but I suggest you get a Chicken Salad (or better: their new Cool Cat Vibe) and take it from there. It may be all you need!
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: Elliot on October 09, 2009, 11:25:48 PM
I've had a Chicken Salad - but now own a Cool Cat Vibe and a Mojovibe.  I really like the sound of the Cool Cat (perhaps even prefer it to all others), but unfortunately it has a 1 second delay before the vibe effect works - it can be easily modded if you are handy with a soldering iron, but the delay does let the pedal down.

If you want to try out a vibe - get a Chicken Salad.  If you want to spend money and get a great Vibe - get the Mojo
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: choucas09 on October 10, 2009, 01:00:47 PM
I've got a Roger Mayer Voodoo-Vibe and it's the best pedal I've encountered of any description. It's class A handmade and hugely adjustable. They're very expensive, but if you check out the Harmony Central reviews they are worth it.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: darcym on October 10, 2009, 01:08:53 PM
I concur with that, the Roger mayers as just as a good as the Sweet Sound, I didn't have the "space rocket" shaped one, as I find them big and a waste of space, they do a more standard box shaped pedal one.

They are slightly more fragile though in this case (hence my breakage) The rocket ones are supposed to be a tank
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: HTH AMPS on October 10, 2009, 03:17:41 PM
I owned a Voodoo Vibe for years, had it from the early 90s till around 2005.  I always struggled to get decent sounds with it, was never quite 'there' for me - too many knobs.

I want to be able to plug into an amp or pedal and get killer tones within a minute of plugging in.

I've since tried a Prescription Electronics Univibe and even the bog standard Dunlop one and they were both better Univibes than the RM one.  Prescription might have been the first Univibe repro on the market from what I can recall.  Sweetw@ter also had a Univibe clone on the market quite early on too.  I'm ignoring the RM 'vibe as he was making them at the same time as the originals were out.

Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: darcym on October 10, 2009, 06:14:27 PM
A few people have made a similar comment about the RM Vibe, I think (as with most effects) what works for one man, may not be the right thing for another man, eg: guitar/amp/other effect/required sound vary from one man to the next.

I got great results from the RM vibe, and I don't think anyone could doubt the quality/sound from the rm vibe, however if you want plug and play it's not, you have to dial in the sound, while also asking "is this the sound I'm after".
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: Mr. Air on October 11, 2009, 09:37:28 PM
I got caried away by this thread and have now ordered a Chicken Salad pedal. I dont now if I really need a vibe pedal, but I want to see what the fuzz is all about.
Title: Re: Univibes
Post by: SchonFan83 on October 12, 2009, 12:08:27 AM
The t-rex viper is awesome, but not cheap.
All the T-rex stuff is well made though, and their vibe pedal has a very cool look to it as well.