Current status of the Vibe effect

C

claxor

Power User
What do you guys think of the vibe block in the Axe2 lately? I'm pretty happy with chorus settings and a slow rate for clean tones. Just curious what you think of it.

Thanks!
 
Its not bad, and its not the best. I've owned quite a few vibes over the years, Mojovibe, Ubervibe, Voodoo Vibe+ etc and would say the Axe falls in the middle. Voodoo Vibe+ was probably my favorite with some dirt, and the Mojovibe has this super thick chewy throb to it, great for "Machine Gun"

The Axe doesn't have quite as much organic throb effect as I'd ideally prefer, but I found it overall good enough that I was able to sell my hardware pedals (many of which are far from cheap)
 
lqdsnddist said:
Its not bad, and its not the best. I've owned quite a few vibes over the years, Mojovibe, Ubervibe, Voodoo Vibe+ etc and would say the Axe falls in the middle. Voodoo Vibe+ was probably my favorite with some dirt, and the Mojovibe has this super thick chewy throb to it, great for "Machine Gun"

The Axe doesn't have quite as much organic throb effect as I'd ideally prefer, but I found it overall good enough that I was able to sell my hardware pedals (many of which are far from cheap)
Click to expand...

You can adjust the amount of throb with Bulb Bias parameter.
 
FractalAudio said:
You can adjust the amount of throb with Bulb Bias parameter.
Click to expand...

I know, and it helps quite a bit, but still doesn't quite match Bob Sweet's (RIP) masterpiece of a vibe, with its own internal pot cranked up a little. Its a rather subjective thing though, much like fuzz pedals. Everyone has slightly different taste.

My Mojovibe really felt like it was alive though, like it added this organic, slightly asymmetric pulse to the track running it through my Plexi.

Axe is pretty good though, I was able to pretty much dial it in exactly when I a/b'd it with the Voodoo Vibe and it could come to most of the range of the Mojovibe.

Overall I think its better than, or at least equal the megavibe, MXR vibe, Foxrox vibe etc. Ehhh.. kind of depressing to think how much money I spend, and lost, chasing some of those down on Ebay. I think I paid more for the Capt. Coconut that my car was worth at the time LOL
 
FractalAudio said:
The Fulltone Deja Vibe is what the model is based on. We don't have an actual Univibe at this time.
Click to expand...

Not missing much aside from the cool and collectible factor of a rare pedal. Buddy of mine paid through the nose for a Shin-ei and it wasn't that impressive honestly. Noisy, huge tone sucker, and he couldn't find any pot that would let him make the foot controller actually work. One of those cool to say you own it effects, but that you just keep sitting on a shelf opposed to actually using. Probably gone up in value through so I'm sure it was still a good buy.

Would be awesome if you could get your hands on a Mojovibe though to model. I believe someone else took over the production after Bob's passing away. Just had such a full low end to it, beautiful, thick and chewy on low notes. Got a little muddy with a fuzz though.
 
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With some tweaking, it sounds amazing. Actual Univibes varied all over the place, so it's hard to say what sounds "authentic" and what doesn't. I've read that Jimi Hendrix's guitar tech, Roger Mayer, would go through dozens of Univibes (and Fuzz Faces) to find ones that Jimi liked because they varied so much. The incandescent bulbs and photocells inside varied a lot from unit to unit. I built a Univibe clone a few years ago and had to go through quite a few different bulbs and photocells to find ones that sounded right. It's an interesting circuit. I've heard that Mike at Fulltone had his photocells custom made to get the sound he was looking for.
 
A new TC Viscous Vibe is probably the best vibe i've heard, very Hendrix sounding. I could never get axe to sound like that.
 
lqdsnddist said:
I know, and it helps quite a bit, but still doesn't quite match Bob Sweet's (RIP) masterpiece of a vibe, with its own internal pot cranked up a little. Its a rather subjective thing though, much like fuzz pedals. Everyone has slightly different taste.

My Mojovibe really felt like it was alive though, like it added this organic, slightly asymmetric pulse to the track running it through my Plexi.

Axe is pretty good though, I was able to pretty much dial it in exactly when I a/b'd it with the Voodoo Vibe and it could come to most of the range of the Mojovibe.

Overall I think its better than, or at least equal the megavibe, MXR vibe, Foxrox vibe etc. Ehhh.. kind of depressing to think how much money I spend, and lost, chasing some of those down on Ebay. I think I paid more for the Capt. Coconut that my car was worth at the time LOL
Click to expand...

I hear you on that. I did love my mojo and my FoxRox, but I'm pretty damn close with the Axe. Bulb bias is a great knob to have. Frequency start is also super useful. Just gotta keep tweaking and I know I'll nail it.
 
I had a Mojovibe as well. It had a thick chewiness and "creamy" tone that I can't seem to capture with the Axe-vibe. For as often as I use a univibe, the Axe version is pretty good so I sold it. Wish I would have kept it...
 
lqdsnddist said:
Buddy of mine paid through the nose for a Shin-ei and it wasn't that impressive honestly. Noisy, huge tone sucker, and he couldn't find any pot that would let him make the foot controller actually work. One of those cool to say you own it effects, but that you just keep sitting on a shelf opposed to actually using. Probably gone up in value through so I'm sure it was still a good buy.
Click to expand...

There is one on sale right now on eBay, only $929 down from $999...:shock
 
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i used the UV-1 pedal in my old G-System/Roadster rig and LOVED how it sounded. i kept it on in the background during solos, a bit like how EVH used the phaser.

just checked and now it's discontinued :( not that i'd add it to my all axe rig anyway, but dang that's the sound i've been looking for. i know there are some "better" ones out there, but this one was the one for me.

UniViberegDISCONTINUED-11.png
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
i used the UV-1 pedal in my old G-System/Roadster rig and LOVED how it sounded. i kept it on in the background during solos, a bit like how EVH used the phaser.

just checked and now it's discontinued :( not that i'd add it to my all axe rig anyway, but dang that's the sound i've been looking for. i know there are some "better" ones out there, but this one was the one for me.

UniViberegDISCONTINUED-11.png
Click to expand...
(Dang, Chris, I'm just stalking you all over the forum today! :) )

Yes, I have UV-1, too. They do sound nice. I haven't used it in years, but it's just too cool to get rid of. It's the pimpest thing I've ever had on my pedalboard. This country needs more stompboxes with die-cast metal faceplates.
 
The original designer of the Univibe made a new version called the Nuvibe, sold thru Korg. I have not tried one yet, but it looks good.

Nuvibe VIBRATO CHORUS EFFECTOR | Effects | KORG

I have an original Univibe that I bought when they first came out many years ago. The Univibe in the Axe FXII sounds good to me. It's pretty close to my original.
 
laughyouraxeoff said:
I hope someone will be able to loan Cliff a Mojovibe and Voodoo Vibe+ to model after:D
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I have a Voodoo Vibe + also. Not any where near as good as my vintage Univibe (or the Fulltone Dejavibe). The old KR Megavibe that Randy Hansen uses is the Univibe copy that really got it right. The only thing that might be a little better than the Fulltone Dejavibe is a real vintage Univibe (or maybe a Megavibe). Anything else that I have heard would be a step backwards. I've tried them all against my real one. The Univibe in the Axe FXII sounds really good when it's set right.
 
I owned several real ones and I matched them by ear to AXE FX II I have a Super vibe which Roger mayer made rack mount version ..
owned both ultra and mojo vibes. None of them nailed the Original spot on.

I also matched by ear using axe fx going off machine gun or Trower bride of sighs when I heard 17.4 I was able to really dial that sound in much closer
So I try to match too the song im trying to emulate and save that and name it by artist into library.

I still have an ultra vibe and the super vibe and other home brewed models.
I am able to get all those sounds with axe II using 18 beta currently and I note I need to go back and
adjust each efx I save as I go and rename it specifically in library to be able to call those up.

I have some great reference recordings of Hendrix and Randy Hansen or Trower
the go to recordings if you will that seem to set the standards.

I found most all those sounds within the axe and they improved by 17.4
anyone not happy with the sounds built in axe fx should upgrade too 17.4 or 18 even
and re visit the phaser block its there you just have to sit and tweak and when its about spot on
save as. Name it too that artist in library Im trying to force that habit so I can visit library and
drag that specific efx over to any amp I want.. Just to try each version with any amp..

I will get into the throb control with bias bulb I found the original photo optic cells
at a vintage shop and had a custom pedal made with those..

But something about the originals are damn hard to get right.
The closest ive got was with the axe II and thats with an original
sitting right next too it and A B' ing things same with using good reference recordings..
it just takes awhile to get the timing just right..

I remember the settings 7 and 7.5 on the real one.
and volume was on 10.

So within the axe fx I set the knobs
to about the same and stuck with it till it sounded like the recording.

Then saved and backed it up.. settings may differ and Ive owned 3 original units in my life time
and each one was a bit different.

It hurt less this last time to sell it because Id spent the time in the axe and that paid off when 17.4 was out
its even better with 18 when its all dialed in..

So im not without. I dont miss my originals..
I dont miss my original Plexi marshalls either.

Been down those rabbit holes its all in the monolith of sound.

I did note the Trower sounds really sound spot on with the axe and perhaps more understandable knowing
they used the Fulltone deja vibe to base from.

When I met Trower I asked them where are the univibes He had 3 pedals on his board.
Ce2 chorus a stock wah and a boss distortion pedal.
I refused to believe the Ce2 was making that sound and Trower laughed outloud and shouted too the roadie HEY WHERE ARE THE UNIVIBES
He shouted back back in England ? I was adamant at the time to know and they said its on top of the amp go back inside and look
and he had the supervibe there with a wireless system.

This was back in the day before he was using Fulltone stuff and he still got that sound.
They thought it was funny I was so bent over it.

This shit is important now tell me I said Sure enough on top of his tan marshalls there was the supervibe
he had two of them at Austin aqua fest those were im sure custom made to specs by Roger Mayer.
The next time I saw Trower he was signing mine.. When he signed it I noticed its the same hand writing as on bridge of sighs
in the same font style ! Trowers mother was from India..

I might have seen him once with real univibes with James Dewar but most of the 80s he had supervibes..

Tweak and ye shall find and get 17.4 at least or 18 and just camp out till you have it..
Its all in there..
 
FractalAudio said:
The Fulltone Deja Vibe is what the model is based on. We don't have an actual Univibe at this time.
Click to expand...

Cliff - So, is it safe to assume that the default settings (rate and depth not withstanding) when you select the Vibe mode are based off the Fulltone pedal? Also, is it safe to assume that the Bulb Bias parameter matches with the Light Source trim pot inside the DJV?
 
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