Tweaking the vibe

aens

aens

Experienced
Any idea how to tweak the Classic Vibe or FAS Vibe to get it closer to the Maui version below? That’s the perfect vibe sound imho. It sounds lively and more full (it does something differently in the low mid frequencies) in ways I can’t quite explain compared to the models in Fractal.

Things I’ve tried:
  • play with the mix knob for that more vibrato kind of sound. Not sure if higher or lower values get me closer.
  • play with the bias. Higher values kind of get me closer, but still not quite there yet.
  • adding little feedback also kind of gets me closer, but it’s still not there

Any ideas?

 
I gave in and bought a Filmour East, sounds amazing and just like it’s supposed to. Pricey but super cool handmade recreation. I think a big part of the tone is the unique impedance and loading of the pedal, how it affects stuff before and after it in the chain, it’s own preamp circuit etc.

I’ve owned darn near all the popular hardware vibes, and all the various modelers and the Sabbadus pedals are the only ones to get “that” sound dead-on
 
With Input impedance set to "auto", if you put the Classic Vibe as the first active block in the chain, you'll get some of the impedance effect mentioned by Mr lqdsnddist (input impedance will switch from 1M TO 70K - sounds a bit darker to me, maybe some feel difference).

If you have other active preceding blocks (ie wah / compressor as shown below), but still want the changed impedance with the vibe, you can do it by positioning the chain across two rows like below (trick I picked up from Mr Moke).

1665242366076.png
 
sprint said:
With Input impedance set to "auto", if you put the Classic Vibe as the first active block in the chain, you'll get some of the impedance effect mentioned by Mr lqdsnddist (input impedance will switch from 1M TO 70K - sounds a bit darker to me, maybe some feel difference).

If you have other active preceding blocks (ie wah / compressor as shown below), but still want the changed impedance with the vibe, you can do it by positioning the chain across two rows like below (trick I picked up from Mr Moke).

View attachment 109534
Click to expand...
Do you have more info on this technique? I'm trying to learn more about the auto impedance based on rows but for reasons I can't sort out struggle with advanced searches in this forum.

Swallowing my pride to ask because I feel like I would really benefit from tweaking my presets for this.
 
aens said:
Any idea how to tweak the Classic Vibe or FAS Vibe to get it closer to the Maui version below? That’s the perfect vibe sound imho. It sounds lively and more full (it does something differently in the low mid frequencies) in ways I can’t quite explain compared to the models in Fractal.

Things I’ve tried:
  • play with the mix knob for that more vibrato kind of sound. Not sure if higher or lower values get me closer.
  • play with the bias. Higher values kind of get me closer, but still not quite there yet.
  • adding little feedback also kind of gets me closer, but it’s still not there

Any ideas?

Click to expand...

I also could only get so far using the same tweaks as you, so i also gave in like lqdsnddist and got a second hand RweaverFx VioletVibe :sweatsmile:
I find fuzzes and vibes are the only things that im not satisfied with in the axe, then again i have like 8 real fuzzes (yeah im an fuzz addict) so i dont care that much^^
 
astrolux said:
Do you have more info on this technique? I'm trying to learn more about the auto impedance based on rows but for reasons I can't sort out struggle with advanced searches in this forum.

Swallowing my pride to ask because I feel like I would really benefit from tweaking my presets for this.
Click to expand...
With the input impedance setting (in input1 block) set to "auto", some drive types (ie some fuzzes), and fx types (ie phaser/classic vibe) will cause the input impedance to switch from 1M to a much smaller value to mimic the front end impedances of those real pedals. The tone / feel impacts of this tend to be subtle imo changing the way your guitar pickups respond when your guitar is plugged directly into such pedals. The change in impedance only occurs if the effect (ie fuzz,vibe) is the first active block in line (on same row) after input1. If there are other fx blocks in between input1 and the lower impedance producing effect (ie, like the compressor block shown above), the impedance will not switch over to a revised value. The trick to get around this is to move the input1 and impedance affecting block to another row as shown above, so that they are directly in line with one another with nothing else in between which allows the impedance auto switching to work.

Note that letting the impedance remain at auto-1M and not caring about fx block position wrt impedance is quite fine imo, but some enjoy the subtle effect that the impedance changes can create (similar to being plugged directly into many real fuzz pedals for example), and the resulting impact on tone / feel, so will consider this type of tweak.
 
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lqdsnddist said:
I gave in and bought a Filmour East, sounds amazing and just like it’s supposed to. Pricey but super cool handmade recreation. I think a big part of the tone is the unique impedance and loading of the pedal, how it affects stuff before and after it in the chain, it’s own preamp circuit etc.

I’ve owned darn near all the popular hardware vibes, and all the various modelers and the Sabbadus pedals are the only ones to get “that” sound dead-on
Click to expand...
I can't find the Maui Vibe anywhere :(
 
Check out Southern Guitars as well, they usually have pretty good stock coming in.

They do seem to sell quickly though which is crazy given the prices, but never heard anything else that gets “that” sound.

I had all the more mainstream vibes, voodoo lab, Fulltone, jam, etc, and they were no doubt a vibe pedal, and sounded good, but wasn’t exactly like Jimi…. Nico’s stuff is the exact sound. Same phasing, frequency response, throb, color, swirl, you name it. Cool stuff
 
GeeJee said:
https://www.guitarsystems.nl/vibetool - one of the best Univibe clones I’ve ever heard!
And I’m not the only one with that opinion!
Click to expand...
Good to know, thanks.
Love MT, but can't see him as a reference anymore. He's been too obviously hired or being nice for many of these kinds of reviews.
Nor guys that used to claim, "I don't review pedals that I don't like or use." (incl. Pete Thorn) They are losing their credibility to me, but at least they play/record it well :)
 
Brewce said:
Good to know, thanks.
Love MT, but can't see him as a reference anymore. He's been too obviously hired or being nice for many of these kinds of reviews.
Nor guys that used to claim, "I don't review pedals that I don't like or use." (incl. Pete Thorn) They are losing their credibility to me, but at least they play/record it well :)
Click to expand...
I know. But the recordings give a good impression.
FWIW: I know MT didn’t receive a dime for his review. None of the reviewers.
On YT there is a Rig Rundown from 9 years ago with Steve Stevens with the VibeTool in his Rack.
I owned and sold several very good other clones; the VibeTool is a keeper because it sounds way better and is more flexible. IMHO… And build as a Tank!
 
GeeJee said:
FWIW: I know MT didn’t receive a dime for his review. None of the reviewers.
Click to expand...
Did he get to keep one for free? That would be enough to be nice and stress the pros.
How much are they?
That they are still being built is not a bad sign I guess :)
 
Brewce said:
Did he get to keep one for free? That would be enough to be nice and stress the pros.
How much are they?
That they are still being built is not a bad sign I guess :)
Click to expand...
I don’t know if Steve Stevens got it for free, but MT only got to try the prototype during the visit.

You can see the price in the website. Ad from GuitarSystems still builds all the pedals himself by hand. VibeTool included.
You could always contact Ad for info/questions; he is one of the most friendly and helpfull persons I know.
 
sprint said:
With the input impedance setting (in input1 block) set to "auto", some drive types (ie some fuzzes), and fx types (ie phaser/classic vibe) will cause the input impedance to switch from 1M to a much smaller value to mimic the front end impedances of those real pedals. The tone / feel impacts of this tend to be subtle imo changing the way your guitar pickups respond when your guitar is plugged directly into such pedals. The change in impedance only occurs if the effect (ie fuzz,vibe) is the first active block in line (on same row) after input1. If there are other fx blocks in between input1 and the lower impedance producing effect (ie, like the compressor block shown above), the impedance will not switch over to a revised value. The trick to get around this is to move the input1 and impedance affecting block to another row as shown above, so that they are directly in line with one another with nothing else in between which allows the impedance auto switching to work.

Note that letting the impedance remain at auto-1M and not caring about fx block position wrt impedance is quite fine imo, but some enjoy the subtle effect that the impedance changes can create (similar to being plugged directly into many real fuzz pedals for example), and the resulting impact on tone / feel, so will consider this type of tweak.
Click to expand...
Just to say it, the effect of auto impedance isn't subtle with some fuzzes etc. It's an integral part of the sounds we know.
 
Too bad that auto-impedance doesn’t work with wireless systems. It’s a cruel choice to make.
 
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Dave Merrill said:
Just to say it, the effect of auto impedance isn't subtle with some fuzzes etc. It's an integral part of the sounds we know.
Click to expand...
You are right. Just did the trick @sprint suggested with PI Fuzz and it's the best fuzz sound I've ever gotten out of my Fractals. Change the clipping to Op-amp and lower the Bias to around -0,5 to make the sound more open, and voila.

I've used Fractals for over 10 years and this was all new to me. You still learn new tricks with these devices.
 
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