Let’s face it – the classic Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe sound works really, really well in some music…and not so much in others. Being that it might not be the friendliest effect on your board, it’s hard for a lot of folks to shell out a couple hundred dollars for a well-made recreation, or even harder to find (and afford) and original, much less one in good working condition. While these sought-after analog machines are truly the end-all, be-all of vibrato effects, thanks to players like Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour, the majority of us don’t have a thousand plus dollars to spend on an effect that we might only use sparingly. Well, thanks to the geniuses at TC Electronic, and their new pedal the Viscous Vibe, you can have all the Uni-Vibe tone at a small fraction of the price.
The Viscous Vibe has a cool layout, with an oversized Speed knob right smack in the middle of the pedal, for easy on-the-fly foot adjustments on stage. Two smaller knobs lurk just beneath the big fella, Volume (which is really just a Mix control) and Intensity (how present the effect is in your tone), which are both as important as the Speed control to the Viscous Vibe. There’s a small toggle switch, too, with tonal selections of Chorus (phase-heavy and thick), Vibrato (swirly, classic Uni-Vibe) or TC Electronic’s now-signature TonePrint option, where you can download other players’ custom sounds, or create your own using the TonePrint App, for endless vibe and chorus possibilities.
Featuring True Bypass, Stereo Ins and Outs and Analog Dry-Through (which leaves your original guitar tone intact when passing through the pedal), the Viscous Vibe is yet another marvelous creation from the gang in Denmark. Pedal after pedal that we review from these guys are just constantly upping the ante and doing some very cool experimentation with electronic gear, which we cannot get enough of. Go check the TC Electronic site for more great pedal options, but if you want to dial in your inner Hendrix or Pink Floyd in about 30 seconds, look no further than the Viscous Vibe.
Specs:
1:1 digital recreation of the legendary Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe
TonePrint – for a world of signature and customizable effects
Stereo in & out – for added flexibility to your set-up
Speed-ramp feature – Hold down bypass switch to increase vibe speed
True Bypass
Compact design
9V/100mA
High quality components
Road-ready design
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
