The sound of the Uni-Vibe® effect is really specific, and completely unmistakable. Made famous by Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, David Gilmour and many more, this swirling, pulsing phaser-infused vibrato chorus effect has been heard on countless classic recording over the decades, and adds a bit of depth and dimension to any music it happens to come into contact with. Today, we’re going to look at one of the now-most-famous recreations of the classic units, the Vibe Machine™ V-2 from DryBell. Small in size but boasting a big heart, this is one effect that’s sure to get your heart pumping and your musical mind working overtime….
Easy to see at first glance, the Vibe Machine™ V-2 has two big knobs you can control: Intensity and Speed, which act as Depth/Character and Rate controls for the effect. The first toggle switch present allows you to choose between Chorus and Vibrato modes, with each having a significantly different sound a feel to them, but both emulating the sounds of the original Uni-Vibe. This switch is directly connected to the Intensity knob, giving each mode a different flavor when using that particular control knob.
A second toggle switch lets you choose between Original, Bright and Custom input impedance settings. The original units had low impedance and warm output, so if you’re after that classic sound, you’d use the Original setting. The Bright mode gives you a brighter tone, as expected, adding a little life and sparkle to the pedal’s output sound. Finally, Custom gives you an impedance that falls somewhere between these two, and can be adjusted using the CUSTOM side trimmer.
Speaking of side trimmers, there are several you can customize on the Vibe Machine™ V-2. Volume sets the overall output of the pedal, while Chorus sets the depth of harmonic modulation when the V-2 is in Chorus mode, so you can easily adjust the swirl/watery/chewy character of the chorus sound. The Grit trimmer is a new control that adjusts the overall presence of the pedal’s tone and it is VERY interactive with the volume of the output signal, as well as with a fuzz or dirt pedal immediately after the V-2. Finally, Range & Symmetry trimmers are used for setting a desired throb sound. These are carefully calibrated by before the Vibe Machine™ ships, but if you’re feeling frisky, you can adjust them as well.
You can even add on more hands-free operation with the Pedal+ jack, located above the Input jack. Here, you can use the optional F-1L Footswitch, designed for multiple purposes, specifically for the V-2: Tap Tempo, Leslie FAST/SLOW mode, Two Speed mode or to engage the Cancel function. It is a simple latching footswitch wired tip to sleeve, and can be used with any other pedal which uses a footswitch option as well. You can also use an Expression pedal in this jack, to control the Speed of the effect without having to bend down or interrupt your playing.
In short, this is one tiny machine that holds oodles of sonic power and tonal perfection, all just waiting to be unleashed onto the world’s eardrums. How they fit this much into a pedal this size will be forever baffling, but what an impressive job by the crew at DryBell, to say the least. We’ve attempted to showcase some of the magnificent tones available on the Vibe Machine™ in our demo video below, so please be sure you check it out, give it a Thumb’s Up if you dig it and Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on our future review and demo releases. Have a great weekend!
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