The Univibe has produced a unique and classic sound for 5 decades now, and while the original units are expensive and require a lot of maintenance, we’re lucky enough to know some folks who build killer modern versions. The one we’ve got for you today is the RFO Electronics Real Vibe Chorus Vibrato, a great-looking and gorgeous-sounding vibrato and chorus pedal that gives you all the goods from the vintage units, and more. Modulation is the name of the game today, so let’s jump right in…
The controls are very similar to the Univibe’s setup, with one difference that stands out the most. The Level control sets your output volume, and works with both the Chorus and Vibrato modes. Depth and Speed set the intensity and rate of the LFO (low frequency oscillator), respectively, with nice, wide ranges in each to explore and create your tone. Where the vintage Univibes had an output and footswitch to control the Speed, the Real Vibe has it onboard instead.
The Cancel switch is an excellent feature, allowing you to take the modulation out of the effect, and let your signal pass through the Real Vibe’s circuitry. This lets you have a clean boost at your disposal, adding some sparkle and presence to your tone. Using the same optical circuit and function as the Univibe, the Real Vibes are hand-built and tuned using 24mm Alpha potentiometers and high quality photo resistors. It can also be powered using 18V – 24V pedal power supplies, along with the included dedicated supply.
Warm, inviting, classic, vintage…the Real Vibe Chorus Vibrato produces all the tones that make your ears smile and your heart happy. Harkening back to decades earlier, this unit is about as nostalgic as they get, all while adding in some modern amenities while still paying homage to the one that started it all. Cheers to RFO Electronics on a wonderful build and ability to recreate these sounds – be sure to check out their Reverb shop for ordering and more info, and don’t sleep on our demo below, either…cheers!
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