“The very first digital vibe we’ve ever heard that sounds this big”: Strymon brings the Uni-Vibe into the modern day with the new UltraViolet Vintage Vibe
The pedal “can do so much more than the originals could”, says Strymon’s Head of Marketing Sean Halley.
Credit: Strymon
Strymon has forayed further into the compact-yet-affordable corner of the pedal market with its new Uni-Vibe inspired pedal, the UltraViolet Vintage Vibe.
It’s described as a vintage-voiced pedal that takes inspiration from the original ‘60s-era Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe, the iconic pedal used by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, David Gilmour, and countless others.
The Californian-based brand has added “a number of different options that were never available on the original units for greater flexibility” to bring the pedal into the 21st century.
It has roughly the same form factor as Strymon’s two previous 2023 pedal releases – the Cloudburst Ambient Reverb and Brig dBucket Delay – as well as has three control knobs for speed, intensity and volume, a sole footswitch and two toggle switches for changing between Chorus (50% wet), Blend (30% wet) and Vibrato (100% wet) modes, and for altering the Bias.
The three main knobs are responsible for sculpting an all-new vibe algorithm, which is said to be a meticulous recreation of “the classic optical vibe circuit”.
The pedal also offers full MIDI implementation, USB-C connectivity, stereo I/Os, a rear-panel mono/stereo switch, and the opportunity to configure and play 300 presets. In addition, there’s a JFET input preamp for improved touch-sensitivity.
According to Strymon Head of Marketing Sean Halley, the pedal itself “can do so much more than the originals could”, and is “the very first digital vibe I’ve ever heard that sounds this big”.
Meanwhile, Pete Celi – Strymon’s co founder and DSP guru – added: “It can totally do the hyper-authentic ‘60s thing, but it can do a bunch of other stuff that makes it much more versatile than the original units.”
The UltraViolet is now available, retailing at $259 (£213).
For more information, head to Strymon.