Two versions of the same univibe - why so different?
Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:57 pm
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A while back i got a Jam Retrovibe. Really liked it, and still do. Recently i got a great deal on another Retrovibe - the idea being i would leave one set on “chorus” and one set on “vibrato”. (yeah, i really like vibes!).
I did the A/B thing, using isolated loops and a pedal switcher, so they wouldn't be differently affected by external factors.
To my surprise, they sound very different.
The one on the left side of the photos has a thicker, slightly more grunty mid range, and a slight volume boost overall.
The one on the right of the photos has a more open sound, and no volume boost.
The left one has a somewhat less pronounced throb, and sounds very symmetrical.
The one on the right has a very pronounced throb and perhaps less symmetry.
Even after adjusting the internal trimpot for “intensity” i could not get these to sound the same. I could get them kind of similar for some settings, but it required very different positioning of the knobs.
Additionally, the speed and depth pots reacted differently. The one on the left has a fairly gradually sweep through the range of the pots, while the one on the right has most of the depth effect before noon, and a dramatic change in speed around 3pm.
It looks like the photocells are arranged quite differently, while the rest of the circuit appears the same (to my untrained eye).
Anyway, perhaps some of you may be interested in such details, and maybe even some comments about why the sound is so different.
A while back i got a Jam Retrovibe. Really liked it, and still do. Recently i got a great deal on another Retrovibe - the idea being i would leave one set on “chorus” and one set on “vibrato”. (yeah, i really like vibes!).
I did the A/B thing, using isolated loops and a pedal switcher, so they wouldn't be differently affected by external factors.
To my surprise, they sound very different.
The one on the left side of the photos has a thicker, slightly more grunty mid range, and a slight volume boost overall.
The one on the right of the photos has a more open sound, and no volume boost.
The left one has a somewhat less pronounced throb, and sounds very symmetrical.
The one on the right has a very pronounced throb and perhaps less symmetry.
Even after adjusting the internal trimpot for “intensity” i could not get these to sound the same. I could get them kind of similar for some settings, but it required very different positioning of the knobs.
Additionally, the speed and depth pots reacted differently. The one on the left has a fairly gradually sweep through the range of the pots, while the one on the right has most of the depth effect before noon, and a dramatic change in speed around 3pm.
It looks like the photocells are arranged quite differently, while the rest of the circuit appears the same (to my untrained eye).
Anyway, perhaps some of you may be interested in such details, and maybe even some comments about why the sound is so different.