Dunlop Rotovibe SOUNDCLIPS

Mark Olson · #1 03-28-2008, 04:31 PM

Ok I just got this like a half hour ago, so I thought I'd post my initial impressions and some soundclips.

What is the Rotovibe?

It is NOT a Uni-Vibe. It has a lot of similarities to the Uni-Vibe, but I can tell you straight away if you're looking for the Uni-Vibe tone, this pedal sucks. I've owned several Uni-Vibe pedals, and this is slightly different. The Rotovibe is meant as a leslie sim, like a Uni-Vibe, but like the Uni-Vibe I don't feel it does a particularly good job of it. It does have it's own cool sounds though.

How does it work?

Switches on and off like a wah, treadle controls speed, switch on the side to switch modes, knob on the side to control intensity.

Does it keep the bottom?

So far with my Jazz Bass it's fine in the chorus mode, sounds a little weaker in the vibrato mode. But note that there are internal trim pots, one of which supposedly controls the amplitude modulation, which is part of the effect. I just turned it all the way down. Amplitude modulation is cool for bass when you want to physically feel the effect (through the modulated bottom end) and it can make you seasick, but I'm trying to be a little more practical and depending on where you've got your rate set it's a gamble if your bottom is going to be there on the attack on 1 when you're modulating amplitude. I'll let you know more about how practical this thing is on bass when I use it more, but I have been able to get mileage out of Uni-Vibe effects in the past which are somewhat similar to this.

What does it sound like?

There are two modes, just like on a Uni-Vibe, Chorus and Vibrato. The chorus, also like a Uni-Vibe, is a phasery kind of chorus. The vibrato is a pitch modulator. Most people find the chorus much more useful. Ok that's enough talking, I'll just let you hear the effect:

First I have a Vibrato setting add some color to a riff:

http://media.putfile.com/Roto1

And a slow chorus adding color to a different riff:

http://media.putfile.com/Roto-2

A phasery tone with a low bassline:

http://media.putfile.com/Roto3

Some jazzy style fast chorus:

http://media.putfile.com/Roto4

And though I don't feel this pedal does a good job of it, I had to try Led Zeppelin's Heartbreaker:

http://media.putfile.com/Roto5

Maybe I ought to up the intensity on that one? Anyway, I kind of liked some of the Uni-Vibes I've used better than this, but with an amplitude modulation fix this is a little more practical on bass I think. But I'm not sure how I feel about these tones, so PLEASE if you have an opinion, good or bad I don't care, do share it.

Mark Olson · #2 03-28-2008, 06:06 PM

Ok I just listened to these over headphones and computer speakers and they suck without a sub. If you can please listen through loud speakers with a sub.

Mudfuzz · #3 03-28-2008, 06:42 PM

I've had one for a few years, I use the vibe more then the roto. The chorus is cool, one of my favorites. I have never had any kind of lowend loss what so ever with it, particularly in the vibe setting.

Mark Olson · #4 03-28-2008, 10:10 PM

When you had it, one kind of stuff would you use it for? I see on the Dunlop page Victor Wooten supposedly uses the Rotovibe I'm curious as to what he uses it for too.

Mudfuzz · #5 03-28-2008, 10:27 PM

I still have it on my board, I love the thing. What do I use it for? Well, #1, I use flats and have a sound with little highs for the most part in less I am using a OD or fuzz and there for most choruses get lost in the mix, the RV in roto gives my a audible chorus effect without messing with my sound, also being able to adjust speed via foot for both tempo and effect

is very cool. I tent to use it in vibe with OD and fuzz, it just gives me a real cool warbley, particularly over the top with a guyatone the fuzz. Another cool sound is to run into a octave pedal then into a envelope filter [Q-tron is the best] in down mode then into the RV in roto, and play with a pick near the bridge, what you end up with is a good facsimile of a hammond with a sharp attack.

As for Wooten, I have no Idea, your guess is as good as mine.

Mark Olson · #6 03-28-2008, 10:57 PM

Yeah, I've been getting addicted to the sound of my Gibson SG Bass with flats. I have an analogman chorus but it kind of sounds out of place on such a sixties sounding guitar so I hope the rotovibe has a more appropriate vibe. We'll see. I can't remember when chorus came into popular use but the leslie/Uni-Vibe sound was there back in the day.

I used to use Uni-Vibe effects for a ripping fuzz-phaserish bass solo sound (which I don't seem to be getting with the Roto yet) and for some swirly jazzy stuff. I'm hoping to incorporate this Rotovibe into some rock riffs. I'm anxious to hear how this thing does in a mix.

And I was just thinking out loud about Wooten. I didn't expect you to know. But if anyone else out there may have seen him use one live or something, which might be a longshot, please chime in.

The BurgerMeister · #7 03-29-2008, 01:45 AM

Mark, you've been on a clip-adding roll lately. i love it.

thanks for the clips! the Rotovibe sounds awesome!

Mark Olson · #8 03-29-2008, 03:39 PM

Thanks! I go through a lot of pedals sometimes. I like to record clips so I can sit and critique my own tones but I figure I may as well share them with anyone else who might be interested.

Mark Olson · #9 03-30-2008, 06:59 PM

Ok so I messed around with the trim pots a little more. One of them it's hard to tell what it does, but I have read that it controls the amplitude modulation. The other seems to control the center frequency of the effect. Turning it up gives a more warbly, trebly, phaserish sound. Turning that knob down makes the effect seem more appropriate for bass.

I also recorded another quick clip this time with an SG Bass with roundwounds. Real phaserish.

http://media.putfile.com/Roto6

And please if anyone has an opinion on these tones, do share. A lot of the clips I'm not really digging, I think they'd sound better without the effect, but a few of them sound cool I think.

Mark Olson · #10 01-13-2009, 12:30 AM

Hey, now that I listen to these again I don't think they sound half bad. I just thought I'd chime in and say not that I'm really missing the Rotovibe, but I'm really missing my Dunlop Uni-Vibe. If I can scrape together the cash, I'm kinda half assed planning on picking another one of those babies up. I really liked the sound of my old Uni-Vibe. It was just too noisy, even though it sounded so good, but right now I don't really care about that. I liked it better than some of the quieter vibes out there eg Fulltone Deja Vibe. You can expect soundclips if I do pick one up.

Oh, and I kinda missed the amplitude modulation that I dialed out with this pedal. It's a really 3D amplitude modulation, not quite like a normal Tremolo pedal, and it's really dramatic on bass because you can "feel" the effect.

JohnDavisNYC · #11 01-13-2009, 06:18 AM

the rotovibe is KILLER for bass... if you like turning your bass sound into a seasick carnival... which is pretty much my style!

the only thing i don't love is the 'wah treadle' design... i wish it was just a regular pedals with knobs.

john

Mark Olson · #12 01-17-2009, 12:14 AM

Yeah, I agree with you. I can't remember for sure, but you might even be able to make the amplitude modulation even more sick by adjusting an internal trim pot...

I didn't mind the treadle too much, but after the friction is gone on that thing it could get hard to use it anywhere but at a maxed rate, so that's definitely a concern, can't remember what kind of adjustments there are for that though... also I didn't think the bypass was as terrible as reviewers made it out to be on Harmony-Central, and I kinda liked the Vibrato on it too, though I'm not so particular about that kind of thing. Anyways, what was I saying? Yeah, a better bypass wouldn't hurt, but I'm not the kind of guy that's always worrying about "tone suck".