Lovepedal Magicboy Vibe Uni-Vibe SOUNDCLIPS

[Mark Olson]

I got this today and I just got the chance to plug it in. It's darker than I'd prefer, but cool nonetheless so I thought I'd post the clips I did of it here.

These kinds of pedals are very hard to use in a band situation on bass, so before you go considering a purchase of something like this I recommend you blast these clips through a large soundsystem with chest thumping bass so you realize how you'll be discombobulating your audience if you use one. Not a subtle effect. The clips are available for free download.

Here is the Magicboy Vibe (off and then on) with my amp all distorted:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9951750

Same thing, less distortion:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9951744

Same thing again, pretty clean:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9951742

I also change up the speed in that last clip.

So not my favorite Vibe I've played, but it's small, 9v, one knob format is perfect! And it does sound pretty good, to me anyways.

[Mark Olson]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=9953683

Clean Phasery clip.

[bigchiefbc]

See Mark, not to start a whole thing with you here, but this is one effect that is kinda ruined by running it into a distorting amp. This would sound 100 times cooler with the distortion coming before the vibe, which is impossible if you're depending on your amp's power section for your distortion.

[Mark Olson]

Actually that's not true, I've owned a lot of Uni-Vibes and used them after distortions for years because of my OCD about having distortion before modulation. It's only the very rare distortion that works well in front of a Univibe. Fuzz on the other hand, works before a Uni-Vibe, particularly (or with some fuzzes, only) when running the combo into a distorted amp.

Pick up a Vibe sometime and try it, you'll see what I mean.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

Actually that's not true, I've owned a lot of Uni-Vibes and used them after distortions for years because of my OCD about having distortion before modulation. It's only the very rare distortion that works well in front of a Univibe. Fuzz on the other hand, works before a Uni-Vibe, particularly (or with some fuzzes, only) when running the combo into a distorted amp.

Pick up a Vibe sometime and try it, you'll see what I mean.

Oh, believe me, I have. That's why I was saying it. To me, a univibe only really throbs like I want when there is some sort of dirt/dist/fuzz before it.

The only example I have recorded is this one: http://www.bassfxpedals.com/clips/univibe-germ.mp3

That is just bass -> EHX Germanium OD -> Boss RT-20 -> mixer -> pc

[Mark Olson]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=8880490

That's what it's supposed to sound like. If you take the fuzz/vibe and then run it into a dirty amp it'd sound ok.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=8880490

That's what it's supposed to sound like. If you take the fuzz/vibe and then run it into a dirty amp it'd sound ok.

That does sound better than the clips above. But to me, while the dirt afterwards does round it out, in my mind it still does pave over the swoop and makes it less extreme. Oh well, different strokes and all that.

[Mark Olson]

What you're hearing is the less extreme sweep of the Magicboy in comparison (it does have an internal intensity trim pot so that can be adjusted). You're right, I don't like that chalky phasery tone of overdrive or fuzz before vibe, makes you sound like your tone has cotton in it's mouth. That does require dirt post vibe to round it out and make the highs feel less eaten. Some people will inevitably like it every which way, but all of the Hendrix/Trower tones are made with a dirty amp.

[Mark Olson]

And if you like the Univibe emulation, I highly recommend checking out an accurate vibe clone someday (which the Lovepedal Vibe is not). You should see how one feels in the room through a cranked tube amp, it really has a physical impact on you.

I've actually with a fuzz/vibe combo made drunkards on the dance floor run outside to vomit because they've gotten seasick! I call that my bait and switch technique, bait the drunks to the floor with some sick dance groove, then kick on the fuzz/vibe and shake them up!

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

And if you like the Univibe emulation, I highly recommend checking out an accurate vibe clone someday (which the Lovepedal Vibe is not). You should see how one feels in the room through a cranked tube amp, it really has a physical impact on you.

I've actually with a fuzz/vibe combo made drunkards on the dance floor run outside to vomit because they've gotten seasick! I call that my bait and switch technique, bait the drunks to the floor with some sick dance groove, then kick on the fuzz/vibe and shake them up!

I have before, believe me. My uncle has a Deja Vibe and I got to play it through his Twin Reverb, and I honestly liked it better when I had the amp set cleaner than dirty. I guess maybe I like it to sound a little more phaser-y. I know that's not the Hendrix/Trower way of doing it, but I don't really care. My goal is not to sound "vintage", its to get a sound that I like. And I do love phasers, but I love the uneven sweep of the vibe.

[discojames]

I'd really have to agree with Mark on this one. I don't know if it's noticeable to you, but your clip has this particular harshness to it that I've heard any time I've ever tried a vibe or phaser after dirt, with no dirt to follow it up. You really need a good distorted amp, or at least a good dirt pedal, after the vibe, to round out the sound. I don't think making up your mind on one try is good judgement, especially since a Twin Reverb, or any particularly treble-heavy amp, is not a good amp to be distorted in hopes of a good vibe sound. In my opinion, and with everyone I know, getting rid of that harshness really improves the throb of that effect.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by discojames

I'd really have to agree with Mark on this one. I don't know if it's noticeable to you, but your clip has this particular harshness to it that I've heard any time I've ever tried a vibe or phaser after dirt, with no dirt to follow it up. You really need a good distorted amp, or at least a good dirt pedal, after the vibe, to round out the sound. I don't think making up your mind on one try is good judgement, especially since a Twin Reverb, or any particularly treble-heavy amp, is not a good amp to be distorted in hopes of a good vibe sound. In my opinion, and with everyone I know, getting rid of that harshness really improves the throb of that effect.

That's fine, I actually like that harshness, and don't WANT to "round out the sound". But then again, my main gig is an industrial/electronica group. I'm not going for a vintage sound here. Think nin/ministry/pitchshifter/god lives underwater, not hendrix at woodstock.

[discojames]

Well, I wasn't assuming you were going for a vintage tone by any means. Your gear list really suggests that you aren't. And I'm not a strictly vintage guy, either. However, what I meant by harsh is that it can be displeasing to the ears, regardless of genre. The audience isn't going to want to listen to you if you're hurting their ears.

[Mark Olson]

To be fair, he does have a point, I didn't want to say anything but that clip does sound godawful!

I have no problem with people not wanting to sound like Hendrix. I don't even have a problem with people who want to sound terrible, that's their prerogative. But if you're going to come to me and tell me the way I'm doing things "ruins" the sound because it doesn't sound like... THAT .

I don't mean this as a personal judgement of you or your musicianship, I'm sure it's an old clip and you can do much better (because I'm optimistic like that, not cynical), but I think your point would have been a little stronger with a decent sounding representation of what overdrive into vibe sounds like, which, like I said, I used to use for years out of effects order OCD.

[Swift713]

I've got to say that I liked Mark's clean phasery clip the best. The rest sound kind of muddy to me. No disrespect, Mark, I generally really love your tones.
I like how you can hear the vibe effect better in bigchiefbc's clip but I'm not sure I'm crazy about the OD tone, a little harsh and overly middy to my taste. That EHX Germanium OD didn't thrill me when I tried it.

[Mark Olson]

No offense taken! I'm pretty subtle, I try to stay enthusiastic about pedals, but this one hasn't won me over. I love it's simplicity, but this thing eats highs like a cop eats donuts.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

To be fair, he does have a point, I didn't want to say anything but that clip does sound godawful!

I have no problem with people not wanting to sound like Hendrix. I don't even have a problem with people who want to sound terrible, that's their prerogative. But if you're going to come to me and tell me the way I'm doing things "ruins" the sound because it doesn't sound like... THAT .

I don't mean this as a personal judgement of you or your musicianship, I'm sure it's an old clip and you can do much better (because I'm optimistic like that, not cynical), but I think your point would have been a little stronger with a decent sounding representation of what overdrive into vibe sounds like, which, like I said, I used to use for years out of effects order OCD.

Fair enough about that clip. Yes it's old, and it was taken direct from a mixer, which is gonna sound harsh anyways. My point wasn't that it sounded good, but it was the only example I had handy of a vibe with dirt before it (and NOT after it). I felt like the vibe effect was buried by your amp's distortion in your clips, Mark. That was my only point.

[Mark Olson]

Right but not every vibe and every vibe setting is going to have the intensity and amplitude modulation you might want, nor is everyone else going to benefit from maximum intensity, at all. And because you might feel that the effect might be ruined with less intensity doesn't mean anyone in the world is going to agree with you.

I know how overdrives sound before Vibes, actual Uni-Vibes, I used to use that combination for years. There's no point there to be made to me. It's true, I can crank the intensity on any crap vibe and put some drive before it and sound like this:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=7375535

But if I did that with any low end in my sound, I certainly wouldn't blame everyone for walking out of the gig on me. I'd walk out if someone did that too.

[Swift713]

In all fairness Mark, I don't much care for that sound but I can imagine plenty of people would. It's not vintage or subtle but it would work well for some kinds of music.

[Mark Olson]

The soundclip on computer speakers is ok, but try playing that through a bass system with thunderous, massive chest thumping low end and see what happens! Lord knows it's ok to physically assault your audience with SPL, but there's only so much anyone will take.