If I could, I would replace the P-Funk'n with tremolo or vibrato.
G'day Caeman and anyone else that might bother to read this,
I'm sure that you are aware of this, but just so everyone is on the same page let's clarify some terminology because confusion does arise. I have even seen dictionaries and musical instrument manufacturers get this wrong (hang your head in shame Fender).
'Tremolo' is simply amplitude modulation and nothing more - i.e. if you play a note it gets (quickly) louder and softer. Some guitars claim to have a 'tremolo arm', but it is nothing of the sort as it changes pitch not volume. Whammy bar is a much better name.
'Vibrato' is simply pitch modulation and nothing more - i.e. if you play a note its pitch varies (quickly) up and down around the original pitch.
Tremolo is something that is usually achieved with an effects unit, but can be achieved by quickly wiggling the volume knob on your instrument or waggling a volume pedal (but these methods don't usually sound that great).
Vibrato is something that is usually achieved with the hand and finger that is fretting the note (or a whammy bar!). I haven't come across a simple vibrato effect, but there is little doubt that it is possible. Even if there were one available I doubt that I would want to use it as vibrato is something that can easily, flexibly and tastefully be achieved with the left hand. A vibrato effect on a chord I think would sound horrible. Many effects are pitch shifting effects of course, such as Chorus and Flanger, but these are much more complex than simple vibrato.
Now that's out of the way, we can talk about the BVAP. This has a rotary cab effect. The physical rotary speaker cabinet has, would you believe, a rotating speaking inside it (well it's not actually the speaker itself that rotates, but that's not important for this discussion). If you stand next to one of these things, when the speaker is pointing at you it is louder than when it's pointing away from you. So as the thing spins the sound goes louder, softer, louder, softer etc. The speaker can rotate at variable speed. When the rotation is fairly quick, say two or more times a second the effect is much like a tremolo effect. I say 'much like' a tremolo effect because, in addition to the amplitude modulation there is also a subtle and complex effect on the pitch, much like a vibrato (but probably more like chorus), caused by the Doppler effect. (by the way, don't walk into a music store looking for a Doppler effect pedal, you are likely to get an odd look from the salesman).
Anyhow, your wish to replace the P-funk'n with a tremolo or vibrato effect might have come true! Without actually having to give up the funky P-funk'n. You might find (or you might not) that the rotary cab with some parameter tweeks might serve your tremolo/vibrato effect needs very nicely.
If you are lucky enough to have a Mac you can use iVamp and get access to all the parameters for the Rotary Cab, which are Mix, Balance, Split Freq, and Speed. I don't doubt you can get at these with a similar Windows editor as well.
Cheers,
Berthos.
