Download Digital Grey Box Model of the Uni-Vibe Effects Pedal
This paper presents a digital grey box model of a late 1960s era Shin-ei Uni-Vibe(r) 1 analog effects foot pedal. As an early phase shifter, it achieved wide success in popular music as a unique musical effect, noteworthy for its pulsating and throbbing modulation sounds. The Uni-Vibe is an early series all-pass phaser effect, where each first-order section is a discrete component phase splitter (no operational amplifiers). The dynamic sweeping movement of the effect arises from a single LFO-driven incandescent lamp opto-coupled to the light dependent resistors (LDRs) of each stage. The proposed method combines digital circuit models with measured LDR characteristics for the four phase shift stages of an original Uni-Vibe unit, resulting in an efficient emulation that preserves the character of the Uni-Vibe. In modeling this iconic effect, we also aim to offer some historical and technical insight into the exact nature of its unique sound.