This premium twofer is five years in the making and has Uni-Vibe-esque chorus/vibrato for getting your Hendrix/Trower on, with the heady splash of '50s spring tank reverb also on tap
(Image credit: J. Rockett Audio Designs)
US boutique pedal builder J. Rockett Audio Designs has unveiled its premium Uni-Verb pedal – a Uni-Vibe-style stompbox that pairs the original’s analog vibrato/chorus effect with spring reverb.
The pedal itself is the result of an intense five-year project that sought to capture the tones of the original unit – a project that also attempted to improve upon the flagship design by way of an added ‘50s spring tank reverb.
J. Rockett says it has also improved the vibe section of the original in an effort to make it “very musical and usable”, leading to a pedal that is supposedly able to vibe faster and slower with slightly more output.
And, as an added bonus, an FX loop has been built into the pedal, meaning the vibe and ‘verb sections can be made separate.
Aesthetically speaking, it’s an impressive visual like-for-like, though one key deviation is the absence of the original’s Vibrato/Chorus rocker switch. In its place is a central footswitch that performs the same function.
Flanking the central button are footswitches for Reverb and On/Off, which in turn are joined by four smaller parameter control knobs and two larger rotary-style switches.
There are no prizes for guessing what function the Reverb footswitch serves. The On/Off is engages vibrato and chorus effect while the Vibrato/Chorus footswitch toggles between the two effects.
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As for the rest of the controls, the Uni-Vibe side of the pedal is dictated by Chorus Mix, Level, Speed and Intensity. The latter three are all pretty straightforward, and are in charge of overall output, vibe/chorus speed and effect intensity.
(Image credit: J. Rockett Audio)
The final Chorus Mix knob is used to blend the dry and wet signals, and is exclusively used to alter the chorus effect – the vibe gets a one-size-fits-all mix.
Meanwhile, the Reverb side is at the mercy of a smaller intensity-controlling Reverb knob and a Dwell switch, which is used to select the length of the reverb trail.
“This was a five year project to create the most authentic Univibe pedal we could while adding modern features players would love” said J. Rockett Audio’s Chris Van Tassel. “We know most players want to separate the vibe and reverb in their chain so we created an effects loop to give the player the most amount of flexibility.”
The Uni-Verb is available now for $449 / £465 street.
It's not the first time J. Rockett Audio has taken a deluxe approach to reimagining a classic stompbox. Last year it introduced the Clockwork Echo, which took inspiration from the EHX Deluxe Memory Man, with true stereo and tap tempo among the practical updates.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
