The pedal features cascaded overdrive distortion and Shin-ei Uni-Vibe-inspired modulation, each in two distinct voicings and delivered in stereo
Eventide Audio has introduced its new Riptide pedal, the result of extensive research into the iconic Shin-ei Uni-Vibe® and legendary overdrives. The Uni-Vibe delivered swirling vibey waves of lush modulation recognizable on tracks by Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Robin Trower. Overdrive is the classic distortion technique originally discovered by guitarists cranking their amps to the max and driving the vacuum tubes into heavy saturation. These two classic effects are offered with the Riptide pedal as “Vibe” and “Drive.”
Riptide features two distinct voicings each for both Vibe and Drive, delivered in glorious stereo. The two colors of balanced, touch-sensitive overdrive distortion are Green for a dynamic mid-range crunch and Red for a smooth and boosted overdrive sound. The Green for Vibe captures the richness and modulation of the original Uni-Vibe – enhanced by stereo output – while Red offers a deeper, phase-y effect. Players can effortlessly reorder the process from Drive into Vibe or Vibe into Drive, and any combination of parameters can be mapped to an expression pedal.
What is the Shin-ei Uni-Vibe?
The Uni-Vibe, also marketed as the Jax Vibra-Chorus, is a footpedal-operated phaser or phase shifter for creating chorus and vibrato simulations for electric organ or guitar. Designed by audio engineer Fumio Mieda, it was introduced in the 1960s by Japanese company Shin-ei (at the time Honey) originally branded as the Vibra-Chorus. The effect (now named Uni-Vibe) was modified to have easier access to its fuse, and a speed control foot pedal was added. It was later released in North America by Univox in 1968.
It is commonly thought the Uni-Vibe is intended to emulate the “Doppler sound” of a Leslie speaker. However Fumio Mieda revealed in an interview the effect was based on hearing radio signals (like Radio Moscow) undergoing “atmospheric modulation”. The effect has made its mark on tracks like Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs”, Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” and Pink Floyd’s “Breathe”.
Three knobs for Drive, three for Vibe, and a pair of dual-action latching or momentary footswitches provide players effect control, with five onboard presets and more available using Eventide Device Manager (EDM) software. A triple Aux switch can be used for easy preset selection or a single Aux switch for Tap Tempo. Riptide’s Catch-up mode lets you dial in your sound when toggling between presets/parameters. The pedal offers multiple bypass options – Buffered, Relay, DSP+FX or Kill dry. It also provides MIDI support over USB.
The new Eventide Riptide pedal has an MSRP of $299 (USD). The first batch of Riptide is available direct from Eventide and from international distributors. The pedal will be widely available through US dealers beginning November 16, 2023.
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