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ranjam
Bronze Member
Canada
82 Posts |
 Posted - 01/10/2010 : 01:57:04
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Hey! I picked an old Vibro-Thang, which was dead when I got it. Well, it powered up, but passed no straight or effect signal. I ended up finding a blown FET right at the input and swapped it out. I now get bypassed signal, but the effect is not quite right. You have to know the Vibro-Thang, which is basically this; There are four knobs, and the two on the left control the Vibrato. The two knobs on the right control ther phase/flanging. According to the manual, you can just use it as a Vibrato, but having the two 'phase' controls completely off. Adding those two controls brings in the phase, and the Vibe effect becomes apparent.
What I have is the Vibrato working perfectly; the speed and depth work all across the control, and there is good range to each control. The phase part isn't quite right. The controls don't seem to work across their range, although turning them as I play seems to bring out the auto-filter in that section. So there is an oscillator working, but the Vibe ain't happening. There is a YouTube video of a guy using the same pedal to nail the tone and effect of the Pink Floyd classic 'Breathe'. I sure can't get that same effect.
DOD is horrible at releasing schematics, and I have even offered to buy the sucker. No dice. Send it to them, and they'll fix it. If anyone has any ideas, or knows where to even pay for a schematic, I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks for letting me vent here. |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 02:36:25
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| Sorry if this is a dumb question... Is there a trim pot at an obvious place on the board? |
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ranjam
Bronze Member
Canada
82 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 18:54:26
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I'll take a peek later today. I have so many 'projects' on the go that I may only work on the Vibro Thang once a week. I am pretty new at diddling with my pedals, so I feel dumb. I'd imagine from reading your posts you know this shite in your sleep. I'm not that clever at all, but I will say I never tweak trim pots. Not in any of my compressors anyway. I don't think I've even seen too many trim pots. Maybe in a CE-2 chorus I have? HEY!!! The light bulb just went on! Let me check into this and report back.
See? This is why people listen to you! |
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ranjam
Bronze Member
Canada
82 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 04:47:34
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| #*$%&! No trim pots at all. If I get real desperate, I may even try changing an IC. I see an LM13600N right near the two controls, which I suppose I can scope, or just change it for a couple of dollars. Ah, the joys of learning. |
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kpd78
Copper Member
34 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2010 : 16:08:36
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I have two Vibrothangs - it's one of my favourite effects and is certainly a unique pedal.
the phase/vibe part of it isn't that pronounced to be honest.
if you turn both of the phase controls all the way up you should definitely hear the effect very clearly, but it's not an extreme effect.
it's worth noting though, that these two controls are kind of interactive and in the lower part of their travel, they don't do a lot.
would you be able to record any clips so i could have a listen? |
Edited by - kpd78 on 02/01/2010 18:46:26 |
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The_Doc
Gold Member
United Kingdom
509 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2010 : 19:09:38
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+1 with kpd78
I've had one of these for a while now and use it a fair bit - I bought it on the hope of a Univibe effect but it is definitely not that. It's an auto wah to my ears and you need to get the settings right up to hear it.
I've always used it to add a bit of 'shimmer' to 'clean strat' type chords.
A very, very subtle effect.  |
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kpd78
Copper Member
34 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 18:39:05
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Doc,
out of interest, where do you place the Vibrothang in your effects chain?
when i first bought it, i'd run it quite late in my chain - i tend to run my tremolo pedals near the end of my effects.
the phase/vibe effect was always very subtle but i love the deep, round tremolo it does.
then it occurred to me that i prefer phasers/vibes at the start of my chain - pre-overdrive/distortion so i tried it there...
the vibe-ness is more pronounced (i find), although the tremolo is compromised...
however, there is a nice side effect of running a tremolo pre-drive; when you're playing, the overdrive/distortion smooths out the tremolo but when you sustain a note/chord, the tremolo 'fades in'.
you may well already do this, but i thought i'd share anyway. 
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Edited by - kpd78 on 02/03/2010 15:48:23 |
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The_Doc
Gold Member
United Kingdom
509 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2010 : 21:23:29
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Thanks for those ideas kpd78.
When I've used it live, I ran it through the effects loop on my amp, as I do with all the mod and delay effects. In the studio when I'm going through a POD or something, like you, I always run it pre any overdrive and distortion pedals at the front of my chain. I've found that it sounds fatter & richer that way - it can sound a bit fizzy and thin if it's at the end of my chain.
I've also noticed the 'fade in' of the tremolo on sustained notes but I tend not to use that effect very much these days. |
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ranjam
Bronze Member
Canada
82 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2010 : 03:46:19
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I haven't played with this 'thang' for a while, since for some reason I have found more than a few other 'dead' pedals on my doorstep that I am trying to resurrect.  But when I was trying the Vibro Thang specifically, I was using it as a sole pedal, and through a clean amplifier, just to hear what it can do. No FX Loop, no other pedal. I realize some pedals sound 'better' through a slightly overdriven amp, or before/after certain other pedals (octave boxes always sound better to me placed right after a compressor), but a vibrato/phaser should be good right in the front end and on its own.
I will toy with it some more this weekend. I'll feel silly if it's just a bad solder joint on the pot, or dirty pots on the phase side. But, I will also be asking about some other pedals I have 'acquired', so I need to get all that info handy before I pick someone's brain . |
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DOD Vibro-Thang Help?
