Strymon Ultraviolet Univibe Vibrato Pedal
Quintessential Vibe
Unleash the quintessential vibe experience with the Strymon Ultraviolet Univibe Vibrato Pedal—a masterfully crafted pedal that encapsulates the warm, gritty warble and dynamic response synonymous with true vibe tonality. Transporting you to a realm of rich, chewy modulation, this pedal captures the soul of a vintage vibe effect, and combines it with the consistency and reliability of Strymon digital electronics, offering a magical experience that encourages unrestricted and expressive playing.
The Ultraviolet stands out as a beacon of vibe perfection, delivering vintage tones that rival even the most coveted analogue boutique units. Its simplicity is complemented by powerful controls, allowing you to effortlessly explore a diverse range of captivating sounds. With familiar Chorus and Vibrato settings, as well as a new Blend setting for subtler effects, this pedal offers a spectrum of sonic possibilities.
In the pursuit of versatility, the Ultraviolet introduces a Bias switch, providing three distinct sweep shapes and tone emphases. The expanded intensity range at slow speeds takes you deeper into the warmly undulating sonic territory, pushing the boundaries of traditional vibe circuits. The pedal features an all-new algorithm meticulously designed to recreate every nuance of the classic optical vibe circuit. From the interplay of bias, speed, and LFO waveshape to the response of light-dependent resistors shaping the phasing filters, every element has been duplicated and tuned for the ultimate vibe sound.
The Ultraviolet is designed for seamless integration into any pedal chain, offering TRS stereo input and output in a dual mono configuration. With full MIDI implementation, 300 preset locations, and USB-C connectivity, this pedal is MIDI rig-ready and easily controllable from a computer. It also supports hands-free operation with an expression pedal for customizable control and an external switch for tap tempo or favorite recall. In addition, the high-impedance, ultra-low noise discrete Class A JFET stereo input preamp ensures exceptional touch sensitivity, dynamics, and feel. All this is packed into a rugged and elegantly compact form factor, making the Strymon Ultraviolet Univibe Vibrato Pedal a must-have for those seeking the pinnacle of vibe tonality.
At Riffs & Licks Music, we like the Ultraviolet for its dedication to capturing the true essence of the experience of a vintage vibe pedal.
Sound Design
| Selectable Bias | One aspect of vintage vibe pedals is variation in the way each unit sounds. Even two identical pedals manufactured the same year are likely to sound different from one another, and a single pedal may not sound quite the same year after year. Some of this variation in vintage circuits can be traced to drift in the setting of an internal bias trimpot, which has a marked impact on the sonic character of the pedal, affecting the shape and timing of the warble as well as frequency emphasis. The thing is, some of these variations can sound pretty great! So with UltraViolet, Strymon included a Bias switch in order to reliably cover the full range of the best vibe tones. Under the hood, the switch not only changes the bias level, but also optimizes the LFO waveshape for the selected bias to create the most inspiring vibe experiences possible. The Low setting produces a pulsing character well-suited for tremolo effects (especially in Blend Mode). The Mid setting has a balanced character capable of producing many of the most sought-after classic vibe effects, while the High setting has a smoother shape with a wider frequency sweep, able to create sounds evocative of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe.” |
| Blend Mode | UltraViolet’s Mode switch sets the mix between wet and dry signals. Chorus Mode gives you a 50/50 mix for the deepest, whooshy, gooey vibe tones. Many classic vibe tones can be achieved at moderate Speed settings, with Intensity between midpoint and maximum in Chorus Mode. Vibrato Mode is 100% wet for responsive, frequency-dependent phase vibrato tones with a wide range of uses. Add subtle motion to a lead, or head for the extremes of far-out bubbly madness. In Vibrato Mode, use Low Bias for steady pitch with a dramatic lump, Mid Bias for a more sing-songy warble, and High Bias for a more softly-shaped pitch vibrato. Blend is a dry-dominant mode (70% dry, 30% wet) for more subtle but still highly engaging and inspiring effects. Try Blend Mode with Low Bias and moderate speeds for squarish phase tremolo effects, or with High Bias at fast speeds and low Intensity for rotary speaker style effects. |
| LFO Waveforms | At the Mid bias setting the LFO waveshape is sinewave-like, but the different rise and fall times of the lamp result in the lurching, lopsided and wooshy warble at the heart of the beloved vibe sound. At the High bias setting, the LFO shape is optimized for a smoother and more symmetrical result that gets you further into phaser territory in Chorus and Blend Modes, with higher frequencies being swept through. At the Low bias setting, the LFO waveform is more squarish (but still smoothed by lamp lag), sweeping lower frequencies and lending itself to phase tremolo effects in Chorus or Blend Modes, or yielding somewhat more steady pitch (with a dramatic lump) in Vibrato Mode. |
| Colour Boost | UltraViolet’s Volume knob provides up to 4dB of boost to give your signal a bit of a kick when the pedal is engaged. In Chorus Mode or Blend Mode, turning the Intensity knob to zero effectively transforms UltraViolet into a phase EQ, with a brighter output at Low Bias and a darker output at High Bias. At higher Intensity settings with the filter notches in motion, bias-related darkening or brightening of the tone ceases to be noticeable, but the volume boost is still effective at any Intensity level. And for a bonus — in Vibrato mode, an uncolored boost can be achieved with the Intensity at zero. |
| Intensity | A quirk of the classic vibe circuit is that higher speed settings would increase LFO amplitude. Strymon wanted to make some of that extra depth available at slow speeds, so they expanded the range of the Intensity control when UltraViolet is set to lower speeds, providing a more expansive palette of sonic textures. |
Features
| MIDI | UltraViolet features full MIDI implementation and 300 presets, allowing you to control it remotely by sending MIDI commands from your controller or DAW via the EXP/MIDI jack or USB-C connection. Remotely bypass or engage the pedal, automate decay time or other knob adjustments in your DAW or recall unique presets for each song on your setlist — the possibilities with MIDI are limitless. |
| True/Buffered Bypass | UltraViolet lets you choose between electromechanical relay-switched true bypass for a 100% untouched and unprocessed signal when the pedal is not engaged (which is the default), or Strymon's premium buffered bypass, which preserves your signal’s integrity by preventing the high frequency roll-off that can happen due to longer cable runs. |
| JFET Input | Uncompromised dynamics and feel. Exceptional touch sensitivity and responsiveness. Brig feels just as good as it sounds, thanks to a high-impedance, ultra-low noise and discrete Class A JFET preamp input. |
| Stereo | Even though it might look like it’s a standard mono effect, there’s no need to make compromises when it comes to signal routing or pedal placement with UltraViolet. Equipped with a single TRS input and TRS output jack in a dual mono configuration, the pedal keeps to a compact form factor while still giving you the option to use it in stereo. A dedicated rear panel Input switch allows you to determine the audio routing, selecting between Mono In → Mono Out, Mono In → Stereo Out, or Stereo In → Stereo Out (stereo in and out requires a TRS cable for each jack). |
| ARM Processor | An evolution in technology led by mobile phones and laptop computers now allows Strymon pedals to perform more simultaneous processes than ever before, and with significantly less power draw. That means more processing power for every sonic nuance, and less power consumption on your pedal board. |
Specifications
| Ins, Outs & Switches | High impedance ultra low-noise discrete Class A JFET TRS stereo input |
| Low impedance TRS stereo output | |
| Expression pedal input allows the connection of a TRS expression pedal, MiniSwitch, MultiSwitch Plus, or TRS MIDI connection | |
| USB jack for controlling via MIDI from a computer or for performing firmware updates | |
| Audio Quality | Premium JFET analogue front end |
| Ultra low noise, high performance 24-bit 96kHz A/D and D/A converters provide uncompromising audio quality | |
| 520MHz ARM Superscalar processor | |
| 32-bit floating point processing | |
| 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response | |
| Audio Input Impedance: 1M Ohm | |
| Audio Output Impedance: 100 Ohm | |
| Typical signal to noise ratio: 116dB | |
| Construction | Lightweight and rugged anodized violet aluminium chassis |
| Designed and built in the USA | |
| Dimensions: 117mm x 69mm x 64mm |
(SN-ULTRAVIOLET)
| SKU | SN-ULTRAVIOLET |
| Brand | Strymon |
| Shipping weight | 0.7000kg |
| Shipping width | 0.200m |
| Shipping height | 0.150m |
| Shipping length | 0.150m |
| Shipping cubic | 0.004500000m3 |
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