Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

[Newc]

Ok, 'splain this to me.
I know older amps had a Tremolo effect, and I know what they did and how they worked and all that, and I know they were also labeled as Vibrato, even though they did the same thing.
So in pedals, such as a *Vibe (Roto/Uni/Mega/whatever), it's basically the same thing, right?

I understand the Rotovibe is based more on the Leslie rotating speaker cabinet where partially enclosed drums over the speakers rotated and had one opening to create a Doppler effect, and a straight-out Tremolo/Vibrato pedal is just volume swells and dips.

Just trying to get an idea of how to duplicate that effect using a Chorus/Flanger and Tremolo patch in my TSR-12, but since I've not had access to either pedal, I'm trying to get a detailed analysis of how the sound is constructed so I can mimic it without actually buying several different pedals [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[StarRider]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

Well I have a Roto Vibe and a Re-issue Uni-Vibe
The whole effect is based kinda on a Leslie
The Roto-Vibe has a setting for Tremolo only as well as the Chorus sound
but the setting with the phase/chorus is where it comes alive

The Uni-Vibe was 1st used by Jimi Hendrix
Machine Gun
Star Spangled Banner
Hey Baby, New Rising Sun

The Uni-Vibe sounds kinda like a heavy phaser very deep tho
I have a MP3 around with Uni-Vibe all over it if you need a sample?

[hippietim]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

These are all different fundamental effects.

Tremolo is amplitude modulation, meaning the volume is varied. This effect is called Vibrato on Fender amps [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Vibrato is pitch modulation, meaning the pitch is varied. This device is called a Tremolo on Fender guitars [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Thanks Leo!

Leslie/Roto-vibe/phaser effects are frequency modulation effects.

A Leslie is a doppler effect. It achieves frequency modulation by spinning a speaker or baffle such that the sound comes out of an opening periodically as the speaker/baffle rotates.

Roto-vibes and phasers basically try to achieve the doppler effect by sweeping the levels of certain frequencies. Most vibes have switchable pitch modulation as well.

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

I know all about trembalos, and vibratos, and arpeggios ....

[toejam]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

[ QUOTE ]
Tremolo is amplitude modulation, meaning the volume is varied. This effect is called Vibrato on Fender amps [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Vibrato is pitch modulation, meaning the pitch is varied. This device is called a Tremolo on Fender guitars [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]


[/ QUOTE ]
LOL I always wondered how they got them mixed up, too. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

Thats the nice thing about plug-ins. You can get any effect you are looking for and add it to your recorded sound.

[Newc]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

Yeah but that doesn't work for a live sound, JG [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

And yeah, I never understood why tremolo in musical notation got confused with pitch modulation in guitar [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[bibz]

Re: Tremolo vs Vibrato - amps and pedals

hippietim 'splained it well

its also why a tremolo on a guitar produces sweet vibrato, and why the boss vb-2 vibrato is one of the best tremolo pedals I've heard [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] (there might be some pitch varience also though)