Originally By: Brad Burt - (aka; RedHouse)
Special Limited Time Offer!
Forum-VibeTM
FV-5 rev4
For a limited time only, the new Forum-VibeTM FV-5 rev4 Board is currently available with the correct transistors, diodes, and 3 power supply capacitors pre-installed, tested, and ready-to-go for you to add your remaining parts for your own Forum-VibeTM build!
£ 50.00 GPB*
Free UK shipping, International shipping add £10.00
To purchase a Special Offer FV-5 rev4 Circuit Board
send me your request via email:
* International Currency Converters:
Xe Global currency conversion
www.calculator.net
For a full kit, please visit our friends at: musikding.de
Forum-Vibe FAQ's
(frequently asked questions)
Q: "Hey, sorry to bother you, but I have problems with my Forum-Vibe build, can you help me?..."
A: I'm sorry but I can't personally help you with your questions or troubleshoot your build problems.
This is the Forum-Vibe project, and so the forums are where you should be looking for help if you have questions or build issues. So many people have built the Forum Vibe and the other DIY vibes over the years literally hundreds (if not thousands) of sucessful builds have been done, but more importantly hundreds and hundereds of questions and answers have been posted and answered by people helping people and that is what the Forum-Vibe project is all about!
Q: "Is the Forum-Vibe different/better/worse than xxx-vibe?..."
A: Think of the FV project as a "platform" not a specific build, the platform is designed to allow for alternative parts with pads for modding and big enough pads-n-traces for the average guy to solder because not everyone is an electronics geek but plenty of people can solder and build DIY stuff.
Q: "I built a Forum-Vibe and it sounds great, but I want more/different/other something out of it, can you tell me...?"
A: No sorry, you need to take your questions to the forums for additional info and mods.
Q: "Is "Cancel" the same thing as "True Bypass"
A: No, original vintage Uni-Vibe pedals did not have true bypass at all, they used a "Cancel" switch which is a switch that turns on/off the modulating effect by turning on/off the light bulb that modulates the sound via photocells. In "cancel" mode a vintage vibe still has the whole signal chain going through it, not bypassed.
Q: "I'm getting weird noise when I plug certain pedals in to the vibe, what is it?"
A: I can't tell from here. Some people with certain digital pedals are reporting noise issues mostly when up-stream (in front) of the vibe but a digital reverb pedal downstream (behind) has been reported to cause noise too.
Q: "Why 18v and not 9v like most other pedals?"
A: Because at 9v a vibe just doesnt sound right, not like an original Uni-Vibe anyway, you can make yours a 9V pedal, good luck with that.
Original vintage Uni-Vibe pedals plugged into the (AC) mains and internally used step-down transformer and rectifier that supplied approximately 21.5v DC to the circuit.
Problem for us is that modern power-pack (Wall-Wart, PlugPak, etc) sources almost exclusively offer limited voltages with 18v and 24v generally being the only options and 18v being the most commonly available.
Q: "Why does the Speed control interact with the Intensity control setting?"
A: It because of the old-school design of the LFO and Lamp/Bulb driver circuit. When you turn the speed knob to the higher or lower ranges the bulb/lamp brightness changes and that changes the photocells reaction. It is a weird side-effect charachertistic of the vintage circuit and if we "fix it", we loose some of the unique character of the vintage pedal.
The graphic below shows how the amplitude increases in the Middle of the speed range and is less at the Slow and Fast ends of the range.
It's because of this "feature" that one has to tweak BOTH controls to get the right sound. Setting the Speed control first, then the Intensity control to get the throb just right.
Q: "Where can I get "the correct" photocells/lamp/speed pot/parts for my Forum-Vibe build?"
A: This is a DIY project and you will need to find your part sources, remember to check the forums to learn where others are getting their parts.
Hey!, what happened to all the old webpages?
The Old Forum-VibeTM FV-5 rev3 Information
(the rev3 board was retired in 2024, and no longer sold)
FV-5 rev3 Schematic/Build/Layout
(PDF 5.5MB)
Forum-Vibe is a trademark of Classic Amplification and BurtCo-UK
© All rights reserved ©
Licenced Euro distributor for DIY kits: www.musikding.de
