# Diamond Vibrato



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I just discover this little unit build by Diamond:
http://www.diamondpedals.com/products/vibrato.html

After the first look, this purple puppet makes me think of a fulltone mini deja vibe, but without the internal photocell system. I'm lookin' for a vibe or a chorus, I stop my hunt over a Lovepedal Pickle Vibe (good reviews and a good price) and a GoudieFX Chorus (I was looking for a well build clone of the EHX Small Clone) but maybe the diamond vibrato can do both? What's the difference between a vibe and a vibrato pitch or whatever they call it? Is it the same thing with differents terms or a monster of his kind?
Teach me fx gurus!


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Hey there, the Diamond is a true pitch vibrato meaning it modulates the frequency of the note(s) much like you would with finger vibrato but capable of much more extreme pitch bending. A Univibe is actually a phase shifting device... it's a different sound for sure.

The Diamond also allows you to mix in the dry signal for chorusing. If you're looking for Univibe-ish sounds and chorusing, check out the Diamond Halo- pitch and phase modulation in one box.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Interesting pedal. ANY chorus pedal can be modded to do what the Diamond pedal does (just as the Diamond can be reconfigured to be a chorus pedal!). Whenever I build a chorus, or mod one, I always install a vibrato option. Frequently, I also install a bass cut option for the wet side because I find it reduces the perceptible "pitch wobble" from intense chorus sounds. But it is still clearly a chorus pedal that is modded to do other tricks. What Diamond has done, though, is to essentially address a couple of key issues and optimize a chorus pedal to do a *good* job of producing vibrato.

Where some chorus pedals let you _dial back the wet sound_ for subtler chours effects, Diamond cleverly lets you _dial in the dry sound_ for more chorussy sounds. I can't speak to the nature of the LFO they are using, but I assume it is optimized for vibrato. Certainly the range of speeds (.9hz to 10hz) is tailored for vibrato. Most chorus pedals will sweep slower than .9hz, but at those speeds you can't really hear pitch bend, so Diamond cleverly takes the usable range of speeds and spreads it across the whole pot rotation, instead of just one little segment. Thank you, Diamond.

Finally, nailing the right amount of modulation is important to achieving a pleasing vibrato sound, and Diamond has provided for two ranges of modulation, one of which dials back the amount of modulation considerably so that a pleasing quiver can be attained.

Where Boss (and later Behringer, in their clone of the VB-2) included a rise-time control that was intended to increase vibrato depth as a note is held (an attempt to mimic the properties of the human voice), Inever felt that the range of "introduction" times was sufficiently wide enough to do what I wanted. Moreover, it relied on detecting your picking to work. Instead, Diamond included inputs for controlling both modulation depth and modulation speed via expression pedals. VERY nice. Set to chorus mode, the speed should let you nail Leslie ramp-up/ramp-down very nicely. Set to vibrato mode, the depth pedal should let you introduce quiver gradually, even when engaging in complex picking.

All in all, a very thoughtful pedal. This seems to be Diamond's forté: thinking of little features that look innnocuous on the surface, but transform the pedal into something that lets you do things you always wished you could do but the technology prevented it. Good on them.


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## forum_crawler (Sep 25, 2008)

I have a pickle vibe and before you get one, you should know that it is very dark, and it has a loud pop every time you engage it. And by every time, I do mean every time...

Not dissing the pedal, but let's just say I won't be buying anything lovepedal anymore.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Thanks guyz for all the input! I'll try some other unit as well and keep my eyes open for a used Diamond Vibrato!


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## Teleplucker (Feb 5, 2006)

I finally got to try one of these at the Calgary L&M. It's a great unit. I had a Boss VB-2, and this is a better vibrato, plus it has a ton more sounds in it.

I LOVE Diamond stuff...so well made and thought out. That said, I don't think I'm going to pick one up since I use such subtle effects and would hardly ever use this live. Maybe if I had more (more than very little, that is :smile studio work... Plus, buying one would mean that it would take me that much longer to save up for a ML2 and I know I'm already running out of runway there...


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

Too bad you _had _a VB-2 cuz the doh-re-mi you could get for it would easily cover the cost of a Diamond Vibrato. I agree with you about their stuff. They make me proud to be Canadian:smilie_flagge17:
B.


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## tallhouserecordingco (Jul 29, 2009)

Sounds like the pedal I've been after for a while! Anyone know what stores stock these?


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## bduguay (Jul 15, 2009)

See my sig and contact Scott at axe. He'll set you up.
B.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Just by curiousity, is it possible to do the Small Clone sound with the Dr Scientist Cosmichorus or it's a complete different beast?


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Yes, you can get very close with the Cosmichorus. It's an awesome chorus pedal.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Damn!!! That means I missed a really good deal on yours!
Better chance next time!


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Yeah that's too bad. It was a great chorus. Very versatile. I only sold it because I bought CdWaterloo's Nova System which is AWESOME by the way.The NS has all the chorus etc that I need and the built-in analog OD is very very good. Better than a lot of the pedals that I have.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I forgot to add that I still have my small clone chorus because it's inexpensive and sounds awesome. It may be a one or two trick pony as far as choruses go but...it's an awesome trick!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Stratin2traynor said:


> I forgot to add that I still have my small clone chorus because it's inexpensive and sounds awesome. It may be a one or two trick pony as far as choruses go but...it's an awesome trick!


I popped a hole in one of mine, and installed a "mode" switch that changes the delay range. 

Get a 3-position SPDT on-off-on toggle. Take the existing 150pf cap out of the Small Clone near the CD4047 chip and solder it between the middle and one side lug of the toggle. Now get yourself a 220pf cap and solder it between themiddle and other outside lugs of the toggle. Now run a wire from each of the outside lugs to the pads where the 150pf cap used to be. Which outside lug goes to which pad doesn't matter.

What you end up with is 3 modes associated with 3 different delay ranges. When the switch is in the middle position, the effective capacitance is about 90pf, which shifts the delay range down into the zone where flangers and choruses overlap. So more of a swirly sound, and less audibly doubled. Does a very passable slow Leslie sound, and a gentler vibrato should you mod it for that. One outside position will be the stock sound, and the other outside position will be somewhat thicker, moving more towards what some call "doubling". Not quite Pat Metheny, but headed in that direction, with some Cobainish possibilities when the slide switch is set for deep.

Just make sure the wire is not hanging all over and lying close to the audio path, and bob's your uncle. Recommended.


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