Eventide's new Riptide pedal combines an overdrive with a Uni-Vibe-inspired modulation side

It's a good time for Uni-Vibe fans, hot on the heels of the Stymon Ultraviolet, Eventide Audio's new Riptide pedal is an unexpected combo that offers the company's take on Shin-ei Uni-Vibe and 'legendary overdrives' in one unit. 

Like us, they're thinking Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Robin Trower in this vibe and overdrive pedal, a much more classic proposition than the otherworldly sounds from this year's superb H90 Harmonizer, but with Eventide on such a consistent roll with pedals, we're excited to hear it. 

There are two distinct voicings each for the Vibe and Drive sides of the stereo Riptide. For the latter they're presented in Green for a 'dynamic mid-range crunch and Red for a smooth and boosted overdrive sound'. The Green voicing for Vibe aims for the swirly richness of the original Uni-Vibe, while the Red offers a 'deeper, phase-y effect'.

The pedal will give players the option to change the order of the two sides and any combo of the parameters can be mapped to an optional external expression pedal. In addition to MIDI, Buffered, Relay, DSP+FX or Kill dry options are available too. 

Players can effortlessly reorder the process from Drive into Vibe or Vibe into Drive, and any combination of parameters can be mapped to an expression pedal. In addition, there are five onboard presets and more to explore using the Eventide Device Manager (EDM) software. 

The Eventide Riptide pedal has an MSRP of $299 and will be available internationally from mid-November, or direct from Eventide and select dealers now. 

• The FX files: Uni-Vibe