Optical chorus / vibrato
Bridge of Vibes
That real, chewy optical throb, under your foot. A treadle sweeps the speed live, on top of whatever you've dialed in by hand.
What it does
Bridge of Vibes is TEN Effects' take on the classic optical chorus/vibrato circuit — a 100% analog signal path, chasing that real, chewy throb the old units are famous for, tuned by hand until it landed exactly right. It ships with a live tuning mode you can reach right from the pedal, so you can shape that character to your own taste, with a one-button factory reset always there to bring it back to stock.
Chorus mode blends the effect with your dry signal for a wide, lush shimmer. Vibrato mode is wet-only — pure, warbling pitch modulation, no dry signal underneath it.
Controls
- RateSets the base modulation speed. Rock the built-in treadle to sweep the speed live, hands-free, on top of wherever Rate is set.
- IntIntensity of the effect — how deep the modulation cuts.
- LevelOutput volume, to match your unaffected signal.
- Cho/Vib switchChorus mode blends in your dry signal; Vibrato is the wet-only, pure pitch-wobble sound of the originals.
Features
Under the hood is a fully programmable four-stage phase-shift engine — the kind of deep-end tuning usually reserved for boutique optical units costing twice as much.
- Treadle-assignableAssign the treadle to sweep Rate live, hands-free, right on top of wherever the knob is set.
- Lock a controlFreeze any knob at its current setting so a stray bump on stage doesn't change your tone.
- Toad modeSave your favorite setup as a one-button recallable preset, and jump back to it instantly mid-set.
- Live RISE/EXTEND tuningShape the underlying sweep from the pedal itself, with a one-button factory reset always there to bring it back to stock.
- Four-stage phase-shift programmingA seven-screen programming mode gives you independent window shift, rate offset, phase offset, treadle direction and treadle range across all four stages, for a deeper, more three-dimensional throb than a single-stage design.
Remote
An optional footswitch remote — the DR-1 Dual Remote — connects over a single TRS cable and gives you hands-free control without bending down to the pedal itself. It's sold separately, and built to the same standard as everything else on the bench.
Build
Housed in a rugged treadle-style enclosure for a lifetime of use, hand-built one at a time.
Specifications
| Power requirement | 9V DC |
|---|---|
| Power connector | 2.1mm barrel |
| Audio connector | 1/4" phone |
| Price | $400 |
| DR-1 Dual Remote | $70, sold separately |