JAM Pedals "Pink Eye" RetroVibe mk.4

The JAM Pedals "Pink Eye" RetroVibe mk.4 is a hand-painted artwork version of the RetroVibe mk.4, an all-analog Uni-Vibe-style modulation pedal from Greek builder JAM Pedals. It produces two related effects: Chorus, which JAM Pedals describes as "the classic pulsing phase character" of the original Uni-Vibe, and Vibrato, a pitch-focused movement, selected by a toggle on the face of the pedal¹. The Pink Eye is a limited artwork pedal, and every one is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, so the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos¹.

The mk.4 generation is the most expressive version of the RetroVibe so far. JAM Pedals says it "preserves the soul of the original RetroVibe while making it far more expressive in performance"², and RockBoard's PedalPedia credits it with a wider Depth and Speed span than previous versions, plus new tap tempo and ramping functions³. Delicious Audio covered the Mk4 as a significant update to the line, adding tap tempo, a ramping function and an expression input over the Mk3⁴.

Chorus and Vibrato modes

The RetroVibe mk.4 is built around the Uni-Vibe concept: a modulated filter circuit that sits between a plain chorus and a phaser in character. A single toggle on the pedal chooses between the two modes. In Chorus, JAM Pedals says the pedal gives "the classic pulsing phase character"; in Vibrato, the dry signal is dropped and what you hear is "pitch-focused movement"¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the two modes as covering "everything from slow, liquid waves to fast, rotary-like spins"³.

The speed of that movement is set by the pedal's low-frequency oscillator, which runs from 0.5 to 9.5 Hz¹. At the bottom of that range the effect is a slow, swelling pulse; near the top it approaches the fast spin of a rotary speaker.

The TAP/RAMP footswitch and expression control

The mk.4's headline feature over earlier RetroVibes is its second footswitch, labeled TAP/RAMP. It works in two ways¹:

1. Tap it to set the modulation speed, in time with the music.
2. Hold it to ramp to a second speed. While holding, the Speed knob sets the destination speed and the Depth knob sets how long the ramp takes to travel there.

That ramping behavior lets a player start a passage at a slow swirl and accelerate into a fast spin, or the reverse, without bending down to turn a knob. A separate TS input on the pedal accepts an external tap-tempo switch, so the tap function can live anywhere on your pedalboard¹.

For continuous foot control, a TRS input accepts a standard passive 10 kΩ expression pedal wired for Speed¹. Between the expression input, the external tap switch and the ramping hold function, the mk.4 gives a player three hands-free ways to manipulate the modulation while playing, which is what JAM Pedals means by calling it "far more expressive in performance" than the original².

Power and connections

The RetroVibe mk.4 runs on 9V DC, center-negative, with a maximum current draw of 120 mA¹.

Signal connections are conventional: instrument in, output to your amp, plus the TRS expression input and the TS tap-tempo input on the side of the enclosure. Input impedance is 67 kΩ and output impedance is under 10 kΩ¹. The enclosure measures 12 x 10 x 5 cm (4.7 x 3.9 x 1.9 in) including jacks, controls and footswitches, and weighs 350 g (0.77 lb)¹. Bypass is true bypass, so the signal passes unbuffered when the pedal is off¹.

The hand-painted artwork versions

The Pink Eye is one of six custom artwork versions of the same RetroVibe mk.4 circuit. JAM Pedals lists the Camper, Fishbone, Paths, Popped Art and Skin versions alongside it, all with the same sound and different artwork¹. The specs are identical across the range: all analog, true bypass, the same 0.5 to 9.5 Hz LFO range and the same expression and tap inputs².

Because each is painted by hand, JAM Pedals notes that the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown⁸⁹⁵. The choice between them is purely visual: a player who wants the RetroVibe mk.4 sound picks the artwork they like, or waits for a design that suits their board.

The Popped Art version is associated with guitarist Paul Gilbert, who is listed on JAM Pedals' artist page for that artwork⁷.

Where it came from

The "Pink Eye" RetroVibe mk.4 is the current version of JAM Pedals' RetroVibe, and its published specifications come from the maker: 9V DC center-negative power with a maximum current draw of 120 mA, an input impedance of 67 kΩ, an output impedance under 10 kΩ, and a housing measuring 12 x 10 x 5 cm (4.7 x 3.9 x 1.9 in) including jacks, controls and footswitches, weighing 350 g (0.77 lb)¹. The maker lists it at a regular price of £459.00, tax included¹.

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