The Korg Nuvibe is a Uni-Vibe style chorus and vibrato pedal, a modern re-creation of the legendary Sixties modulation unit, built under the supervision of Fumio Mieda, the engineer who designed the original12. Korg announced it at Musikmesse in March 2014, with shipping from late April 2014 and a US street price of $499.9934. It is a big, Japanese-made pedal that keeps the original's large form factor, and its headline feature is a set of 10 sliders that let you redraw the modulation waveform itself15.
A Uni-Vibe is essentially a four-stage phaser built around a light bulb and four surrounding sensors, originally created by Mieda as a cheaper, more compact way to recreate the sound of a Leslie rotating speaker16. The Nuvibe offers both of the original's modes, chorus and vibrato, selected by a footswitch rather than the original's rocker switch1.
What it does: Uni-Vibe style chorus and vibrato
In chorus mode the Nuvibe blends dry and wet signal for the classic phased "swoosh"; switching to vibrato mode mutes the dry signal, transforming the tone, in Premier Guitar's words, "from a swoosh to a wobble"57. MusicRadar's reviewer found the chorus sound "extremely close to an original Uni-Vibe" with the faders in the recommended position, describing it as "hazy liquid phasing with a range from a deep throb to a fast warble," with a slightly mellower top end when switched in1.
The original Uni-Vibe was designed as a chorus/vibrato for keyboards, aiming at a Leslie speaker type sound, and it found fame in 1969 when a legendary guitarist used it in a historic Woodstock performance that drew the attention of guitarists worldwide38. Players looking for the same effect in a smaller modern box often turn to alternatives like the Dunlop MXR Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato or the Dunlop UV1SC Uni-Vibe Stereo Chorus; the Nuvibe stands apart by keeping the original's full-size format and adding its waveform-shaping sliders9.
The controls and the ten waveform sliders
The front panel carries knobs for volume, intensity and speed, plus 10 wave sliders1. There is also an output level knob whose maximum setting is close to unity, so it only cuts level rather than boosting5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets output level; maximum is close to unity, cuts only5 |
| Intensity | Sets modulation depth1 |
| Speed | Sets modulation rate; a dedicated knob so you don't have to use the foot pedal15 |
| 10 wave sliders | Redraw the modulating waveform; white lines mark the original fishhook-shaped waveform as a starting point5 |
| Chorus/vibrato footswitch | Selects the mode1 |
| Foot controller | Included dedicated foot controller for speed5 |
The sliders are the wholly new feature. Each slider has an LED, and the 10 lights flash in time with the modulation rate, so you can literally watch your waveform move15. Delicious Audio described them as "LFO designing WAVE sliders... added for a modern twist"8. Premier Guitar called the interface the pedal's marquee feature:
"This fun, tactile, and musically useful interface is Nuvibe's marquee feature."5
An expression pedal can be connected to control modulation speed, which disables the normal speed knob when plugged in. Speed is fastest at toe-down, and a small unlatch switch at full heel-down cancels the effect1. That Pedal Show covered the Nuvibe's waveform adjustment in its 2017 comparison of Uni-Vibe style pedals from Fulltone, Sweet Sound, Korg, MXR and Keeley10.
An updated Uni-Vibe by its original designer
Korg doesn't own the Uni-Vibe name, but it can claim the ancestry: the Nuvibe is a re-imagined Uni-Vibe, produced under the supervision of Fumio Mieda, the original designer12. The original was introduced by Shin-ei in the 1960s10.
The biggest engineering change is inside. The original's cadmium sulphide photoresistors are unavailable as a hazardous substance, so Korg used a different approach: 79 transistors in the circuitry, a complex network that stands in for the photo-resistors15. The buffer circuit, an integral part of the original's sonic character, was redesigned for the modern player by the original engineer4. Modern updates also include true bypass and the chorus/vibrato footswitch1.
The Nuvibe is a large pedal, approximately 10" x 7" x 3" before you count the included foot controller, and it keeps the original's big form factor. MusicRadar calls it "a giant of a pedal, and a very solidly-built one at that"15.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen concluded that the Nuvibe "nails the Uni-Vibe sound," with wave controls offering lots of variations on the tone and a very solid build1. He noted the street price of around £400 in the UK is a lot for a pedal that does variations on one effect, but summed it up as "a fine modulation pedal with the ability to dial in familiar sounds but go further"1.
Premier Guitar's review was similarly positive on sound, calling the chorus "gloriously rich, immersive, and textured," and listing as pros "Superb Uni-Vibe-style chorus and vibrato. Cool control and customization options. Fun, fun, fun"5. The cons were practical: no power supply included, a speed control taper that may not suit some players, and sheer size5. On that taper, the reviewer found anything above the midpoint of the speed knob or foot controller is a hyper-fast flicker, while the slower, Leslie-like speeds cluster in a narrow segment of the pot's range5.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Premier Guitar
Sweetwater
Questions
Does the Korg Nuvibe come with a power supply?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes that no 9V power supply is included, and you will need one unless you want to replace a half-dozen AA batteries every few hours. Budget for an adapter or a power supply with the right voltage and plug when you buy the pedal.
Can the Korg Nuvibe run on batteries?
Yes, but not the usual single 9V. The Nuvibe uses six 1.5V AA batteries instead, which is one reason Premier Guitar's reviewer recommended running it from a power supply rather than swapping batteries every few hours.
Is the Korg Nuvibe true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar's review lists true bypass among the modern updates Korg made to the original Uni-Vibe design, along with a redesigned buffer circuit and a footswitch for choosing chorus or vibrato instead of the original rocker switch.
Can you use an expression pedal with the Nuvibe?
Yes. An expression pedal can be connected to control modulation speed, and plugging one in disables the normal speed knob. Speed is fastest at toe-down, and a small unlatch switch at full heel-down cancels the effect, like the original Uni-Vibe's heel switch.
How big is the Korg Nuvibe?
Approximately 10 by 7 by 3 inches, and that does not count the included foot controller. MusicRadar calls it a giant of a pedal, keeping the large form factor of the original Uni-Vibe, so expect it to dominate a pedalboard.
Does the Nuvibe use photocells like the original Uni-Vibe?
No. The original Uni-Vibe used a light bulb and four surrounding photoresistors, but the cadmium sulphide cells it relied on are unavailable as a hazardous substance. Korg instead built a complex network of 79 transistors that stands in for the photoresistors.
Sources (10)
- Korg Nuvibe review, MusicRadar, 2014-09-17
- KORG Nuvibe Vibrato Chorus Effector, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2014-03-13
- Musikmesse 2014: Korg launches Rimpitch and resurrects Nuvibe, MusicRadar, 2014-03-12
- Video: Korg Re-Introduces Classic Nuvibe Modulation Pedal, Guitar World, 2014-03-12
- Korg Nuvibe Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-04-02
- 5 Reasons Everyone Needs a Phaser, EarthQuaker Devices, 1960
- The FX files: Uni-Vibe, MusicRadar, 2019-04-10
- Pedal News: Korg Nuvibe Vibrato Chorus Effector, Delicious Audio, 2014-04-08
- UV1SC Uni-Vibe Stereo Chorus by Dunlop, RockBoard (rockboard.de), 2026
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show, 2017-02-24
