So which tap tempo, digitally controlled analog univibe did JHS clone to get the Unicorn? Just curious.
It's not that hard to add tap tempo to analog pedals. It's becoming more and more the thing in the DIY community to do so. So if JHS hadn't done the same, now
that would have been the shocker.
I think a lot of people who diss JHS are stuck in 2010. All over thegearpage as well, by internet lawyers who like looking at pedal guts more than using their ears. And usually are the same people praising various fuzzfaces and tonebenders, klones and tubescreamer direct clones.
People who like looking at pedal guts, which I'm not that into myself, love to be surprised and see something new. They don't mind it when somebody comes out and says 'hey, I've got a new spin on those classic pedals'. When its a really clever spin they will even show appreciation for it. But they absolutely loath it when somebody comes out with a big marketing spin presenting the latest and newest since the invention of sliced bread, then they look under the hood and see, yup, yet another *insert classic pedal* with a slight spin. YATS or YAFF (yet another tubescreamer or yet another fuzz face) have become infamous acronyms.
As for the MI Audio pedal, sounded different (one not necessarily better than the other) to me and I wouldn't have known they were related more than being MIABs without all the detectives. And it will ESPECIALLY be different now that the JHS has TMB controls instead of just tone and presence.
So......, JHS has basically regressed and gone back to the Marshall Guvnor? The pedal on which the Crunch Box was based and which had TMB controls.
Now don't get me wrong as a JHS hater though. If it sounds good and there's a layout out there I'll build it. I've built the Morning Glory and I've just built an Andy Timmons.
Up until very recently, this has been the exception and not the rule. Chase Bliss does not make a Univibe-like pedal, though. I do not know of a single other manufacturer that makes an analog Univibe with tap tempo.
But like I said, it bugs me when people rag on JHS or Lovepedal (their OD11 was called a ripoff of the Timmy because it achieved similar results by the same method, when each designer was assisted with their design by the same person, who helped with one thing both designers wanted - and in turn accidentally created very similar pedals) but turn a blind eye to all the Klon Centaur clones and tubescreamer clones and fuzz face clones and tonebender clones and big muff clones.
That's because JHS and Lovepedal are two of the biggest offenders when it comes to cloning other people's stuff, add a slight twist and then spin a sweet marketing story to sell it as the 2nd coming of Christ. Also Lovepedal cloning the Timmy is considered a dick move because Paul Cochrane who designed and builds it is considered one of the nicest guys in the pedal community. DIYers who will clone basically anything that's out there, even the most rabid ones from freestompboxes.org will go out of their way not to clone the Timmy, or at least seek his permission.
[Ironically, when Bill Finnegan started production of the Klon KTR, JHS
stopped production on their Klon clone, unlike the dozens of others who still make it and aren't hassled][/QUOTE]
I know a few others who had planned to stop selling their Klon(e)s, I know that BYOC stopped selling their Klon(e) kit, but it would seem Bill has not made himself that popular. Maybe he should have a chat with Paul Cochrane? But does it matter? Even cheap ass Chinese companies are selling Klon(e)s nowadays, as they do with the Timmy. And while you can charm the DIY community and some boutiquers into not cloning your stuff, the Chinese just don't give a f*** about anything.
well i am aware that chase Bliss dent make univibe but they do use digital control on analog circuits to allow the finer/mroe complex/batshit insane controls and all that.
also I don't hate JHS as much as others do, I think, but some really do hate the company. i have no clue why. also about "Klones," I too think it was kinda insane for everyone, even big company/oldy like EHX cloned Centaur.
Like I said, people don't like JHS because they don't design their own stuff, they clone things and add a new small twist. And then huff and puff when others do the same. Wampler comes up with new designs, Catalinbread comes up with new designs, they don't seem to create much dislike, maybe that is the key?
EHX cloning the Centaur was weird, but considering how many pedal builders have made their careers on cloning and tweaking their stuff, most on just the Big Muff alone, I'm willing to cut them some slack. They also cloned the tubescreamer and Maestro fuzz. Rumor has it they needed money to fund all the really interesting pedals that came after the release of the Soul Food, East River Drive and Satisfaction Fuzz.
You have to keep in mind though, the Klon was no longer being built for a long time and achieved almost mythical status. It created an incredible demand which pushed up prices to ridiculous levels. In no small part helped by Bill Finnigan himself and his socalled mystery diodes. So when freestompboxes.org pooled some money together to buy one and traced it the genie was out of the bottle and everybody started doing them. EHX probably builds the cheapest version out there that you can get. Whether or not the pedal lives up to the hype, that's another thing, and best left up to your budget and to your ears.
And I can't really afford them so I am not able to try them out. too bad. It is kinda good that this cloning Klon thing kinda died down at this point. But again, I saw plenty of pedals released at NAMM this summer so i may be wrong about that.
This is why I got into DIY pedals. I was in a Radiohead tribute band at the time and I needed some of Jonny's pedals, like the DOD-440, which were out of production and had become expensive as hell. And then I learned that you could pedals like that for a fraction of the cost, and from there it snowballed. I had no electronics background, I had to learn soldering, stripping wires, sourcing my own electronics, troubleshooting failed pedals. It was hard, there was a high failure rate, I still have failures today, but I also have a LOT of fun, cool, interesting pedals. Which costs me not that much to build. I can usually build a pedal for $25. Which is good because I still don't have a lot of money. All it takes is patience and determination. And there is a very good and helpful DIY community out there.
Digitech is really stepping up their game lately and I can really use a good flanger with chorusy/vibratoish capability. I can build a lot of things but for some reason me and building flangers are non-mixy. I can't seem to get the damn things to work right. 
