Design and Build The 69 Vibe sports a compact, pedalboard-friendly steel enclosure with a retro-inspired black finish and white text, evoking the aesthetic of the original Uni-Vibe. The build is surprisingly heavy and feels very sturdy, a step up from Behringer’s older plastic pedals, and it’s designed to withstand the rigors of gigging. The layout is intuitive, with top-mounted 1/4” input/output jacks, a 9V DC power input (power supply not included), and an expression pedal input for real-time speed control—a feature not always found on pricier vibe pedals. Two footswitches handle effect on/off and toggling between chorus and vibrato modes, making it practical for live performance. The control knobs—Volume, Intensity, and Speed—are smooth and responsive, allowing precise adjustments.
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| My 1971 original Uni-Vibe looked like this |
Sound and Performance The 69 Vibe faithfully captures the essence of the Uni-Vibe’s signature warbling, phase-shifty sound. In chorus mode, it delivers a rich, pulsating swirl that’s perfect for recreating Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” or Pink Floyd’s “Breathe.”
The vibrato mode, offers a lo-fi, pitch-bending modulation that adds expressive depth to both single notes and chords. The Intensity knob controls the effect’s depth, ranging from subtle shimmers to full-on psychedelic swirls, while the Speed knob adjusts the modulation rate for slow, woozy pulses or faster, more intense effects. When using the vibrato mode it is easy to have too much and sound out of tune.
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| Looking inside 69 Vibe |
The pedal’s analog circuitry, gives it a warm, organic character that feels authentic to the Uni-Vibe legacy. When placed before a fuzz pedal or into an overdriven amp, it nails those classic, chewy pulsing Hendrix tones. However, in chorus mode, some players might notice a slight loss of low-end and midrange warmth. This can make the chorus sound a thinner and less full, particularly for guitarists seeking a “fat” Hendrix-style tone. Adding a little compression/boost before the vibe and a good distortion after it can even that chorus sound out and take you to wonderful places. The vibrato mode, shines with full, present mids that evoke the vintage vibe but be careful, it’s easy to get it bending your notes out of tune.
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| Looking in the other side of the 69 Vibe |
True bypass switching ensures your signal remains uncolored when the pedal is off, a crucial feature for maintaining tone integrity. One minor quirk are the footswitch functions, which use microswitches that engage the effect upon release rather than when pressed. It was never a problem for me but if you linger on the button press it might delay the effect engaging or disengaging on a particular beat. This quirk may take some getting used to but doesn’t significantly detract from usability.
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| Back of 69 Vibe removed to reveal battery compartment |
Value and Versatility
At its price point, the Behringer 69 Vibe is a steal. It delivers the Uni-Vibe experience for a fraction of the cost of boutique pedals, which often run $200-$400. While it may lack the nuanced refinement of a Fulltone DejaVibe, it punches way above its price and is versatile enough for classic rock, blues, or experimental genres. It also works well with bass, keyboards, or synths, broadening its appeal. The pedal runs on an internal 9V battery (not included) or standard 9V DC pedal-power, making it easy to integrate into any rig. (The DejaVibe requires an 18-volt power supply).
LIKES
- Affordable price (around $59-$69)
- Authentic Uni-Vibe tones with warm, authentic, analog character
- Precision made, sturdy metal construction and vintage styling
- Expression pedal input for dynamic control
- True bypass switching
- Footswitchable chorus and vibrato modes
- Works on standard 9-volt internal battery (not included) or pedalboard power
DISLIKES
- Chorus mode can sound thin or broken depending on setup
- Footswitch engagement upon release may feel unconventional
- Minor noise in the signal chain, typical of vibe pedals
- No battery or power supply included
USE AND THOUGHTS
The sound this pedal produces is VERY dependent on where it is in the signal path and what you’re using it with. My first reaction to the unit's Chorus effect into a clean amp was “the pedal is broken, I’m returning it". The knobs are VERY sensitive to position, it’s a very fine line between “OMG It’s Killer” and “Oh No Way Too Much”, but, when you find that sweet spot the 69 Vibe takes you through the time tunnel, back in time, to that elusive sound so many pedal-makers promise, but can't seem to deliver.
I changed up my demo rig, and added the Robin Trower Overdrive (by Fulltone) right before the Marshall amp input. I had the 69 Vibe set up to A-B against the Warm Audio WA-C1 chorus pedal - the 69 Vibe produces the vintage effect even better than I remember my real Univibe doing. While the Warm Audio Chorus pedal is a very good sounding effect it can’t get close to what the 69 Vibe can do. Likewise, the 69 Vibe can’t do clean, late 70’s chorus effect at all. All the years of noodling with vibe-style pedals has led me to my current reality, vibe and chorus are radically different pedals and they can't do each other's effect.
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| One of my Dunlop vibe pedals looked like this |
A small bit of compression feeding the 69 Vibe (set to Chorus mode) with the Robin Trower Overdrive after the Vibe, turned a 15 minute jam into an hour and a half cruise. It’s THAT sound, the sound which caused me to try almost every vibe that comes out. I owned an original Univibe back in 1971 (before I traded it in on a new Leslie 145). I’ve had at least two different Dunlop Vibe-Style pedals and most recently, the very pricey Fulltone expression pedal version reviewed here. The 69 Vibe beats them all when you get it set right, it achieves that unique pulsing sound used so effectively by Hendrix and later Robin Trower, David Gilmour and many others. It’s easy to make the 69 Vibe sound bad and you may have to work a little to get to the promised-land but the effort is worth it and when you hit the sweet spot of tone, whoosh, time vanishes in a wash of warbling, wobbling vintage vibes.
The footswitch that takes you back and forth between chorus and vibrato is almost useless because the two effects are extremely different and require individual adjustments to the depth in order to not sound bad.
Conclusion Regardless of price, the Behringer 69 Vibe is a fantastic pedal for guitarists chasing iconic Uni-Vibe tones. Its chorus and vibrato modes capture the spirit of the 1960s, and its rugged build and modern features (like expression pedal compatibility) make it a practical choice for both stage and studio. While it’s not perfect it is an incredible value that delivers vintage vibe in spades. Whether you’re channeling Hendrix’s psychedelic leads or adding subtle modulation to clean tones, the 69 Vibe is a worthy addition to any pedalboard.
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