Are Tremolo and Vibrato not the same thing then?

[SpondonBassed]

I thought I knew this. Turns out I had the slightest idea about them. I tend to think of Tremolo being a modulation of pitch and Vibrato a modulation of amplitude. Internet definitions are making me think twice so I'll throw it out here for discussion.

BTW I don't [i]really[/i] believe that they are the same thing, heeheehee.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Vibrato is pitch, tremolo is volume.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Some of the misunderstanding stems from the use of the term tremolo arms on guitars, they are really vibrato arms, but can't see that usage being changed anytime soon!

[TrevorR]

Yes, tremolo is change in volume. Vibrato is change in pitch - think of a fretless player or violinist creating vibrato by rocking their finger back and forward to minutely change the pitch of the note. Or a guitarist doing it by bending the string to create vibrato.

So the confusion is further exacerbated by the misnaming of the Strat's "trem"/"tremolo unit" which should ACTUALLY be called a "vib"/"vibrato unit".

[lowdown]

Tremolo is also rapid playing on a note or notes. String players often use the technique/articulation (Bow going up and down very quickly).
Harps/Classical Guitars, Bass etc, it is rapid plucking with the finger(s).
The two posters above are right about the misnaming.

Violin
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2z9_HUtBIs[/media]

Guitar
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF9_Rua3-vA[/media]

Edited December 21, 2016 by lowdown

[SpondonBassed]

So... I have had it "arse about face" all of the time, broadly speaking.

@ MoonBassAlpha, thanks. In my case what you said is probably true. When trying to make the distinction I have thought to myself; "The Tremolo arm (God bless Hank Marvin) causes pitch change so the other one (Vibrato) must be amplitude variation". Tsk, silly me.

@ TrevorR; I stand corrected and I apologise for calling you out on another post. Sorry

Cheers chaps.

[mikel]

Listen to Starship Trooper by Yes. Chris Squire is using tremolo to great effect on there.

[Beer of the Bass]

It doesn't help that Fender guitar amps have an amplitude-wobbling tremolo effect which they've always labelled as Vibrato!

[ahpook]

Vibrato + Tremolo = Rotary !

[lowdown]

Of course there are other 'Tremoloes', that became 'Tremeloes' because of a spelling mistake by a News Paper.
Some people also considered them, as Tremolo knobs on the front end of Fender Amps.

Edited December 21, 2016 by lowdown

[BigRedX]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1482323076' post='3199533']
So the confusion is further exacerbated by the misnaming of the Strat's "trem"/"tremolo unit" which should ACTUALLY be called a "vib"/"vibrato unit".
[/quote]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1482324948' post='3199572']
It doesn't help that Fender guitar amps have an amplitude-wobbling tremolo effect which they've always labelled as Vibrato!
[/quote]

So Leo got it wrong?

What an idiot! ;-)

[TrevorR]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1482323960' post='3199552']


@ TrevorR; I stand corrected and I apologise for calling you out on another post. Sorry

Cheers chaps.
[/quote]

Had you? I genuinely hadn't noticed. I'd best rush off to the Search function and find out what it was so I can be highly affronted for about ten seconds and then think "well, life's too short to worry about that, we're all friends together here any way" and get back down to the important things in like like geeking out about bass and stuff! But genuinely though, thank you for thinking to apologise (even though I didn't realise I might be due one).

[cheddatom]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1482326427' post='3199590']
So Leo got it wrong?

What an idiot! ;-)
[/quote]

[mcnach]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1482322933' post='3199530']
Some of the misunderstanding stems from the use of the term tremolo arms on guitars, they are really vibrato arms, but can't see that usage being changed anytime soon!
[/quote]

and the tremolo effect on fender amps being called 'vibrato'...

someone got things mixed up and it spread...

but tremolo is volume changes (amplitude) and vibrato pitch changes (frequency)

[fleabag]

I'll arrest the next person that says Vibrato is pitch and Tremolo is volume

Err... oh, ...dammit

I appear to have arrested myself

[SpondonBassed]

Okay then. Moving on a bit, what is the effect that you get from Leslie speakers called?

[fleabag]

I believe that to be the Rotary effect as the spinning trumpets threw the sound around like a rag doll.

Robin Trower used an effect pedal to do that very thing ... cant remember the pedal


Maybe a Uni-Vibe ?

Edited December 21, 2016 by fleabag

[fleabag]

Just found this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwYFnLfHJA0

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OSVFODbsqg[/media]

Edited December 21, 2016 by fleabag

[mikel]

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1482336624' post='3199700']
I believe that to be the Rotary effect as the spinning trumpets threw the sound around like a rag doll.

Robin Trower used an effect pedal to do that very thing ... cant remember the pedal


Maybe a Uni-Vibe ?
[/quote]

Listen to "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix. He used a rotary cab on that recording.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1482336624' post='3199700']
I believe that to be the Rotary effect as the spinning trumpets threw the sound around like a rag doll.

Robin Trower used an effect pedal to do that very thing ... cant remember the pedal


Maybe a Uni-Vibe ?
[/quote]

With the Leslie speaker and ignoring minute pitch changes due to the Doppler effect I thought it'd be a really slow Tremolo, no?

[lowdown]

Geeking and Nerding of FX has never been high on my list.
But, this history of the Tremolo, is really interesting.
[url="http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/19777-a-brief-history-of-tremolo"]http://www.premiergu...tory-of-tremolo[/url]

Edited December 21, 2016 by lowdown

[fleabag]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1482339718' post='3199734']
Listen to "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix. He used a rotary cab on that recording.
[/quote]

Thanks Mike, didnt know he used a Leslie ...great sound though

[fleabag]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1482340496' post='3199749']
With the Leslie speaker and ignoring minute pitch changes due to the Doppler effect I thought it'd be a really slow Tremolo, no?
[/quote]

Yeah could be, mate.

Bit technical for me to name the correct term

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1482340496' post='3199749']


With the Leslie speaker and ignoring minute pitch changes due to the Doppler effect I thought it'd be a really slow Tremolo, no?
[/quote]

The pitch changes are important to the sound though! On a proper dual rotor Leslie, the bass rotor sounds not unlike a tremolo effect, but the highs almost have a chorus-y aspect to them. The Univibe emulates that with a circuit that is essentially a phaser.

Edited December 21, 2016 by Beer of the Bass

[SpondonBassed]

@ Fleabag, it seems that Univibe is more appropriate since there is a proprietory effect that does all of what we're talking about. Excellent yooboob clips thanks.

@ Beer of the Bass, I can accept that there is a pitch change which although barely perceptible, would have a noticeable effect. Sort of like low level "wow-and flutter" as we called it in days of vinyl and affordable turntables.