So I’m tempted by Zoia. I’m thinking of doing a complete rehaul of my setup using the Zoia for all my effects needs and more, and slimming down my eurorack.
This is exactly what I’m doing, and so far I couldn’t be happier. Hexinverter Mutant Brain is pretty good for MIDI->CV from Zoia to Eurorack, since you can set it up to receive MIDI CC on all jacks. Between audio, MIDI, and the CV port, there’s enough interconnectivity to suit my needs. I’m constantly pleasantly surprised by how much I can do - it’s fairly trivial to do X-PAN like things, for example, since everything can be stereo out of the gate and you can do CV-able panning to your heart’s content.
How is the granular effect on the Zoia?
I think it’s usable and a lot of fun. Unashamedly digital and somewhat lo-fi in nature, with all artifacting and sharp edges implied, so keep that in mind. I don’t think it will satisfyingly replace anyone’s Nebulae v2 or Morphagene (or Arbahr, or Mimeophon…). I’ve never tried a Phonogene, but I’d speculate that it might not be dissimilar to that, plus some Clouds-like features such as “Freeze”. I’m really happy the granular’s there and I plan to use it a bunch.
I find that when I want more CPU power it’s because Ive done so much already I struggle to accept limits. The patch Ive made when i hit 100 is perfectly usable (after some cleanup) and unique. I’ll just have to rollover the idea to a new patch.
You can do a lot if you accept the limitations. I think that if one must have one of the big “effects” the patch should center around that. For example if you must have the ghostverb you should face that you wont be able to do sooo much else. But if you can get by with the lite reverb you can anticipate having a lot more room to maneuver.
I’m not getting along with the granular but I think that’s on me. I’ve been spoiled by all the iPad offerings. Freeze is nice. I think its very usable and I just have to find my way with it.
Edit: Sorry. Meant to reply to @909one
So yeah, I would be using it to replace a Nebulae actually. Though tbh I use it more of a looper and less for the granular aspects. My thought is that I wanted to separate all of the effects out of my rack and essentially just use the ZOIA for effects, because I’d like to start doing stuff where I’m just processing guitar again more, and it would be nice to not have to bring the modular unless I’m actually playing synth. For processing all I’m looking to do to start is to replicate what I’m using in euro for guitar processing, which is to have envelope and gate detection, looping, delay and a vca and filter with some sort of sequenced envelopes.
Does the delay in the ZOIA have the ability freeze what you are playing in the delay line? there’s a pitch detection algorithm which I’m assuming gives you the ability to use as a tuner, right?
I would think Zoia is a far more capable looper than the Nebulae. Especially since you could set up multiple customized loopers at once doing different things. I haven’t spent time with the looper module recently though, and I’m forgetting if there are any quirks around circular recording, overdubbing, etc. I recently had some time with a Nebulae v2, and my takeaway was that the granular algorithms on the Nebulae are really impressive and finessed to sound great, almost no matter what you do, whereas on the Zoia’s granular module you can easily sound “bad” (one person’s bad is another person’s good, of course). I also think Nebulae’s separate control over pitch and speed is one of the killer features, and sadly on the Zoia pitch and speed are coupled into a single control. But if you don’t really use Nebulae’s granular then none of this is a big problem (and you should probably sell the module anyway, imo, because it’s overkill for a looper!)
I can’t speak to the first question, but as for the second, be aware that the pitch detection on Zoia really needs some work (IIRC, Empress actually acknowledged this as one of the areas they need to improve on).
There’s no freeze function in the delay module itself, but this essentially boils down to setting the feedback to 0db so the signal never decays. This is as simple as creating a switch (button, stomp switch, whatever) and linking it to the feedback. Sending a value of 1 to to the feedback will cause 0db feedback and your delay will repeat endlessly. You could also route your switch to mute the delay’s input when in this “frozen” state with a VCA or something similar.
this is why I like the idea of this pedal, it doesn’t have something you need so just make it!
Does anybody with a Zoia also have or have had a Z-DSP with Halls of Valhalla? I love my Halls but it’s a lot of real estate, and I mostly use it end-of-chain anyway. Would love to hear comparisons in quality and flexibility of reverbs.
The reverbs on the ZOIA are not meant to be the highest quality, as they’re designed to be economical with processor usage. While it’s possible they compare favourably, there’s a good chance they don’t…
See:
One last question here, and I think I already know the answer to this by perusing the module guide, but can you lock the delay and looper to in incoming CV clock?
I didn’t try it, but I assume you can do so :
the delay line and the delay effect have a tap tempo in, that can be tied to a MIDI clock the looper can be punched in and out within the module, so why not from a MIDI clock.
Both will not be immediate and will require some patching, but I’m quite convinced that it’s possible.
I’ve got a question for users : is there any reason why the “Value” module would take two buttons space ? I know that the first button could be use as an input, but what’s the point of using it that way ? I think it’s confusing.
Also, is there a good place to discuss features and programming Zoia (I mean other than here ?). I don’t use FB and there is no forum hosted by Empress.
I control groups of values with a single midi cc, so having input on the value us really nice.
I have asked empress about an official forum, but it sounded like they don’t really have the resources for an open forum.
Indeed, that’s an obvious case of use. Maybe an option to toggle the presence of the input ?
I’ll continue the talking here. Thanks
I may be mistaken, but I think it would break a design “rule” of the Zoia if they had one button that was both an output and could have its value set in the same button. I believe every button in any module that outputs a value cannot have its value changed on the button itself. Because every button that can have its value changed must also accept an input, and you can’t have a button be both an output and an input.
You’re probably right. it’s just that I like when the interface is simple for “in-the-box” patches. One button, hit it, adjust the value.
Regarding @909one request about syncing a looper to a clock, does anyone knows how to time-quantize a trigger ? I’d like to trigger a recording only on the beat. So I could press the stompbox a bit early, and the message will be delayed to the next beat. In Max/MSP I would use a 1/4 clock signal into a [onebang] and trigger from the stompbox.
Here’s the first solution I came up with. There may be a simpler way. Using emoji for visual cues.
Clock output goes to the input of an out switch configured with 1 channel.
Stompswitch goes into a cv flip flop. So when you stomp, the flip flop will start outputting a 1.
1
cv flip flop output goes into the output select of the out switch. So when you stomp, the out switch will be set to channel 1 for the next clock pulse.
out switch outputs to 2 places: the input of the cv flip flop, as well as the input of a second cv flip flop.
The first cv flip flop will go back to outputting 0 so that the out switch won’t send the next clock pulse. The second cv flip flop outputs to the looper record button. We use a flip flop here so the record button stays pressed.
0
You can stop recording with another stomp, which will be quantized as well.
So I got a Zoia this weekend. I tried messing around with syncing a delay to cv clock, it works but not that well, in that is sometimes looses track of the clock and sends the delay all funky. I was running the Make Noise Tempi right into the Zoia CV in. I does work perfectly with a midi clock in though, but it requires the extra step of sending the clock through my Keystep and then sending a midi out from there to the Zoia. I’m still obviously very new to the Zoia, is there a way to clean up the clock signal somehow with a module, like a comparator or something?
Otherwise loving the pedal though, the looper and granular modules are really fun.
Typically the kind of thing I did not try because I thought I could have overlooked a module (I’ve had my Zoia for less than a week). Thank you so much for the detailed explantation !!
Wow this looks like an interesting solution. I’ll have to check this out.
So I decided I didn’t like the ZOIA and I sold it after a bout a month with it.
It was fun and exciting to create new ideas but I realized I wasn’t making music as much, I was spending too much time trying to perfect a patch. I also really didn’t like the UI for performing. For creating a patch it was fine, but its not very performative in my opinion. I found myself scrolling around constantly to find what I needed to tweak and that’s just annoying. Yes, I could have gotten midi controller, but that’s just more shit to deal with. I also realized that for most of the euro stuff I do I was really missing having all of the CV control. If I was just playing guitar I would be more apt to keep it.
It was fun checking it out though!
I think those are viable points, but I have to say that I really dig ZOIA. So much, that I recorded a whole album with it and the OP-1. I find it super inspiring and the closest thing to a modular (without an actual modular system) I ever used. For me, it is all about the loopers and what you can do with them. I probably would not get it if I was looking for more classic effects or to create a pedal board in a tiny box. But for creative loop mangling patches it is just so good.
