Empress Zoia users thread

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  • Paul_C said:

    I see you've made some new patches to try too :)

    Had a couple of ideas I wanted to play with - often when I see a new pedal release I'll get curious about using the same ideas in Zoia. As I never play the originals I never get close, but it gives me a good launching point. The new Eventide Micropitch pedal sound interesting for instance, trying to work out how to do that in Zoia. My two attempts so far have resulted in a chorus and Scratch n Sniff (which sounds like a DJ scratching a record).
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    I've finally got round to trying the new ones (apart from Cockle as I hadn't realised it was there) and like them all :)

    I love that the Glooper stops and starts as you play, it adds another layer of weirdness to it :)

    If you haven't tried it, the Saxobone is a lot of fun too !

    So now I need to make some choices to make room for the new ones - I was going to be happy to end up with 20 - 30 patches and I've already hit the 64 patch limit !
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Thank you, they were fun to put together! Always lovely to hear other people enjoy them too. I've been in a mood for churning them out recently; it's a bit like Lego for me - a nice way to relax.

    Saxobone sounds really cool, I need to pull some new ones down and put together a new list. Check out the 1978 Plate patches, I've enjoyed them for lovely sounding reverb. I'm currently working my way through some of the synth patches, which is another great use for the Zoia if you have a midi keyboard.

    I know what you mean about the 64 patch limit, I've started having multiple folders on the SD card to get around that. At the moment one for the synths, one for guitar and a 3rd for stuff I'm working on. The Zoia Librarian program helps a little with that, but I think it is a bit confusing at the moment.
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    I've redone my Top 64 list now, removing one or two that weren't as fun as the rest and getting rid of a couple of the fuzz sounds as they mostly sound the same unless they do something fun.

    I imagine making patches for you is a bit like me and my ridiculous number of Bandcamp albums, I have so much fun making them that it seems pointless stopping.

    I will start making some patches at some point, as I do like the idea of mixing things up - the fact that you can have multiples of the same effect appeals - doubling effects etc.

    I haven't looked yet, but can you split a mono signal into stereo and merge it back into mono ? That might make for something interesting if it's possible.

    I assume you can input guitar on the left, then run the output left into the input right (with or without other pedals) and then take the right output to whatever you want next ?


    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Dude, that's a lot of albums! Super impressed, will have a listen.

    Splitting the signal is easy to do, connect the output of any module (including pedal inputs) to multiple modules. You can go beyond stereo: Multi Cockles splits the input signal into 6 (5 delays + clean).

    The reverse is true when summing, connect all the modules to the same module input. With Multi Cockles I connected the 5 delays to a VCA so I can control the delay volume without changing the clean volume. I think that when combining the outputs of lots of modules is when you can get volume increase. You can mitigate against this by using a VCA or connection strengths.


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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    I've discovered a major flaw with my Zoia.

    There are so many cool and wildly different sounds in there that beg to be mixed together, and that can't be done with just one Zoia.

    I did think with the purchase of it I was done with pedal buying for quite a while, but somehow I doubt I'll reach the end of the year with only one on the board.

    :) 
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Yes, it'd be great if they made a some add on device for Zoia which gave it the power to run two patches at the same time. What I may do is get a Poly Effects Beebo, which looks like it is similar, but different enough to open up even more avenues. The ability to make your own IRs sounds cool too - it looks like you can get reverb for really weird places.
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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    Yes, it'd be great if they made a some add on device for Zoia which gave it the power to run two patches at the same time. What I may do is get a Poly Effects Beebo, which looks like it is similar, but different enough to open up even more avenues. The ability to make your own IRs sounds cool too - it looks like you can get reverb for really weird places.
    I have this combination. I can confirm it is very much an excellent thing
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • Yes, it'd be great if they made a some add on device for Zoia which gave it the power to run two patches at the same time. What I may do is get a Poly Effects Beebo, which looks like it is similar, but different enough to open up even more avenues. The ability to make your own IRs sounds cool too - it looks like you can get reverb for really weird places.
    I have this combination. I can confirm it is very much an excellent thing
    Very jealous! Are you using them in the same way as Paul_C mentioned, or are there specific things you turn to one for over the other?
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    I did briefly consider the Beebo, but a second Zoia appeals to me more - for one thing I have a folder full (64) of patches I definitely like, a second (53) of patches I need to spend a bit more time with to find the sweet spot for me and a third folder (41) of bits and pieces I might like once I understand how they work.

    So there's a lot of things to do before I start making my own patches (and I very much want to do that), and I really don't have the energy to learn another pedal's intricacies right now :)

    So while I might pick one up one day, I don't think the Beebo is for me right now.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Paul_C said:

    I did briefly consider the Beebo, but a second Zoia appeals to me more - for one thing I have a folder full (64) of patches I definitely like, a second (53) of patches I need to spend a bit more time with to find the sweet spot for me and a third folder (41) of bits and pieces I might like once I understand how they work.

    So there's a lot of things to do before I start making my own patches (and I very much want to do that), and I really don't have the energy to learn another pedal's intricacies right now :)

    So while I might pick one up one day, I don't think the Beebo is for me right now.
    Would be interested to see those lists if you’re happy to share. I went through the last list you posted and found quite a few that were new to me and I thought were really cool. 
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  • personalnadirpersonalnadir Frets: 354
    edited April 2021
    My top patches which I don't think were on your list:

    Midi Synth:
    • Ana String
    • ZS-40
    • Idiotastique
    • SHinspo
    Audio In:
    • 1978 Plate
    • Stefan's Dream Pop Wash 
    • SubwayVerb
    • Meet Harold
    • CountToFour - 1
    • CountToFour - 2
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    My current patch list is:

    Orbitors
    Glooper
    Temporal Anomale
    Wolf (all 5 of them, as without touching anything they all seem to make slightly different sounds)
    S_lodg3_v
    Two Grains
    Tether
    yaleD
    Broken CD
    Syntholith
    Mr Foxtrot V2
    Reverse Thermae
    No Memory
    Floopers
    Halocline
    Aliadelaly
    Saxobone
    Moody Bloopy
    Our and Are
    Trig Loop
    Weathered
    Baud 4 U
    Tesserae
    PLLish 2
    Reverseneath
    856 Wannabe
    Multi Cockle
    Grotto
    9n2 Break Enter
    Tape_ish
    Polyoctavous
    Comb Sweep
    Lofi Charm
    ARF
    Grime Space
    Pitch Pong
    Multi_i_i_i
    Memory Boy Tap
    Broken Clock
    Pensive
    Bit Amp
    Dweller V2
    Shallow Water
    Ambient Glitch V2
    Lofi Bliss
    Parts
    Naphtali
    Space Frogs
    Glitcher
    Dual Shift
    The Wind Synth
    Cockle
    The Monolith
    Soft Focus
    Candied Pecans
    Thru Zero-1
    Scratch n Sniff
    Melange
    Haino Glitch
    Bipedal Delay

    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    Folder 2 contains:

    Attack Delay
    ZOIAhuasca (I don't have a great deal of use for drive/distortion/fuzz or reverb for what I usually do)
    2nd Person
    Env Fol
    Env Phaser
    Idiotastique
    Synthotron
    IgnigNOT-1
    Trig Delay
    Sunken World
    Skippy
    2LoopersInLoop
    Phone Microwave
    Sample
    Splicer V1
    BP Trak
    Empty Terror
    ZOIAtronics
    Deep Space
    Overgrone
    Allegheny
    Gran Padano - 1
    Stressor
    Zoia Murf
    Chime
    Tesla Tower
    Apsidal Looper
    The Houseplant
    Decoratifs 1.1
    Dream Machine
    Ganymede Delay
    Oneiroi
    Bad Oneiroi
    Grain Galaxy
    Droid Friends
    Granular Ghosts
    Toy Piano
    Neutron Star V2
    Omniphase V1.1
    Lil Pulzar
    Rommy

    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    and odds and ends contains:

    Blurry Time
    Blurry Space
    Floyd
    We Could Paint
    Phrase Recorder
    Spizz Delay Looper
    4 Voice Loop
    Rdm Tap Delay
    Parts and Wreck
    DegenerateGain2
    Multiband Reso
    Airport Loops
    The Division
    Nat Hedra Sd Pf
    Recursion Index
    Grainy Days
    Origami Fuzz
    Loop Bender
    Supernova Sunset
    Moody Afternoon
    Stereo Blooper
    Dinks V1 (+b)
    Links V1 (+b)
    Fog V2
    Buffer Filter
    Nightly V1
    Untold Dozer
    Bloomer
    Phonanagram
    Loop Collage
    Looper
    Upward
    Circular Delays V1
    Random Dreams
    Loopriddim
    Multiswell
    C Thrsh Meter
    DSSTR_RCVR_V2-1
    Dreamy Sequencer
    Common Warbler
    Rainbowzzz
    Pretty Years
    Rephrase V1
    Evol
    Rumford
    Sp3ct3rs_Lodg3-1
    LFOs Everywhere
    Tabla Party
    Relative Time
    Mezzanine
    Glitcher-1

    There are likely to be quite a few that turn out too similar to keep (there are a lot of glitchy loopers !), but until I've tried everything (including finding out what the switches do and what can be adjusted) it's hard to say what is fabulous and what is just ok, which is another good reason to stick to this - it could take me the rest of the year to get through just these, let alone anything else that gets added.

    Still, it passes the time, and I'm getting plenty of nice sounds already :)




    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670

    Plus with two I can have a synth patch running into . . . lots !

    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670
    My top patches which I don't think were on your list:

    Midi Synth:
    • Ana String
    • ZS-40
    • Idiotastique
    • SHinspo
    Audio In:
    • 1978 Plate
    • Stefan's Dream Pop Wash 
    • SubwayVerb
    • Meet Harold
    • CountToFour - 1
    • CountToFour - 2
    Because there were a couple of patches I didn't recognise I went back to patchstorage and didn't filter for "effects".

    I now have another 175 patches downloaded to try out, so it looks like I might need three or four Zoias ;)
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • brucegillbrucegill Frets: 710
    Have you found a good “shallow water” alternative on the ZOIA? 
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7670
    brucegill said:
    Have you found a good “shallow water” alternative on the ZOIA? 
    There are some patches, no idea how good they are though as I've not heard a Shallow Water in action.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • brucegillbrucegill Frets: 710
    Paul_C said:
    brucegill said:
    Have you found a good “shallow water” alternative on the ZOIA? 
    There are some patches, no idea how good they are though as I've not heard a Shallow Water in action.
    Thanks. I can’t remember what they were like to be honest. From memory they’re were just a pain to set up compared to the actual analog pedal. But a stereo shallow water would be nice... trying not to buy a second one lol 
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