Damn, to everyone saying it’s overpriced......its an analog multimode filter, an analog tube overdrive, a digital delay with various settings, it has a stereo signal path, with CV and MIDI capabilities. I challenge you to find a stereo digital delay, a tube overdrive pedal, and a multimode filter pedal that combined sound this good, for $500.
Agreed Kev. It's price is comparable to a Strymon Blue Sky or Eventide Space and like those two, you are paying for quality. How tactile are those bakelite knobs, Kev? It looks as good as it sounds. I feel like I should operate this beauty in a lab coat with pencils in my left pocket. It has that retro look that wouldn't look out of place in a Hainbach Oscillator video.
You’re correct. This unit is priced to perfection. It’s super versatile. I think a lot of people grew up on plugins and never realized how life and commerce works regarding hardware. His generation wants it good and cheap. Those two don’t mix. Sorry :)
The Zen does seem to combine the Acidbox 's Polyvoks filters with a really hands-on analog delay -- one that fulfills the knob-fetishizer's dream of deserting their hypercontrolling DAW. What distinguishes the delay is its seamlessness in certain settings; it gets crazy, but not out of hand. (I just heard the reviewer use the same phrase right after I wrote it myself! That seems to be an evident quality of the Zen in the five reviews I've watched in an attempt to talk myself out of getting one.) Erica Synths' Eurorack orientation does lend itself to set-to-forget sounds, though, and I do wish they gave us the best of both worlds, as this gentleman noted: MIDI flexibility and seamless performance combined. Their bassbox sequencer does do a bit of that. The Zoia covers digital versatility while this box stays on largely the analog side. Erica seems to have added the digital delay only for specific use cases. I love that the reviewer used it with a Hydrasynth, which I could see the creators of the Zen dismissing as sterile (though I would not and perhaps they wouldn't either). But comparing any effects box save the Zoia to the Hydrasynth's total integration and flexibility seems unfair, since everything seems limited by comparison -- if you're thinking about possiblities rather than pure sound. Even so, I wonder how much a keyboardist really needs a dedicated filter box when so many modern synths, from the diminutive Moog Sirin/Minitaur (which shares Erica Synths' knob style) and the Sequential Pro 3 offer audio input and full access to sound shaping through their filters. Erica Synths can suck you into the extremely expensive side of their line (the Syntrx, the Black System) until you remember that. Still, the Zen is a really nice and unusual piece of kit despite the slick faux-deco design. I might pick one up on BF 2020 if the plague doesn't cock it up.
Do not buy this if you’re wanting tempo synchronization from a DAW or external midi device. Whoever did this video did not hold down the tap tempo button to tell the delay to receive clock from another source, if they would have done that they would have quickly realized the delay does not keep time properly… I’ve been communicating with Erica Synths for the last month regarding this issue trying to find a solution, and their latest firmware update still does not fix the problem. If you don’t care about proper synchronization, this issue will not affect you, but if you want perfectly timed delays, you need to wait before purchasing this. I assume they should have this issue sorted in the next three months.
Thank you - really important point. I'm thinking of upgrading my interface just to use this as a send and return effect, so that's crucial. Let's hope they take heed and thanks again 👍
D r Jezz it’s amazing for the filter and drive at the moment but the delay is not functional for people who like rhythmic perfection. Also whoever did this video didn’t read the manual - you can’t activate midi input by simply plugging the cable in. Ricky tinez also reviewed this pedal and didn’t utilize midi sync though his demo is beautiful. Perhaps most people don’t care about synchronization the way I do?
supports my impression that this thing is a bit rushed. they also really should have implemented some sort of frequencyfiltering against the noise that builds up in digital mode with higher feedback.
Also; the new firmware update replaces the vintage mode (which formerly sounded super intense and noisy) with a new algorithm which sounds like a pitch and time effect. Far less noise and distortion. I miss the original algorithm.
Oooh... that filter sounds amazing. And that tube fizzle is so delicious you could spread it on a slice of bread. And just when I thought I wasn't getting any more hardware for a while...
I wonder if u can help me get set up properly, its been a while since i have used hardware effects. I am running a couple technics turntables with an xone 96 mixer. I can use the zen delay fine as an master insert effect. But how can i use it as send return? As i only want to send 1 channel with the send instead of the master. And i like the send control of the mixer. Do u think i need a different delay for this?
Someone need to design a circuit that calculates a balance between input gain and output volume, so you can set a consistent output volume with one knob, then with the other vary how that target volume is achieved, varying input gain and output amplification to achieve the target.
@@Morne555 maybe, but I imagine the sound would be different adding an extra stage of loudness control rather than blending between the existing two stages of amplification. Same idea in principle though - you might be performing and need to set your levels, then play with how much saturation and distortion you get from the input gain as an dynamic effect without blowing your mix to bits.
one of the thougher decisions i had to take. i gave it back and decided to go with the nemesis. i was looking for a good sounding delay in the first place and the zen is very special. and pricy, though understandably so. the thing with that noise having the feedback open in digital mode rendered it alost unusable in that mode. its really an issue. so it would be just one filter mode that sounds addmitingly great. the tube drive i didnt find much likinng for. on synths it didnt worked for me much however: using just the tube drive as a tubesaturation infront of the audiointerface gave the vst guitarsounds a loooot more punch and greatness. made me decide that i need a tube booster in future. the filter sweeps on the delay are awesome. sounds super nice but since their is no automatation it does not really fit my work flow. cant spare another hand. though decision but having all possible delay forms in great sounding quality for half the price won over the good sounding tape delay with great filter and some what usable tubedrive.
without different time divisions it's not very useful because you only have the simple and static mono delay or left > right delay which does not generate real rythm-flows like with dotted eighths. I had the Zen Delay for a couple of months and sold it, because of that very important missing feature. It sounds awesome but the delay itself is quite boring to be honest, that's why they put all those extras on board so that you are impressed when you first hear it.
Anyone get whining noise on HP filter mode. Even with no input level going in I get a noise when in HP mode with cutoff in the anti clockwise/filter mostly off position? With and without resonance and drive. Totally gutted I have to return my unit as its a great fx unit apart from that. I read others have had similar issues. Back to shop it goes. Would love to buy another but I cant live with this noise as Ill mostly use it in HP mode
for ipads, old digital drummachines, mpc s, worldreceivers, guitars, mics, turntables, cd players, taperecorders, .... actually when you start to record an ipad thru the zen delay you will never want to record without it! :)
It is painfully obvious that the guy reviewing doesn't like it. Ricky Tinez (another youtuber) did like it and actually used it for its intended purpose
true, this isn't a new invention, but it's a well put together pedal with a signature sound. you'll get something similar if you make it yourself out of other pedals but you'll probably not get the exact same sound... let alone that tube drive.
@@LsbTv Ok, but so what? There are many filters, and pedals / units in the market that also took a significant amount of R&D. Honestly I want to know what plate voltage is on that tube, is it there for looks? 12v dc is barely enough juice.
Damn, to everyone saying it’s overpriced......its an analog multimode filter, an analog tube overdrive, a digital delay with various settings, it has a stereo signal path, with CV and MIDI capabilities. I challenge you to find a stereo digital delay, a tube overdrive pedal, and a multimode filter pedal that combined sound this good, for $500.
Kevin Harris thank you haha people expect to have all this for like 200$. Not everything is a volca
@@256k_ Where I live with taxes and all it's closer to $700, and that's hard to justify. I would consider it if I actually could buy it for $500.
Agreed Kev. It's price is comparable to a Strymon Blue Sky or Eventide Space and like those two, you are paying for quality. How tactile are those bakelite knobs, Kev? It looks as good as it sounds. I feel like I should operate this beauty in a lab coat with pencils in my left pocket. It has that retro look that wouldn't look out of place in a Hainbach Oscillator video.
You’re correct. This unit is priced to perfection. It’s super versatile. I think a lot of people grew up on plugins and never realized how life and commerce works regarding hardware. His generation wants it good and cheap. Those two don’t mix. Sorry :)
Tony Anderson you’re so right.
The Zen does seem to combine the Acidbox 's Polyvoks filters with a really hands-on analog delay -- one that fulfills the knob-fetishizer's dream of deserting their hypercontrolling DAW. What distinguishes the delay is its seamlessness in certain settings; it gets crazy, but not out of hand. (I just heard the reviewer use the same phrase right after I wrote it myself! That seems to be an evident quality of the Zen in the five reviews I've watched in an attempt to talk myself out of getting one.)
Erica Synths' Eurorack orientation does lend itself to set-to-forget sounds, though, and I do wish they gave us the best of both worlds, as this gentleman noted: MIDI flexibility and seamless performance combined. Their bassbox sequencer does do a bit of that.
The Zoia covers digital versatility while this box stays on largely the analog side. Erica seems to have added the digital delay only for specific use cases. I love that the reviewer used it with a Hydrasynth, which I could see the creators of the Zen dismissing as sterile (though I would not and perhaps they wouldn't either). But comparing any effects box save the Zoia to the Hydrasynth's total integration and flexibility seems unfair, since everything seems limited by comparison -- if you're thinking about possiblities rather than pure sound.
Even so, I wonder how much a keyboardist really needs a dedicated filter box when so many modern synths, from the diminutive Moog Sirin/Minitaur (which shares Erica Synths' knob style) and the Sequential Pro 3 offer audio input and full access to sound shaping through their filters. Erica Synths can suck you into the extremely expensive side of their line (the Syntrx, the Black System) until you remember that.
Still, the Zen is a really nice and unusual piece of kit despite the slick faux-deco design. I might pick one up on BF 2020 if the plague doesn't cock it up.
Amazing! It is not just an fx box, but a whole new instrument. Latvia produces great engineers.
You playing the HS next to the zen was so beautiful
Erica Synths make the most beautiful looking and sounding gear. They are also the masters of Sexy Knobs.....
That thing sounds massive! For what you get the price is more than reasonable if you ask me.
Quality product. Quality video guys.
Very nice demonstration of what this amazing unit can do. Cheers for that!
Do not buy this if you’re wanting tempo synchronization from a DAW or external midi device. Whoever did this video did not hold down the tap tempo button to tell the delay to receive clock from another source, if they would have done that they would have quickly realized the delay does not keep time properly… I’ve been communicating with Erica Synths for the last month regarding this issue trying to find a solution, and their latest firmware update still does not fix the problem. If you don’t care about proper synchronization, this issue will not affect you, but if you want perfectly timed delays, you need to wait before purchasing this. I assume they should have this issue sorted in the next three months.
Thank you - really important point. I'm thinking of upgrading my interface just to use this as a send and return effect, so that's crucial. Let's hope they take heed and thanks again 👍
D r Jezz it’s amazing for the filter and drive at the moment but the delay is not functional for people who like rhythmic perfection. Also whoever did this video didn’t read the manual - you can’t activate midi input by simply plugging the cable in. Ricky tinez also reviewed this pedal and didn’t utilize midi sync though his demo is beautiful. Perhaps most people don’t care about synchronization the way I do?
supports my impression that this thing is a bit rushed. they also really should have implemented some sort of frequencyfiltering against the noise that builds up in digital mode with higher feedback.
midi sync problem is solved with new OS coming next week
lsb.TV YES!!!!!
Outstanding!!! Looking forward to receiving mine quite soon.. 🎧🤙
Great review
RIcky tinez really played this pedal amazingly. but be warned if you watch his video you'll most likely have a massive hole in your wallet afterwards.
Yeah his vid is dangerous haha
He made this baby sing and sold me instantly! I prefer his video over Stimming's, which is saying something!
john Paton same! I’m starting to wonder if it’s not as amazing as it seems and it’s really ricky’s skills that make it shine haha
fayekhelmi
, i already had it before! Lol!
@@256k_ no it's truly amazing! but you're right about that crater in my bank account.
Also; the new firmware update replaces the vintage mode (which formerly sounded super intense and noisy) with a new algorithm which sounds like a pitch and time effect. Far less noise and distortion. I miss the original algorithm.
guess i had the first version. it was just brutal. noise. like a noisefilter on steroid.
TAKE MY MONEY! WHERE DO I SIGN?
Oooh... that filter sounds amazing. And that tube fizzle is so delicious you could spread it on a slice of bread. And just when I thought I wasn't getting any more hardware for a while...
the tuble fizzle is shocking, tubes shouldnt start to break up when pushed
Dope 1!
When Syntrx review?
I wonder if u can help me get set up properly, its been a while since i have used hardware effects. I am running a couple technics turntables with an xone 96 mixer. I can use the zen delay fine as an master insert effect. But how can i use it as send return? As i only want to send 1 channel with the send instead of the master. And i like the send control of the mixer. Do u think i need a different delay for this?
No lfo?
sounds like perfect delay uni to me
Hi freaks is there someone who using it with Moog Subsequent 37.. any experiace..???
I´m a bit disappointed that you can't control the VCF applying CV to the CTRL input...this should be perfect
I find no slow time delays here and no long feedback examples... i wish i could hear how this unit evolves over time...
erica == thumbs up
Someone need to design a circuit that calculates a balance between input gain and output volume, so you can set a consistent output volume with one knob, then with the other vary how that target volume is achieved, varying input gain and output amplification to achieve the target.
It would be better to have a limiter on the output but that would increase the cost.
@@Morne555 maybe, but I imagine the sound would be different adding an extra stage of loudness control rather than blending between the existing two stages of amplification. Same idea in principle though - you might be performing and need to set your levels, then play with how much saturation and distortion you get from the input gain as an dynamic effect without blowing your mix to bits.
one of the thougher decisions i had to take. i gave it back and decided to go with the nemesis. i was looking for a good sounding delay in the first place and the zen is very special. and pricy, though understandably so.
the thing with that noise having the feedback open in digital mode rendered it alost unusable in that mode. its really an issue. so it would be just one filter mode that sounds addmitingly great. the tube drive i didnt find much likinng for. on synths it didnt worked for me much however: using just the tube drive as a tubesaturation infront of the audiointerface gave the vst guitarsounds a loooot more punch and greatness. made me decide that i need a tube booster in future. the filter sweeps on the delay are awesome. sounds super nice but since their is no automatation it does not really fit my work flow. cant spare another hand.
though decision but having all possible delay forms in great sounding quality for half the price won over the good sounding tape delay with great filter and some what usable tubedrive.
I think there's an album named Zen on Ninja Tune records.
ZEN-xxx is the catalogue numbering system for all NT releases
without different time divisions it's not very useful because you only have the simple and static mono delay or left > right delay which does not generate real rythm-flows like with dotted eighths. I had the Zen Delay for a couple of months and sold it, because of that very important missing feature. It sounds awesome but the delay itself is quite boring to be honest, that's why they put all those extras on board so that you are impressed when you first hear it.
Lol
🤣🤣🤣
Anyone get whining noise on HP filter mode. Even with no input level going in I get a noise when in HP mode with cutoff in the anti clockwise/filter mostly off position? With and without resonance and drive. Totally gutted I have to return my unit as its a great fx unit apart from that. I read others have had similar issues. Back to shop it goes. Would love to buy another but I cant live with this noise as Ill mostly use it in HP mode
Why would you need a VCF and resonance when you have them on your synth? I would like to hear your opinion.
Because not all instruments have filters, not all filters sound the same
for ipads, old digital drummachines, mpc s, worldreceivers, guitars, mics, turntables, cd players, taperecorders, ....
actually when you start to record an ipad thru the zen delay you will never want to record without it!
:)
have you never filtered a delay feedback? Oo
You could filter the dry and wet signal separately
On master or effect loop of dj mixer.
👍👍🏻👍🏼👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿
wish you went a bit more crazy in the demos like some other reviewers. otherwise nice vid.
It is painfully obvious that the guy reviewing doesn't like it. Ricky Tinez (another youtuber) did like it and actually used it for its intended purpose
@@Honking_Goose Yeah I really don't think this is a set and forget delay. To me it seems more like an fx to perform on and craft transitions with.
What a miss no control...
What is that nice synth at 3:25 at 12:10?
Would love to know aswell
@@vibropanda ASM Hydrasynth
Hold down “Tap” a couple seconds and then it receives MIDI clock.
I'd _maybe_ pay $250 for this out the door. Otherwise if I'm shelling out half a grand then I'm getting a Strymon.
too hectic
Sounds like vintage mode is based on an analog bucket brigade delay.
Sounds lovely. Would I like one? Oh yes. Will I get one? No.
shame to play? wtf..
too expensive
Definitely into Eventide H9 terrority at £500 price point.
@@6581punk But sounds amazing in it's own right. I'm considering this over anything eventide.
isn't this just a multi-fx pedal? just get a filter, OD pedal and a delay and chain them. Get a mixer if you need parallel rather than series.
true, this isn't a new invention, but it's a well put together pedal with a signature sound. you'll get something similar if you make it yourself out of other pedals but you'll probably not get the exact same sound... let alone that tube drive.
@@256k_ That actually a good thing.
"just get a filter...."? :)
it took 3 years and 14 prototypes to create the zen delay....
@@LsbTv Ok, but so what? There are many filters, and pedals / units in the market that also took a significant amount of R&D. Honestly I want to know what plate voltage is on that tube, is it there for looks? 12v dc is barely enough juice.
if course the tube works!
Kewl, but not worth its price