The Cyndustries List

OK, after a full weekend of tweaking, here is a longer version of my
first impressions of the ZO.

1) It is an excellent sounding 'normal' VCO.  Very fat and has all of
the features I would want in a VCO: SIN, SAW, SQR, TRI waveforms, PWM,
SYNC, linear and expo FM.  Plus it adds a second 1V/OCT input,
'reverse' SAW (ramp), and a few other mod inputs.  This is a great
'regular' VCO.

2) The Quad outs are the total bomb: in LFO mode you can control a
surround (OK 4-speaker) mix, in VCO you can have an amazing stereo
spread. And remember that these outs are over and above all the other
waveform outs, so you can make big, swirly, fat pads/ambiences with
just one of these suckas. And they morph!

3) Oh yeah, there's that thru-zero thing, too.  This adds a huge
dimension to everything I've already listed, particularly those
ambiences/pads. This is not just for typical DX timbres, although the
DX-like timbres are bibgger and fatter than any *I've* heard from a
digital synth.

Is this a DX killer? Well, let's do a little math:

* 6 * $650 = $3900 for ZOs
* 6 * $250 = $1500 for carrier VCOs
* 6 * $100 = $600 for VCAs
* 12 * $80 = $960 for EGs
* TOTAL for basic system: $6,960.

I think you would want other mod sources and some mixers and other
things thrown in so you're probably looking at eight grand; 6 grand
for a 4-op.  Not in my budget!

That much said, JUST ONE of these in a modular is a huge addition in
timbre, control and coolness, IMO.  Two would be cool, and three might
just be ideal.  That's still a lot of cash!

A couple of further observations:

* I can't get the INDEX CV to actually do anything unless I connect
the EG to the DYNAMIC 1 input, then connect the MOD OUT to the INDEX
CV input.  In other words, unless there's feedback the EG's CV does
not seem to affect the timbre even with the pot turned fully clockwise.

* The TIME REVERSE input can add yet another dimension to the timbre
of the ZO.  Do not neglect this jack!

* Using waveforms other than SIN for your FM'd output can give you
some really biting timbres.  The ZO can be a very nasty beast.

* It's really big in MOTM format.

* Construction is really solid.

I think that covers it for now.  More later as I discover it.  This is
a very deep module, one that you can come back to for a long time and
get new stuff from.

Awesome.

Mike

Sorry Mike, but your math needs a few corrections.  :-)

* 1 * $250 = $250 for modulator VCO (In DX7 algorithms at least one
oscillator/operator is always a modulator without feedback)
* 5 * $650 = $3250 for ZOs (up to five carriers per voice, there are only
six modulators/carriers total)
* 6 * $100 = $600 for VCAs (normally use the ZO internal VCAs for carrier
modulation, but for parallelled carriers this VCA is required for the final
mixed output)
* 6 * $80 = $480 for EGs (though one might argue that Encore UEG envelopes
are closer to DX7 envelopes than ADSRs)
TOTAL for single voice:  $4580 not counting mixers, LFO, etc.
TOTAL for sixteen voice instrument:  $73,280

John Loffink
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site
http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com
The Wavemakers Synthesizer Web Site
http://www.wavemakers-synth.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: The_Cyndustries_List@yahoogroups.com
> Is this a DX killer? Well, let's do a little math:
> 
> * 6 * $650 = $3900 for ZOs
> * 6 * $250 = $1500 for carrier VCOs
> * 6 * $100 = $600 for VCAs
> * 12 * $80 = $960 for EGs
> * TOTAL for basic system: $6,960.
> 
> I think you would want other mod sources and some mixers and other
> things thrown in so you're probably looking at eight grand; 6 grand
> for a 4-op.  Not in my budget!
>

TOTAL for single voice: $4580 not counting mixers, LFO, etc.
TOTAL for sixteen voice instrument: $73,280