1. Quickstart - FX Basics // Empress Effects Zoia Tutorial
This video is intended to show the most basic functioning to start off. It is intended for the absolute beginner. There will be more videos that will progress to more deeper functions so please stay tuned!
Intro 0:00
Audio Input 0:55
Audio Output 1:53
Making Connections 2:20
Disconnecting Modules 2:53
Adding FX 3:24
Connecting FX 3:55
Changing Module Parameters 4:28
Erasing Module 4:59
Adding Different FX 5:11
Chaining FX Modules 5:57
Saving/Renaming Presets 7:02
A Few Factory Presets Demo 7:57
This tutorial is how to apply LFO's to the effects modules on the Empress FX Zoia. If this video seems confusing please watch the previous video to learn the more basic settings.
Intro 0:00
Creating Your Own Tremolo w/ Overdrive 0:44
Copying A Module 1:05
Editing A Module 1:27
Adding VCA 1:38
Connecting modules 2:01
Assigning LFO to VCA 2:36
Changing LFO Waveform 3:37
Clearing Modules 4:03
Adding Lowpass Filter 4:14
Adding another LFO 5:44
Deleting Filter Modules 6:37
Adding Aliaser Module 6:46
Connecting LFO to Aliaser 7:22
Adding Bitcrush Module 7:49
Adding Pitchshifter Module 8:28
Adding a few more LFOs 11:13
Short Novation Circuit Demo with Zoia FX 12:13
Spotted the first video in the playlist above on discchord.com. The Playlist contains 21 videos. You can use the player controls to skip around. Descriptions for each are below. All videos feature various gear so you should be able to get an idea of some of the capabilities of each featured. You can check out Jay Hosking's music at https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/.
Note, more will likely get added over time. The following playlist is as of this post:
1. Jam w/ Vermona PERfourMER MkII, Elektron Analog Rytm MkII, OTO Bam, Styrmon Big Sky, Fugue Machine
A live, semi-improvised performance, all on hardware, and inspired by some pretty tough news that has me sentimental.
I loved the Elektron Analog Four MkII so much that I picked up the Analog Rytm MkII. My feelings on the Rytm are mixed. On the one hand, it's missing that spontaneity and spark of units like the Arturia DrumBrute Impact and Teenage Engineering OP-Z, with no readymade performance effects, roller bar, or global randomization, and a slower workflow. On the other hand, I really like its analogue sound engines, any unused tracks can be converted into impressive analogue mono synths, it does beautiful things to samples, and like all Elektron boxes it integrates the effects into the sequencer really nicely.
As for the Vermona PERfourMER MkII, I'd been pining over it for ages, and it was fun to finally tinker with it. The Perfourmer definitely excels in the mid- and high- range, and I love how the independent voices making really interesting voices for chords.
Vermona PERfourMER MkII + OTO Bam — Three synths (left chord note, right chord note, melody)
Vermona PERfourMER MkII + Strymon Big Sky — Bass chord note synth
Elektron Analog Rytm MkII — Drums, samples, sample melody, punchy bass
Fugue Machine (iOS) — Sequencing
IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo — MIDI out from iOS
Written and performed within a 24-hour period, and uploaded as is, with only a little sidechain compression on the Perfourmer (to emphasize the sound that the Rytm was already making), and compression/limiting on the master.
"In this video Matthew Piecora (aka EZBOT) live codes the Roland D-05 using ORCA while processing the audio with the Empress Zoia. ORCA is an esoteric programming language used for creating sequencers live, it is the perfect companion to the Roland D-05's sounds and fun to use joystick. The Empress Zoia spices up the legendary synthesizer with it's creative, customizable, modern, and modular mono or stereo effects.
From Roland:
'Released in 1987, the Roland D-50 Linear Synthesizer is easily one of the most influential keyboards ever made. This revolutionary instrument helped define the sound of the late ‘80s with its instantly recognizable mix of sampled attacks and synthesized sustaining waveforms, plus built-in chorus, reverb, and EQ. It’s the basis of classic tracks in a wide range of genres including synth pop, new wave, new jack, and R&B, and can be heard in countless film scores of the era. With the Roland D-05, you get the iconic sound and dedicated control of the D-50 in a modern device that perfectly recreates the legendary synth down to its finest details.'
From Empress:
'The ZOIA is basically a modular synthesizer in pedal form. Instead of being a delay effect or tremolo, the ZOIA provides the modules necessary to build a delay or tremolo from the ground up. But since you're the one building it, you can make it do whatever you want. With the ZOIA you can build your own custom effects, synthesizers, midi controllers, and virtual pedal boards. And to make life a little easier, we've created modules for all your standard guitar effects. So for instance, if you want a phaser, you can just plop down a phaser. You don't have to break out the textbooks to learn that they're built out of all-pass filters. (Of course, if you're a nerd like us, you can use the ZOIA to build them out of all-pass filters).'
"In this video the Empress Zoia is sequencing the Teenage Engineering OP-1 and than processing the audio to add the Empress's dreamy reverb. Using two sequencing channels with with different clock time divisions the sequence feels random but also in sync. During the video we explore several synth engines and some custom presets made by Matthew Piecora (aka EZBOT)
From Teenage Engineering:
OP-1 is the all-in-one portable synthesizer, sampler and controller. with additional features like a built-in FM radio and an assignable G-force sensor for motion controlled effects, there is quite nothing like it. Its modular architecture enables endless sound possibilities without making the workflow complicated or distracting. The compact design and real physical interface makes it inspiring to create music, no matter who you are or how experienced you are.
The ZOIA is basically a modular synthesizer in pedal form. Instead of being a delay effect or tremolo, the ZOIA provides the modules necessary to build a delay or tremolo from the ground up. But since you're the one building it, you can make it do whatever you want. With the ZOIA you can build your own custom effects, synthesizers, midi controllers, and virtual pedal boards. And to make life a little easier, we've created modules for all your standard guitar effects. So for instance, if you want a phaser, you can just plop down a phaser. You don't have to break out the textbooks to learn that they're built out of all-pass filters. (Of course, if you're a nerd like us, you can use the ZOIA to build them out of all-pass filters).
"In our 3rd video Mathew Piecora (aka EZBOT) explores the midi sequencing capabilities of Empress Zoia by teaming up with the Roland JU-06A. The Zoia patch used consists of 4 sequencers, a clock divider and 2 FX's modules to process the returning audio from the JU-06A.
From Empress:
"The ZOIA is basically a modular synthesizer in pedal form. Instead of being a delay effect or tremolo, the ZOIA provides the modules necessary to build a delay or tremolo from the ground up. But since you're the one building it, you can make it do whatever you want. With the ZOIA you can build your own custom effects, synthesizers, midi controllers, and virtual pedal boards. And to make life a little easier, we've created modules for all your standard guitar effects. So for instance, if you want a phaser, you can just plop down a phaser. You don't have to break out the textbooks to learn that they're built out of all-pass filters. (Of course, if you're a nerd like us, you can use the ZOIA to build them out of all-pass filters)."
From Roland:
"The JU-06A is the best of the JUNO-60 and JUNO-106 in one synth. It has the continuous high-pass filter of the 106, the envelope-controllable pulse-width-modulation of the 60, and the unique filter behavior of both, instantly switchable from the front panel. The sound is indistinguishable from its vintage counterparts, even while tweaking controls or using extreme settings. And no vintage JUNO would be complete without the swirling sound of its legendary chorus, faithfully recreated, right down to the lovable (and thankfully adjustable) noise."
"Mixing worlds between guitar pedals and modular synths is a super fun way to get more out of a minimal set up.
In this video, WMD Metron is in control of a 4 channel drum machine. Each of our drum modules, Chimera, Fracture, and Crucible are running through the WMD/SSF Blender 4 channel mixer with 2 drums going to Left and 2 drums to the right.
The ZOIA is receiving CV (gate signals) and Audio from this @wmdevices Eurorack drum machine. The Gate signal from Metron is triggering an ADSR envelope on the ZOIA. This ADSR opens a filter connected to a randomized polyphonic chord on the ZOIA made possible using the new scale options on the ZOIA’s quantizer tied to a single random LFO.
ZOIA is processing 2 separate channels of audio with 2 drum tracks on the Left channel and 2 drum tracks on the right, each channel has separate effects going into the ZOIA’s mixer and lastly into a stereo reverb on the ZOIA."
"Shooting out analog warble vibes with the new Chase Bliss Generation Loss mkii vs Empress Zoia's Deep Water patch (a stereo Shallow Water imitation).
Comparing anything vs the Empress Zoia is tricky because it can basically be anything. I've always wanted a stereo Shallow Water so the Deep Water patch on the Zoia intrigued me. And of course, I had to jump all over the Chase Bliss Generation Loss mkii when it was announced.
This video tests these pedals on various synths like the Sequential Prophet Rev 2, Roland Juno 106, and guitar. For this shoot-out, I dropped the signal to proper levels and impedance using Avedis MD7 preamps.
00:00 In Search Of Stereo Shallow Water
01:27 Zoia "Deep Water" + Juno 106
03:47 Chase Bliss Generation Loss mkii + Juno 106
04:30 Audition Tape Models A
08:46 Adding Back Hi End Freqs
09:36 Sequential Prophet Rev 2 + CB GL mkii
10:27 Audition Tape Models B
13:43 CB GL mk ii + Guitar
15:43 Zoia "Deep Water" + Guitar
18:03 Zoia "Deep Water" + Rev 2
20:30 Shootout GL mkii vs Shallow Water?"
See the Synthuary label for more. Synthuary because these are the Jamuary synth videos. More below.
"A quick jam for number 13, after a long day at work. This one uses the Figure app for iPad/iPhone from Reason Studios. Very good for making a quick beat."
THE MISTS OF REBIRTH: Dawless Outdoor Volca #Keys #Modular Jam Impro Aussie Bushfires #Jamuary2020
"For my #jamuary2020 Day 13 I'm using only my trusty @nordkeyboards Nord Lead 4 with 3 custom presets from "init" arranged into a "performance" with a split.
For those not familiar with the Nord Lead 4, it has 4 complete synthesizers each with their own FX each. Presets called "programs" can be placed into one of four "slots". Slots can be combined into "performances" where you can perform with all four slots in concert.
For EACH synth instance you create both impulse and continuous morphs which allow you to save states for pretty much any parameter in for the preset in a slot without changing presets 😮.
You can save and trigger 7 impulse morphs per slot with impulse morph buttons on the left next to the wooden pitch stick. Morph buttons are momentary switches but you can latch them as I do 26 second mark. Continuous morphs are mapped to the groovy pumice mod wheel (or map this to an expression pedal).
I used this custom set of presets and "performance" when I performed as a special guest for the Boulder Laptop Orchestra (BLOrK) at the @cu_atlas Atlas Black Box at @cuboulder back in 2017. For this performance I used only the Nord Lead 4 with 14 programs each with a large number of morph states. Video here https://youtu.be/ScpItttfGlY.
In a somewhat related note I'm a @uccs_alumni so it was real treat to perform within the CU system 😀.
#jamuary #improv #synth #blork #sounddesign"
I kind of cheated ... self playing ZOIA patches (Empress Effects) // #JAMUARY2020 DAY 13
Published on Jan 13, 2020 DivKidVideo
"** Anyone called Floyd that's pink and feels like running? ** With the brilliant news that there's a new Eurorack version of the Empress Effects ZOIA the "ZOIA EuroBuro" as announced by Empress Effects today (link below) I thought I'd crack out the ZOIA pedal and well ... CHEAT! I say cheat as I didn't really do much musical creating today, I just flicked through some ZOIA presets and let some self running patches play away beautifully. There's a lot of rich and lush sound from ZOIA so I figured this can be more of a little ode to ZOIA and sort of a promo for it's self contained capabilities (not sponsored). I've had great fun with my guitar into it and the modular so more exploration to come."
"My third jam for #Jamuary2020. Another downtempo one, this time featuring the Digitone, Minilogue, Tensor, Particle V2 and the trusty RV-500.
The Digitone is sequencing arpeggiated chords and a plucked bassline, plus is used for a live pad. The Minilogue is used for the live lead. I used the Tensor to build a looping pad made from some of the notes from the Minilogue, which is then run through Particle V2 for graininess and then into the RV-500 for some reverb."
"Prophet 10 - 1 full hour. Non-stop playing. At various points I'll use summit's reverb, delay, and chorus, but limited enough to allow the dry signal to still be distinguishable. At certain points, where you hear the stereo image become much bigger and wider, that's the Empress Zoia. All of this made possible using sends off a Mackie 16 channel VLZ4, feeding post fader directly to a prism sound titan. Full of deadmau5 and Pryda covers, along with some random improv. Big pads in the last 10 minutes. Enjoy!
REV 1/2 SSM Filter
3:32 - Chords w/ Empress Zoia Chorus Added + Summit Reverb 10:00 - Gnarly Lead 11:11 - Filter Lead Variant 12:25 - Closed Filter Resonant Lead 14:58 - Summit Delay Added 16:40 - PolyMod w/ Osc2 - Big Layered Mono Pluck 18:32 - Pitch Madness 19:30 - More Modulation Exploration 22:00 - Pumping Filter 23:17 - More pumping and Mods 25:50 - Rhythmic Melodic Riffs 28:21 - Rhythmic chord progressions and comping 29:05 - crunchier version 30:10 - Some crunchy variant of "The Hand that Feeds" 35:30 - more movement 36:27 - PWM movement 43:05 - R2D2 44:35 - Strobe-ish 45:44 - Armed 46:18 - Faxing Berlin 47:49 - The Veldt 49:51 - Sol 51:33 - Big Pad with Zoia Chorus added + Summit Reverb 52:00 - More Pad + More Reverb 52:57 - More Melody and Longer Release Times 53:30 - Trippy unstable String Pad 54:11 - Stable String pad 54:34 - Heavy Deep Chords w/ lots of Summit Reverb & small amount of Zoia chorus 55:55 - Chord progression to the Agenda 57:00 - Big Ambient Blues
REV3 CURTIS FILTER
38:21 - Filter & PWM movement 39:35 - Rezy Rev3 Filter Rise 40:40 - REZY Filter Dives 44:05 - Sawtoothy / Rezy w/ AT LFO pitch Vibrato 51:50 - Deep Pad with Zoia Chorus + Summit Reverb"
The ZOIA Euroburo is a digital modular system that can be placed in your modular system, a real Russian nesting doll situation. We added a headphone output and a super-slim optional case so the Euroburo can live happily on your desktop or be easily mounted in a Eurorack case. Hence the euro + buro, pronounced “bureau”…get it!?
Create unique signature effects, synthesizers, sequencers and more while using 4 freely assignable CV ins and 4 outs to interface with other CV enabled devices. The additional headphone output and powered 9-12v case makes the module even more desktop friendly. With over 90 modules from CV utilities to audio effects, oscillators and envelopes to MIDI, the Euroburo can do almost anything to fill the gaps in your setup.
There's no need to worry about getting bogged down with endless menus or a cluttered interface. Creating patches and performing with the ZOIA is a tactile experience. Patching, deleting or moving modules and editing values can all be done quickly using the push-button grid and a flick of the encoder. With the addition of dedicated push buttons for the CV and Audio I/O, patching on the ZOIA has never been faster.
"I've been training my own personal backing singers for my @teenageengineering Pocket Operator, the wonderful @iorama.studio #chantlings are doing fine! 👍✨ . So, the setup is... Audio is coming from my Pocket Operator, it's playing a tune, which is being output to the @empress_effects ZOIA pedal, a wonderful effects box if there ever was one. 😍 . The Zoia output is then inputted to the mic in on the iPad (chantlings is made for singing into, but with a simple channel splitter you can play anything into it). 😋✨ . The output end of the iPad audio splitter is then sent to the little fender speaker on the desk. 🔊🔉✨ . This gives me an interesting output (the PO) and two potential ways to apply effects, either the native Pocket Operator effects (high pass filters/stutters/etc.), as you see me do in the video or I can use the Zoia. 💣💯 . The Zoia is a great effect unit, but so much more... you can program it with "patches" or download and apply one made in it's thriving online community. You can "play" it too. 💥🙏 . I even tried plugging a tula mic into the PO input, the audio came through nicely and the "chantlings" harmonized well with my attempts at singing. 😜👏✨ . A Sunday morning well spent. 😊 . Note the whole setup was mobile powered with our ReVolt and Ripcord USB cables. 😁✨ . Also our delicious Candycord audio cables are on show. 🍭💖😁✨"
"In this video we used the Zoia first as an effects unit for the Elektron Digitakt, then as a standalone synth voice, and then showed some of the crazy modulated synthesizer sounds it can produce that would be hard to get out of a fixed architecture synthesizer.
The Zoia is a powerful set of sound generators, effects and modulators that can be freely routed into each other with many different control options available. It even has midi in and out for controlling it from a midi sequencer or keyboard. For sound it has stereo inputs and outputs.
"Reconstructed Live Video from the Good Space Block Party (29th May 2021, The Rocks, Sydney). Using Monome Norns with ARC controller & 16n Faderbank giving Granular control of several sound sources.
1010 Bluebox is used as the mixer and is streaming field recordings of ocean waves, wind, bells, sticks and other assorted noises being processed via Empress Effects ZOIA through a custom Granular and Ring Mod patch and Bluebox's own effects and filters - using a Zone K2 Midi Controller fully mapped to Bluebox and ZOIA.
The track is an extended, modified and live version of my track 'Nrem REM' from the Album 'Heiro' available on Bandcamp: https://allinaire.bandcamp.com/album/...
Note: This video is reconstructed from 2 takes. About half way through the live set on the night the 1010 Bluebox froze and became unresponsive (most likely due to a power issue - working with Aaron of 1010 now to sort out the issue) meaning all the mixing, half the field recording and audio sources with all internal effects, and the effect send to Zoia were unavailable. Rather than stop completely I was forced to carry on with what was still working which changed the final outcome completely. Obviously very disapointing but it just shows that gear failures can happen anytime - I'll need to reconsider some gear choices and power sources due to this issue.
For the purposes of completeness I decided to use an earlier live rehearsal recording to add back the 'missing' pieces by splicing it in about half way - so the video is not fully 'live' in that regard. The first half has also been edited in a couple of places to make this a shorter video. I've tried to match the video to the correct audio but a couple of inconsistencies may be evident.
I'd like to thank VJ 'ATTM' for the excellent Live video projection and live video feed and the amazing Luke Snarl for facilitating this part of the Good Space event and running the sound.
Thanks to Good Space for hosting the event.
Video footage of the night by Dee plus some taken from the Live Stream."
"In this patch i made a double sequencer, on the amazing Zoia Euroburo, with probability, ratcheting and polyrythms.
The sequenced voices are the Deckard's Voice and the Disting MK4 OSC.
Zoia also sends clock to Xaoc Batumi (that modulate various parameters on both voices) and process audio adding a PingPong Delay and GhostVerb.
So, in a small case, like an 84 hp, thanks to the Zoia Euroburo, you can achieve really complex results (and the effects section is stunning).
Hope you like!"
"Developing an instrument is no easy feat.
It takes time, and commitment, and teamwork.
Especially if the device becomes alive.
This is the true story of ZOIA.
On sale now, shipping April 15, 2019.
All music sounds in this video were made by ZOIA.
Steve's wake-up sequence features patches from Daniel Fisher & Benn Jordan (who has an excellent YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/bennandgear).
Gloomy nightmare music by KNOBs.
"My friend Hainbach sent over one of his patches for the Empress Effects ZOIA. I tweaked the patch a little and made a track with it and the OP-1. And recorded it straight to cassette.
You can find out how the patch works and how I made the track in Hainbach's ZOIA video:"
Published on Oct 13, 2019 HAINBACH
"In which I talk about ZOIA, a modular synthesizer disguised as a guitar pedal. Featuring an introduction to patching, sound examples, patching from scratch and a special guest appearance by Jogging House"
"EMPRESS ZOIA is modular multi FX unit in stunning quality. But it bears under the hood also numerous modules that make it a real modular synth. Modules like VCO, VCA, VCF, Lfo, Step Sequencer etc. etc.
Part 1 of a short JOURNEY the ZOIAs SOUNDSCAPES."
Start of this one reminded me of the Space Intro to the Steve Miller Band's Fly Like An Eagle.
"A review and demo of the Empress Zoia showing how I've found I've been using it for the past 6 months. The Zoia Euroburo is both simply stunning and creatively complex, but it's up to you how deep you want to go. From using it as a pure effects unit to wizard level modular programming it can become a completely immersive experience.
I have been using it in 4 situations:
1. As a complex single modular system in one unit
2. Using the preset FX and those from patchstorage - simple but stunning
3. Integrating with your system using its Utilities and functions
4. As a mini modular synth.. design your own Synth. ITS FUN!"
"No it's not a competition. I was wondering if ZOIA would be able to 'do' a bit of DPO, Tempi, Rene, Echophon, Erbe-Verb and Morphagene. I am not clever enough to make ZOIA do it all at once, but it's a fun way to cover the various aspects of this amazing eurorack module."
"Exploring synth patches and the many possible sounds of the Empress Effects Euroburo as a main VCO / playable synth over MIDI. A synth showcase containing a selection of different synth patches: polyphonic pad synths, mono bass/leads, generative ambient machines, playable atmospheric drone patches.
The ZOIA Euroburo (or Zebu) is the module version of the ZOIA pedal adding 4 CV ins and 4 CV outs, 2 extra assignable performance buttons, as well as a headphone output. A dream creation station. A mosaic of sonic possibilities. On top of being a massively customizable effects unit, utility module and control device - this is a very capable synth."
