Ah I thought minijack plus lookin at the pics it meant mini usb or something. Sweet.
1 Like
I doubt between the Zoia and the Black Box to companion my Deluge. I read a lot about the 2 boxes but find it difficult what is the best companion for my Deluge. Any advice?
I know the Zoia is a effect-box, but i canāt place the Black Box. Or is the Deluge capable enough without those 2?
I thought the blackbox was a sampler. With the Deluge you would seem to have lotsa sampling capabilities. I doubt either of them can match Empress quality fx and the customization abilities of the zoia (but could be suprisingly wrong).
2 Likes
You can get very far with a just single Delugeā¦ What are you missing exactly that you feel the need for a companion?
1 Like
Itās not a 100% need, but I think that sampling would be easier on the Black Box because of the touch-screen. For the rest I see not much advantages. Or are there?
No experience with the Blackbox, but I think samples do sound great on the Delugeā¦ I like using samples on the Deluge much more compared to using the internal synth engines and with the upcoming update (audio/cv/midi looper and what have you) I suppose sampling will become just as easy with a single button press. I would either invest in a external midi synth or fx box to accompany the Delugeā¦ Not a sampler.
So, the Zoia would be a good companion? That is a FX box
But, maybe you are right. First push the Deluge to its limits, buy a good sample/sound pack.
I would prefer the Zoia as a companion compared to another sampler or perhaps an Analog Heat to beefen up the whole signal 
1 Like
I like the Zoia for itās flexibility, a lot of modules and great support. Also the portability is very important for me. I just switched from a Octatrack to a Deluge, for that reason.
The Zoia would add some good FX, that the Deluge does not can or does not have.
ZOIA needs a PSU though. Not provided, btw.
1 Like
I know, but can be powered by a powerbank with a USB 9v adapter cable, just like the Deluge.
Zoia cannot load samples, so Blackbox beats Zoia there. Any demos you hear of Zoia processing a sample was done with the sample at the Zoia audio input, not loaded from the SD card.
OTOH, Zoia is a modular-in-a-box, with the flexibility one would expect from a modular. This modular includes actual synthesis modules. There are several polysynth patches for it - of course you have to plug in a MIDI keyboard or something to play the synth or play the onboard buttons, but it works and sounds surprisingly good imo. Most polysynth patches are labeled as 4-voice poly, though apparently the theoretical limit for voices is a little higher.
2 Likes
The limit of a single MIDI note in module is eight voices, but it does allow for splits/layers (in theory) which would exceed that limit.
That said, reaching eight voices within the limits of CPU is difficult, unless the voice is very simple and/or uses paraphonic elements (shared filter and/or shared VCA). On most occasions where I have ended up with four or six voice patches, Iāve started with a high number and whittled back as I realized things like, āOh, hey, velocity would be nice,ā etc.
1 Like
Currently Zoiaās sweet spot seems to be designing your own loopy glitchy ambient stutter pedals - in a MOOD, Zellersahn, Blooper redux paradigm with extravagant delays, warped reverbs, chorus, distortion, phasing or a mix of all of the above.
So in my mind it is first and foremost a totally customizable fx box rather than ever a go-to synth. However you can put an osc at the start of the chain if you donāt want to use an input.
Thatās still a whole vast world of its own if you are a guitar jammer, or as a creative outboard to an OT; as a beats processor or any sound.
So yes it is a āmodularā, but moreso in its approach to FX building blocks rather than it equates to what youād create with a 84hp rack.
It can also do a pretty good job as a minimalist sequencer, midi remapper, generator etc
Users expecting it to replace ā¬1500 of budget eurorack modules might be disappointed; but it covers a lot of ground nonetheless
3 Likes
Iāve no doubt about the amount of thought and time youāve put into control schemes for a given patch.
I will explore what a combination of the onboard stompswitches, button switches, and analysis modules can do for me, before investing in an outboard controller such as a Faderfox, MIDI Fighter Twister, or something of the sort.
1 Like
Get an old faderfox - they are cheap now
1 Like
Thereās one on Reverb thatās looks decent, but now is not the time for me.
You and I have the same understanding I think.
A modular could be anything from a little 3-4 module system to TEās cute 170 system to your 84hp rack system to a huge room-size system.
Before last month, I would have thought that everybody would immediately understand that nobody, including me, would suggest this thing as an alternative to the likes of a Make Noise Shared System or similarly well-appointed modular, but now Iām not so sure.
Would you recommend a ZOIA to be a partner for the OP-Z?
I loved to learn the puzzle-style functions and workflow of the OP-Z so i guess it would be really fun to dig into the functions and possibilites of the ZOIA.
Thought about going into the modular world but as i am a little bit of a collector i am afraid to spent too much money on individual modules for the sake of the look if a large an well filled module case.
Mainly i want to have a large variety of effect options on hand (as the OP-Z has just a few basic effects) and try more ambient and experimental sounds.
Also I want to keep my setup as mobile and small as possible and i think the ZOIA fits quiet well (with a powerbank) in this use case.
Do you think the ZOIA is worth the Price they are asking for it.