I have a fondness for experimental sounds and noise as well.
Just taking the piss regarding Cuckoo. 
Cannot wait to connect it to my M32. Whatever the Moog sounds perceived faults, you can do anything to it FX wise and itāll stand up.
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Iāve done this a bit with the ZOIA. You could combine a sequencer, random module, and a comparator to get per-step probability. The sequencer could send out CV values (that represent probability of an event happening). The sequencer could also send out gate signals that trigger the random module to create a new random values. Then youād use the comparator module to determine if the probability value is greater than the random value created. Youād then use the comparator output however you want. Sorry if that sounds complicated, on paper itās a lot easier to follow along.
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I ask this question often when I pick up a piece of gear. For me it comes down to stage vs. studio - which are both big pieces of what I do on a regular basis.
re: Different? Absolutely. Thereās a workflow that gives it a certain charm. However, I think most of it can be done in Ableton, especially with M4L stuff like envelope followers, lfos, rack macros, etc. I donāt use a computer on stage, and Iām on stage often with multiple acts, sometimes in very different genresā¦ to the point where I use a very different mouthpiece for one in particular.
I think you really nailed it with your statement:
Thatās really the crux. I have different senses of discovery with hardware and with softwareā¦ I think many of us are fortunate to have the options. If youāre going for end result, Iād say, stay with Ableton. If you have a desire for the experience of such things (that, admittedly have little to do with āplayingā music), I think Zoia is a killer addition to the toy box.
Thatās exciting. Clever solution, and not hard to implement at all. It sounds like the sequencer alone is going to provide endless surprises!
Just posted a new firmware version 1.01 which uses around 10% less CPU for hungry patches: https://empresseffects.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/1000275389-updating-firmware-on-the-zoia
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I think they made a critical mistake in the industrial design --its so small they are bypassing an entire market of guitar players that like substantial looking pedals
I donāt think people realise how small this pedal is!
| Height (enclosure only) | 1.75ā |
|---|---|
| Height (including controls) | 2.625ā |
| Length | 5.7ā |
| Width | 3.75ā |
| Weight | 1.5lbs |
fwiw (hope Iām not overposting) I couldnāt love the form factor more. Small and chunky, I can hold it in both hands and play it like a gamepad. I wish more desktop units came in this size. Buttons and knob are plenty big, screen is excellent and conveys plenty of information in a small space, LEDs are top notch and show the modulation thatās going on at a glance. Once my ripcord comes in the mail, itāll be fully portable, I can throw it in a backpack and go.
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Amazeballs!
But you mean 10% less right?
I read that and my brain started to hurt: āneed more pages. So many more pages.ā
Comparison to Digitakt (bonus, I can use the Digitakt stand to prop up both Digitakt and Zoia side by side)
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Oops yes youāre right!
Itās the same form factor as their other pedals.
Iāve gotten the impression that there are more guitarists who want smaller pedals than those who want bigger ones. Certainly thereās been enough of a demand for pedal makers like Xotic, EHX, tc electronic, etc. to make mini versions of certain models.
Anyway, there are quite a few who seem to be buying this thing.
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Smashing! Thank you.
some hastily-made recordings of my first patches (warning: experimental / noise fuckery)
100% ZOIA:
ZOIA processing modular (simple mother-32 sequences):
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Is there a CV gate module or something similar on the Zoia? Iām trying to make a rudimentary ādepthā control for a filter but canāt suss out how to hook up my LFO via an ADSR (opened by an on/off momentary switch) to control the filter cutoff.
My lack of modular-thinking-skills is coming to the fore today!
(If there are any good modular tutorials that would help me with this kinda thing, please feel free to point me in the right direction! I made a super-simple synth patch - 1 osc, a filter, and an envelope - and that felt like absolute magic to me)
Just to check in, my Ripcord arrived. Got the 9v center negative one. Working great with laptop, phone charger, powerbank.
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Iām not really understanding what you are trying to achieve. Could you give a bit more detail please?
Yeah; no problem. I didnāt articulate that very well! I want to vary the depth or amount of the LFO on, say, a filter when I press a (momentary) pedal. You get the same effect with the connection strength but you canāt affect that with a modulation source.
Not sure which modules to rig up to achieve the same thing.
Try using a multiplier. Not being able to mod connections is a pain, hopefully theyāll sort that in an update.