Ninja Tune Zen Delay (collab with ericasynths)

Common issue if you Google search for it.

I returned mine cos of this. Gutted i had to as excellent delays.

From memory it mostly done it on HP /bp filter modes. Turn the filter off and it went away.

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I can’t say I’ve noticed (but also haven’t looked/had it long).
it is weird that the filter does it when the filter is outside the delay loop isn’t it?
I guess just resonance created by the circuit itself maybe?

Does anyone know of other delay units that are comparable to the Zen Delay in terms of hands-on ergonomics for performance control? Most other pedals that I’ve been looking at have quite cramped controls and smallish knobs, I really like the look of the large knobs and open layout of the Zen and from what I can tell it seems like it’s ideal for jamming out on with both hands.

There’s also the other aspects of it like how saturates nicely so it doesn’t seem to clip harshly like some other pedals, and the big sweet spot in the feedback control. It just seems odd that there’s not many devices quite like it that are geared towards performance in the same way.

Dreadbox Raindrops. I have it and it cured my GAS for the Zen :). Really nice delay.

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Have you played the zen to compare? You have great taste in gear and now I’m gonna look into the raindrops cause I love my zen delay!

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I have not used the Zen unfortunately. Would love to get my hands on one some time. But in terms of saturation, hands on control etc. I think they can compare from what I have seen and heard. Raindrops does have a few shift + knob functions but they are easy to remember and keep track of.

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Raindrops does seem very nice, maybe I’ll get one at some point. I think I’m really looking for something with a good filter built in too though.

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Yeah, the filter is a really big part of the magic with the zen delay. I can’t wait to try raindrops, and I can’t imagine a more fun and hands on delay than the zen delay.

What a great time for delays!

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I haven’t ever traid a Zen Delay and would love to… but a contender for fun and hands-on is the BugBrand PT Delay, the original version with a send/receive loop to add your filter of choice. It also has footswitch controls for delay punch in and for swapping between two delay time settings, so feet-on control too…

But the Zen Delay does seem great - as does the Raindrops… and never mind the unobtainium Doctor A …

I’ve had the bugbrand and have the doctor A! Bug brand was super cool but a little too wild for me. Doctor A sounds fantastic. Zen delay is the most fun to actually play! Need to try the raindrops now…

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So one of their best customers (me) goes in the box, then suddenly this…

Coincidence?

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Woah. This is so wild because the hardware version is so staunchly anti-automation/modulation. To suddenly have all those mod sources and DAW automation… I’m not sure I know what to do with it!

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Oh hell yes. I was very tempted to buy the hardware, guess I’ll hold off!

Edit: it’s €99 but…

Finally, it should be mentioned that for every license sold, one five-year old oak tree is planted in the reforestation project by the Liquid Sky artist collective in southern Portugal and will be cared for until the tree can survive by itself

… Which is pretty cool.

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I hope they fixed the digital delay in the software package… the feedback was tragically awful.

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I’m kinda hoping this comes with some kind of firmware update with extra super power for hardware owners because…

I think it’s kinda unlikely the plug in will sound as mad as the hardware, but we’ll see I guess! Will have to check the demo and sell up quick if it does!

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Hoping the same, but those modulation options and options to adjust noise, sample rate and bit depth! :sob:

I’d be happy to know you could use the hardware as a 1:1 controller.

The plugin does sound somewhat mad still. It does sound like something is missing from the video, but honestly it’s not much (if anything).

I might just need to keep telling myself the hands-on control is sublime since they nailed the feel of it (size/pot resistance), spacing (ergonomics) and I do like the analog filter/tube overdrive.

While on the topic… Last universal gripe:
Why some keep calling it a pedal! It’s not a pedal, it’s a desktop effect.
Try stomping on this and something will break. :rofl:

I’d take even just the sample and bit depth adjustment as the lo-fi delay is pretty intense at factory settings, and being able to sweep sample depth is a whole effect on it’s own. Not sure how possible it would be though. Hold down bypass and sweep a pot? I dunno.

But yeah, I’m sure the digital delay can be pretty perfectly modelled, but there’s a bit of mojo in the tube overdrive and the filter is great. They do clever stuff with computers these days though!

One can hope!!

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Desktop effects have open tubes. The Zen clearly has a guard across its tube so it’s a pedal :laughing:

And they chose to draw the guard in on the plugin, too. So your DAW’s a pedal now, too.

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Try touching that tube and I think you’ll agree the guard is well placed.

Still not a pedal. No stomp switches.

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