Ooh baby, maybe this’ll encourage them to release a firmware update. Not that it doesn’t work fine as is (beyond people grumbling about the algos, which is fine) but I’ll always welcome improvements.
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I did a quick test and I can see some potential. I was trying to produce a melody using the resonance of the filter, using only a very simple drum pattern as a source.
Simple pattern without:
Simple pattern with:
I found it nice that you can automate the internal routing. Not sure how it compares to the hardware unit, I’ve never came to terms with buying it. We’ll have to wait for real Youtubers to kick in for a comparison.
Not sure I’ll buy this one either. Apart from the possibility to rearrange the internal routing on the fly it’s more a combination of tools (delay, overdrive, bitcrusher) I already have in various shapes.
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Zen Delay might be difficult to explain where it excels especially as a plugin where performance requires assignment to a controller and I’m guessing people use it differently too, but to me the strength of Zen Delay is in how it scales time (synced and unsynced) when used with Feedback.
There’s not a lot of delays that do well going from short ms delay times to very long times and still sound musical.
Again… everyone will use theirs different, but for me what made it stand out was again the time scaling on the delay time, it’s drive for adding grit and the passing through the filter to further color all on the fly.
I consider it a performance tool.
This won’t be for everyone, but this is how I used it for Jamuary, day 2. Everything done the same day, but Zen Delay is used for dirtying up Korg opsix, as a vanilla delay in parts (opsix, Strega) and then lots and lots of mayhem (I love adding the whirling sounds).
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I recently set out on a road towards a new distortion, but what I want longer term is some flavour of drive + delay to make acid at low and high registers. I’ve had Zen Delay on my radar for ages. It occurred to me that its drive might be “enough” for my general squelch needs. The delay side is definitely appealing.
Zen Delay owners, how do you find the drive by itself?
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I thought the drive was the best part, but I couldn’t get on with the feedback characteristic of the delay… it would always just turn into some mush or hi pitch squeal.
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Love it. There are three things that make the Zen amazing, IMHO, and two of them are pretty novel — first being the way distortion is done. You push up “input level”, which is pretty clean gain (until you push it into overdrive territory, which is a whole other thing). Then the “drive” knob sounds like it acts as a cross fade between the clean and tube circuits. It lets you expressively sweep the distortion in and out or find a happy medium. It’s pretty cool.
Then there’s delay feedback. It’s magic how far you can push it before it hits “out of control feedback loop” territory. And once it does, it’s very quick to get back under control. Once again, it makes the feedback very expressive rather than a “set it and forget it” parameter. It’s so contained you just want to play with it.
The third thing is the filter, but it’s really just a filter. No surprises, but a lot of character (and a really nice band pass).
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I must have been using mine wrong… thread consensus is the feedback is thumbs up.
The “vintage” mode on the delay definitely squeals for me. No problems with the others, though.
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trying the demo atm on mac
1 . its ilok …which might put some people off.
2. is it correct that i cant load any presets, only rename them?
i think they’ll want to improve the ui (the secondary page)
i see Hora was involved too, he’s made lots of nice vcvrack plugins.
Well that’s a bummer, looks like I won’t be using it.
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You should be able to load them by clicking the blank space to the side of the preset (in the “presets” window). UI on this feels pretty rough in general though
that works… didnt seem obvious in my head …
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According to Dr. Walker (german website amazona.de) a firmware update is planned in the near future. At least the Zen-Team is urging Erica to do so.
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This is great. Can’t wait!
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Really stoked about this one. Have always wanted the hardware unit, but never got around to getting one. Anyone try the plug-in out yet?
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Oh man, that shit drove me insane. One of many factors that led me OTB.
ilok anything makes it really easy to choose not to buy, absolutely no interest in having to deal with DRM inconvenience when there’s so many other great alternatives out there.
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I read Dr Walker’s comment as being more that he and the Zen team think that there ought to be a firmware update and (possibly exaggerating to make the point) that they would pay for it, if necessary.
(Caveat: My German comprehension isn’t the strongest)
Either way, it is definitely good news that they are advocating for an update but I’m not holding my breath. 
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Your german comprehension is actually quite well.
But I think, since the plug is released, the urge to develop a firmware update became much more necessary to strengthen arguments to buy the hardware.
I would love to see dottet 8ths on the hardware…
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Both ways!
If there’s an updated interest in the hardware, it will inspire persons to buy the plugin as well.