Zerosum Inertia - zi61 (VCA/Distortion - New take on Metasonix R51)

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The ZI61 is a dual tube asymmetrical clipping distortion module.
We took the R51 and then redesigned it to take 5654/6AK5 tubes and added feedback.
Tube 1 clips the top half of the waveform and tube 2 clips the bottom half.
The best way to understand the module is to turn the feedback off/full left
and then get familiar with how the input level and distortion clipping knobs interact.
Next insert voltage into the VCA CV input and get familiar with how feeding voltage
into the module changes the behavior and sounds heard.
Inserting voltage into the VCA CV input results in a louder sound as it opens up the VCA more.
The more voltage inserted the louder the sound.
There are some knob settings that will narrow the pulse into silence and some settings that will go into oscillations.
Sometimes turning a knob counterclockwise results in more strange results and oscillations than clockwise.
After getting familar with the interactions of the input level and distortion clipping knobs get familiar with the feedback knob and how the input level and feedback knobs work together and interact with eachother.
Every unit sounds completely different, Go analog!! woooo!
Every unit has different sounds at different settings.
This takes some patience and time to get familiar with the module.
Let the module warm up for several minutes before using, the module will not function properly until warming up for a few minutes.
The clipping control is all over the place but there is usually a sweet spot in between 10 and 2 o’clock.
Start with all the knobs full clockwise/to the right and then work backwards to get a feel.

A good starting point is Input Level, Distortion, and VCA full to the right/clockwise and the feedback off/full left.
Slowly rock the distortion counterclockwise to get a feel of where the “fold” points are and the range of the pulse width distortion is.
Then move onto the feedback.

If you are looking for a simple easy to dial in snappy VCA, this isn’t the module you are looking for.
The right channel of the TVM23 or the 5654 Dual VCA is what you want if you want a simple easy to understand VCA.
This ZI61 is a complicated distortion module that could drive the user insane trying to understand how to tame and remember all the sweet spots.
It utilizes a VCA as part of the distortion effects.
All the knobs interact with eachother when feedback is engaged.
It feels like dialing in a radio signal to an alien universe, once you have that sound dialed in you have leave it there.
It is a combination lock.
The more you tweek the knobs the more possibility there is to lose that transmission signal.
Feedback is chaos.
Analog is chaos.
Tubes are chaos.
Patience is required.

Explaining this thing is impossible, you just have to choose your own and adventure and take notes and remember how the knobs interact and where the silent combinations are and where the loud combinations are and where the foldover clipping smashing distortion settings are and where the oscillations are.
This module can do musically useful crisp non broken distortion at the right settings.
It is also very capable of ripping up the sound into pieces at other settings.

22HP.
33mm deep.
400 mA +12 on first power up.
150 mA average load after power up.
150 mA -12.

Read more and discuss here.