It's often said that software emulations of hardware effects pale in comparison to their sources, so when one comes along that not only sounds exactly like the original, but also gives even more flexibility that expands on the sonic potential, we're very satisfied customers indeed. Zen Delay Virtual from Erica Synths takes its delay-shaping cues from the hardware original, and widens the scope further with a unique LFO page. This Black Friday, it's available for the reduced price of $74.98
The original hardware unit landed in hardware form back in 2019, and was designed in collaboration between Latvian gear-makers Erica Synths and the hailed UK electronic label Ninja Tune. In fact, Coldcut member Matt Black personally contributed to the design.
Erica Synths' plugin version, which we reviewed last year, was not intended to replace the original hardware unit, but expand upon its DSP-based delay effects with expanded modulation control, via its LFO page.
The plugin's digital delay function was improved for the plugin version, adding a range of new settings that allow users to change the bit rate, sample rate and white noise level. It's great for creating hard, crunchy digital effects and adding lo-fi personality to a mix.
There are also more options for synced delay timings, throwing in dotted and triplet timings. You can also alter the routing of the delay and filter, allowing for the filter to be placed in the feedback loop.
While many of the interface's attractive, hardware-influenced knobs adjust the levels of impact the virtual unit has upon the signal, the filter and drive sections open up a broader layer of research. The 24dB octave filter section presents numerous filtering modes. Meanwhile, the drive section, when pushed to its limits, causes some unpredictable, utterly sound-transforming results.
As we've found from using it across our projects, ZDV can concoct some genuinely captivating delays with those big front-panel knobs demanding you to get creative, and manually mangle up the filters, the delay-types and set some interesting modulation to work making sounds expand into new frontiers. From simply adding emotive echo to instruments, to making beats, basses and vocals expand and breathe in entirely new ways.
So, grab it now for that knock-down price, and check out some of our other favourite Black Friday deals here
