11/23/2009

Tip Top Audio: Z-DSP

Gur of Tip Top Audio sent me his very own Z-DSP to show off at the Trash_Audio synth meet and while I have it in my grasp, a lot of time is being spent with the Z-DSP and with permission I am making a video of some of those moments. The sound of this module fits into my setup perfectly and while it does beautiful delays and reverbs, this is only the beginning. The current card this particular unit came with was the dragonfly delay card which has eight beautiful delays with great sounding feedback. Gur showed me a reverb and filter cards while I was in LA. Now the truly exciting part is that Gur intends to release the source of the Z-DSP cards so anyone can program whatever effect that want and integrate it with their modular system. And while I'm full on illiterate when it comes to programming... you know what? Let me have Gur explain it himself.

Gur of Tip Top Audio
The Z-DSP will be supplied with the Dragonfly Delay card. There are several more cards in development, it is theoretically endless as the Z-DSP is an audio microcomputer that like any computer all it needs is different softwares to perform an infinite array of features. Right now the cards I'm developing are reverbs, more types of delays, CV processing, LFOs, DCOs and a few others. I just finished testing a digital ring modulation and it sounds very different from analog. The next card to be available is the Bat Filter, a collection of 8 VCDF (VC digital filters), its a killer set of filters!
There is also a programmer that will be available. It is a USB device that goes into the card slot of the Z-DSP and there is a PC code development environment that connects to it. This programmer allow users to either write their own programs, share with others, or download some free algorithms that are available online. This programmer will be sold separately and will require signing a NDA that is made to protect the IP of both TTA and the user against anyone who might want to take advantage of the 'open source' approach to copy algorithms from the cards and use them for commercial use.


*Watch your volume. I'm not saying it in the hip way - I'm saying it in the 'it starts off quiet and picks up the direct signal at about fifteen seconds in'