Z. Vex - Instant LoFi Junky
With the Instant Lo-Fi Junky, Z.Vex adapts the effects that make the Loop Junky’s loops so, well, junky and puts them in a stomp box without the looper.
OVERVIEW
Hello, and welcome to the world of the Instant Lo-Fi Junky™. Any of you who’ve heard the sound of the Lo-Fi Loop Junky™ will understand this pedal immediately... its purpose is to imitate that sound in real time. Joel Korte, the extraordinary engineer behind this new device, was able to create a combination of THAT chip compression, Belling bucket-brigades, and ultra low-current National Semiconductor op-amp filters to exquisitely copy the texture and feel of the original Lo-Fi into this new and extraordinary box, adding some new sounds that have never been heard before.
To get the basic real-time Lo-Fi sound, turn the middle knob all the way to the right and set the waveform switch to triangle. By adjusting the speed and depth it’s pretty easy to achieve a very similar texture to the original Lo-Fi Loop Junky™. Lower the tone knob if you wish to darken the tone.
Next, try turning down the middle knob all the way toward the “comp” side. With this setting you’ll enjoy a remarkably spanky bright and clear compression. It lasts forever but has dynamics like there’s no tomorrow. As you turn the middle knob back toward the Lo-Fi side, you’ll hear the chorus blend start to happen. The sparkly clear compressed signal will mix with the smashed, lo-fidelity warbled signal and become a luscious emulsification that can be blended to the most perfect depth. Unlike other choruses where the only depth control you have is the depth of the sweep oscillator, this unit lets you set exactly how much of the two signals are present in the mix... more clear compression if you want the sound to be basically clean with a hint of chorus, blended 1-to-1 for pure chorusing sound, or mostly vibrato with a hint of chorus by turning the knob mostly to the right. The chorus sound sounds most traditional with either the sine or triangle setting. They are subtly but noticeably different.
Now try switching the waveform to square and set the middle knob mostly to the compression side (to the left). You can blend in just enough of the square-wave modulated Lo-Fi sound to make it really eerie. For the spookiest sound, set the speed control to the tempo of your performance and the depth all the way up, adjusting the mix for just enough modulation. I really love this setting... it’s so unusual and fun.
Link to Premier Guitar magazine review!
Source: Youtube / Shane's Guitar Gear Demos
| Brand | Z.Vex |
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