Z5000

The Z5000 is a digital multi-effect module from Tip Top Audio. It includes delays, reverbs, and other effects.

General Controls

REVERBS, DELAYS, PITCH MOD	Effects are divided into 3 banks. To select a bank, press and hold the relevant button. The currently selected effect will be briefly indicated by the pattern of lights on the buttons. After a few seconds, only the selected bank's button will be lit. To scroll between the effects in the bank, click the selected bank's button. To view the currently selected effect, click one of the inactive bank's buttons.
FIDELITY	Changes the frequency of the internal clock controlling the processing speed of the DSP chip. Altering this can result in anything from pitch shifting to degraded digital noise
IN	Exponential gain control on the audio
MIX	Dry/wet mix

Links

Z5000 Home
Z5000 Manual

Mode

Description

A version of the classic 70s ‘Hall’ style reverb. This has a dark, dense yet somewhat ‘natural’ sound. The Time control is optimized for longer times up to several minutes.

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Rate of internal modulation

Mode

Description

The sound is brighter than ‘Hall’ with a faster attack but is also quite dense. With lower Modulation settings a more metallic sound is possible. The Time control is optimized for medium-sized times up to several seconds.

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Rate and intensity of internal modulation

Mode

Description

This one comes from the 80s ‘budget’ rack units and can get very huge and highly modulated. Probably the best choice for your contribution to ‘Selected Ambient Works III’

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Rate and intensity of internal modulation

Mode

Description

A gated version of the Plate algorithm. Party like it’s 1985!

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Rate and intensity of internal modulation

Mode

Description

Room with early reflections and minimal coloration at low Time settings. Can become decently large with increased Time and the Mod gets very wobbly at high settings just for fun.

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Rate and intensity of internal modulation

Mode

Description

Backwards, inverse sounding effect that gets pretty huge at longer Time settings.

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Rate and intensity of internal modulation

Mode

Description

A 500ms modulatable mono delay line feeds into the Hall algorithm. The Feedback/Mod control adjusts the delay time and the Time parameter increases both the delay line feedback and the decay time of the Hall.

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail + delay feedback
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Delay time + delay feedback

Mode

Description

An octave up pitch shifter in the reverb creates the classic ‘shimmer’ tone. The Feedback/Mod control adjusts how much of the pitch shifted sound is present. Setting the pitch level higher with smaller decay Time settings will increase the pitch level and have it come in sooner. At longer decay Time settings very high pitch level can overload the internal loop and clip the outputs!

Controls

TIME	Decay time of the reverb tail
FILTER	Low pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of octave up pitch shift in the reverb tank

Mode

Description

Basic mono digital delay line with a low pass filter in the feedback loop. The delay time can be modulated without glitching and produces an FM type effect. At max feedback the sound will loop for a long time but also slightly degrade over time.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Cutoff of lowpass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

Mono Tape Echo program with a bandpass filter and tape saturation in the feedback loop. Feedback is also overdriven to get some of the runaway oscillations found in real tape machine echo boxes.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Cutoff of bandpass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

Dual delay lines move the delayed sound from left to right and back. A lowpass filter in the feedback path tapers the high end of the repeats.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Cutoff of lowpass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

Tape Echo version of a stereo Ping Pong algorithm.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Cutoff of bandpass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

Three tape ‘heads’ each with different delay times feed the Filter blend control. At the center all three taps are mixed in the output while only two are present at the extreme left and right settings. All of the heads heard in the output are fed back.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Mix of heads 1, 2 and 3. Mid point has all 3
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

A delay line with six taps each run through a different band pass filter. The taps are useful rhythmic ratios (1:1, 1:2, 3:4, etc). The feedback loop has diffusion to wash out the repeats over time

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Adjusts modulation and diffusion parameters
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

A mono Tape Echo feeds a stereo Chorus. The Filter controlalso changes the rate of the Chorus modulation: lower cutoff is aslower LFO and the speed increases as the filter cutoffs do as well.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Cutoff of bandpass filter and rate of chorus
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

A stereo ping pong delay using the Tape Echo algorithm but with a warping to the speed of the tape. The Filter control also influences the warping speed a little bit.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Cutoff of bandpass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

A pair of Chorus create a stereo effect. Each has a different speed and phase LFO for spacious stereo from a mono source. The high pass filter is useful to pass bass tones unmodified and only process the harmonics.

Controls

TIME	The rate of the LFOs
FILTER	High pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Depth of the LFO sweeps

Mode

Description

Dual flangers with separate LFOs and a feedback control to inject the output to the input for classic jet plane sounds.

Controls

TIME	The rate of the LFOs
FILTER	Amount of feedback. Counter clockwise for negative, clockwise for positive
FBACK/MOD	Depth of the LFO sweeps

Mode

Description

An emulation of one of the most famous string synth effects. Use 100% wet for best results. The mix of vibrato can be controlled and about 30% is close to the original circuit. The Time control adds in Octave Up and Down pitches to thicken up the sound. Works best with basic waveforms. Stereo output.

Controls

TIME	Amount of octave up and down mixed in
FILTER	High pass filter
FBACK/MOD	Amount of vibrato

Mode

Description

Three formant filters create the ‘Ahh’ vocal sound with control over the center frequency to sweep from male to female formant tones. This is also fed through an ensemble effect. Try with raw saw waves and 100% wet.

Controls

TIME	The rate of the LFOs
FILTER	Tuning of the formant filter
FBACK/MOD	Depth of the LFO sweeps

Mode

Description

Mono delay lines runs into a Formant filter with 4 vowel sounds. The Filter control selects one of the vowels and the three filters are slightly spread in stereo. The delay feedback is before the filter so setting high levels of feedback will allow modulation of the vowel type as the sound decays.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Selects one of 4 vowel sounds
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback

Mode

Description

Two pitch shifters set to the detune range follow a mono delay line. The pitch shifters are in the feedback path so the detuning can create up/downwards slides.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Detuning amount for the pitch shifters
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

A multi-tap dual delay with two pitch shifters which are tuned to various intervals. The shifters are in the delay line feedback loop to create various pitch arpeggio and glissando type effects.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Interval pairs for the pitch shifters: -12/+12, -12/-7, -12/-5, -5/+3, -5/+4, +7/+4, +7/+12, +12/+12
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line

Mode

Description

A multitap delay line with a pair of detuned pitch shifters and diffusion. Higher amounts of detuning create up/down glides. Higher feedback amounts add a reverberant wash to the repeats.

Controls

TIME	Delay time
FILTER	Detuning amount for the pitch shifters
FBACK/MOD	Amount of feedback into the delay line