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DVM's ZYS

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It really is a very vesatile pedal. You have to tweak it, and get to know it, because every single knob and switch actually (gasp!) DOES something!
I'm still learning, but if you can't get a sound (or several) out of DVM's ZYS that you like, you haven't found the right settings to match the pedal to your gear, IMO.
I'll be checking out the full-on gain settings w/ EQ before too long, and be adding some dual chorus, reverb, etc.
I wanted to try it w/ just some delay straight into the amp first, so it wasn't being colored w/ a bunch or other effects.
 
oldguy said:
It really is a very vesatile pedal. You have to tweak it, and get to know it, because every single knob and switch actually (gasp!) DOES something!
I'm still learning, but if you can't get a sound (or several) out of DVM's ZYS that you like, you haven't found the right settings to match the pedal to your gear, IMO.
I'll be checking out the full-on gain settings w/ EQ before too long, and be adding some dual chorus, reverb, etc.
I wanted to try it w/ just some delay straight into the amp first, so it wasn't being colored w/ a bunch or other effects.

Glenn is the Valve Jr. the only amph you have? It isn't I don't think. I would think you'd get even more versatility and tone options with an amph that has treble, bass, mids and presence etc. But what you've recorded so far makes the pedal sound pretty good...especially if you had the pedal's tone knob below 12:00 and running through a Valve Jr with no amph tone knobs.
 
Oh, no, I've got a '65 Blackface Super, a Musicman 2x12 Sixty-five, and a Traynor YCV-40WR... but I wanted to use the amp I could crank a little w/o disturbing the neighbors, and besides, what fun would it be tweaking all those settings on amps when I wanted to have fun tweaking on the ZYS?:p
Seriously, if a V.Jr. w/ 1 knob sounds good, you can make pretty much anything sound good w/ this pedal.
I'm thinking of hooking into the Traynor next and combining the OD channel w/ the ZYS to see how over the top it can get and still sound tasty. Or maybe run stereo into the Musicman and Fender w/ the ZYS driving them both into some nice crunch sounds. But I always end up playing half as loud as I want to and twice as loud as the law allows....:rolleyes:
 
oldguy said:
Oh, no, I've got a '65 Blackface Super, a Musicman 2x12 Sixty-five, and a Traynor YCV-40WR... but I wanted to use the amp I could crank a little w/o disturbing the neighbors, and besides, what fun would it be tweaking all those settings on amps when I wanted to have fun tweaking on the ZYS?:p
Seriously, if a V.Jr. w/ 1 knob sounds good, you can make pretty much anything sound good w/ this pedal.
I'm thinking of hooking into the Traynor next and combining the OD channel w/ the ZYS to see how over the top it can get and still sound tasty. Or maybe run stereo into the Musicman and Fender w/ the ZYS driving them both into some nice crunch sounds. But I always end up playing half as loud as I want to and twice as loud as the law allows....:rolleyes:

Ah ok I get it. Dang neighbors anyway! ;) Yeah I agree and that is what I was trying to say. If you get good results with the V Jr. and using just the pedal for your tones then I'd say it's doing a fine job. Good point.
 
Played my first gig last night with the ZYS.

I ran into the ZYS first then into the rest of my pedal board which is Rotovibe>Wah>Loop selector>DS1>TS9>Flanger>Delay>Tuner>amph. Usually I use the modded TS9 to fatten things up and can leave it on a lot of the time so I did that for a bit. Then I thought I would try the ZYS so I clicked the button and OH MY GOD! Words are not adequate to describe the tonal bliss with a Delta Blues and a ZYS. Creamy, fat, thick, present, controllable, delightful, pleasant, spectacular and so on. I think you get my drift. By comparison the TS9 is anemic and toy like compared to the ZYS.

Voodoo - you built an amazing pedal. Somewhat better at gig volume than at home levels. When the amph is working the ZYS does too. :AOK:
 
I did an open mic tonight but only used my TS9 Tube screamer. What a shame. It sounded like a wispy fart in a tornado compared to the glorious sweet thunder of the ZYS. :master:

Looks like I'd better get my next pedal board configuration figured out soon. It's amazing how lame the TS9 sounds by comparison.
 
I finally opened it up - man I need a magnifying glass because these letters are soooo small. It is the STM LM833N chip.
 
Do yourself a favor and try that TI TLC2272ACP chip I sent you, Steve. IMO, even better than the LM833N, though YMMV.

Be sure to install it in the correct orientation, if you do....
 
duhvoodooman said:
Do yourself a favor and try that TI TLC2272ACP chip I sent you, Steve. IMO, even better than the LM833N, though YMMV.

Be sure to install it in the correct orientation, if you do....

I would if it hadn't of gotten blown up in the chip swap jihad.:o
 
Do I have that chip?....hmmmm I better check.

Yup...I do.

I will try that sucker this week. I really like the throaty mid range tone of that JRC chip though. Who knows I may dig the TLC2272 too. Chances are... :)
 
Just thought I'd revive this after remembering how it all started.............

I've still got ol' number one. After you started offering them for sale, that is.
Use it often, never had it falter, stumble, complain, of fail to do it's job.
DVM, you must have had it right the very second time.:AOK
(as I remember you built a proto and I got the second one you built?)
 
I have no idea what number it was.
You have #20 of the Mark II version, Steve. It's written on the inside of the back cover plate.

Yep, I still have #000 of the original ZYS version, the prototype. It's pretty much retired--I use my Mark II version now--but I'd never give it up. Photo:

zys_final.jpg
 
I'm glad I got in on this before you put down the iron.I was always meaning to get one of these as I really dig my Rodent.Sumi:D
 
I'm glad I got in on this before you put down the iron.I was always meaning to get one of these as I really dig my Rodent.Sumi:D

So you have one on order with one of his last build spots? Cool! You will love it. Great companion to the Rodent.

I got numbah 3! So what's different about Mark II?

There is a whole thread on it somewhere. Smaller box for one thing, and a few extra options I think.
 
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