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Key Features
Product Ref: 94815
The Tiptop Audio Z4000 Voltage Controlled Envelope Generator is built to use a classic ADSR four segment envelope design. With Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release all under your control, either via the four control knobs or by voltage control, you can completely transform your sound. The control knobs for the ADSR segments are scaled, meaning the first 0 to 50 percent of the control knob's rotation is dedicated to high resolution adjustment within the millisecond range. This analog envelope generator also features a built-in CV processor that can be used for inverting, scaling, and voltage-controlled deviating of the envelope shape. The output levels of the Z4000 can also be adjusted, resulting in signals that can potentially reach up to 10V in either polarity, and can be mirrored into the opposite polarity or clipped using the CV deviater scaler. The Z4000 uses a bi-colour LED to indicate the intermediate values in both polarities and their crossfade state.
The Z4000 is equipped with an ATK SLOPE switch in the top left corner of the unit's face-plate. This allows you to select between logarithmic or exponential curve for the Attack segment of the envelope generator. This helps further the fine adjustment of your Attack segment slope. On top of this, the Tiptop Audio Z4000 also features a Shoot button that allows you to fire the envelope manually, and a Retrigger input enabling you to create legato notes when using a classic keyboard interface.
The Tiptop Audio Z4000 features a unique control design for the ADSR segments. From 0 to 50 percent, the controls are dedicated to high-resolution adjustment in the millisecond range. This scaled design allows you to take advantage of fast transients, giving you a wide range of adjustability to work on or around the artifacts that fast transients can often add to the envelope's character. You can fine-tune the controls to get that perfect snap or click from a fast, snappy envelope, or you can retain a quick response and slowly tune-out that clicking artifact. From 50 percent and up, the controls for the segments allow you to set envelopes in the range of a second, up to minutes, and even infinity with the release set to maximum.
Each of the four segments in the Z4000 are controlled by voltage. The unit has an effective voltage input range for each input between 0 and 5V, however higher voltage levels or negative levels will not damage your Z4000. The incoming CV is summed up with the internal voltage provided by the segment control knob, so if the Decay knob is set to maximum for example, a CV input will do nothing, as there would be no headroom left.
The Tiptop Audio Z4000 uses an attenuverter. This attenuates and inverts voltage, meaning at 50 , the Z4000 will output no signal. If you turn the knob clockwise, the envelope will become a positive voltage, whilst counter-clockwise will turn it into a negative voltage. An indicator LED will provide information on those states, with it either being unlit, red, or yellow. The envelope signal also passes through another CV processor circuit known as the Deviater. This adds static voltage to the signal, and is a mathematical analog function of summing. This static voltage can be set to negative (counter-clockwise) or positive (clockwise). When summing the static voltage with the envelope voltage, a lot of interesting things can happen. These include offsetting, mirroring, and clipping. The Deviater also includes a CV input, allowing you to inject even more static signals or dynamic signals into the analog "calculator."
The Z4000's retrigger input can be used to retrigger the envelope, even if it is in the ON state. This provides an accent effect to the new note that has been played. The retrigger input has multiple other uses however. For example, using pulses other than the gate input signal will give an extra cycle of the attack segment. This can be incredibly musical and deliver interesting results. Using clock dividers or any other pulse source is a great way to experiment with the Z4000's retrigger input.
The Tiptop Audio Z4000 is completely immune to the problem of losing a module due to reverse plug-in. No matter how you hook the Z4000 up, it will not burn. This protection is infinite, meaning that even if you keep it connected the incorrect way for a long time, there will still be no issues and no overheating, causing damage to your module and/or power supply.