Tiptop Audio Dragonfly Delay

Full Description

The Tiptop Audio Z-DSP

The Tiptop Audio Z-DSP is a voltage-controllable digital sound processing/generation module. It is open-source, cartridge-based, and equipped with a stereo DSP processor with 24-bit sampling and 15kHz of bandwidth. The Z-DSP gives you direct control of the DSP hardware with smooth VC parameters. With a selection of separately available cartridges, containing up to 8 programs on each, the Z-DSP allows you to manipulate digital audio to create a huge range of different sounds and effects. The module offers charm and personal interaction that a computer simply cannot achieve, whilst simultaneously adding a huge array of sonic textures to your modular system.

Dragonfly Delay Algorithms/Programs

• Mono L/R Taps: A basic mono algorithm with controls for the left and right output tap times
  • TimeL: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 1
  • Fdback: Amount of both taps fed back into the delay line
  • TimeR: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 2
• Mono LowPass + Fdback Adds a low-pass filter to the same algorithm as Mono L/R Taps. The cutoff for the filter is tied to the feedback control, and the higher the amount of feedback, the lower the filter cutoff. With zero or low feedback, the repeats are almsot full range, whilst long repeats have highly attenuated high frequencies. At the maximum for each, the delay becomes more like an old analog BBD unit
  • TimeL: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 1
  • Fdback: Amount of both taps fed back into the delay line and filter cutoff
  • TimeR: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 2
• Mono HighPass + Fdback: This substitutes a high-pass filter into the place of the low-pass filter from the Mono LowPass + Fdback algorithm. The cutoff for the filter is tied to the feedback control, and the higher the amount of feedback, the higher the filter cutoff. With zero or low feedback, the repeats are nearly full range, whilst long repeats have highly attenuated low frequencies. There is a small amount of gain on the feedback, so there is the potential for the repeats to run away at high levels of feedback, providing that signature Dub delay sound
  • TimeL: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 1
  • Fdback: Amount of both taps fed back into the delay line and filter cutoff
  • TimeR: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 2
• Mono Right Ratio: Similar to the Mono L/R Taps algorithm, but the delay time setting for the right is a ratio of the left. This makes setting rhythmic delays easier, since only the left has to be matched to the tempo. This program is optimized for tempo-matching, so the overall delay range is constrained to 100ms to 1000ms to make dialing in values easier with the left knob. The 8 ratios are easily selected with the right control
  • TimeL: Delay time for the tap feeding Out 1
  • Fcback: Amount of both taps fed back into the delay line
  • Ratio: A ratio of the delay time set on the left feeding Out 2
  • Ratios (Left is 1:1 & Assuming a 4th Note Setting:
    • 1:6 / 0.16667 / 16th Triplet
    • 3:16 / 0.1875 / 32n Dotted
    • 1:4 / 0.25 / 16th
    • 1:3 / 0.333 / 8th Triplet
    • 6:16 / 0.375 / 16th Dotted
    • 1:2 / 0.5 / 8th
    • 2:3 / 0.6667 / 4th Triplet
    • 3:4 / 0.75 / 8th Dotted
• Mono Ping Pong: Ping Pong differs from the other mono programs in that it uses two separate delay lines of 500ms, but also sums the input to mono so that it isn't a dual program either. The summer input goes into the left delay line first and Out 1, and the output feeds the input for the Right delay line which is Out 2. Feedback is taken from the right delay line and fed back into the Left delay. Both delay lines use the exact same delay time for a synchronized left to right ping pong effect. There is also a low-pass filter to reduce the high end for each repeat. The delay time is constrained from 100 to 500ms to make tempo matching easier
  • TimeL: Delay time for both left and right delays
  • Fdback: Amount of both right fed back into the left delay line
  • LPF: Cutoff for the low-pass filter
• Dual L R Delay: A basic dual algorithm with controls for the left and right delay lines, and a combined feedback control for each. The feedback can be set independently by using the analog feedback on the Z-DSP panel for each side
  • TimeL: Delay time for the left delay line
  • Fdback: Amount of both taps fed back into the delay line
  • TimeR: Delay time for the right delay line
• Dual Delay HPF + Fdback: This adds a high-pass filter to the feedback control. The structure and left and right delay line controls are the same as the Dual L R Delay algorithm
  • TimeL: Delay time for the left delay line
  • HP+Fdback: Amount of both taps fed back into the delay line and cutoff for the high-pass filter
  • TimeR: Delay time for the right delay line
• Dual Ratio + Low Pass: Like the basic dual algorithm, but the delay time setting for the right is a ratio of the left. This makes setting rhythmic delays easier since only the left has to be matched to the tempo. This program is optimized for tempo-matching so the overall delay range is constrained to 100ms to 500ms to make dialing in values easier with the left knob. The 8 ratios are easily selected with the right control
  • TimeL: Delay time for the left delay line
  • LP+Fdback: Amount fed back into the delay lines and the filter cutoff
  • RatioR: A ratio of the delay time set on the left feeding the right delay line
  • Ratios (Left is 1:1 & Assuming a 4th Note Setting:
    • 1:6 / 0.16667 / 16th Triplet
    • 3:16 / 0.1875 / 32n Dotted
    • 1:4 / 0.25 / 16th
    • 6:16 / 0.375 / 16th Dotted
    • 1:3 / 0.333 / 8th Triplet
    • 1:2 / 0.5 / 8th
    • 2:3 / 0.6667 / 4th Triplet
    • 3:4 / 0.75 / 8th Dotted