The word "ZIO" is an acronym for Impedance (“Z” is the electrical symbol
for impedance), Input (“I”), and Output (“O”). The pedal is designed to
take a guitar’s high impedance signal, sweeten the tone with any of its
four preamp circuits, and output a strong, low impedance signal that
won’t be altered by the buffered dry tones of effect pedals further down
the signal chain. High fidelity, noise-free Burr-Brown op amps help
give ZIO extreme clarity and responsive pick dynamics, while maintaining
ideal body and warmth. ZIO has four distinct preamp circuits. JFET offers a completely transparent signal boost with zero coloring or distortion. LOW-CUT reduces “tubby” bottom-end for a tighter sound with added headroom. STUDIO
finds inspiration from the time-honored “Pultec Trick,” a studio
technique that adds clarity by cutting the “mud frequencies” and adding
mid-range articulation. E-PLEX captures the focused and
subtle grit of the preamps found in vintage Echoplex Tape Delay units.
The ZIO’s TONE toggle offers three different levels of capacitance (or
simulated cable length) to brighten or darken the tone.
ZIO offers four discrete preamp circuits: JFET, LOW-CUT, STUDIO, and
E-PLEX. Each circuit has its own unique character and has been
carefully crafted to maximize feel and performance. JFET, LOW-CUT, and
STUDIO are all chiefly low-distortion circuits, while E-PLEX will add a
bit of grit to your signal at most output levels. Each preamp circuit
comprises the highest quality components and features all-original
circuit design.
JFET
This preamp mode is similar in character
and behavior to a clean tube amp input with very low distortion. Using
high quality JFET Input Burr Brown OP Amps, this mode is transparent and
will not add any harshness or excessive brightness. JFET
mode is also very helpful in a studio or home recording environment for
delivering a more natural sound to the DI or line inputs found on many
pieces of studio equipment. Due to its design, JFET mode can also
interface with lower impedance line inputs without excessive loss of
bass content.
Cable Length is Tone
When we connect a cable to the output of a
passive guitar pickup, it does more than just pass signal on to the next
device. Many guitarists will be familiar with the idea of different
cables imparting a specific tonal quality. This is because cables have a
property called capacitance, which increases with the length of the
cable. This capacitance interacts with passive pickups and guitar
wiring, to create a resonant filter and the higher the capacitance of
the cable, the lower the cut-off of the resonant frequency.
The
three toggle positions replicate different lengths of cable. Select the
BRIGHT position to introduce a low capacitive load and the most treble
content. Selecting MED provides additional capacitance and produces the
effect of a medium length of cable (roughly 15 feet). Selecting the DARK
mode gives the effect of a longer cable or coils cable and is useful
for taming excessive brightness or providing a stylistic voicing choice
A Higher Quality Op Amp
After bench-testing some classic op-amps used in
overdrive, distortion, and boost stompboxes such as the ubiquitous TL072
and about half a dozen popular op-amp chips spanning back to the 1970s,
we selected the Burr Brown for its pure tonality, dynamic range,
frequency response, and overall feel.
While other chips had
certain properties such as sounding "too bright", "too thin", "too
distorted", etc., the unmatched transparency and headroom of this
14-legged Burr Brown OPA chip was the perfect match for the ZIO's
mission of delivering you your own tone, but better.
Features and Specifications
- Circuit
knob with four distinct preamp circuits: JFET (transparent, flat
frequency curve), LOW-CUT (cuts lows without affecting mid to high
frequencies), STUDIO (replicates “Pultec Trick” equalization), E-PLEX
(inspired by the preamp in an vintage Echoplex Tape Delay unit)
- High quality components and Burr Brown JFET op-amps
- Output control with up to +20dB of signal boost
- 3-way Tone toggle switch with bright/medium/dark cable capacitance voicing
- 2-way Footswitch Action toggle switch (with always-on “Mute” option)
- Extra Tuner/Line Output
- True Bypass
- Input Impedance: 1 Mega Ohm (1 MΩ)
- Output Impedance: 150 Ohm (150 Ω)
- Power Consumption: 9V DC center negative @ 20mA
- Brushed anodized aluminum housing
- Dimensions: L: 4.1 in./10.5cm x W: 2.36 in./6cm x H: 2.22 in./5.65cm (including knobs)