Xhun ZeroBox

ZeroBox is an accurate analogue modeling simulation of a legendary, iconic, sequencer-driven bassline synthesizer that defined an era.

In addition to a meticulous replica of both the signal path and the physics of each of the electronic components found inside the original device (oscillator, filters, envelopes, etc.), an extended set of features, improvements and circuit-bents have been added, bringing the whole synthesis engine a step ahead.

Last but not least, a redesigned sequencer front-end and the inclusion of a full set of modulation, analogue saturation and multi-type distortion effects units make ZeroBox an expressive, powerful, self-contained tool for use in any electronic music scenario.

The Silver Voodoo Box

ZeroBox mimics not just the behaviour and physics of all the electronic components and the signal path, but also the miriad of quirks and idiosyncrasies found on the original hardware.

From the peculiarly shaped analogue oscillator’s waveforms to the iconic 4-pole diode ladder analogue filter, from the biased envelope generators to the so-called gimmick circuit, everything is faithfully preserved in ZeroBox – including the uncommon interlinks and interactions between the different components.

The embedded digitally controlled sequencer is also modeled preserving the same vintage back-end logic and sub-pulse clock divisions of the original gear, while having the full benefit of a refreshed front-end with many easily accessible function improvements (triplets, shuffle, etc…).

ZeroBox can be used in conjunction with its embedded sequencer as well as with external sequencers, or as a single-oscillator monophonic solo synthesizer with a very bold sound and an incredibly deep low-end.

In addition to the main bassline synthesizer, a total of six insert effects and two master effects are provided, all accessible from the single-view rack interface. It is possible to choose between a chorus unit, a flanger unit, an analogue modeled vacuum tube distortion unit, an analogue modeled transistor-based distortion unit, a digital foldback distortion unit, a creative bitcrusher unit, a digital delay unit and a resonator-based reverb unit

Features:

• Physical modeling simulation of real analogue hardware, achieved by the adoption of the Advanced Component Simulation (ACS) approach – oscillators, filters, envelopes (,…) are built preserving their original architecture, featuring all the micro-instabilities and imperfections of the analogue technology
• Full 64-bit processing accuracy for every single aspect of the simulation
• An all-in-one complete setup : monophonic analogue bassline synthesizer + embedded analogue sequencer + analogue and digital insert/master effects
• Full preservation of all quirks found on the original device :
  • The legendary gimmick circuit and its signal paths
  • The analogue filter limited self-oscillation
  • The peculiar behaviour of the accent and slide functions
  • The internal signal polarity inversion
• An aliasing-free analogue modeled oscillator proving the same capacitors’ charging/discharging responses as found on the original analogue circuits, featuring sawtooth and square waveforms with blending (morphing) control
• A separate control for the oscillator waveshaping (from naive to analogue supersaw / pulse width modulation)
• A legendary 4-pole resonant, analogue low pass diode ladder filter (modeled by the adoption of the topology-preserving transform / zero-delay feedback approach) proving all the original quirks, non-linearities, frequency responses (also at extreme modulation scenarios), analogue clipping
• Two analogue envelope generators (MEG / VEG) proving the same capacitors’ charging/discharging responses as found on the original analogue circuits
• Analogue components age selector. Choose the virtual age of the components used inside ZeroBox and, as a consequence, its resulting overall instability
• An extended operative range (compared to the original) for several knobs and internal components
• Built-in circuit-bents as found in different hardware clones and also never seen before, experimental ones (while 100% preserving all the original functions)
• An exclusive low-frequency-oscillator (LFO) with frequency (from 0.05 Hz up to 20 Hz) and destination amount controls, affecting the oscillator waveform blending, waveshaping and filter cutoff frequency
• Adjustable highpass filter cutoff frequency
• Adjustable filter envelope (MEG) minimum decay time
• Adjustable slide time control
• A VCA envelope (VEG) smoother control
• Polarity inverter control, useful to achieve different sound flavours when using an asymmetric (biased) distortion unit
• Three ways of control, for both studio and / or live scenarios :
  • Sequencer Off : individual notes are MIDI triggered directly by the DAW
  • Sequencer (Pitched) : the internal sequencer (8 scenes / patterns per preset) is MIDI triggered and tuned
  • Sequencer (KeyTrig) : each of the 8 sequencer scenes / patterns (per preset) are assigned to different MIDI keys
• A multi-mode (PTC / KTG) embedded digitally controlled clock generator and sequencer, featuring the same internal pulse timing and behaviour of the original one, with :
  • Mode selector (normal / triplet)
  • Beat pulse divider selector
  • Tempo / external controls
  • Swing amount control
  • Step gate control
  • Step pitch control
  • Step octave selector
  • Step slide control
  • Step accent control
  • Steps number (from 1 up to 16) selector
• A multi-scene loader engine with 8 scenes per preset
• Including an insert effect slot with the possibility to choose :
  • CHOR-S unit (rack), an expressive stereo chorus effect
  • FLANG-R unit (rack), an expressive stereo flanger effect
  • X-TREME unit (rack), an accurately modeled, ground-shaking tube distortion effect
  • SOLIDA unit (rack), an accurately modeled, rock-solid transistor distortion effect
  • PHEEBEE unit (rack), an expressive digital foldback distortion effect
  • CRUSH-R unit (rack), a creative digital bitcrusher effect
• Including a master effect slot with the possibility to choose :
  • D-LAY unit (rack), a tempo-synced stereo delay effect
  • REEVERB unit (rack), a resonator-based electronic reverb effect
• Including 130+ ready-to-use factory presets collection covering multi-genre styles
• Multi-color synth panel (silver grey or acid yellow)
• MIDI automation
• Support for sample rates from 44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz
• Available in multi-size GUI resolutions