Strymon has become such a dominant force in the realm of guitar pedals that each of their new releases is met with instant hype. The California-based company just unveiled the (very purple) Zelzah, a multi-dimensional stereo phaser with 4 and 6 stage options that can be also played at once – and a lot of tweaking capabilities.
The two channels are full fledge separate phasers with their own footswitch, controls and character:
The Left Side is a Vintage 4-stage phaser. A toggle switch gives access to 3 phaser sweep modes:
Classic is familiar sounding and features a single LFO with a warped triangle shape.
Barber is the sonic equivalent of the barber pole visual effect: its sweep seems to be continuously rising or falling.
Envelope Phaser triggers the phaser according to your picking’s dynamics like an envelope filter/auto-wah would, which creates harmonically complex sounds.
The Right Side features a more innovative 6-stage phaser with an unusual control:
The Voice knob controls simultaneously over 30 different parameters – we’ll let the builder tell you what it does
Not only do you get thick, juicy, phasing with pure vintage vibe, but as you turn the Voice knob clockwise, our groundbreaking new modified all-pass structure expands the time response of the cascading all-pass filters seamlessly and continuously, adding spaciousness and airiness to the sound. […] Turn the Voice knob to the right for luxurious true flanger effects, and continue to the far end of the range for lush vintage chorus sounds.
A Resonance toggle on top of the Voice knob lets you set the phaser’s intensity to Normal, Mild and Strong.
As Strymon explains: “Our goal was to capture the rich phasing sounds that were introduced in the 1970s that work so beautifully with electric guitar and electric piano. In addition to providing the best possible version of the vintage phaser sounds we grew up with, we also wanted to expand the sonic possibilities in a way that was unique and unexpected for a phaser.”
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Way Back Machine.
Step on Zelzah, play one chord, and you’re instantly taken back to a world of classic phaser tones as they were always meant to sound, perfectly voiced, with tons of vibe. Vintage 4-stage and 6-stage phasing with controls that allow seamless transitions to vibrato, gorgeous flanging and chorus, and new sounds never heard before—all instantly musical with great tone all the way across every dial.Two Effects At Once.
Zelzah is actually two different phasers, side by side in one pedal. Zelzah’s 4-stage side gives you a wide array of classic tones ranging from phasing to vibrato and more, while the 6-stage side provides phasing, flanging, chorus, and all points in between. Dial in a chorus on one side and barber pole phaser on other, or a phaser on one side and tremolo on the other. Use the two sides independently or together in a variety of configurations. Zelzah may become the only modulation pedal you keep on your board.Choose Your 4-Stage Phaser Sweep
Classic Sweep
The first Sweep mode is labeled “Classic” because this is the classic four stage phaser sweep we all know. In this Sweep mode, a single LFO with a warped triangle shape creates that familiar vintage sound.Barber Sweep
Similar to the visual effect of a barber pole, the Barber sweep is a continuously rising or falling effect that is traditionally done with frequency shifters. In Zelzah we have used an arrangement of synchronized four stage phasers to produce the effect while maintaining the four stage sound.Envelope Phaser
Set the Sweep switch to Env and you’ve got a whole new pedal under your feet. Now the phaser responds to your picking like an envelope filter/auto-wah would, with the phaser sweep being dynamically controlled by your input signal, creating harmonically complex and very funky sounds.Six Stage Voice: Groundbreaking New Phaser Algorithm
The Voice knob on the six stage side simultaneously controls over 30 different parameters, all working in harmony for an inspiring musical experience.Not only do you get thick, juicy, phasing with pure vintage vibe, but as you turn the Voice knob clockwise, our groundbreaking new modified all-pass structure expands the time response of the cascading all-pass filters seamlessly and continuously, adding spaciousness and airiness to the sound.
Explore a range of fresh musical tones that are not a mix of phasing and flanging, but actually something entirely new. Turn the Voice knob to the right for luxurious true flanger effects, and continue to the far end of the range for lush vintage chorus sounds. There are inspiring musical sounds at every point along the dial, and so many ways to make a sound that is truly yours.
