Electro-Harmonix Tube Zipper User manual

- Warranty Information -
Please complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase.
We will repair the unit for free within one year of date of purchase. If you should
need to return your unit for service within the warranty period, please include a brief
description of the problem as well as you name, address, telephone number, copy of
your receipt, and a check or money order for $5.00 shipping and handling to:
Electro-Harmonix
C/O New Sensor Corporation
32-33 47th Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101
Att: Service Department
Please make checks/money orders payable to New Sensor Corporation.
To hear demos by rock stars on all EH pedals visit us on the web at www.ehx.com.
Email us at [email protected]
TUBE ZIPPER
envelope filter + distortion
Congratulations on your purchase of the truly outrageous Tube Zipper. The Tube Zipper is
two effects in one, a warm sounding Tube Envelope Follower and a rich tube Distortion unit.
When these two effects are combined into the same circuit the outcome are entirely unique
new wild effects. The Tube Zipper uses two premium 12AX7EH vacuum tubes.
Carefully reading these instructions will ensure that you will get the most out of your Tube
Zipper. We urge you to sit down with your Tube Zipper and spend some time learning exactly
how this pedal works. You won’t regret it!
Your Tube Zipper comes with a unique 12V AC/1000mA adaptor. Use only the adaptor
supplied. Using any other adaptor can cause harm to you and the Tube Zipper.
- CONTROLS -
ENV Switch (UP/DOWN) – Selects the direction of the filter sweep.
MODE Switch (TRON/TRILL) – In TRON MODE, the filter sweeps smoothly and follows
the envelope of the input signal. In TRILL MODE, a modulation is added to the envelope so
that as the filter sweeps, it sounds like the note is being trilled. WARNING: If the INPUT
GAIN knob and SENSITIVITY knob are both turned up when switching from TRON to
TRILL MODE it is possible that the unit will go into oscillation, this can be avoided by
turning down the SENSITIVITY or INPUT GAIN knobs before flipping the MODE switch.
INPUT GAIN Knob – Boost the input signal before the filter. When the INPUT GAIN is
turned up, it will yield tube distortion.
DRIVE Knob – Adjusts the amount of distortion after the filter. As you turn the DRIVE knob
up, past 12 o’clock, the overall volume of the pedal will begin to decrease. Simply turn the
MASTER VOLUME up to compensate.
SENSITIVITY Knob – Determines how sensitive the filter sweep is to your playing. Use this
knob to adjust how far up or down the filter will sweep when you play.
FREQUENCY Knob – Sets the peak frequency of the filter when the envelope is not active.
When the envelope is active, the FREQUENCY knob determines both the start and stop
frequency of the filter sweep.
RESONANCE Knob – Determines the RESONANCE or Q of the filter. As you turn the
RESONANCE clockwise the filter will become increasingly sharper. When the

RESONANCE knob is turned up all the way the TUBE ZIPPER may begin to self-oscillate. If
you find the oscillation undesirable simply turn the RESONANCE knob down.
MASTER VOLUME Knob – Controls output volume.
POWER LED – Lights up when the TUBE ZIPPER is on.
STATUS LED – Lights up when the TUBE ZIPPER Effect is engaged. If the STATUS led is
off, the unit is in TRUE BYPASS mode. The Footswitch engages/disengages the effect.
FREQUENCY LED – Gets brighter as the filter’s peak frequency rises.
- OPERATION -
Some Things to Keep in Mind When Experimenting with the TUBE ZIPPER:
Due to the high gain of the filter circuit, when the RESONANCE knob is turned up high, the
Tube Zipper may go into oscillation. This is the way the unit is designed and enables you to
get over-the-top tones that make the Tube Zipper unique. If the oscillation is bothersome
simply turn the RESONANCE knob down.
The controls are extremely interactive and sensitive – slight changes in a knob’s position can
sometimes produce a radically different effect.
Tips for Using the Envelope Follower in the TUBE ZIPPER:
The ENV UP Position: When you play a note, the peak frequency of the filter will start at
wherever the FREQUENCY knob is set and then very quickly jump UP to a higher frequency,
depending on how loud the note is and the setting of the SENSITIVITY knob. The louder the
note and the higher the SENSITIVITY knob, the higher the frequency will jump UP. The peak
frequency of the filter will then sweep DOWN, following the envelope of the note. The filter
sweep will stop at the frequency the FREQUENCY knob is set to. To obtain a large frequency
sweep when using the TUBE ZIPPER in the ENV UP position, you will want to set the
FREQUENCY knob to a low value, below 9 o’clock on the knob. Set the SENSITIVITY and
the RESONANCE knobs above 12 o’clock.
The ENV DOWN Position:When you play a note, the peak frequency of the filter will start
at wherever the FREQUENCY knob is set and then very quickly jump DOWN to a lower
frequency, depending on how loud the note is and the setting of the SENSITIVITY knob. The
louder the note and the higher the SENSITIVITY knob, the lower the frequency will jump
DOWN. The peak frequency of the filter will then sweep UP, opposing the envelope of the
note. The filter sweep will stop at the frequency the FREQUENCY knob is set to. To obtain a
large frequency sweep when using the TUBE ZIPPER in the ENV DOWN position, you will
want to set the FREQUENCY knob to a high value, above 12 o’clock on the knob. Set the
SENSITIVITY and the RESONANCE knobs above 12 o’clock.
TRON/TRILL MODE:
1. When switching between the two modes, the SENSITIVITY knob might have to be
adjusted to better suit the mode you are in.
2. In TRILL MODE, the SENSITIVITY knob as well as the INPUT GAIN knob will effect
the reaction the envelope has to your playing. Both of these knobs should be tweaked to
find the best TRILL sounds.
3. TRILL MODE usually works better with high RESONANCE.
Sample Settings
Res Freq Sens Res Freq Sens Res Freq Sens
Vol Drv Gain Vol Drv Gain Vol Drv Gain
Up Tron Up Tron Up Tron
Down Trill Down Trill Down Trill
Up Envelope Down Envelope Distortion
Res Freq Sens Res Freq Sens Res Freq Sens
Vol Drv Gain Vol Drv Gain Vol Drv Gain
Up Tron Up Tron Up Tron
Down Trill Down Trill Down Trill
Rubber Band Synth Dive Trilled Up
Res Freq Sens Res Freq Sens Res Freq Sens
Vol Drv Gain Vol Drv Gain Vol Drv Gain
Up Tron Up Tron Up Tron
Down Trill Down Trill Down Trill
Down Trill Self Modulation Call and Answer