Reviews

Empress Effects ZOIA Modular Synthesizer Guitar Effect Pedal

Wow! What a powerful multi-purpose musical creativity device! There's a lot packed into this little pedal - it's a modular synth, a digital multi FX pedal, a sequencer with sampling capabilities, a midi controller, a generative synthesis ideas box, a sketchpad/groovebox... and much more. Basically it's a musical lego kit - you can connect together digital modules in various ways to virtually make whatever you want. You can create custom digital effects pedals, or control your existing ones (if they are MIDI capable), though it's an instrument in its own right and rightfully has a home both on and off the pedal board. Honestly if all you want is the standard plug and play effects chain on your board and nothing more, you're probably better off buying the built-for-purpose pedals (though I'm not saying you can't create those pedals virtually in Zoia, you just have to be willing to create the patch). Where Zoia shines is user customisation and creativity - I bought this both as multi-FX for my Bass and synths, as well as to use Zoia as its own instrument. I already use a Boss GT-1B, and this will sit along side it. I'm yet to dive into all the MIDI capabilities, but I'm excited by the possibilities. There's also a prolific online community uploading patches to Patchstorage, and maintaining an unofficial Zoia Librarian app, and I've seen Empress Effects jump in on chats on forums as well. I did a lot of research before buying, but it's the community and willingness of Empress to engage with customers that helped me make the final decision. In the box is included the usual manual and warranty info, some stickers, but also two trs to midi adaptors, and a 16GB microSD card which is great since so many products these days don't include extras. There is no power supply in the box - it takes a fairly common 9V pedal power supply (the specs are printed on the box) and it does not charge over USB (it has no USB port). I currently use my Boss pedal power supply and have just ordered a MyVolts ripcord so I can connect to a USB powerbank when I'm on the go. I think I've been long-winded enough, just wanted to add some thoughts as someone who's use case is both on a traditional pedalboard as well as a on the desk as an instrument. Thank you Swamp Industries for a seamless transaction and super fast postage! - A happy customer :)

24 April 2025

JOYO AC-40S 40W Battery Powered Acoustic Guitar Amplifier with Bluetooth

Bought this for personal practice and found the sound was clean enough for recording in the studio. Very good for the price and well made.

14 April 2025

SWAMP Piezo Contact Microphone Pick Up

I wanted to try amplifying an acoustic string instrument (similar to a banjo). I had this on the skin near the bridge and it worked well. Not a bad for the price point. Had this going into the effects unit. Pretty lucky to have picked it up in the Swamp sales recently. Would recommend. Pretty fast delivery and good service.

13 April 2025

SWAMP Premium 8-way XLR Audio Snake Cable Loom - 1m

Does exactly what it is supposed to do, well made, good price

11 April 2025

Dean Razorback Dimebag Floyd Electric Guitar - Black

Delivery was so quick from time of purchase. My son is very happy with his Razorback. Although I was expecting to see a Razor Blade on the fret board like in one picture on Website but unfortunately there isn't one but that's OK. All round great guitar and great service, easy, reliable and prompt.

11 April 2025

iSK MDH8500 Studio Recording Flat Response Headphones

You will not find better quality for this price anywhere. Extremely well build and great packaging (the hard box and foam insert is practically a road case)

30 March 2025

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen 2-in 2-out USB Audio Interface with 1 Mic Preamp

The little Scarlett Solo box has solved my guitar practicing problems. I just plug in my guitar and headphones then connect to the PC and can play along with hours of YouTube music lessons. The only thing the Scarlett Solo didn't include was some innate talent - I guess that's up to me. (grin).

26 March 2025

Aroma AMT600 Rechargeable Chromatic Tuner and Metronome

It is a very good tool for timer and metronome but it is quite difficult to change from metronome to timer, there is not enough information to how make it work easily

24 March 2025

Vonyx WMS-02 Speaker Wall Bracket - Pair

Great Value and doing the job.

1 March 2025

2x SWAMP 12" Powered PA Speaker - Bi-amped - 150W + 30W RMS

Very happy with the speakers. Just exactly what I was looking for to extend our sound into the veranda area of the restaurant. Great sound, flexibility, quality and price.

1 March 2025

NUX C-5RC Digital 5.8GHz Wireless Instrument System with Charging Case

Pros: Latency not noticable, great range, no tonal effect on guitar signal, build quality very good, charging/carry case great for storage and charging between gigs, LED's give unit status feedback at a glance. Cons: Had minor dropout issues when used close (within 2-3 metres) to my 5.8GHz wireless router. But saying that, the unit performed flawlessly around 2.4GHz devices. The dropouts I had next to my router were brief and probably wouldn't be that noticable in a live gig, but in a home situation, would be something to keep in mind.

27 February 2025

Alctron PS-4 Dual-Channel Foot Switch

Twin footswitches that run on s 9v battery. Each switch can be set to latch or momentary, and the polarity can be set to default on or off. A TRS cable input for each switch, as well as an A/B input I haven't tested or used. Worked fine as a footswitch for both my drum machine and my guitar amp.

21 February 2025

PowerWorks MERCURY P10.2 Active 2.1 PA System

So I just brought a this system to hire out for DIY Karaoke/DJ/presentations etc and wasn't expecting much, BUT it far exceeded my expectations. Great controls on the back of the sub, Bluetooth is great as is all the other connections. Mic pre's are good along with the FX. And... the best thing it has a great sound with crisp highs and surprisingly good bottom end, and not to mention it's got a pretty substantial volume. Look, it's not as good as say an Evo or Bose, but it's less than half the price. I could imagine it would also be great for solos and duo's as well. For under $1100 with some stands, it comes highly recommended from your truly. 10/10

18 February 2025

SWAMP 6 Channel Mixing Desk - 4 Mic Preamps - Graphic EQ - Bluetooth

I bought a Swamp 6 channel desk in 2020 and have used it both in my home studio and in my live set-up ever since. I have travelled the world with it, playing hundreds of shows in all kinds of different conditions and have never had a single problem with it. I have definitely run this way harder than it was ever designed to go. Now, in early 2025 after thrashing it for 5 years straight, it is finally stating to show some signs of the abuse I have hurled at it - specifically the mic preamps are not everything they once were. So I have bought another one the same. I will try to get the original repaired but if it can't be done then I am happy with its service and it will be buried with the dignity it deserves.

17 February 2025

Empress Effects Bass Compressor Effects Pedal - Blue

Just got the Empress Bass Compressor and impressed with the build quality. Easy to use and up and running in a couple of minutes. The visual meter is handy and one of the reasons I chose this unit over others. Now to play around for the perfect setting! After lots of research, this pedal is the most compact and practical side chain compressor for my Live Looping rig.

15 February 2025

Testimonials

Wow thats was quick!

Greg Upton

9 November 2022

Placed an order yesterday afternoon at about 4:10pm using Australia Post eParcel Express and it arrived at my door in Newcastle at 1:10pm today! So quick and efficient as usual from Swamp.

Excellent service as always

Craig Ramsay

27 April 2022

I purchased an ICM dual wireless microphone system for a community singalong event for which I was tasked with doing the live sound in April 2022. The package arrived promptly and performed perfectly straight out of the box. Noiseless and super clear for both spoken word and singing use on the night. Super easy to set up and worked faultlessly. Cannot fault this product at such a reasonable price. As Arnold Schwazenegger said, "I'll be back!" Cheers Craig Ramsay Exit, Stage Right

Extremely fast and Extremely Helpful

29 March 2022

The guys at swamp industries are amazing! Was accidentally sent a faulty item, which is extremely rare judging by the reviews of the item and the guys over email. I reached out to them with my issue and they were back to me first thing in the morning and had already set up a replacement to be sent to me and personally checking that it works fine. Absolute amazing service and great price!

10/10 for customer service

16 December 2021

In a time when customer service can be frustrating, infuriating or just nonexistent I was thrilled that a phone call was actually answered by a real human being! Not only that, but they were very helpful, very patient, very knowledgeable, polite and they went out of their way to help me. I changed my mind about the colour of the guitar so I called back. No problem, easily fixed (no sighing or impatience). On top of that my parcels arrived in Melbourne from Sydney 2 days later. They took the stress and hassle out of buying online. Thank you. So many businesses could take a leaf out of your book! Keep up the great service it really makes a difference!

Daniel. Geelong

10 December 2021

Swamp team. Legends. Before purchasing a small PA. I had so many questions. Johnny and the team were more than willing to help answer any questions. Subs, speakers, poles, speaker stands, lighting tree, rack units with other audio gear and im set. Cheers guys. Highly recommend this company and employee's Dan.

Can’t ask for better service

27 November 2021

Purchased power supply came doa contacted the team @ Swamp Best service ever had a new unit sent out the same day with return post paid for the old unit to be tested Quality Act Will purchase again Thanks guys Mark B

Musician Focus

28 October 2021

Whether it’s been instruments, cases, or recording gear the knowledgeable staff at Swamp have always ensured I received what I needed at a very reasonable price. A pleasure to do business with. Richard

Enhance nova U

24 October 2021

My Enya nova U had an issue with the electrics. I contacted Swamp who requested that I return the instrument and it was replaced with the new Enya pro tenor. I have nothing but praise for the company and it’s employees in the way they handled my query and happily recommend them. Thanks Swamp. I am now excitedly playing my new instrument.

Excellent Service

6 September 2021

I can thoroughly recommend doing business with Swamp Industries. Recently ordered a Cymbal stand which arrived promptly but there was a fault with one of the tubes. Contacted Swamp about issue and was put at ease with positive information on how to return the item and they would send out a replacement saspo. Replacement Stand arrived just a few days later . Completely satisfied with their friendly and prompt service.

Amp stand

21 August 2021

Great fantastic service. I purchased an amp stand from SWAMP and found it was faulty. I called them straight away and the matter was solved in a matter of minutes. They sent a new one out that day and didn't even want the faulty one back. Very professional company, great customer service. Would recommend SWAMP 100% Cheers Brandon

Great quality

29 July 2021

Ordered a Mandolin strap, great quality and does the job perfectly. Was the best price too!

Banjo soft case back pack

20 July 2021

What excellent service and quality and price, I ordered a banjo soft case so I could carry it on my back to busk and gigs, I ordered over the phone and bang it was on its way -quality amazing, over the moon with these guys great to do business with I highly recommend, Banjo Bob

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The Ultimate Guide to Proper Guitar Maintenance and Care

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6 Crucial Bass Guitar Accessories: Amp Up Your Experience

Playing the bass is fundamentally about passion and commitment, but some things can help you along the way. Let's discuss the bass guitar accessories that can help take your playing to the next level....

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13 Essential Guitar Accessories You Always Need to Have

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Upgrade your NEXG guitar to the new V2 version

Enya is supporting customers you would like to upgrade from the NEXG1 to the new NEXG2 components. This gives you the new 80W speaker and the new ES3 module that enables to use of the looper and drum machine. ...

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Enya Music Launches the NEXG 2 Carbon Fibre Smart Guitar

Discover the next generation of guitar playing with the NEXG 2. This innovative instrument seamlessly blends the timeless charm of an acoustic guitar with cutting-edge audio technology. It's not just a guitar -...

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Unleashing the Benefits of Carbon Fibre Acoustic Guitars: Enya Music's Models

In the recent past, guitar makers have started employing carbon fibre to craft their acoustic guitars, and it seems to have opened a new chapter in the book of guitar-making. Enya Music harnesses the power of t...

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