Zoom PS-04

Pretty easy to use, just take the time to read the manual.

This is where the PS04 fails miserably. I bought it not expecting miracles, but the sound wasn't even good enough to listen to. The tone is very elctronic, no warmth at all, I couldn't bear it.

I'll say 5 because I returned it after only one day. Feels very "plasticky."

No idea.

I like to play 80s hard rock, had been playing for a few months only, so I'm not very experienced. I can tell a good sound from a bad one however. After returning it, I bought a Korg PX4 (no recording), and it sounds ten times better.

Easy to learn the basics, difficult to learn some of the deeper parts of it.. Overall I dont see how it could be any better though. The only reason it can be confusing is because of all the features

Not 44.1 but it does sound great. Lots of effects (vocals, guitar, mastering). Theres a lot of effects beyong the presets also.. the drum machine is amazing for such a small/inexpensive device. The sounds are especially nice when channels are setup for linked stereo(using 2 channels for 1 recording)

Hasnt failed me yet.. Reminds me of a palm pilot. Froze 1 time but didnt cause any lose of data. Goes forever on 4 charged batteries

no clue, no need to contact

IMO its the best guitar accessory on the market for someone who dosent have big $$$ to spend on professional equipment.. its the only device i use with my guitar besides an amp/headphones

I normaly use a gameboy and do tracking using LSDj (www.littlesounddj.com) and this was just as easy to use.

i owned it for less than a month and the backlight went out. I tried to bring it back to Music Go Round and they didn't honur their month long waranty.

I can't find a page for the WAV EXTRACTOR that exists for the ps-04 ... does anyone have a link, or know where to look on zoom's official site (http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1705&brandID=4#servsupport) ???

a good, useful fourtrack but the build is shakey and zoom is a hard company to get ahole of.

It's not that simple really, as for ps-02. However a quick tour with the manual and you're on the run.
It took a bit to figure out how to use the line input and the manual does not cover this function much clearly to tell the truth.
The thing I REALLY HATE is the fact that THERE'S NO POSSIBILITY TO JAM OVER AN AUX INPUT, unless you want to use the Input+line in and have BOTH THE SIGNALS EFFECTED.
Also not always the insert send diference is user friendly: for example if you want a guitar with delay AND chorus you have to set a delay in the insert effects (or a chorus) and a chorus (or delay) in the send effects with the result that if then you want a reverb for the entire song you cannot do it because the SEND part of the effects has already been used.
I still have my PS-02 and I find it great for jamming and a great overall unit, the ps-04 is amazing for recording but has its faults.
ALSO the software provided is better than the one provided with the ps-02 (in this case you can mix all the v-takes to one wav while you couldn't before) but then agai there is a step backward: the rythm section of your song goes screwed (I haven't tried yet "recording" a rythm song rather than using the drum machine in accompaniment, we'll see).
Dealing with PEAKS and CLIPPING is a real pain in the ass (worse then PS-02)
The mic is simply GREAT, but the unit is a bit noisy (there's a simple electronic mod that can easily be made).

I use: PRS 24, fender am std strat a Jim Reed Brian May red Special and a custom shop Telecaster with Lindy Fralin plus a Larrivee DVC09 and I must say that the sounds are really good, they're difficult to manage but are really cool.
I plug the ps-04 in my PA since the amp compresses a bit the sound (and does't give the spazialization of the pan settings).
The Brian May sound is achieved quite easily (fundamentally the sound of the old 9001), the distorsions are full and rich but, again, in the PA, I don't really use it as a multieffects processor.

Well it does't seem to be really tough, after all Zoom is known for the cheap quality of the plastic used, don't make it fall unless you want to glue the many pieces, PS-02 was FAR TOUGHER and more compact, the battery bay cover is a bit loose in it's socket

They answer, that nowadays it's a real miracle. I've argued with them about the stupid lack of an AUX plug (I'd have paid more than 70$ to have it) and they answered properly.

I play:
Hard Rock, Blues, Jazz, fingerpicking, funky and pop. The ps-04 has a sound for them all but you REALLY HAVE TO SQUEEZE IT in order to get what you want.

THE FACT IS: ps-02 WAS a killer application, in my opinion it was a milestone in the portable gear universe, and was a fantastic surpassing of the old 9001. PS-04 isn't really the top of the top FOR LITTLE STUPID THINGS that really upset me let's summarize them:

-NO AUX JAMMING (just forget it)
-NO AC ADAPTER (they must be really stupid, everybody knows that buying PS-04 AND THEN the adapter would cost more than PS-04+adapter in the same bundle)
-EFFECTS ARE BOND TO THE PROJECT AND ARE NOT BROADLY USABLE (you have to copy them and there is not the distinction between USER and PRESETS allowing you to keep the factory sounds)

Zoom would you please use more brain? Try to catch up with yourselves prior asking "catch us if you can"

I found the selections were not intuitive and it took some careful readings of the manual to get it right. After about a week, I was able to work around the device without a problem. The project organization was a plus for me,as I found selecting different tracks for different songs in the same project problematic. The drum machine settings are global, so if you tweak them, you can be out of sync with your recordings making it a challange to get it back together.

The Smart Media used is going obso according to my local big box electronics store. I immediately bought a 128 mb card from another store on discount. I recommend a reader and downloading the (free) reader / writer software from the Zoom site. With this, you can backup your work to pc and export it to wave files.

This is not a pro device,and it does not need to be. The 31.25 khz sample rate is the limiting factor. It does a very adequate job for a portable device. I view it as an audio scratch pad, and it is perfect for this application. I plan on re-recording my ideas using my PC based system (Delta-1010 / Sonar).

The microphone does good job. I overdubbed a harmonica track with some echo and it was fine. Be careful not to engage the mic when plugged into an amp (ouch!).

The headphone amp could use a tad more oomph. Get a decent set of phones.

I found the wave file exporter did not seem to give as clean a sound as direct out of the PS04, even at the highest quality setting. I was upsampling to 44.1 khz rate, and things sounded muddy.More investigation is required in this area, as I want an all digital transfer.

The plastic case is a bit cheezy. The back panel which covers the battery compartment could fit a bit better. Overall, good mechanics for such a portable device. I am using an old cellphone case for it and the spare flash card (32mb) that came with the PS04.

I am running on alkaline AA cells, and they seem to last 5-6 hours. I have a set of super NiMh cells that I plan to use which should double this time.

Have not needed it.

This device is fantastic for what it does. I wanted a portable effects box for travel and got a 4 track digital recorder + effects + drum machine. I highly recommend it for that purpose. You could also use it for:
- a two track digital recorder
- as an effects box into an amp
- as a simple rhythm box for jamming
- as a paperweight (no .. not really ;-) )

The PS-04 is Fun on the Run ....

The interface is well thought out, but it will still take you a little sifting through the manual to "get it". Once you get the swing of things, however, you'll find manipulating your sound a sinch.

The pre-set effects are pretty good, doesn't have a wide range of versatile effects but it's enough to get you by. The drum machine adds a whole lot of value to this gadget. The quality of recording is perfectably acceptable. Remember what your paying!!

I've never had any problems with it. I probably wouldn't use it for live recording applications, its definately better suited towards doing private recording work in your living room. But it does everything its suppose to.

Never needed it, the manual is very well written and has awnsered all my questions.

I use the ps-04 just to mess around and but down some ideas so that I can improve upon them. This machine is great for this because it comes with a tuner, effects proccessor and drum machine all in one. The four tracks and the virtual tracks give you plenty of space to work with. Even has a bass machine too but i haven't figured it out yet. I sometimes wish the interface were a little simpler but i don't have any major complaints. If you're looking something to use as a musical notepad to sketch with, this is what your looking for. Plus, at this price you won't get digital quality like it anywhere.

I am used to the PS02 and needed about a week to fully understand the PS04. The manual is well-written. I was able to record acoustic and electric guitar with nice sounds out of the box.
The PS04 can sound much better after some tweaking.
Compared to a PC or Mac program I would say 6 but for the size I give a 8.
Because of my additional PatternEditor I give a 9

Again compared to a PC or Mac 192Khz sample frequency and 24 bit resolution I would say 7 but for the size I give a 10.
The sound quality is much better than with the old PS02 or the boxes of other manufacturer.
I was able to do very nice sounding recordings with the PS04 and a guitar only.
Check some of my songs:
http://www.soundside.de/audio/12BarBlues.mp3
Check also songs from other users here:
http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewforum.php?f=6
I expanded the factory drum samples with some of my own drum samples:
http://www.soundside.de

I really love the sound of the PS04.
It's nice out of the box - and better after some tweaking

Can't tell you after a month - but no problems so far.
My PS02 worked for 3 years without hardware problems.

My emails were always answered - the Zoom people are very nice and helpful !
The best information & support will be found in the user forum:
http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewforum.php?f=8

I hate to use a laptop, a soundcard, a guitar preamp, a drum computer software, a mic preamp, mic ... in a hotel room.
Where ever I am - I can switch the PS04 on - and play - and if I like to play than I like to play not to configure.
I like to tweak, program and configure too - but that's another story.
The PS02 was the first unit to switch on and play - and the PS04 is even better.
If you are looking for a replacement for your tube amp the PS04 will not be the right thing nor if you compare it to Cubase SX or Logic....
But if you like to have a tool to motivate you to make music - without any hassle - than the PS04 will be right for you.
Other guitar stuff I use:
Fender Custom Shop Strat, Line6 Variax, TheBone travel guitar, Godin bassguitar, Washborn acoustic steal guitar, Musima acoustic nylon guitar
Fender tube amps, Yamaha DG-Stomp, Beringer Bass V-Amp
I use Steinberg Cubase for about 10 years.

I cannot think of any device, musical or otherwise, that does so much for $200. When there is so much that can be done, there is a lot to learn. The manual is very good. It starts with an overview of use, and then develops the topics of recording, mixing, rhythm track editing, and effects editing in detail.

I own a PS-02 and love it. I spent a while asking myself whether I really needed the PS-04. My advice: If you like the 02, you'll like the 04 as much. However, they are considerably different devices. It is much easier to work with the four tracks of the PS-04 than with the three tracks of the PS-02. While the 02 had almost audio editing capability, the 04 has as much as any table-top four-track. The 04 has a considerably better rhythm machine with 350 preset patterns and the ability to record your own patterns. (However, I find the advertised FAST pattern input method to be of little use unless the entered pattern is very simple.)

Effects are a toss-up. Microphone and mixdown effects in the 04 are excellent. The new ARRM effects are somewhat gimicky. The separation of effects into insert effects and send and return effects takes some getting used to. There is no reverb module in insert effects; reverb must be added as a send and return effect. My biggest complaint about effects is that important stereo effects like autopanning and ping-pong delay are not included as insert effects. (It's possible to devise a ping-pong delay by combining properly timed delays using both insert and send and return effects.)

While the 02 is organized by songs, the 04 is organized by projects containing songs. Each project has its own set of up to 60 insert effect patches. While this organization has the advantage of allowing a huge number of user patches to be stored, I would prefer the simplicity of a one set of user patches universally available to every song.

If you have a PS-02, you can use the same power adapter with the PS-02. The included SmartMedia card is not sufficient for recording. With an adapter and a 128 Mb card, the cost of the unit is more like $280.

It's possible to get excellent sounds out of the PS-04. As with any multieffects device, doing so means spending a couple of days, suiting your own tastes, not driving effects over the edge, and paying a lot of attention to equalization.

This all-plastic device would feel much more substantial in a metal case. I would have gladly paid an additional $50 for a metal case.

Right now the PS-04 has one big deficiency. Unlike the PS-02, it doesn't come with any preprogrammed songs. I find it takes about an hour to create a satisfactory rhythm track for a song of any complexity. With its 50 preprogrammed songs, the PS-02 is great for jamming. By comparison, the 04 is awkward for jamming. If online software (for BOTH PC's and Macs) eventually allows the loading of a library of songs lines like that for the 02, the usefulness of the 04 will increase tremendously. People at Zoom: I hope you are reading this!

With excellent effects, a good buit-in condenser mike, a flexible drum and bass machine, and a versatile four-track recorder, this tiny device is twenty times the value of the first table-top digital recorder I bought about six years ago. All nitpicicking above aside, you want this thing!

This device is about as easy to use as it can be, understanding that it offers a staggering array of features in a very small form factor. I downloaded the manual when I ordered the device and read the physical manual it came with a couple of times as I tinkered with it, along with getting great advice from the user forum at 2090.org. I needed all that help to use it. I never did figure out how to program the bass patterns to what I wanted them to do (very simple, Judas Priest/AC-DC style bass lines). I just gave up and recorded my guitar run through a pitch transposer and pretended it sounded like a bass. :)

The layout is very logical, and the manual is well-written and generally easy to understand. Editing patches is kind of hidden, which is a shame, since the factory guitar presets are absolutely horrible, but you can get some nice sounds out of it AFTER you tweak the presets. Also, your tweaked presets are saved with your song and, thus, lost when you record over the song. :(

This unit is not easy to use. However, it is about as easy as it can be, considering the breadth of its abilities and its small form factor.

One big flaw, though, is getting the sounds from the device to where you can use them, e.g., in an MP3 or on a CD. Zoom uses a proprietary format for the files and requires a card reader (not included) to transfer them to your computer. If companies can make MP3 players/flash memory that double as a keychain, Zoom should be able to equip the PS04 with the ability to save files in standard MP3 format and a standard size USB port, so you can upload them to any modern computer - and you better believe that includes Macs!

I tried it with several electric guitars, using the unit's presets, and also using a Digitech GNX1 for sounds (pitch transposer engaged to fake a bass track) and a Behringer V-Amp Pro (sounded much better than the Zoom's presets, even after they were tweaked). I played my songs back through Sony in-ear Walkman-style headphones and through an Altec-Lansing ATP3 computer speaker setup that included a subwoofer. It sounded okay, but I don't think I could've fooled anyone into thinking it was a song off the radio, even with a good story about how this is a poor recording of some uknown band, but give it a listen anyway and tell me what you think (I was trying to conjure up such a tale to get reviews of my work anonymously). :)

The Zoom's preset bass and drum tracks are okay but not great. I ended up giving up on the bass track and just recording my own (as noted above), since programming bass into this puppy is difficult to say the least.

Vocals sounded pretty nice using the Zoom presets, and gave me more confidence in my singing voice than I normally have. The PS04's effects are limited. I got better effects sounds with my Zoom 505 II and my Zoom 606, even though those are really low end devices from the same company. Go figure.

I only had it for a short time before returning it, but I had no problems. It is not a gigging device. It is for recording and, to a lesser extent, practice, though my Korg Pandora PX4 (not PXR4) makes a FAR superior practice partner, as it is much easier to use and to get some basic backing sounds going with in short order.

Don't know. Never had to use it. Zzounds was good about the return, though.

I play hard rock/metal. This is good for that. You can tweak it to create some nice, heavy guitar sounds. I have been playing for about 20 years. I own several Jackson guitars, a Custom Shop Strat, a Peavey V-Type and a Kramer EVH Replica, along with some acoustics, a Behringer V-Amp Pro, Behringer Ultrafex, Marshall ValveState rack-mount head, Marshall 1960A cab, Digitech GNX1, etc.

I returned this device because for the money (PS04 @ $199 + rechargeable batteries/charger @ $45 + 128 MB memory card @ $60 + card reader @ $20 = $324), you can do better. In my case, that means Apple GarageBand software @ $49 + M-Audio USB interface @ $149 + SM-58 mic & cord @ $109 = $307. For PC users, I know there are other options, e.g., Cool Edit, etc., but I'm a Mac user. Incidentally, this device is not particularly Mac-friendly, with Mac software promised (where have I heard that before?) to convert Zoom's proprietary sound files to MP3 format.

>How easy is it to get a good sound out of it?
Very easy once you've been through the manual and played around with it. The manual has a quick start guide that's good for getting your first tune down, but the more advance features take a while to learn.
>How about Editing patches?
Editing patches is fairly easy once you drill your way down through the menus. Again, the manual will be your best friend for a while.
>How is the manual for it (if there is one)?
Well written, fairly well laid out.

The sound quality is generally very good, although it's not "CD quality" A/D conversion is 20 bit, 64 times oversampling
D/A conversion is 20 bit, 8 times oversampling
Sampling frequency is 31.25 kHz.
>Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
The effects are generally very good, although the preset patches are a little over the top, but you can quickly edit them to taste. This unit would be worth buying just as a multi effects unit, even if you didn't use the other features. I would have given it a 10 for sound quality if it were 44.1 kHz sampling

It is very dependable, but I wouldn't want to drop it. I owned the PS-02 for a long time and it never failed me. The PS-04 feels even sturdier, plus they wisely moved the SmartMedia card inside the battery case to keep it away from nasty dirt.

Never needed it. If you want support, stop by the PS-04 forum at http://www.2090.org/zoom/bbs/viewforum.php?f=8

Overall rating is I love the PS-04; it is the most powerful and versatile piece of gear at this price and size. It allows you to get the ideas from your head into a decent demo without breaking a sweat. Every guitarist should get one, or anyone who wants a versatile digital four track recorder with tons of extras.

The PS-04 allows recording of 4 tracks with 10 virtual tracks for a total of 40 available tracks, plus a built in bass track and stereo drums. The bass and drums can be recorded to a free audio track, then all audio tracks opened on your computer (with software) and mixed there. Or you could mix on the PS-04 by doing a bounce. You can program your own bass lines and drum patterns, or use the presets. You can use the built in mic with effects to record vocals, acoustic guitar, whatever, or plug in a mic. You can copy, cut, paste bits of audio to any measure or beat you want, making looping possible.
In summary, it's a 40 track digital recorder (with 4 tracks playable at a time) with a builtin drum machine and bass, multi-effects for guitars, vocals, bass, and synth, mixdown effects, unlimited cutting and pasting and editing of audio, and a guitar tuner thrown in for kicks. And the whole thing is selling for $199! I'd say that's pretty good.
Full Disclosure: I got mine for free from the wonderful people at Samson Tech, but that did not affect my opinion of the PS-04. I would have bought one if they hadn't sent me one to check out.: