Zoom 2100

This processor is way easy to use. It comes with a double sided sheet that explains the basics, so I played round with it for a couple of hours without looking at the manual. Editing patches is quite easy, but some don't have enough specific controls. It's easy to get quite a good sound out of it, and the manual is fairly comprehensive. However, it lacks a dedicated bank down button, so you can't use the button for pedal control and bank down, unless you have a dedicated expression pedal which costs a bit more, but it makes using the unit a whole lot easier.

I used this with my first setup, Fender Squire to Dunlop Hendrix Wah to ZOOM 2100 to Samick 10 watt, this worked well for a year or so, until playing gigs required larger amps. The ZOOM is a really quiet unit, unless your other equipment has noise coming through the line. This is easialy fixed with the noise supressor, which is more like a limiter than a Rocktron Hush, and will cut off notes at a cetain volume which annoyed me. For clean tones, this unit sucks. Unless you bypass the whole thing, it EQ's your sound, and puts heaps of highs in, making it really twangy, and bad for most rock. So if you use primarialy clean sounds, perhaps try something warmer. The distortion is FAT an has nice tone, especiially with humbuckers and a nice amp. I used it a fair bit for direct recording, and the amp similator is nice, but if this is all you need it for, buy a SansAmp or a POD. Modulations and reverbs are average, nothing special, but this Unit really shines when it comes to the delays. This unit has hundreds of differnt delay sounds to be coaxed out of it, and I was able to write and record a whole song by using the infinite repeat delay feature. The Whammy sucks, and the harmonies are very metallic and tinny, but boss harmonizers or a dedicated whammy pedal. I used it for getting Heavy Rock sounds, so it was mainly distorted (Tool, Limp Bizkit, Incubus, Grinspoon, Sunk Loto), and there are some nice creative tools like the delay and slow gear.

The main unit is really reliable, after a year and a half of constant use, the only problem was that one button (not a foot switch) only worked half the time, and a lot of pushing was involved. The ZOOM expression pedal was OK, but the stero lead that is required to connect the expression pedal to the unit is flimsy as anything, and mine broke in a week, so look out. Otherwise, use it for gigs and dont worry. The only complaints would be the expression pedal lead and the plasicy cheep feeling buttions

NA

This is a great unit for most types of music, but is really only a beginners unit, a first foray into the world of pedal boards. I'm seventeen, and this has lasted me through my fifth and sixth years of playing, however I've just changed my setup now I'm recorded semi-professionally, and playing a lot of gigs. After my ZOOM, I've changed back to single pedals. My new setup is Ibanez GAX70 to Boss tu12 Tuner to Digitech Whammy to Hendrix Wah to Boss Chorus, then Phaser, then DD5 Delay and to a peavey studio pro. Hapefully soon I can get the extremely awesome and useful Electro-Harmonix Micro Synth. If it was stolen or lost I wouldn't buy it again, mainly because I've already sold it, but for guitarists who are statring to get serious, it is an amazing music making tool and will help youre skills develope, especially with the sampler inside it, which can help your playing immensely. Otherwise, buy one of these if your just starting out, but make sure you buy a seperate tuner, because the built in tuner is rubbish and wont stay on one pitch, moving round until you kick the unit and tune by ear. However, I would recommend it over the 505 and the Boss ME30, although you should seriously look at the Korg AX1G. For a beginner I would give it a 9 or 10, but for more experienced players, it only gets a ...