Zoom 9002

Dead easy. You can flick through the presets or make your own. It's just like a line of stomp boxes.

This is a difficult question. For direct injection into a recording equipment it sounds SO SO good. If you put it into an amp then it sounds like crap.

It is a bit noisy and doesn't include a noise gate / suppressor.

I really like the sounds, because I am an 80s metal guy. I have bought MANY effects units since this and still pick this up for many uses - eg putting something down quick when recording or best of all listening with headphones. For that it ROCKS.

Never had a problem.

N/A

I would NEVER sell this. There is NOTHING like this for jamming through headphones.

Typically of the era, the user interface is cumbersome and obscure. However, it doesn't take a genius to be able to get to grips with it within a few minutes and start making music! Get a manual if you can although I can't find one anywhere!

The usual tone comments apply - it's fizzy and sounds quite dated - but then again it's perfect for practising or warming up before a gig! At the end of the day, it's a little black box o' tricks and it sounds like one. I'm sure it'll be good enough for most people for practising, but I'd personally never gig with it or record with it cos there's simply better stuff around these days.

There seems to be an inherent problem with the design of these things in that they always seem to fail after a few years with the same fault - no ouput apart from metronome. The solution for this fault is to replace the ICL7660 (Surface mount) negative voltage generator that supplies the preamp, along with it's surrounding caps. In total this repair costs around #2-3 in parts and takes about 10minutes to complete with the right tools! Also, the battery packs are useless. Replace this with 4 AA rechargable cells connected + - + - etc, and hold them together with gaffer tape. Job done.

Seemingly non-existent these days, but then it is an old unit!

It may have once been an expensive bit of kit, but these days it's not a patch on whats available. However, if you can get one cheap then it's a great thing to have in your gig-bag as a useful tool - even if you only ever use it as a tuner or metronome!

Takes a long time to really fine tune this thing. I must of spent 100 hours dialing it in perfectly. The presets are AWFUL. i can't imagine people ever really wore this thing while jammimg. It's really just a great silent practice amp for yuppies. Overkill rockman. With lawsuit avoiding volume. Great for recording and for plugging into a stereo. Never good find a way to actually play with it in a live situation. Plugging it into a tube amp has always resulted in a horrible tone.

The distortion and compression adjustments have only 10 levels and that's a pity because I liked the distortion at 3 and the compression at around 7 but could not really fine tune it. Distortion at 3 being too much and 2 too little. I wanted a 2.5 or a 2.75. I'm annoying by the limited adjustments.

I used it mostly for writing and recording tunes. The preset overdriven tones are horrible but I was able to find my own settings that I think are just superb. Zoom overdriven tones are usually with the distortion at 7 or 8 and the compression almost off. This, to me, is just backwards. I found a "Plexi" like tone bringing the distortion to 3 and cranking the compression up to 5 to 7. I also added a super short reverb (50 ms) to fatten the tone and give it a real tube amp sound. Very cool.

With the short reverb (50ms), compression on about 6 and the distortion on 3, my Les Pauls laid amazing tracks down on my home studio. I liked some delay too.

Really a great sounding processor. Clean or dirty the tones possible are top notch. From jazz to screaming 80s metal the ZOOM was in the top of the field and a writing-recording dream. No mics to fiddle with. No noise. Consistant sounds. No outside noises. Small space. Quick adjustments. No bothering the girlfriend with endless takes. Just a bunch of advantages in the recording studio over an amp and pedals! With an amp, if you bump a mic you gotta lay all new tracks again! With the Zoom you can come back years later and if you know what setting you used your saved from endless hours of trying to recapture the original tracks.

I bought this new in the early 90s and must have put 1000 hours on it before it stopped working. (no output). I dropped it a few times from 3 feet onto carpet and maybe the input jack is broken. Shoot, this is what sucks about expensive toys. When it's broke....IT'S BROKE! Nearly $400 of fun now worthless in a drawer, too broken to use and too expensive to toss. All I have left is memories and the hopes that someday a miracle happens.
There is a lot that can go wrong with these things and they are very fragile. I broke mine using it only in a recording studio. Imagine using one on the road! It wouldn't last a month.

No one can fix these things. If anyone could he would be busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

I've been playing hard rock and metal guitar for 35 years.

The Zoom was great for writing and recording.

Now I use a small Fender Champ and pedals for my recording.

I loved all the features it had and the great tone. it really is a wonderful thing to have in the recording studio.

I wish it was more popular like a Marshall amp so people would know how to fix them. I suppose I could try to get the factory to fix it but it would probably be cheaper in the long run to just buy a new Zoom.

Can you believe Zoom actually built this fragile little $400 toy to be worn on your belt or strap????? I guess if you are rich, you might be able to afford doing that. For myself, $400 is a lot of money.

A really fun, usable, effective, innovative, practical, great sounding product.

But I feel it was a little too expensive, small, fragile, and the compression and distortion adjustments too limited. The overdriven presets were bad and what the hell good was that kooky effect all about? Was anyone ever able to make use of that effect? Sounded like a random synthetic harmonic doubler or something. I heard it for less than a minute and never used it again. Wierd, really wierd!

In my eyes the Zoom 9002 would have been better value had it been built as a larger and sturdier floor pedal or rack mount.

I get the feeling the Zoom company thought guitarists where going to use the Zoom at the beach while skating on roller skates and playing guitar at the same time.

Even on stage, a wearable effects processor is not needed. Are you gonna change the settings on your presets in the middle of a song?

Well, it's been broken for 6 years or more and I haven't fixed it or bought another one yet.

A great travel companion for yuppie rockers. That's it niche. Otherwise, get a rackmount or floor unit for recording or playing out.

I just received a Zoom 9002 from a friend who was going to throw it out. The power jack loses connection intermittantly when moved around(probably due to cracked soldering. Haven't taken it apart yet). It still sounds good, but the paint for the button labels is almost completely worn off. Through trial and error, I've figured out what most of the buttons are. Unfortunately, there was no manual, so any word on locating manual would be greatly appreciated.

Right now I play my Ibanez 'S' Series 7 String through the 9002 going into a Pignose amp. This makes a fun little rig I can take anywhere. I haven't tried the 9002 through my larger amps yet. So far, everything seems cool with it(A nice little addition to my tools).

In it's current state, I wouldn't rely on it for any major situation. However, for just hanging around and makin' a little noise, it works like a charm.

Haven't communicated with them.

I've been playing for approximately 17 years. Various styles of music interest me(I try to stay opened-minded). I enjoy playing through a Marshall JCM800. I have an Alesis Quadraverb Gt and a few BOSS pedals that I also enjoy. Well, I guess that about wraps it up. Have fun kids.

I bought my first Zoom 9002 used in 1992. I have been playing through it ever since. I do not have a manual for it but if anyone knows where to download one, feel free to contact me and let me know where. Even without the manual I have had no trouble setting up and changing patches.

For guitar, of course, it sounds great. I also plug my Hofner Beatle bass into it and the sound is surpisingly good. The lows are a little muddy since it was designed for guitar instead of bass but it works for the sound I want, which is mainly an indie-rock psychedelic type of thing.
I use the pitch shifter and some delay ans reverb while playing with a bow and it sounds like an entire orchestra backing us up.
I have also tried it with my theremin and it sounds great there, too.
In fact, I just purchased a second one on Ebay specifcally for use with the theremin.
I would like it to have a bypass feature for a nice clean sound but I got around that by programming a blank patch at the beginning of each bank.
There is a little bit of bakground noise but it is not too bad. especially for live playing.

I have used it without backup for over ten years at hundreds of gigs and recording sessions. It has only failed me twice. Once was when the battery finally gave out completely and, for some reason, I did not have the a/c adapter with me. The other time it was stepped on by a fellow band member 2 minutes before we went on. The remote was history and the a/c adapter input was shot.
I had to replace the input and output jacks once but it has worked great ever since.

I never had to deal with customer support.

I would definately replace it if it turned up missing.
I currently use the Zoom 9002, an antiquie Morley wah,and then a Zoom 508 Delay pedal for a little post-wah delay looping. The sound is mind-blowing.

I started with the Zoom 9002 in it's earliest version; 1990. It's a phenomenal piece of equipment...set a whole new standard for portable
Digital/Analog effects processors. VERY easy to use for those with even mild experience with parameter/setting type devices. I want to make note that while people are certainly entitles to their opinion; it is my opinion that anyone who claims these aren't suitable for Studio or Live work.....are of the "everything sucks but Ford's" ilk.
That is to say..NOTHING will convince such lamebrains!

Sound Quality= FABULOUS! I am a recently retired Music Producer who was listed in the Major Recording/Music Industry throughout the 90's with a Retirement listing in 00'. I have been listed in the following:
MIX-(Studio Directory), RECORDING INDUSTRY SOURCEBOOK-(Studio's East,
Producers/Engineers, Artist Management, Mastering Facilities, Sound for Film etc. Invitee: Who's Who in Pop Music 96' etc, etc. In short,
I have a thoroughly qualified opinion and it's thus. I have personally
wowed various Artists/groups, musicians with what the Zoom 9002 can do
especially when some of their "effects units/stacks" costs many thousands of dollars and the 9002 new was $450.00. I have used it on many recordings and live.....NEVER a complaint.

I HAVE used the 9002 without backup, can thoroughly depend on it and have continued to list it among my all-time favorite and dependable
units.

In the early days.....there was virtually no support (young Company-Japan based) but things have come a LONG way since 13 years ago!

My overall rating for the 9002 is a 10++. I play ALL styles, am a multi-instrumentalist (11 instruments), have been playing (guitar) for
41 years and have bought, borrowed, leased or used most everything out there at one time or another.....& the 9002 NEVER let me down. Don't believe the old addage: "You get what you pay for" as it's Companies like ZOOM, FOSTEX, ALESIS and a host of others breaking new ground with new technologies at AFFORDABLE prices. To be rather blunt:
ANY guitarist who honestly believes that all the guitar Companies making "lightweight" guitars (so you won't hurt your itsy-bitsy poor little shoulder-HELL a good strap is all you need!) made out of SMART woods etc-are in the league of the REAL thing, but allow yourselves to be BRAIN-WASHED due to budget constraints...are still only fooling yourself. Save up for the REAL thing and get a GOOD/padded guitar strap!!

It's very user-friendly...

Great especially when you don't have expensive guitar....

except the battery, the whole unite functionally properly all the time.

??? how can they help you???

Just would like to share the expensive of how to made a battery replacement yourself.

1. use four standard AA rechargable battery 1.25V/1250mA.
2. bond them together by wire the + - + - + -.
3. use the plastic tape to tight them up firmly.

It just cost you US$6.00 to get it done. Hopefully, it helps.

It's not difficult to understand the manual while the LCD display also enables you to make the configuration change easily.

I've no comments on this part cause the sound quality is not bad expect the distortion not powerful enough, but it's not likely someone will use it on the stage as the control/handling is difficult when you're preforming on the stage but it's excellent for home practice.

it's reliable except the battery.... but I've found a way to make an replacement for it... simply just tight 4 x AAA rechargable battery together, bonding with copper board to chain the + & - together. IT works....and 4 x AAA just fit the origin battery place and you don't need to make any alternation.

NIL, cause the product was discontinoued.

As all have described, the unit has great sounds and is light years ahead of the Rockman from which it probably took it's lead. But I will agree on the battery situation. Thankfully I only paid $130 after trading in some junk I didn't need. My unit was listed as a Special Edition on the Red border around the LCD and didn't come with the Guitar Remote Controller R0002 but I did get the Foot Controller at the time. I know that a new model was produced later than mine called the Pro with updated patches and also additional user patch slots. I believe it was a 40/40 on the Pro and a 20/20 on my edition or the first edition. I wouldn't mind getting that updated firmware for it but I don't think the unit is supported in any fashion in Japan or here in the US. After this experience, I would be very hesitant in buying anything from Zoom again. Many are interested in a manual, As far as a manual goes, one can be downloaded from the Japan website if you have Acrobat Reader installed on your PC. Go to Zoom.co.jp and click on manuals on the Home page.

As listed the sound quality is good and reminiscent of the sounds of the late 80's, early 90's sounds.

The battery is the reliability issue I think with most users and I had to replace mine once when it was available. It didn't last all that long and was around $25-$30 to replace. I was hesitant when buying my 9002 new because the battery was propritary in design and we all know the way that works.

Help from Zoom Japan is not available only from the distributer in your country. In this case Sampson Technologies or Sampsontech.com. The Zoom logo of "catch us if you can" really holds true when trying to contact a real voice at Sampson Technologies for assistance. I called for 30 minutes straight using the re-dial functon (as the line disconects when no one answers the line)until I finally got a real person on the other side and was told the battery is no longer made. I logged onto the Zoom website in Japan(Zoom.co.jp) and they state with appologies that the battery manufacturer has indeed discontinued the battery. So where does that leave us ?? Like all who own one, I'm looking for a replacement if possible.

It was great for what it was designed for "a silent practice device". I would love any information on obtaining a replacement battery for it. See my Internet address - Thanks

Small strap mountable. Pretty ease of use, No manual - purchased used.

Sounds are ok.

Unit over all is reliable but like everyone else has said the battery is junk. And nobody can seem to find a replacemnet.
I think i may have found a few places for battery BT-0001.

http://www.mouser.com
part # 547-PS-605
amount $ 13.00 each
With the same size, type, and power.
I do not know if it will work i have not recieved it yet. The reason i say that is because i'm not sure if the connectors will line up correctly.
or
http://www.ibt-power.com/Btseries.html
I couldn't find a direct comparision but it's worth a try.

Out dated.

If anyone has a manual or even better an electronic copy of the manual please contact me. If you are interested in the battery i recommended please email me and i'll let you know how it worked for me. Well that is after i receive it.