Zoom BFX-708

Pretty easy to set up....a quick read of the manual get the begginings sorted.
editing patches is easy, getting the right sound is a litte harder

I'm using an Encore bass....:-) and a laney 60w combo
the noise it virtually non existant...and the zoom noise reduction helps. the effects are consistent in volume and sound kick ass
the distortion isn't what i expected..but its still good

its plastic and i havent had it too long but no problems yet...i'd gig with it on its own

i play mainly metal/rock and funky type stuff...RATM, Offspring Chillis etc...It makes my guitar sounds better with the amp-sim and i think it makes my guitar sound better than on its own...If is was stolen, i think i'd use the insurance money to help buy a better bass but i would buy it again (after beating the guy who nicked it !)...i like the sound but it looks a bit naff 80's grey plastic...i think the drum machine and sampler are cool to play with ....if u r a begginer its good for exploring your sound and messing. good luck

I found it very easy to use, reading through the manual helped, but just playing with it and getting to know what it could do was even more benificial.

The sound that it puts out is very good. I can always tweak the sound to more my own tast.

So far so good. I've had it about a month a half and I have used it steadly over that time without any hiccups.

I have not had to deal with Cusotmer Support yet.

The rythm section has helped me during practice time and the wide variety of sounds available from the factory allows me to try a number of different styles of music and stretch my self. If something happened to it, I would definetly purchase another.

Extremely easy to set up.. it even has 60 pre-made patches to get you started on (Although quite a few are useless, for the money there is quite a variety available). The rotary knobs let you switch parameters *very* quickly and easily, which is a plus, because you don't have to edit the patch if you just want to tweak say the gain in the distortion mod, you can just turn a little knob and voila ;). Adjusting from Active to Passive bass types, adjusting the pedal response, and factory reset are very easy to do as well. The manual has a few errors in it, but nothing too serious.. I think anyone who uses this can figure it out on their own.

Sound quality for the BFX708 is good from what I can hear. Soon I will use it for recording purposes and put it to the test. I have a very cheap rig, a new P-bass, SWR workingman's 10, and the BFX708 definately ads some originality to the overall tone of my rig. The EQ is great.. ZNR comes in handy.. the built in rhythm section needs a little work but is ok for practising (the metronome is probably the handiest ryhthm setting to have, btw). Now on to effects.. my DOD Envelope Filter kicks the BFX's Wah in its face. Other than that I have no gripes with the effects.. chorus is very rich, as well as the reverb.. distortion patches sound great (distortion? yes..) on either bass or guitar at very loud volumes.. solid sound quality overall.

Don't know about this one.. the BFX708 is made of plastic.. it's not water-proof from what I know of.. the expression pedal is quite sturdy and it uses an optical sensor which is a plus (very easy to adjust). I haven't put it to the test so I don't really have an opinion for reliability..

No problems with the BFX, so I haven't dealt with ZOOM or Samson.

Well to say the least.. the BFX is quite a bang for the buck (money.. we're not hunting deer.. yeehaw :). I play anything from simple roots blues and jazz.. to punk, funk, metal, rock, ect.. but no country (sorry folks) and it seems that the BFX has an effect for every style of playing, be it a little EQ for fast walking jazz lines or dirty, greasy distortion for metal, which is great for the money (everyone can find a use for the BFX). I sound like a salesman, but I'm serious about what I say. If my BFX was stolen, I would cry, but then go buy another :)

It's pretty easy to use. The Manual is ok but it could have been much better. Editing patches is easy once yea get use to it. It had a great sound right out of the box. It just need a a bit of tweeking. It fun to erase a patch and make your own custom sound.

I use a Ibanez SR405 5 String bass with a Peavey TNT 150 watt bass amp. I also Use a Cort SBJ Acoustic Bass. I found My Ibanez buzzes from time to time but the Pedal stoped it. The ZNR works really well. Depending on how loud the buzzing is you may want to turn up the ZNR. I also noticed that when struming a open cord the buzzing comes back. Other than that its makes not noise at all. its great for experamenting new sounds. The drum machine is usefull but not as good as a real drum machine becasue you really cant customize it. The 6 second sampler is a joke.

The effects are good. some are great some are just plain crap. But Most FX boards are like that. The fuzz Is very useful for playing Metallica's Anesthesia. I found most patches useful for any song that needs and Effect. If not yea can just make one for it. The FX pedal can be used for almost any band.

Had it for 3 months and it still works great. I played with it with recordings, jams, gigs. Even though its made out of plastic its pretty soild. However i would not jump on it, as it is not a stomp box. Id use it with out a backup. hell if it dies on me ill just plug my bass in the amp.

Its to dam light, every time i place my foot at the pedal it starts slideing away. I also think the foot pedals are to small. I wear size 11 boots and i have to use the very tip of my boot just so i dont hit both of the foot pedals at the same time. The Expression peal could stand to be a bit larger too.

never needed to call the company.

You name it I play it. Rock ,punk ,Metal ,Rap, Rap/metal, Alturnative , blues. I play just about anything i get my hands on to. I have been playing for about 6 years. If it were stolen i would proably buy a new one. unless something else is new on the market. I love the way you can just make a effect from scratch. The best thing about it is the Analog Knobs it makes editing a snap. I just wish they made it biger and a bit more heavy. Hell why not make it out of somehting more better that Plastic. I Tryed other pedals (DOD ,DIGITECH , KORG) but this was the best for my money. I found that this pedal gave me more creativeity in makeing music (some songs may need an effect some may not) and for those who are wondering if yea should get a FX pedal i say get one that suts you. it may give you new ideas on what kind of sound to put on your bass line.

Well maybe should be said easier to use. I've owned Digitech units and the Zoom 506 and this is definitely the best so far. The analog knobs make logical changes in a fairly logical fashion, although the editing buttons still have too many functions (and sub-functions)associated with them to be called intuitive. I suppose that's what you get on a unit this cheap. The manual is okay and has only a few instances of weird english syntax, still lacks good examples of how to use each effect for desired results. About 1 hour of foolin' factor to sus the thing out.

I'm using it with a Sound Gear 885 bass and Hartke 1400 amp with Monster cables. Like most Zoom products this thing is very quiet, only when the preamp module is overdriven does the hissing start. Most of the effects are up to par for the price and if you like the 506 these will all sound very familiar. The Chorus is sweet and thick, the flanger flanges nicely with nice deep swooshes when asked, phaser gives you that nice nostalgic vibe. The compressor and limiter do their jobs properly. Reverb module stays fairly crisp for doubling and back-slap and only gets mushy when you push too deep. Just like the 506 the octaver does a very nice job of fattening things up. As usual with multi-effects the wah ain't much to write home about, just doesn't seem to cut like you want it to. Ring modulator is a new touch, rings nicely, probably won't get much use.
A welcome addition is the rotary amp simulator, it gives a quick tone adjustment when you change amps or venue. The most pleasant surprise was the number of usable factory patches, Usually the first couple of days are spent writing over all the useless crap the factory boys stick on there. There are actually quite a few that might just get used in public.

Well... the little bugger is plastic and still new on the market so only time will tell. I do like the change to 4 AA batteries, definitely lasts longer than the 9 volt.

I play in church mostly, anything from hymns to funk (we're pretty broad minded when it comes to style) and multi-pedals give the most versatility for the least amount of hassle. So far I've used the digitec RP and the zoom 506 prior to the BFX and this is the hands down winner. The sound is great (as good as the RP or 506), the expression pedal gives some flexibility (unlike the 506) and the biggest advantage is the ability to adjust the patches with the analog knobs without reprograming the unit (unlike either the RP or the 506). The built in drummer makes for easy headphone practicing and is flexible enough to be usefull. The sampler is pretty useless (2 seconds just ain't enough) and the jam along I can take or leave.
Overall for 150 beans this is a solid buy, I am recomending it to all my friends.

The set is rather easy to access, especially those knobs, where previous 500 series effects doesn't provide. It really reduce your "frets" when you have a knob to edit, rather than push buttons, as with those 500s.

As for the effects, well, I can admit Zoom really put in a lot of efforts in making out those amazing sounds, but I have yet to experiment what to do with those sounds...

Instructions provide are also concise, with no significant typo / grammatic mistakes, as is usually seen from Japanese or Taiwan products.

The noise is at its minimum, good ZNR I guess.

However, one thing I don't like is the drum kit bank, which really overloads my practice amp, ( too loud ) I had to really crank down the output level of the drum to 1, and thats the lowest level I can have in order to hear my bass. Wonder what I could do with the rest of the levels ...?

Also, as I have observed, I editted the patch with the PARM #3 knob up to maximum to adjust the effects to its strongest, then as you turn on the rythm drum machine, the sound level is probably somewhere at its peak, it REALLY blasted off my amp ! Can Zoom provide some tips / instruction on making the rythm drum level saved in a fixed level when the PARM #3 knob is adjusted...

I guess Zoom has made this plastic piece of equipment robust, although I don't quite like plastics under my feet - don't trust their hardness ! I guess it would probably longer than I had expected.

Pedals are the first to give way I presume...with all the stompin'

No comments here.

Hmm.if it were stolen, I might buy it again...but I guess Zoom will be making another better set next time...?

Cosmetically, I really like the knobs and pedals, and those bright LED lights...but if it were of metal material, with some water proofing on the surface, I guess I would feel more reliable and suitable for outdoor gigs, or some serious stompin'...

This is the first effects unit I have ever used and am still getting my head around the whole edit patch/store bank thing.
For effects dummies like myself the manual could be a little clearer, but I'm getting there..
The good news is the basic sounds are good, so with out to much bother you're away.
The manual dials are simple to mess with as is the pre-amp selector.

I'm using either a Warwick Streamer LX or a JD bass through a Trace AH300.
There is no, I repeat no noise with this beast, I have not giged with it yet but have used it at full steam at practices without any problems, if you do have problems in this area the unit has a noise reduction feature.
I play rock with the band and funk in privacy of my own living room, so far sounds good for both, although I have yet to find a good pre-set slap sound.
The de-fret is good and one of the synth/aqua sounds is really good fun.
The drum/beat box is excellent for home practice, although getting the balance between guitar and drums takes some fiddling, but no problem once you are aware of it.

So far so good.

No need as yet.

This box cost #99.00 including the PSU it has more effects/options than you can wave a stick at, a tuner and a beat box. So excellent value for money.
In the shop I tried it up against a similar Korg unit, sorry can't remember the model No. And found the Zoom to be much better in both sound quality and VFM.

Hope some starts a patch site soon!

I give it a high rating here because of the three adjustment knobs that allow you to instantly adjust any of the 60 preset patches (30 are user-rewritable)...as expected jumping around from patch to patch can be a hassle unless you program some of the user patches to be right next to each other. But how many sounds do you need for a 45-minute gig?

I'm using this with a Warwick Thumb 5-string bolt-on through a 1978 Peavey Mark III head and a 2x15 Peavey cab loaded with Eminence speakers. Not exactly a pro set up but sufficient for me for now. (The bass sounds good through anything).

This thing adds NO noise whatsover...love that. As for the sounds it does produce, I personally like the chorus and flange sounds a lot and of course they're extremely adjustable...plus the fretless simulation is useful for me...and the 4-way amp simlulator really adds something for me.

As a semi-pro bassist trying to really find my sound with my original project (melodic rock), I feel like this thing is going to help me creatively quite a bit. Plus the built-in rhythm track is unbelievably great for practicing at home.

I give it a 10 for sound quality because it makes my whole rig better...of course for those of you with pro gear you may be more able to hear limitations, or it just might not be your sound, or whatever.

I've only had it a short time so I can't comment on durability. I have not tried to see how long batteries will last, although the manual claims 14 hours on 4 AA's. I just use an adapter.

For my type of music, it is not an indispensible item...if it were to die on me during a gig I'd just go direct...

Some have stated concern because it's plastic, but it's pretty heavy-duty plastic...the expression pedal is real solid and I'm not worried about it.

N/A

This thing opens up some creative possibilities for me, although I usually play melodic rock and I don't expect to get too crazy with it. More experimental people might get even more out of it than I do, although if you want to use more than 4 or 5 patches in a gig it could get annoying...

If it were stolen I would definitely want a new one.

I love the: built-in tuner, built-in rhythm, stereo output, ability to instantly adjust the patches, and the size. Oh yeah the sounds too. Also you can change the input from active to passive...and you can change the output from "amp" to "line" for recording...and listen with headphones.

Drawbacks: I think I covered them above...maybe also the fact that the up and down pedals are right next to each other so if you're bouncing around the stage you might not be able to accurately hit the right one..but that's no prob for me.

It's hard to find effects as easy to use as the BFX-708. I had to read the manual just once before I could use all the features.
Patch editing was no problem, as soon as you know in which modules the different effects are editing is as easy as it gets.

I use it with a Hamer 5-string and an Ibanez edb705 (I think...) 5-string through a Carlsbro 90 amplifier or directly through the mixing console.
Most of the sounds are great. None of them produce noise. Some of the patches need a little adjustment (more distortion/less distortion) but are mostly ready for use.
I haven't figured out the need for a ringmodulator, though.

I believe it is completely reliable as long as you use it with an adaptor. The first time I used it in a recording (live recording) the batteries died about ten seconds before the end of the song.

Never had the need.

I play mostly heavy/trash/speed/death metal, but also some 50's rock n' roll, jazz and funk. I can easliy find or make a patch suitable for any song and any style. The BFX708 replaced my ZOOM 506, which wasn't so good, the BFX sounds better and have better effects.
One thing I don't like is that the knobs go from a minimum value to a maximum value. That means that if the volume knob is set to minimum when you turn the unit on, the output volume will be what the patch is set to until you raise the volume, in which case the volume falls to minimum and starts from there.

The Analog knobs are a blessing, but it takes a few minutes to get used to the "LED speak" of arcane abbreviations for different parameters. Manual is serviceable, but you really have to play with it for awhile to get the idea.

I give it a 9 based on a few things. 1.) It's 160.00 and you get ALOT of cool features for that money. 2.) The sound quality is much improved over previous ZOOM pedals I have heard. The drum machine thing is over-hyped. The drum sounds are not that great, but you can certainly use this thing for practicing or even writing some cool stuff, especially when combined with the "jam play" sampler mode. Turn on a rock beat, sample some cool riff on an effect patch like the SYNTH simulator, let this loop along in time to the beat, switch patches to a different sound (as long as the "jam play" mode is enabled on that patch too-you can play a differently effected sound over your sampled riff) like the FRETLESS simulator or a distorted lead sound, and create mayhem! The FRETLESS simulator is a very cool effect. The SYNTH wave is a cool effect too. Most of the FUZZ, DISTORTION, DELAY, REVERB, FLANGE, etc. effects sound pretty decent and the WAH is pretty good. I am mostly impressed with how much quieter this pedal is than previous ZOOM pedals and the PREAMP SIMULATORS actually all sound decent as well. I use this pedal with my custom made 5 string through a Carvin 400 watt head and a Hartke 410XL cabinet. I play in a cover band that gigs about 5 times a month and we cover alot of 80's 90's alternative/pop/rock/dance music and this little pedal gives me a wide variety of effects to enhance my sound.

I have only had this thing a month and I have used it on 7 gigs (busy month) It works fine although it is made out of plastic and feels like a toy. I'm always afraid that the next time I step on that expression pedal, could be the last. Batteries last about 12 hours (3 10pm-2am gigs) so I bought the AC adapter.

Never dealt with ZOOM

This thing sounds very good for what it is and I had so much fun with it just playing with the new sounds (SYNTH and FRETLESS especially) at the store that I bought it immediately. I gives me something small and compact that fits into my gig bag and has expanded the sound of the band. The drum machine feature is simple and fun to play along with. If you are looking for a true bass preamp or heavy duty pedal, this may not be for you-It's plastic and weighs nothing so it slides around on stage a bit! It has a nice built in tuner and bypass mode (great feature for live giging) and the LED's read great on a club stage (IF you play an outdoor gig however, you won't be able to see anything!!! can't they find a way to do something about that?) The amp simulators are all usable and the overall effects sound quality is very, very good for this price. AS always, check things out before you buy them and find out about the return policy of the store. I have been playing semi-professionally for 10 years (THat means I get paid well for playing cheezy cover tunes, but I have a good day job) and this pedal offered me some cool options-The next gig I had paid for it, so it was worth it. As with all effects processors though, you may want to back everything down to ZERO and build your sounds from scratch if you aren't getting desired results.