Zoom G2

The unit comes with a varied selection of pre-programmed patches which give you a quick overview of what it's capable of. Anyone should be able to find something approximating the sound they need in those presets somewhere, then they can copy and modify that to suit them. Configuring the unit can be a bit fiddly but is reasonably straightforward. If you start with each module turned off, just pick your distortion/amp model, then adjust the other parameters in order, and you'll be fine. During play the two footswitches cycle up and down through the patches, so as long as you have your sounds stored adjacently, it's simple.

There's a lot of versatility to this box, from clean to super-distorted. I can't compare to high quality equipment as I've never had the fortune to own any, but this is almost entirely noise free (unless you push the compressor up) and the range of distortion/amp models with variable gain, coupled with the 3 band EQ, plus either the cab/mic simulator or another 3 band EQ, means you can approximate pretty much anything. Reverbs range from subtle to overpowering; delays last up to 5 seconds; chorus and flanger are usable; and the harmonizer works well providing you're not playing 1000 notes per minute.

I've tried using this with my BC Rich Warlock for direct recording into a PC and also into a Marshall JCM800 stack and it's sounded good to me. However I only play metal so I cannot comment on blues or jazzy tones.

This is the reason I'm writing this review... the unit is built very sturdily, and is a massive improvement on the 505II series, which was made of lightweight plastic and never felt reliable. The G2 is much more solid, with rubber sides to protect from damage and metal switches which will stand up to the rigours of live performance.

However, during rehearsal yesterday, I hit both switches to activate the tuner, and plucked a string, but the tuner didn't respond. I tried to turn the tuner function off, but still nothing. I cycled power to the unit, and instead of the usual display, one of the little lights just flashed repeatedly and there was no response to input from the guitar or the switches. I tried with a different PSU, but still nothing. It wasn't even being kicked around or used vigorously; it just seems to have broken during normal usage, after 2 months of infrequent home use.

Ironically my flimsy plastic 505II is still in perfect working condition after 5 years of use.

Not dealt with the company as such, but I couldn't find anywhere on their website explaining the issue I saw above, or handling any other related issues.

Overall, I think this is a great piece of kit, and unbeatable at the price. For the music I play (metal with lots of clean tones thrown in), it is more than enough. The reverb and distortions are great and the cabinet modelling really helps for direct home recording. My only misgiving in the sound area is that the compressor's a bit noisy.

However, breaking after 2 months is not too encouraging a sign. I will be getting a replacement rather than a refund as I enjoy the sounds and versatility that the unit provides, and am confident that this was a one-off. I would be concerned about playing without a backup though, as this issue came out of nowhere and could ruin a gig.

Es facil de usar una vez que hallas pasado unos cuantos minutos jugando con las perillas y valores que modifican estas; el manual es un tanto pobre, ayuda muy poco.

Probe este procesador con una guitarra Ibanez RG370DX con pastillas DiMarzio (SuperDistortion en puente y PAF en brazo) y con una Fender stratocaster mexicana (con unas pastillas ceramicas que desconozco la marca pero suenan bien) usando como amplificador un Laney TF300 y un Ibanez TB15R, sin mas efectos ni nada, tal cual:
guitarra-> procesador G2-> amplificador.
El sonido simplemente me es desagradable; he pasado dias desde que me llego intentado obtener una buen sonido para Metal y Rock 70's, que es lo que mas toco, y nada, suena muy artificial, sobre todo los tonos graves suenan poco definidos y digitales; he probado todo los parametros que se le pueden modificar, me pase todo el fin de semana moviendo las perillas, cambiando de amplificador, cambiando las cuerdas de las guitarras (por unas nuevas y sonido mas brillantes) etc etc; lo cierto es que los tonos agudos han mejorado ha comparacion de los modelos anteriores tales como el 505-II, el 707-II o la GFX-4 (de las cuales fui due?o pero me deshice de ellas por tan pobre sonido que producian), es decir los solos suenan mejor en esta G2 pero los riffs graves suenan mal y sacan a relucir lo digital de la G2; definitivamente el G2 no sirve para metal, ni para rock 70's; por otra parte me parece que el chorus suena mejor en la 505-II o 707-II que en el G2; realmente esperaba que el sonido del G2 superara a sus antecesoras pero me ha desepcionado totalmente; aun asi me parece que los efectos como el flanger, phaser, echo y delay, asi como sonidos limpios son bastante aceptables, pero las distorsiones son una mier#@. Intento encontrar un procesador que sirva aceptablemente para practicar y asi evitar conectar el equipo que usualente uso con el grupo, pero creo que el G2 no me sirve ni para jugar (a pesar de que no me fueron utiles, me diverti mucho mas con la 505-II y la 707-II). Seguire usando mi mara?a de pedales.

En mi caso el G2 apenas podria funcionar para practicar y grabar algunas pistas para ensayar o componer, pero para tocar en grupo o grabar algo serio en estudio, definitivamente no.

He tenido varios productos Zoom y nunca han presentado fallas (mas alla de que algunos tienen mal sonido) o he tenido necesidad de requerir soporte.
En Mexico desconozco quien sea responsable de atencion a clientes de Zoom, bien parece un producto desechable si se te llega a descomponer.

El G2 ni siquiera me parece tan entretenido como el 505-II o el 707-II (que son los procesadores mas cercanos en caracteristicas y precio de Zoom), sonaban no muy bien pero por alguna razon me entretenian, en cambio este G2 lo quise tirar desde el primer dia que me llego ya que esperaba mas; los solos llegan a sonar ligeramente mejor que sus antecesoras, pero aun asi no amerita superioridad a sus antecesoras. Aunque, por otro lado, por 1,100 pesos talvez no puedas pedir mas.

Piece of cake to use it on the stage, not really amicable to edit. Two segment LCD and small buttons, together with swtiches that you should use as buttons, did feel ackward, like using an Internet navigator with a mobile phone. Manual is OK, but it will take some time until you get used to this acronyms.

Hard Specs: Effect Types: 54 / Effect Modules: 9 / Maximum Simultaneous Effects: 9 / Patch Memory: User 40 + Preset 40 / Sampling Frequency: 96kHz / A/D Conversion: 24bit, 64times over-sampling / D/A Conversion: 24bit, 128times over-sampling / Input: 1/4" phone jack (Rated input level: -20dBm, Input impedance: 1MΩ) / Output (Line / headphones combined): 1/4" stereo phone jack (Maximum output level: +5dBm, Output load impedance: 10kΩ or higher) / Control Input: Expression pedal, Foot switch / Display: 2digit 7segment LED display, Parameter LED / Dimensions: 156(W) x162(D) x 65(H)mm / Weight: 700g(without batteries).

Two months ago, this device was brand new, part of a family (?G Series?) that comprises also the G2.1u (USB interface and expression pedal, which you can add to the G2 anyway) and the B2 (a very similar concept, designed for bass guitar, red in color). I immediately noticed the metal case (a considerable improvement vis-a-vis past models, in which fragility is standard) and decided to check its specifications and effects. Once again the flashback: 54 of them, including simulations, harmonized pitch shifting and multi-tap delay of up to 5000 milliseconds! Truly impressive.

Since this is still fresh, and might be of the interest of some of you, I propose to dive into the features a little deeper: The G2 offers two different algorithms in the same box: one designed for live and a separate one for recording. That is less pompous in practice than in theory, but you can still notice some difference, leaving you at least twice the room to experiment with.

Technical specs are frankly up to date, with 96 kHz sampling to model the sonic properties of several amplifiers and classic effects, together with a dynamic range of 24-bit A/D/A conversion. The processor / decoder inside the G2 is the ZFX-3, a new-generation DSP from ZOOM, with 32 bits architecture, something that for the common player translates into more detailed signal processing and accuracy and speed in both the simulations and effects, not to mention faster program changing (5 milliseconds!), faster tracking for the pitch shifter, more transparent chorusing, etceteras.

On the effector?s side, 54 effects (32-bit processing) are made available. A total of nine effects modules are included, comprising dynamics, ambience, drive, and modulation. Compression, Overdrive, Distortion, Harmonized Pitch Shifter, Delay, Multi-tap Delay (5000 milliseconds!), Dynamic Flanger, Chorus, Phaser, three types of modulation waveforms for Tremolo, Six-band Equalizer, Cabinet Simulator, Mic positioning and 16 different drive sounds, based on classic amplifiers simulation, amongst many others, are inside the modules.

One thing that might of interest for most beginners (obviously still the customer base for Zoom) is the claimed ability of the G2 to replicate classic tones (it packs a Fender Twin Reverb' 65, Vox AC30 / 6TB, Roland Jazz Chorus, Marshall JCM800, Fender Tweed Deluxe '53, Mesa/Boogie Mark III, Marshall JCM2000, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier and Peavey 5150 Stack). As experience will tell (just the suggested list is an indicative by itself) the ?replication? is very poor (probably a vague resemblance would be a far more accurate description), obviously destined to youngsters that never had the chance to deal with the real thing. What is true, notwithstanding, is that the choice of distorted and overdriven sounds (the unit also packs simulations of classic ?hot? pedals, such as the Boss OD-1, Marshall Guv'nor, Matchless Hot Box, Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face and (as crazy as this sounds) the Boss MT-2, together with two proprietary distortion colors (Zoom Extreme Distortion and Zoom Digital Fuzz) is indeed ample. Zoom claims that ?by digitally simulating the clipping action of analog devices such as tubes and diodes, the G Series faithfully duplicates the distortion of tube amps and vintage effects? and that ?includes not only the superficial sound character but also elements such as depth and dynamics?. Well, the hopes were extremely high, but the reality is that nothing in that statement could be heard in the box. Notwithstanding, this analog baby still sounds good, regardless of how lousy it is at replicating classic tones.

The device has mainly two modes: Play and Edit. Editing controls offer some analog feel (three rotary knobs that let you tailor three different parameters at the same time) something always welcomed in a guitar player?s home studio environment (plug ins are great, but also is tweaking a few old school knows). In play mode, the three knobs are assigned to drive effect gain, tone, and patch level. Delay time and modulation rate settings can be made directly via the intuitive TAP key input, which you should tap by hand and not with your feet due to its physical characteristic.

For being this small, the unit is powerful; it comes preprogrammed with a total of 40 preset effects patches. 20 pairs of similar sounding and similarly named effects are optimized respectively for use with a guitar amp on stage or for recording with DAW software or a mixer. There is also enough built-in memory to store up to 40 of your own patches. The results of this unit, when plugged straight to the board, are indeed poor but it is effective as a stomp pedal.

Main reasons to decide purchase for me were the following: 1) A multi-effect box is something always handy, specially if it?s cheap in price and nice in sound; 2) Ultra low noise response (120 dB SN ratio and -100 dB noise floor) this is vital for a DAW environment and certainly uncommon in ANY stomp pedal; 3) Durable and 4) Last but not least! Built-in auto-chromatic tuner for guitar. If you remember by now, that was my purchase intention when I came into the store in the first place. The guitar tuner can be called up instantly by pushing both foot switches at the same time, and bright LED indicators make the note readout easy. The calibration range is 435 to 445 Hz, and mute tuning without sound output is also possible.

This pedal shines in comaprison to other similar boxes (and certainly stands out vis-a-vis any other Zoom!) but sooner or later you'll note that all that hype about modeled amplifiers is just... hype. Rating this beyond "7" would be misleading, but nothing below that figure will honor the vast array of featured effects. Let's settle for "7" then...

Sturdy metal chassis and rubber damping, thus rendering the pedal tough and durable. We all hate when this or that breaks, and there?s a lot to break in a home studio, so this level of reliability is a welcomed feature. Notwithstanding, modern standards are NOT what they once were (and still some effects do exist in the market built under "old" standards, so rating this at "10" would be exaggerated. An "8" will do.

No idea.

I learn to believe that all Zoom products are useless deices made for hobbyists, barely capable of creating the illusion of effects for guitar, poor at achieving usable effects and very good at making fragile boxes which sound equally fragile and hiss strong. In addition, no matter which model you choose, they all sound alike. I still remember the brand in its inception, and all of us being all amazed about a brand from nowhere that pulled the most minuscule boxes ever in the face of us dinosaurs used to the Morley and Dallas Arbiter things. Some of their initial designs hit big, and their popularity was somewhat deserved.

Once the initial passion and surprise faded, and as soon as the brand was established as popular and newer devices were released, almost all of us realized that some of those effect were as minuscule as the box that contained them. The brand slowly started to became cheaper and cheaper -both in quality and reputation- and established its stronghold at the entry-level market. When I was living in Tokyo, Japan, I remembered buying a Zoom 1010 mini pedal board with loose change at a Sale in a major Music Store. This may sound like an exaggeration, but it was exactly like that: multi-effects bought with loose change. The 1010 in question did lots of things for its epoque? and nothing right.

But by buying it I also discovered that it was handy to have at arm?s reach a small processor, to add a little reverb and other small washes here and there when something rapid, with little elaboration was required. When I finally get rid of it, I started to miss that convenience. In addition to that, I needed a stomp box tuner, and I was in Stockholm to pick my beloved Damage Control Demonizer anyway, so I discovered this little stomp box, priced at around 100USD.

Useless goodies: 1) Zoom Noise Reduction (ZNR) which shuts out unwanted noise in the playing pauses and colors the sound and do chops sustain by using not just one, but two types of noise gates, 2) Integrated drum machine with PCM sounds. As you may imagine, these sounds horrendous. 40 rhythm variations are available (including 8-beat Rock and Pop, 16-beat Funk, 4-beat Jazz, Shuffle, Blues?) and the rotary knobs let you make tempo or level adjustments, but this is completely unusable regardless of purpose, although might be convenient for practicing or studying, combined with the ?headphone out? option, 3) Two-way power (the unit will run on a set of four AA batteries as well as on an optional AC adaptor (AC-0006).

Cons? 1) Overall tone: No matter what you do, this unit will sound dark. Bypassing the ?amp simulation? section certainly helps, but it will still be dark and foggy. If you go for full treble, the change in character would be way too much, and ?while being annoyingly sharp- it will still somewhat be ?dark?. 2) Display. The two-segment screen is by all means insufficient for a machine like this is difficult to see what you here and is a clear nightmare to program, 3) Battery Life. One word only: Short.

I have a large collection of guitars (more than 100) and several amplifiers, as well as DAW that I like to believe is well loaded. I honestly believe that I tried this pedal in a more diverse environment(s) than usual

Easy to use. Manual is always helpful. Easy to get a good sound. Editing the patches took me a short time in mastering.

I really paid no mind in using this pedal as a modeler. I turn the drive off on most of my presets any way because I love the tone of my amp, my Fulltone OCD and various guitars. Instead I have been using the G2 for effects only such as the compressor, wahs, noise reducers, modulation, chorus, delays, pitch, reverbs etc. I'm sure I missed a few of the other effects. Anyway really impressive especially when you consider the cost of this unit!!! 32-Bit processing, 96khz sampling rate thats studio sampling and for $99.00 bucks, wow. It really, really sounds good. Great adjustments with this thing. ZOOM is kicking somebodys but here. You can expect some of the other manufactures such as Line-6, Digitech, BOSS etc., to come up with their own new chip sampling @ 96khz to keep up with ZOOM's clean sound. As far as true bypass I don't beleive so but I happened to compare it carefully with the unit installed and not installed and did not notice a change in my tone when using effects only. What I did notice is the output levels may vary. But no worries here because you can adjust the output of the G2 to be the same as when the unit is bypassed. I got to rate this as a 10 for the sounds this thing can give if you have patience and time to tweak. Very impressive piece of equipment. I'll keep it.

Too early!!!

No need yet.

Been playing classic rock, some jazz, some R&B for 30 years. Good pedal to have. Small enough for my gig bag yet big enough to get some really good clean studio effects for live playing. Oh by the way, the G2 is not noisy. If it is than use the G2 ZNR. It's really that good.

it's fairly easy to use. with 4 control knobs and a user manual, you get your desired sound. just read the manual and your safe. i just dont like the 2 digit LED indicator that's why i give it an 8.

SUPERB! i use it with a Jackson DXMG-SP guitar with EMG-HZ H3 humbuckers and a custom built 1x12 40W solid-state amp combo with reverb. It's dead quiet. My amp setting are Bass:6 Mid:3 High:max. i use it on clean channel and it gives me a tube like sounding gear. I'm amazed. If you have patience tweaking your amp and the Zoom G2, you will get the sounds you need. Distortion on this thing is full and thick(specially the PV Drive) and the SFX(Chorus,Flanger,Delay) are great. ZNR is really good and you need it when using single coil pickups. I give this a 10.

It's very solid. No backup required.

I've never dealt with them.

I play mostly Metal(early Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera) and others like Santana and Joe Satriani which nails it. I've been playing about 11 years, i own Ibanez GSA60 guitar, '94 Ibanez Sabre guitar, japanese Fender Strat and Jackson DXMG-SP guitar and Custom built amp 40W combo with reverb. I already sold my Zoom 707II because the new Zoom G-series blows it. I compare it to a Digitech, Boss and other effects with it's price range and this is a winner.

I have found that setting the relative levels of each effect module is critical to a good sound with very high output pickups - I programmed a series of patches with my strat which were unusable with my JJ (twin humbuckers) due to excessive distortion. I now have a separate bank for each guitar. The amp/distortion models are also difficult to regulate apart from the BC ( blackface clean ) and JC ( jazz chorus ) although the mesa boogie is excellent once you get the hang of balancing the gains and e.q. stages.

Sound quality is good and modulation/echo/reverb effects compare well to much higher priced units - not in the same league as the TC but good for a compact pedal. The unit is also very quiet, with no noticeable gating effects unless these are specifically selected. I have used only the acoustic, blackface and mesa-boogie settings for distortion, the others are too extreme for my genre of music ( classic rock, funk, R&B, blues, jazz ). Auto wha and pitch effects track well. I use mainly direct through p.a. or keyboard amp but opt to use the extra e.q. rather than the cabinet simulations.

Battery life around 4-5 hours although I got a free p.s.u. for my 69 pounds UK price.

Very solid, no backup required.

Never had a problem with previous or current Zoom kit ( pedals, drum machines etc. ) so can't comment.

Good value, certainly the best sub 100 pound unit on the market - I would be interested to hear others comment about programming and taming some of the more extreme distortions. Compared to the Digitech RP50 I have, the Zoom is cleaner sounding, more robust but not streets ahead as I thought it would be.

It's easy to use but you have to remember the abrevations. Editing is fairly easy too but not as easy as the bigger units. That's what you get with a compact pedal. Keeping the manual near will help out.

I run a Japanese Jackson Dinky -> KORG DT-10 -> Boss CS-3 -> ZOOM TM-01 -> ZOOM G2 -> Randall RG50TC.

It is very quiet; the gates and noise reduction are superb. The effects are very good to my ears. Nothing special but bright and realistic. The ampmodels are pretty good too. I get scared sometimes...

NOTE
Those who think the high gain models are buzzy should try to lower the frequency range of the booster. When lowered from 3 - 4 to 2 the model will sound strong and authentic.

Geez, it's a metal chassis with nothing but sturdy elements. Nothing weak on this thing and with smart details like the recessed display.

I've never dealt with them.

NOTE
Check out this new community if you want:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/zoomg2/

I have nothing on this little black box. It's perfect in respect of what it is. I think that (almost) everybody at some point would find use for a compact pedal like the 505 wasn't it for it's inferior sound quality, limited features, weak built and patch switching delay. Well, all these things are fixed and I can't believe that this thing is so cheap. It really sounds wonderful with a tubestack setup. Cuts through really well and sounds very authentic

Wow ! Now Zoom have come of age. This is the best bit of kit for the
amateur guitarist for a long time. It is so easy to get great sounds out of this little pedal. It has knobs & buttons & everything is laid out logically. Important ! Do read the little Manual properly & you won't go wrong. It's a multi-effects pedal with many adjustable parameters,amp models,EQ,deeper EQ,Phasers,Flangers,Delays,Reverbs etc.etc. & 80 patch spaces, 40 of which you can adjust to your own taste. Magic !

It has the latest digital processing chips in it giving high(Fast) processing of data & large data storage. Patch changing is seamless with no noticable dropout of signal as you change. The quality of the amp sims & general tone of the unit is very good. Marshall,Fender,Vox,Mesa etc. are all there. No they're not like playing through the real thing live,but they're in the right tonal ballpark. All the effects are adjustable & the amount you mix in to your sound is also adjustable. The versatility of the multiple delays is amazing on a product this cheap.

I have only had it for one month, so I can't say yet, but it is physically so solidly built that I cant see it getting damaged very easily. I'd risk using it without a backup. Just dont rely too much on
one set of AAA batteries. Mine lasted one hour before the flashing 'Bt' display started. I guess a high-power set would last a bit longer than that but I dont know about the 7.5 hours they claim.
It's built like a Sherman tank with metal casing & chrome knobs & rubber feet. It's heavy, so it aint movin' anywhere. And by the way, it actually has an ON/OFF switch on the rear.

No experience.

I play '50s/'60s/'70s Rock & pop, & it produces all the sounds I'll ever need. I dont use my large, heavy pedalboard anymore. I use Fender
guitars & a Laney LC30 or Vox AD30VT amps. This little pedal for #UK69
(about $US120) is money well spent. Zoom aren't cheap little plastic boxes anymore. I cant wait for the 'A2' Acoustic model to be issued.
I have the '504' & got some good Acoustic tones with my electric guitars out of that, so the 'A2' must be cat's whiskers.

This unit does so much that it does take a little while to learn all the programing & editing ability it provides. The owners manual is pretty good and I mastered this unit after an hour or two. The tricky part is learning Zooms two letter "codes" for various settings ie CA= class A, FC= Fender clean etc.

I understand the sample rate for this unit is one of the highest in the industry. I dont know too much about A/D/A converters etc, but let me say that this unit sounds a lot better than my Yamaha DG Stomp. I have read some good reviews on the Yamaha, but I could never get rid of the synthetic plastiky sound in mine. The Zoom sounds very good. I use a Carvin solid state (Sx200) amp with 2x12 speakers. I never really liked the sound of this amp as it always seemed kind of sterile and pingy to me. But this Zoom unit goes a long way to help tame and warm up the amp.

This thing is a great value at $99. It sounds very good and has almost everything you could want in it. It is built sturdy and if it was available 10 years ago it would have cost at least $500. I am very satisfied with this product. I have been playing for over 30 years and have used all sorts of amps & effects units. I play in a cover band that plays a little bit of everything ( classic rock, motown,pop, country,) so I need to change my tone on every song. This unit works very good for that.

Once you know what you're doing; this thing is great. I've had a pod xt; and this is a lot easier to select and adjust and save effects than the pod was.

I need to point out that I only bought this to use as an effects pedal. I'm running it through the effects loop of a Hughes and Kettner triamp Mk2; so i have not listned to the amp models and distortions once.

The effects however are amazing. Again; compared to the pod xt this thing blows it away. I stuggled with the pod to get a good auto wah; phaser and flanger. This thing was right on the nose.

And it's a1/3 to 1/4 the price.

Looks very stable. Metal shell etc. I'll drop it on the ground; seee if it still works and get back to you......

Can't comment. The shop I bought it from have been great.

This thing is AMAZING; And I bought it for only half on its capabilities. I'm extremely happy with it; so won't rave too much. Instaed I'll mention a couple of things they should have done differently.

No power supply. I know. Keeping the price down. But it's cheap. An additional $20 would be worth paying for a ps.

No tap function via foot. You can buy an optional (again wtf?? Optional??) foot switch that does this; but suddenly our compact little pedal is suddenly becoming a little more cumbersome. There should DEFINATELY be a third button so that we can set delay times etc. I realise that the switch alone does more than this; but don't make me HAVE to buy it.

There is an optional foot pedal (as opposed to switch) that you can buy, and this is fair enough seeing as you cn pay for one of these units with a pedal built in. I mean the option is appreciated even though I bought the smaller one without the pedal (Next purchase is a crybaby - dedicated wah)

Overall Great value, would have been happy to pay another $40 for the few features above.

Very Easy
knobs, buttons and stomp switches. It doesn't get any easier

Well, the presets aren't spectacular but the distortions do not sound the same unlike what some tone def poster claimed, they simply do not yield enough gain.
The clipping is VERY dynamic and tube like, the level of harmonic distortion actually exceeds tubes. The response is easily as dynamic as well. Anyone complainging about dynamics is likely playing commercial guitars with commercial upgrades rather than frankenstein mod(how a $100 Johnson sounds better than a $2,000 Jackson).

I'm not some kid that knows shit about tone. I'm one of the few guys out there that actually knows why tubes sound the way they do and that guys who build tube amps from scratch, still lack the basic knowledge that harmonic distortion is what makes them sound the way they do. Responce is simply voltage controlled, nothing more. They tell you it's this that and the other, I've talked to them all. So if these guys are THAT clueless as to why things do what they do, some yamhead who buys a G2 knows even less about dynamics, response and harmonics.

Sounds great but getting a really hot signal is impossible cept for one setting, zooms DE homebrewed distortion. It's way brittle though and the only way to truly clean it up is on a mixing boards EQ.

The EASIEST solution, run a good overdrive into it. The Tube Screamer sucked but is a pedal no one likes until it is modified. My Arion Tubulator works AWESOME though!
Due to the gain short comings, I had to come back and repost.
Based on the specs, options, tonal qualities and lastly price, it blows the competition out of the water.
NO OTHER UNIT ON THE MARKET IN IT'S PRICE RANGE COMPARES

Unless you're a gear snob, it's still the best all in one floor unit there is it's price range and is the first of the model line.
Let's compare processors of the SAME CLASS.
Behringer V Amp floor unit - 31 Khz sampling and plastic sounding without an outside EQ.
POD - The cut down version is still $200 and has an overly tight sound making it sound great but totally fake.
Boss - Unless you spend $400 on one of their units, you run into the same cavern like dominating mid sound
Digitech - Majorly lack gain and no parameter controls..the TRUE kids toys in regards to processors.
All process at 24 bits

The Zoom G2:
32 bit processing, 96 khz 24 bit sampling
Parameter controls, greater number of effect combinations, heavier duty casing, METAL stomp switch AND pots, BATTERY powerable unlike POD and VAMP, up AND down expression pedal pitch bend unlike ALL the competition.
The list goes on and onSomeone who tries to compare this unit to other gear is blowing smoke up their favorite brands ass as well as their own.
The new line of ZOOM exceeds all the competition if you are actually HONEST about comparing them tonally and spec wise. I've owned a variety of processors over the years from a variety of Brands. Zoom isn't a toy, there are just far far too many experienced players that know absolute shit about gear and ORGANIC tone.

Very simple to use and program.

The person just below who submitted his review is a dick. I agree some of the presets are a bit overdone, but the tones this unit produces is unlike anything I've tried before. I am no kid, nor am I going to try to impress you because I own 127 pedals like the jerk below. Instead, I recommend you try one for yourself. I have been playing for 20+ years.

The clean and acoustic sounds are simply amazing. The distortions need more work. Also has a simple drum machine and tuner built in.

Seems well built. Metal chasis, metal plugs.

Absolutely the best thing going at this price range and sounds a lot better than any other multi-effects processor I've used, including the Boss GT-8 which costs over $300 more. This one is a keeper for me.

Easier than a 505 as it has four knobs. Easy to tweak drive, tone, and level whilst playing live. One new feature for a battery gizmo is an on/off switch so I think can leave your plug in. It has at least the illusion of heft. It looks great, like a piece off a nuclear sub. If you are a classic rock/shredder like myself you will hate most of the presets but it is very easy to edit.

Is is worth $99? Yes. Will you go nuts over it? No. Now I don't know what you young kids like but if you like totally blitzed
distortions that have no dynamics and sound the same no matter how you pick you might like the presets. The clean tones sound overly
compressed to me. BUT let me say this. The G2 is very clear, clean,
and quiet. I don't need the noise gate. Now one thing I don't like about all these kind of gizmos is that the cleans won't grow hair and the overdrives won't clean up. So natural cruchiness is hard to find. Most of the distortions have that darn midrange "nosed pinch" squawk that us vintage dudes hate. Why, cause it obliterates the sweet mids and replaces them with a simple squawky sound. I got this unit mainly to practice with headphones and to play along with the built in drums which in my opinion have not nearly enough brightness. The snare and cymbals sound very very dull.
But this is what really makes me mad. I am a heavy reverb kind of guy and when you turn on the drums the reverb goes OFF. WELL THANKS!!
I need reverb. I feel like my pants are down when I play without reverb. But the reverbs, and chorus etc. are very smooth and very nice. Vintage players; (AC/DC, Led Zep, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Malmsteen) like me will probably like the tone of the Boogie Crunch best. Their Van Halen preset doesn't sound like Van Halen at all but I was able to program a decent Eruption in about 71 seconds.

It seems quite sturdy for $99. I have 127 pedals so I'm not worried about a backup. Runs on batteries for 7 hours.

I don't care. I mean is Emperor Hirohito gonna talk to me?
Do the Japanese dudes want to hear me tell them their presets
are horrible? I don't think so.

Will this thing help you keep your no smoking resolution? No.
Is is worth getting, yes, I think it is somewhat NEW and DIFFERENT.
What do I mean, well it is VERY, VERY CLEAN, CLEAR, and QUIET.
Amp tones are quite fine and the effects are great. People say the drums and great but hey, they have no treble, Have you ever heard
cymbals with no treble. I THINK NOT!!!! And don't forget, if you
are getting one for mobile headphone practice like I did you might be upset as I was that the reverb goes off when the drums go on.

typical of two pedal multi-effects to use with the addition of the knobs which make editing a breeze. The manual is ok.

I have owned this pedal for 2 weeks and I am blown away. I was using the Boss ME-50 which I hated (artifacts in the delays, clipping in my effects loop). I only use this pedal for effects in the loop of my dual rec with les pauls with emg's. the 24 bit/96khz sampling rate is pristine for effects. I own and have used many analog effects, been playing in bands for 25 years, mostly hard rock/alternative. I love this pedal, it is super clean and quiet. other reviewers often talk of "digital" sound, not true with this pedal. the effects are rack quality (chorus, phaser, delays) and do not get dull (ie. "warm") like many analog effects. IF YOU PREFER DULL, TURN DOWN THE TREBLE. I love the crystal clear effects that do not get buried when playing with a band. The price is great but that is not why I bought it. It is the PERFECT multi-effects pedal for easily getting different sounds for different songs, with tuner. I played a show with it and my band remarked how good my guitar sounded. Highly recommended.

Made of metal with rubber sides, metal knobs and switches. Battery also, though batteries ran low towards the end of the show (4 hours). Looks solid.

too soon to tell.

I have never written a review before, but this pedal inspired me. this is because of all the multi-effects out there this one stands out because of 24bit/96khz rate. all other manfacturers should take note that 32 khz is not a good enough sample rate for time delay effects.(line 6, boss, digitech...) most major recordings today are done at 24/96 and this is certainly advantageous for guitar. I do not use the distortions/amp models, so my review is only for an all-in-one effects pedal that does all the necessary effects/tuner.

One of the easiest mult-effect pedal/modeler to program, imo. On the other hand, unless you know what you are doing you are apt to not give this pedal a fair evaluation at the music store.

I'd rather not give a rating but simply give my observations and let you decide.

Firt, here's my signal chain: a humbucker-equipped Strat through the G2 into a Roland KC-300. I normally use a Barber Direct Drive SS--Yamaha DG Stomp--Roland and am very satisfied with the hot-rodded Marshall tones I get. The cleans, which I need, are lackluster on the DG so I figured I would give the G2 a shot.

Clean tones: these really are the best modeled cleans I think I have ever heard. The choices in this category include Fender, Class A, JC-120, and an Acoustic simulator. I have used the Fender and Class A models live and was satisfied.

Mild Overdrive: not bad and better than many. I added some grit to the Class A model and it was okay live but still too soon to say definitively.

High Gains: I am very disappointed in these. I get some decent crunch tones out of the Boogie Crunch model but that is the closest I can get to a useable tone. The others have buzzy highs, cocked wah mids, and flabby, farty lows. I tried and tried to dial out these tones and just cannot do it.

Effects: the compressor isn't bad but needs more versatility. I wish there were more cab models to choose from. There is one default cab for each amp/distortion model. The other effects are very good bordering on fantastic for a $99 pedal.

The pedal is metal and the jacks are sturdy. Looks solid but too soon to tell. Again, for $99 I think it is a good value.

Cannot say.

I really needed clean tones and I got them. I really liked the Twin model on a Boss GX-700 I had but that had that weird digital tone behind it and that unit did not respond to guitar volume adjustments whatsoever. The Zoom G2 does allow you to clean up this way.

But I also need at least one useable high gain tone and haven't found it, perhaps the Boogie Crunch will do. So, I am debating whether to keep this pedal. My gut says "keep it" since the effects alone make the pedal an incredible value. Also, I am waiting to use this pedal like a stomp box in front of a regular guitar amp. I expect good things from this. The Roland KC-300 tends to be buzzy on the higher frequencies thanks to the poor tweeter so I don't want to be too hasty.

Read the manual!
It's fairly easy, but becomes very easy to do after you have had a good look at what the pedal can do in each mode

Im basing this review using the G2 in the effects loop of various tube amps.
Im pretty stumped! I originaly had a Boss DD-3, a Boss BF-3 & an eq pedal in the loop - until i messed about with this thing!
As odd it may seem this cheap pedal literally blew the boos pedals out of the water as i was able to do so much more than what i anticipated. Using the modulation this pedal has some great sounds, the flanger easily beats the BF-3 i had & can even go to 'zero' flanging which was pretty cool. You can set up multi delays & have them run at different times to get 'u2' type delay effects. Theres a few versions of chorus, pitch shifting, vibrato etc when used tastefully can sounds pretty impressive.

I never worried about using the amp/pedal module as i just used my amp for the distortion

Looks pretty sturdy, it's metal with rubber sides & the pots actually look like they have securing nuts! (Never really seen that on something like this before, I thought i'd see the pots just go throught the pedal housing and then mount to the PCB)

It's got warranty - im happy

Pretty damn cool unit - easily supersedes the older models & allot of competitiors effects. It's getting scary what digital can do! ...coming from an old tube snob :)

I have tried this in the shop but I was unable to figure the controls without the manual. I borrowed this before buying, I wanted to really test this unit. As other people have already said, if it was a 4 digit readout it would really be great.

I bought this as a practise amp solution and for this purpose it's more than good. But as I said I really wanted to test this before buying, let me explain.
I have a home recording studio with many VST amp sim, I also have JM60 (let say it's similar to J-Station only without good cab sim, but on the other hand it has a tube in the premp section)
I tested G2 against GRig, GSuite-JCM900 and my JM60. Clean sound from this box is amazing, it's just a fraction behind GRig and way better that my JM60. If G2 would have even better cab sim I think this unit would be better than GRig.
As far as the Rectifier and JCM sounds I think GRig, Gsuite and even my JM60 are better but don't be discourage it's not far behind, just slightly thiner not so 3D.

I didn't test this unit as a stomp box. I believe it would do just fine but I can't say for certain. As I said I bought this only as a practise amp and I believe I will use this as a amp sim recording unit as well.

The effects are very good. For this price even grate.

It's well built but I will just have to wait and see....

My thing is jazz & blues, so I'm very touchy about the clean sound. This thing really shines in this department. The heavy sound in my opinion could be better but on the other hand I'm not an expert for this type of sound.
I use this unit with Fender Strat Plus and Ibanez AR250, I play the guitar for 25 years. Zoom really changed my mind about their products. Until now I wouldn't even look at Zoom products but this is something else nice looking, good sounding....

The G-2 is fairly easy to use. For as few knobs as the unit has, Zoom did a great job keeping them from getting confusing. Each knob has buttloads of uses for scrolling through and tweaking effects etc..The user manual is easy to read and understand. Editing user patches isn't hard. The only thing I'd change is the digital display. It only has a 2 digit readout. Makes it a little confusing at first as to which effect or amp model your using. You get used to it quickly though. If it was a 4 digit readout it would really be great.

As far as sound goes, it still isn't what I hoped. I've never heard a unit that I loved, but the G2 I like!!! In my opinion it beats out Boss, Digitech on the amp modeling and the delays, flange, and phase are amazing. It still sounds digital to me but it's not as thin sounding as other units. I give this unit a thumbs up for user friendliness, overall sound, effects quality, and PRICE...This thing is cheap for all that's built in to it. I'm using a Peavey Wolfgang and Fender Strat with a Crate Glx halfstack. yes the crate is solidstate and has effects built in. But it is the best sounding solidstate i've heard. As close to tube as possible. Crate 4x12 cab makes the Zoom G2 sound good also. ZNR is awesome. I still think it's good for helping a guitarist achieve his own sound. G2 still doesn't nail tones of great guitarists like Van Halen, Lynch, Malmsteen. It does do Vai and Satriani fairly well. Oh yeah, check out the acoustic simulator. It's outstanding!! Wah's are ok. I don't have an expression pedal for it yet but expect the wahs to wail when i do. The drum machine is incredible. See, the G2 has so much stuff on it i keep adding stuff to my rating. So just go check it out yourself.

Dependable so far. Seems pretty rugged. I don't see any problem if someone wanted to gig with it.

I haven't had to deal with them.

I play metal, hardrock, blues, and easy listening stuff. The G2 does a good job at metal, excellent job at hardrock and blues, and kick ass job for clean chanel easy listnening stuff. Wasn't able to really get a great de-tuned sound as in today's metal. The chorus/reverb/delay are great with the acoustic simulator. I've been playing 15 years and the G2 is the best unit so far i've tried. If it were lost or stolen I'd buy another. It's small and doesn't get in the way.

How far can ioo bucks take you? Pretty far with this cheap ass box. I bought it because I liked my zoom gfx4 alot but it was pretty outdated. I will not cover the features it does have wich are many. But I will say it would be nice if they made a live pedal with maybe two more footswitches and an expression pedal. I like the physical desighn of this pedal. All steel chrome knobs, rubberized sides.

I would have given a 10 but I wouldn't say it's pristine compared to tube amps or other products well over 100 bucks. But it dous sound very good, the best multifx unit I have heard to date(I have not heard bossgt8 or line6 pod). I play metal and the distortions just flat out kick-ass. I've had it for 2 weeks and I have been tweeking like a madman, both amp and pedal, and I already have about 5 sounds to call my own. Aside from the distion I like the stereo chorus and pitch harmonizer. You don't loose any tone character, punch, or crunch while using effects.
I am using a B.C.RICH Virgin with EMG 81\85 pickups. I down tune to B. I am using a Line6 spider2 212 combo. This pedal really woke this amp up!!! I run it staight into the front, primarily through the red clean channel. It sounds killer. I know alot of people don't like this amp, but the spider2 is 150 watts and it gets LOUD AS HELL. And now with this pedal I can get an even wider array of sounds.
My biggest influence is the immortal DImebag, and know I don't think I ever will get his distinct tone. Every time I listen to him I get the adrenaline rush9and always will). Right now I would say my tone sounds pretty damned close to FearFactory's Archetype. This is what I want. My other influences are Meshuggah, Necrophagist, LambofGod, Bynight, Nile, Gorguts, Emporer, CephalicCarnage, Death, Jame Murphy, Testament, Marty Freedman, Lynard Skynard, Zepplin, Joe Satch, and Steve Via. And many others. Chuck Shuldiner is also one of my biggest guitar heroes. Why are we dying? I can pretty well achieve all the sounds I desire frome low volumes to medium gig volumes. I love this pedal!

Only time will tell, but it has very sturdy construction. My ZOOM GFX4 has never let me down and I take could care of it but still it has suffered some abuse.

Sound is very subjective. I always recomend trying somthing out before buying. These reviews at HC really help out when this is not possible. I plugged this thing in to my home stereo and it sounded god like. This is a damn good value. Just wish it had more foot control, but I will be ordering expression pedal very soon. The new chip they use has exlent sound quality. The 6 band EQ really helps achieve your tone, most versatile EQ I have seen in a multifx. Well I have to get back to tweeking and shreding. peace.

Pretty intuitive. However, the abbeviations on the display are quiet cryptic though. You definitely need the manual to program this thing. The manual is satisfatory. It tells you how to do everything that the unit is capable of doing in a straightforward manner. Editing and copying patches is quite simple.

The flexibility of the delays are great. They have many tweakable parameters.

I bought this unit mainly for the time-based effects (delay, reverb, chorus), not for the distortion. However, I was pleasantly surprised that they pretty much nailed the JCM800 2203 sound. I happen to have one and a/b'd it. I could barely tell the difference. I can't speak for the other amp models because I don't own those amps, but they sound kind of buzzy to me, especially the 5150 and Rectifier models.

The reverbs, delays, chorus, tremolo, vibrato, all sound superb, just as good IMO as any separate Boss pedal. The spring reverb especially sounds and feels remarkably close to my 68' Fender Vibrolux. Until now, I haven't been able to find a digital reverb that could do a reasonable surf-guitar sound. They just all sounded too artificial to me. This thing blows the Boss RV-3 away. The delays sound as good as a rack unit.

The compression sounds great, but as I stated above it's not as flexible as a Boss CS-3 because you can't control the attack continuously.

The intelligent harmonizer sounds great, but occasionally it screws up if you play a sloppy note and hit an extra string very lightly. However, that may have to do with the fact that I had some compression running. I can't really say how it compares to the Harmonist or and Eventide as I've never own either one.

I've only had it a week, but it's made of metal and rubber. So I don't think it will have any durabiltity issues. Also, I tend to baby my gear. This will probably stay protected in my pedalboard. This thing eats batteries. So I recommend using an adaptor. It came with one, but I use my pedalboard power supply instead.

So far I haven't had to deal with them. Knock on wood.

I needed a multi-effects unit for my pedalboard. I use analog distortion and I wanted to way to add ambiance, delay, trem without having to tap dance. Selected patches for these functions was a much more practical route for me. I needed something that was small enought for my pedalboard and served the function of several pedals. This fit the bill quite nicely. I would definitely buy it again.

A few things I would like to see:

Instead of having two discrete attack setting for the compressor (fast / slow), they should have made the attack continously variable.

You can only add a momentary footswitch to bank up, not down. That means you have to hit the switch 7 times if you want to go down one bank. They should have made this take a stereo jack so you could use a double footswitch, or made it so that hitting the external footswitch toggles the the function of the footwswitches between switching patches and switching banks.
I really like having the silent tuning option as well.

I wish it had a programmable loop so I could select a patch and have my analog overdrive automatically added. But for the size, sound quality, and price, I can't complain.

I would also like to see a way to program drumbeats into the patches, but heck, for 100 bucks, I'm probably asking too much. Overall this unit has exceeded my expecations.

It's actualy very easy to work with. If you read the manual there will be nothing missed to know.

Sound quality, eh?
Well...let me first show that I am pretty delighted with Zoom back on stages with a new range of multi-effects units.
To be honest, as I am owning a music shop in the UK, I tested this unit and I have to say, this is really an improvement for Zoom. As their previous units sounded digital, G-2 sounds more realastic. It's actually a cheap fx with good sounds, I recommend this to guitar intermediates. I have used other range of Zoom FX unites before like : 707/707 Mk2 , GFX-3 and GFX-5, and this one is much better.
However, comparing to Line 6 PODxt Live, BOSS GT-8, Vox Tonelab SE, KORG AX3000G, it is not as versatile, but a lot cheaper.

Zoom customer support is very good in the UK, as far as I know. Haven't seen a Zoom user having his/her gear damaged yet, though.

I play from Punk to Metal, and I have been playing guitar for almost 12 years. I won't buy G2 as an expert, but it is a good FX unit for an intermidiate or starter as I said. And more important, it's very cheap.

It's a very simple control format. It works a lot like stomp box pedals with a simple 3 dial lay out.

You'll likely only need to refer to the manual so you know what effect the letters stand for.

Very easy to get a good sound out of. Plugged straight into the PA out of the box, the presets were actually useful!

AMAZING. Let me first start by saying that....
IT TAKES BATTERIES!!
Unlike the POD or V Amp 2.

The drum machine alone sounds absolutely incredible. If it had a sequencer, you could compose and record your albums with this thing on a PC. The cabinets, amps, pedals and effects all genuinely sound analog and will simply blow you away.
It's basically everything the POD's and V Amp's are missing in a pedal format that runs on batteries.

It's the best compact processor I've ever heard, seen or used.
It's just a much more dynamic and versatile amp/cab/stmpbox modeler compared to anything else on the market right now.

BUILT LIKE A TANK.
It must weigh 5-6 lbs. The sides are rubberized and the bank select stomp switches are genuinely metal.
It just looks really heavy duty and badass.....

My Zoom 505 still works and it's construction is total shit compared to this thing.

It's everything I've been waiting for from the company I expected to produce it. I sold one of my V Amps and a Digitech RP-80 the moment I saw this was available.
I knew ZooM had done it again.....

The 32 bit processing and 96khz sampling rate really shines. Your tone is incredibly rich and responsive all while sounding completely organic. Digital is finally rivaling analog.
The drum machine is absolutely fantastic and the units compact size makes it about the best piece of equipment of it's type that I have ever seen, used or owned.

Buy it again?
How could I not?

Not too hard, just not as convenient as the Zoom GFX-1. You have to use your hands to switch between patches quickly. Was this meant to be a tabletop or floor unit? Seems to be both but not very good at either.

Still very easy to program.

Absolutely stunning sound. I have tried numerous multi-effects units and the sound from the new ZFX-3 chip is amazing. Nothing compares to it. Look at the specs. It is particularly good at acoustic or light distortion sounds. Don't believe me. Close your eyes and listen to the acoustic simulation. It is so close, it is a bit scarry.

The G2 is very well built. All metal with rubber end bumpers. Should hold up.

Never liked Samson's distribution of Zoom products. I have had to call them for a copy of items and they are clueless or unacceptably inconsiderate.

Drum machine, patches, the ability to contour effects, and the incredible sound quality make the G2 an amazing value at $100. The upcoming releases that use the ZFX-3 chip will have more foot controls and be a bit easier to use.

Like anything if you understand what the various available effects do to your sound you'll find editing pretty darn simple. There are 4 main knobs and two recessed push button switches for editing along with a big red LED display. With only the LED's some of the abbreviations are a bit cryptic but a quick view of the very excellent manual clears things up quickly.

Editing is a breeze and it took me about 15 min to get deep into the unit (in the store) and about an hour at home before I was really going full steam making and saving my own completely new patches. Only looked at the manual a few times and kudos to Zoom for an excellent user interface. Again, LED is big but a bit cryptic so take off a few points.

I am a old professional synth and effects sound desginer and a farly new guitarist but have been recording for over 30 years and have very good ears. Note that I do NOT play live and have not pushed the unit at club or stadium volumes. Tried with US Strat and Tele at home and am VERY impressed.

Unit has a TON of effects and every block can be used at the same time! Chain looks like this:

Comp -> Noise Reduction / Noise Gate -> Vol/Filter EFX (Trem/Auto Wah/Phaser/Booster/Step Filter/Slo Gear) -> (16) Amp/OD Pedal Models -> 3 Band EQ -> More EQ/Mic Placement -> Mod EFX(Chorus/Flange/Pitch/Echo/Dly)-> Long Delay/Echo/Ping Pong -> Reverb/Multitap Dly

The effects sound quite good on first pass and there are usually 3-4 tweakable parameters available for EACH effect in EACH block alowing for amazing variety! Got some really great presets quickly.

Notable Items:
- Amp/stomp box models favor high gain though the clean Fender and Roland JC sounds great
- Ton of EQ possibilities w/ ability to choose if EQ section is for direct or cabinet use and the EQ paramaters change based on this
- Great compressor that can be used to further overdrive the amp models
- Mod FX section besides chorus and flange also offers delay/echo (2 seconds)
- Main delay block has up to 5 seconds(!) with a "hold" funtion
- Reverb has Hall, Plate, Room, Early Reflection AND (9) Stereo Multitap delay patterns (up to 2 seconds)
- ALL delays can be used at the SAME TIME at full time settings (incredible patterns can be created along with looping)
- Wet Delay / reverb only mixing for EFX loop/return use
- Tap tempo setting for all effects (mod rate, delay time)
- Real time control via external switch/pedal input
- True stereo out that doubles as headphone out
- 30 or so internal drum patterns
- (4) AA battery or AC Adptor(included)

Bottom line - tons of tweakable effects with great fidelity and sound.

Seems very well built with rubber sides, big recessed display, knobs are up high away from (2) footswitches which have a very sturdy feel. Input jacks are recessed along the back with the On/Off and AC Adaptor.

If I were gigging I'd likely buy a back up...especially since I only paid $95 for it!!!!

No idea...

Sets a new standard for cost/performance in my mind. Sounds great, well designed, really flexible, easy to use and program, best delay capabilities I have seen anywhere except for maybe the Yamaha DG Stomp. Would be good for use at home like a Pandora/Pod. AC/Battery power (use rechargeable AA's!. It's an amazing box!

This is a step up fron the 505II series. pretty easy to get a nice sound out of it. Editing patches is realy easy with the knobs insted of scrolling through a menue.The manual is good.This has the new zoom proccesing chip in it and to my ears its better than the 707 and 505 I have had in the past.

I run this through a Peavey XXL 212 and a Peavey studio pro and so far it has a good sounds to it. The acustic sim is about the same as the boss sims on the GT-3 and GT-5 units.The effects all sound good but I'm having trouble finding the right reverb that I like. You have alot more control over the effects on this than the zoom 505 and 505II. I only use an acustic sim,clean,distortion and lead sound for gigiing so this would be nice if it holds up to live playing. I dont like bunch of stuff at my feet when playing live so we will see how this does.

All the zoom units I have had in the past held up well so I give it a 9

Never had to deal with them.

I play alittl bit of everything in the band I'm in right now www.fulltiltparty.com and this seems to be a good match. If it was stolen I might wait and find it used but it did come with the power supply for the $99 bucks so that pretty cool on zooms part. I like the size of it just alittle bit bigger than the 505II and its metal with rubber sides. The foot switches are also metal, big plus for me.The 6 band EQ is a plus also.It also has a drum machine if you want to call it that. Has 40 presets and its ok for what it is. I have a POD,10 boss stomp boxes and have had GT-3/GT-5 digtech and some others and this is a pretty cool units for the money. It looks like a littl tiny POD live unit because its black with chrome knobs.For $99 bucks it a good buy.