Re: Zoom G2

["nick@12testing.net" <nick@12testing.net>]

On 23 Aug 2006 at 8:26, gael wrote:

> Hi, is the zoom G2 a "real" looper tool?

Depends on your definition, but I'd certainly say so. I wrote a
review for the LD website, but 18 months on, it hasn't shown up yet.
Here's the gist of it

Zoom G2
The latest in a series of guitar pedals, this one finally seems to
have all a looper could reasonably require. Firstly, you get 5
seconds worth of ping pong, tape echo or delay, each of which can be
frozen using a non-latching footswitch. The delay can be set in
seconds, or by using a tap time button. You can also set feedback and
mix in real time by going into edit mode whilst playing.

On top of that, you've got some useful effects, such as compression,
chorus, a fairly basic selection of reverbs and pitch shifts,
harmoniser etc. There's 16 amp modelling types, a noisegate and other
odds & sods. The most useful extra is that the "chorus" effect can be
set as a number of delay types, up to a second in length. So, you can
get a loop going, then play over the top with both delay and reverb
added to the live signal.

My instinct would be to switch most of the effects off and use it as
a simple 5 second looper, but if you're pushed for space or have no
other gear, it will just about do everything. Since you're unlikly to
be changing patches much, I'm tempted to have it on a stand at waist
height for hands on twiddling, and just keep the footswitch on the
floor.

The interface is reasonably straight-forward, although there are
little glitches - knob 1 appears to allow you to set the function of
the footswitch, but it doesn't remember it - knob 2 looks the same
but actually remembers things. Took me a while to scour the manual to
in this down. Having only one control input means you can't use the
delay hold whilst altering real time effects (wah etc) - it wouldn't
have cost much to have a socket for both footswitch and control
pedal.

Now if zoom could simply take the existing delay options, add more
impressive reverb and chorus, treble the delay time and put it in a
rack, they'd have a loopers dream. Chances are, it won't happen.

The best news is, it's about £65 if you shop around - quite
unbelievable value, even if the tight sods don't include the 9v power
supply.


All the best,

Nick Robinson