Re: Zoom 508 delay vs. Steinway pianos vs. Klein guitars

[pycraft@elec.gla.ac.uk (Dr M. P. Hughes)]

The Doctors have made the point that a Zoom box is far less intuitive to
use out of the box than a Klein or Steinway (do pianos come in boxes?). 
However, I'd make 2 points about that - 

1.  These instruments abe both largely acoustic, ie sound generators.  You
hit something, it makes a noise.  The kid could be playing Cage in minutes.
 :)  With the Zoom, they'd need to know what to do with the instrument
first, then once it's plugged in I'm sure they'd find something cool in the
echo FX even without the looper going.

2.  Whilst the "ease of use" is fine for piano or guitar, I'd hazard a
guess that left with something from the Brass section (sax, trumpet, tuba)
they'd be left making farting noises for days.  Does this mean brass
instruments are badly designed, or merely that they require a degree of
skill in order to use?  This counts for bowed strings too.

Finally, you say that kids should save the extra for an EDP.  Over here
that's about $600 up in price, and quite honestly I couldn't justify
spending that much on a looper myself.  Zoom fill a market need for
cheap'n'cheerful, if mediocre, processors.  And I'll bet the Zoom outsells
the EDP, JM and Rang by bucketloads...

Michael


Dr Michael Pycraft Hughes      Bioelectronic Research Centre, Rankine Bldg,
Tel: (+44) 141 330 5979        University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K.
    "Wha's like us?  Damn few, and they're a' deid!" - Scottish proverb