Zoom G2X Four Guitar Multi-Effects Processor with Expression Pedal, Multi-Layered IR’s, Amp Modeling, 75+ Built-in Effects, Looper, Rhythm Section, Tuner, Audio Interface, Lightweight

Product Information

Zoom’s product launch video shows how the G2/G2X Four’s arrow key cluster can be navigated with your foot. This is a hugely optimistic portrayal. In reality, the screen is too small and low-res to parse much useful information from sitting, let alone standing. The ‘up’ key is positioned in such a way that pressing it with your foot means you cover the entire screen. And try to press the centre button, and there’s a good chance you’ll also mash one of the directional buttons. There's plenty to explore in the G1X Four with over 70 effects to play with. You've got your classic effects such as overdrive, compression, and fuzz; but you also get crazier effects like ring modulator, pitch-shifting delay, and sitar simulation. BUT: It is by default set to "amp" output mode and it does NOT have a global switch to change to "mixer" or "headphone" mode (!!??). So you have to trigger a cryptic "microphone" feature in the cabinet simulation to get a decent sound when playing via the livingroom stereo or even listening to it via headphones (!?) I mean, you can do that, but you have to do it for EVERY patch you use. Okay, no problem so far, but you need to inform the customers about that. I guess most of the time the device is gonna be uses in a livingroom or with a computer or a DAW or headphones. Not with a "real" cabinet. Learned about that "microphone" mode from the interent. Preloaded in the form of 250 presets, these patches were designed to document the sonic evolution of guitar sound. Each patch recreates the sound of a legendary song from the 1950s to the present day. It's the same price as a single effect pedal, yet it contains dozens of effects. Most of the effects sound really good. If you want to experiment with lots of effects to find the ideal sound for a song, this is a convenient and cheap way to do it.

Digital connectivity is limited to just a USB-C port – no MIDI ports of either size and no Bluetooth. Over USB, you can use the pedal as a two-channel audio interface to record directly, but as we’ll get into later, it’s not quite cut-and-dry as to whether you can actually use it to control the unit and load presets. In any case, it doesn’t support MIDI over USB.

Sounds

In addition to the wide array of effects available, you also have access to to 13 different amp models. The models are designed to emulate classic amps & cabs from classic brands such as Fender, Marshall, Orange, and more. If that's still not enough sounds for you, you can also take advantage Zoom's free Guitar Lab software which gives you access to loads of artist patches, effects, and more. Functionality The defence in the face of all of these drastic flaws is that, well, you get what you pay for. The most obvious comparison to the G2/G2X four – the Line 6 HX Stomp – is about twice the price. But, that’s not quite the full picture: the Nux MG-400, for instance, is cheaper than either Zoom unit, has an expression pedal, a higher-resolution colour LCD screen, supports user IRs and can be controlled with a free desktop app.

Powered by batteries or 9V DC power adapter (not included, matching optional power adapter: Article Nr. 105835) There are plenty of products that are comparably priced to the G2/G2X Four – and while they may not all be as feature-rich as something like the HX Stomp, they’re all lightyears ahead of their Zoom equivalents. And that’s just their on-paper specifications. Sonics are a bit more subjective, but given the G2/G2X Four’s amp and effect models, it’s not like any of them are going to be worse. Those clever boffins at Zoom are at it again, bringing us a new, high-quality multi-fx processor with an on-board Expression Pedal for a great price, in the shape of the Zoom G1X Four Multi-FX Pedal! Would you be surprised to learn that it doesn’t get any better when I try to build my own patch? Slightly fatigued by the scooped high-gain sounds dominating the factory presets, I decide to give something ambient a go. So, I load up the basics: a pitch-shifter, a mono delay and – oh. The pitch-shifter and the delay have eaten most of the device’s CPU, meaning a bunch of the amps just refuse to load. The G2X Four’s compact design and diverse effects selection make it a powerful addition to any existing pedalboard.When the effects are bypassed the volume knob becomes a pitch adjustment control for the tuner. However the signal is still affected by the volume setting. You just can't change the volume. Thanks to the inclusion of a built-in looper function, along with 68 drum rhythms in a variety of time signatures, the Zoom G1X Four Multi Effects Processor is the perfect tool to help you improve your playing technique and boost your creativity. With so many different effects and simulators to choose from, you'd be forgiven to think that the Zoom G1X Four would be difficult to operate. The free Guitar Lab app for Android and iOS mentioned in the product launch video, because it doesn’t seem to exist. However, where this pedal comes into it's own is patch creation. You can use the pedal controls or PC-based software to make a patch using a huge range of amps, cabs and pedals. If you can dream it, you can probably make it... or at least a close approximation of it... on the G1X.

Handy Guitar Lab app (iOS/Android) for editing on smartphones and access to new effects (requires connection via USB-C port). That’s a whole lot of things you can’t do. But the most damning result of the meagre CPU is the actual audio processing. The G2/G2X Four have as much headroom as the contraption Giles Corey was pressed to death in, so even the amp models based on high-headroom pedal platforms have almost no dynamic range. And it’s really, really easy to make the unit clip internally: I was getting audible peaking from somewhere in the signal chain, with 6dB of headroom left on my audio interface. This wasn’t the result of using too many dirt pedals – this was with a plate reverb and a Fender Twin! App-solute Chaos Your Favourite Amps and Cabinets With 13 classic amps and cabinets like Fender, Marshall, Orange and more*, the G1 series brings big stage sound wherever you go. The internal patches include over 100 effects, recreating a wide range of traditional and boutique sounds, from classic spring reverbs to extreme distortion and modulation effects to wah-wah and more. Mix and match up to 7 effects to create your own patches. The Valetone GP-200 LT is just a hair more expensive than either Zoom unit, and it has a higher-resolution colour LCD screen, supports user IRs, has an effects loop, and can be controlled with a free desktop app, or, you know… MIDI.

Stay Looped In

All are named after real songs, but the actual sounds produced by the patches barely resemble their namesakes: the Paranoid patch, for instance, uses a scooped Big Muff fuzz entirely divorced from anything Tony Iommi ever played. The Purple Haze patch doesn’t use an octave fuzz effect, even though there is one in here, somewhere. The Dean Town patch uses twice as much overdrive as Cory Wong ever has. And so on. However, thanks to the comprehensive on-board controls, and Zoom's Guitar Lab software, dialling in your perfect sounds and saving them as presets couldn't be easier. Looper for recording up to 30 seconds / 64 beats of CD-quality audio with seamless start and endtimes