here's a few thoughts on a multi-fx purchase I made last week:
I got the unit for $200 USD from Sweetwater Sound online.
Ten dollars for 3-day shipping, no tax.
I wanted a budget outboard effects unit that has knobs for messing up sounds and experimenting with. It's very rewarding to play with knobs.
I was trying to decide between this unit and the Lexicon MPX100, which is
similarly priced. Lex has the name, but I gave the edge to the Zoom
since it had a few more odd fx like ring mod and vocoder, a LP/BP/HP filter, and a computer-based patch-editing system (!). I have to say that I am not sure if the MPX100 has the ring mod, vocoder, etc..,
but I couldn't find any mention of those features in the spec list.
The organization of the effects is a little goofy, but it works.
There are six banks: reverb, delay, fx (chorus, flange, combos, etc.), special fx, re-mix and mix-down. See the link above for specific info on the features.
Needless to say, there's a shitload of fx here, ready for tweaking.
They've broken up the built-in patches into sets with very descriptive names, so you can usually find a good starting point very easily.
The markings by the buttons are easy to read, and they thoughtfully alternated
between white and green for better readability. There are a series of level/clip LEDS, as well.
The knobs have a good feel to them. Not too easy to turn, and not too light under the finger, which give the thing a substantial feel. It's not easy to see from the picture on the link, but
there are knobs for input and output level, and wet/dry mix.
Also, there are 4 knobs on the left for tweaking patch parms.
The patch editor gives you the ability to edit your own patches and load them in, and also gives you 8 extra fx: graphic and para EQ, 10- and 20-tap delay, a patch to chain
4 individual fx together, and a combination 4 band-eq/3 band compressor.
This box tries hard to be a Swiss-Army knife. The patch editor is a bit "version 1.0"-looking, but
it's as easy to use as any other plug.
It has all the midi stuff you need, as well. Clock for delay and CCs for the parms.
So, how does it sound? Most of it sounds very good to these inexperienced ears. My Waves reverb sounds better to me so far, but we'll see as I use it more...
The fx that interested me are the odd bits, and they are a lot of fun.
Its very easy to mangle a sound, and get an immediate effect, which is what I was looking for. The best stuff so far? The filters, and the various ready-made delay patches that are combined with chorus, flange and verb.... instant gratification. Not even Rosie Palm is as fun as fast.
The only down side so far is a high noise level at high input/output levels...
it's really noticeable, so you have to watch it....
I'm happy, though. A lot of bang for the buck.