Zoom G1X FOUR Guitar Multi-Effects Processor with Expression Pedal, With 70+ Built-in Effects, Amp Modeling, Looper, Rhythm Section, Tuner, Battery Powered

I love this stupid little thing, though my use-case scenarios are... a little odd. But it is useful in several different situations.So, a few months ago, my lead guitar player gets it in his head that he wants to do this song we wrote in 2016 that has me playing a wah-wah pedal, and it was recorded-- weirdly-- on an old Zoom 606 that had been sitting in a trap case for about 5 years until a few months ago. I actually had just used the 606, for the first time in 10 years, for some fly dates in NYC! It was a bizarre show, in that one of the acts I played with was acoustic, but the other three bands are electric, I can't bring two guitars on the plane, so I brought the old 606 because it has a great "acoustic" patch for electric guitar. Problem solved-- the 606 made my electric sound acoustic enough so that it blended in fine with the 'real' acoustics.But I did notice-- the switches on the 606 were a little dodgy when I was rehearsing to track on the east coast. It got through the shows with no problem, but it's clearly at retirement age.I looked at standalone wah-wah pedals, but they all have tone pots in them, and I know what that means-- the WILL get dusty and go bad sooner than I'd like, and some of them can't even be opened and cleaned. The cheaper multi-effects units have optical or digital pots or something that are less subtle, but more reliable. First, I tried the MOOER GE100, and whoa, what a POS that was-- the switch for the wah-wah turned on and off every time I pressed the pedal, so back it went. Grudgingly, I shelled out an extra $30 for the Zoom...And man, it's SO much easier to use than the old 606! You can SEE which effects are turned on or off, and it's pretty easy to modify a patch on stage-- tap the button to change the display, bring up the individual units, change some of the parameters or remove them from the signal chain, takes no more time than adjusting the tone or drive on a TS9 or whatever. The pedal is also better ergonomically than the one on the 606, though obviously not in the same league as a CryBaby-- I HATE playing wah-wah, by the way-- and the pedal just pivots better, though I can't explain why.Then, we get to the showcase, and this time I'm playing a real acoustic-- but a 3/4 size, because my osteoarthritis has gotten so bad, and the 3/4 is easier to play with Silk and Steel strings-- but being mahogany and a smaller body, and also with the Silk and Steels, it doesn't sound QUITE like a "real" acoustic.So I did something truly demented: I used the "Acoustic" patch on the G1X4 to make the 3/4 mahogany sound... more acoustical. It was FANTASTIC; we did six songs counting sound check, and everyone loved us. I was on the edge of feedback for the whole set, but I got some really wild psychedelic sounds just using the factory presets. Best of all, if the feedback starts to really get out of control, just hit the two pedals simultaneously to engage the tuner, and you're back to a clean signal immediately. Much less disruptive to the set than trying to kill the feedback by turning the volume down or adjusting the tone pots, which will involve more trial and error.It's capable of some of the same zany psychedelic weirdness as the 606, but the audio quality and UI are way better.I don't know that I'd use this for the larger shows I play once or twice a year; even for a compact fly rig, I want a bit more control, a dedicated chorus, phaser, delay, distortion, etc. But the G1X Four is TOTALLY fine for smaller venues. Obviously, it's not gonna have the same sound quality as high-end boutique pedals, but for smaller clubs with beater amps in the backline, really, no one is gonna care.The only thing I noticed: In the effects loop of a BantAmp hybrid, it doesn't play nicely with the solid-state power amp stage if the Gain is set past 9:00. But nothing else seems to, either-- my Mystic Edge and Tube Pilot don't really work in the effects loop either, though the G1X four sounds a bit worse than they do in that particular configuration. My guess is for that particular hybrid, with a tube in the preamp and a solid state power amp, I should keep dirt pedals and overdrives in the input part of the signal chain anyway. So it may not even be the pedal. And could be a non-issue for a full-on tube amp.Highly recommended. Didn't even buy it on sale, but if it were lost or stolen, I'd buy it again.

I’ve had a Zoom 505 pedal since 1997! This new pedal intrigued me so I got it and am amazed at what it can do! back in 1997 I paid $119 plus $17 shipping for the 505, so this new unit for just $96 shipped is amazing! The possibilities are overwhelming, but the interface is not too bad. Spend a little time with it and it becomes really easy to operate. The knobs and buttons do make it feel like you are operating each effects feature as a physical item and not a digital patch. It becomes intuitive quickly. Plus a ton of drum tracks and the ability to loop twice! Wow!Will you impress bandmates if you set this up in front of them? Short answer…. No. But for practicing and experimenting with sounds, I just love this thing!If there is anything I am a bit wary of, is that after noodling around with this for about an hour yesterday, at not a very loud volume through my Marshall Amp, my ears were ringing last night, and lost a little hearing this morning….it’s coming back now, but I think this unit puts out some harsh high frequencies that my old Zoom 505 didn’t do. I just need to watch my volume level and treble maybe. I love this thing too much to say anything else negative about it. I just noodle around in my music room, so I don’t have any high requirements that some might have. And for this purpose, the Zoom G1 Four will keep you entertained for a long time!Some tips to keep in mind:When using cabinet effects, “Mic OFF’ is default! You have to toggle “Mic ON” to get the true cabinet effect. Less crucial if playing through an amp, but through headphones or direct into PC, there is a massive difference in tone.There’s a million Youtube videos on setting it up and a million more videos on nailing that perfect tone of your favorite guitarist.Included is a Quick Start Guide, but be sure to go to Zoom’s website, enter in the pedal you bought, and scroll down to “Support”. There PDF. Files of the FULL 60 page manual, FULL list of what all the effects are, and a complete list of each preset patch. I printed all 3 files out and created a handy reference binder.The only thing the manual doesn’t mention oddly, is that after editing any patch, or after creating a new one, you can name /rename it. You just hit “Setting” - “Patch” and control the letters and positions with the two left knobs. It’s quick and simple.Some effects adjustments can be multiple pages….the far right knob scrolls to the next page of settings. Look for the far right to see things like 1/2 or 1/3 pages. That tells you what page you are on out of how many pages there are.(Also you can buy ANY 9V 500maH Negative center AC adapter to power the unit if you don’t want to use batteries. You don’t have to buy the overpriced Zoom AC Adapter. Just make sure the adapter is at least 500mah and negative center!)