Zoom 504

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Zoom 504

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Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

Zoom 504

Just got this little unit on the strength of Jon's recommendation. After spending about an hour messing around with it, I've learned most of the functions and have made my own "patch" or program, for general use. My impression is that this little box is astonishingly versatile and full of stuff. It has reverb, delay, EQ, chorus, compression, anti feedback, even a chromatic tuner! It also has a bunch of other stuff... not bad for $50 or something. It is pretty easy to use, as well.

I'm not sure it's going to make the piezo-equipped negra I have right now sound like a mic-ed up DeVoe, but it has certainly done the job of smoothing out the sound enough so I can tolerate it.

It has a nifty little feature that adds a bit of punch to every note you pluck. There's a "12 string" function that is supposed to make your guitar sound like a 12 string, but really makes it sound middle easternish. I've never been much for effects, but when you plug in, you need some.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 1 2005 1:05:02

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Zoom 504 (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

Glad you liked it Mike - worth it just for the mic emulation, eh?

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 1 2005 7:38:08

Fergusito

Posts: 206
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: UK

RE: Zoom 504 (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

You're right you do need something to warm up a piezo, this is good value for money. I tried it for a week (better than the alexis multi effects) but still there was quite alot of background noise, so i settles for the reverb and shape effect on my roland ac60 amp that really warms up the sound. I found using a tie clip condeser mic for the guitar in combo with the piezo really adds body to the soubnd as well. I also use a mixer to regulate levels to avoid that olde feedback problem. But no system is perfect, I hear vicente and others are now using piezo systems.
Fergus

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 1 2005 9:29:10

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Zoom 504 (in reply to Fergusito)

Jon,
the little I have messed around with the mic emulation, I wasn't impressed, but of course I need to mess around with this thing for awhile. I have never used effects so it will take time for me to get used to it and understand what has to be done. Does it bother you that it's not in stereo? Do you use two speakers at gigs?

Fergus, Vicente using piezo! Crazy... there's this guy named Juan Carlos who sells expensive equipment and Vicente seems to endorse his product. You can do a Google--weird web site.

A "virtual friend" of mine told me that if you buy this $500 direct box and high-fidelity equipment, that the "quack" of a piezo, which is really a type of distortion, will be eliminated. I think he said it had to be an extremely high impedence direct box, whatever that means.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 1 2005 14:00:46

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Zoom 504 (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria
Does it bother you that it's not in stereo? Do you use two speakers at gigs?

No and yes in that order. Can't see why I would want a stereo guitar signal, really, I prefer the sound centered and mid stage not a wide spread, that would be too un-natural, IMO. Plus my backing is mixed in stereo, and I want the guitar centered in the mix.

Jon

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 1 2005 14:18:49