Zoom made a good pedal. I'll tell you what sucks about it. buy me a coffee (or cheeseburger...) @ ko-fi.com/gran... If you'd like to help me out, please click this link to check out this pedal on amazon. ZOOM G5n amzn.to/3qvdsi2
My solution to this problem is owning 2 of them. I run a G3N into a G5N, which may seem over the top but it doubles the processing power and I can use all 7 buttons as individual stomp boxes, and it works in any scenario. The tone knob on G5n solves virtually all sound guy / room issues. I can also use this rig for bass and spent less than 500 for both for a full stereo live/recording rig that sounds great after some tweaking
Also I really wish the factory presets defaulted to the mic setting "on" for the cab. It makes an IMMENSE difference. Also put the AIR reverb in your chain to achieve the sound of a real amp!
@@CurranLong Hi, I have read somewhere that in order to use it correctly in an amp the "Mic" option should be turned "Off". If this is correct, I imagine it was probably done because lots of people are more interested to use it in an ampli instead of linked to a soundcard. I am wondering if it should be turned "On" also used into a mixer to the public address loudspeakers.
@@littlebritain64 You're absolutely correct. My main purpose is using this with headphones or direct into PA system, so 'mic' setting must be turned 'on'. I rarely use it into an amp but when I do I turn the speaker simulation off completely.
I recommend having a different patch set differently for solos and another one for rhythm or clean parts. The thing has over a hundred memory for creating patches. Patch 1:rhythm Patch 2: solo Patch 3: clean
Can you assign distortion and delay effect on one pedal/button? I have a song that I use multiple effects in different sections and it would be great if this did that.
@@Sattvaarising The way the stomp box mode works is that we can turn any 4 of the 9 effects at once without scrolling around the signal chain. But we cannot assign 2 or more to a single button\stomp pedal. So i recommend you to try making a patch eg. A lead patch with your desired delay and gain settings and then duplicating that same patch to the next patch with the delay and gain tured off or low. It works best this way bro
..and I agree with 1, 2, 3 , for me its usually clean, rhythm, solo, solo boost .. then other patch banks will duplicate that but with less distortion, more , chorus on clean , whatever might best cover a song I'm covering.
Thanks for your honest review. I get the problem you explained at 7:16. My suggestion would be to duplicate the patch (one with delay and one without it or with whetever effects you need for the solo) and put it next to each other. That way it would able to switch it faster. Also, since there are 200 slots so having such "duplicates" next to each other should not be a problem. I don't have this pedal (but considering it) and therefore my suggestion is purely theoritical! What do you think?
That does work, but then if you want to change something in the patch, you have to edit multiple patches. I've used that approach with success but I was annoyed by all the editing
@@GRANTwow I agree such editing can be annoying on the unit. However, I use Tonelib - PC?mobile interface for my Zoom G1Xon. Eg, I have two patches next to each other - one with wah and the other without. When I change something in one, I immediately make that change in the other patch. Alternatively, if you change an effect setting in a ptach which has the addtional effect, then in Tonelib you could just copy-paste to another slot and then delete the additional effect.
Spot on review. Like GRant says, use it with the patches; use the computer patch editing ‘Guitar Lab’ software and it’s great but not all things to all people because it has limitations. Tip 1 - To equalise patch volume for seamless mid song changes; crank up the in-patch volume of the quietest patch first. Tip 2 - Save patch settings onto computer & factory re-set the pedal anytime without losing hours of work. Tip 3 (read tip 2 first) Bear in mind that a) patches 1 to 100 can all be overwritten with whatever you want and in any order you want b) patches 101 to 200 are empty by default c) the same patch can appear more than one place. All this means that you would have 200 slots available to organise multiple ideal patch sequences in song order for a whole gig if you wanted to. I think that deals with one of GRant’s biggest beefs. A great review thank you GRant because you cover issues well that are not mentioned or poorly covered elsewhere.
Good review. Thanks. I have been using the G5n for gigging, direct to PA, for 18 months. 3 times in the last month, I have had players who were in the audience approach me post gig to find out how I got such great tone, for guitar and bass, and all were amazed I was using this unit. I play in a 3 piece, and 2 of us switch between guitar and bass, generally between sets. The key to this unit is patches. I don't use any of the supplied patches. Not a single one. I moved from an orange tube amp, to this unit, for guitar, and a DI unit for bass. My approach was to play around with the amp modelling and speaker combos to match the sound I had developed using my amp, then used that as a basis for all my patches. Great starting point. Very flexible. I create a single patch for each song, saved under song name. All managed through the Guitar Lab software. This is where the zoom really excels. You can back your patches up. You can even create them, as long as the unit is plugged in to the PC. It makes the management of this piece of kit a breeze, and it is so easy to tweak. If I am desperate for very different sounds I use 2 patches for single songs. The versatility of the sounds you can create in the zoom, is incredibly under-rated. Do do anything similar on another unit, I would have to spend twice as much. As for the Bass. The ability so share patches, either by pictures to copy, or swapping patches online, was a a real bonus. There are plenty of really good bass patches out there, so I tried them all, picked my favourite sound for my bass, and again, used this as the basis for my modification. There are some things I don't love. The power cable is sub-par, and I travel with a spare, as I know it will die....it's a matter of time. It didn't come with a case....and to buy the case costs 1/3 of the price of the unit. WTF. Colour coding (changeable LEDs) would have been a great addition for quick stomps. A little more DSP headroom. It can max out with all the goodies. Most important. When the Wah is off, why does it not default to a volume pedal? The ability to universally turn off the amps, to run into an amp would have been nice. The new G11 looks like it has a bunch of these features I'd like. It's just been announced in prototype, so price is an unknown. Fingers crossed it is affordable.
G5n used is $150... (Great price for it's capabilities.) G11 will be probably around $400. But there's Line 6 POD GO coming for $450, with Helix and color coded stomps. If G11 sticks to the layout (stomp mode being unusable live), then POD GO wins IMO if somebody likes Helix.
@@GRANTwow Just a little better, all the time ;) Back in G5 generation of effects, they still left something to be desired. G3X and G5 still have this "thing" of old Zoom I can quickly pick. I think after G5n / Yamaha THR10 / POD h500x, the rest is about improving usability. The tone is already here. Damn, even original POD 2.0 bean still sounds ok. If something sounds good now, it will sound good in the years to come.
Even my Headrush and Helix goes left to right with the signal chain dude so theres no problem there ..... Also, if youve never used a patch before, you shouldn't be playing gigs... This unit is straight forward and has great effects, dont over complicate things with it man and it will work great for live gigging. AND you have to remember, this unit is a third the price of a Headrush etc..
I have mostly acoustic instruments, a Ukulele, autoharp, keyboards and guitar. These I hope will go through this unit (I am waiting for the unit to be delivered here). I've compared the units I could afford and settled on this unit. It seems very good spec wise. Low noise, and stereo out is more than appealing. Tons of decisions over what patches I will through out. All the distorted OD will likely be thrown out. I like the sound of old tube amps hopefully there's a number of good ones there. I'll be feeding my Focusrite Scarlet 4i4 with this gear. My software also has several effects. I wish this unit had a stereo input, none of the other multi-effect boards in my price range had that either.
I find these fx type pedals are for well organized players. Not pro or beginners, just well organized and don’t stray for creative purposes. So you play 6 songs in a set, you have your 6 settings ready to go. Plain and simple. I don’t think this is a rig for sonic youth or Radiohead. Possibly a rig for music with less adlib and messing around trying to get crazy feedback and sounds. This is a pedal for people who stay within the lines if that makes sense.
Maybe for working musicians then? Anyways, do you have any suggestions for more "creative" edit on the fly multieffects pedals? Preferably at a similar price point. Cheers!
They should add a quick scroll option, i get why you would want to scroll pass every pedal but as you mentioned in the video, for live gigs i'd want the scroll to be atleast fast af
Thanks for this very informative review. I was interested in this effects pedal, but I decided to go with the Zoom B1 four for my electric and upright bass rig!
Overall is this multieffect is ok and value for money. The only problem to me is the original factory set patches will be gone once you do the twicking and to restore it you have to do factory reset which caused all your personal setup will be gone.
Don't worry. You can backup and restore from your pc using the guitar lab software. You can also restore or save a patch here or a patch there... It doesn't have to be all at once.
The fact that a looper and a drum machine are taking two pedal slots is a big disappointment. The G5 had a dedicated switching for the looper and the rhythm-which I prefer…
Totally get your points in the downsides to this multi FX unit, the amp taking 2 slots is valid and is a drawback and scrolling screens to get from drives to delay section also can be annoying. Luckily I don’t use any of the built in amps or cabs so I don’t really face this problem fortunately. Not having an effects loop is a downside especially as you said wanting to put other pedals thru it in your chain and then using the headphone output, only way I could see doing that is taking your last output in the chain into a sub mixer with a headphone out built-in but obviously it means having to possibly buy a mixer if you do t already have one. I know it’s five yrs later so you can pick up a small 4 channel mixer nowadays suitable as a sub mixer New for about £25. I still use my G5N live with my band and manage to utilise it for my requirements with to much hassle. I got a used one in the UK for £80 in great condition, so for the variety of FX and other features it has for myself was a good deal compared with my past route of buying individual pedals which soon adds up and then having the issues of pedal noise and interference from leads and psu’s ended doing my head in and constantly wanting to always buy a new pedal was a costly option for me, so getting a half decent cheap multi fx unit has worked better for my set up. Obviously there’s much better superior gear available so it’s all down to each players setup, way of working and what they can afford or main factors to consider before buying a multi fx unit. Cheers and nice one for your video and explaining the cons for yourself for the way you utilise it. Just nice to see how other people use their gear when it’s different to how I use in my rig. Thanks Steve.
Nice vidoe. I use this for my guitar. I used to use another zoom (cheap multi effect) that you could litterarely press a "program" button and litterarely key in the number of the patch that you want. I did prefer that, as i would need to use more than 4 sounds during a gig..i would love if there was an external pedal board/switch so you could control more patches...if it had 8 or 10 then it would be an absolutely perfect pedal, as it would have all the sounds you d need for the entire gig without scrolling through the "banks"
Haha, thank you. The problem is that I don't have any gear to review. At least, not usually. I just bought a headrush mx5 and I have a bunch of complaints already. I'll probably do a video on it and then return it, lol.
Thanks for teaching me some things about my ZOOM I didn't know, like being able to scroll through all the effects by category. That's nice, because I've often been caught having to cycle through the entire library of effects to find what I was searching for, and it's a wee bit frustrating. I had also wondered about using it on a vocal track, I appreciate the heads-up. FYI I use the ZOOM Gn5 for home recording, and then posting my tunes on YT. I just developed a problem with my stomp switch popping up higher than it should, and what it will take to fix that. That's how I bumped into your channel while searching for a repair video.
fantastic,great video.The guitar lab is fantastic.I've used it live,i only play Rhythm guitar so im only using the patches and it works great for my needs. I dont think theres a multi fx unit that could serve your needs 100% Even the most expensive units will have drawbacks.Good luck in finding your setup that suits guitar and bass. Have you used the looper function? It would be great to have a basic tutorial on youtube. I think the way you explain and know your way around this unit youd be great at it. would it be possible to have the dimentions of youe DIY storage box.Thank you
Glad I stumbled on this video coz I was considering buying this pedal but the issue of not being able to assign effects to any order on the screens without affecting the signal chain is a big NO for live playing. Thanks for making this video man
fwiw I own 2 of these and run Drive/comp>Amp/cab>Delay/reverb and all of the drives, comp, rev and delays act as stomp boxes. yes i need to own 2 units to accomplish this but combined they cost less than an hx stomp.
10:42 If I understand you correctly you're saying that a Global EQ would be great, but this mid boost thing is a waste of time, I would agree with that. I don't go direct to pa, I use an amp, so I believe that I should be fine just using the bass, mid, treble knobs on the amp to adjust my global eq.
All depends on you. For what it's worth, if I could do it all over again I'd get the g3n without the expression pedal, plus volume and wah pedals. But it really depends on your needs.
Its a pity that they didnt make it so that you would have the stomps of your choice come up when you switch to stomp mode and you instead have to scroll through all effects and amps, it really defeats the purpose. Thanks for the heads up on that, Zoom really should change it in an update so that you can chose, i actually thought that was they way it worked. I was slightly interested in this pedal, but i will probably end up with a unit 3 to 4 times the price to have more options and better IO.
I agree, it seems like it would be trivial to add that function in a software update... Maybe if a bunch of us write them emails they'll do it. I'll send one in 🤠
@@GRANTwow I really think you should do that, i always try to voice my opinion, if you never try you can never "win your fights", if the manufacturer doesnt know what you think how will they know if you dont tell them. It should be possible and relatively easy to change it in the firmware if they want to. Maybe there is a forum where you can team up on the request.
Yes I have already sent one mail ... At least page system as they already have .... Need not to a lot research work as DnD is already done. I found one issue--- if padel is not assign to one patch and then if I switch to another patch which has paddle assign to volume. It works only you tilt padle a bit. One more thing padle should have boosting option too.
Maybe You told us in the video and I couldn't catch, but I am puzzled about one thing: is there a general option to switch On/Off amp and cab for ALL the patches in one move, without doing it for every single patch (that would turn me crazy!)? I know switching has to be done if You use the board in an ampli or into a P.A. or pc soundcard. Thanks for answering.
@@littlebritain64 it depends how you use it. I tend to leave them all on but then turn off the handful of patches I use live. If you like a dedicated patch or two for each song then yes it would be more inconvenient. The may be other units out there with global control but I don't know if any.
Hi Grant. Thanks for the video. I have been looking at this or G3xn..and now the Line 6 Pod Go. Just learning this stuff...which do you think is better? Thanks !!!
I would recommend the g3xn over the g5n, and I would recommend the g1xfour over the g3xn. I'm sorry but I dont know anything about the line6 pod series
I am just trying to find out some information on the pedal and all the demos are either heavy metal or ramble on about irrelevancies There is a great opening for demos without talking and playing one or two notes per patch But instead I have to sit through ten minutes of shredding in one patch and I am so over shredding
I didn't expect at all to find Kurt Cobain (?) reviewing and complaining about features in effects processors that inexplicably complicate the live-playing experience... anyway, thanks for taking the time to do this.
When it comes to distortion I heard this multi-fx was severely lacking. Is there a better option around this price range? Are there options to connect an analog fuzz pedal through it?
I think there's plenty of good distortion sounds on it. Theres no fx loop, so the only way to hook up another pedal would be before input or after output
Thanks for the practical review/overview. I've been looking at these end the g3n. So am I understanding correctly they you can't re-assign those lower foot switches? I had hoped I would be able to used this in pstch mode and then use the 4 lower switches to turn on/off other effects within the patch. If not it Seems like an odd flexibility oversight to not allow that after putting in the cost for those lower switches..
@@GRANTwow well the boss me70 is actually quiete simpler and easier to use cause it has four "pedals" or efects each one with its own EQ but im kind of worried about the sound and versatility compared to zoom G5 or G5n
Each effect acts like a stompbox, but they are stuck in the order of your signal flow, so, no, you cannot have all those available at once if you have the anp and cab in the chain. You'll have to scroll past the amp and cab to access everything
Great video, thanks. What's the 'pause' like when you switch between patches? Is there a quarter second of silence while the new patch loads? Or is it pretty seamless?
I'm going buy this one soon. But for me it still in the hand of guitar player. Hehe and yeah! Analog pedal is great. But super expensive. Even cheap analog can't get enough tones that's why you ended up yourself buying expensive pedals. For me zoom g5n gonna gives you the amount of satisfaction not necessarily that great. But it's mid-range digital effects. And for me i highly recommend this one! 😊
Simple adding external pedals, rally. The first ones in the chain go between the guitar and FX board while the ones after go between the board output, not the bloody headphone output (it is NOT a jack) and the amp. The only issue would be if Zoom tends to not allow the pre-pedal EFX through its chain.
Hello, thanks for sharing Your experiences. I am wondering if these are common troubles with lots of pedalboards on this range of price, or only for this brand and model only.
They all have limitations so it just depends on what you want to do. For the price, the G5n is pretty hard to beat, especially at roughly $150 used (how much I bought mine for). $329 new is still an amazing deal. Far exceeded my expectations once I started tweaking because most of the presets suck per the usual.
@@cls6200 I managed to purchase a second hand one a few days ago,€ 180 coming also with a lightweight flightcase, still to test the sound, but it looks brand new with the "V. 2" sticker on the box, that means 30% more computational power and more amps and effects.They say the editing software has been enhanced as well. I really have to rescue my Fender Frontman 65R. I saw a video here, a Boss Metal Zone before the pedalboard ( with a clean preset ): instant Steve Vai!!
It doesn't cut out the bass frequencies. However, using guitar amp and cab sims can sometimes cut or boost the lows in a undesirable way for bass. I like to avoid using the amps and cabs when playing bass.
Hello Grant, I am in a pickle with my Zoom G3Xn and I was curious how you wire your Zoom up if you're fronting your effects or are you using the effects loop with this? Thx!
I would assume the zoom's effects are better, since it's newer. The only effects I don't like on the zoom are the compressors. I talk about that in my G1 Four video
Can the pedal chain in this processor be split before passing in the amp? Like if I have to make wider tones like using two amps one delayed after the other to create a wider tones... To create like a hard panned guitar / dual tracked guitars..... Can I do that in this processor?
@@GRANTwow we then my friend's fucked 🤣🤣🤣.... He gotta somehow copy his output and use some form of delay to create the width.... Maybe from the stereo out of the zoom g5n and using a delay with one stereo out to the FOH mixer... Anyway thanks for the reply bud! 🤘🏻
@@GRANTwow I knew you can use a stereo delay and create wider tones for leads on zoom... But the thing is, that'd work for solo tones well however it's riffs that my friend was looking for and any quater note, stereo, ping pong delays would create overtones on the riff and basically ruin the tightness of it... I was wondering if you Can split the pedal chain then you can have two different amps with a slight delay in between and make the riff sound wider and fuller like double tracked guitars. That's why I was asking if you can split the pedal chain
It should work like an amp. I'm not sure if it will clip the input if you boost too much. I haven't tried a super loud boost, but I would think that zoom would have designed it to handle that.
Lol well for the “amp” issues, move it all the way to the right as you will never be touching them and your core 4 on the main switches..... never ran into any of these issues as I wasn’t playing for dream theatre and also needing all this for a bass seems excessive. Putting a huge strain on this minor issue for this board is kinda overkill.
Hi i'm considering the G5n because of the stomp mode, but I'm concerned about its live usability. If you put the amp all the way to the right would it change the sound to much, it's really that noticiable? (considering it's moving the effects chain a bit). Also thinking about buying the Mooer Ge 250 but it only works in patch mode and it's 120 bucks pricier but it has the IR...
Could you not just create multiple patches with the signal chain you want things on for say rythm lead and whatever during a song and just switch patches instead of running stomp box mode?
thats what i do with my g5n. it works, though while switching the patches you have a short moment of silence when using something like a delay or reverb on the previous patch. the effects stop immediately, instead of ringing out. if you consider this downside, you can just switch patches instead of using the stompbox mode imo.
you can change the order and layout of the effects on this so the information at 7:30 is incorrect, which is funny because that appeared to be your main issue with the unit
The ME-80? I had the bass version a long time ago when I was a beginner. I think I liked it, but one day it just stopped working and I got rid of it. I guess the point is: I suspect it's good. Sorry I can't be of more help.
@@GRANTwow Oh ok, thanks for replying, no worries. One of the reasons I mentioned it is that I think it is the only multi effects pedal in the known universe that actually comes close to working in stomp box mode. Not sure if it sounds great esp since it’s old now, but it’s quite not menu driven. Thought it might interest you.
I subbed. If you'd really want to know about the internal workings of the processor and specs of the zoom G5n ( & other current Zoom Multi-fx- go to Instagram and use this: #zoomspecs - I posted there.
hello im finally bought g5n and selling my g5. Sound more natural and less noise, just tweak in hours and get my sound. modulation is great to me but wah pedal i prefer the still analog wah 👍
Curious... is working from right to left and merging multiple patches per peddle a solution like this guy did? : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5knilwEGaCg.html