The original Zoom 9002 guitar processor really was an extraordinary product. We all marvelled at its miniaturisation but it was difficult not to question the styling, which appeared to compromise functionality to no useful purpose — did anybody actually want to mount one on their guitar strap? Yet when you plugged your guitar into it, somehow this didn't seem to matter — the thing simply sounded brilliant. As a guitar DI unit plugged straight into a desk, it had that most elusive quality, touch-sensitive distortion, and a fluid sustain from a compressor that didn't strangle the signal. Throw in some 16-bit digital effects of decidedly usable quality, and you had one of the best sounding and most versatile guitar recording systems available. For stage use, however, the tiny switches, the lack of a backlight on the LCD, and especially the inaccessible output level control, were a distinct disadvantage, to say nothing of the lack of a footswitching capability (subsequently rectified by the 9002F).

The new and similarly-sized Zoom 9000 can be seen to address at least two of these limitations directly; its styling allows slightly more prominent and visible switches to be used, arrayed round the outside of the significantly larger, wedge-shaped plastic casing, and a remote footswitch unit (the FC01, connected via a rather fiddly multi-pin socket on the unit's underside) is now included in the package. Set against this is a reduction in the number of parameters that you can edit within most effects. The overall impression is not so much of a cut-down 9002, but of a unit targeted more specifically towards stage use. The inclusion of an auto-ranging tuner will be particularly welcome in this context, although its value is somewhat negated by the continued absence of a backlight on the LCD — it's not much use having a tuner on stage if you can't see it.

The connectors are all found at the rear of the unit, with the exception of the mini-jack headphone socket. 1/4" jacks are used for both input (470kOhm impedance) and the separate Left and Right sockets of the stereo output (10kOhm, -10dBm). There is no input sensitivity control, and no hardware output level control, but a further mini-jack, designated Mix In, feeds a line-level input straight to the headphones, without passing through the effects; ideal for playing along with a tape or CD.

Power, from an external 7.5V DC adapter or six AA batteries, is switched simply by inserting a plug into the input jack. Although larger than a 9002 the casing is still extremely lightweight, even with batteries. A choice of 'Line' or 'Amp' setting is provided, giving a basic 'voicing' suitable for use with a guitar amp, or DIed into a mixer. The Line (DI) mode simulates the frequency characteristic of a typical guitar amp/speaker combination. Just how well it works can be demonstrated by switching to Amp whilst DIed or monitoring on headphones, and listening to the thin, harsh sound on distortion presets, reminiscent of a DIed fuzz box. The Line/Amp setting is not stored, so you can set up programs for recording and then use them on stage without extensive reprogramming.

Noise is very well controlled in the Zoom units — in recording, it is as quiet as any amp at equivalent gain. With stage amplification, excess front-end sensitivity will inevitably result in a lot of background hiss. For best results, use the amp's 'clean' channel, or keep the input gain well down, use the lowest sensitivity input, and use the master volume to set the level.

Memory is organised into five banks of four presets; your user programs over-write the factory presets, but the original data remains in ROM and can be recalled at any time. Presets are constructed from combinations of up to five effects from the pool of 21 available.

The analogue compressor and distortion stages are incorporated into a single 'module' (in Zoom terminology). Five degrees of distortion are available, from 'Clean' (just compression), through 'Rhythm', 'Crunch' and 'Overdrive', through to 'Distortion'. The only parameter that can be adjusted within these effects however is compression, with a choice of two levels.

There is a simple 2-band EQ, and an Enhancer circuit, applying level-dependent HF boost — Frequency and Depth are variable. A Midrange Equaliser, derived from the phaser with the sweep disabled, adds further tonal possibilities, offering a resonant filter effect which is rather good at simulating the notch-filtering produced by different mic placements.

Modulation effects include the obvious Chorus (choice of mono or stereo), Flanger and Phaser settings, but also Tremolo (amplitude modulation), giving a pretty good simulation of the old throbbing Fender valve amp effect. Modulation modules generally offer Depth, Rate and Mix parameters. The modulation group is completed by Auto-Wah (envelope filter), Ring Modulator, and Sample and Hold stepped-filter effects, similar to those featured in the 9002. Only one type of modulation effect may be included in a preset.

A mono pitch-shifter allows up to one octave transposition in either direction, with a Fine parameter for subtle detune effects. The quality of the shifted signal is quite acceptable for guitar usage (remarkable, in fact, in a unit of this price), and the processing delay is manageable, even on octave-down transpositions.

Mono and stereo delay settings offer maximum delay times of 480 and 440ms, respectively, with control over feedback (called Decay for some reason), Time, and Mix. The delayed signal is clean and full-bandwidth. Reverb is available in two types; a Hall setting, which is reasonably diffuse, and Reverb Type 2, which is denser and also has an envelope parameter, designated Shape. This gives a choice of linear or non-linear (gated) decay, with a Reverse envelope option, in which the reverb swells to a virtual repeat. Mono delay and reverb are available simultaneously, but not stereo delay and reverb.

The Zoom 9000 offers the same intrinsic sound quality as its predecessor, in a robust, easy-to-use package — the smaller LCD and the loss of the three data entry sliders are perhaps compensated for by the reduced number of things to edit. The footswitch is undoubtedly a useful addition, and not just for stage work; there are times when a hands-off change of sound is just as valuable in a recording situation. This compact and lightweight plastic floor unit, powered directly from the 9000, offers four switches for direct preset selection, plus a bank-shift/bypass switch. Audio switching is admirably quiet in use, even through stage amplification.

I suspect that many users may not actually miss the parameters that have been omitted from the 9002, for there is still enough to achieve a wide variety of basic tonal characters and effects combinations. The factory presets, for this model, also cover a rather more immediately useful range — you could use one straight out of the box and never edit a thing.

The 9000 lists at about the same price which will now get you a discounted 9002. Your choice between the two should be determined by whether or not you need the footswitch, and the extent to which you feel you may utilise the extra subtleties undoubtedly available from the earlier model. Whichever one you buy, you will not be disappointed.

Further information

Zoom 9000 + footswitch £259.95 inc VAT.

MCMXCIX, (Contact Details).