There are up to four parameters visible in the window at any one time, and these may be directly accessed using the four small rotary controls to the right of the front panel. The effect type may then be selected by scrolling through the available options using the Effect Type buttons. Moving from Edit to Play and vice versa is simply a matter of pressing the Edit button until either the desired module icon is flashing or none are flashing at all. The Module/Bypass button toggles between On and Off for whatever module is selected or acts as a global bypass when the unit is in Play mode. If a tile lights up red, it is active, and if green, it is bypassed. Whichever module is currently selected flashes. EditingĮditing patches is surprisingly simple: the two Edit buttons are used to run backwards or forwards through the nine effects blocks, all of which appear as little illuminated tiles to the right of the main display. This can be programmed to be either on or off in a specific patch the software allows send and return levels to be adjusted to match the device in question. The 9050S has an insert point, allowing an external effect to be connected. A patch assignment table function is included so that you can match any 128 of the stored effects patches to the 128 available MIDI program change commands. The current patch number may be nudged up or down using the Patch buttons below the patch number window, though for live use, using either the optional FC50 foot pedal unit or direct MIDI access of the patches would be quicker. However, because the factory settings are permanently stored in ROM, they can be called up to replace the user patches if necessary.Īs far as the front‑panel readout is concerned, the patches are numbered A 01‑99 and B 01‑99, though they all have names as well as numbers. The factory patches apparently also exist in ROM but can't be accessed directly, so you can't keep the 198 factory settings and then create an additional 198 of your own. The memory structure of the 9050S is a little unorthodox, in that the 198 available patches come pre‑loaded with factory patches, all of which may be edited or replaced by the user. It's worth emphasising that some of the overdrive and amp simulator settings can also be made to sound quite wonderful on keyboards, especially if you're into wailing solos. However, the 9050S's abundance of quality digital effects make it equally suitable for general‑purpose studio or keyboard use and, unlike so many sophisticated effects units, it also features a wonderfully friendly user interface. An optional foot controller, the FC50, allows the first 40 patches to be accessed via footswitches and also includes volume and controller pedal inputs for real‑time parameter and level control. Obviously designed with the guitar player very much in mind, the 9050S utilises a sophisticated hybrid (analogue plus digital) overdrive/distortion section and a speaker simulator which can be switched to emulate a broad range of amplifier types. All audio connections are on jacks and the front panel includes a high‑impedance input jack for use with guitar and a stereo headphone jack, which is very welcome for private practice sessions. The input converters are 16‑bit linear types using 64 times oversampling, while the output is also 16‑bit linear. The auto setup mode is very straightforward you simply plug in your instrument, press the button, and refrain from playing while the 9030 sets a suitable threshold level. The noise reduction behaves like a noise gate with a medium release time, and the fact that it comes between the overdrive section and the delay/reverb effects means that it doesn't tend to chop the ends off decaying sounds. The 9050S's philosophy and operating system is much the same as that of its predecessor, though the number of available effect types has been increased to 55 and there are various other enhancements, such as an Auto mode for setting up the single‑ended noise reduction and a sophisticated built‑in guitar tuner. Paul White investigates the need for speed.Īside from its menacing black livery, the Zoom 9050S could easily be mistaken for the 9030 - indeed, the new paint job makes it look even more like a top‑end car radio than ever. All rights reserved.Based on the popular 9030, the Zoom 9050S offers combinations of up to eight simultaneous effects from a repertoire of 55 effect types.
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