All user reviews for the Zoom PS-02

Well, I´m a guitarist and I needed something to record my ideas and songs. I did not have much money, and my old Tascam portastudio tape recorder was full of problems.So, I read somewhere that Zoom had this digital recorder; it cost me around US$ 450 at the time.

Well, it works fine as an effect unit, much like the Zoom pedals. It has some nice effects for voice also, and some upgrades that could be downloaded through the web.

The problem is that it´s very hard to record with this little thing. If you want to do a layered song, it´s very, very hard. That´s why I want a Boss recorder. A friend of mine has the BR-532, and it works like those old multi-track tape recorders.Very easy to use, and with the bounce feature, it gets even easier.

The overall quality of the PS-02 is very good, that´s why I still keep it as an effect unit. But if you want something to record seriously...

Maybe I´m being too hard with Zoom; they have many good products. But my sincere opinion is that BOSS is making the best digital recorders with affordable prices.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased from Internet source - Zzounds.com after research into affordable digital home recorders. I paid $299.00.

The PS-02 has some very nice features. It records to very slick SmartMedia cards. The unit has many built in effects, amp simulations, chromatic tuner, drum and bass tracks and a built in condensor mic. It is certainly compact in size. The controls are fairly simple - there isn't room for many. There are inputs for a musical source such as a guitar (1/4") and a stand alone mic. There is a headphone out. It comes with an A/C adaptor and a small SmartMedia card. The manual is OK. It offers fairly clear descriptions of functions and processes needed to lay down a track.

I bought the PS-02 primarily to record acoustic guitar and vocal tracks. The built in effects, amp models, etc. were not very well suited to acoustic guitars. It appeared the unit was designed much more with electric guitars in mind. The adjustments on the effects didn't seem to make much difference. I was never really able to get a satisfactory acoustic sound with either my Taylor 612C or Taylor 310-MCE.

The small size of the unit is both a blessing and a curse. Though it is quite portable, the controls are very small. The LCD display is very small. Seeing the display well required me to be pretty close to the unit. Plugging in a 1/4" guitar cord into such a small and lightweight unit meant the cord pretty much determined the position of the PS-02, making seeing the small display often difficult to see. I found I had to prop the unit up and wedge it between something stable like some books to keep it from moving around.

Since the actual unit is small, the manual is also rather small. I downloaded and printed a copy of the manual from the Zoom website si it was more readable.

The small 8mb SmartMedia card that is supplied is useless for anything but storing the system files needed to fire the unit up. I recommend getting at least a 64mb card. It will handle up to 128mb.



The controls felt like they were of good quality and I felt they would hold up well over time. I felt the PS-02 was pretty well built and pretty well laid out given its very small size.

Basically, the PS-02 is just too small and not well suited for acoustic guitars. I returned it to Zzounds for a full refund and I am thinking of getting a Boss BR-532.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

A stereo input jack 6.35, a stereo input jack 3.5, a stereo output jack 6.35, 1 headphone jack 3.5. Sampling 32K. SmartMedia storage: watch a 64MB card will not be too much (64MB = 33mn of sampling in high quality mode). If you record 3 tracks on a piece of 5 minutes is half of the card is used. There are less than 64MB smartmedia 40EUR now but hurry this format should be completed in the coming years. No MIDI sync or another and it's a shame. It saves a source at a time, mono (on a track) or stereo (2-track). After reading you do what you want: you can mix, merge to release tracks, etc. .. There is an effects processor built for guitar, bass, keyboard and voice. Also includes a drum machine and bass sequencer automatically. Unfortunately there is little editing functions in the sequencer (no copy / paste for example). We must all go measure by measure, and it is impossible to intervene in the notes. Similarly, the drum patterns are not directly editable. on the other hand can import them and that's a strong point with a SmartMedia card reader on the PC, you can import your work into a sequencer type Cakewalk or Cubase, to rework the song. Conversely you can inject in the PS02 rhythms or samples. Zoom also provides on its website free specialized library (rock, hiphop ,..). Attention also to rhythms that are only available from 4 / 4. Lovers of 5 / 4, 6 / 8, ... or those who want to insert a measure in 2 / 4 in the middle of the song, can not do it.

Given the small size (as small as a walkman!) Handling is not very easy. And minus buttons are used for different functions. This is the counterpart of miniaturization. The use is not very intuitive but the doc is done well (small size too!) And we found it.

The sound quality of this little device is impressive. The effects are very typical but good quality. The drum and bass are very clean. Finally the recording quality is excellent for the use intended: making small models on the fly, make a sound recording Instant repetition, for example. The microphone quality is amazing! You can record the voice, without the need for an external microphone.

For the price it is truly a gift that stuff. It is ideal for anyone who wants to quickly make small models without taking the cabbage with a gas plant on micro sequencer. I use it to compose, store musical ideas, plans, I will then listen for group play. It is also a great tool to work the guitar record a chord on the bass track and the sequencer will turn adlib you to work your rhythm and your pentatonic myxolidiennes I would have preferred a little more large for easier handling with more buttons to get + faster, and with a sequencer editable. I also liked the rechargeable batteries in place of or to avoid the cable to the power supply transformer. But all this is that details in relation to the amount of features offered by this gem: Magneto multitrack digital, effects processor, drum machine. I would definitely do it again this choice.

Everything said on the subject does not add anything

Reduces all is its simplest .5 max buttons to grate dozens of functions: user manual + is 4 times larger than the device, but the menu navigation is quite intuitive and the user manual is well done and in French ....

The sounds are excellent for a camera of this size, which is trs gadget ....
ds that the arm on a table one is surprised at the quality sound and rendering ...

I use it for 15 days I am amazed by the possibilities of this device.
The function of imports and exports via the card reader is interresting trs
the built-in microphone is of excellent quality recordings to dub the fly ... They can TRANSFR PC without pb ...
It is impractical card 64 or 128 M for recordings if it is too short
The price quality ratio is excellent, I bought mine 240 euros with a 32M card (this is the bare minimum ...) and a power supply ....
I am a guitarist, this device is both a notepad for ides, a small walkman that allows me to work on rhythmic light version, a recorder RPET, a small compound or arranger for my times. ... I then reinjected into my PC;
This is not a professional studio but a scratch is a great companion.
I certainly do it again trs choice if silent again distributed as unfortunately we do find more than nine ......

A record entry, with a
Stokes Smart Media (128MB ke more advice! and this, y 'aa 30euros a casino .. qd is not even a negligible price fnac cot and more!)
recording track by track
Track Record: 3 ds first, and then limit the size of the map with the bounce function, but nivo can move and it's quite unpleasant to have to redo everything ...

The Superpost 4 or 5 functions is not really a problem ...
manual very clear to my taste

Converter ... relatively clean .. but it is far from the top! rather it is to work in a hurry
nice and configurable effects, but quality not always as good as love! mastering effective!

I use it for a little less than a year
it is simply a must to be able to make his pieces in peinars apart without the neighbors knock on the door ... k'il the moment there is no singing, but really the impact and quality of sound are enjoyable as some time .. one tires quickly ... the rhythms are prenregistrs ARCHIMOYENS and unnecessary ...
qualitprix report ... not bad ... There's been better for the same price ...
if I had the choice again I'm not sure I would take ke no bigger ... but if the purpose and work a bit in a hurry and that is content with little, it's a great toy!