506 by ZOOM Topic: Equipment: Effects

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Reviewed on 5/15/00 by Pat O'Neill (164) Rating: Overall it sounds alright Model Year: 1997 Price: $275 Cdn (new) Where Obtained: The Arts Music store Features: It has a edit button, a store button,a + and - Button for scrolling through levels.Has two foot switches. Sound Quality: The Zoom sounds incredible but it got really borning playing around with it.Also the distortion on it takes your bottem end away Ease of Use: For me it was hard to use because I had no english instructions and the store did not give me any Durability: Very weak unstable pedal

Reviewed on 7/31/00 by Duane Wright (1072) Rating: I bought this because i wanted a new toy.. this had a bunch of different effects i could play with and experiment with and have fun with. it cost a little more than one effect peddle (ex a $100 distortion peddle or so). so i figured that since its the same price for so many different effects its gotta be worth it. it has its little problems but has brought me hours of fun :) Price: $120.00 (new) Where Obtained: Central Music in Brockton MA Features: It has compressor, limiter, resonant wah, fat wah, 2 clean tones, fat tone, slap tone, over drive, vintage gain, fuzz, thrash, noise reducer, an EQ, phase, 2 diff choruses, flange, synth, octave, delay, hall reverb, and room reverb. you can create your own custom effects and save them. runs off of a nine voltbut I bought the AC adapter. Sound Quality: The sound is pretty good, but a tend to get noise when i dont want to and the distortion sounds better if you use it with a guitar not a bass.. Ease of Use: It is pretty simple to operate if you have the instructions. they explain everything very simply and once you play with it for a few minutes you get the hang of it. Durability: I have had problems with the button on the side that is the up/down selector during the edit mode.. it tends to stick down sometimes, which can be a major pain if you are trying to create your own effect or edit an existing one.

Reviewed on 9/18/00 by Patrick White (85) Rating: If I had known how easy to break down it was I would not have ever bought one, but if the zoom people ever beef up the durability I will have one on stage with me every time,a nice steel tightly closed outer shell and more stable electronics would do just fine. Model Year: 2000 Price: $100 (new) Where Obtained: mars muaic Features: The box has two main controlers that are good targets for your feet,it uses either 4 AA batteries or a ac addapter, Sound Quality: I play a Ibanez rd 707 through a peavy TK 65 doing classic rock and current tunes and find the 506 has all the effects I was looking for,with the 707 I need a good compressior and with the old TK 65 I need several different vintage amp sounds and effects and the 506 has them all-plus a lot more I would never use,since I can "mix" up my own sounds and effects the possabilities are endless,and all the effects sound very good Ease of Use: It is kind of hit and miss to dial in some the sounds you might be looking for,but it also gives you a chance to be creative,where as a box with only one effect can only dial in that effect,multi effects units are best on a tight budget Durability: The only problem I have found with the 506 is they are sooo easy to fail,stomp too hard,bang around a little bit or the biggest threat is if ANY moisture in the least gets on it is gone for good,this is a real hazzard if you play in clubs or outside,I wrap mine in plastic, cut holes for the jacks and duck tape tight around the cords,this box is best used in a enviroment such as a church or studio where it is not moved around much or exposed to idiots with beer leaning over the stage to tell you about that "gig" they can swing for you at the playboy mansion.

Reviewed on 12/17/00 by Doug Matthews (4123) Rating: The unit requires you to buy a foot pedal to use foot controled wah, volume and octaver control in addition to another pedal to control bank switching which somehow are supposed to fit into the same jack. Price: $105 (new) Features: The zoom 506 has a built-in tuner, 24 preprogramed patches, patch up/down pedals, edit & store keys, and is capable of compression, limiting & wah in the first module, several distortion settings & distortion level in the distortion module, a znr/amp module, equalizer & phase shift in the eq module, chorus, flanger, synthesizer & octaver in the mod module, delay & reverb in the dly/rev module, and a patch level module. Sound Quality: Everyone i know who owns a zoom 506 has problems with equal levels between different patches. many of the preprogramed patches sound cheesy. the main complaint about this effect unit is that the delay and the reverb are in the same module so they cant be used simotainiously. Ease of Use: The unit is fairly easy to program i mainly use it for equalising, compression, limiting, distortion, octave and phase. Durability: Another major complaint about the unit is that the edit & store / direct load and the tuner cal edit val bank switches become sticky.

Reviewed on 12/26/00 by Martin Marrow (166) Rating: Itīs ok if you want a effects processor but you are not so into that, other way if i were you i would look for some other stuff. Price: $200 (new) Where Obtained: Coutinho Music Features: I was looking for a cheap and complete effects processor, and you can deny that this zoom is perfect for that. Is AC powered and also battery-powered, thatīs a good thing. Itīs all plastic so be careful how you handle it. The Zoom 506 has many effects to choose from, but it has to many useless options for my taste.Another good point is that it has an entry for wahwah or distortion pedals. Sound Quality: I use a Jackson C4P model with a Peavey Basic 112 amp, and sounds ok. I donīt really use some many effects, although i play in general metal tunes, i use a little distortion or wahwah, but nothing more. A good aspect in this processor is that you can create millions of combinations of effects for the price you pay. Has an ok sound, watch that level option, donīt put it on high numbers because it sounds noisy as hell. Ease of Use: Itīs very easy to create patches, once you have learned it. If you are looking for a serious equipment, maybe you should use it with other pedals. In my case i donīt really care about effects, so is ok for me. Durability: I had it for about a year, and when i was playing with some friends, i always left it in the floor for days, even a week, with no protection, believe it or not now it looks like new, but donīt follow my advices......

Reviewed on 1/3/01 by Rick Huff Rating: Overall the unit has some useful patches and it is easy to program and adjust specific parameters. It is fun to play with; but only at home. The chorus, phaser, reverb and fuzz are very nice. However, this thing is really noisy especially when compared to the newcomer the BFX 708. The 708 is definitely worth the few extra bucks because it has no noise at all. I would not recommend this unit for playin' out. It is great for use at home but it seems the bigger the amp, the more noise it makes. Price: $130 (new) Where Obtained: Musician's Friend Features: Two foot switches for selecting patches and tuning instrument. Also has two microswitches for editing patches. Burns up batteries quickly. Definitely need the AC adapter which was $25. Sound Quality: Very noisy on most of the useful patches. Some reprogramming helps. From my perspective, many of the predesigned patches are not at all useful. Some sound downright crappy although for some users today, this is cool. You be the judge...... Taken individually, the 506 has a very nice chorus, phase, compressor, reverb, and octaver. These alone when used alone, make the unit worth the price. The fuzz is superior. Better than the Zoom BFX 708. Ease of Use: Spend a few minutes with the directions and it is easy to adjust, readjust or to clear the registry for the original factory settings. The tuner is great for the 4 and 5 string axe. Durability: One of the microswitches wore out (it sticks) and causes the unit to spaz. After the warranty period of course. The foot switches are sturdy and continue to work well. The overall construction of this unit is good but you must keep the microswitches clean with q-tips so they won't stick.

Reviewed on 1/6/01 by Josh Secondo (65) Rating: Overall, it is a good pedal. For the price, you can't go wrong and for how small it is, you'll wonder if it's a multi effects pedal!!! Model Year: 1998 Price: $75 (new) Where Obtained: Roxy's Music Store in Batavia NY Features: 24 Effects 8 at once 24 Programs Auto Chromatic Tuner Bass-Synth Effect Amp Simulator 9 volt Battery Backup Sound Quality: I use a Jackson C5-MJ w/ a Peavey TKO 115 S and this pedal makes a great addition. It's a multi effects pedal that actually lets you use 8 effects at once, which makes it a great sounding pedal. It has 24 different single effects, making it useful for all types of music. Ease of Use: It has 24 programs which can be modified. It takes a little bit of work to edit it, but the finished product is well worth the work. Plus, if you decide you want the old program back . . . you can reset to default! Durability: This pedal is made of durable plastic, not medal. That is the only thing that it lacks. It is constructed nicely and durable though. It can be used on the road.

Reviewed on 2/20/01 by Mike Hileman (239) Rating: Overall, i like this unit and am glad i bought it. I didnt have to sell a leg to buy it either. Pros: Cheap, can get many good effects if you spend some time working with it, easy to use Cons: not as durable as many MANY other pedals, STAY AWAY FROM THE FACTORY PRESETS Price: $80? (new) Where Obtained: musicians friend Features: It has some very basic features on it. Its got 2 pedals to cycle through settings, and 4 little buttons which are used to set, store, and jump cycle up and down your settings. There's a screen that displays what effects your using, and what setting your at. This is AC and battery powered. However, the AC adapter costs $20 extra (little hint: an old Nintendo AC adapter does the trick). Overall basic, but useful. Sound Quality: I believe that the sound quality on this effects pedal is pretty good for the price you pay. I bought this when I figured I would want all these effects to calm my bass appetite, but now I see that theres no way I would need all these. Some are just goofy. Whats nice though is that you can record your own presets over the factory presets. You can tweak the distortions, and wahs, and chorus to just how you like it. Some of the distortion are noisy (I play through a small peavey practice amp, but its also noisy through a 150w amp as well). Overall, good quality for your buck. Ease of Use: I had no problems with the unit, and it's not like Im an electronics whiz (far from it in fact). It's basically self-explanitory. Theres also an instructions manual that helps explain how the pedal works. I used it mostly to find out what kind of sound ZOOM was trying to make with their presets (theres a section in the manual saying this; ie "british distortion" "jet overdrive"). Anywho, its very easy to work. Durability: Well, all i gotta say is, this aint no stomp box. I avoid hitting the pedals with my feet whenever I can. It is made out of some plastic (metal would have been nicer)and I'm not all that sure how sturdy it is. It doesnt look sturdy, it doesnt feel sturdy, but then again it hasn't broken from my playing in 6 months. I'm waiting for it to give out though. Oh yeah, the LCD screen came scratched for shipping too, but it's not like that intefers with anything. Overall, just dont "test" the durability, cuz I dont think you'll be happy with the results

Reviewed on 4/11/01 by Ronnie Duisters (468) Rating: In this price it's one of the best you can have. I leant a Korg Hyperbass pedal one day, but it's more expensive and more limited. The worst thing is the noise, especially when recording with it. But the effects are good, and I'm glad I bought it in those days! Model Year: 1997 Where Obtained: Eindhoven Musical Instrumensts Features: It's a digital multi-effect pedal. There are two big main foot buttons, which are operated to change the patch. 4 small buttons on the side are used to set the parameters. It's a DC powered apparatus (adapter included), and it also can be powered by battery (9V), but the battery only lasts 4 hrs or so. It has lots of effects, all you need on your bass. ((Auto-)Wah, Compressor, Limiter, Distortion/Overdrive, Slapsound, Equaliser, Noise Reduction, Octaver, Chorus, Synt, Hall/Room/Delay-effect, Level setting) It includes a chromatic tuner, and you can connect an expression pedal to it (for wah and octaver functions). It's stereo, especially for the chorus. You can use 7 effects at one time. There are 24 patches to put your own sounds into. Sound Quality: I use my three basses: Ibanez ATK300Bk, Ibanez Roadster Fretless and Rockson Jazz. My amp is a Peavey Century 100W from 1979. I wasn't even born then. I play progressive rock, so I try to put lots of effects in my lines. Especially the auto-wah for funk lines. You can play whatever style you like, there are enough sounds for everybody. It's a great pedal for a small price. The only disadvantage is the noise it produces (probably some digital quantisation noise). The noise reduction doesn't quite remove all noise. All effects are quite good. Ease of Use: The programming takes some time to study. I'm quite quick with those sort of things, but the limitation of buttons is something to watch out for. On the internet you can download some cool settings! But all small multi-effects pedals need some studying before you can use it the right way. It's quite logical when you got the hang of it. Durability: It's quite a reliable machine. The only thing that is broken on mine is a small button on the side. It sticks sometimes, but with a key or a screwdriver the problem is easily solved. And it's only needed for programming. It's made of heavy-duty plastic.

Reviewed on 6/6/01 by Jeremy Majors (272) Rating: The compressor on this unit could be a bit better, but overall I find it to be pretty good for the money. Model Year: 2000 Price: $120.00 (new) Where Obtained: Mars Music Features: Pretty straight forward stomp box with multiple effects. I find it a bit noisy but not so bad for the money. Sound Quality: I use this with my Squire P-Bass Specail 5 string at my church for worship service. I think it is comparable with the Korg model of similar pricing. I find the octaver to be very cool. Ease of Use: This unit is programmable and very easy to use. Also very easy to reset to factory settings. Durability: This unit has survived my 2 and a half year old with little more than a few scratches.

Reviewed on 7/9/01 by Toby Webber (1413) Rating: Generally I think this pedal was well worth the Ģ70 i paid for it. It has lasted well and it still gets a lot of use. The only down point I found was that the sound quality was not that realistic. I am still happy with it though..... Model Year: 1998 Where Obtained: Fret Music, Southampton Features: A small compact floor effects unit with tons of versatility and fuctions. It also has the option of a seperate expression pedal. Sound Quality: Sound quality is not 100% like some of the effects I have heard. The noise's that it creates sound of an electronic origin (I know that's how they are made) unlike some of the effects processors that are on the market that use digital samples of certain instruments etc, One of these is the new ZOOM bfx range. Ease of Use: Talk about easy to program !!!. It has a simple button to press to enter the edit mode. You use the same button to cycle through the options (indicated by a flashing LED). You then hit edit to edit that option then use the + and - keys to change the parameters of that effect...simple. Durability: I have had this unit for about 3 years now and it has been gigged HARD. It has been dropped countless times , stomped on , It has had more pints of beer on it than I have had to drink in a night and it still keeps going. I would recommend a slight mod to the mains adapter though. The input jack is OK but the adaptor has a stupid star shaped jack on the end of it of which you choose the correct end that fits into the pedal. I had snapped about 3 of them. In the end I went to my local electronics store and bought a decent jack for the end (a little right angled one) and it works great.

Reviewed on 7/14/01 by Some Guy (4) Rating: Originaly i was looking at getting a Boss Metal-Zone, i pretty much just wanted i pedal with good distorion, and u cant go past the Boss, but sales person talked me into buying the 506. I dont think its very practical for gigs, its probably best just for getting a feel for effects u like. If it was to be stolen, i probably wouldnt buy another one given the chance. Price: $180 AUS (new) Where Obtained: Holden Hill Music SOUTH AUSTRALIA Features: The unit has a toggle up and down pedal, both side by side, to acces the inbuilt tuner u have to press both the pedals simultaneously, this can be a bit of a pain in the ass. It takes either a 9V battery, or adapter, an adapter is recomended as this thing eats through f---ing batterys quick. It has a store andedit button on the left side of the unit, and on the right a buttons to toggle up and and down through the banks, and to set the tuner. A control pedal wouldve been handy for the way, octave, and volume effects Sound Quality: Ive mainly used this pedal with my Yamaha RBX260. I've used it through my practice amp (a p---y 15W Samick), a Fender BR with a 15inch speaker (ported, and a few carvin, hartke and ampeg rigs. The type of amp used didnt seem to effect the sound at all. The distortion and synth effects kill the bass and there is ALOT of backgound noise involved. Another thing that got at me was the fact that the effects didnt react as wel with a lot of bass, i had to turn the treble right up to get a dramatic effect. I guess its well suited for any style,its a multi-effects unit, ive played Cliff Burtons Solo, Pulling Teeth using this pedal with an effect i created myself and a cry baby, it sounded pretty much like the original version, its also got some very funky effects, the fat way, the reso wah, combined with octave sounds cool. Ease of Use: I guess this is pretty user friendly, creating effects are basic, i figured it out without looking at the instructions, i guess creating a good effects depends on how creative u are, although the effects and the way theyre set out is kinda restricting. Durability: I dont think its well suited for gigs, its got a couple of rubber stips on the bottom, but thats not gonna stop it from sliding around. I guess its durable in the sense that ive had it for 2 years and it still works fine, although it is made of plastic (except for the base). It doesnt compare to the Boss pedals, u can stomp on those thigs as much as u want, they wont break, ive never had the guts to stomp on my 506.

Reviewed on 10/31/01 by Dr. Tom Barton (1452) Rating: It's not the best pedal in the world but it gets the job done. If you have an active bass, you may want to consider just running direct. This unit is good for obtaining a well-rounded sound. This unit is well worth it if all you have is $100. A good beginners unit. Price: $99.99 (new) Where Obtained: Musicians Friend Features: This unit has somewhat customizable patches. The factory patches sucked. You could pretty much control a good bit of your basses sound with it. It has 2 main patch selectors, Up and Down. 24 preset and/or user defined patches. It is AC and battery powered, The compressor and limiter effect could have worked better. I wish it was stereo, that would be cool. Sound Quality: The overall sound quality is good, accept that some patches hissed. It is well suitable for any type of music. I play at church and som funk, punk, and jazz using this proccesor. Ease of Use: This unit is probably one of the easiest to program out there. It doesen't take a whole lot of fiddling to get a good sound, but it requires some fiddling. Most more expensive units are better, but hey, you get what you pay for. But comparing eae of use, THIS THING IS SIMPLE. Durability: This unit can withstand HELL. I have poured beer on this thing and it still works. Enough said.

Reviewed on 1/17/02 by Jerald Sutton (161) Rating: I bought this one because it was cheap, and playing with a passive bass, I found that I needed something to enhance my sound. So I picked this up, and it has worked pretty good....while I look to buy a new one! Price: $30 (used) Where Obtained: Local Music Store Features: It's a good effects pedal if you are uncertain of what kind of sound you're looking for. Great for a beginner, but the advanced players need to spend a little more coin. Sound Quality: With a whole slew of effects, several different styles can be played with it. I play jazz and blues. The Chorus and Octaver effects are my personal forvorites for soloing. Ease of Use: Simple. Durability: Pretty durable. I drop it often and it still works for me. I've given it the old heavy foot tap a few times too. Haven't had a problem with it yet.

Reviewed on 1/13/04 by Rich Marchman (192) Rating: Has a heap of cool effects (24 in total) to play around with. You can set the batches to include up to 8 effects at once making a butt-load of available sounds. It has some problems...some of the effects are a little noisy. Occasionally, after I've been playing for a half hour or so, I'll hear some pops. All in all, it's a great piece. It does what I want for not much money, I have access to Wah's, Fuzz, Flange, Chorus, Distortion, Reverb, Octave, Compressor, Phase shifter, synth and I only paid for 1 pedal. I definitely recommend it. AC or battery power (i always keep it plugged in) The end result for me...a whole bunch of fun effects to play around with, and really simple to use. Not exactly studio recording quality sound, but great for the price...two thumbs up Price: $30 (used) Where Obtained: used, bought on ebay Features: 24 Different effects Programmable patches w/ 8 effects at once AC power or battery Sound Quality: Not studio quality here, but still decent Ease of Use: SIMPLE Durability: No problems here, hard shell, I've stomped it a few times and it's still running

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