Zoom

Earlier this week, Gearwire's Owen O'Malley rolled up his sleeves, enlisted the help of his band The Rikters, and recorded an epic demo the likes of which we haven't seen around these parts in ages. And it's a fitting demo for the Zoom R16, which has so much going on that it's just gonna take a while to explain. Let's enjoy it!  

Introduced back during NAMM this past January, the Zoom R16 is a portable 16-track recorder, USB interface, and DAW control surface in one. It sparked a lot of "when's this thing shipping?" posts when we first reported on it. Guess what: your posts have been answered.  

Owen has a pretty complex setup going in the studio with the Zoom H4n. Ever woodshedding on the clock, he ingeniously routes three sound sources into the puny but powerful little handy recorder. We hate to tell him that hey! Anybody can do that with this new Zoom. That's why they call it "handy."  

Ever the multi-tasker, Owen O'Malley holed up in the Gearwire studio recently and laid down a sweet track on the new Zoom H4n. Featuring more inputs and more control, this new handy recorder is handier than ever. Before you know it, Zoom's gonna figure out how to cram Albini into a handheld unit. . . . stilts 'n all!  

Tucson's Skincage records all manner of sound, from music to ambient, and he's used all manner of devices, all constructed from skin. AH HA HA JUST KIDDING. Zoom's portable H2 has Skincage's life much simpler, and he can tell you exactly why.  

The new multitrack recorder from Zoom -- the R16 -- picks up where the HD series left off, integrating even further with your computer for both standalone and computer usage. Plus, the real R16 won't be made out of cardboard like the prototype you see here.  

I've got to hand it to Zoom for handling the handheld recorder market so handily. The introduction of the H4n hands the baton from the H4 handheld recorder and takes it to 24-bit quality with new features and functions that musicians won't be able to keep their hands off of!  

Owen O'Malley puts his foot down on the ZOOM B2.1u bass multieffects processor to see what this little red machine can do. It packs in the features for the price, so we look into how they do it.  

When a mob boss (Robert DeNiro) finds himself in financial trouble, he decides to record an album he intends to pass off as just discovered Sinatra recordings, enlisting the reluctant and frightened aid of a top producer (Billy Crystal). Bill Holland directs Quantize That!  

The scientific method of Prof. Bill Holland leaves the Zoom MRT-3b under the microscope for some nanotechnological examination. This compact machine has an inordinate amount of kits packed within its walls.  

For our 50th installment of Crosstalk, we're bringing back at least part of the old format: tiny, easily digestible segments! In this first morsel, we answer some viewer mail, discuss ugly travel guitars and do a little research on the Muse Receptor and other VST Hosts.  

We pick up the acoustic guitar to see how far the Zoom A2.1u will stretch it. Walking through the presets, we check out everything from subtle guitar body models to alien effects.  

Though the shock appeal of Marilyn Manson has waned over the last decade after the sensible learned to dismiss some of the more extreme rumors about the artist, there's still something heartwarming about picturing Manson guitarist John 5 hard at work programming presets on his Zoom G1J signature pedal. You know, because some people probably still think he spends all his time worshiping the devil or something.  

Owen O'Malley steps into the studio with some of George Lynch's presets on the Zoom G2G George Lynch "Mr. Scary" Signature Edition multi-effects pedal. Unfortunately, David Lynch directed this Gearwire demo, so about halfway through it cuts to some strange, murderous dream sequence without precursor.  

In the grand finale of our look at the Zoom ZFX Stack Package, we focus on the effects section and the various ways you can arrange the multitude of virtual emulated stompboxes.  

Now that we've thoroughly inspected the interface in a Maude Lebowski sense of the word, it's time to check out the plugin software. If you've used modeling software before, you're really not in for any surprises. But how does the sound compare to its competitors?  

The Zoom ZFX Stack Package combines an audio interface with guitar plugin software to provide guitarists with a basic recording suite. Owen O'Malley investigates what the interface can do.  

Her first EP, Light is out and Calgary's Sora has some tips for other singers.  

Patrick Ogle journeys to the darkest, deepest trenches of Austin where only scant light reaches for very short periods of time to talk to Rob and Kate Houle of Before Dawn. Kate shows us the Zoom 506 II and one of Rob's creations -- a patch selecting footswitch he built for it.  

In the third installment of Gearwire's field recorder shootout, Owen O'Malley seeks out Chicago's premier acoustic open mic night legend, J. Irving-Giles. Josh took a break from enchanting coffee-drinking audiences with his folksy ballads and writing in the third person to put three field recorders to the test.  

We continue our look at the Zoom SB-246 Streetboxx as Bill Holland overviews some of the functions that make the SB-246 usable live.  

Gearwire's Bill Holland goes 8 Mile with the Zoom SB-246 Streetboxx. Will Bill give up his rig and start making his beats on the SB-246? Probably not, but check out the beats you can make using this small groove machine.  

What do Musak and Public Transportation have in common? They're both featured in this installment of our Field Recorder Shootout! Join Owen O'Malley as he test our three recorders out in a large, indoor mall, and tries [emphasis on "tries"] to record a passing el train.  

We haven't done a shootout in a while, so we decided it was time to bring them on back and bring them back right. In part one, Owen O'Malley takes the Zoom H2, Marantz PMD 620 and Sony PCM D50 down by the Chicago River to test their limits in the Windy City.  

Zoom has had their hand in digital effects for quite some time -- in fact, I'm petitioning to see the Zoom 505 on VH1's "I Love The 90s." It's only natural that they've stepped up to the plate with a software modeler with the introduction of Zoom's ZFX.  

Zoom H4 newcomers, need some help navigating the Effects section? This video is for you. Check out the basics on getting around in the Effects section, and see the guy with the goofy hair playing the guitar. Mercifully, you...  

The Zoom H4 is an excellent tool for recording just about anything you could possibly want. From concert bootlegs right off the mixing board to 4 track recording in your home studio or practice space, this little rig is da...  

The Zoom H4 is a combination stereo recorder and four track. This video gives us a basic overview of the four track section, and introduces us to the basic features. The first of a series of videos on the Zoom H4 four-track...  

The Zoom H4 handy recorder is not just great for recording musician interviews, wild sound on location, or any other use of the "stereo mode". It's also got a built-in four track recorder and a very nice effects section for...  

What do bad hair, a teeny-tiny handheld recorder, two AA batteries, overuse of the word "handy", and an SD memory card have in common? They are all part of this introduction to the fabulous Zoom H4 recorder. Gearwire's Joe...