Click on the Music Gear Review banner above to return to the main page

Zoom 505 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal   by Chris Bereznay             May 22, 2000              

     When you talk about value and effects processors in the same sentence, many manufacturers come to mind. However, when you talk about the most value, and the lowest price possible, only one effects processing line of products come to mind - Zoom. The Zoom 505 Guitar effects processor, which we'll be looking at today, is the least expensive, most feature laden pedal that I know of.

The Zoom literature highlights that the Zoom 505 is the world's only fully programmable GUITAR multi-effect unit in a compact pedal format. With 24 world-class Zoom guitar effects with up to 9 you can use simultaneously, the Zoom 505 includes the latest and greatest distortions, delays, reverbs, wah, chorus, flanger, EQ, 2-octave pitch bend and more. This compact wonder also includes 24 programmable user patch locations, a built-in auto-chromatic tuner, and "Acoustic" guitar effect. Plus, you can purchase the optional FP01 Expression Pedal which lets you create a wide range of wah, pitch bend and volume effects variations. The unit also includes stereo line out/headphone out with master level control.

Many guitarists would shun at a pedal this inexpensive. Amazingly, for the price it is offered at, the unit is extremely well made and durable. Programming your own patches is not complicated at all. The unit is just a joy to use. In addition, one of the greatest "external" features of the Zoom 505 is the amazing fan support on the web. You can do a search on the Zoom 505 and find dozens of sites where users are sharing their own patches, patches designed to model a a particular guitarists configuration, and other neat things you can use your 505 for. There are even patch databases out there with numerous user-made offerings.

Most often I run the Zoom 505 between my Ibanez RG570 and my Marshall VS65R. Combined with the warm tones that the Marshall creates, the Zoom 505 effects sound really nice. Although there is some difference in quality, it's really hard to tell that the quality of the effects are not as good as some of the more expensive units out there. One thing you will notice, though, is the somewhat limited range and functionality of each effect within the programming parameters. You only find that level of adjustment in much, much more expensive units, though. The functionality and settings you get with the Zoom 505 are more than enough to blow you away at this price.

Sometimes I like to experiment with the unit and I will use it between my Ovation Celebrity Deluxe Electric / Acoustic and my PA System to bring some life to what sometimes is a boring signal coming out of the PA. The most fun I've had, though, is using the Zoom 505 with a microphone. You can get some really cool tones and effects out of your voice when altering it with the effects this pedal provides.

Bottom Line

For the price, you can't beat it. 24 Effects, 24 patches to program, and you can use 9 effects at a time. You might not think that the effects are as high quality as you would get with more expensive units, and they might not be as adjustable as you'd like, but for the price, you just can't beat the Zoom 505 on value. I've been using it exclusively for the last couple of months and it really came in handy when I couldn't afford a more expensive unit. Keep in mind, this is no substitute for a higher end floor or rack system, but it fills a nice void in the market with what it offers. The Zoom 505 is one super multi-effects pedal at a single effect pedal price.

 

Purchase this item by clicking below!

ZOOM 505 GUITAR MULTI-EFFECTS PEDAL

ZOOM 505 EFFECTS PEDAL TRANSPARENT BLUE

Click Here To Return To The Music Gear Review Home Page