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The only problem I had with this software was getting it in the first place! The G2.1Nu comes with a CD containing Steinberg Cubase LE, but Edit&Share wasn’t included in the box. Further, it’s not available from Zoom’s US site (part of Samson Technologies’ site for its distributed brands)—you can get the software manual in PDF form from there, but not the software itself. This will hopefully change soon, but in the meantime, don’t fret: I’ve done the searching for you. On the English-language page of Zoom’s home site in Japan, there’s a download page for the Edit&Share software, whose installer includes the latest USB drivers, and I’ve made a simple pointer to it at http://tinyurl.com/ZoomEditShare for your convenience. You’re welcome! Extras The G2.1Nu functions as a USB audio interface; when you install the Edit&Share software you also get the latest version of the audio drivers, and it was recognized instantly by my test DAW software. The audio interface runs at 16 bits and 32, 44.1, or 48 kHz sample rate, and includes a switchable direct monitor function so you can play and hear yourself without latency issues. This lets the player do guitar recording without having to buy a separate interface, which is a real treat for the beginner. One thing I’d like to have seen was the ability to send dry audio to the DAW and use the G2.1Nu’s effects only for confidence monitoring, for reamping applications. There’s a powerful built-in tuner, a 5-second looper function where the footswitches let you record, play back, and overdub audio, and Zoom’s now-common built-in rhythm playback engine so you can mix looped drum tracks with your playing. (And yes, the looper can sync to the rhythm tracks.) A handy Direct button lets you turn cabinet emulation on and off for direct-toDAW use vs. playing into an amp, and there’s even a battery-friendly “eco” mode switchable on the bottom of the box. Final thoughts Almost all of my gripes with the G2.1Nu stem from its being a small and affordable pedal with the heart of something easily triple its asking price. I could hear the power available under the hood, but with only three parameters to tweak at any given time and no more than two pedals, or a pedal and a footswitch, to control them (“Do I give up my volume pedal so I can tap tempo on my delays?”), I occasionally found myself frustrated by what I knew the G2.1Nu could do, if only I could tell it to do it. But I think I’m in the minority when it comes to pedals like this; working in electronica and ambient music, I tend to want to control everything all at once, rather than focus on the basics of what folks need to play a rock or blues or jazz set on stage or in the studio. The G2.1Nu gives you a solid
RECORDING SEPTEMBER 2010

set of basic control features—attach an external pedal and you have your volume and wah sorted out, and not a lot of folks need much more than that if the sound’s there. And let’s be frank—the sound is there. Zoom, like all makers of modeled amps and effects, has its fans and its detractors, and I count myself among the fans. The modulation and time-based effects are gorgeous, you have a huge variety of distortion and overdrive sounds to choose from with just enough tweakability to let you dial in your sound to your taste, and everything is organized neatly and easily so you never get lost or buried while setting up sounds or using them. And with the addition of the Edit&Share software package and the greatly improved onboard display, you don’t

have to access this flexibility through a 2digit LED display and try to remember what “.dP” with a flashing dot means. Bizarre effects freak that I am, I will probably hold out for a version of this processor with two pedals, a bunch of footswitches, and weird extras like infinite reverb hold or a bitcrusher... but for all you less bizarre folks out there, the G2.1Nu packs a lot of punch into a very small, very affordable package, and if you have a computer handy to hook it up to, you’ll find programming it a delight rather than a chore. Thumbs up. Price: $329.99 ($199 street) More from: Zoom, www.zoomfx.com, www.zoom.co.jp.

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http://www.zoomfx.com http://www.tinyurl.com/ZoomEditShare http://www.zoom.co.jp http://www.kiqproductions.com
Recording - September 2010

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