Zoom A3 Acoustic Pedal
 

Yes

I have played with it for just a short bit ,
But here is a Video of me just goofing off , Using one of the Reverbs , and one stereo chorus .

Rode M3 Mic , and Guitar blended in the Pedal and run stereo line out to a Tascam 144 MK2 interface , Sanyo Xacti for video

Recorded in Quicktime 10 , no after processing at all

No Fades , no Normalization , just QT , trimmed the end down just a little because I was rambling and uploaded to Youtube

Enjoy

http://youtu.be/bJ0Urr0uVUc

Thank you! It sounds great. :)

Repair, Thanks much for the effort on your part to do the video. It is nice to see it in action. I downloaded the manual and read it extensively as a precursor to possibly buying one. I can think of 3 points that are troublesome (in my case).

(1) It doesn't have the ability to be phantom powered from the board when using it as a D.I. which would be a main use for me.

If you're designing something that will often be used in this manner why make a product that forces someone deal with the inconvenience of batteries or being tethered close to an A.C. outlet? Phantom power capabilities are so common on all of the other competing products like this it's hard to believe that wasn't included.

(2) I’m a tiny bit leery of using Zoom products when they are first introduced.

This comes from personal experience, since I purchased a Zoom R24 multi-track recorder in the first year and had to send it back for the oft-cited phantom power high frequency whine. It was fixed under warranty (at the start of it’s second year thanks to Sweetwater purchase) but it was bothersome, inconvenient, and should never have happened.

(3) I wish there were a tube amp distortion module available.

OK, granted this is an odd thing to request in an acoustic guitar processor, but you have to understand how I use multi-effects pedals. I have a Digitech RP200 that’s getting several years of wear on it and I’d like to be able to use the new A3 instead. I have patches programmed for several different instruments and I can swap between them (with volumes also matched) by simply going to my “MUTE” patch, unplugging and switching instruments, and selecting the appropriate patch like ACUSTC, NYLON, BANJO, MANDO, LAPSTL, or TELE. It works out great and keeps me from even having to haul a stage amp if I don’t want to. I usually select a small amount of tube-type overdrive for the Telecaster or lap steel patches, so that’s why I would miss them.

I know some will say it’s wacky to ask for such a thing, but consider that the top “Body” selector switch has an “Upright Bass” position. Huh?

Repair Dude,
Thanks for the demo. Love your style and playing. Reminds me of CSN acoustic stuff, but much more interesting and sophisticated. (BTW are you using DADGAD or just dropped Ds or what?)

Would like to hear a demo or at least your thoughts of the unit without the the mic ... more like how most of us would use it live.

BTW, I'm a Takamine fan. Played the frets off an old EF340 and thought it wasn't worth a $400 refret job, so I sold it. Have tried to buy it back, but the guy won't part with it. Don't blame him. My mistake. Have owned a number of instruments since, but I find myself still looking for the sound of my EF340 ... particularly the plugged in sound.

Thanks again,
RB

Yep it has an Upright Bass setting , But I get it , So many acoustic trios and Jazz gigs now that revolve around just that , Guitar , Upright , Keys /Vox

Or the Irish group , Guitar , Mandolin , Fiddle ,.....Upright Bass , and Frame Drum

Putting a Phantom power use ability in a device like this is sketchy .
The Digital Processing it and such closely packed circuitry ( I do basic circuitry by the way ) would be very very hard to do . The Possible noise problems outweight whatever benefit that might be gained .

It Supplies Phantom to the Mic so it needs a lot more juice than Phantom power from a Mixing board can provide, Consider - Phantom Power from a Mixer is +/- by about 3 volts at times , 48 volts DC , and must be Balanced on both side of the rail . But it is generally only 10 Milliamps on even a HOT board .

The Zoom needs 1000 ma 's to run all its processes .

Phantom Supply just would never work .

@RB and @ whiskey

Thx guys , and yeah the pedal minus Mic I can see that need . I am not really a Vocalist
( more like , My Voice is NOT a musical instrument !!!) so no mic would probably be a GOOd thing for me .
I played around a bit with the mic off , and There are various settings in it , to really tweak the sound . What I have found is that Navigating it requires a good bit or work .
Each of the effects have their own level controls in the menu ( open the effect Page skip to the last page of the effect "Level" )

and to really balance everything wil take some work indeed , really careful listening and going back over the effects several times .
And as that it is so much work to get it in the sweet spot , Writing down ALL your settings for each and everything on every patch will be a MUST .

If perchance the system goes Wonky ( Murphy is still around from what I hear )
The you have all the settings saved in Hard copy , if you dont do that , Well a week or so of tweaking once you get the system back will be waiting for you .

I get the Zoom First Adopter thing , But that is what The Firmware updates are for now , I know I took a Risk on this , because It is Baby Butt new .... I mean ......I think I am the first "Consumer" on the planet to get this thing ..... it isnt even released outside Japan yet !!! and it had JUST been given as an option to order at the stores here ,
Only 1 store actually had stock when I requested mine from the music store I do repairs for . ( I traded a Repair for it to save the money issues and Pain that might come from a Bad batch !!!!)

But I can say honestly . I like the pedal a lot . The Blend knob allows you to really get it in the pocket instead of just On /Off , is the Remodeling is "Too Much " for your taste , just dial back on the Blend and you get more of your guitar .

No real latency in the processing that I could hear either which the Line 6 stuff always gave me problems with up till recently , the newer stuff I think they have the latency issues taken care of , but the Pocket Pod and smaller processors where crap on latency

Thanks so much for the demo. This device sounds nice, but you're also starting with a good guitar. As you mentioned the effects are subtle, which is nice not over down like I hear so many times. Also, according to this video from YouTube it should be shipping in April.....so it gives me time to save up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxRy5JwgwDU

APRIL??? wow . I was REALLY ahead of the curve !!!

Didnt know it would be that far out , now I feel bad ( sorta ) :guitar:

Repair Dude:
That pedal sounds great and you are a great player. Thanx for the demo.

Thx man ,...... (how come there is no slightly embarrassed Smiley icon here ?)

I agree that the effects and display would be more than what Zoom would want to routinely demand of a typical PA mixing board. Some of the other pres like the Para DI are indeed designed to run on phantom power, although they generally don’t have multi-effects capabilities.

The Zoom A3 requirements can’t be a 1000 ma, since their supplied A.C. adapter only supplies a maximum of 500ma, and the manufacturers always try to stay well away of warming the wall wart. The Fishman Aura, an equally capable processer, lists 25 ma as it’s average operating current, with effects to boot. I would like to know what the A3 current draw is, though.

Supplying phantom power to the microphone wouldn’t be an issue either, as the IEC standard requires no microphone to consume over 10 ma, and most operate at a 2 to 5 ma current consumption on phantom power. Most boards have no problem supplying a 48 volt rail to a minimum of 12 condenser microphones simultaneously. I worked with board level electronics for my entire working carrier so I’m pretty familiar with what gear is capable of.

I’ll definitely agree that they are probably trying to stay on the conservative side of what they require of the mixing board, though.

I just wish it was a LITTLE more perfect, though!;) I've been using a digitech RP200 combined with a DI for years, so I'm used to using the A.C. supply, but one can always hope...

Yeah the Adapter list 500 ma on it and it gets hot while in use with 3 effects loaded , On the meter mine is adapter puts out 675 ma open circuit ( No Load )

But the reverbs alone are power hungry effects on any board , add to it multi effect ability , Phatntom supply would simply never work .

( Stupid Comment redacted ) ( My Meter was already set at 9 Volts , but in my Head I was thinking 5 volts , My Apologies )
Eneloop makes a 9 Volt Lithium Battery pack for effect pedals , That would be really clean power too . No AC ripple at all .

This one
http://us.sanyo.com/eneloop-9V-power/Pedal-Juice-0153-

Thank you for the demo. Sounds pretty good to me.

I wonder how it compares to Fishman Aura Spectrum DI. My current setup playing live is Taylor 210ce > Aura Spectrum > TC Hall of Fame & DD-20 (on FX loop) going out to the House PA. Would be nice and handy to do what I'm currently doing in one small package.

my friend has a PM

ntik , where are you from ?