Zoom AC-2 now for sale

pjbelsch · #1 06-02-2017, 11:39 AM

Hi All,
I just got an email from sweetwater that the new Zoom AC-2 is available for order and is in stock. Currently i am using a baggs venue DI and will give the Zoom a whirl. I see a lot of guys on this form use the A3 and a lot of you folks talk very highly of zoom. I have always had that mindset you get what you pay for and zoom being on the "cheaper" side of the price wheel I always stayed away. But, now I want to give it a try. anyone pre-order a AC-2 and get it already and have thoughts they want to share?

AeroUSA · #2 06-02-2017, 12:22 PM

I'd like to know exactly what the 'guitar type' does. Is it a form of IR like the Tone Dexter? I just ordered the venue DI myself so I held off placing an order today.

pjbelsch · #3 06-02-2017, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I'd like to know exactly what the 'guitar type' does. Is it a form of IR like the Tone Dexter? I just ordered the venue DI myself so I held off placing an order today.

As do I friend. I use a breedlove concerto which it's dimensions for upper bout resemble a 000 but lower bout is more dread-y. Not too sure what image I'll use but i don't know if it's going to process over the already good sound of my guitar.

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guitaniac · #4 06-02-2017, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjbelsch

Hi All,
I just got an email from sweetwater that the new Zoom AC-2 is available for order and is in stock. Currently i am using a baggs venue DI and will give the Zoom a whirl. I see a lot of guys on this form use the A3 and a lot of you folks talk very highly of zoom. I have always had that mindset you get what you pay for and zoom being on the "cheaper" side of the price wheel I always stayed away. But, now I want to give it a try. anyone pre-order a AC-2 and get it already and have thoughts they want to share?

Regarding the "you get what you pay for" thing, the Zoom A3 was quite the pleasant surprise to me after being greatly disappointed by the A2. It'll be interesting to see how the AC-2 works out for folks.

I'm hoping that the Zoom folks will continue to up their game, so to speak. Its hard to imagine, though, that the AC-2 or AC-3 will be able to compete with the likes of ToneDexter for the optimum miked-guitar sound. With ToneDexter the user can (and must) create custom WaveMaps for his/her own specific instrument.

Marty C · #5 06-02-2017, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitaniac

Regarding the "you get what you pay for" thing, the Zoom A3 was quite the pleasant surprise to me after being greatly disappointed by the A2. It'll be interesting to see how the AC-2 works out for folks.

I'm hoping that the Zoom folks will continue to up their game, so to speak. Its hard to imagine, though, that the AC-2 or AC-3 will be able to compete with the likes of ToneDexter for the optimum miked-guitar sound. With ToneDexter the user can (and must) create custom WaveMaps for his/her own specific instrument.

I too was presently surprised. I received my A3 yesterday. I wanted the effects as well as the modeling. I believe it to be a big step up from the A2 I have used for years and it sounds much better through my Powered speakers than my Play Acoustic does. The Bodyrez I could never get to my liking with my Anthem SL. So far (just got it yesterday) I found it very easy dial in a good sound. I can imagine the AC-2 and AC-3 would be as good with a more simple user interface.

lkingston · #6 06-09-2017, 11:13 AM

So, does anyone have the Zoom AC-2 yet?

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erniecaster · #7 06-13-2017, 08:35 AM

Hi,

anything new?

To be more precise - does anybody know now if it is possible to switch the modeling off?

cu

erniecaster

pjbelsch · #8 06-13-2017, 02:02 PM

I have an AC-2 I am working on a video to do a review on it

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lkingston · #9 06-13-2017, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjbelsch

I have an AC-2 I am working on a video to do a review on it

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Looking forward to it!

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lkingston · #10 06-20-2017, 06:39 PM

Does anyone have this yet?

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pjbelsch · #11 06-21-2017, 07:33 AM

yes. i do. i have been way too crazy busy to do my video review but should have time tomorrow to film and edit it.. i have to do some sound recording samples of using the ac-2 compared to my lr baggs venue. Right now i can say the ac-2 is a very sweet unit. my only complaint is the reverb is garbage. as someone who has a big sky on their acoustic pedal board the reverb in this unit is even more useless.

lkingston · #12 06-21-2017, 12:09 PM

Please include a sampling of the reverb when you do this review. I tend to like my reverbs smaller and more subtle than most, and might well be pleased with it even if you aren't. For instance, I find the reverbs in my Boss AD-2 and Henriksen Bud amplifiers to be about perfect even though many players do not.

One thing I love about my AD-2 is that there is a hidden function which allows you to turn the reverb off from the balanced out while outputting it from the hi-Z output. This lets me add a little ambience to my stage monitor feed while leaving the house feed dry to allow the soundman to set his own guitar reverb. I would also be interested in knowing if something like this was possible on the Zoom AC-2.

What I would love to be able to do is have the acoustic resonance feature turned on with both the XLR and 1/4" outputs, but have the reverb only feeding the 1/4" out so that the soundman would have the ideal signal to work with during a live show.

As pretty as they sound, I really would't even use a beautiful reverb with a long tail. I just want a very subtle ambience ambience to use in cases where the sound system is overpowering the natural acoustics of a room.

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guitaniac · #13 06-23-2017, 08:00 AM

I'm curious to see how folks like the AC-2's new set of models. For some strange reason, I really like the AC-3's Martin 00028 model and don't much care for the rest. I've been using the AC-3 for tweaking open mic guitar sound and the 00028 model seems to coax a more pleasing tone out of most UST-equipped guitars, be they small-bodied or large-bodied.

To be fair, I don't really have time to thoroughly experiment with all the different models. I must also note that some guitars sound best with the modeling off.

lkingston · #14 06-27-2017, 08:21 PM

This is a really nice demo of the AC-2 by Josh Turner. Of course, he could make a plastic guitar from the Walmart toy section good ...

https://youtu.be/e4-v1ZNILbA

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Matt McGriff · #15 07-31-2017, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjbelsch

yes. i do. i have been way too crazy busy to do my video review but should have time tomorrow to film and edit it.. i have to do some sound recording samples of using the ac-2 compared to my lr baggs venue. Right now i can say the ac-2 is a very sweet unit. my only complaint is the reverb is garbage. as someone who has a big sky on their acoustic pedal board the reverb in this unit is even more useless.

I'm considering an AC-2 as a replacement for my Baggs Acoustic Session DI as my new gigging guitar has an element pickup and a lot of quack through the PA. Does the AC-2 eliminate the quack? The demos I see on YouTube all lack a baseline tone example and the demos by Josh Turner I have seen are him playing a guitar (Martin OOO-28) with what looks like an Anthem installed.