Meet the Zoom G5, which combines a stompbox pedalboard, multi-effects pedal,USB audio interface and more into a single sleek machine.
With four stomps and one pedal, the G5 has four LCD displays with three knobs under each one, so you can quickly tweak your parameters and navigate through the effect chain. The G5 has 20 built-in amp models with its own distinct cabinets, and you can have up to nine stompbox and amp effects running at the same time – allowing you to intricately shape your sound how you want it. You’ll also have your pick from over 120 built-in DSP effects, such as wahs and flangers, and you can save up to 297 (99 banks x 3 patches) custom presets for quick recall later on.
The G5 also features a unique Tube Booster, which can amplify your sound with up to 16db of overdrive, which is perfect for highlighting solos or adding a few notches of volume for recording. Zoom claims that they’re brand new sigmoid curve-clipper faithfully emulates true tube amp distortion, and the realistic sound produced is due to the 32-bit floating point processing via the brand new ZFX-IV DSP effects processor. (But that still remains to be seen, or rather, heard.)
Additionally, this hybrid machine has a Z-pedal, which can detect sideways movement, providing you with multidimensional control, which is supposed to allow you to build even more intricate sound patterns. The G5 has a built-in drum machine and live Looper, the latter of which allows you to record up to a a minute of live phrases and overdubs. It can also double up as a USB audio interface which you can use in tandem with your favorite DAW, making this new stompbox/effects pedal from Zoom, an all-in-one package.
Freshly unveiled at NAMM 2012, price is to be announced soon, and is expected to be available later this year.