Zoom

It's cheap, it's cheerful and it's easy to use. Paul White rediscovers the joys of simplicity with Zoom's most affordable guitar multi-effects unit ever.

The budget effects market's looking increasingly crowded, with £199 as the new entry-level price norm. Does Zoom's 1204, which features unusual effects not normally found at this cost, stand out from the crowd? Derek Johnson finds out.

New drum machines are few and far between these days, but as Nicholas Rowland discovers, this one has a lot to offer even in a world full of computer sequencers.

Can you get a wall of sound from something the size of a brick? John Walden plugs in his guitar, inserts his earplugs and finds out.

Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser check out a product which offers up to four minutes of sample time, 22 different effects, audio processing and resampling facilities — for £199. If you'd been reading this only a few years ago , you'd have assumed that some digits had been missed off the price...

John Walden puts his foot down to test-drive Zoom's GFX8 floor-mounted guitar direct recording and effects processor.

Paul White gives Zoom's new low-cost modelling guitar preamp the once over.

Paul White foresakes his towering effects rack for a budget processor that looks for all the world as though it would float in the bath!

Paul White puts away his expensive toys to try out a couple of low-cost studio effects from Zoom, but does he still have fun?

Zoom's new beatbox offers a wide range of percussion sounds and patterns at an extremely affordable price.