Zoom A1X FOUR Acoustic Instrument Multi-Effects Processor with Expression Pedal
The A1X FOUR is Zoom's multi-effects processor for acoustic string and wind instruments, and the X version puts an expression pedal on the same platform for hands-free control.
- Over 80 effects: more than 35 of them designed and engineered specifically for acoustic instruments.
- Expression pedal: 8 extra pedal-controlled effects covering volume, pitch, reverb, delay and wah.
- Acoustic guitar modelling: 15 factory AG models, with 13 more available as a free download through Zoom Guitar Lab.
- Impulse response body voicing: IR technology captures the sonic fingerprint of the guitar shapes and bodies on offer.
- Four-band tone control per model: Gain, Bass, Mid and Treble on every AG model.
- Pickup matching: the AG Pickup Selector sets a patch for piezo or magnetic pickups and adds a modelled EQ to suit.
- Looper and drum machine: both built in, for practice and solo sets.
- 5 effects at once: with 50 user patches for storing your own chains.
- Power: ZOOM AD-16 9 V adapter, 4 AA batteries (around 18 hours continuous on alkalines with the backlight off), or USB.
Zoom calls the A1 FOUR series its first multi-effects processor designed for a range of acoustic string and wind instruments, and the A1X FOUR is the version with the expression pedal built into the chassis. Acoustic-specific effects, guitar body modelling, a looper and a drum machine sit in one floor unit that runs on batteries.
Effects written for acoustic instruments
Over 80 effects are preloaded, more than 35 of which were designed and engineered specifically for acoustic instruments. You can run up to 5 at a time and save 50 patches of your own, so a set can move from a warm fingerstyle sound to something heavily processed on a footswitch instead of a mid-song re-dial. The catalogue covers everything from live unplugged tones to the finger-playing sounds associated with country and blues.
What the expression pedal adds
X is for extra expression. The treadle brings 8 additional pedal-controlled effects that let you ride volume, bend pitch and sweep reverb, delay and wah with your foot while both hands stay on the instrument. It does cost you some board space: the A1X FOUR measures 216 mm wide, 156 mm deep and 52 mm tall, and weighs 610 g without batteries.
Acoustic guitar modelling
15 factory AG models are onboard, with 13 more free to download through Guitar Lab. Each one uses impulse response technology to capture the sonic fingerprint of a particular body shape, so you can call up a model and recover the character of that original body instantly rather than trying to EQ your way there. Four parameters (Gain, Bass, Mid and Treble) refine each model, and the AG Pickup Selector matches the patch to a piezo or magnetic pickup with a modelled EQ for each type.
Power and connections
Runs from the ZOOM AD-16 9 V adapter or 4 AA batteries, giving roughly 18 hours of continuous operation on alkalines with the LCD backlight off. Power can also come over the USB micro-B port, which doubles as a USB MIDI connection. Inputs are a standard mono jack plus a stereo mini AUX input, and the single stereo output is shared between line and headphones. Signal processing is 32-bit, with 24-bit conversion and 128x oversampling at 44.1 kHz, shown on a 128 x 32 dot matrix LCD.