aquired a zoom ps-02

[Hook]

So I got a zoom ps-02

for $50 bucks and I haven't  had any time with it but hope to use it in car for ideas and maybe a some full on recordings, it depends on how easy it is to use. Does anyone have any experience with this machine. It seems to have some huge limitations in that..well it's a 3 track, but with 10 virtual tracks per it will just be exploring the art of bouncing. I'm also concerned with the storage card choice, it uses smart media cards. Can anyone tell me how much music I can expect out of a 32 mb smartmedia card (I have) & 128 mb(I could buy
one for about $40)?
I really would rather have an mbr but I can't find one around here for less than $125 used and I can barely justify the $50 i already spent. It does have a drum machine and some kind of bass programing that I will undoubtedly never use and I think learning another brand of equipment will be good for me.I plan on playing around with it tomorrow but would love any advise or opinions.
Thanks
Hook

[64Guitars]

Here's the manual:   http://www.zoom.co.jp/downloads/ps02/manual/. There's also some software available from that page.

The manual says a 32MB card can hold 16 minutes, 11 seconds. That would be the total of all the tracks. A 128MB card can hold 67 minutes total. These times are for HiFi mode. There's also a Long mode available which doubles the time with a reduction in sound quality.

[mocomain]

I owned the PS-02 years ago and eventually upgraded to the PS-04 but much preferred the PS-02 because of the interface...even though the PS-04 was more capable! It's really a great little unit and still being utilized. If you haven't already, check out this excellent user forum:

http://zoomforum.us/

You can also purchase software to add a lot of extra functionality to the PS-02:

http://www.soundside.de/toolkits.htm

By the way, if you purchase the complete PS02 Toolkit (all 5 tools), you save 50%. I never bought the software myself, nor do I have any affiliation with the provider of the software. It just adds some great features to increase the usability of a device, that at first glance would seem to be rather limited but in fact, can still kick some ass!

Have fun!

Michael

[Hook]

Alright so here's an update if you care....
NO @#$%ING UNDO FEATURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Let's talk about positive things.... it was $50, it's small....I dig the mic and I like some of the pre-sets, it was $50..., it's small.

Negatives- smart media cards, what a crock! 3 tracks!  They should have left out the bass generator and gone for the fourth track.No undo, man I really like undo. There's no rewind or fast forward, when you stop it zeros out. There is a auto punch feature that I haven't tried to figure out. I haven't messed with the drums yet, they seems to be set up to make your arrangement first and I like to make mine after I have a scratch track recorded, I suspect that the drums will prove useless to me like the bass feature. Oh yea there's no UNDO!

All in all I am having fun with it and it hasn't been to difficult to figure out. It will be fine for now to get my ideas down and hopefully make some creative productions. I'll have to  mix in audacity, which I didn't hate to much tonight. I could put them on my br but that seems a bit silly. I'm still figuring it out and haven't checked out that software but I will soon, thanks for the link. I had gotten the manual but thanks anyway 64! I would still love to hear from anyone else who might have used this recorded, I might have to check out the zoom forum, but I've so much listening to catch up on here!
Rock on!

[mocomain]

More PS-02 goodness, including updated guitar fx:

http://ps02_solutions.tripod.com/index.htm

Don't forget Zoom's own PS-02 page for their latest software & new sound kits, including "bass-less" rhythm patterns!

http://www.zoom.co.jp/downloads/ps02/software/

Concerning an "UNDO" function, if you're referring to undoing an audio recording, check out page 60 of the manual...under "Erasing a take".

Michael

[Hook]

More update...
I'm very unhappy with smartmedia cards! It seems take when you take the card out or put it into the slot (ps-02 or computer) it scratches the gold smart stuff on the card. My 32mb card won't read in the ps-02, still will in the computer so I got the last tune off of it but still I only did 3 tunes! I surprisingly found one 128mb card in stock at guitar center and got it for $40 but I'm very concerned as to the life of these cards. They should have put a film or coating over that gold important stuff!!!!
This aspect alone has made me very disappointed in the unit, I'm surprised that they chose the same card for their upgraded ps-04. Since I'm now into the zoom experience for $90 I really wish I had just saves for a week or 2 and bought a mbr online.
I perused the software mentioned above and it seems to include a feature to turn the bass off, will download later this week but I'll have to remove the card to upload . I plan on doing some "guerrilla recoding" today, but I need this 128mb card to last forever!
I also wonder why when I record off the ps-02 and import into audacity the visual is like an eighth of an inch thick so I have to amplify and use the leveler. I'm getting the level they suggest in the zoom manual... This never happens on the br900!
Just a little buyer's remorse, but I will prevail!

[bruno]

I have one of these in my 'stuff' cupboard - haven't played with this for years. I thought it was only 14 bit (may be wrong) - and the 64MB card went a long way song wise. Never had a problem with the cards - although they are fragile. Fond of the 'Loding' message The guitar sounds are okay, not in the Boss league - however this is relatively old technology - it was great in its day (I paid around $300 to $400 for it). I had a lot of fun with the PS-02, the internal mike is surprising good - so enjoy!
B.

[64Guitars]

Where is the SmartMedia card slot on the PS-02? I'm wondering if you could use one of these adapters which let you use xD-Picture cards instead of SmartMedia cards.

http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Smartmedia-Reader-Writer-Adapter/dp/B000L12F10



xD cards might be cheaper and more reliable, plus I think they're still available. The only problem might be the size of the adapter. It's a bit bigger than a standard SmartMedia card. But if the slot on the PS-02 is located in such a way that the adapter can stick out from the unit, it might work.

There are other xd-to-SmartMedia adapters available online too, so do a Google search and see what you can find. If there was an SD-to-SmartMedia adapter available, that would be even better because SD cards are cheap and easy to find. But I haven't seen such an adapter.

[Hook]

Thanks 64 that would work, I think, I'll check it out.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but there is no undo feature on this machine! I'm pretty confidant I can't record without one. Not once, not twice, but 3 times I recorded over tracks I wanted to save. It's of course due to my own stupidity,they refer to virtual tracks as takes and you just need to set it for a new take, and I keep forgetting! I'll get it down, in fact I remember making similar mistakes with the br900, but it's frustrating to not be able to undo. (mocomain- undo doesn't erase the track it restores what you recorded over.)
It also has no fast forward or rewind so it always starts from the beginning and that sucks. I plan on figuring out the auto-punch feature but haven't had the time yet, so I've been having to get through each track without messing up, oh how I miss my foot pedal punch ins!!! Regardless should have a new tune to post in the next day or 2!
Thanks again for the advise!