Zoom G3n

The Zoom G3n is a guitar multi-effects processor from Zoom, announced in October 2016 and available from November that year¹. It is a floor unit that puts a whole rig in one box: overdrive, distortion, compression, EQ, delay, reverb, flanging, phasing, vibrato and chorusing sounds, plus amp and cabinet emulators, a looper and a chromatic tuner². At launch, MusicRadar described it and the G3Xn as trimmed-down versions of the well-received Zoom G5n, carrying what Zoom called its "most realistic stompbox, amplifier, and cabinet emulations yet"¹.

The G3n runs up to seven effects and amp/cabinet models at the same time, chained in any order, and you can store up to 150 of your own effects chains as patches². Firmware version 2.0 ships with 127 pre-loaded DSP effects in total: 125 effects, one looper pedal and one rhythm pedal, plus 32 amp/cabinet emulators².

The controls and footswitches

The G3n has six footswitches, split into two rows. Three upper footswitches turn individual effects on and off, while the three lower switches scroll through patches¹. That layout means you can kick effects in and out mid-song the way you would with individual stompboxes, without diving into menus.

Editing is built around three LCD displays that show whole effect chains at a glance, which Zoom says makes it easy to add, delete or change effects⁴. Because the whole chain is visible at once, you can see where each effect sits and rearrange it from the front panel rather than stepping through one effect at a time.

A built-in chromatic tuner can bypass the currently selected patch while you tune, or mute the signal altogether⁴. The Mic On/Off feature lets you optimize the unit for two different destinations: Mic Off for use with a real amp and cabinet, and Mic On for going direct to a PA or recording setup with the amp and cabinet emulators engaged².

Connections

On the back, the G3n has a standard guitar input plus an auxiliary stereo input for connecting a smartphone or music player, so you can play along with backing tracks². For output there are dual outputs for mono or stereo L/R connection to guitar amps, PA systems and audio interfaces, and a dedicated headphone jack for silent practice².

How it relates to the G5n

The G3n is a trimmed-down version of the Zoom G5n, another Zoom multi-effects processor¹. The differences are mostly a matter of scale, as MusicRadar laid out at launch¹:

The G5n also carries features of its own, such as an output booster for a solo volume bump⁵⁶ and, with version 3.0 of its firmware, 159 essential guitar tones⁶. A player who needs longer chains, more patch storage or more footswitch control has a reason to step up to the G5n; the G3n covers the same ground in a smaller package.

The G3n and the G3Xn

The G3n shares its platform with the Zoom G3Xn, and the two are sold as a pair⁴². The difference is the built-in expression pedal, which is on the G3Xn only³. Everything else in the line description, the 80-second looper, the amp and cabinet emulators and the effects selection, applies to both³. A player who wants wah, volume swells or pedal-controlled parameters without adding an external expression pedal would choose the G3Xn; a player with their own pedal, or who does not need one, saves the difference.

Effects and updates

The effects library covers the essential guitar sounds: overdrive, distortion, compression, EQ, delay, reverb, flanging, phasing, vibrato and chorusing². Zoom describes the G3n as offering the company's "most realistic stompbox, amplifier, and cabinet emulations yet"²¹.

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