Zoom Corporation

Zoom Corporation

Native name	株式会社ズーム
Romanized name	ZOOM CORPORATION
Type	Public
Traded as	JASDAQ: 6694
Industry	Audio Equipment
Founded	September 1983, 9 (38 years ago) (9-09-1983)
Headquarters	4-4-3 Kanda-SurugadaiChiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan
Key people	Masahiro Iijima, Representative Director and CEO
Products	Electronic devices for music
Website	zoom.co.jp

ZOOM CORPORATION is a Japan-based audio company whose main business is the design and development of electronic devices for music. The company’s products are sold worldwide.^[1] Its brand slogan "WE'RE FOR CREATORS®" reflects the company’s commitment to creators such as musicians, video creators, and podcasters. Established in 1983, the company is listed on the JASDAQ market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.^[2]

Corporate History[]

ZOOM CORPORATION was founded in Tokyo in 1983 and in 2004, established ZOOM HK LTD as a logistics base in Hong Kong. In 2009, it set up ZOOM Dongguan Corporation (China) as a quality control operation;^[3] 2013, formed ZOOM North America, LLC (US) as a distribution base; 2017, listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange JASDAQ (Standard);^[4][5] In 2018, acquired shares of Mogar Music S.p.A. (Italy) (current consolidated subsidiary Mogar Music S.r.l.),^[6] making it a subsidiary as a distribution center;^[7] and in 2020, acquired all shares of ZOOM North America, LLC (US), making it a wholly-owned subsidiary; 2020, ZOOM UK Distribution LTD excluded as equity method affiliate; 2021, acquired all shares of Hook Up, Inc. in Japan, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Business Model[]

Zoom is a global company selling electronic devices for music developed for a wide range of professional and amateur customers in some 130 countries. The Japanese headquarters primarily focuses on product development and marketing, while overseas sales activities are conducted via group companies and sales agencies. By adopting a fabless method that outsources production to third parties, technical management resources are concentrated at product development headquarters, thereby enabling the company to respond to the needs of a wide range of creators such as musicians, video creators, and podcasters. As a global brand, approximately 90% of sales are accounted for by markets outside Japan.^{[citation needed]}

Major Product Categories[]

In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, ZOOM CORPORATION’s main product categories accounted for the following percentages of sales: Handy Audio Recorders (HAR),^[8][9][10] 43%; Digital Mixers / Multitrack Recorders (DMX/MTR),^[11][12][13] 13%; Multi Effects (MFX),^[14] 12%; Handy Video Recorders (HVR),^[15] 10%; Professional Field Recorders (PFR)^[16][17] 7%; other 15%.^[18][19]

Corporate Governance[]

ZOOM CORPORATION complies with Japan's Corporate Governance Code as a mechanism for making transparent, fair, prompt, and decisive decisions based on the positions of shareholders, customers, employees, local communities, and other stakeholders. In addition, its Corporate Governance Report is submitted regularly in accordance with regulations. Six executive officers are responsible for business execution, namely: CEO, CFO, CSMO (Chief Sales & Marketing Officer), CTO (Chief Technical Officer), CRDO (Chief Research & Development Officer), and CPO (Chief Production Officer). Five directors, including three outside directors who comprise the majority of the board of directors, provide oversight in accordance with Japan’s Corporate Governance Code.^[20]

Products[]

Effect processors[]

Guitar effect processors[]

Zoom 505 II

• G1
• G1X
• G1Next
• G1XNext
• G1 Four
• G1X Four
• G1u
• G1on
• G1Xon
• G2
• G2.1u
• G2Nu
• G2.1Nu
• G3/G3X
• G5
• G7.1ut
• G9.2tt
• G11
• GFX-1
• GFX-3
• GFX-4
• GFX-5
• GFX-8
• GM-200^[21]
• MS-100BT
• MS-50G
• MS-70CDR
• ZFX^[22]
• 503^[23]
• 505
• 505II
• 508
• 606
• 606II
• 707
• 707II
• 1010^[24]
• 2020
• 4040
• 8080
• 3000S
• 3030
• 4040
• 9030
• 9002
• 9002 Artist's Edition
• 9000s
• 9050S^[25]
• 9120
• 9150^[26]

GFX-8[]

Zoom GFX-8

At the time it was released, the GFX-8 was the flagship of the Zoom GFX series.

It has a solid steel dark green body with an opto-based pedal on the right and red LED display on the top left. It uses the Variable Architecture Modeling System (V.A.M.S) technology.^[27] In general, there are three main internal modules: for drive, for modulation and for delay. The unit allows a high level of distortion customization by using specialized software. It also allows the use of external distortion. The technology used in the unit does not allow full reordering of the effects but allows some of modulation effects like wah and phaser to be connected before or after the drive module. The drive module implements dynamic related effects like compressor, overdrive, distortion and fuzz. After the drive module, the noise gate module called ZNR (ZOOM Noise Reduction) is connected, followed by a parametric equalizer (presence, treble, middle, bass). The amp simulation module is connected next and allows various types of guitar amplifier simulations. The modulation module implements effects like wah, phaser, chorus, ring modulator, tremolo, vibrato, flanger and pitch shifter. The delay module is used to implement delay and reverb effects. Effects that require high processing power use modulation and delay module together. One such effect is the jam play effect, which allows, for example, a guitar player to play a rhythm guitar part and then play a solo part over it. The unit design is oriented toward ease of use by providing more knobs than usually found on such units, thus making the unit look more like a chain of effect boxes instead of the typical effect processor with a "few knobs many functions" type design. The unit has mature MIDI capabilities, allowing both control from an external sequencer or using the unit as a MIDI controller. The MIDI OUT can be configured to act as MIDI THRU.

Bass guitar effect processors[]

• 708II
• 607
• 506
• 506II
• B1
• B1x
• B1on
• B1Xon
• B2
• B2.1u
• B3
• B3n
• B9.1ut
• MS-60B

Acoustic guitar effect processors[]

• 504
• 504II
• A2
• A2.1u
• A3

Studio rack mountable effect processors[]

• RFX-2200^[28]
• RFX-2000^[29]
• RFX-1100^[28]
• RFX-1000^[29]
• Zoom Studio 1201^[30]
• Zoom Studio 1202^[31]
• Zoom Studio 1204^[32]
• 9010
• 9200

Digital recorders[]

Portable digital audio recorder Zoom H2 (2010), for multiple-hour recordings with a sampling rate of up to 96 kilohertz with an audio bit depth of up to 24 bits

• H1 Handy Recorder
• H1n Handy Recorder
• H2 Handy Recorder
• H2n
• H3-VR
• H4 Handy Recorder
• H5 Handy Recorder
• H4n Handy Recorder
• H6 Handy Recorder^[33]
• F1-SP / F1-LP Field Recorder
• F2 / F2-BT Field Recorder
• F4 Field Recorder
• F8 Field Recorder
• F8n Field Recorder
• MRS-1608^[34]
• MRS-1266^[35]
• MRS-1044^[36]
• MRS-802^[37]
• MRS-8
• MRS-4^[38]
• PS-04
• PS-02^[39]
• HD8 / HD8CD
• HD16 / HD16CD
• R8^[40]
• R16^[41]
• R24^[42]
• Q2HD
• Q3
• Q3HD
• Q4
• Q4n
• Q8HD

Rhythm machines[]

• RT-123
• RT-223
• RT-323
• RT-234^[43]
• MRT-3
• MRT-3b
• SB-246
• ST-224

Play media

a Zoom ARQ AR-48 being used

• ARQ AR-48 ^[44][45]
• ARQ AR-96

Guitar amplifiers[]

• FIRE-36M
• FIRE-18M
• FIRE-36
• FIRE-18
• FIRE-7010

Audio interfaces[]

• TAC-2^[46]
• TAC-2R
• TAC-8
• UAC-2
• UAC-8

References[]

Further reading[]

• "Zoom Rhythmtrack RT-123". Future Music. No. 83. Future Publishing. June 1999. p. 84. ISSN 0967-0378. OCLC 1032779031.
• "Zoom 507". Future Music. No. 59. Future Publishing. August 1997. p. 37. ISSN 0967-0378. OCLC 1032779031.

External links[]

• Official website
• NAMM.org: Oral History Library − "Masahiro Iijima Interview" (2014)