Zoom B3 or Boss GT-10B?

LoricMusician · #1 03-20-2013, 03:44 AM

Upgrading from Zoom B1x. I like all-in-one floor units. And also amp simulation!
I've to decide between B3 and GT-10B but still open to suggestions for other multi-effects processor..
ThankYou

Webtroll · #2 03-20-2013, 09:31 AM

I don't won either, but I do have the G3 and it's pretty sweet, sounds great. I've owned several Boss pedals over the years and I won't buy them anymore. That's not to say that the GT-10B is bad, but I've never been a fan. Hopefully someone who has tried both will chime in for you.

paulitto · #3 03-20-2013, 12:15 PM

I own both, the GT10B is better in every aspect. Actually the best Multi FX for Bass.
The B3 though is very good for its price.
You should also consider the line 6 M9, its pretty good too.

Im going to sell both units, going the analog pedalboard route.
Anaolg just sounds so much better, even though its much more expensive and not as flexible as the Digi multl FX.

Regards,
Paul

Liv3rman · #4 03-20-2013, 12:17 PM

I have a Boss Me-20B and it's pretty damn good. I'd recommend it.

Crystalman85 · #5 03-20-2013, 06:27 PM

If you want a portable mulit-effect processor, the zoom b3 would be a good choice. it's got great sound quality, it's got a large variety of effects, amp and cab models, and it's very useable for recording and live performances. I have sound samples of the zoom b3 on my soundclick website. here's the link.

www.soundclick.com/crystalman85

Feel free to check it out.

odineye · #6 03-20-2013, 07:11 PM

I'll add another vote for the GT-10b. It may be a little more expensive, and it may take up more space but, if you take the time to learn all your parameters you've got quite a bit of processing power. Mine still surprises me with what I can pull out of it. My one big suggestion would be; Forget about the factory presets, clear the user presets and just start playing with different effects one at a time. That and, make sure to take the time to set your input output levels correctly. I think that failing to follow these two steps is a large part of the reason so many don't like the GT-10b. They just never get to hear what it can really do.

cvtmqvuj · #7 03-20-2013, 07:47 PM

You should also consider the line 6 M9, its pretty good too.

gastric · #8 03-21-2013, 07:26 AM

B3 if you want simple, small and want synth and experimental sounds.

GT10B if you want a real quality piece of hardware with all of the foot control you could ever want with some really great bread n butter effects. The hardware and I/O is vastly superior.

Darknut · #9 03-21-2013, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastric

B3 if you want simple, small and want synth and experimental sounds.

GT10B if you want a real quality piece of hardware with all of the foot control you could ever want with some really great bread n butter effects. The hardware and I/O is vastly superior.

+1

odineye · #10 03-21-2013, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastric

GT10B if you want a real quality piece of hardware with all of the foot control you could ever want with some really great bread n butter effects. The hardware and I/O is vastly superior.

Not to challenge you, and maybe I'm reading you wrong, but. I'd say there's a lot more than just bread and butter in the Boss. Not saying it's the do all end all. But I bring it up because I think there are quite a few who completely miss how much the GT-10b can really do. It's just not laid out in simple stomp box form like the B3.

It's funny how many pedals I've come close to buying, until I watch the demos, look at what they do, and realize that I've already got that sitting right here. Me almost dropping close to $300 on a POG-2 really drove this home recently.

Adamixoye · #11 03-21-2013, 12:51 PM

I agree with this a lot. And I don't even use my GT-10B the way I should. My experience was that I bought a used Mark Bass Super Synth because I was unimpressed with the GT-10B's synth sounds. But after I started A/B-ing them, I realized they are more complementary, rather than the MBSS being super-advanced. I also own a Pitchfactor, which does things the GT-10B can't do (or can't do well), and I am considering some top-end dirt, but overall, I think the GT-10B does a LOT. The signal routing capabilities are killer, for one.

I can't picture buying a dedicated chorus, flanger, reverb, phase, delay, etc. as long as I own a GT-10B. Again, synth/pitch shifting/dirt, maybe. But everything else, it does pretty well IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by odineye

Not to challenge you, and maybe I'm reading you wrong, but. I'd say there's a lot more than just bread and butter in the Boss. Not saying it's the do all end all. But I bring it up because I think there are quite a few who completely miss how much the GT-10b can really do. It's just not laid out in simple stomp box form like the B3.

It's funny how many pedals I've come close to buying, until I watch the demos, look at what they do, and realize that I've already got that sitting right here. Me almost dropping close to $300 on a POG-2 really drove this home recently.

fisticuffs · #12 03-21-2013, 12:59 PM

The GT10B is the best but I still didn't like it. The synth section is lacking and doesn't track well. The octave didn't track well enough to even use. The fuzzes and drives weren't usable. You can route anything and set it up a bazillion different ways but I still prefer single pedals. read good things about the new Vox Stomplabs. They are super cheap too.

gastric · #13 03-21-2013, 01:02 PM

The GT-10B is excellent, you won't get any argument and I owned one for quite a while. I thought the overall sound quality was better, and had way better sounding modulation FX.

But I wish BOSS provided more quality experimental affects. The synth is really (embarrassingly) poor, there's not a lot of experimental effects (weird delays, weird FX). The B3 is the opposite, usable synth tones, lots of experimental effects. But really poor hardware in comparison. Though it's simplicity is likely to make it easier to comprehend and use by most players. In contrast, your average Joe isn't going to ever figure out how to apply an envelope triggered assign to FX parameters in the GT-10B.

Check out my sound clip pages in my signature below. I have some write-ups on both of these boxes, plus sound clips, and some patches shared.

Note I never owned both at the same time for A-vs-B comparison.

CHILDISHGAMBINO · #14 03-21-2013, 02:07 PM

I haven't tried the Boss but I have a B3 and it's great for synths and weirdness. The distortions aren't terrible but I usually use separate pedals for that. It's really easy to use. It's pretty much three separate boxes chained together in any order you want. I bought it thinking it would be more of a toy but it sounds great.

banditcosmo · #15 03-21-2013, 02:57 PM

I got a B3 and sold my GT-10B. My main reason was I play a lot of small spaces and found the GT just too big sometimes plus the light from it is just too bright. Probably stupid reasons to pick 1 over the other but I mainly just use them to add a little bit of effects so I really didn't use the power of the GT-10B nor the B3 for that matter.