I've never used a B3n, so I can't comment on sound comparisons unfortunately, but the Boss looks better visually?
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Boss MS3 - for guitar AND bass
- Thread starter FuzzFacetious
- Start date
I've never used a B3n, so I can't comment on sound comparisons unfortunately, but the Boss looks better visually?
Yep, I'm seriously considering one, have a ME-50B on the board below that it would replace nicely (Saves buying a bunch more pedals) eventually i'll get 1 then 2 Loop Expanders [1] so I can run some stereo reverb and delays after and maybe oneday if I was to fill up the 3 loops on the MS-3 i'd put another one in front.
I think for me almost the best part about it for bass is having programmable EQ's setup. I don't know of any other pedal that allows you to have more then 4 eq presets controlled via MIDI.
But given my board has been designed around slowly replacing a multifx with individual pedals this gives me the incentive not to do that because it makes it easy to intergrate the pedals I do care about (Drive / Preamp / Compressor / Cab Sim) nicely into a multifx for all the effects I use occasionally but arn't quite as fussy about. I might even set up some guitar patches on it.
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I think for me almost the best part about it for bass is having programmable EQ's setup. I don't know of any other pedal that allows you to have more then 4 eq presets controlled via MIDI.
But given my board has been designed around slowly replacing a multifx with individual pedals this gives me the incentive not to do that because it makes it easy to intergrate the pedals I do care about (Drive / Preamp / Compressor / Cab Sim) nicely into a multifx for all the effects I use occasionally but arn't quite as fussy about. I might even set up some guitar patches on it.
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Practically for me I'll probably put a midi loop expander (or 2) after the MS-3 then put my Obsucra Delay and Polara Reverb after the MS-3 keeping my preamp in the MS-3's loop. In a ideal world the obscura would probably be after the MS-3's delay and before its reverb, but when I am using the obscura i'm more likely to use the polara's reverb rather then the MS-3 one. Having said that I have both those pedals more for messing around at home with rather then for playing live
For me the Boss effects and drives in particular have always sounded much better then the Zoom ones, although i've always thought the Boss drives aren't as good as the Darkglass or Two Notes ones, particularly because until now you haven't been able to blend the dry sound in. Having read the MS-3 guide given it seems to have a bass boost and a blend for the dry signal these boss ones should be much more useful.
Yes this is correct - in fact every effect I've seen, both drives and all the others I think, have an "effect level" and a "d level" (direct or dry, I dunno
) so you can balance things nicely.
As there are no mix of blend options for the 3 loops, is there a work around or compromise that anyone has come up with? For example I dont want to change the setting on my VT Bass pedal, sometimes its a bit low or too overdriven, so i put EQ or Limiting either in front or after the loop ... is there a better way?
I'm doing similar with my Two Notes Le Bass, I have it set to my generic middle of the road position then I have 3-4 presets which are just a Graphic EQ running in front with different volumes and with the mids scooped or pushed. I then use the patch volume to level everything back out after.
Another thing to consider is running some of the inbuilt drives in front, all the guitar drives also have a bottom and blend (D.Level) control so some of them sound good on bass as well and will probably sound good in front of the VT Bass. A VT Bass is still on my to get list.
Settled in with my ms-3. I've got 3 Fuzzrocious drive pedals in the loops; a demon, a bongripper, and a grey stache. makes for a pretty solid double duty guitar/bass setup.
Love my MS-3 so far. I'm not super picky about modulation effects for live performances. In other words, I don't care the difference between an original 70's Phase 90, the modern reissue, or a modeled Boss MS-3 version when playing live. So for me the MS-3 replaced so many pedals and really cleans up my setup. I am pretty picky about drive pedals, even live, so I've got a fuzz and an OD in the loops, along with my Bass Synth Wah. Those 3 pedals in the loops of the MS-3 and an expression pedal gives me everything I need for my 90's cover band.
The patches are nice to arrange settings per song and I have a "Set List" saved in the Editor/Librarian for this specific band.
Building a custom pedalboard for this setup currently.
The patches are nice to arrange settings per song and I have a "Set List" saved in the Editor/Librarian for this specific band.
Building a custom pedalboard for this setup currently.
Try the "Resonance Wah" with the expression pedal with your Bass synth wah it works really well with synthy sounds.
So i'm guessing that the BASS DST is in fact an emulation of the Boss ODB-3? Sounds great, i love the craziness of it! Im having fun mixing in some of the guitar OD's, like the Boss Blues Driver (BLUES OD), its great you have a mix of the clean and effected sounds, very useful!
That is quite close, except they have the effects more in categories, FX1, FX2, MOD1, MOD2, N.S., FV, DLY, REV.
Thanks. I pulled the trigger on the MS-3 this morning. Fulfills both my guitar and bass needs at once.
Tubescreamer on my Modern Bass and Vintage fuzz on my older sounding bass, Although I was running both into a slightly overdriving valve preamp (also why I haven't played much with the built in overdrives). In general I prefer the guitar ones to the bass ones.
Haven't messed with the built-in drives yet, but I do like that there is a clean blend option for every one! Get that tubescreamer with a clean blend you've been wanting!
