EASY-TO-USE Multi Effects Unit for Bass?

[groooooove]

the boss one is fine, i havent used the latest models but they've always been a good choice for a simple multi unit.

I had a korg one years ago that I absolutely loved. had a really amazing chorus setting on there, great synths, and a lot of other stuff. od/distortions were predictably terrible.

 

[bwildt]

I started with an ME-50B and moved to a Zoom B3n.

The ME-50B worked well enough. It is well thought out and is robustly built. I used it with presets, not as a live pedal. The thing I didn't like is that when you revisit a preset to edit it, there is no way to determine what the existing settings are, as the knobs are never pointed at the actual value. To me, editing a preset was more like rebuilding the preset.

The B3n works better for me. I use only presets and don't tweak them at a gig. What I like-- 1) when editing a preset, all the current effects, effect order and effect settings are shown on the screen. I know exactly what the current settings are and I can edit from there. 2) I can change the order of effects. On the ME-50B, the order of effects is fixed.

The B3n can get complicated, but you don't have to use everything. Many of the factory presets have a chain of like 5 devices. Way more than I need or want. That's too much tweaking. I use about 12 personal presets.

Whatever multi you use, my best advice is this: Built your own presets. I have found that most of the factory presets are way too over-the-top. They are built to show off the unit's capability and in my opinion, don't really sound all that good.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

I've used Korg AX1B for years and years. It's an old and obsolete multi without much power inside, but it did the basic trick and went well with my cheap bass then.

Now I've got a better bass, so I sold AX1B and bought something better, i.e. Korg AX3000B for $75. Some tact switch weren't working (mostly or at all), so I've replaced maybe 10 of them. Nothing too hard, any person knowing how to hold a soldering iron can do that. Did a factory reset, checked factory patches, was not particularly impressed.

Found a good set of patches in the internet, downloaded it, sent it to the device using USB-to-MIDI interface cable, and now I'm happy. Especially with such patches as jazz (almost double bass sound), bass synth (great for disco and 80s music), slap (nuff sad) and hard rock (a metallic growl of 70s). There's many more, I haven't dig all of this yet.
The only downside I see for now is that the unit is BIG. Not will it ever fit into the pocket of my bass soft case, like easily did it's predecessor. I had to order a gun bag to put it in (gun bags are much cheaper than music bags ). But anyway the soung and ergonomics of the unit feel good to me so far.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Thanks! So, would you know if there's a significant difference between the B1 Four and the B3N?

I also have a B3N.

The biggest differences for me are size, weight, and ease of programming. I only hold onto my B3N for the looper feature. THAT is pretty easy to use. I never tried using the looper on B1.

Truth be told, I never put enough time into the B3N to make a fair comparison. I hated carrying around the additional chunk of metal.

[edit] I made a mistake. I have a B3, not a B3N. Realized that when I saw a picture below. I don't know anything about the B3N.

 

[zacharybass76]

I've used Korg AX1B for years and years. It's an old and obsolete multi without much power inside, but it did the basic trick and went well with my cheap bass then.
View attachment 3867757
Now I've got a better bass, so I sold AX1B and bought something better, i.e. Korg AX3000B for $75. Some tact switch weren't working (mostly or at all), so I've replaced maybe 10 of them. Nothing too hard, any person knowing how to hold a soldering iron can do that. Did a factory reset, checked factory patches, was not particularly impressed.
View attachment 3867758
Found a good set of patches in the internet, downloaded it, sent it to the device using USB-to-MIDI interface cable, and now I'm happy. Especially with such patches as jazz (almost double bass sound), bass synth (great for disco and 80s music), slap (nuff sad) and hard rock (a metallic growl of 70s). There's many more, I haven't dig all of this yet.
The only downside I see for now is that the unit is BIG. Not will it ever fit into the pocket of my bass soft case, like easily did it's predecessor. I had to order a gun bag to put it in (gun bags are much cheaper than music bags ). But anyway the soung and ergonomics of the unit feel good to me so far.
View attachment 3867759

My guitarist likes Korg products, and apparently this particular model is no longer made, so I'd have to find one used. But thanks for the review! I'll check one out if I can.

 

[primussucks9126]

I love my B3n. I usually take it on gigs and leave my expensive analog effects at home. I've taken it to some fancy shmancy studios and the guys there raved about the sound. They specifically couldn't believe how good the overdrive sounded (they were shocked when they found out it was a cheap digital pedal). For me, I'd go with the B3n over the B1four simply because of the greater number of effects available in a patch, and the layout and tweak-ability is more similar to having an actual board. The processing is the same and both units should be capable of the same sounds.

 

[lokikallas]

I've found the Zoom B3, and B3n to be the easiest and most useful MFX units I ever owned.

 

[misterCRUSH]

I have had the Zoom B3 for about 4 years. it really has everything, including knobs for each pedal so it's almost like having individuals It does take a bit of tinkering, but one of the good things is that you can hook it up to a computer and adjust everything that way without bending over every tweak. I like it. it's especially handy for recording.

 

[Glenn_G]

Beware gear that uses software. I've had bad experiences with software support ending and it wouldn't run on a new computer or new OS. Roland/Boss is one of the mfrs who left me high and dry, also Zoom. As long as you're OK with not using the software, then fine.

Just curious, What computer were you using or OS? I have had problems with the USB connection with my Boss Loop Station but never had an issue running Tone Studio

 

[Altitude]

Another B3n user. I had a Boss GT-10B for years - also a good unit but very large and heavy.

The effects quality on the B3n is very good, and the unit is tiny and light. Here's mine in my gig case, sitting atop my also tiny and light GK amp head and together with literally everything else I need for a gig except a bass.

Here's the thing about multi-FX units though:

1. Ignore the preset patches. Most of them are way over the top, have too much going on, and are made to showcase the unit's capability rather than to be useful sound patches on your gig. Spend some time programming your own simpler patches - I have a universal "clean" patch, a "dirty" one, an auto-wah one, and a few synth ones. Whatever you need, but I recommend keeping it simple.
   
2. I've never run across any that did not have a glaring effects weakness. My old Boss GT-10B, for example, had rotten synth capabilities. Who knows why, Boss actually has decent digital stand-alone synth pedals. The B3n's weakness is in the octaver effect. I just can't seem to dial in an organic sounding octave tone at all. And the pitch shifter sounds just the slightest bit out of tune when you use it for octave up. Might be a symptom of the same issue.

That said, the drive effects are great on the B3n - it has a really good SVT emulator - and its synth voices are very good. I'm not looking to make any changes.

 

[zacharybass76]

Another B3n user. I had a Boss GT-10B for years - also a good unit but very large and heavy.

The effects quality on the B3n is very good, and the unit is tiny and light. Here's mine in my gig case, sitting atop my also tiny and light GK amp head and together with literally everything else I need for a gig except a bass.

View attachment 3867851

Here's the thing about multi-FX units though:

1. Ignore the preset patches. Most of them are way over the top, have too much going on, and are made to showcase the unit's capability rather than to be useful sound patches on your gig. Spend some time programming your own simpler patches - I have a universal "clean" patch, a "dirty" one, an auto-wah one, and a few synth ones. Whatever you need, but I recommend keeping it simple.
   
2. I've never run across any that did not have a glaring effects weakness. My old Boss GT-10B, for example, had rotten synth capabilities. Who knows why, Boss actually has decent digital stand-alone synth pedals. The B3n's weakness is in the octaver effect. I just can't seem to dial in an organic sounding octave tone at all. And the pitch shifter sounds just the slightest bit out of tune when you use it for octave up. Might be a symptom of the same issue.

That said, the drive effects are great on the B3n - it has a really good SVT emulator - and its synth voices are very good. I'm not looking to make any changes.

Thanks for the review. I'm starting to lean toward the B3N. It sounds like it's what I need. I do use an octave effect for one of my band's songs, so hopefully I can make the octaver work, but I'd rather have a multi-effects unit with a decent drive on it than the octave. Again, thanks for taking the time to review this for me.

 

[zacharybass76]

I have had the Zoom B3 for about 4 years. it really has everything, including knobs for each pedal so it's almost like having individuals It does take a bit of tinkering, but one of the good things is that you can hook it up to a computer and adjust everything that way without bending over every tweak. I like it. it's especially handy for recording.

Thank you! I am leaning towards trying the B3N.

 

[mrcbass]

I don't have any experience with the units you are looking at. But, I started with a multi effects unit (Digitech BP355) when I first started playing. While it had some cool features, I ultimately ditched it and went down the individual pedal path. Reasons:
1. I found that the stomp pedals were too close together and I constantly hit multiple pedals at once which triggered events (like looping) that were hard to undo while trying to play. I rarely stomp mid song, but when I do it needs it to be uncomplicated. I can't be worried about playing singing and finding the right pedal at the same time.
2. The way the unit grouped options, it limited me to how I could build patches. It's been several years now and I don't remember the specifics, there were times when I tried to build patches with two effects from the same group and couldn't.
3. I had an awful time maintaining even volume throughout the patches I used. I would painstakingly set volume control for each patch only to find it changed every time I turned it off. That was just more things to during setup (assuming I could even remember which patch needed which volume setting).

In going to individual pedals, I found that I really didn't need the 100s of combinations the Multi Effect unit had. Sure it was fun at home, but once I got in the band mix, most of the effects just get buried anyway - I now have only two "effect" (don't count compressor and HPF/LPF as effects) pedals on my boards and even those get used used sparingly

 

[zacharybass76]

I love my B3n. I usually take it on gigs and leave my expensive analog effects at home. I've taken it to some fancy shmancy studios and the guys there raved about the sound. They specifically couldn't believe how good the overdrive sounded (they were shocked when they found out it was a cheap digital pedal). For me, I'd go with the B3n over the B1four simply because of the greater number of effects available in a patch, and the layout and tweak-ability is more similar to having an actual board. The processing is the same and both units should be capable of the same sounds.

Thanks man. These reviews are definitely helping sway me toward the Zoom B3N.

 

[Altitude]

Thanks for the review. I'm starting to lean toward the B3N. It sounds like it's what I need. I do use an octave effect for one of my band's songs, so hopefully I can make the octaver work, but I'd rather have a multi-effects unit with a decent drive on it than the octave. Again, thanks for taking the time to review this for me.

The octave voice isn't bad enough to write off the unit; I do use it with some regularity. It's not as good as the best in the category. I wouldn't record with it, but it's fine for gigs.

 

[primussucks9126]

Thanks man. These reviews are definitely helping sway me toward the Zoom B3N.

I noticed you said the HX Effects didn't work well for the effects you need. I didn't notice if you posted it in the thread, but what are you looking for?

I'll agree that the octave is on the weaker side. The OC-2 type model is ok, and there are a few other pitch shifters so 1 might work for you.

Another thing I like is the options for EQs on the B3n. If a certain effect doesn't sound quite right to me, I can add a band or 2 of parametric EQ, or the graphic EQ and tweak things to shape the sound to be more palette-able.

 

[zacharybass76]

I noticed you said the HX Effects didn't work well for the effects you need. I didn't notice if you posted it in the thread, but what are you looking for?

I'll agree that the octave is on the weaker side. The OC-2 type model is ok, and there are a few other pitch shifters so 1 might work for you.

Another thing I like is the options for EQs on the B3n. If a certain effect doesn't sound quite right to me, I can add a band or 2 of parametric EQ, or the graphic EQ and tweak things to shape the sound to be more palette-able.

It's not the effects of the unit that didn't work, it's the complex operation of the unit. I was needing to tweak all of the effects to make them sound better for bass, and doing so was a royal pain.

 

[primussucks9126]

It's not the effects of the unit that didn't work, it's the complex operation of the unit. I was needing to tweak all of the effects to make them sound better for bass, and doing so was a royal pain.

Gotcha, I think you'll like the B3n's usability. I played with the Helix software, and I sincerely didn't think it sounded obviously better. I didn't find building a patch to be intuitive, but the B3n was easy-peasy for me.

 

[Jase The Bass]

I designed computers for a living for 40 years so I'm well aware of the workarounds.

So we should keep a pile of old computers around for programming presets for a stompbox? Plus keep some old phones, for the devices that get programmed by phone apps.

Yes.

 

[crankypants]

I use both the Boss GT1B and Zoom B3n. Both are great. But for ultimate ease of use with no programming, go with the Tech21 bass fly rig. It has everything z bassist needs

What's a 'z' bassist?