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Effects just....not my thing?

#21
I guess I'm still confused about the "unity" volume. Am I adjusting each patch as a whole or each pedal indivdually? Am I adjusting with the volume knobs under each effect or through a master volume?

Also, to clear my own confusion...am I ok playing through the B3 (with all pedals off but the unit turned on) and going into my tascam or amp? Am I losing signal that way or is that a true bypass?
 
#22
rydin4lifebass said:
I guess I was just hoping to nail the tone I had in my head and it's just happening.
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What bass are you using? Strings? Are you running into an amp or direct?

Just be realistic about what you can do with it. Jordie used a multi thousand dollar rig live (and many thousands more in the studio I'm sure) that you're trying to nail with a $200 pedal. I'm not saying it can't happen, but an all tube SVT stack is an awesome thing that everyone tries to duplicate but it's tough to fully achieve. Since you refer to him as Twiggy I'm assuming you're after his Manson tone? He used some pretty non standard basses (mainly Gibson) that just don't sound like your standard P or J.

rydin4lifebass said:
Also, to clear my own confusion...am I ok playing through the B3 (with all pedals off but the unit turned on) and going into my tascam or amp? Am I losing signal that way or is that a true bypass?
Click to expand...

Yes, completely fine.
 
#24
bassgod0dmw - I'm mainly using an Ibanez SRX tuned BEAD for the heavier stuff. You're correct that when I refer to Twiggy I mean the stuff he did with Manson, primarily the tone from Antichrist Superstar (Beautiful People specifically). I totally get what you're saying about his tone. He's using a Gibson Thunderbird (in most cases) through an MXR DI, Ampeg stacks, and who knows what kind of processing goes on in the studio after the track is recorded. I'm playing a $300 bass or a MIM Fender Jazz through a multi-effect pedal into a Fender amp and 410. It's a night and day comparison but I was just trying to get "close".

Any recommendations on how to get the volume "unity"? I've searched and checked the manual but I wasn't able to find anything of help.
 
#27
I don't actually have a B3, so I'm not entirely sure how the interface works. But, with my MS-60B, when I setup a patch, I set each effect in the patch to unity by adjusting the output volume until it is the same on as off. With the B3, where you can easily turn individual effects on and off within a patch, I would think it is even more important.
 
#28
Gotcha....so I would need to change each effect individually and then since all of the effects are at unity, all of the patches comprised of the edited effects would also be at unity? Is that correct?

Sorry for another question, but right now I have a regular instrument cable going from the Zoom to my amp. Should I be using a speaker cable like the one from my amp to my cab?
 
#31
rydin4lifebass said:
Sorry for another question, but right now I have a regular instrument cable going from the Zoom to my amp. Should I be using a speaker cable like the one from my amp to my cab?
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No, the Zoom is just like an effect pedal (the amp sims are just effects), so your current use is correct. Use an instrument cable to connect it to your amp.

The B3 is a tough place to start with effects IMO, especially when looking for a signature tone to recreate, and especially if that tone involves any kind of overdrive. The Zoom stuff can sound great, but it does take a LOT of work and experimentation to get exactly what you want out of it. It may be less frustrating to get one or two discrete pedals and learn them. (No pedals is a perfectly valid approach, too :))

As for the frustration of not nailing the tone in your head, welcome! That is something we all deal with, effects and non-effects users alike.
 
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#33
Dave W said:
It can be done by each effect or globally by patch.
If one of the effects isn't at the level you want, then adjust by effect
If all 3 effects in the patch are at the same level, then adjust by patch
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So basically, I'm doing this by ear, correct? I'm just playing with everything off and then trying to lower the patch/effect volume so that it matches the volume with everything off? I'm sure I sound stupid for all the questions but if the "unity" thing was such a big deal, why doesn't it come that way and why wouldn't it at least be mentioned in the B3 manual? Also, wouldn't resetting the unit change everything back to being "un-unified"? Maybe it's just me but that seems like huge pain to do on a regular basis. What is the harm in not going to "unity" out of curiosity?

What would you guys recommend as a good effect or two to start off with...something basic. For example, I've found my Ibanez SRX to be a little "farty" at times and not really have the punch and definition I want. I thought about using some compression so it could have a little more punch behind it. Would you recommend the m-comp, d-comp for that?
 
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#34
No stupid questions...

Yes, by ear. Start by playing your dry tone and then kick on an effect. Adjust the level as necessary. Kick back and fourth a few times until it sounds right.

Every bass, amp, effect, player tweaks, room, etc. are going to make it sound slightly different. A lot of different effects have some sort of level adjustment to compensate for these variances so it's not very different than using a standalone fuzz pedal for example. There is no harm in making them all the same level per say, but why not add that extra bit of tweakability? The manual tells you to flip through different pages to adjust the different parameters and Level is one of those. I don't know that it gets into specifics but I'm not sure it's really all that necessary either. It's pretty simple to adjust the level on a regular basis. I suppose if you're using a million different patches it could be a PITA to check each one. If you're out gigging you will need to adjust your amp volume and its tone to fit the room and then you may need to change around some of your effect levels during sound check. It's something that may need to be done whether you're using single effects or a multi effects unit.

If your Ibby is farty I would suggest to turn down the bass. Your either adding too much bass, pushing your amp into overdrive, or passing the capability of the speakers. I would dial in some low mids somewhere in the 200hz range. I would also look at new strings as they make a huge difference on tone IMO. A fresh set of rounds is a great place to start. You can mess with some compression as well but I don't have any recommendations on which to use with the B3. Your best bet is to pick one and play around with it to see how it sounds to your ears. I'd suggest playing with one of the preamps or EQ's to get you in the ballpark of what you're looking for.

As for a basic effect to get started with I'd say it depends on what you're after. Compression is basic but it can also be very confusing. I would suggest messing around with a phaser or chorus on some clean passages or some of the dirt choices. Play with the 4 stage Phaser or the Big Muff. If you want a meaner sounding distortion check out the Rat clone (I think it's called the Rodent or something like that...)

With all that said, effects very well might not be your thing and that's perfectly okay! It's also possible that the B3 isn't your thing. It does a lot of things pretty well but it's not the end-all-be-all of effects by any means. I love mine and have used it regularly, but given the choice I still prefer my singles.

/superlongpost
 
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