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How was your experience with a multi effect pedal?
- Thread starter Zam
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- line 6 hx stomp
Hi there,
I just bought the Zoom B3n unit, don't know how much it differs from the b3, were you able to download additional presets for the unit? seems the page it's gone. Thank you.
I did download some patches, but I think they were just settings and no new sounds. The B3 has been discontinued for years so there was no support or updates for it, and after a while my computer couldn't even connect to it
Sure, I'll PM you with the (3) patches I have for my B1Xfour. They sound in the ballpark of the ones I use in my G1Xon/MS-60B/MS-50G, which I still happen to prefer over the four models (sound more full naturally, also SansAmp -BassDrive- sounds better, there's a lo-mid artificiality to the four's BassDrive when using higher gains I find real hard to tame).
I first foray into the digital effects world was the Zoom B3. It's a great unit and SO much SO well. However, it has a few limitations. Namely Compression, dirt and octaves. The compressor models are quite noisy and not as good as a stand alone unit. The dirt is generally awful and again better served with dedicated pedals. The octaver is ok but nothing like a true analogue octaver sounds.
I flipped out my B3 for a MS-70CDR, which expands on the the types of effects that the Zoom does well. I bought an analogue compressor, a plethora of dirt pedals (which I later consolidated to a Source Audio Aftershock) and an analogue Octaver. This was my main stay for a lot of years. but my opinion of Multis is that they are great and coinvent. They are easy to power and quite small. But their biggest weakness is that their dev $$$ is spread across the patches / algorithms. So some a great and others are not so great.
The Eventide H9 is amazing, but it can only do one effect at a time. However...all of the DSP goes into that one effect and their patches are ridiculously good, even considering how old it is now. Even the mighty H9 is a bit weak with it's compression and dirt (although way better than the Zoom units).
These days, I'm a big fan of Strymon, Eventide, EHX and of course Source Audio. I prefer to limit my Multi's to a specific type of effect and this is where SA rule. They can put all of the R&D $$$ into just that one effect type and they usually are top shelf products as a result. The Aftershock, Nemesis, Ventris, Ultrawave, C4, Spectrum, Atlas...to name a few. generally features wise and sound quality wise, SA are amazingly good.
I flipped out my B3 for a MS-70CDR, which expands on the the types of effects that the Zoom does well. I bought an analogue compressor, a plethora of dirt pedals (which I later consolidated to a Source Audio Aftershock) and an analogue Octaver. This was my main stay for a lot of years. but my opinion of Multis is that they are great and coinvent. They are easy to power and quite small. But their biggest weakness is that their dev $$$ is spread across the patches / algorithms. So some a great and others are not so great.
The Eventide H9 is amazing, but it can only do one effect at a time. However...all of the DSP goes into that one effect and their patches are ridiculously good, even considering how old it is now. Even the mighty H9 is a bit weak with it's compression and dirt (although way better than the Zoom units).
These days, I'm a big fan of Strymon, Eventide, EHX and of course Source Audio. I prefer to limit my Multi's to a specific type of effect and this is where SA rule. They can put all of the R&D $$$ into just that one effect type and they usually are top shelf products as a result. The Aftershock, Nemesis, Ventris, Ultrawave, C4, Spectrum, Atlas...to name a few. generally features wise and sound quality wise, SA are amazingly good.
Hey, Jeff! I'd love to know which pedals did you consider the keepers
Got it, thank you. I wish I could find the sustain if there's any.
Been using multi-effects for over 20 years now. I started off with a Zoom 506 and really liked the ability to tailor different effects to suit the needs of a song. After playing with that for 3 or 4 years, I decided it was time to get something more professional and got my GT-6B, which I have now been using for almost 20 years. It does everything I need and more. I'm sure there are things it can do that I will never use, but it has been super effective both live and in the studio.
- Oct 23, 2005
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- Endorsing Artist: MTD Basses, Bartolini, Genzler Amplification, GHS, Tsunami Cables, Sonic Nuance
Thanks for the tag, man! Unfortunately I just now saw it - evidently my email notifications are off and I'm not around here too often anymore. Looks like everything I would have said has pretty much been covered since, thoughI feel like this thread wouldn't be complete until Sean (@Combinator ) chimes in. At least he can give you a straight scoop on his experiences with multi-effects, he's doing A LOT with them and has been through a few different ones.
Sean, help this guy out.
Given how much I love the simplicity and speed of software multis like the good old Guitar Rig, and how I hate the complexity of multifx stomps, this is definitely a human computer interface design issue at a scientific level for me. I'll happily make the switch when a modern device on a live stage offers the same experience as working on a computer.
First good one for me was the Zoom B3. I sold everything but a Radial Bassbone after settling in with that. There is a lot to be said for that old box. I put hundreds of gigs on mine. MonoSyn was worth the proce of a B3 by it self. That Mono Syn came with all the rest of the stiff plus a tuner and a decent DI, the B3 was a heckuva deal.
I've had every flavor of the HX, some multiple times except for the full Helix Floor. Tried to love the LT as a one stop shop but... back to the HX Stomp. I use it for ...
I go from my wireless to the HX and from the HX to a preamp then to FOH. The Preamps range from Subwy DI+, Sushi Box UAX, Space Heater or an Arkham Oracle. They all provid warmth and my basic EQ. I take an aux feed from FOH to a power amp and cabinet - usually. At FOH there is 4 band fully parametric on my input plus 31 band graphic on all the outputs. For the most part, room eq problem solving happens there.
Given the list of stuff I find 'workable' to 'dang that is cool' in the HX and that an HX on the used market is 400 to 500 bucks... there is simply no group of pedals that can do what I need better without also requiring a board the size of Greenville, Indina... not to mention the expense.
To net it out, if you are willing to log to the time there is a lot to like in an HX Stomp.
As far as live use goes... the argument for the flexibility of singles is ... Well, if you are one of those guilty of messing with your pedals at a gig... let me just say that ain't entetainment. Messing with pedals at a gig after sound check is the hall mark of a garage band...
I've had every flavor of the HX, some multiple times except for the full Helix Floor. Tried to love the LT as a one stop shop but... back to the HX Stomp. I use it for ...
- time based effects
- modulation
- dirt
- pitch shifting
- hpf/lpf
- Crossover split paths
- compression
- efx loop management
- SA Spectum
- Future Impact
I go from my wireless to the HX and from the HX to a preamp then to FOH. The Preamps range from Subwy DI+, Sushi Box UAX, Space Heater or an Arkham Oracle. They all provid warmth and my basic EQ. I take an aux feed from FOH to a power amp and cabinet - usually. At FOH there is 4 band fully parametric on my input plus 31 band graphic on all the outputs. For the most part, room eq problem solving happens there.
Given the list of stuff I find 'workable' to 'dang that is cool' in the HX and that an HX on the used market is 400 to 500 bucks... there is simply no group of pedals that can do what I need better without also requiring a board the size of Greenville, Indina... not to mention the expense.
To net it out, if you are willing to log to the time there is a lot to like in an HX Stomp.
As far as live use goes... the argument for the flexibility of singles is ... Well, if you are one of those guilty of messing with your pedals at a gig... let me just say that ain't entetainment. Messing with pedals at a gig after sound check is the hall mark of a garage band...
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Totally unrelated to the OP's post, but If I may ask on this thread; is a multi-effect a suitable tool for beginners to do some silent practice with headphones? I just started learning bass and I'm currently looking for something I could both use to practice and tweak some tones later if I get good enough to record.
I posted about this, but my post was focused on NUX MG series, then someone recommended Zoom b1x four for silent practice. I do some web searching and the price of the Zoom is pretty close to some of the cheap and other 2nd-hand multi-effects that come with aux in, headphone out, tuners, cab/amp sim, effects and a drum machine and I just thought "why not just get one of those?"
A little more review watching led me to think of Hotone Ampero/Ampero One as the most "bang for your buck choice" as a total beginner and it could do some really good bass tones too, but I could be wrong on all accounts.
(for perspective: Zoom B1xFour retails at 160 usd and 2nd-hand Ampero is capped out at 210 usd in my country)
Pretty much all modern multis will be fine for this, plus they're an excellent way to get a basic understanding of what effect types do and how they interact with each other. Older multis sounded real bad, but that's not much of a concern anymore. New multis all sound fine at worst.
The only real issue is if you hate the interface and it makes you not want to use it
It depends on whether you want something specifically for bass or something more general that happens to work well for bass, too.
If it's the former you absolutely will not do better than the Zoom for the money. The other budget multieffects simply will not have the variety of amp models or quality effects, for bass, that the Zoom has.
Now, if you play a variety of things and the bass is just among the things you want to play through it, then you'll want to find something that represents bass well, and is decent for other things too. For example, I got a Valeton GP-100 to use with my lap steel simply because it was cheap and had an expression pedal (which I wanted for volume) and was pleasantly surprised to learn that it also had some decent amp/cab models and bass effects in it. Am I replacing my pedal board with it? No, let's don't go crazy, but I do use it for headphone practice and it works really well for that.
However, the budget multieffects can be extremely hit or miss for how well bass needs are represented. My understanding is that the Ampero has very few amp models (although I absolutely could be thinking of another device). OTOH, the Mooer Prime P1 seems to be really well suited for bassists: Mooer Prime P1 as well as guitar (probably not my lap steel, though - well, or at least I'd have to spring for a volume pedal to go with it) so it's probably worthwhile doing a bit of research on them to see how people like them for different use cases.
D
Sadly, I couldn't figure it out. So I still use my Boss GTB 50.
