Is my Zoom B3 faulty?

[NoiseNinja]

Update:

Odd clicking sound problem solved, but a few more questions popped up, as well as the Bitcrusher question isn't solved either.

So what remains to be solved regarding weather it is how this unit just works or it is mine that is faulty are:

1. The Bitcrusher only works properly on settings on 7 bits or above

2. The Defretter effect seems very subtle at all settings

3. The balance knob seems to include some clean bass sound even if it is set to 100% effect, and this goes for all effects with a balance knob

4. It is impossible to get any of the delays to oscillate, even with the feedback set at max

And the question is:

Is this normal behaviour for this unit?


Original problem:

You may call me impatient, but I posted this question in the Zoom Owner Club thread, and since I haven't received an answer yet, I figured my chances of getting a quick answer would be better making a separate thread.

Anyway, here's my problem:

I just tried out my new Zoom B3 on headphones (expensive and good ones that is), as I live in an appartment and I hear some weird clicking sound right when hitting the strings on some of the effects, like the Fuzzface and a couple of other non dirt effect, when set to certain frequencies, that doesn't sound natural at all, but more like some sort of weird glitch.
Beside that the sound just completely disappears when using the Bitcrusher set to anything below 6 bit.

Could the weird clicking sound be due to the fact that I used headphones, as they doesn't handle some extreme frequenecies very well, is the clicking sound and sound dropout of the Bitcrusher set below 6 bits flaws all units just comes with or is mine in particular faulty in some way, and if, could this possibly be fixed by a firmware update?

 

[ProfFrink]

Two wild guesses (caused weird clicking sounds in my setup at some point):

• You're using a compressor, a limiter, or a noise-gate that aren't set right (if you have any of these - disable and try again)
• Your digital chain is clipping at some point (go over all effects individually and make sure they are all approx unity-gain)

 

[NoiseNinja]

1. But unless there's some sort of build in noise-gate, other than the noise gate effect, you need to disable, and this is set wrong from stock, that is not my problem.

2. Could be, I am not running this over a computer though, but I guess the build in headphone amplifier is digital, so could be it clips some frequencies turned up to high.

I'll try turn down a bit for the unit and see if that is the answer right away and come back in 20 minutes or so, and say if that helped.

In the meantime if someone has any other ideas of what could be wrong, please do post your input.

Also doesn't explain why the Bitcrusher mutes all sound when it is turned below 6 bits.

Anyway, thanks for trying to help out

 

[Joe Nerve]

I just got one the other day, and I notice some weird clicking on certain patches too. I'm thinking it's just a matter of me tweaking, and creating my own patches. For $200 I wasn't expecting 100% perfection. I do however think these are pretty smoking and I'm happy with mine. After going through about 10 different multi effects units (lots of them ZOOMs) I think this is one I'll stick with for a while, and actually use.

 

[NoiseNinja]

Ok, an update:

Weather or not it is due to the fact that I updated the firmware or just me not turning the the setting up too much the weird clicking sound when attacking the strings has disapeared.

The Bitcrusher still act weird though.

The balance knob works, just to specify, so I do get the clean sound out according to how I turn the balance knob, but at 5 bits the Bitcrusher part only seems to work on low notes, and at 4 Bits there is no Bitcrushing going on at all. Also if I turn the sample rate bellow 44 on 6 bits it only does bit crushing now and then randomly.

I didn't think of this as I only wanted to hear the most bit crushed sound it could make, but it seems infact the Bitcrusher only works down to 7 Bit, if I turn it down to 6 Bits it seems like it just distorts the bass in a bad way (like a fizzy thin sounding kind of heavy distortion) , without doing much of the characteristic bit reduced crispy computer sound.

So the remaining question, I guess, is: Does the Bitcrusher in B3 in fact only works down to 7 Bit reduction or is there something wrong with my unit?

 

[Rib 13]

Wish I could help ya, bud....I dont use any distortions at all and the BitCrusher is probably the most useless for my personal needs...... For the record, I primarily play clean and use my B3 to emphasize cleanliness with a few occasions that I use colored sounds for songs that require them (chorus, defretter, etc)....... I did scroll through everything to give it a once-over: Most of the distortions didnt impress me although there were one or two that I liked but the factory presets were gawd-awful and need to be tweaked. Synths were even worse. Almost everything else in this thing is a goldmine $.02

 

[NoiseNinja]

Well, thanks for your input anyway.

And I agree.

Appart from my few issues, it works really well, and the effects and amp simulations are superior to any other digital multi effect I ever heard before.

Even the dirt effects sounds quite well.

Anyway.....

Apart from the Bitcrusher question/problem, I noticed a few more things on my second time around I would liked to have solved, regarding weather it is how this unit just works or it is mine that is faulty.

So what remains to be solved, are:

1. The Bitcrusher only works properly on settings on 7 bits or above

2. The Defretter effect seems very subtle at all settings

3. The balance knob seems to include some clean bass sound even if it is set to 100% effect, and this goes for all effects with a balance knob

4. It is impossible to get any of the delays to oscillate, even with the feedback set at max

And the question is:

Is this normal behaviour for this unit?

 

[CHILDISHGAMBINO]

1. The bitcrusher is sort of like a gated fuzz in some ways, mine works through the range but if your signal is not as hot the bitcrusher sort of acts like a gate.
2. Defretters are dumb and almost never sound good anyway.
3. Check the total menu and mess with the balance there.
4. The delays don't oscillate or at least I haven't gotten them to.

To answer your first question about the noise. I haven't really ever experienced the problem you are having. You experience the noise using the bitcrusher? It may have just been some weird sound you weren't expecting to come from the bitcrusher?

 

[NoiseNinja]

1. The bitcrusher is sort of like a gated fuzz in some ways, mine works through the range but if your signal is not as hot the bitcrusher sort of acts like a gate.
2. Defretters are dumb and almost never sound good anyway.
3. Check the total menu and mess with the balance there.
4. The delays don't oscillate or at least I haven't gotten them to.

To answer your first question about the noise. I haven't really ever experienced the problem you are having. You experience the noise using the bitcrusher? It may have just been some weird sound you weren't expecting to come from the bitcrusher?

Thanks for the reply

1. Just checked again and seems like you are right, put an amp before it and it seems like it let's the signal through the effect, at least some times now, even on 4 bits. Thank you

2. Uhm, ok. Doesn't help me much

3. I'll try that, could actually be you are on to something there. Thanks a lot for that suggestion Update: Yup, worked, set the total balance to 100, and now the individual effect balance knobs works much better, letting no original sound through when turned to 100.

4. Thank you again, solved this question too.

And the weird clicking sound when attacking the strings is gone after I updated the firmware, and it didn't come from the Bitcrusher but from the Fuzzface, as well as a few other non dirt effects.

 

[CHILDISHGAMBINO]

Thanks for the reply

1. Well, I know it isn't that cause even if I boost the signal with for example a preamp effect before the bitcrusher it keeps dead quiet on 4 bits, only works on low notes on 5 bits, and sounds more like a fizzy thin but heave distortion than a Bitcrusher on 6 bits, on 7 Bits and above it works flawlessly though.

2. Uhm, ok. Doesn't help me much

3. I'll try that, could actually be you are on to something there. Thanks a lot for that suggestion

4. Thank you again, solved this question too.

And the weird clicking sound when attacking the strings is gone after I updated the firmware, and it didn't come from the Bitcrusher but from the Fuzzface, as well as a few other non dirt effects.

Weird. I've never updated. I should. Sorry about the defretter comment but I hate those things so I don't think I've even bothered to try it.

 

[jwilson67]

@NoiseNinja - you have to remember that even though it sounds amazing the B3 is still essentially a digital modeler and with that there might be artifacts in particular samples. I have noticed some weird stuff here and there but nothing that would even be noticeable in a gigging situation. I've heard far worse sounds from some analog stuff. Also, some of the things on the B3 are so subtle that they border on useless. I still love it though and it's the only pedal I have onstage anymore!

 

[jwilson67]

I just can't shake the feeling that my B3 reminds me of this on a dark stage with it's orange lit up windows!