Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
New Zoom B1X Four $99
- Thread starter bassbrad
- Start date
I don't have one of these, but do have the predecessor; the B1ON. You can power this pedal with one of those inexpensive smartphone batteries via the USB connection. Am sure this is documented in the owners manual somewhere but I found out quite by accident. I had mine connected to my PC because I was messing with some of the patches in:
ToneLib – Complete guitar studio in your computer
I unplugged the power supply to my battery-less B1On with the USB cable still attached. The pedal remained on. My fist thought was that maybe I did put batteries in it and forgot I did it.
Nope. Battery compartment was as empty as I truly remembered it.
All that to say, while there may be no way to check your battery level, the next best thing might be an external phone battery and plug as a backup you can plug into the pedal's USB port. I've since experimented and found that 100% this does work. Also it works with my little iPhone charging cube with a USB x mini USB cable plugged in. This gives you some good options. Now-a-days you see those little USB sockets on power strips, so you got that going for you as well. Am assuming that the B1 four shares this functionality with the B1ON pedal I have. Can't imagine this wouldn't have carried over...
Last edited:
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Thanks. I've been using an adapter, but now you have me wondering what would happen if I just plugged it into a wall with a USB cable and phone charger?
Far as I can tell, my B1ON will work that way. I did try it with one of those little white square cubes that Apple includes when you get an iPhone, and a USB cable that worked with the pedal.
These will absolutely work this way. Makes for a really flexible pedal in terms of power. I've read some people say that they don't have as clean of a sound due to the lower voltage (5v vs. 6 from batteries or 9 from wall wart) but i have a feeling there's probably various methods of voltage regulation and boosting to make it perform correctly no matter what.
I wonder if certain combinations of pedal models are more demanding than others. - I’m pretty low maintenance, just using an amp model with speaker sim, maybe a little compression (or not) the ZNR if it seems like it needs it, that’s about it. If I’m right about more complicated patches Needing more juice, that could be a thing. I think the best thing to do is use it how you would use it and power it with an adapter plug and the USB connector on the Zoom pedal. If it sounds and works ok, it must be ok.
Just got one in and upgraded the firmware to 2.0 and loaded the extra modules from Guitar Lab. I own several Zoom pedals, the B1on, MS60b, B3N, and an early 506 II. This one seems to be an upgrade of the B1on but has the B3n fx including the buggy BaMnPitch module from it - the pitch shifted sound is about 6 db louder than the original signal when set to no blend 
. I use that module in my B1on and MS60b so kinda sucks to have it broken in the B3n and B1 Four . OTOH the B1on and MS60b lack the High and Low filter Modules which I have to fake on those. Too bad Zoom hasn't fixed this bug yet - I reported it to them a couple years ago...
OTOH the pedal is smaller than and MUCH better looking that the B1on
. I use that module in my B1on and MS60b so kinda sucks to have it broken in the B3n and B1 Four . OTOH the B1on and MS60b lack the High and Low filter Modules which I have to fake on those. Too bad Zoom hasn't fixed this bug yet - I reported it to them a couple years ago...OTOH the pedal is smaller than and MUCH better looking that the B1on
Just got one in and upgraded the firmware to 2.0 and loaded the extra modules from Guitar Lab. I own several Zoom pedals, the B1on, MS60b, B3N, and an early 506 II. This one seems to be an upgrade of the B1on but has the B3n fx including the buggy BaMnPitch module from it - the pitch shifted sound is about 6 db louder than the original signal when set to no blend
OTOH the pedal is smaller than and MUCH better looking that the B1on
Does it sound a lot better than B1on? I still use mine and haven't made the jump to the B1 Four yet, after all these years.
The B1on sounds a WHOLE lot better than the 506 II I had - I'm not sure if the B1 Four sounds significantly better?Does it sound a lot better than B1on? I still use mine and haven't made the jump to the B1 Four yet, after all these years.
Does anyone now what frequencies the dedicated Low, Mid, and Hi knobs effect? I can't find it any of the documentation. It's not terribly important considering what this pedal can do, but it'd be nice to know.
Well my B1 Four arrived yesterday, and I am quite impressed! It is far more usable and intuitive than my MS-60B (which will soon be listed in the classifieds 
). I have a few small critiques--like why is the 9V jack recessed so far? I can't get a right angle connector in there! But overall I'm very happy. It's so versatile that now I'm not quite sure which of my other pedals I actually want to keep and which ones I don't want!
). I have a few small critiques--like why is the 9V jack recessed so far? I can't get a right angle connector in there! But overall I'm very happy. It's so versatile that now I'm not quite sure which of my other pedals I actually want to keep and which ones I don't want!
The overall output of the unit. Check pages 5 and 11
https://www.zoom-na.com/sites/default/files/products/downloads/pdfs/E_B1FOUR.pdf
My One Spot has a right angle connector and it fits.Well my B1 Four arrived yesterday, and I am quite impressed! It is far more usable and intuitive than my MS-60B (which will soon be listed in the classifieds
That doesn't say what the center/corner frequencies are in Hertz. It just says overall low, mid, and high.
Mine might fit if I push it a bit harder. I didn't want to damage anything so I just grabbed the USB charger that was sitting nearby. Worked like a charm.
I was looking at the LoopRoll effect in the B1 Four as a potential alternative to the EHX Freeze. Basically, I would like to sample and hold one note while I play others over top of it (with only the first note held). Has anyone tried this with the B1 Four and does it work well? (or am I misinterpreting what this effect does?) The unit is not carried locally and my search found no mention of the effect on the forum or elsewhere. Thank you.
