• 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 B2 FOUR...

#603
Hi guys. I have a b3n since it came out. I also have a pedalboard with analog pedals, but the 2 row pedalboard and I don’t want to carry it around. I’m in a jazz band where I play double bass and in a 80’s/90’s band where I play bass.

I was looking for a Di because I am tired of relying on other’s equipment. I play direct to the board and I was going to buy a jdi. I also have a quilter bb800 and take it to rehearsals.

Will the b2 four replace all of this? Can I ditch the Di, compressor, tuner and bb800? And just take the b2 four? I don’t need the 2% increase in sound quality of the analog pedals. The jazz band is just to use the Di and in the other band I neeed basic pedals like tuner, compressor, a little reverb, pre amp, di, and an octaves if I want to use it for one pink Floyd song (not mandatory).


What’s the difference between this one and the b6?

I have synth and delays and loopers to play around at home, but for the band (five piece, keys, vocals, drums, guitar, bass) I don’t need nor want all of that stuff. What’s so you think? Thank you.

Some pictures:
IMG_9111.jpeg
IMG_9110.jpeg
IMG_9109.jpeg
IMG_9067.jpeg
 
#604
J_Bass said:
I was looking for a Di because I am tired of relying on other’s equipment. I play direct to the board and I was going to buy a jdi. I also have a quilter bb800 and take it to rehearsals.
Click to expand...
I Radial DI is going to give you the benefits of a reliable DI and an isolation transformer. I honestly don't know if the B2 Four's "DI" has a proper isolation transformer. It seems to be more about modeling the subtle (for me, in-audible) differences between three solid-state DI's and three tube DI's. But it does give you an XLR to the house. Be aware that the DI out is the same as the 1/4" out.

The BB800 is an amp, and the B2-Four is not. The amp/cab sim just simulates sending your bass into an amp/cab being mic'ed. But doesn't power a speaker, so you need to keep your BB800.

J_Bass said:
Will the b2 four replace all of this? Can I ditch the Di, compressor, tuner and bb800? And just take the b2 four? I don’t need the 2% increase in sound quality of the analog pedals. The jazz band is just to use the Di and in the other band I neeed basic pedals like tuner, compressor, a little reverb, pre amp, di, and an octaves if I want to use it for one pink Floyd song (not mandatory).
Click to expand...
Probably the XLR out of the B2 Four will do what you need. The compressors are better/faster on the B2 Four than the B3n. Overall sound quality is better. But there are a few aspects where the B2 Four has fewer selections, or are less adjustable. The only thing you'd definitely need to keep from the above quote is your amp.

J_Bass said:
What’s the difference between this one and the b6?
Click to expand...
It's been addressed in this long thread, but to sum up, the B6 is the pro flagship, it has similar or the same generation of FX modules-- except I don't think it has the dynamic cab convolution of the B2 Four. B6 is the more pro/bigger device with more features, more routing options & connectivity. If you don't need those extra features and don't enjoy lots of tweaking, probably the B2 Four is a better option.

J_Bass said:
I have synth and delays and loopers to play around at home, but for the band (five piece, keys, vocals, drums, guitar, bass) I don’t need nor want all of that stuff. What’s so you think? Thank you.
Click to expand...
If you get the B2 Four, you can work out what all it can replace. The chonky navigation buttons are annoying to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cedomir and J_Bass
#605
stubbsonic said:
I Radial DI is going to give you the benefits of a reliable DI and an isolation transformer. I honestly don't know if the B2 Four's "DI" has a proper isolation transformer. It seems to be more about modeling the subtle (for me, in-audible) differences between three solid-state DI's and three tube DI's. But it does give you an XLR to the house. Be aware that the DI out is the same as the 1/4" out.

The BB800 is an amp, and the B2-Four is not. The amp/cab sim just simulates sending your bass into an amp/cab being mic'ed. But doesn't power a speaker, so you need to keep your BB800.


Probably the XLR out of the B2 Four will do what you need. The compressors are better/faster on the B2 Four than the B3n. Overall sound quality is better. But there are a few aspects where the B2 Four has fewer selections, or are less adjustable. The only thing you'd definitely need to keep from the above quote is your amp.


It's been addressed in this long thread, but to sum up, the B6 is the pro flagship, it has similar or the same generation of FX modules-- except I don't think it has the dynamic cab convolution of the B2 Four. B6 is the more pro/bigger device with more features, more routing options & connectivity. If you don't need those extra features and don't enjoy lots of tweaking, probably the B2 Four is a better option.


If you get the B2 Four, you can work out what all it can replace. The chonky navigation buttons are annoying to me.
Click to expand...


Thank you for your reply, very useful! I’m going to read the thread to learn more.
 
#609
I just started playing bass three years ago and don‘t have any idea what kind of sound to expect of the different preamps and amps. If not using a looper upfront I find ot rather difficult to get an idea of how they sound as playing and changing settings isnt that easy especially as the display changes so fast and some algorithms have more than one page.
Is there any good link on the different bass amps and preamps (not exclusive to the fx unit) to just get a rough idea?
Also I am a bit struggleing with the compressors without metering as it obviously really depends on the inputlevel how the compressor reacts. For now I went back to using vsti‘s as I play through my audiointerface and ableton live but would love to be able to not use the computer
 
#610
Yentzee said:
I just started playing bass three years ago and don‘t have any idea what kind of sound to expect of the different preamps and amps. If not using a looper upfront I find ot rather difficult to get an idea of how they sound as playing and changing settings isnt that easy especially as the display changes so fast and some algorithms have more than one page.
Click to expand...
It's one of the annoying things about the B2 Four is the timer on the adjustment pages. Ugh. Makes that work really feel tedious. Multiple pages is a gift, the alternative is fewer parameters, and that is worse.
Yentzee said:
Is there any good link on the different bass amps and preamps (not exclusive to the fx unit) to just get a rough idea?
Click to expand...
I don't know if this is still true, but Line6 used to have great documentation, which included useful descriptions of the amps and other gear that was being emulated. I just looked at more recent manuals, and it looks like they stopped including that info.
Yentzee said:
Also I am a bit struggleing with the compressors without metering as it obviously really depends on the inputlevel how the compressor reacts. For now I went back to using vsti‘s as I play through my audiointerface and ableton live but would love to be able to not use the computer
Click to expand...
The compressors in the B2 Four are great. Very quick & responsive-- fast enough for slap-- which wasn't always the case with Zoom. But if you want compression amount metering, no luck.

You'll hear people say "Use your ears." It's a bit of a cop-out answer because its hard to know what to listen for. But putting it a different way, unless you are trying to emulate a specific bass sound from a specific era of music or band or song, then just get to know what bass sounds you like.

For example, the person or people who made the factory presets in the B2 Four seem to really love a woofy hyped low-end. I don't. I love low-end, but the balance I like is different than what the factory presets lean into.

Another tip is to listen to each preamp and amp by themselves-- just to get to know what they do and what they add. Then when you combine them, you'll have a better sense of what each thingy is bringing to the table.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cedomir and Yentzee
#612
Have you looked at the effect and patch lists available at the Zoom page?
www.zoom.jp

B2 FOUR - Help Center | ZOOM

This is Help Center for Zoom Corporation, manufacturer of electronic musical instruments and audio devices. Here , you can find the support information in details for the following product: B2 FOUR
www.zoom.jp www.zoom.jp

I guess these help to get a rough understanding of the effects origin and of the parameters and ranges of each single effect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stubbsonic
#613
Once you know the "product of origin" for each module, you can do some searching-- even watching demo vids of the original gear to get a feel for what people like about it.

I don't bother. I just play around with a module until I understand its strengths and weaknesses.

My two tips (sorry I repeat myself so much)--
1. When learning a module, study it by itself, with no other modules active. Then you can combine it later with other stuff.
2. Set the net gain of any module so that it is as close to your bass level in a bypassed state.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cedomir and OldShark
#615
stubbsonic said:
I'm noticing what might be a bug.

I'm trying to edit a blank patch and insert an amp/cab. But when I go into the module picker, and scroll right, the column that has the amps isn't shown. The last column I can see is the expression pedal fx-- no amps.

I'm running version 1.00. I don't see any mention of a new firmware.
Click to expand...
What number position are you trying to add it to?
 
  • Like
Reactions: stubbsonic
#617
stubbsonic said:
It's one of the annoying things about the B2 Four is the timer on the adjustment pages. Ugh. Makes that work really feel tedious. Multiple pages is a gift, the alternative is fewer parameters, and that is worse.

I don't know if this is still true, but Line6 used to have great documentation, which included useful descriptions of the amps and other gear that was being emulated. I just looked at more recent manuals, and it looks like they stopped including that info.

The compressors in the B2 Four are great. Very quick & responsive-- fast enough for slap-- which wasn't always the case with Zoom. But if you want compression amount metering, no luck.

You'll hear people say "Use your ears." It's a bit of a cop-out answer because its hard to know what to listen for. But putting it a different way, unless you are trying to emulate a specific bass sound from a specific era of music or band or song, then just get to know what bass sounds you like.

For example, the person or people who made the factory presets in the B2 Four seem to really love a woofy hyped low-end. I don't. I love low-end, but the balance I like is different than what the factory presets lean into.

Another tip is to listen to each preamp and amp by themselves-- just to get to know what they do and what they add. Then when you combine them, you'll have a better sense of what each thingy is bringing to the table.
Click to expand...
I share these views as well. The factory patches can be quite boomy and woofy. They sound great in headphones though.

For what it's worth, I have spent alot of hours fiddling and getting 5 patches I really like. Sadly it took me a long time, but I have learned so much. The patches are just comps and amps.

If it helps, I found the ac amp sounds very good without moving any dials, and could be a great starting point for a patch. I normally put the amp emulation on the 2nd position, leaving room for the compressor on the first position, and effects if wanted.


Purely subjective, but the 160 compressor default state is also a good starting point. I have been making my way through all the different compressor and amp combinations (lol!) And found the 160 compressor into the ac amp to be a solid sound without much editing. I am using a passive bass, with pick. I also make the patches sound best through studio monitors, not through amp or headphones.

Side note, I did record the same part over and over again on the same patch but kept changing the DI modelling and there are differences, mainly in the low end. I preffered tube 1 and solid state 5 DI :)

Such a fun and nice pedal.

Happy to share some of my patches, so you have a starting point. It's all subjective so may hate them lol!

The compressors are very good, and they all have their characters. The glam compressor is very good for tone shaping too. Glam compressor into the SVT is very nice :). I also love the SWR amp!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cedomir, stubbsonic, BrentSimons and 1 other person
#618
Hey guys, got a questions about a back line personal monitor when running my B2 four direct via DI into the PA. We have 3 1x12 monitors up front. Am hoping to retire my rumble 500 and run a 1/4 from the zoom into an FRFR / PA speaker type situation close by just so I can hear my instrument a little louder in the overall stage mix.

If im in the stage monitors, the sub and the mains, could i get away with an alto 110 with something like a 500 watt continuous output rating? Overkill? Not enough? Im trying to keep it small, give some local stage sound while hitting the sweet spot and not throwing away $. Small shows, small indoor venues —100-200 people max.
Ill keep the rumble—possibly pair it with the frfr for outdoor stuff. Thanks in advance
 
#619
AlCON said:
Hey guys, got a questions about a back line personal monitor when running my B2 four direct via DI into the PA. We have 3 1x12 monitors up front. Am hoping to retire my rumble 500 and run a 1/4 from the zoom into an FRFR / PA speaker type situation close by just so I can hear my instrument a little louder in the overall stage mix.

If im in the stage monitors, the sub and the mains, could i get away with an alto 110 with something like a 500 watt continuous output rating? Overkill? Not enough? Im trying to keep it small, give some local stage sound while hitting the sweet spot and not throwing away $. Small shows, small indoor venues —100-200 people max.
Ill keep the rumble—possibly pair it with the frfr for outdoor stuff. Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Hi there,

Sounds like a useful idea. I have done something similar. I played into the PA via the DI of my B2Four, and I also played into an ampeg 4x10 via a harley benton power amp. The power amp gave 400 Watts when bridged, which I think means it used all the power of both channels. There is a switch on it to offer this. Please correct me if anyone believes this is wrong.

This was indeed overkill for monitoring needs, but definitely worked :). The harley benton 400 power amp is cheap, is class d, and is rack mountable too. I believe there is a question about matching impedances of preamps(zoom b2 four) and power amps, but it sounded OK to me :). Those details will be in the respective manuals.

Hope this helped. You should be able to get away with 200 Watts, which would be just one channel on the harley benton amp. I suspect the stage monitors will give you all you need, but I do understand having your own setup as well :)
 
#620
Steven Harris said:
Hi there,

Sounds like a useful idea. I have done something similar. I played into the PA via the DI of my B2Four, and I also played into an ampeg 4x10 via a harley benton power amp. The power amp gave 400 Watts when bridged, which I think means it used all the power of both channels. There is a switch on it to offer this. Please correct me if anyone believes this is wrong.

This was indeed overkill for monitoring needs, but definitely worked :). The harley benton 400 power amp is cheap, is class d, and is rack mountable too. I believe there is a question about matching impedances of preamps(zoom b2 four) and power amps, but it sounded OK to me :). Those details will be in the respective manuals.

Hope this helped. You should be able to get away with 200 Watts, which would be just one channel on the harley benton amp. I suspect the stage monitors will give you all you need, but I do understand having your own setup as well :)
Click to expand...
Apologies, should of included the wattage and ohms for this harley benton power amp

2x 200 W @ 4 Ohm
2x 100 W @ 8 Ohm
2x 50 W @ 16 Ohm
Bridged 400 W @ 8 Ohm and 200 W @ 16 Ohm
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back