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New Zoom B3 has arrived!!!!
- Thread starter Askia
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i know you can use 3 fx per patch but how many patches can you have access to ? i just starting playing around with the b3 and i count only 2 help 
As far as I can see in the manual, there are ten patches within each of the ten banks. Pressing and Holding the left button for a second will allow the swithing of patches using the center and right button. My only gripe is swithching banks is not as easy or as fast.
The one question I'm trying to get answered is if the patches are completely changed and customized, are they deleted/overwritten?
The one question I'm trying to get answered is if the patches are completely changed and customized, are they deleted/overwritten?
From what I can tell the patches are ALWAYS set to instant-write. Which has screwed me up a few times already by letting me totally replace FX in patches I wanted to keep without realizing it. In contrast the Line6 M9 allowed you to do instant write or force you to manually write, which I preferred.
So make a habit of copying the patches to a new location and THEN monkeying with them.
Then use the Editor to export your keepers for backup.
So make a habit of copying the patches to a new location and THEN monkeying with them.
Then use the Editor to export your keepers for backup.
The original, default patches are over written when you save a custom patch. There are only 100 storage slots total.
Does anybody know if it's possible to use an Ernie Ball 25k volume pedal as an expression controller for this? I know you can use it with the Line 6 m series, so it would be nice to get one to control this and my M5.
I believe you need a true expression pedal wired to TRS. However, what I didn't try is just using a TRS to connect the VP JR. That may work as I did connect a stereo footswitch with TRS and.... I cannot recall what happened, if it worked as a footswitch or expression, but I thought as an expression.
I'd like to comment than 100 patches are a LOT to work with. And you can use the editor to export to file if you need.
Cool, I'm gonna go ahead and get one for the M5 anyway and I will report back if it works and how well. If not, I guess it will have to be the proprietary Zoom pedal. I really wish the Moog would work...
Did someone say the Moog would not work? I hooked up my BOSS FV500H with TRS and it worked fine. I believe it's a 10K pot and the Moog if 50k. I think the Yahama expression is 10k as well, and maybe the M-Audio?
Stupid expression pedals! They're always huge, expensive, and work with such little gear.
Yeah, I tried the Moog and it only registered like 25% of the throw, making it useless. +1 on the stupidity of expression pedal controls configurations. It can be a pita to figure out what works with what, and then I end up with 3 different types just to have control in various scenarios.
So do you own both the B3 and M5? Which one has the best fx to you?
I have the B3, I had to choose between those two and went for the zoom cause of its 3 slots. But never tried the M5.
Tried my VP JR 25K connected with a TRS. Good news! It mostly works! It seems like you get the full toe range but you don't quite get down to the bottom of the heel range. What does this mean? If you assign it to output volume, for example, you'll get full output volume at the toe but it won't quite completely cut the output volume heel down. But probably enough, it's barely audible through headphones.
So give it a try before you buy another expression pedal.
The trick with this box is they appear to be using a sensing TRS jack. If you plus in a TS cable it automatically is locked into functioning like a CTL SW.
Plug in a TRS and it functions like a CTL PDL. Regardless of what's plugged into the other end.
Another cool discovery! So you could use a simple dual switch on/off toggle footswitch, connect via TRS, and it'll work as the CTL PDL (expression) but obviously with only two values instead of a sweep. However, with my DIY momentary dual-footswitch I get two different behaviors from each switch. Switch 1 acts like the VP JR and doesn't quite go all the way heel down. Switch 2 acts like the BOSS FV-500H and does go to all the way heel down. I'm not saying this is totally useful, but it gives you some more input control options to think about.
At least that's my theory.
Just got it - it's OK, though I think it misses a couple of tricks.
Has anyone found a way to do a decent gated fuzz ?
Has anyone found a way to do a decent gated fuzz ?
UHH Yeah, What MultiEffect pedal does have that trick Topo? None that I know of. I can't see myself ever looking to a digital pedal for any sort of fuzz that i would really use except maybe in bedroom.
Yes, I have both. Soundwise, I like different things from each. On the M5 I really like the octaver, pitch shifter, ring mod, and the modulation effects are good. I like the filters, synths, dirt, and the amp sims on the Zoom.
I use them for different purposes, though. I use the Zoom as a standalone unit for when my cover band plays grimy bars that don't have stages and many drunk people spilling their drinks on my board. Last night was the first night that I used only the Zoom and I am pretty happy with the results. I left it on 160 comp and the Hartke model pretty much all night and then changed patches for songs that needed effects. I would obviously rather use my full pedal board, and I will when we play nice places, but this worked just fine for me. And it saves me from having to murder someone for spilling a beer on my Xerograph Deluxe! I use the M5 for my funktronica band to add modulation, pitch shifting, and other fun stuff to my set up.
Yeah, it's as if digital multi FX's are stuck in the 70's. Mind you they bothered to model the BB Preamp... couldn't they have had a stab at a Mammoth or a B:Assmaster?
IIRC the 506II had some 'synth' effects that seemed really more like high gain distortions with a bit of a filter and a gate, which worked OK.
You guys try the gated fuzz patches I created and shared on my Zoom B3 page? Check my signaure.
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