New Zoom B3 has arrived!!!!

[PauBass]

Come on people keep sending emails to Zoom asking for the update, the more emails they receive the better!

[email protected]

We want this update, it would make the B3 even better!

 

[ShonnaFan]

Come on people keep sending emails to Zoom asking for the update, the more emails they receive the better!

[email protected]

We want this update, it would make the B3 even better!

I sent one. I love my B3 but having 6 effects at once would be a huge improvement.

 

[odie]

Now I am wondering on using this with an amp and the B3 amp sims. How does one get their amps natural color to not have an effect on the sims from the B3? Are most using just a plain power amp??

 

[stingray69]

Now I am wondering on using this with an amp and the B3 amp sims. How does one get their amps natural color to not have an effect on the sims from the B3? Are most using just a plain power amp??

If you are running into the front of a typical bass amp head, it would be best to set your amp EQ as close to flat as possible for a good starting point (and sometimes that doesn't mean all EQ knobs at 12 noon). I'd select and EQ tweak your B3 amp sim directly on the B3 & then use your amp's EQ to make minor on-the-fly adjustments as you feel necessary. This is the way I usually do it. Whatever amp I'm playing through usually ends up being mostly just for the power aspect of it & small EQ adjustments, while the B3 does the heavy lifting tone-wise.

 

[KodyAudette]

If you have an effect send/return loop on your amp you can also just run bass-->B3--> Effects return jack on your amp. This will bypass the pre-amp stage of your amp and just allow you to use the poweramp section. The only concern is that you need to make sure that the B3 is outputting a suitable signal strength (which I believe you can adjust in the global settings).

 

[odie]

If you are running into the front of a typical bass amp head, it would be best to set your amp EQ as close to flat as possible for a good starting point (and sometimes that doesn't mean all EQ knobs at 12 noon). I'd select and EQ tweak your B3 amp sim directly on the B3 & then use your amp's EQ to make minor on-the-fly adjustments as you feel necessary. This is the way I usually do it. Whatever amp I'm playing through usually ends up being mostly just for the power aspect of it & small EQ adjustments, while the B3 does the heavy lifting tone-wise.

Unfortunately I am using a Line6 HD750, so it will be emulating something. No effects loop either (need to check for sure). I know it has a "clean" setting which is a Eden emulation but even that will have some color. Maybe a power amp will be in my future if I really like the Zooms amp sims. If not I might just use the effects.

 

[KodyAudette]

Well, if it is always going to be emulating something, you can account for that, you just have to figure out what your "baseline" is and account for it, sort of how stingray was saying. Maybe select your cleanest channel, remove any built in effects that you can, and set your EQ to whatever seems flattest. That may be all knobs at 12, but it may not. You could figure out for sure by downloading a Room Equalization Wizard and calibrating your system with a microphone, but it's probably easier just to set it so that it sounds most like a bass, and not a bass being affected by an amp, know what I mean? Then find what settings on the B3 make it sound how you like, whether that means tweaking the settings to sound more like the specific amp model or whatever. I would argue that less important than necessarily simulating a specific amp is finding an amp that sounds kinda like what you hear in your head, then tweaking things till it's there.

 

[KodyAudette]

Also, email sent to Zoom requesting update. Hopefully the inundation of Bass players will force them to do the update. Hmm, you know TalkBass is something of a bassists' union in that I bet if we got enough members to band together we could influence quite a few things in the industry these days.

 

[Nimu]

i also sent zoom a mail regarding an update.

 

[Fekwood]

Sorry if it's been asked before, I just didn't have time to go through all 1,000+ posts.
I'd like to use the B3 as an effects pedal before my amp with no simulators engaged.
The only time I'd use the sims is when going direct.

Can you bypass/defeat all amp/cab simulators?

Also, is an amp/cab sim global and then you still have 3 effects to choose from?
Or does an amp/cab sim occupy on of the 'pedals' with 2 effects to choose from?

 

[ShonnaFan]

Sorry if it's been asked before, I just didn't have time to go through all 1,000+ posts.
I'd like to use the B3 as an effects pedal before my amp with no simulators engaged.
The only time I'd use the sims is when going direct.

Can you bypass/defeat all amp/cab simulators?

Also, is an amp/cab sim global and then you still have 3 effects to choose from?
Or does an amp/cab sim occupy on of the 'pedals' with 2 effects to choose from?

The amps and preamps are treated as an effect, so you can turn them on or off as you like. Since this is the case, when using an amp or preamp sim, you only have two effects slots left. That's why I'm hoping the B3 gets a similar update to the G3 that allows 6 effects at once. I often use a compressor, drive, amp, reverb, then delay and 3 slots gets crowded fast when figuring in an amp sim.

To the best of my knowledge, the cab sims go with the amp sims, so no amp sim-no cab sim.

You can use any of the effects in front of your amp or in your amp's effects loop. Place them as you would a real world pedal, i.e. a fuzz or drive pedal is going to sound better in front and most modulation effect pedals sound better in the loop or after the amp. No reason why you couldn't experiment with your chain, though.

 

[Fekwood]

Thanks for the quick replies, much appreciated! That clears up my confusion on how this unit works. In a live situation going into my amp, I'd use no more than 3 effects at a time. So the B3 would be perfect for me. But going direct, let's say for recording, I'd use a compressor, amp sim, and maybe a little drive. So after tone shaping, that would leave no room for time based effects. I can see why you guys are pushing for a update. Thanks again!

 

[ShonnaFan]

Zoom B3 works with my iPad. I asked this before in this thread, and finally got around to testing this today.

You will need a powered usb hub and a camera connection kit usb adapter. I am using this usb hub, but I imagine others will work:

http://www.amazon.com/Macally-Mini-7-Port-Adapter-TriHub7/dp/B001DBF07S

I tested it with Garageband and Ampkit, but not Amplitube.

I used the Audio Recorder in Garageband, and you need to make sure you have monitoring turned on. Background audio in Garageband doesn't seem to work, but I think that's an issue with Garageband in IOS rather than the B3.

Ampkit worked great, and allowed me to use background audio while jamming with Capo or an iTunes song. I used the amp sims on the B3, so I turned the amp and cab sims off in Ampkit. I suppose you could use the amp sims on the B3 and use the stomps in Ampkit, or vice versa.

You might need to adjust the input/output levels on both the B3 and your iPad app of choice.

This is an easy way to record to the iPad or just practice to jam tracks with the B3.

I tried the same method with an iPhone 4s but got the "USB device not supported" message upon plugging in the usb dongle with the B3 attached.

If anyone would like, I can test it with Amplitube, JamUp, and Everyday Looper in the next day or two.

 

[StyleFreaK]

I recently noticed the 1-2-3 option in the global menu and wanted so meone to elaborate

 

[OzzyGreg]

.

Come on people keep sending emails to Zoom asking for the update, the more emails they receive the better!
[email protected]
We want this update, it would make the B3 even better!

I just sent my second email to them, two more to go....
I have four email addresses! (They won't realise its the same person who sent the four.) LOL!

To be perfectly honest, I doubt I'll ever need six effects in one patch, but I feel the need to show a bit of solidarity here.

Greg

 

[ShonnaFan]

From Zoom:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your inquiry.

There is not the plan to release such firmware for the B3 to be able to use six effecters simultaneously at the moment. Anyway, your opinion has been noted. we will forward your email to person in charge for future reference.

Sincerely yours,
ZOOM Corporation"

 

[G On Bass]

From Zoom:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your inquiry.

There is not the plan to release such firmware for the B3 to be able to use six effecters simultaneously at the moment. Anyway, your opinion has been noted. we will forward your email to person in charge for future reference.

Sincerely yours,
ZOOM Corporation"

Gee. That sounds familiar. This was in my inbox this morning:

Dear Sir,



Thank you for using our products.



There is not the plan to release such firmware for the B3 to be able to use six effecters simultaneously at the moment. Anyway, your opinion has been noted. we will forward your email to person in charge for future reference.



Sincerely yours,
ZOOM Corporation <<

 

[ZB158]

My hope is that zoom comes out with a B5 soon. I'd love a bass version of the G5. Can leave the "always on" stuff "hidden", like amp models, comp, etc, and have the four pedals/switches set up for actual EFFECTS, plus an onboard expression pedal, and separate adjustable boost. Sign me up. I do like my B3, but it will move to bedroom status if/when they do a B5.

Anyone know the differences in guitar and bass effects?

FWIU, you can run a bass through a G5, but there must be something they do different.

I hope it's just not marketing.

 

[ShonnaFan]

Anyone know the differences in guitar and bass effects?

FWIU, you can run a bass through a G5, but there must be something they do different.

I hope it's just not marketing.

There are some effects on the B3 that are bass specific, but as far as I know, things like delay, chorus, phaser, compression, etc. won't matter. There are a lot of duplicate pedals on each:

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I don't have a G3 to compare, but my guitar sounds fine with almost all of them. The biggest difference seems to be the amps and preamps.

 

[KodyAudette]

I recently noticed the 1-2-3 option in the global menu and wanted so meone to elaborate

I haven't messed with it yet, but I from glancing through the manual, I believe the 1-2-3 settinbg refers to signal chain. I.E. The signal is affected by the leftmost stompbox, then the middle, then the rightmost. Or you can switch it so that it's affected by the rightmost, then the middle, then the leftmost by selecting 3-2-1.

1-2-3 proabably feels more comfortable if the only effect you're running is the B3 since people are used to reading Left to right, but if the B3 is part of a chain of pedals, seeing them from right to left may make more sense.

Which reminds me of a thought I had, wouldn't it be cool if the B3 had effects loops between each of the stompboxes so you could incorporate real pedals into the middle of the B3's chain? I guess that would require extra A-D and D-A converters which = extra $$. Guess I'm happy with the price point. Haha.

On a side note, I'm oddly impressed with the Bit Crusher. It cuts through really well and it oddly works in a lot of situations, especially if you run the Sansamp modeler on top of it to warm things up.