New: Zoom B3n Multi-Effects

[factory presets]

Hi all. I got a new b3n and i'm learning how to use it. I have a patch that has a Looper and a BassA-wah effect and i want to record a riff with the wah effect on and loop it. And i want to deactivate the wah effect to play something else with my bass but i want that the looper plays the rift with the wah effect active but that doesnt work. If i deactivate the wah, it deactivates in the looper also. It's possible to have a looper with an effect active and that my bass sounds with another effect or clean?

I'm not vastly experienced with loopers. But the B3n one seems spectacularly underspecced. You might be better off with a dedicated pedal if you are serious about using loops. Which would solve your kill 5 FX at once problem as well.

Found the zoom octaver pretty much unusable, myself, and all.

 

[SteveCS]

I'm not vastly experienced with loopers. But the B3n one seems spectacularly underspecced. You might be better off with a dedicated pedal if you are serious about using loops. Which would solve your kill 5 FX at once problem as well.

Found the zoom octaver pretty much unusable, myself, and all.

Agree on both counts. Apart from that, the rest of the Zoom is pretty good, and any minor compromises in some of the effects are more than compensated for by the form factor and convenience in a live setting, IMHO.

 

[factory presets]

Agree on both counts. Apart from that, the rest of the Zoom is pretty good, and any minor compromises in some of the effects are more than compensated for by the form factor and convenience in a live setting, IMHO.

Oh I definitely got my money's worth. The fact it's not all things to all people all the time is to be expected, really. Nothing ever will be. I got it for my lifelong quest to love effects. Now I got pretty much any effect I might need in a few permutations.

But somehow they still keep slipping off my radar. But I always have a heap of fun when I remember to turn it on.

 

[Daniel Florez]

Thanks @factory presets and @SteveCS . I will need to buy a Looper pedal to acomplish what i want. It's a shame but it is what it is. I just realize how hard is to implement looping in realtime for a song. Just a small delay in pressing the button for recording or replaying and it will wreck the whole song. It is really hard and i'm wondering if looping is something only for practice or if there is really bands that use looping in real gigs (Or at least if there are bassists who use loopers in live situations with a band).

 

[factory presets]

Thanks @factory presets and @SteveCS . I will need to buy a Looper pedal to acomplish what i want. It's a shame but it is what it is. I just realize how hard is to implement looping in realtime for a song. Just a small delay in pressing the button for recording or replaying and it will wreck the whole song. It is really hard and i'm wondering if looping is something only for practice or if there is really bands that use looping in real gigs (Or at least if there are bassists who use loopers in live situations with a band).

I see buskers build up a track live with some loops (already beyond the B3n implementation) and then sing songs or play solos over the top. Also bands can use them if they start with a loop and everyone else joins in after that. With practice you might be able to start new loops while the drummer, for instance, keeps the beat going. If this sort of thing interests you, you can practise making loops on the B3n while you research which looper fits your needs and your budget. Maybe going on YouTube to see examples of how others use them can help you decide what features you want.

I believe many loopers let you store loops to playback later. Personally I think making the building up of loops part of the performance looks way cool. Distinguishes your loops from mere backing tracks.

 

[Stagelab]

When it comes to B3n setup, do I have this right?

For recording: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on audio interface, USB from audio interface to computer

For live performance w/ amp and cab: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on amp (or via effects loop), XLR from amp DI to FOH - can use amp sims on B3n (watch your gain signal) but avoid cab sims

For live performance w/out amp and cab: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on DI, XLR from DI to FOH - can use amp and cab sims

My amp is a Tone Hammer 350 which doesn’t have an effects loop. I haven’t stepped into the IEM world yet so I’d likely run the B3n into the TH 350 and just not use cab sims.

It’s either the B3n or the newer B2 Four which also looks impressive and would allow me to sell my Focusrite.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

When it comes to B3n setup, do I have this right?

For recording: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on audio interface, USB from audio interface to computer

For live performance w/ amp and cab: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on amp (or via effects loop), XLR from amp DI to FOH - can use amp sims on B3n (watch your gain signal) but avoid cab sims

For live performance w/out amp and cab: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on DI, XLR from DI to FOH - can use amp and cab sims

My amp is a Tone Hammer 350 which doesn’t have an effects loop. I haven’t stepped into the IEM world yet so I’d likely run the B3n into the TH 350 and just not use cab sims.

It’s either the B3n or the newer B2 Four which also looks impressive and would allow me to sell my Focusrite.

you might also want to look at L/R, one side to amp, the other with cab sim to PA.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

When it comes to B3n setup, do I have this right?

For recording: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on audio interface, USB from audio interface to computer

For live performance w/ amp and cab: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on amp (or via effects loop), XLR from amp DI to FOH - can use amp sims on B3n (watch your gain signal) but avoid cab sims

For live performance w/out amp and cab: 1/4” out from B3n to 1/4” in on DI, XLR from DI to FOH - can use amp and cab sims

My amp is a Tone Hammer 350 which doesn’t have an effects loop. I haven’t stepped into the IEM world yet so I’d likely run the B3n into the TH 350 and just not use cab sims.

It’s either the B3n or the newer B2 Four which also looks impressive and would allow me to sell my Focusrite.

If you amp isn't FRFR, you can also look at taking two feeds, L and R, passing one direct to the amp without cab sim, one to cab sim and DI. I have a B3n but can't remember if you can split with/without cab sim. I have older units that do it.

 

[jimfist]

If you amp isn't FRFR, you can also look at taking two feeds, L and R, passing one direct to the amp without cab sim, one to cab sim and DI. I have a B3n but can't remember if you can split with/without cab sim. I have older units that do it.

IIRC there is no way to do what you've described on the B3n. No way to split out the signal, one with cab sim and one without. If there is, I stand corrected, and it would be news to me.

 

[Zooberwerx]

IIRC there is no way to do what you've described on the B3n. No way to split out the signal, one with cab sim and one without. If there is, I stand corrected, and it would be news to me.

It's a stereo output for effects (chorus, delay, etc.)...that's about it from what I've gleaned.

Riis

 

[Stagelab]

IIRC there is no way to do what you've described on the B3n. No way to split out the signal, one with cab sim and one without. If there is, I stand corrected, and it would be news to me.

Too bad.

Hypothetically, if the B3n could split the signal, and L went to the amp input, then am I right that you’d need to connect R to a DI pedal in order to send a balanced signal to FOH?

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Too bad.

Hypothetically, if the B3n could split the signal, and L went to the amp input, then am I right that you’d need to connect R to a DI pedal in order to send a balanced signal to FOH?

Yes, although I too don't recall any way to split it with cab sim only one side. My current cabs are pretty full range so I've not looked for the option. I have DIs with XLR and cab sim, though, although just basic analogue.

 

[Stagelab]

How have you normalized the output levels of different patches in the B3n?

For existing patches, did you go into each patch and adjust the volumes of the effects? Did you adjust all the volumes to 50? I'm guessing that's unity gain?

What about for new patches you make? I read one user picks the same amp for his starting place for every patch he makes, and then he adds effects, adjusts the volumes of each effects where possible, and keeps tweaking the fx volumes until he finds the right balance and overall output for the patch. What about if you want to use different amps for different patches?

 

[SteveCS]

How have you normalized the output levels of different patches in the B3n?

There is a Patch Volume setting, so you can do all the gain staging you want within and between effects, then adjust the overall level to whatever it needs to be independently of that

 

[Hamrlik]

I set the master output at 100 (125 is max). When I start building a patch I add one effect at a time, adjust various parameters to my liking then set that effect's output to close to unity. For every subsequent effect I follow the same process. The interaction between different effects will yield differently different output levels which is why I always go one at a time.

Also, when first loading up a new effect just assume that it's going to be WAY too loud. They almost always are. When I load anything new I turn the volume on my bass all the way down, turn that particular effect's volume down to about 5-10 (out of 100), then gradually bring my bass volume up to make sure my ears and speakers don't explode.

I've found with the Zoom units (I also own the MS-60b+) that envelope filters are especially juiced up right out of the box, but really most of them are outrageously loud.

 

[Stagelab]

I set the master output at 100 (125 is max). When I start building a patch I add one effect at a time, adjust various parameters to my liking then set that effect's output to close to unity. For every subsequent effect I follow the same process. The interaction between different effects will yield differently different output levels which is why I always go one at a time.

Also, when first loading up a new effect just assume that it's going to be WAY too loud. They almost always are. When I load anything new I turn the volume on my bass all the way down, turn that particular effect's volume down to about 5-10 (out of 100), then gradually bring my bass volume up to make sure my ears and speakers don't explode.

I've found with the Zoom units (I also own the MS-60b+) that envelope filters are especially juiced up right out of the box, but really most of them are outrageously loud.

Thanks for breaking this down. Makes sense.

When you set the first effect’s output to unity, how do you compare the signal with the unaffected signal? From what I’ve learned so far, and I could be wrong, the only true bypass on the B3n is the tuner. Do you compare the affected signal—the effect turned on—with the signal when playing in tuner mode?

And then for each additional effect you add to the chain, you compare the signal of that effect (and all previous effects in the chain) turned on against the signal of only the previous effects turned on?

When you build a new patch that includes an amp sim, are you adding the amp sim at the end of the chain and adjusting its output in the same manner?

On a related note, if I ever want bypass for a song on a gig, is the tuner mode the best way to go? Not sure I’ll need it since I usually have a comp always on but I’m curious.

I had a couple other questions that I couldn’t find answers to online or in the manual.

If I have 4+ effects in a signal chain in Stomp mode, and I turn any combo of the 3 that are assigned to FS1-3 on, are the other effects in the chain always on? Is Stomp mode just letting me turn on/off 3 effects at a time and do they have to be 3 effects in a row in the chain?

Any way to recalibrate rhythm tracks’ volume? They’re loud even at the lower volume settings for me.

How do I restore a single patch? Is it possible using the computer software?

 

[ETJ]

Yes you can restore single patches.

In stomp mode you can individually turn on/off the displayed effects, and scroll the “window” of displayed effects to whatever in the chain so you can turn those on and off individually.

The tuner would work as a bypass if you don’t set it to mute, though I set mine to mute so I can check tuning between songs. If you want a bypass you can also just make an empty patch adjacent to the one you’re using.

 

[Stagelab]

Is there a way to add an HPF to all patches on the B3n? I don’t see a way to do this in global settings but I read another thread where someone said they did this.

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

Is there a way to add an HPF to all patches on the B3n? I don’t see a way to do this in global settings but I read another thread where someone said they did this.

I don't think it is possible in another way than editing each patch one by one.