One more bass FX thread: gig-friendly multi-FX

[sgiacomo]

I've gigged with Zoom pedals for years. Currently using the B3N, pre-set up. What I like is that I have the option stomp each pedal on and off mid song, and not have to switch whole patches or banks. But I wish it had an XLR out like my B3 and B9.1ut did.

I still use my Zoom B3. Didn’t realize they dropped the XLR out on the B3n. That’s unfortunate!

 

[tomilchik]

Hi fellow TB'ers!
The subject is super-new - nobody really brought it up yet

But here it is:
I'm looking for your collective wisdom, thoughts and advice on this:
Bass FX solution specifically for _gigs_.

Overall: looking for gig-friendly FX setup/package.
Not 100% happy with anything I've tried or read reviews / watched videos of.

Main requirements:
#1: easy to carry. For that: a pedalboard with individual pedals can be an awkward (or even back-breaking) piece of equipment, unless I go minimalistic.
#2: FX combinations ready-to-be-used in one stomp. Gig is not really a good time (for me at least) to tweak knobs or stomp on several things. That would work for "creative situations": like someone calling an unexpected tune and I have to quickly dial in the sound that matches. I'm talking about a gig with known-upfront tunes; I had time to dial/program sounds for each song; all I have to do is stomp on the "second-from-left" button - and my sound is ready. Scrolling thru menus - rather not; so a board with 5-6 assignable stomps would be ideal.
#2a: FX can be pre-dialed and stored (as homework).
#3: staple FX. At minimum: comp, octave, dirt, envelope, chorus.
#3a: FX need to be of at least acceptable quality.
#4: _very_ nice-to-have: synth-like capability to make sounds that 1)sometimes can be heard in pop music, but 2)are tricky to dial using simple combo of diff FX; expression pedal;
#5: nice-to-have extras: tuner, delay, reverb, looper, pre-amp (this one somehow is not high on my list - all my basses have enough ways to vary their sound: switches, active EQ, etc.; although to have ability to pre-dial some extra gain for solos/etc. is nice)

Tried so far:
* anything I've tried (shortlist below): no dial-and-store (#2a). I know there are plenty multi-FX that do that - just don't know how they fare on all my other a-must items, esp. #2;
* my current custom pedalboard. Has most FX (#3,3a,4,5), but: (#1) heavy! And (#2) no single-stomp capability
* Tech21 Bass FlyRig. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Octave glitches (#3a) with all my basses: MTD, Lakland, Dingwall.
* Valeton Dapper Bass. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Envelope (#3a) makes one sound, and not a good one (to my ears). Dirt (#3) is only ON with the envelope, but not separately, and there's no stomp for it.

Reviewed/read about:
Lots.
Including big/expensive units (e.g. Neural) that pack lots of amp simulations, let you create super-unique sounds, support dial-and-store (#2a) etc. (that, for just a gig-friendly board, seems to be an overkill).
TC Electronic Plethora: looks good, but lacks any dirt (#3) - I wonder why.


Your thoughts? Please.

Update:
with your collective input (thanks to you all!) and some extra research - took a plunge with Zoom B6 + expression pedal.
Whether it’s a good choice - time will tell Arrives tomorrow - I guess I got my weekend plans set.

 

[tomilchik]

Depends on how many effects you need at a time.
I use a Zoom B3 (3 at a time per patch)

I added an aftershock for easier access to 3 levels of dirt, and boost pedal for soloish stuff and boosting Palm muted parts, and a cathedral reverb to fake keyboards on 'big endings'.

Everything else was through the B3, still only sparingly, but it had everything I could need.

I actually mostly use just comp (if at all).
But my potential upcoming (and hopefully long-running) gig requires some specific fancy sounds - hence all of this.

 

[ClusterFlux]

Hi fellow TB'ers!
The subject is super-new - nobody really brought it up yet

But here it is:
I'm looking for your collective wisdom, thoughts and advice on this:
Bass FX solution specifically for _gigs_.

Overall: looking for gig-friendly FX setup/package.
Not 100% happy with anything I've tried or read reviews / watched videos of.

Main requirements:
#1: easy to carry. For that: a pedalboard with individual pedals can be an awkward (or even back-breaking) piece of equipment, unless I go minimalistic.
#2: FX combinations ready-to-be-used in one stomp. Gig is not really a good time (for me at least) to tweak knobs or stomp on several things. That would work for "creative situations": like someone calling an unexpected tune and I have to quickly dial in the sound that matches. I'm talking about a gig with known-upfront tunes; I had time to dial/program sounds for each song; all I have to do is stomp on the "second-from-left" button - and my sound is ready. Scrolling thru menus - rather not; so a board with 5-6 assignable stomps would be ideal.
#2a: FX can be pre-dialed and stored (as homework).
#3: staple FX. At minimum: comp, octave, dirt, envelope, chorus.
#3a: FX need to be of at least acceptable quality.
#4: _very_ nice-to-have: synth-like capability to make sounds that 1)sometimes can be heard in pop music, but 2)are tricky to dial using simple combo of diff FX; expression pedal;
#5: nice-to-have extras: tuner, delay, reverb, looper, pre-amp (this one somehow is not high on my list - all my basses have enough ways to vary their sound: switches, active EQ, etc.; although to have ability to pre-dial some extra gain for solos/etc. is nice)

Tried so far:
* anything I've tried (shortlist below): no dial-and-store (#2a). I know there are plenty multi-FX that do that - just don't know how they fare on all my other a-must items, esp. #2;
* my current custom pedalboard. Has most FX (#3,3a,4,5), but: (#1) heavy! And (#2) no single-stomp capability
* Tech21 Bass FlyRig. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Octave glitches (#3a) with all my basses: MTD, Lakland, Dingwall.
* Valeton Dapper Bass. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Envelope (#3a) makes one sound, and not a good one (to my ears). Dirt (#3) is only ON with the envelope, but not separately, and there's no stomp for it.

Reviewed/read about:
Lots.
Including big/expensive units (e.g. Neural) that pack lots of amp simulations, let you create super-unique sounds, support dial-and-store (#2a) etc. (that, for just a gig-friendly board, seems to be an overkill).
TC Electronic Plethora: looks good, but lacks any dirt (#3) - I wonder why.


Your thoughts? Please.

What's your budget?

Do you need a built-in XLR/Di?

By the way, I believe many octave pedals glitch on purpose. They're trying to duplicate some of the classic analog octave pedals.

How many FX do you need to use in a single patch?

Do you need lots of amp sims?

 

[groove pump]

Hi fellow TB'ers!
The subject is super-new - nobody really brought it up yet

But here it is:
I'm looking for your collective wisdom, thoughts and advice on this:
Bass FX solution specifically for _gigs_.

Overall: looking for gig-friendly FX setup/package.
Not 100% happy with anything I've tried or read reviews / watched videos of.

Main requirements:
#1: easy to carry. For that: a pedalboard with individual pedals can be an awkward (or even back-breaking) piece of equipment, unless I go minimalistic.
#2: FX combinations ready-to-be-used in one stomp. Gig is not really a good time (for me at least) to tweak knobs or stomp on several things. That would work for "creative situations": like someone calling an unexpected tune and I have to quickly dial in the sound that matches. I'm talking about a gig with known-upfront tunes; I had time to dial/program sounds for each song; all I have to do is stomp on the "second-from-left" button - and my sound is ready. Scrolling thru menus - rather not; so a board with 5-6 assignable stomps would be ideal.
#2a: FX can be pre-dialed and stored (as homework).
#3: staple FX. At minimum: comp, octave, dirt, envelope, chorus.
#3a: FX need to be of at least acceptable quality.
#4: _very_ nice-to-have: synth-like capability to make sounds that 1)sometimes can be heard in pop music, but 2)are tricky to dial using simple combo of diff FX; expression pedal;
#5: nice-to-have extras: tuner, delay, reverb, looper, pre-amp (this one somehow is not high on my list - all my basses have enough ways to vary their sound: switches, active EQ, etc.; although to have ability to pre-dial some extra gain for solos/etc. is nice)

Tried so far:
* anything I've tried (shortlist below): no dial-and-store (#2a). I know there are plenty multi-FX that do that - just don't know how they fare on all my other a-must items, esp. #2;
* my current custom pedalboard. Has most FX (#3,3a,4,5), but: (#1) heavy! And (#2) no single-stomp capability
* Tech21 Bass FlyRig. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Octave glitches (#3a) with all my basses: MTD, Lakland, Dingwall.
* Valeton Dapper Bass. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Envelope (#3a) makes one sound, and not a good one (to my ears). Dirt (#3) is only ON with the envelope, but not separately, and there's no stomp for it.

Reviewed/read about:
Lots.
Including big/expensive units (e.g. Neural) that pack lots of amp simulations, let you create super-unique sounds, support dial-and-store (#2a) etc. (that, for just a gig-friendly board, seems to be an overkill).
TC Electronic Plethora: looks good, but lacks any dirt (#3) - I wonder why.


Your thoughts? Please.

I'm almost 100% positive that the Zoom B6 can do everything on your floor unit wish-list. I'm not telling you to definitely go and get one, but I think you want to take a hard look at what these can do before you dismiss them and look elsewhere.

I was shopping for a multi-something-or-other a while ago and although I was curious about the B6, I let a dude talk me into the Line 6 PodGo, since that rig seemed like it could do a lot of great stuff for both bass and guitar (I noodle on guitar here and there). The learning curve with the PodGo was much too steep for me and I went and got a Zoom B6 anyway. It was so easy for me to jump in and tweak the B6 right out of the box that I was comfortable enough to use at least a couple of its patches for playing a gig only a few days after I bought it.

I don't need to list everything the unit can do, since there are plenty of reviews, etc. on YouTube and elsewhere to give you plenty of insight. But I will say that the combo of an intuitive touch screen along with several knobs that visually correspond to the parameters they control in any patch/mode make the B6 easy to use and also easy to configure for one job or another.

Some have griped about the B6 not offering the capacity to blend a dry signal with every patch or individual effect that a user might call up, but that's just about the only shortcoming I've noted here and there. I'm not affiliated with Zoom or anything, but I can say that I like the layout of the B6 enough that I also went and got a Zoom G6 for my guitar adventures (don't know what to do with the PodGo yet).

As for portability, Gator makes a bag that perfectly fits this board.

 

[jvanoort]

The Zoom B6 sounds like a solid choice! Please get back to us with your experience!

 

[oysterphish]

Anyone look at the Zoom B2 four patch list? It looks really boring compared to the B6. Not many synth or modulated tones. Thoughts?

 

[Dr Thump]

I use a Zoom MS-60B, supplemented with a Boss EH-2 and sometimes a Boss GEB-7. For several years the MS-60 was the only box I used. It can handle most of my needs; the only drawback is that tweaking settings during a gig isn’t very practical.

 

[G On Bass]

I still use my Zoom B3. Didn’t realize they dropped the XLR out on the B3n. That’s unfortunate!

Yep. If I had a compputer sitting around with an old enough OS to still run EditShare, I'd still be using it!

 

[tomilchik]

What's your budget?

Do you need a built-in XLR/Di?

By the way, I believe many octave pedals glitch on purpose. They're trying to duplicate some of the classic analog octave pedals.

How many FX do you need to use in a single patch?

Do you need lots of amp sims?

XLR/DI: nice to have, but not a-must.
Purposeful glitchiness: never thought of that Sounds sorta like J-bass inherent hum coz of single coils. I get the vintage vibe; but nowadays - prolly better off without it.
How many FX: hard to tell - whatever the song requires; but doubt it would be more than 3-4 ever.

 

[tomilchik]

Hi fellow TB'ers!
The subject is super-new - nobody really brought it up yet

But here it is:
I'm looking for your collective wisdom, thoughts and advice on this:
Bass FX solution specifically for _gigs_.

Overall: looking for gig-friendly FX setup/package.
Not 100% happy with anything I've tried or read reviews / watched videos of.

Main requirements:
#1: easy to carry. For that: a pedalboard with individual pedals can be an awkward (or even back-breaking) piece of equipment, unless I go minimalistic.
#2: FX combinations ready-to-be-used in one stomp. Gig is not really a good time (for me at least) to tweak knobs or stomp on several things. That would work for "creative situations": like someone calling an unexpected tune and I have to quickly dial in the sound that matches. I'm talking about a gig with known-upfront tunes; I had time to dial/program sounds for each song; all I have to do is stomp on the "second-from-left" button - and my sound is ready. Scrolling thru menus - rather not; so a board with 5-6 assignable stomps would be ideal.
#2a: FX can be pre-dialed and stored (as homework).
#3: staple FX. At minimum: comp, octave, dirt, envelope, chorus.
#3a: FX need to be of at least acceptable quality.
#4: _very_ nice-to-have: synth-like capability to make sounds that 1)sometimes can be heard in pop music, but 2)are tricky to dial using simple combo of diff FX; expression pedal;
#5: nice-to-have extras: tuner, delay, reverb, looper, pre-amp (this one somehow is not high on my list - all my basses have enough ways to vary their sound: switches, active EQ, etc.; although to have ability to pre-dial some extra gain for solos/etc. is nice)

Tried so far:
* anything I've tried (shortlist below): no dial-and-store (#2a). I know there are plenty multi-FX that do that - just don't know how they fare on all my other a-must items, esp. #2;
* my current custom pedalboard. Has most FX (#3,3a,4,5), but: (#1) heavy! And (#2) no single-stomp capability
* Tech21 Bass FlyRig. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Octave glitches (#3a) with all my basses: MTD, Lakland, Dingwall.
* Valeton Dapper Bass. Staples (#3), super-compact (#1). No single-stomp (#2). Envelope (#3a) makes one sound, and not a good one (to my ears). Dirt (#3) is only ON with the envelope, but not separately, and there's no stomp for it.

Reviewed/read about:
Lots.
Including big/expensive units (e.g. Neural) that pack lots of amp simulations, let you create super-unique sounds, support dial-and-store (#2a) etc. (that, for just a gig-friendly board, seems to be an overkill).
TC Electronic Plethora: looks good, but lacks any dirt (#3) - I wonder why.


Your thoughts? Please.

Update 2:
Zoom B6 came. Spent few hours with it yesterday.
Some first, brief feelings (more than actual thoughts):
* yes, it is compact (duh!) My #1
* looks to be a keeper - most of my points check out
* no major “oh no!” moments, so far;
* packed with good FX. “Good” = both, quality and usability. Covers my #3,3a,4,5
* awesome concept: 100+ models of actual, single-function pedals (or amp/cab sims); each - tweakable (virtual knobs etc.); combined into mini-boards (“patches”) to make usable sounds.
* spot-check: the trackers don’t glitch (octaves) - yay!
* it will take time to explore all it has to offer. My #2a is definitely covered.
* my #2 (single-stomp): not exactly; or I have to discover how. Don’t see yet if I can assign entire patches (=FX combos) to a single button. So far: looks more like scroll-to-it (using buttons nevertheless).

A minor bummer bypass engagement:
Everything else behaves like “light is lit - the _thing_ is ON” - e.g. an effect. Bypass also behaves like that, but the result is confusing (to me, at least): when it’s ON (lit) - FX are out of the loop, sound is clean. So the lit up FX say “we are doing!” while lit up bypass says “no they ain’t”. Overall: I’d rather see no-lights board as “all clean, nothing ON” and some-lights as “something was added”.
Will get used to it, I guess.

Cuteness: sounds of my youth. A patch that sounds exactly like synth intro to Beat It. Now I _must_ play it! And tell the keyboardist: “Don’t worry, I got it”

 

[Bright Midnight]

I found a Headrush MX-5 used for 350€. I would certainly check it out!

 

[oysterphish]

Just ordered the new Zoom b2 four. Will report back. I'm hoping the envelope and overdrive selections compete with others out there. I saw a comparison using older zoom pedals vs darkglass b3k and mxr envelope filters. similar, but not close. I'm hopeful the newer line of zoom gear will be "next level."

 

[tomilchik]

Update 2:
Zoom B6 came. Spent few hours with it yesterday.
Some first, brief feelings (more than actual thoughts):
* yes, it is compact (duh!) My #1
* looks to be a keeper - most of my points check out
* no major “oh no!” moments, so far;
* packed with good FX. “Good” = both, quality and usability. Covers my #3,3a,4,5
* awesome concept: 100+ models of actual, single-function pedals (or amp/cab sims); each - tweakable (virtual knobs etc.); combined into mini-boards (“patches”) to make usable sounds.
* spot-check: the trackers don’t glitch (octaves) - yay!
* it will take time to explore all it has to offer. My #2a is definitely covered.
* my #2 (single-stomp): not exactly; or I have to discover how. Don’t see yet if I can assign entire patches (=FX combos) to a single button. So far: looks more like scroll-to-it (using buttons nevertheless).

A minor bummer bypass engagement:
Everything else behaves like “light is lit - the _thing_ is ON” - e.g. an effect. Bypass also behaves like that, but the result is confusing (to me, at least): when it’s ON (lit) - FX are out of the loop, sound is clean. So the lit up FX say “we are doing!” while lit up bypass says “no they ain’t”. Overall: I’d rather see no-lights board as “all clean, nothing ON” and some-lights as “something was added”.
Will get used to it, I guess.

Cuteness: sounds of my youth. A patch that sounds exactly like synth intro to Beat It. Now I _must_ play it! And tell the keyboardist: “Don’t worry, I got it”

Next update: more impressions.

Please look at the top of this thread to refresh - what I was looking for.
My impressions are coming from that place - what I specifically wanted; not "is it objectively the best pedalboard?".

* Money well spent: yes. What B6 (objectively) packs and (subjectively) gives me looks to be worth $500+.

* Gig-friendly: yes, pretty much on all of my original a-must list.

* The good: one-stomp capability (stomp once/twice - you got entirely new complex sound for next song). Yes.
Some details below - to help understand how this works for me.
B6 organizes sounds like this:
- 100 models; all: individual pedals/amps/cabs/IRs. So you got this pool to combine into...
- Patches. Patch = up to 6 models, in sequence of your choosing. 4 out of 6 can be assigned to stomps, for instant ON/OFF (note: I wish all 6 could be assigned at once, but B6 does not have enough real estate for all 6. A good thing: there are often FX that you might prefer to have always ON - e.g. comp/pre-amp - so no separate stomp is needed for those). A Patch is equivalent to an actual mini-pedalboard. Patches combine into...
- Banks. 60 memory groups, each holds 4 Patches (to the total of 240 Patches). When you're looking at a Bank - each of 4 available stomps instantly selects a Patch. This is my "switch from pedalboard A to pedalboard B" in one stomp.

* Patches - limits exist.
The expected thing: B6 being a computer must calculate your FX in real-time, and can get overloaded if you're asking it to calc too much simultaneously. Some FX look to be more compute-intensive than others.
The good thing: B6 tells you, at the point where you are composing your Patch, how much compute power each FX wants (%-ge), and what's your Patch total demand on computer.
The inevitable thing: it will refuse to add a new FX to your Patch if your total exceeds 100%. So there might be some compute-heavy combos that you may desire but won't be able to do with B6.
The Zen: so what. I'm gonna hold my go-fancy impulses in check.

* The not-so-good (I've not seen many multi-FX that do it differently; except the ones that allow navigation/scroll by turning a knob - that would be faster): navigation b/w the Banks. Either screen-driven up/down arrows or the same but by clicking stomps. No "search by name/number" capability. Oh well. Planning to write a cheat sheet with names/locations of my fav Patches. Or for gigs: will make my own Banks with Patches I want, and put them next to each other in memory, so the switch takes 2-3-4 stomps at most.

* The stupefying: options and combinations. A lot! Each model (pedal/cab/etc.) also comes with virtual knobs as the real things do. The variety to be gotten from myriad of possible combinations is overwhelming to me. But - fits the original ask: I'm happy to do homework and pre-spend hours dialing in the "right sounds" that can be instantly recalled.

* The extras which may not be so useful during live gig (perhaps useful for recording though): amp/cab/IR's. IMHO no one will appreciate the subtleties added by those when I'm playing live; people will hear "dirt!", "chorus!", "wah-wah!", and will feel the overall effects of comp/pre-amp. Nevertheless - B6 has those which is good.

* Ergonomics. Feels right, so far (disclaimer: no live gigs with it, yet). Details:
- Size.
Wasn't looking for put-me-in-my-pocket. The opposite, actually: playing live I want the unit big enough so that I can see what's ON (with my eyes almost 6 feet away from it), and do not accidentally stomp on 2 things at once.
Requires a separate carrying bag - happy to do that; got Gator that fits nicely side-by-side the B6 and its extra expression pedal:
Gator Cases G-MULTIFX-2411 Padded Utility Bag for Guitar Pedals, DJ Controllers, Micro Synths, and more, 24.5" X 11.5" x 4"
- Sturdiness. Body is plastic; does not look flimsy. Will probably not withstand as much as a metal casing will. Good enough for me.

* FX quality. Must admit: I don't have the most sensitive ears and am likely to miss some subtleties.
This said: spot-checking the staples (comp, pre-amp, dirt, filter, chorus, octave - all in diff flavors) so far made me happy - good, believable, usable sounds, very comparable to my board with actual pedals
(that includes EBS's etc.). E.g. at least one of the octavers - BASS ANALOG OCTAVE - tracks well at G; that's respectable! My EBS Octa does that; many others that I tried choke much higher (as well as just glitch across the entire range). Dirts sound authentic; so do modulations. All in all: satisfied.

* Tweak-me-on-the-fly. Not that I plan to, during live gig. But if anybody is inclined so - an adapter (buy it extra) plugged into B6 allows access to the unit's touch screen functions (edit, re-arrange, etc) from an iOS app "Guitar Lab for B6". This is easier than kneeling down to the unit when on stage. The app responds a bit sluggishly but not much worse than the unit's touchscreen itself.

* Synth-iness. Was not after that, really. The B6 does have a few models of bass synth pedals, none of which is Future Impact or Moog or other from those leagues. To me: B6 has enough potential combinations of FX to make bass sound like it's not bass. One of many examples: easily does Chameleon-like sounds (and more); probably will not give you full Future Impact. But will give you a send/return slot in your Patch so you can plug in the actual FI (or any loop of actual external pedals) if needed.

* Looper. Haven't touched yet - stay tuned.

 

[mbx4]

Thanks to this thread I have gone with B6 too.
I was looking at the Zoom b2 four but I emailed Zoom support as I noticed that it only interfaced with an iOS app Handy Guitar Lab for Zoom b2 four. Some outlets touted there was an Android but there isn't.

So, I asked support if there were plans for an android release and if the desktop Guitar Lab on Windows and/or Mac will have compatibility for it in the future.
They replied that there were no plans, present and most likely not in the future too.

The lack of Guitar Lab app on desktop was a deal breaker for me as this made it far cheaper to buy a b6 than to the b2 four when I factor in the cost of an iOS device, an adapter and the iOS app. (and appeased my GAS)

The app seems to add a lot of useful features and will be used to update firmware, add new patches and effects as they come available in the future.

 

[oysterphish]

I went with a B2four as to not sacrifice too much space on my board. I won't spend too much time relaying my pros and cons, as I did a little of that in the New Zoom B2 Four thread. It is lacking some things that I wish would have carried over from the B6. But once I dialed in my own patches and arranged them the way I need them live, and also transfered some patches from the B6; I'm pretty happy. I was pretty annoyed at first with this thing, but I've come around a little. The true test will be gigging.
For sure not the best out there, but "good enough" for $250

 

[mbx4]

I went with a B2four as to not sacrifice too much space on my board. I won't spend too much time relaying my pros and cons, as I did a little of that in the New Zoom B2 Four thread. It is lacking some things that I wish would have carried over from the B6. But once I dialed in my own patches and arranged them the way I need them live, and also transfered some patches from the B6; I'm pretty happy. I was pretty annoyed at first with this thing, but I've come around a little. The true test will be gigging.
For sure not the best out there, but "good enough" for $250

Yeah, for the price point I absolutely agree and if you have an iOS device for an extra $0.99 I think you get a really great package.
It was a deal breaker for me (creating, sharing and backing up patches is something I really want to do) and I hope that it gets rectified in the future.

I have told Zoom support this and I hope enough people do so that they actually do something about it.

I hope you really enjoy using it and it will be great to read about your experience both good and bad gigging and experimenting with it.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

Barging in from the B2 Four thread

I use Helix Native in my studio. I don't like the bass tones so an HX Stomp was not an option

I had a Boss Katana 210 and GT-1B for a bit.

The Katana was too heavy. The GT-1B is getting old
and didn't play nice with my J48 DI. The GT/GX units don't have good bass amp selection

ToneX is getting there. I have the software.

I only wanted good amp sims. Not interested in FX as much.

I checked out the new Zoom products.

I took a chance on the B2 Four - number of amp sims, cost, and size got my interest.

Within the first few hours I was impressed enough to overlook the negatives.

I have an iPad Pro with the editing app which helped me learn to program patches

Now I edit directly on the unit

The amp sounds are stellar.

I have been recording with the B2 Four since I bought it. Not using my VST sims - and I have so many plugins. Chasing the Tone Dragon.

I bought a QSC CP12 powered monitor, 1,000 watts, 12" and tweeter for live

The B6 looks great, but I dig the B2 Four for its compressors, preamps, and bass amps - half the cost of the B6, and almost half the size

XLR and DI sims were a huge selling point as well

And it looks cool on the QSC. Zoom finally got there act together with the case designs for the B6 and B2 Four

Lightweight too and louder TF

 

[JC BASS 91]

I haven't used anything new that is out there, but I have used a BOSS GT-6B for years. You can tailor patches to match certain songs, then all you have to do is scroll to the proper preset between songs to get what you need. It has always worked great for me.

You do have to spend some time outside of the rehearsal space dialing in and getting each patch set up the way you want it, and it may take some tweaking after rehearsals to adjust EQ or whatever to better fit the mix, but it is totally worth it to have the ability to just hit that button and go with it.