Tech 21Bass Fly Rig or Zoom B3N?

[hintz]

I used the flyrig for a year but I am intrigued by the B3n and plan on getting one eventually for quick setup gigs. IME the best features of the flyrig were the Sansamp(based off the VT and Sansamp), tuner, chorus (a simplified version of the tech21 Bass Boost Chorus) and the envelope filter was *pretty cool*, just not quite where I wanted it.

With all that it did replace a few pedals on my board, but I've come to realize how much of a tone snob I am over that last year, I need a bit more flexibility, and i found the octaver, fuzz and comp useless on the flyrig.

The demos for the flyrig were accurate BTW, but I've been much more impressed by the B3n and I would've bought that instead had I known about it at the time.

 

[Johno Dunn]

Never cared for the Sansamp, so that was never an option for me. Had one , tried it, hated it. YMMV, TEHO!
I own an MS60B and a B3n, and I find them very intuitive to program and use in a live setting. And as a bonus, they sounds fabulous!
I use the 60B for amp and cab sims, noise reduction and four bands of parametric EQ. The B3n is set up as a clean tone, an Envelope Filter, an OD, and various other effects. Each has seven slots for me to make it sound just like I want it to!
Filter is the biggie for me, and I have it dialed in exactly as I want it! Never been able to do that with a single pedal. Everything I’ve ever wanted for tone!

 

[Jantelagen]

Having used both and not finding a use for the B3n, I agree with oldcatfish. Get a VT bass deluxe and a zoom ms60b to use in the effects loop

 

[brianrost]

You've obviously never used one.

I own and use the B3 (original). OK, I'm done.

 

[Loring]

I own and use the B3 (original). OK, I'm done.

exactly.

The B3N is a totally different beast - much easier to use, 7 effect slots instead of 3 or 4 for the B3 much better amp sims and effects, no stupid pages, the ability to have 4 separate foot switches to turn on/off your effects on the fly but alas (for some) no DI and no digital audio interface. The N version is almost an entirely different device. (aside from the name and the colour )

 

[JeffC23]

I have a b3n. I rarely use it I use my pedal board. I thought it would replace most of my pedals but I find it easier to just use my board. Most of my pedals are always on. I use the b3n for a fretless emulator. It’s not great but it works. If you can, try one out maybe you’ll like it more than me. I don’t use the amp emulator because I like my ampeg. I go direct out of it to foh.

 

[moonshinegtrs]

I've owned a FlyRig for a couple of years now (I think), hardly using my big (or small) pedal board since; yeah maybe it's not the best but for what I do (passive P-Bass), it's perfect.

No experience with the Zoom...


Moonshine

 

[jimfist]

I'd say that the Fly Rig is a solid solution from a reputable company that has a long history of doing good things for bass DI signals. Whether you can live with the limitations of the Fly Rig, or if you like the range of tones it produces, then I'm sure you could get on with it fine.

Personally, I prefer the B3n since it simply has so much more variety and flexibility. Yes, you need a DI box to feed a FOH desk (unless perhaps you stage mix and you have a fairly short cable run to a 1/4" input on the mixer). Otherwise, for tonal variations of the amps and cabs, special effects, EQ, and all the other stuff make the B3n a winner IMHO.

 

[sigterm]

I loved my fly rig up until I sold it. It's currently being gigged weekly by the player that grabbed it. It's simple, with great features. If you have passive and active it takes some fiddling to switch between but I believe it did have a pad to assist. My only real gripe was that sometimes I'd accidentally press the headphone amp button when clicking on the octafuzz and the signal would get HOT. It's very easy to use and has a nice tin cab to carry it in

 

[outoftune]

Zoom B3 . I swear by these things enough that I have two. The amp and cab sims can be a life saver for a crappy rig and there are enough effects that sound good for the price of admission. I bought a 2nd one to daisy chain and have an amp/cab sim and 5 pedals. Used, I have a $200 pedal board that sounds great and works.

 

[dls119]

I regularly use the BFR with my (ampless) regularly gigging band. I generally agree with the statements that the sansamp/di and tuner portion are good, the comp and chorus are very usable, and the fuzz/filter is meh.

I keep using it because of the quality of the sansamp, the ease of setup, and quality tone. I’ve used other DI units and just have not been pleased with them (ampeg, mesa) and I’m not overly inclined to drop 1K on a big name amp modeling system...

 

[MtManiac]

It’s not available yet for the B3n, but the ToneLib software makes the B1Xon much more usable, as you can edit patches and effects through a GUI on your PC. I believe it’s available for the B3 and the MS60B, but the B3N version is still forthcoming. If you’re using one of the pedals it’s currently supporting, I highly recommend it!

 

[wvbass]

It’s not available yet for the B3n, but the ToneLib software makes the B1Xon much more usable, as you can edit patches and effects through a GUI on your PC. I believe it’s available for the B3 and the MS60B, but the B3N version is still forthcoming. If you’re using one of the pedals it’s currently supporting, I highly recommend it!

I have the Zoom Guitar Lab for my B3n. I can edit patches on my laptop. I don't really find it to be any easier than editing them on the B3n, though.

Edit: It must be new, but ToneLib.net says it supports the B3n. I will have to check it out.

 

[Loring]

It’s not available yet for the B3n, but the ToneLib software makes the B1Xon much more usable, as you can edit patches and effects through a GUI on your PC. I believe it’s available for the B3 and the MS60B, but the B3N version is still forthcoming. If you’re using one of the pedals it’s currently supporting, I highly recommend it!

It is actually already out for b3n as well. Plus zooms new firmware gives similar functionality.

 

[dannybuoy]

I regularly use the BFR with my (ampless) regularly gigging band. I generally agree with the statements that the sansamp/di and tuner portion are good, the comp and chorus are very usable, and the fuzz/filter is meh.

I keep using it because of the quality of the sansamp, the ease of setup, and quality tone. I’ve used other DI units and just have not been pleased with them (ampeg, mesa) and I’m not overly inclined to drop 1K on a big name amp modeling system...

FWIW I prefer the Tech21 VT to any of the bass amps on offer in the Helix, so perhaps a wise decision!

 

[RoadRanger]

Darn you TB! GASsed me into ordering a B3N. The additional HPF and LPF modules over the older B1on and MS-60B I already use are too much to resist. I'm just afraid it's too big for me to carry around easily - the others fit in my bass gig bag...

 

[dls119]

FWIW I prefer the Tech21 VT to any of the bass amps on offer in the Helix, so perhaps a wise decision!

That's about where I've landed. My only sticking point is that the group I play with most requires a fairly wide array of tones, from pop to rock and all in between. That being said, the sansamp/BFR takes care of 90% of that.

 

[sanwin17]

Darn you TB! GASsed me into ordering a B3N. The additional HPF and LPF modules over the older B1on and MS-60B I already use are too much to resist. I'm just afraid it's too big for me to carry around easily - the others fit in my bass gig bag...

I just ordered one too. Sorry