Which Multi-Effects pedal

[mwbassace]

I've been using IEM's/ampless for just shy of 2 years now w/a ver.1 BDDI that has began to have issues. That, along with the fact that both my bands could benifit from me using some effcts & tonal variations, is why i purchased a Zoom B1XFour.

The B1XFour sounds & tones are good, although the cabs are dark. But my main issue is it's operation. You have to push buttons to move thru Banks & Modes (these buttons are not foot operational). Plus you must scroll thru your pedal/amp chain when in Stomp mode to get to the effect you want to turn on/off. These issues mean I have to put the pedal on a stand/table or bend over to the floor (I'm 6'3", we tall dudes think that SUCKS!) & that causes me problems on several songs where I use different effects/tone within said song. Even if I set up a bunch of patches I'll have to foot scroll thru several since there's 10 to a Bank.

So I'm moving on, & after alot of time researching I've narrowed my selection to 3. The HX Stomp (or Stomp XL), the Headrush MX5 & the Zoom B6. They each have pluses/negatives vs each other. Price, operation/ease of use, effects/amp/cab selection & expandability via MIDI being the big ones. Personally I think all 3 have good sounds & tones. So the next to last part of my research is what y'alls thoughts & experiences are with these 3 units.

 

[bassbrad]

When I used a Zoom pedal I created a Clean combination sound, then added what ever effects and saved those in a sequence that worked for my performance needs.

Clean - add chorus - clean - octaver - clean - Filter - clean.

 

[makanudo]

I'm gonna vote HX Stomp.

 

[furym]

Another Stomp user here.

 

[aleclee]

Owned a few Zoom products that I never loved. Not a fan of Headrush: they're kind of and old-school company that would rather introduce new hardware than provide ongoing updates for existing hardware. While I sold my Helix a couple years ago, L6 does a wonderful job of offering updates / enhancements. The Stomp (and even XL) is a great size to toss in a gig bag and the Helix line has been quietly adding to their bass-related models.

 

[jblock]

Boss GT-1000Core

 

[Unmost]

Not a fan of Headrush: they're kind of and old-school company that would rather introduce new hardware than provide ongoing updates for existing hardware.

That's not true. Firmware updates are released on a regular basis. The last one was released less than two months ago and includes amongst others a Trace Elliot model, a new bass overdrive pedal, the possibility to load 2 IRs in 1 stereo block. Each update comes with real improvements, new pedals and models.

 

[stubbsonic]

I recently got a B2 Four. It's ok. Not very tweakable, only 5 slots in the chain. For the money, it's ok. Simple enough. I wrote an exhaustive review on the B2 Four thread.

The Headrush MX5 seems like a very promising rig for bass (especially for bassists who will make use of the same unit with guitar sometimes). Based solely on demos I've seen/heard, the Headrush seems to have much nicer reverbs than the Stomp.

In the past, Line 6 has fallen short in the sounds dept. Great company, great hardware, clever UI's, but just problems with the sounds that I couldn't get them where I wanted them. That may not be the case any more with more recent models.