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Zoom B3 As Preamp Part 2

#223
CharlieC, you being so knowledgeable about all this, what is your gut feeling what Zoom is going to do? Or anyone else reading this and having a good sense of what Zoom is doing. I am quite committed to getting a 2nd B3 for my main effects board, but have wanted to await NAMM 14 to see whether Zoom would announce some new products for bass, e.g. The B3X or the firmware v2.0 we all wait for since a long time. Now they DID come out with a product, this plastic junk called Invalid Link Removed with possibly great software in it, but this is definitely NOT what I am looking for. So what should I do?

What's your gut feeling: Should I hold my breath assuming Zoom will hear to our pleas soon or should I simply go to the store and buy my 2nd B3?

Cheers,
Andreas from the lower frequencies
 
#225
andreas_flf said:
CharlieC, you being so knowledgeable about all this, what is your gut feeling what Zoom is going to do? Or anyone else reading this and having a good sense of what Zoom is doing. I am quite committed to getting a 2nd B3 for my main effects board, but have wanted to await NAMM 14 to see whether Zoom would announce some new products for bass, e.g. The B3X or the firmware v2.0 we all wait for since a long time. Now they DID come out with a product, this plastic junk called Invalid Link Removed with possibly great software in it, but this is definitely NOT what I am looking for. So what should I do?

What's your gut feeling: Should I hold my breath assuming Zoom will hear to our pleas soon or should I simply go to the store and buy my 2nd B3?

Cheers,
Andreas from the lower frequencies
Click to expand...

Brother Andreas, your guess is as good as mine!

I do believe relief from the B3's 3-effect limitation is forthcoming, either in form of a B3 Mark II or a brand new (superior) bass product from Zoom.

There are trade-offs worthy of consideration when either employing a second B3 or an MS-60B into your signal chain, and I would advise you hold-off on their purchase for now and spend those funds on Belgian Beer (or similar) and toast the Gods of Rock!

Cheers!
 
#226
Wow! Thank you for this great thread. I stumbled across this while searching and researching threads about GK 400/700/etc heads.

I had a eureka moment a few weeks ago when I heard this TV show intro music. This is the tone I am chasing.:help: Cheap speakers will do this bass tone no justice.

I am so glad I found this thread. I think the B3 if anything can get me there, just by virtue of having so many tonal options. I have a vt bass deluxe that i run through a qsc power amp into an Eden 410, and I have concluded that the vt might not be for me. I know I cannot get That tone with the vt, I have tried.

1) What is that tone? How would you describe it. To me it has a low frequency distortion character. What is the word? And can the B3 take me there? :help:
 
#228
That growl sounds more like a jazz bass to me... Doesn't have that thumpy grunt that I characterise with P-bass... It's more smooth and detailed... But definitely a sweet round tone.

The amp could be a B-15 or similar... It has that Sansamp sort of tone...
There's a bit of compression going on, as well,,,
 
#230
Just did a little research and the theme was recorded by Explosions In The Sky (good post-rock band), who often don't use bass - one of their three guitarists switches between guitar and bass. As to what he plays, it seesm to vary over time - there's P bass mentioned, as well as an OLP MM copy, Washburn, Ibanez... no Jazz, but I think it'd be difficult to say for sure what bass was actually used in that recording.

It's all in the fingers anyway. :D
 
#231
SoVeryTired said:
Just did a little research and the theme was recorded by Explosions In The Sky (good post-rock band), who often don't use bass - one of their three guitarists switches between guitar and bass. As to what he plays, it seesm to vary over time - there's P bass mentioned, as well as an OLP MM copy, Washburn, Ibanez... no Jazz, but I think it'd be difficult to say for sure what bass was actually used in that recording.

It's all in the fingers anyway. :D
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it's not a P... Listen to the little run up neck... P-bass does a completely different trick up there... Equally as good, but distinctly different...
 
#233
Thanks for the audio sample CharlieC. I did listen to most of those earlier in my read of this thread. A B3 or its newer upgraded big brother version is in my future. It boils down to simple practicality. I cannot afford to purchase 10 different amps/preamps chasing whatever tone I fancy from month to month. And from what I can hear, I would be hard pressed to identify the originals from the B3 tones in a blind test to boot.

Just did a little research and the theme was recorded by Explosions In The Sky

The Explosions song was used in the Friday Night Lights movie. The example I posted was for the TV show, was done by WG Snuffy Walden, who has done alot of other TV show theme music. I think he did a really good job of capturing that EIS post rock style though.

That growl sounds more like a jazz bass to me... Doesn't have that thumpy grunt that I characterise with P-bass... It's more smooth and detailed... But definitely a sweet round tone.

Yep. I have a franken-P outfitted with Fender original pups, and it is more thumpy-thuddy. I also have a Fernandes Gravity 5 J-J with EMG active, and can get closer by default with that bass favoring the bridge pup.
I just listened to the tune again. This time I am hearing a fretless. Especially in the beginning part. Do you guys hear that? The tone is like a pillowy grind.

It's all in the fingers anyway.

Agreed. I play 95% fingerstlye, but my tone comes out sounding as if my fingers were made of plectrums. It's wierd. When I play with a pick, I don't get very much difference in tone, and only do it on songs that it makes sense mechanically for me to use one.
 
#234
I have a couple questions, if I may...

1. Is the B3 capable of being fully parametric?

2. Are you able to have 2 of the same pedals 'on' at once? Like for example if I wanted two eq pedals I could toggle between

3. On the graphic equalizer are you able to assign each slider the frequency of your choice?

4. Does it have a HPF option?
 
#235
::::BASSIST:::: said:
I have a couple questions, if I may...

1. Is the B3 capable of being fully parametric?

2. Are you able to have 2 of the same pedals 'on' at once? Like for example if I wanted two eq pedals I could toggle between

3. On the graphic equalizer are you able to assign each slider the frequency of your choice?

4. Does it have a HPF option?
Click to expand...

Without knowing how you intend to use the B3 in your existing or future setup, let me state, at-minimum, that the B3 could be considered 3 in-line stomp boxes, with each stomp being 1 of 111 user-assignable stomp types. In real-time, you may individually toggle on/off each of the 3 chosen stomps and reach down to tweak their settings as if they were traditional stomp boxes. Now in reply to your 4 questions:

1. One of the 111 stomp types is a 2-band parametric EQ pedal, and certain other effects also extend parametric-like functionality

2. Yes

3. A 7-band graphic EQ model is available with 7 fixed points, +/-12dB each

4. A "Splitter" model is available that could be employed as an HPF

Invalid Link Removed to the B3 user manual and complete effects reference if you want to explore further.

Cheers!
 
#236
theculprit said:
Just did a little research and the theme was recorded by Explosions In The Sky

The Explosions song was used in the Friday Night Lights movie. The example I posted was for the TV show, was done by WG Snuffy Walden, who has done alot of other TV show theme music. I think he did a really good job of capturing that EIS post rock style though.


I just listened to the tune again. This time I am hearing a fretless. Especially in the beginning part. Do you guys hear that? The tone is like a pillowy grind.
Click to expand...

One source I read (which I now annoyingly can't find) said that it was by W G Snuiffy Walden but recorded by Explosions In The Sky - but it seems most sources don't mention them, so I think you're right that they're not involved on that track (except in spirit).

I know what you mean about the fretless - that was one thought of mine based on the smooth slides in the first 10 seconds particularly. Very tasteful, whoever and whatever it is!
 
#237
::::BASSIST:::: said:
I have a couple questions, if I may...

1. Is the B3 capable of being fully parametric?

2. Are you able to have 2 of the same pedals 'on' at once? Like for example if I wanted two eq pedals I could toggle between

3. On the graphic equalizer are you able to assign each slider the frequency of your choice?

4. Does it have a HPF option?
Click to expand...

Charlie's answered these well. I'd add on point 2 that if you wanted, you could have up to three identical pedals on at once - 3 graphic or parametric EQs if you so wished.
 
#239
I would use the zoom b3 as a preamp with my crest prolite 2.0 power amp. Thing is I am not an effects guy so all those 'extras' would be wasted on me. What I do like is lots of eq control and mucking around with those different amp sims would be cool too.

For me its more about pragmatism as having everything in one unit and then just adding the power amp is mighty appealing.

What is the AcBsPre? Dont remember seeing that one in the manual.
 
#240
::::BASSIST:::: said:
I would use the zoom b3 as a preamp with my crest prolite 2.0 power amp. Thing is I am not an effects guy so all those 'extras' would be wasted on me. What I do like is lots of eq control and mucking around with those different amp sims would be cool too.

For me its more about pragmatism as having everything in one unit and then just adding the power amp is mighty appealing.

What is the AcBsPre? Dont remember seeing that one in the manual.
Click to expand...

It's with the other preamps before the amp sims as you scroll through.
 

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