If they said what was needed, then people might not buy their power supply! But it's good that it comes with the unit. I just got mine in the mail today, looking forward to trying a few things out. There are SO many possibilities.
Marcus
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Zoom B3 As Preamp Part 2
- Thread starter David Wilson
- Start date
Marcus
so the b3 powers up fine on this new adapter but in the global settings- it shows the battery meter as if it is being powered by the battery even though there are no batteries inside!
i can also see that the actual polarity of the adapter has been "reversed" by the seller so it powers my zoom unit and it was actually initially made center positive! (the sticker says that!) but now it works center negative! funny buisness!
so it is not really running fine because zoom thinks it is being battery powered when it is not!
I would never use a power supply without negative center. That could not only result in strange behavior as you seem to describe, if I understood correctly, but this can potentially also damage your unit.
Polarity has to be negative centre, which is also these days pretty much the stomp box power supply standard. E.g. Fueltank, 1 SPOT, Dunlop brick, Boss, Pedaltrain etc, they all have negative in the centre.
Enjoy!
BTW: I find Zoom's power supply quite a good one. It is small, runs everywhere on the globe and supplies all devices with sufficient juice.
I provided this information only for those among you readers who might have lost the original power supply, yet are having an alternative available. Them my numbers of the actual needs help you to plan and to estimate whether adding the B3 or MS-60B will be too much. There is quite a difference between thinking you might need 1A for both devices, while they actually need together only 300 mA. Moreover a Fueltank Junior, e.g. can combine two outlets to 240 mA with the special green cable. With Zoom's specs you might think then this is not enough. I have tested this and can confirm that this setup delivers all what the B3 needs.
Finally, for those worrying that a power supply of 1A might be problematic, it isn't. Indeed there will flow only as much juice as the B3 needs. And with 1A you could supply enough juice to many more stomp boxes in addition to a B3 and a MS-60B, which together draw not more than ~300 mA. 700 mA remain for other devices.
Enjoy!
Can i get a new "zoom" power supply for the b3? How? Where? Do they sell just that power adapter anywhere?
My B3 runs on a 500mA power supply, with negative centre, that I originally purchased for an X2 wireless. No problems.
My MS-60B is on my pedal board, with an X2 wireless, and a VT Bass Deluxe and other pedals, I'm using a 2A power supply, with a custom daisy chain/loom I soldered together, and that works fine also.
My MS-60B is on my pedal board, with an X2 wireless, and a VT Bass Deluxe and other pedals, I'm using a 2A power supply, with a custom daisy chain/loom I soldered together, and that works fine also.
If you must have a zoom adapter.. They are often sold on eBay ... But any good regulated 9v ps will do as long as it is at least 500mA and fitted with a 3mm center-negative plug
^^^
+1
The correct dimensions of the Zoom power apdapter plug are 2.1mm ID x 5.5mm OD, which are the same as the industry-standard BOSS plug.
My favorite third-party power adapters (Power-All + [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) can often be purchased for less than the official Zoom apdapter (AD-16) and I highly-recommend them.
Cheers!
+1
The correct dimensions of the Zoom power apdapter plug are 2.1mm ID x 5.5mm OD, which are the same as the industry-standard BOSS plug.
My favorite third-party power adapters (Power-All + [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) can often be purchased for less than the official Zoom apdapter (AD-16) and I highly-recommend them.
Cheers!
The adapter for the Zoom b2 also works for the B3 and MS60b, for those who may already own a B2. That's what I use for my MS60b.
Correct... The older zoom adapters (AD-6?)?are a bit beefier than the new ad-16
I have one of each... I've had the older adapter since 2007-2008!(somewhere around that time)
No, at least 200 mA are sufficient. If you wanna be very safe, go for 240 mA. That suffices for sure.
^^^
I have successfully operated the B3 on an old BOSS PSA-120 rated at 200 mA.
Whether that same amperage would still suffice while simulataneously running 3 DSP-intensive effect models, rhythm machine, and looper has not been determined.
IMHO, Zoom clearly has 500 mA printed on the B3's chassis. Should any B3 operational strangeness be encountered (e.g. unwanted distortion, rebooting, etc.) I would greatly suspect insufficient power to be the culprit. I would also extend this to insufficient USB power as well.
Cheers!
I have successfully operated the B3 on an old BOSS PSA-120 rated at 200 mA.
Whether that same amperage would still suffice while simulataneously running 3 DSP-intensive effect models, rhythm machine, and looper has not been determined.
IMHO, Zoom clearly has 500 mA printed on the B3's chassis. Should any B3 operational strangeness be encountered (e.g. unwanted distortion, rebooting, etc.) I would greatly suspect insufficient power to be the culprit. I would also extend this to insufficient USB power as well.
Cheers!
That brings up an interesting point... differences in power consumption due to the amount of processing going on. I know that my phone gets hot when running the GPS, due to higher amounts of processing and the CPU running faster. Do you know if the B3's DSP has similar operating modes, especially since it appears to have at least rudimentary battery-saving such as shutting down the screen or going into stand-by mode?
Also, has anyone run into the situation described in the manual, where certain combinations of effects exceed the processing capability of the DSP? This may explain ZOOM's apparent reluctance to allow additional effects to be added in a firmware upgrade, although that would seem not to be the case if all models (G3, B3, B3.on) share identical processors. Is it possible that they are all the same type of DSP, but perhaps vary in maximum capacity like the different GigaHz models of the same CPU in phones or PCs?
I haven't opened mine up yet (buying used, no doubt the warranty is already gone) but I'll have to see if there are any markings on the DSP.
Marcus
^^^
The initial release of the G3 was limited to 3 effects as currently is the B3. The accompanying G3 owner's manual also had the very same disclaimers regarding maximum effect capacity as currently does the B3.
Through v2.0 firmware Zoom was able to extend the G3 to 6 simultaneous effects on the very same hardware, and the current G3 v2.0 manual still features same disclaimers regarding maximum effect capacity!
The new B1on/B1Xon supports up to 5 simultaneous effects (for bass) on the same ZFX-IV DSP engine shared by the G3, B3, and MS-60B (for bass, which supports 4 simultaneous effects.)
Given the above, I am quite confident that the current B3 hardware could indeed support at least 2 more effects with efficient firmware re-coding. Whether Zoom will reinvest in the B3 or release a successor remains to be seen.
Cheers!
The initial release of the G3 was limited to 3 effects as currently is the B3. The accompanying G3 owner's manual also had the very same disclaimers regarding maximum effect capacity as currently does the B3.
Through v2.0 firmware Zoom was able to extend the G3 to 6 simultaneous effects on the very same hardware, and the current G3 v2.0 manual still features same disclaimers regarding maximum effect capacity!
The new B1on/B1Xon supports up to 5 simultaneous effects (for bass) on the same ZFX-IV DSP engine shared by the G3, B3, and MS-60B (for bass, which supports 4 simultaneous effects.)
Given the above, I am quite confident that the current B3 hardware could indeed support at least 2 more effects with efficient firmware re-coding. Whether Zoom will reinvest in the B3 or release a successor remains to be seen.
Cheers!
I've heard it reported before that indeed, the G3 and B3 processors are different.
I can't substantiate this. I only have a recollection that this be the case.
Yes, 3 effects is a bit limiting... But I have a b2.1u, a B3, AND a G3... If I chained these all together. I'd end up with some CRAZY amount of signal processing.
I have run the B2.1u and B3 before connected in a A/B/A+B combination... It was more than I needed...
I can't substantiate this. I only have a recollection that this be the case.
Yes, 3 effects is a bit limiting... But I have a b2.1u, a B3, AND a G3... If I chained these all together. I'd end up with some CRAZY amount of signal processing.
I have run the B2.1u and B3 before connected in a A/B/A+B combination... It was more than I needed...
Until a Zoom engineer enters this thread for discussion, here is some intel that I gathered from Zoom's website and available PDFs:
Both the G3 and B3 product lines share the same ZFX-IV DSP engine, user interface, rhythm/looper sections. Additionally, both share the same physical hardware, and upon release, the same MSRP (I believe the G3 now retails for less than the B3!)
Upon release, both G3 and B3 supported a maximum of 3 simultaneous effects. Both owner's manuals featured disclaimer sections regarding effect processing limitations when using DSP-intensive Amplifier and HD Reverb models. Also indicated is that an effect uses the same DSP resources even when in an "Off" state.
As DSP-intensive Amplifier and Reverb models exist, one can assume that far less DSP-intensive effects also exist (e.g. compressors, gates, EQs, etc.) and the key to utilization is not in the quantity of employed effects, per se, but in the total resources used by them.
Zoom released v2.0 firmware for the G3 (the more lucrative guitar market) which took advantage of the above resource strategy (and simultaneously improved the UI with the ability to disable AutoSave and pre-config Tuner Bypass/Mute.) The G3 v2.0 owner's manual still features an effect processing disclaimer, despite the increase to 6 simultaneous effects.
Given the above evidence, with a modest 3 effect patch today, I am quite confident the current B3 would allow me to add a Gate or Compressor in virtual Effect Slots 4 and 5 if the UI made them available (as the MS-60B and B1on/B1Xon do for half of the B3's MSRP.)
IMHO, I strongly believe the only thing standing in the way of the B3 receiving similar v2.0 firmware treatment is not insufficient DSP resources, but the insufficient return on investment Zoom would incur from doing so.
Cheers!
Both the G3 and B3 product lines share the same ZFX-IV DSP engine, user interface, rhythm/looper sections. Additionally, both share the same physical hardware, and upon release, the same MSRP (I believe the G3 now retails for less than the B3!)
Upon release, both G3 and B3 supported a maximum of 3 simultaneous effects. Both owner's manuals featured disclaimer sections regarding effect processing limitations when using DSP-intensive Amplifier and HD Reverb models. Also indicated is that an effect uses the same DSP resources even when in an "Off" state.
As DSP-intensive Amplifier and Reverb models exist, one can assume that far less DSP-intensive effects also exist (e.g. compressors, gates, EQs, etc.) and the key to utilization is not in the quantity of employed effects, per se, but in the total resources used by them.
Zoom released v2.0 firmware for the G3 (the more lucrative guitar market) which took advantage of the above resource strategy (and simultaneously improved the UI with the ability to disable AutoSave and pre-config Tuner Bypass/Mute.) The G3 v2.0 owner's manual still features an effect processing disclaimer, despite the increase to 6 simultaneous effects.
Given the above evidence, with a modest 3 effect patch today, I am quite confident the current B3 would allow me to add a Gate or Compressor in virtual Effect Slots 4 and 5 if the UI made them available (as the MS-60B and B1on/B1Xon do for half of the B3's MSRP.)
IMHO, I strongly believe the only thing standing in the way of the B3 receiving similar v2.0 firmware treatment is not insufficient DSP resources, but the insufficient return on investment Zoom would incur from doing so.
Cheers!
It is clearly stated in the manual that switching an effect off does not save any computing needs. So it does not help in any way to merely switch off an effect. We must not expect then that CPU demand would be lessened.
To really release the resource use, i.e. CPU use, you need to actually modify the patch and remove the effect. I have also to admit I see not too much value in having daisy chained 3 amp models. So only this limitation would not bother me much. What I would be more concerned about is limitations when using in the signal chain a compressor, amp, some actual effect, and then some reverb, since this is a likely scenario.
However, I have never really encountered a situation where the B3 had exceeded its limits. Is this one of those? Can you perhaps quickly describe the warning/error message you get or is it only that the quality of the sound processing gets bad?
Until a Zoom engineer enters this thread for discussion, here is some intel that I gathered from Zoom's website and available PDFs:
Both the G3 and B3 product lines share the same ZFX-IV DSP engine, user interface, rhythm/looper sections. Additionally, both share the same physical hardware, and upon release, the same MSRP (I believe the G3 now retails for less than the B3!)
Upon release, both G3 and B3 supported a maximum of 3 simultaneous effects. Both owner's manuals featured disclaimer sections regarding effect processing limitations when using DSP-intensive Amplifier and HD Reverb models. Also indicated is that an effect uses the same DSP resources even when in an "Off" state.
As DSP-intensive Amplifier and Reverb models exist, one can assume that far less DSP-intensive effects also exist (e.g. compressors, gates, EQs, etc.) and the key to utilization is not in the quantity of employed effects, per se, but in the total resources used by them.
Zoom released v2.0 firmware for the G3 (the more lucrative guitar market) which took advantage of the above resource strategy (and simultaneously improved the UI with the ability to disable AutoSave and pre-config Tuner Bypass/Mute.) The G3 v2.0 owner's manual still features an effect processing disclaimer, despite the increase to 6 simultaneous effects.
Given the above evidence, with a modest 3 effect patch today, I am quite confident the current B3 would allow me to add a Gate or Compressor in virtual Effect Slots 4 and 5 if the UI made them available (as the MS-60B and B1on/B1Xon do for half of the B3's MSRP.)
IMHO, I strongly believe the only thing standing in the way of the B3 receiving similar v2.0 firmware treatment is not insufficient DSP resources, but the insufficient return on investment Zoom would incur from doing so.
Cheers!
I fully concur with you on all of this CharlieC. That is where we actually are, sic! Bass devices like the B3 etc. enjoy a much, much smaller market than guitar devices do. Perhaps we can be glad that Zoom is doing as much as they do for us lower frequencies users
Cheers!
