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Zoom B3 As Preamp

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#801
Thanks ticol07! Those graphs are what I expect to see with the BM412 and GK410 so I have reason to believe that the other cabs are well represented.


hooked up to the usb, music playing on your computer will come through the B3, this was an awesome surprise

Good to know. I with have to try that soon.
 
#802
troy mcclure said:
...
I found when hooked up to the usb, music playing on your computer will come through the B3, this was an awesome surprise as I was using headphones and needed to learn so new tunes and could do it it total silence for the rest of the family.
Click to expand...

I've been doing this for YEARS... First with the B2.1u. and now the B3...

Basically anything that has headphone capability AND can act as an ASIO interface is capable of doing this. I am sure that my Roland TD11KV electronic drum kit can do this as well.

Yes! A very cool, but unadvertised feature.
 
#803
DiabolusInMusic said:
...I find I am having certain amp models distort really early as I like my gain turned way up. The even more frustrating part is that some of the amps being modelled are SS.
Click to expand...

When you overdrive the front end, SS amps distort too. I've owned a ton of them over the years, and there hasn't been a single one that I couldn't overdrive if I worked at it.

The real question is why do "like" your gain turned way up, if it sounds bad? That sounds like you're listening with your eyes.

There's makeup gain available at various points in the pedal. If the amp sim is distorting in a way you don't like, just turn the gain down and raise the master.
 
#805
Playback! It's true! USB connected you can listen to itunes and work on material via headphones. On my Mac I needed to select the device for output, volume is controlled with the itunes slider.

I usually use a small Yamaha mixer for my headphone practice station, with all my playback devices hooked into it. The sound quality on the B3 headphone output is nice.

So, sitting here at my desk, I just took the setlist I received by email, reordered my itunes playlist of original mp3's and cover tune versions to cover the gig start to finish. Plug in my bass and I can work on the material.

Now I can mess around with the B3 and see how close I can get to the sound on the recordings. If I was really motivated a patch for each tune might result.

I've been tuning the cab sims off since most cabs limit rather than expand the amp sounds. I built fEarfuls for exactly that reason, to avoid the low end loss, mid scoops, and nasty high peaks. But I might need to consider the cab sims as yet another flavor.

Just figured out that if you hold your cursor over the FX box label, it turns into a rotating arrows symbol, and if clicked, takes you to "pedal land" where you can select anything for that spot.
 
#806
I didn't know that too for the playback stuff. I just made a try and, yes the sound from the computer goes direct in the zoom b3. Cool !!

Regarding all these mid cuts in the cab sims, even if it may not be excactly the same with the real cabs, it means that every classic good bass sounds have mid cuts.
For me it's quite impressive after reading so much threads about the need to keep all your mids if you wanted to be heard in your band... A new life for me :bassist:

And if you watch the VT Bass threads you understand why this pedal can work easily with many cabs : there is no big cuts or bumps (except extreme low and extreme highs cut). If you want a flat signal you can have it.
 
#807
ticol07 said:
Regarding all these mid cuts in the cab sims, even if it may not be excactly the same with the real cabs, it means that every classic good bass sounds have mid cuts.
For me it's quite impressive after reading so much threads about the need to keep all your mids if you wanted to be heard in your band... A new life for me
Click to expand...

For me, this explains why boosting mids may be needed, to even out the cab response.
 
#808
Yes but it's counter intuitive :)

I began the recordings on the different amp models. It does a lot of pictures, so I will put them gradually.

To begin, as I already showed the SVT, I choosed the Flip Top.
To have something simple to understand, I always follow the same process : Bass, Treble and Mids (at 800 Hz) put at zero. Cab Sim off and no switch engaged. After that I boost each parameter individually. Like that we can what are the frequencies boosted.

So, Flip Top with everything at zero :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with bass boost :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with 800Hz boost :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with Treble boost :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with Low switch :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with Hi switch :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


Flip Top with Both switch :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


And finally, Flip Top with cab sim at 100% :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Coming soon, the GK :)
 
#810
ticol07 said:
Yes but it's counter intuitive :)

I began the recordings on the different amp models. It does a lot of pictures, so I will put them gradually.

To begin, as I already showed the SVT, I choosed the Flip Top.
To have something simple to understand, I always follow the same process : Bass, Treble and Mids (at 800 Hz) put at zero. Cab Sim off and no switch engaged. After that I boost each parameter individually. Like that we can what are the frequencies boosted.

So, Flip Top with everything at zero :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with bass boost :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with 800Hz boost :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with Treble boost :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with Low switch :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Flip Top with Hi switch :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


Flip Top with Both switch :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


And finally, Flip Top with cab sim at 100% :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Coming soon, the GK :)
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for all of these pictures!! This confirms a few things for me. I had always thought that the models all sound pretty similar without the amp sim involved and this shows that.

The other thing is what I'm discovering about my favorite clean amp of all - the Mesa Boogie Carbine/410 setup. Spacious clean full sound every time I plug into one at GC. Sounds flat to my ears, but when I try to simulate the same clean full sound I have to cut mids with the parametric sim at 450 and 630 to get something similar.
 
#811
You'll see when I'll have posted all the models that some of them have a more pronounced signature.
And as I understand it, every amp sim has it's own bass and treble frequency. So when you boost or cut you will not have the same result between them.
For example, bass is focused around 70 Hz on SVT, and 50-60Hz on the Flip Top.
For the mids, as you can choose them, you can do the same things with every amp.

I know that ears should be the right judge to understand all these sims but I find it cool to see them.
 
#812
ticol07 said:
You'll see when I'll have posted all the models that some of them have a more pronounced signature.
And as I understand it, every amp sim has it's own bass and treble frequency. So when you boost or cut you will not have the same result between them.
For example, bass is focused around 70 Hz on SVT, and 50-60Hz on the Flip Top.
For the mids, as you can choose them, you can do the same things with every amp.

I know that ears should be the right judge to understand all these sims but I find it cool to see them.
Click to expand...

Thanks again, ticol07!

With your permission, I could eventually create a full image gallery of these plots on my companion web page for this thread :D

http://www.zinfanus.com/zoom_b3

Cheers!
 
#813
Feel free to use them as you want Charlie :)
It's a good idea to put together all the infos.

Another discover since I never had a looper before is that you hear a very different sound when you listen to one of your loop vs hearing you while you're playing.
I don't know if it's me but when I play I often think that something is a little bad in the sound. And listening to some loops with the B3 plugged in my amp I realise that my sound is quite better and fuller than what I was thinking (hearing).
 
#814
ticol07 said:
Feel free to use them as you want Charlie :)
It's a good idea to put together all the infos.

Another discover since I never had a looper before is that you hear a very different sound when you listen to one of your loop vs hearing you while you're playing.
I don't know if it's me but when I play I often think that something is a little bad in the sound. And listening to some loops with the B3 plugged in my amp I realise that my sound is quite better and fuller than what I was thinking (hearing).
Click to expand...


You just made me realize, that I could use the looper during sound check!
I run sound for my band, and it would be nice to listen without playing, I think I would be more focused !!
 
#815
And now, the GK !

GK with everything at zero, no cab sim :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
as you can see, this one as a most important effect on the signal : increase of the highs + a mini boost in the low mids.

GK with bass at max :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

GK with 800Hz at max :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
-> same effect than on the SVT and the Flip Top

GK with highs at max :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

GK with Color switch on Low :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

GK with Color switch on Mid :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

GK with Color switch on Hi :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


And finally flat GK with it's cab full on :
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Good for clear tones :)
 
#817
ticol07 said:
So when you boost or cut you will not have the same result between them.
For example, bass is focused around 70 Hz on SVT, and 50-60Hz on the Flip Top.
Click to expand...

You know, I should have known that. I used to own a Line 6 Bass PODxt and the manual posted that specific information for each amp. I'm surprised that the good folks at Zoom didn't think to do so. It makes a difference, 'cause if I boost the "bass" on the GK model I don't know what frequency is being boosted and whether it's shelving or peaking.

I suppose I could investigate the info since these are modeled on famous amps which should have manuals online, though...
 
#818
troy mcclure said:
I was messing with zoom editor yesterday and was wondering is there a way to:
Just clear some of the crazy sounds you will never use?
Take my fav setting copy it to muliple locations so I can tweak them slightly or add a different effect to each?
When you move a patch it just swaps it out.
I found when hooked up to the usb, music playing on your computer will come through the B3, this was an awesome surprise as I was using headphones and needed to learn so new tunes and could do it it total silence for the rest of the family.
Click to expand...

To clear select the patch(es) and then delete it with menu command "Edit -> Clear"

To move select the patch(es), "Edit -> Copy", select the destination patch to overwrite, "Edit -> Paste"

Enjoy
 
#820
Okee dokee. Here's all the info I could find on the various amps modeled by the B3. These are screenshots from manuals I could find. Some of the amps I couldn't find information on, or the manuals didn't mention EQ frequencies (like the Super Bass or Polytone Mini Brute III).

SWR SM900:To set up an SM900 patch it would be necessary to have the ParaEQ model as part of your patch so you could simulate the three parametric EQ controls.
SWRSM9001_zps1c4532ca.jpg

SWRSM9002_zps79f3da3e.jpg


Mark Bass Little Mark 3
MarkBassLittleMark3_zps2809a48e.jpg


Eden WT800: The Eden WT800 is another amp with three parametric mid controls, so use the ParaEQ on this one again.
EdenWT800_zps9419032a.jpg


SVT
SVT_zps22139f02.jpg


Hartke HA3500: The HA3500 doesn't have bass, middle, and treble controls but has a 10 band shelving EQ setup, and the EQ points aren't the same as the 7-band EQ model the B3 has. Not totally sure what to do with this one.
HartkeHA3500_zps6a3d841a.jpg


Gallien-Krueger 800RB
GK800RB_zps126bf250.jpg


Ampeg B-15
AmpegB-15_zpsc65631f2.jpg


Aguilar DB750
AguilarDB750_zpsef944372.jpg
 
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