Can anyone comment on the units chorus capabilities please? Im worried it'll be just like a Boss type chorus. Can someone confirm or deny this please? Or is it much better than a Boss style chorus?
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Zoom MS-60B announced... at last
- Thread starter ga_edwards
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I've been A/B-ing a bit between the MS-60B, the EBS UniChorus and the MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe, and there are clear differences. The EBS and MXR feels warmer and thicker, the bass sound but fatter, whereas the Zoom feels like a chorus effect, thinner and with its own sound on top of the bass so to speak. Its a more pronounced chorus effect, a bit more metallic, which may or may not be what you want. It probably stands out more in the mix, but it also sounds very much like a chorus effect. The differences are not massive, I'm sure you can make either of them work in a mix with some EQing.
I intended to replace the MXR with the Zoom, but I've changed my mind after comparing, the Zoom will become part of my practice setup instead. The MXR is still not the sound I want though, it has a bass boost which I think works against a chorus effect, and it's maybe a bit too subtle to cut through.
I'm off to listen to the Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus now, a local store has one in stock. I and my piggy bank sincerely hope I don't like it.
I intended to replace the MXR with the Zoom, but I've changed my mind after comparing, the Zoom will become part of my practice setup instead. The MXR is still not the sound I want though, it has a bass boost which I think works against a chorus effect, and it's maybe a bit too subtle to cut through.
I'm off to listen to the Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus now, a local store has one in stock. I and my piggy bank sincerely hope I don't like it.
I've been A/B-ing a bit between the MS-60B, the EBS UniChorus and the MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe, and there are clear differences. The EBS and MXR feels warmer and thicker, the bass sound but fatter, whereas the Zoom feels like a chorus effect, thinner and with its own sound on top of the bass so to speak. Its a more pronounced chorus effect, a bit more metallic, which may or may not be what you want. It probably stands out more in the mix, but it also sounds very much like a chorus effect. The differences are not massive, I'm sure you can make either of them work in a mix with some EQing.
I intended to replace the MXR with the Zoom, but I've changed my mind after comparing, the Zoom will become part of my practice setup instead. The MXR is still not the sound I want though, it has a bass boost which I think works against a chorus effect, and it's maybe a bit too subtle to cut through.
I'm off to listen to the Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus now, a local store has one in stock. I and my piggy bank sincerely hope I don't like it.
Awesome, thanks for the insight. Yeah, I ditched the MXR BCD a couple months ago, I felt the same way about the bass boost, it really cut the chorus in half. And the MXR IMO wasn't that chorusy to begin with. I in fact do like the metallic type chorus. I like it pronounced so the zoom just may be my thing. Oh man, the tech 21 has always been on my GAS list, now that def sounds like a great shimmering chorus.
I'm off to listen to the Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus now, a local store has one in stock. I and my piggy bank sincerely hope I don't like it.
Your lucky I've been wanting to try the Tech 21 bass chorus for a while now. Let us know what you think compared to the MS-60B
The thing about the MS-60b is that you have to poke around past the base pedal models. The chorus model is more along the lines of a Boss chorus...BUT if you're just a little creative, there are many different sounds you can get out of this little stomp unit. The Detune, for example, is used by a lot of people instead of the actual Chorus. I get a killer chorus effect in one of my patches by combining the Bass Ensemble with a Hall Reverb.
You can mix and match, EQ, boost/cut with amp models, or even split signals with the splitter or control several models at once with the line selector. With four pedal spots in a patch, you can just about tweak any sound to fit your ears and rig.
And it's not just the single sounds. As this thread testifies, there are so many great filters and combinations to be had. I bought this unit just for EQ and amp modeling, and I use the filters now more than anything else on a lot of gigs.
I'm sold, I'm getting one shortly after a couple pedal sales on my end. So you can actually use the zoom as say a boss LS2 with your pedal board?!
Not exactly, you can use one of your 4 FX spots in a patch for Line Selector, which allows you to blend wet and dry, and switch on/off any thing that comes after it in that patch.
It will not work with other pedals on your board.
J!
This confused the heck out of me at first. The Line Selector patch is like having an internal LS-2, that just operates on the internal effects in the MS60-B. Anything after the Line Selector, gets switched in and out of your signal path when you stomp on the L.S.
However, there are no loop jacks, and no way to incorporate other pedal chains into the switching path of your MS60, the way you would with the Boss.
Right, sorry for any confusing descriptions. Everything happens within the "environment" of the Zoom.
I would also like to humbly add that I believe the popular statement that the LineSel allows one to blend/mix wet and dry signals is in error.
My personal tests have shown that the 2 level parameters present in the LineSel simply allow one to set the signal level "sent to the next effect" and then the signal level "sent directly to the output" based on the current binary state of the effect, i.e. either "Next Effect" (On) or "Output" (Off). My findings are also in keeping with Zoom's documentation on the LineSel effect.
And now as I step down off my Gear Geek Soapbox, please let me add ...
At only $99, I would encourage everyone to at least "borrow" an MS-60B, risk-free, from your favorite retailer and return it for a full-refund if not completely satisfied
Cheers!
anyone have any experiences with input overload from a bass with particularly hot pickups? I'm going to re-check this, but yesterday I spent some time troubleshooting the problem, originally thinking it was being produced by the drives in the various models of the pedal...but then I noticed it on a flanger and started bypassing until the overload distortion went away...but it didn't unless I bypassed all FX.
FWIW, I cross-checked the bass direct into my GK amp and it was neither the amp or bass that was causing the problem. I also tried backing the volume knob to half volume going into the MS60B, but could still hear small amounts of distortion. I also tried going into a compressor in slot one, backing its output level waaayyy down, and going into the flanger in slot 2.... No luck.
Placing the pedal in the FX loop of the GK head essentially solved all problems. I'd prefer not to use the pedal this way, though, but I will if I have to...just one more cable to deal with, so no biggie. Is there such a thing as a 1/4" in-line attenuator that could solve this? I'm trying to keep this as streamlined as possible.
Thoughts?
FWIW, I cross-checked the bass direct into my GK amp and it was neither the amp or bass that was causing the problem. I also tried backing the volume knob to half volume going into the MS60B, but could still hear small amounts of distortion. I also tried going into a compressor in slot one, backing its output level waaayyy down, and going into the flanger in slot 2.... No luck.
Placing the pedal in the FX loop of the GK head essentially solved all problems. I'd prefer not to use the pedal this way, though, but I will if I have to...just one more cable to deal with, so no biggie. Is there such a thing as a 1/4" in-line attenuator that could solve this? I'm trying to keep this as streamlined as possible.
Thoughts?
Yes, there are volume attenuators like this for pedal boards. But really you just need to adjust the gains and levels on all of the pedal models. Out of box, they are very hot, even for passive basses. It's why some people have expressed wanting a volume knob on the pedal itself, but you just need to dial back in the individual pedal model settings.
[edit: To clarify, I'm talking about overloading the INPUT of the MS60B, not the input of my GK amp.]
I'm sure I tried this though:
I guess what I would wish for would be a system or global setting that allows you to attenuate the input as needed for your instrument, assuming this could be controlled via software. If not, then yes, a physical -14db pad switch would work. If I were into modding stomps, I'd just do it myself, but no time for that.
What I'm experiencing "appears to be" a distortion at the front end of whatever fx block is used, and no matter how low I back down its output, the distortion still comes through. Again, I'll re-check this later today. ???
I guess it was inevitable I would come home with the darn thing ... there goes the vacation money. I guess I'll just stay at home, live on a diet of bread, water and bass tablature then.
Too early to tell of course, but initial impression is that this pedal is very versatile, and I like the sound character. You have both regular chorusing, detune, wet/dry mix, decent ranges on all controls, and boost on top of that. There are a lot of sounds in there, it goes from no effect to quite wacky, whereas the MXR at full tilt is still quite tame. Mixing a bit of regular chorus with some detune gives a kind of unique phaser-ish sound. And it came in a nice tin box.
Is it worth more than double that of the MS-60B, for only a chorus effect? It has that nicer, warmer analog sound, but will it matter in the mix? I would, and now did, buy it instead of the MXR or EBS any day, but would I buy it instead of the MS-60B given the tweakability and all the other effects you get for half the price? Well ... if you can't have both, and if you can configure a chorus patch you like, well then the MS-60B looks like darn good value.
I guess it was inevitable I would come home with the darn thing ... there goes the vacation money. I guess I'll just stay at home, live on a diet of bread, water and bass tablature then.
Too early to tell of course, but initial impression is that this pedal is very versatile, and I like the sound character. You have both regular chorusing, detune, wet/dry mix, decent ranges on all controls, and boost on top of that. There are a lot of sounds in there, it goes from no effect to quite wacky, whereas the MXR at full tilt is still quite tame. Mixing a bit of regular chorus with some detune gives a kind of unique phaser-ish sound. And it came in a nice tin box.
Is it worth more than double that of the MS-60B, for only a chorus effect? It has that nicer, warmer analog sound, but will it matter in the mix? I would, and now did, buy it instead of the MXR or EBS any day, but would I buy it instead of the MS-60B given the tweakability and all the other effects you get for half the price? Well ... if you can't have both, and if you can configure a chorus patch you like, well then the MS-60B looks like darn good value.
Haha I've been living off of ramen for a few weeks now because of my pedal problem. Yeah that's the main reason why I didn't go with the tech 21 right now, the price. I was about to grab a tc corona but I had a couple pedals up for sale and they both sold today and then I saw a zoom up for sale so I said the heck with it, it's almost like a free pedal to me. I would've never used the two pedals I sold again so it's a win win for me. I'm sure I'll be able to get a usable chorus out of the zoom. But I still have GAS for a tc corona and vortex. Oh, and a fuzzrocious demon. Big they will just have to wait. It's not like they're going anywhere.
Just to be clear, I meant that I found the Line Selector effect confusing, not your post...
Where are y'all putting your zoom in your chains? I was thinking around the middle somewhere, like after dirt and before my delays and preamps. Almost like where modulation would go. For me anyway. I'm mainly getting it to use for modulation and synth effects, I won't be using the dirt. That could change once I start playing around with it. Never worked with a comp before and I hear they're not bad on the zoom. I was assuming you'd put it in the spot that you're probably going to be using said effect in ya know? Like delay towards the end and so forth. Maybe I'm wrong though?
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