Zoom MS60/B3 para eq help

On the B3 & MS60B Zoom has given us a true 2 band parametric EQ with Frequency, amplitude/gain and bandwidth/Q. The smaller the Q the narrower the band.

 

Greatly simplified, but...
“Q” is the bandwidth of the resonant peak of the filter... Q = resonant frequency / bandwidth
Where “bandwidth” is the upper frequency – lower frequency.
Upper frequency and lower frequency points are where the energy of the signal is ½ that of the resonant frequency.
So the higher the Q, the narrower the bandwidth, the tighter the peak. The lower the Q, the wider the bandwidth, the wider the peak.

a Q of 0.5 is approx 1 octave bandwith
2 is 1/2 octave
4 is 1/4 octave ... and so on...

 

incorrect...

 

yes... that's pretty much it...

 

bonk

 

Lol

 

Anyone tried using the para EQ as a high pass filter? I'm going to experiment with it though it's not a true steep shelving EQ. But if I set a low frequency and a Q that's not too wide it might work..?

 

I don't think it will work well... You'll just get a peak (or trough) centered at your selected frequency...
I think the splitter EQ would work better ... Even better would be to daisy chain two splitters together to get a steeper slope

 

Interesting. Thanks PilbaraBass.

Info see that the lowest frequency the splitter crosses over is 80hz - do you think it might be easy to kill the entire low end as opposed to just weeding out 35hz and below?

 

The splitter makes a perfect hi and lo pass filter, I use it often to taylor patches.
It's a bit annoygin to waste a spot for such a mundane function but so far it is the only way I found.

 

Another option is a graphic EQ it's low shelf is 50hz I believe...

It would be a little more subtle, but still a good option.

to me, parametric EQs are better suited for tailoring mid-range response

 

PilbaraBass, I think you are absolutely right, the para EQ really is better for mid range on the whole.

Jazz Ad, thanks for chiming in. Part of the reason I had the nerve to buy an MS-60B was because I saw you were using a Zoom B3 with a Berg IP112. I just picked up a good deal on an IP112ER and have been tinkering with the amp sims and para EQ etc...

I'm an Acme owner too and having a good HPF is helpful. Currently the one built into my Genz Benz Streamliner is perfectly sufficient (I do like wide and smooth bass) but I'm still working out what the Berg IP112ER needs.

I've tested the Berg with an Aguilar Tone Hammer and The Zoom MS-60B. So far I appear to get enough voltage from both to play nice with the IP112ER. I have a Sanamp BDDI kicking around I'll try too. The Zoom pedal is so varied though that I'm still working out what I want it do do.

So far, I like the Markbass and Acoustic amp sims with the cab emulation turned off and having a para EQ in there for adjustability. Luxury! - two bands of para EQ (plus adjustable mids on many of the amp sims too). I still need to play around with the SVT/Sansamp emulators and the other amp sims.

Once I work out a HPF well enough I'll have a 'set and forget' preamp for the Berg. The effects seem good too though I may end up using the pedal as a preamp more than an effects pedal.

 

I'll try out the Splitter and Graphic EQ patches tonight and see how it all goes. Not sure If I've got enough confidence to gig with the Zoom/Berg rig yet - perhaps after a little more tweaking.

 

This is interesting. I will have to play with this this weekend and see if I can do the same. Thanks for the advice Jazz!

 

Ok, played with a few things last night.

I think actually cutting the bass on whatever EQ I have handy on the Zoom actually works just fine, for my needs (with the Berg IP).

The Graphic EQ 50Hz slider works perfectly well for cutting out strong/excessive bass, as does the EQ on any of the amp sims I was playing with (Mainly the Markbass).

I'm not sure I know how to use the Splitter properly - I still need to work out how to get everything to balance well there. I seemed to suck out too much bass with the settings I used. Perhaps someone else has more experience here.

As an aside, the Sansamp emulator works really well, and sounds like to the actual Sansamp I had sitting next to it, at least as far as I can tell. One of the controls is labelled differently ('Drive' on the Sansamp becomes 'Gain' in the Zoom) and it took me a while to work out that the Zoom's Sansamp emulator's 'Mid' control only works when the 'Blend' control is engaged. A sensible touch to restore some of the mids when using the all powerful 'Blend' knob, I would think.

I think the documentation of how the controls for various effects interact would be helpful. This bit of kit takes some serious playing with/tweaking to understand it.

I suspect the DSP of the Berg IP already must have some HPF built in. It just has a big and beautiful low end, which in some circumstances needs taming. However I'm not sure I need a HPF as such, maybe just to turn down the 'Bass' in whatever amp sim I'm using (or in the Sansamp emulator).

 

I realised today that the 'Ac Bs Pre' is in fact based upon the Fishman Bass Pro Preamp (http://www.fishman.com/product/pro-eq-platinum-bass-preampeqdi). This preamp has a 'depth' knob which controls high pass filtering.

I haven't played with it much yet, but it turns out that we do in fact have HPF built into this unit. I guess I'm still discovering what it can do.

 

Checked the Fishman Pro manual - the HPF is 12 dB/octave, and range can be moved from 15 Hz (at 5:00 position) to 125 Hz (7:00).

Hope that is of use.

EDIT:

There's a really useful section of the manual that explains how to use this EQ section:

'Depth:

Tighten up your sound, or dial out deep-bass feedback with the Depth control. The Depth control works hand in hand with the Bass control to bring out tight and articulate lows:

1. Start with the Depth turned up full (5:00) with the EQ set flat on your bass amp and/or PA.
2. Set the Bass control to full boost.
3. Play the bass and back off the Depth (counter-clockwise) until you hear the sound tighten up,
usually between 9:00 and 1:00.
4. Re-set the Bass slider to taste.'