songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Little late to the game here, but I sculpted a gnarly overdriven tone last night. The Bass Squeak and D Comp sound really good.
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Zoom MS60B - Is it still any good?
- Thread starter Heavy Blue
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- boss ms-60b
BassSqueak (blendable RAT emulation) and compression are the core of a fake Darkglass I got to tweak using a Guma-Drive (B3K clone) side by side. Here's a video alternating Zoom vs. the real thing.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
I'm considering M60B. I see it can manage a chain of 4 effects.
I read on the manual the footswitch "Turns the effect shown on the display ON and OFF".
I'd like to know when playing (so without getting down and using the hands) if is it possible:
1) to deactivate\reactivate all the effects in the chain
2) to scroll the 4 effects in the chain and select which one to turn off\on
I see it is possible:
- to do a modification to add a footswitch (but in this case I will choose another product instead of buying one and go directly out of warrancy)
- to connect a midi pedalboard (but for what I see in the videos on youtube: it seems me pedalboard works only scrolling the presets non on the effects in the single chain)
I read on the manual the footswitch "Turns the effect shown on the display ON and OFF".
I'd like to know when playing (so without getting down and using the hands) if is it possible:
1) to deactivate\reactivate all the effects in the chain
2) to scroll the 4 effects in the chain and select which one to turn off\on
I see it is possible:
- to do a modification to add a footswitch (but in this case I will choose another product instead of buying one and go directly out of warrancy)
- to connect a midi pedalboard (but for what I see in the videos on youtube: it seems me pedalboard works only scrolling the presets non on the effects in the single chain)
There is a block (line-select) that can deactivate the fx blocks after it. But then of course you have left only 3 effect blocks left for effects.
There is also software (not Zoom's) with which you can load any effect of the MS series into any of the versions of the MS series. The MS50G can load 5 effects at the time..
There is also software (not Zoom's) with which you can load any effect of the MS series into any of the versions of the MS series. The MS50G can load 5 effects at the time..
Thank you. I'm trying to figure it, can you explain me a little bit more how it works?
The line selector is placed in front of the fx's you want to dis/engage. The line selector when engaged (as on picture) sends its input to the next effect in line (that effect must be ON of course for the line selector to work). When the line selector is disengaged the signal is send directly to the output of the MS60B bypassing all effects after the line selector. As a 'bonus' the fx and direct to output have their own volume control which of course is convinient. Hope its clear!
MS works in an unusual way. It is not possible to deactivate all effects via the switch, nor scroll the effects one by one to activate or deactivate them. The way Zoom has managed to pack a lot into such a small and cheap pedal has ended up limiting its capabilities.
The MS works better when using the patches, there are 50, the switch goes through the patches you mark (A, B, C, D...), in the order you chose the "letters". If you mark 5 patches it will cycle through the 5, each time you press the switch it will advance a "letter".
This way you create "empty" patches to use when you want to turn off all effects. It looks confusing but it's very simple. You can make a sequence of 50 patches for a small gig, for example, as long as you don't "wrong" the switch, you will have 50 bass tones available, some you will repeat, some you won't. Remember, it's a small, inexpensive pedal, but it offers much more than it costs.
The MS works better when using the patches, there are 50, the switch goes through the patches you mark (A, B, C, D...), in the order you chose the "letters". If you mark 5 patches it will cycle through the 5, each time you press the switch it will advance a "letter".
This way you create "empty" patches to use when you want to turn off all effects. It looks confusing but it's very simple. You can make a sequence of 50 patches for a small gig, for example, as long as you don't "wrong" the switch, you will have 50 bass tones available, some you will repeat, some you won't. Remember, it's a small, inexpensive pedal, but it offers much more than it costs.
I read on the manual the footswitch "Turns the effect shown on the display ON and OFF". So can you set it to do something else such as scroll patches?
Yes, the switch can be used to turn an effect on and off - the effect that has been manually selected within the patch -, or to scroll between patches, and also to select the tuner. The switch will work according to the manually chosen function: on/off effect, scroll patches or turn on the tuner.
*edit. Turn on/off "one" effect, not the patch.
*edit. Turn on/off "one" effect, not the patch.
With my MS I use a patch with mod + delay + reverb. With the line selector I can 'disengage' those 3 effects at once with the footswitch. And this way you also have TAILS !
This is hoiw I use my MS60 and MS70 units by creating individual patches and scrolling through them, it is the same way I used my B2 pedals. This way you can advance through the list and switch to mute/tune by holding down the foorswitch. I create a 'clean' or neutral patch, then have a series of patches with various effects added. eg: clean; add chorus;clean; +delay;clean and so on.
ToneLib.zoom is the easiest to use GUI and works great.
Is there somewhere a clone/something similar to the MS-60b? (with at least reverb, chorus and delay with tap tempo) Or is it the only multieffect in solid pedal format & so tiny?
I found this: 内容页 - Valeton
but it is discontinued
P.S. I'm not considered Zoom B1 four cause of the plastic case.
I found this: 内容页 - Valeton
but it is discontinued
P.S. I'm not considered Zoom B1 four cause of the plastic case.
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While I don’t have an answer to your MS60B equivalent question, and have not in fact ever tried an MS60B...
...I do have a G1Xfour, and use it with guitar and bass with success and satisfaction, and I feel the plastic case is actually pretty tough. In the hand it feels like it could take a hard enough hit that it is the functional/durability equivalent of a traditional metal-cased pedal. If it and a metal pedal each took a hard enough bounce to break the zoom, I think a metal cased pedal would also end up with bent pot shafts or something.
The B1/G1 series are a lot of tone shaping in a pretty slick layout for ~$100. Worth a second look at least.
The Coral MDR isn't really like the MS-60b: it's a single effect and there are no presets.
The closest thing that I can think of would be the Line 6 M5 (i.e. single pedal size stompbox), but that is also a single effect at a time.
Next closest would be something like the Mooer Prime P1 or their Mod Factory Pro. Flamma also makes multimod and delay pedals with multiple presets. The Hotone Binary Mod and Ecko are functionally the same idea, but you can run two effects at once (you can with the Mod Factory Pro, too).
The Valeton GP-100 is more like the size of (and the same price as) a B1X Four, but it's all metal. There are also a similar looking Mooer and a Nux in that price range, as well.
Your only other options in a similar price range would be the fly rig style multi effects: Valeton Dapper, Sonicake Boom Ave, Cube Baby, etc.
There is a tap tempo mode but you loose the Mute/Tuner function. See pages 16 - 18.
FWIW I gigged the old plastic 506 and 607 heavily for years and never had an issue, and I'm a bear.
https://zoomcorp.com/media/documents/MS-60B_operationManual_English.pdf
Thank very much for the info
Good to know it, anyway I consider this not a problem. MS-60B tuner has no correct/uncorrect tuning lights so, I go for it, I'm sure I will use an external tuner. B1x4 tuner is great because it has got green/red tuning lights but unfortunatly, apart the plastic case, it doesn't have the tap tempo.
I'm so unpleasent the new G2X4 has got the same no light tuner of the MS-60B. It is a ridicolous downgrade Zoom decided to do. So if they are going to release a bass version B2X4 this will be for me a big cons (considering also the size and the price of this ipotetic new device).
You are right. Surly yes. I was considering the fact of having in a single tiny device "reverb, chorus and delay with tap tempo" (that, apart the octaver, I consider the most common effects you can use on bass).
Line 6 M5, as you said for Valeton GP-100, is big size so it's more a competitor of Zoom B1X Four.
Mooer Prime P1 is not a properly a pedal, yes it can be used with an external usb pedalborad... but this mean not one but two devices and less space.
Mod Factory Pro, Flamma, Hotone Binary Mod and the others not include the 3 effects above. For what they offer there are more useful for guitarist I think.
In my opinion the real competitor of the MS-60B could be the Hotone XStomp:
xtomp.com
But the fact at its price it doesn't manage a chain of effects and the fact you need to use the app to switch effects it's a big big cons.
