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Zoom Owners' Club!
- Thread starter champbassist
- Start date
After 10 years Zoom decided to update the MS50G with some much needed features, wonder how long it'll be before or even 9f there will be a BASS version.
Switches for patch and bank up/down for your tippy toes.
Looks like these will be using the current generation of effects that are for the most part pretty good.
But 100 effects down from 172 wonder how much cool stuff they left out?
On the good side the price is the same, that's pretty cool.
MS-50G+ MultiStomp for Guitarists | Buy Now
Old one for comparison
MS-50G | Buy Now
Switches for patch and bank up/down for your tippy toes.
Looks like these will be using the current generation of effects that are for the most part pretty good.
But 100 effects down from 172 wonder how much cool stuff they left out?
On the good side the price is the same, that's pretty cool.
MS-50G+ MultiStomp for Guitarists | Buy Now
Old one for comparison
MS-50G | Buy Now
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Those tip toe buttons look like a terrible idea. I have trouble using the much larger version on my B2 Four. I think you'd have to use your fingers. And I'd worry about accidentally tapping the lower two every time I hit the main footswitch.
In my experience the B1 Four compressors weren’t fast enough for slap. However the B2 Four compressors are very fast (when you need it). Also the general sound quality of the B2 Four is nicer. There are some downsides, like fewer choices of modules.
Interesting. How is the sound nicer? Fuller? Less noise? More detailed? How would you compare them?
Thing is I've owned and played my (2nd) B1Xfour extensively for some time now. I had sold my first one, sounded boxy and noisier compared to the previous gen (own several, B3, G3, MS-60B, MS-50G, G1Xon, all with FX lists hacked to the bone). Gave the B1Xfour a second chance (also hacked this one adding most guitar amps from the G1four) and my impressions remain the same, even tho' I've kept the pedal this time, I often use it home. Still holding on to my G/MS/1 series pedals for all live work, they just sound better, like "wider response" if that makes any sense. Not that you can't tweak the Four to sound as full, but it requires lots of it to sound how the previous gen sounds more or less naturally (definitely flatter as per EQ). A disapointing upgrade experience all in all. Thus my questions, just to get an impression before I start GASsing again for a new Zoom generation
Tons of thanks in advance for your insight.I didn't do a proper comparison between the B1F and the B2F. A student got a B1F as a gift, and I took it home for a few days and put together some presets. We tried getting a compressor to be fast enough to allow him to do some "safe" slapping, but none of the compressors could catch that initial clank.
Take this unscientific impression with a grain of salt. The B1 Four sounds good, had a wide selection of FX, amps, etc. And is (for the price) a fantastic fun box. The fidelity (frequency range, transparency) was not bad, but not impressive. I'd be ok gigging with it, but wouldn't record with it.
When I got the B2 Four, it seemed like Zoom had taken what they'd learned from designing more recent mixers, and higher end recording devices, and improved their AD and DA, so the sound of my bass was well-"respected" through conversions in/out. There weren't any weird issues with impedance, and the frequency range was flat and wide. No problems with noise, either. I'll say that Zoom has always done well with dynamic response, and that has been the case across all the Zoom devices I've used.
B2 Four includes seven (!) choices of compressors, including two dual-band compressors. There are some lightning fast ones (like the 1176). For someone wanting to learn about compressors, I think the B2 Four is not just for learning, you could proudly use them on finished tracks (IMHO).
As I mentioned in my LONG review on another thread, for my tastes the amp sims are kind of humpy in the lows or low mids. But it's easy enough to adjust the amp's EQ, or a pre-amp module's EQ, or insert one of the several EQ block options that are available.
I should note that 99% of the time, I play CLEAN. I amuse myself with various FX for fun, but on gigs, that kind of stuff is not appropriate for my current gig life. If you like O.D./Dist/Dirt/etc., I have no opinion on it. I'd suggest listening to lots of demos before buying.
Thanx a lot for your comments. My use of Zooms is quite different. I very rarely use any FX. I have just 3 fixed tones for each bass I'd use (fingerstyle, punkish picked crunch and metal picked crunch). All SansAmp+compression based (plus darkglass'ish blendable RAT emulation for metal). I own a SansAmp RBI, still my main recording preamp, but no point in carrying it around anymore since about 2015, when I got my MS-60B. Even the "clean" I use for fingerstyle isn't all that clean, but sorta' Ampeg fat clean, it barks a little if you dig in enough. I'm comfortable with the SansAmp kinda' paradigm, has worked for me (and sound engineers) every time for almost 2 decades (and 4 different Zoom generations, usually the cheapest models), for a great variety of styles and bass roles/characters and instruments. I'll definitely test the same approach as soon as I get a chance to try a B2four.
Thanx again for the impressions
Looked all around but couldn't find an answer to this question, if anyone knows please:
On the B1 (and similar), does the "Bass DRV" Sansamp BDDI simulation effect also include the baked in cab sim / speaker emulation in the real BDDI when you turn up the "Blend" knob?
On the B1 (and similar), does the "Bass DRV" Sansamp BDDI simulation effect also include the baked in cab sim / speaker emulation in the real BDDI when you turn up the "Blend" knob?
Hey Zoom B2 Four with iPad users:
I tried to connect my B2 Four to my iPad using a USB C to Lightning cable. The Zoom Lab screen tells me to connect a device…. I see in the pic that some kind of adapter is part of it. I don’t have that adapter. Is that the problem? Just want to be sure before I go buy something g else…
I tried to connect my B2 Four to my iPad using a USB C to Lightning cable. The Zoom Lab screen tells me to connect a device…. I see in the pic that some kind of adapter is part of it. I don’t have that adapter. Is that the problem? Just want to be sure before I go buy something g else…
Attachments
I could be off here, but I believe the USB C to lightning cable cannot be used to transfer data from a camera; apparently the B2 Four requires the same data conversion ability that is provided by a camera adapter. So, in my understanding, you'll require that adapter for a connection to be established.
I have a few questions, and with there being little information available online right now about the Zoom b2 four I was hoping someone may have some advice/opinions.
1. What are your favorite metal tone settings? I personally like Darkglass and Aguilar Agro tones, but haven't managed (yet) to get close. Any tips?
2. How do I go about adding [six-stringed piccolo bass] settings from the g2 four?
1. What are your favorite metal tone settings? I personally like Darkglass and Aguilar Agro tones, but haven't managed (yet) to get close. Any tips?
2. How do I go about adding [six-stringed piccolo bass] settings from the g2 four?
I'm not a metal player and usually don't add much distortion to my sounds, so I can't help you with your first question. You could run through the presets, find something that comes close and tweak it to your needs, but I assume you already did that. There is a preset thread somewhere on these forums though. Tonelib also has forums where presets are shared. Perhaps one of those have a preset that suits your needs?
As for your second question, Tonelib can export and import patches. Zoom's own Guitar lab unfortunately can't. If that doesn't work, the fastest way would be to take screenshots (or write down the settings) of the original patch in either Tonelib or Guitar lab and try to duplicate it on the b2. It's what I do when I see a patch that appears promising since tonelib still doesn't want to support my b6 and I can't import patches. It's not always a 100% duplicate because the effects may not always be 100% identical in both effects, but you'll easily get close and a little tweaking should get you there.
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In describing the distortions in the MS-200D, he says "164 that are Zoom designs". I really like when companies depart from f-tons of emulations and start to try to cover diverse bases with what they have clearly learned along the way.
He said the guitar version will allow up to 6 effects at one time, I wonder if that will pertain to the bass pedal?
Or if it will depend on how much memory each individual effect uses when you start to stack them.
Going to follow the 60B+ with interest.
Or if it will depend on how much memory each individual effect uses when you start to stack them.
Going to follow the 60B+ with interest.
I wish they would just integrate the guitar and bass versions into one pedal. (Or at least allow a backdoor way to side-load algoriths/modules)
well you can do that currently with the existing ms range. The concern here is the new ones won’t allow it
Either way, that'd basically make it a B6 condensed into a single pedal format, assuming they'd update the effects to the current B2/B6 standard. You'd lose the pedalboard mode, but you can spend 6 blocks on the 60B+ sculpting your base sound, throw it into an effects loop on any other multi-effect and use that pedal in stomp mode for any effects you may want. That would give you double the power of the B6 for about 50% of the price of a new B6. You might even be able to do some sort of parallel processing combining these 2 units, which would be a first for Zoom I think.
I might be interested if I ever run out of DPS on my B6. For now I don't and don't expect to, but it's something to consider should I reach that point. There's one thing I don't like though:
The buttons around the stomp box. I've tried a B2 before deciding on the B6 and those buttons were one of the things that turned me far away from it. When playing live, you either hit them when you don't want to, or you can't hit them at the right time. It just didn't feel comfortable and reliable to me, but YMMV. I must admit, I haven't taken a deep dive into the B2, so there might be workarounds for that, like the preset selection on the other MS pedals.
Then again, if you use it the way I outlined above, that wouldn't be much of an issue. You'd just switch between 1,2 or perhaps 3 base sounds with it. The other multi-effect pedal would do the rest.
What would be interesting is if I could export my B6 presets into the 60B+ and back. It'd be a lot less to carry if you're doing small shows or when stage space is limited. But I don't really see that happening.
If there's ever going to be one, I will as well. But a B2/6 in single pedal format kinda sounds too good to be true in my opinion, especially at that price point. Guess we'll find out =]
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