Skybone Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I know there's a lot of "love" for the Zoom B3, but is there anyone else who thinks that it could do with the same development that our guitar playing friends have received? Zoom provide the guitarists with the choice of the G3, the G3X (built in expression pedal) & the G5 (expression pedal, pre-amp valve & up to 9 effects in a chain). To get anywhere near that, you would at least need to buy the FP02M expression pedal, and possibly another B3. Surely it would not take too much development from Zoom to do bass versions of the G3X & G5, as I would imagine that the chassis & hardware (motherboard etc) already exist, and the software would only need minor tweaks to give us bass players a seriously flexible unit. Your thoughts? Should we petition Zoom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 It's happened before. https://www.change.org/p/zoom-corporation-firmware-update-zoom-b3-version-2-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazBeen Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Much smaller market = less money = fewer updates. Unfortunate really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elephantgrey Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Well, since the B3 there has been the ms60b and b1(x)on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Wasn't this discussed some time ago. I think i remember reading something like the B3 couldn't be updated to a B5 beacuse of the processor's capacity. I think it was something to do with the bass signal using more resources to be processed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Found it! http://basschat.co.uk/topic/207706-zoom-b5-dream/page__p__2629862__hl__zoom%20b5__fromsearch__1#entry2629862 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1453389146' post='2959054'] Wasn't this discussed some time ago. I think i remember reading something like the B3 couldn't be updated to a B5 beacuse of the processor's capacity. I think it was something to do with the bass signal using more resources to be processed. [/quote] That's true. As the bass signal is way more dynamic, Zoom felt that they wouldn't want the processor to ever want to run out of steam trying to run two more effects at once, and the looper, and the drum machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1453389437' post='2959060'] That's true. As the bass signal is way more dynamic, Zoom felt that they wouldn't want the processor to ever want to run out of steam trying to run two more effects at once, and the looper, and the drum machine. [/quote] The B1Xon can use 5 effects simultaneously and also has a looper and drum machine... I think it had an upgraded processor over the B3. you'd think they could do a B3.1 or even a B3.1X with the processor from the B1Xon . I never understood why they didn't enable Edit'n'Share on the MS60B or the B1Xon.... it would have been really useful on the smaller format units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 [quote name='stoo' timestamp='1453397090' post='2959173'] The B1Xon can use 5 effects simultaneously and also has a looper and drum machine... I think it had an upgraded processor over the B3. you'd think they could do a B3.1 or even a B3.1X with the processor from the B1Xon . I never understood why they didn't enable Edit'n'Share on the MS60B or the B1Xon.... it would have been really useful on the smaller format units. [/quote] In reality, it's not an upgraded processor - it's actually downgraded software on the same processor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdashdot Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 [quote name='stoo' timestamp='1453397090' post='2959173'] The B1Xon can use 5 effects simultaneously and also has a looper and drum machine... I think it had an upgraded processor over the B3. you'd think they could do a B3.1 or even a B3.1X with the processor from the B1Xon . I never understood why they didn't enable Edit'n'Share on the MS60B or the B1Xon.... it would have been really useful on the smaller format units. [/quote] [quote name='dood' timestamp='1453410298' post='2959358'] In reality, it's not an upgraded processor - it's actually downgraded software on the same processor. [/quote] dood is right - it is the same processor, with more careful attention to processor resource allocation. I suspect that's part of why Edit & Share support was dropped - to eliminate another overhead. In spite of that, some - in fact, most - of the E & S stuff is still buried in the firmware for the MS-60B and B1on. I've used this to develop the controller described in another thread - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/275453-zoom-b3-ms-60b-b1on-usb-control/"]http://basschat.co.u...on-usb-control/[/url] . I'll also be releasing a patch sharing/backup program - Really Soon Now - which will talk to the newer pedals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 For me, i only need that the B3 could alow for the compressor to be run on the "inside" leaving the 3 slots free for single FX. That would make it perfect for my settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 [quote name='drdashdot' timestamp='1453436307' post='2959502'] dood is right - it is the same processor, with more careful attention to processor resource allocation. I suspect that's part of why Edit & Share support was dropped - to eliminate another overhead. In spite of that, some - in fact, most - of the E & S stuff is still buried in the firmware for the MS-60B and B1on. I've used this to develop the controller described in another thread - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/275453-zoom-b3-ms-60b-b1on-usb-control/"]http://basschat.co.u...on-usb-control/[/url] . I'll also be releasing a patch sharing/backup program - Really Soon Now - which will talk to the newer pedals. [/quote] Wow - that's some impressive work there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 Some cool responses. Surely, if they can upgrade the G3 to the G5, did they use the same processor for both? For me, a B5 unit would be ideal, I could have my amp setup (amp model > EQ/Reverb > Dirt) and then a couple of switchable effects in addition. Guess I'll have to keep my eye's peeled for either another B3 or something along the lines of another unit (Bass Pod xt Live?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 I asked Zoom about the possibility of a B5 and also asked them about the MS100BT to see whether they might ever do Android software for it. No to both (the latter certainly surprised me, you'd think that they'd do something about the fact that they're ignoring 50% of the market). Never say never though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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