dannybuoy

They are brilliant. More output volume and less noise / distortion then any other headphone amp I've tried.

Line 6 reps have said on Talkbass that a Sansamp model is on the way.

I think someone’s got the wrong end of the stick. As far as I can tell the HX Stomp as two independent outputs both with TRS balanced jacks. When I referred to splitting the signal I meant within the software routing of the unit itself rather than physically splitting cables. So send the left output with a few effects to your amp, the right output with an amp/cab sim added direct to the board, via a TRS to XLR adapter if the soundman passes you an XLR lead.

Since it has stereo outs and not many bassists need actual stereo, you should be able to split the signal, pan it hard left and right and apply a cab sim to one channel only, and use that as your DI.

I get that you would need a separate DI if putting other FX after it, but @Sibob seemed pretty insistent that the built-in balanced outs would be unsuitable going straight to the desk, so I was just trying to work out why, 'tis all!

I still don't think a separate DI is necessary if you can make use of the stereo outs or sends. The output is balanced so all you need is a TRS-to-XLR converter if you want to use the XLR leads that are probably already on stage. If you can adjust the volume and flick it between instrument and line level, that's pretty much all you need. What will an additional DI box bring to the table? The only thing I can fathom is perhaps a signal pad, if the instrument level output is still too hot for the mic input on the desk and the desk can't take a line input. But most desks have pads / trim controls on them anyway.

Most DI boxes just output the same volume level that goes in. Never had an issue sending an instrument level signal via a standard passive or active DI to the board, it's more commonly expected than a hot line level signal.

I had one of those modded for more low end as my first bass overdrive. Great pedal, replaced it witha BB Preamp although if I'm honest I might have slightly preferred the BM!

Pretty much! Although I run mine into another headphone amp (PJB Bighead) as I find the Zoom doesn’t drive my Beyerdynamic DT770 cans as loud as I’d like. But it seems I’m firmly in the minority there as it’s plenty loud enough for most people around here - either those cans are particularly hard to drive or I just like it stupidly loud!

Both models have a headphone out. Only the B3n has an aux input, but on the o5er hand the B3 is a USB audio interface so you can pipe in mp3s or backing tracks by hooking up a laptop via USB.

I think the newer ones are definitely more Fender-like due to the alnico pole pieces rather than the blades, my BB1025X though with both pickups on sounds unlike any Fender PJ (I’ve tried about a dozen of them!). The BB is way growlier!

Heads up, Gear4Music have a PF-50T for £349!

If it’s just octave down you’re after, is Ba Octave no good? I thought that one worked pretty well on the B3n, a pleasant surprise as my recollection of all the octave and pitch effects in the previous generation Zooms were that they were all terrible.

Drive rolls off highs and lows and adds distortion dependent on the gain level. Don’t be afraid to roll your mids way back when using lots of drive, it’s a great way to get Sansamp style modern rock sounds. It took me a long time to discover this, having it drummed into me that bass needs mids to be heard. But with the drive up, the treble control morphs into more of a high mids control so you can boost it without getting that shrill high end. With the mids flat or boosted the drive gets very woolly which is great for blues/Motown type stuff. A very versatile amp!

Try before you buy. Helix Native runs on PC and Mac and has a free trial. All you need is an audio interface, and you can probably use your existing POD as a clean audio interface. Give it a go and see if you think it's worth the extra!

I've had two Orbits. The original had no blend but had an additional switch that let you get cool 303 like laser sounds as in that demo. The later one added a (much needed) blend but lost that switch, so it doesn't have the same array of sounds!

You'd have to check the manual but I remember reading that you can flick it over with a long press, so the footswitch is optional.

There are other ways also you may be unaware of. I believe you can flip the unit between red and green LEDs by pressing and holding the footswitch to give you 6 presets with no extra MIDI pedal required? Also, more restrictive, but if you aren't blending drives in parallel you can set up different drives on the left and right channels and use an A/B box to flip between them.

The Diabolik is definitely gated. It's what I would reach for if I ever needed a synthy/gated fuzz, so I hang onto it! Only used the iPad editor I think with the Source Audio stuff, but I think it has pretty much the same features. It did excel at fuzz sounds, particularly if you blended a distortion in parallel to give it more bite. There's nothing in the Helix that can touch the Mosaic btw. Yet. They have hired some polyphonic pitch shifting geniuses and promised improvements in that area, but right now that's one of its weak points!

Yup, I was talking about the Wooly Mammoth clone mentioned in a previous post where @GisserD said it sounded a bit weak and nasal. Mastotron is better equipped to deal with actives. @Al Krow, have you tried the Diabolik? I could never dial in a satisfactory tone from the Mastotron, but the Diabolik works well for me if I ever need a synthy fuzz. Which is never!

Oh and anyone with an audio interface can download a 2 week trial of Helix Native to give it a spin - it sounds exactly the same as the hardware unit but runs on your PC or Mac.

I’d go for the B3n. A definite step up over the previous generation B3 / B1on and the generation before that (B9.1ut). The Ampeg sims in particular are very good indeed, I even prefer them to the ones in the Helix. It also has a Darkglass B7K sim that’s very close to the Helix one. I also prefer the Z-Tron filter in the Zoom to anything the Helix has to offer. The B3n also has a Sansamp sim that the Helix doesn’t. There are lots of things the Helix does better though, signal routing, external send/return jacks, flexible parallel chains and crossovers are all at your disposal. You can compress your lows and send your highs to a guitar amp for instance. The analog delays feed back and oscillate just like the real deal. Ultimately though, for me the Zoom matched or beat it in the few limited areas I care about!

Look, if I wanted all that I'd go to Lidl, not Basschat! 😁

I wouldn’t bother TBH, I understand Carlo Robelli are just cheap Chinese guitars that serve as in-house brand for a couple of US stores, kinda like Harley Benton at Thomann. Much better options out there!

It was seeing Joe play this bass in the It Gets Funkier video that made me seek to get a Stingray style bass equipped with flats, ending up with a Sandberg Basic and TIs. Such a great tone that I was kinda gutted that he played Jazz basses on almost everything since!