Al Krow

Boss GT-1000CORE Multi-Effects Guitar Processor - Black for sale online | eBay: Not sure how long this one will be knocking around for, but that's a good price for one of these, and seller describes it as being in 'mint' condition. [Update - sold overnight, not surprised!] First patch created - added a clean blend to the drive sound I took a shine to, using the easy to use parallel path routing. Nothing comparable to this on my little Zoom B1-4, and starting to look like my personal Zoom multifx era could finally be coming to an end! Also need to explore what bespoke patches folk have created and shared for bass on Tone Central. Hopefully some good preamps that I can filch!

You're welcome! Tbf the journey, including some of the dead ends, has been part of the fun - all helped by sourcing kit used from BC or elsewhere, which makes "mistakes" not expensive in the financial sense. Unfortunately you don't see too many of the Boss multifx's coming up for sale used, maybe because fewer people are buying them and those that do are holding on to them. I run my pedal board straight into the PA and we use IEMs for monitoring. Look forward to hearing how you get on!

My own experience fwiw: Current: Zoom B1-4 - been gigging this for several years and has been a core pedal (and great tuner!) at the heart of my little pedal board. Can be a little noisy and need to regularly use the noise reduction fx on patches which can make the bass tone feel less 'open' / more blanketed, but not particularly noticeable in a band mix GT1000 Core - new to me and currently putting it through it's paces. Liking it a lot so far and it's getting to places (e.g. a quality dirt/fuzz for bass) that the Zoom never quite reached Previous: Zoom MS60B - much loved by many since its launch in 2013 Zoom B3N - decent --> I replaced with the much more compact Zoom B1-4 Zoom MS60B+ was looking forward to this one, coming out last year a full decade after the 60B. Disappointed that Zoom have designed the software so that the patch name doesn't stay displayed but it defaults to one of the fx in the chain, which makes it much less user/gig friendly for me. This plus lack of PC editing ability, available on the above Zoom earlier models, were deal breakers for me. Shame. Helix HX Effects and Stomp. Tried several times to bond with these, but for whatever reason didn't manage to. I've found several of the guitarists I've worked with getting quite a harsh tone when going straight into the PA with their Stomps (unlike the GT1000 Core). A few guitarists on YT seem to have managed to crack by focussing hard on the EQ. Huge bass-playing fanbase on BC and elsewhere and the Helix software fx is unmatched IMO and regularly updated. Hardware getting a little long in the tooth now: 10 y/o chipset. Hope that's useful!

I sold my GT 1000 Core to our band's guitarist a year ago not really having touched it myself. He's put it to really good use and easily managed to avoid the harshness of tone that guitarists I've worked with can struggle with some multifx pedals (notably the Helix Stomp until they've really got their head around the EQ on that pedal). However, I managed to get hold of another Core (from my usual BC source, haha) a little while back and finally had a bit of head space to load up the PC Editor, which is pretty easy to use, and spend a bit of time with the pedal. First impressions are very positive! Just picking up on a couple of comments made on another thread recently: I seem to have amassed quite a collection of dirt/fuzz pedals which I was going to spend some time A/B'ing. Not sure I will bother now - I found a drive sound on one of the preset patches (#226 "Classic Rocker") which I think is going to work really well in the mix. Not something I ever managed to get close to with my Zoom B1-4! The octave capability doesn't seem noticeably worse than the excellent Boss OC-5, and I think certainly usable live, to thicken out the sound. And it has a decent up and down filter patch, although not on a par with the best dedicated pedals, so my EBS will be not be getting booted off my little gigging board just yet! Really liking the #12 Clean & AG Mix patch - which has quite an upright bass feel to the sound. Very much looking forward to creating some bespoke patches over the coming weeks.

Nige bought my Future Impact v4. Great comms and immediate payment. Hope you enjoy the pedal!

If you've got backline for bass and electric guitar, a pair of RCF 310As for what you've set out could be just the ticket! We only stepped up from 310s to 912As when I started putting my bass through the PA (competing with a full rock drum kit!)

Ah interesting. I've always thought of pitch shift as being a really good test of capability for any multifx - most really struggle with it! I'm guessing the DSP / chipset are going to be a step up on the 1000 vs the 100/10, which may account for the difference?

There's a lot of love for the RCF 310s plus sub, combo! Should work very well depending on your band line up? Another alternative would be two decent 12" tops e.g. RCF 912As.

Ooh that looks good! The screen, in particular, looks a nice step up from the one on my GT1000 Core!

Agreed - a judicious use of an octaver can add definitely add something to the basslines of some songs for filling them out (and some of the original tracks e.g. MJ's Billie Jean did exactly that). Out of interest Chris do you use any pedals for tone shaping/EQ/compression etc or are you a purely bass --> amp & cab bass player?

100% agreed! In my case I've a Zoom B1-4 as the 'core' plus dedicated envelope filter, synth and octaver. The only addition to your list for me of "can't do as well" is overdrive/fuzz, but that may be a limitation of the Zoom and the GT1000 Core may be able to hit the mark better?

@AllYourBassAreBelongToUs spotted a second use for twin headphone outs which is to provide a second FoH option for venues where the main XLR are going to the house PA but you still want to make use of your own PA at the gig. I can think of a couple of venues where that might come in handy!

Aha, ok, thanks! As it happens, I picked up one of those a little while back. I'd best give it a proper try out in a live mix then, if it's the one that has got your vote!

One thing I've struggled with in using dirt/fuzz in a live band context is, despite how good it can sound on its own, the bass seems to get lost in the mix, even when blended with a decent amount of clean. I'm guessing that's not something you're finding but I wonder if it's something others have found and what they've done to solve. In my case I've ended not really making much use of my fuzz in a live band context.

I've always really liked the Nordstrand big singles on the SR Premiums I've had. They have a punchy growl which works really well in a covers band mix.

Released last year with a £700+ price tag. Not seen too much on this, and doesn't seem to have made much of a splash with existing bass multi-fx users on this side of the Pond? I guess that boils down to feature set vs cost, and established competition from the Helix Stomp and GT1000 Core which are arguably bothe better featured and less expensive.

Starting to sound like economists here - to ride or not to ride eh? 😂

Thanks MacD. I've actually just spent a fun hour or so creating a couple of patches on my trusty Zoom B1-4: i) Slap back delay There's an fx sim based on the Eventide Time Factor delay which allows me to set two simultaneous delays. I've got it set to on short slap back delays at 90ms and 150ms with limited feedback and added in a smidgen of an oct up fx into the mix, which I think will both cut through and fill out the sound. ii) Powerchord Added a 5th (actually below the root) and an octave above - touches of both so as not to be too "in your face" I'm bit surprised on this one, that it sounds pretty much as good as I remember my old Fishman Fission Powerchord pedal being! I'll give these both a go on something like Hotel California next time we've got it on our set list, before splashing out on a new toy!

I'll try to sing like Aretha Franklin while I'm at it 😅 Coming back to the EHX Pog 3, seems to me that it's verging on being a one-stop-shop Royal Blood pedal? Balking at the £500 price tag though!

RCF have launched the NXL 14A speaker. Looks innovative!