Al Krow

I think the clip below deals with both your Qs: Not 100% sure what you're asking Woody but check Looper mode (1.34), if this hits the mark in what you're after. Memory mode for storing an entire set list of patches (1.14)

The two input + A/B switch + DI out could be quite an interesting feature for combining either (i) bass + synth keyboard (for you) or (ii) bass + EUB (in my case) or (iii) alternatively just any combination of two different basses - fretted / fretless; 5 string / 8 string etc! EBS gear is highly regarded, but I'd be paying almost as much for an EBS Stanley Clarke or EBS Microsbass3 to offer something similar just on the dual input preamp front. It also seems to have a very decent audio interface so I suspect that also means I can dispense with my Focusrite? 2 hours of looper capability with an SD card, vs the usual 60 seconds on other multis (including Helix) and my Boss RC-5 could rapidly be for the chop, too! I'm liking the sound and feature set of this unit more and more!

An Interview with Rebecca Johnson - No Treble Sept 2020 Are you a big gear head? I’m not. The amount of people that ask me about what pedals I use is astounding. I don’t use any pedals! I’m a set and forget kind of player because I haven’t got time to mess around with it while I’m singing. If you can get yourself a good sound through anything, that’s fine. I’m not precious about instruments. It’s funny reading video comments. Some clips have the StingRay, some have the Sire, some have the Yamaha, and people argue about which one sounds better. Every bass sounds good for what it is. I’ve probably played StingRays more than anything else. I had a four-string StingRay for twenty years. Then I got the five-string Yamaha and the StingRay went to hell. I got a five-string StingRay as you see on a lot of the videos and I put a pair of EMG’s in it. It sounded like a hotted-up race car, but I sold it because the neck wasn’t right for me. Then I got the Sire and I like it. What I’m saying is I’m not stuck on one bass. I’m the kind of person that has the same amp for 20 years. I think that’s a sign of a working bassist. You don’t have time to get hung up on every detail if you’re putting in the work. You’ve hit the nail on the head. You can pick up a piece of wood with a couple of bits of wire on it and if you can get a sound of out it, [that’s all you need]. I know every bass has its quality about it, but people often say it’s all in the hands. I can dig that. She's an awesome bass player; her comments reminded me of some of the discussions we'd had on this thread. I certainly dig what she says!

That was very much my initial reaction, too, when it first came out. However I'm kinda now thinking, given how good "workflow" is with the all the Zoom multis I've had (apart from the MS-60B where I found the interface to be a PITA), this unit could entirely replace my pedalboard. Something Helix never quite managed to do, given its relatively poor filter and synth sims, which even the budget B1-4 out-does Helix on.

Tbf he did just say he was going to spend the money on a new amplifier instead 😁

Just had a listen to the filter at 0.57 - damn that's good!!! Better than anything I could get on my Helix Stomp / HXFX. It does lack the parallel processing of the Helix, but given that I don't make much use of parallel processing on my boards anyway, and the need to watch out for comb filtering issues, not sure I would miss it too much. Have fess I do love the convenience of having everything available to scroll through on one pedal: I've been using my little B1-4 as a standalone "micro board" since mid last year when gigs resumed post lock down. I got a fair few compliments at rehearsal with a new project last Thursday, when using the Z-synth on the B1-4 for Daft Punk's Get Lucky. But with the additional processing power the B6 delivers it's surely going to be a step up from both the B1-4 and it's bigger brother B3N. The colour touch screen is a very welcome addition too. Price is down to the £377 at Thomann UK which is £100 below launch price just 4 months back. If they start to become available used then I suspect it's going to be an irresistible no-brainer for a few of us on this thread! Been added to my 2022 wish list!

It's just not the same without the Punk-u-lator!

Totally agree, but easily done. I've got exactly that set up on my Zoom B1-4 with my 7 or 8 fx patches in the first block of 10 to make scrolling through a doddle, and am planning to replicate that on my FI. And would plan to do the same if I ever get a SY-200 (assuming we have both up / down scrolling ability via stomp switch on the Boss, as is available on the FI).

Pretty close sounding - very good B1-4 patch.

But you don't need 99 settings for a gig, surely? 5 or 6 would be plenty for most gigs And the FI allows you to scroll both up and down through your saved settings. If you do need to access all 99, not sure that the SY-200 would be any better without midi in any event?

Why so? I agree that's much more true of the C4, where midi extension is pretty key, but the FI feels much more standalone as a pedal.

Ah, understood. If you can put up with the hassle of PC editing, then I'm going to stick my neck out and suggest that you will get more gig-usable sounds from an FI than you will from an SY-1 / SY-200. If not, then the SY-200 (and indeed the SY-1) has a lot going for it. The Panda FI and Source Audio C4 have both got actual synth waveform generators whereas as the Boss SY-1 and SY-200 are synth emulators.

The 200 series are surprisingly not much greedier on space than the normal Boss sized pedals, particularly when you take into account of the top rather than side connection jacks, as you pointed out.

Nice post, thanks Woody. Does the addition of control over resonance make a noticeable difference on the SY200?

I'll let @Quatschmacherexplain that one, as he will do a far better job of it than me! Btw how many different synth settings are you likely to need when playing live? Will you be be using the synth pedal for covers or original material?

Funny you should say that - apparently exactly how they are typically used...😁 PS please note how the "Punk-u-lator" description has been carefully obscured.

I will was my mouth out with soap and were.

Guess that must be why you sold the pedal then? 😁

That definitely says Punk-u-lator. Probs just ped defacing it with his initial.

Hi @oldprussians my tuppence worth, if I may: The key EQ issues I found with older MB heads and cabs were three fold: 1) the bass EQ is centred at 40 Hz which is a little lower than I would typically like: 65Hz to 80Hz would be my preference; 2) not surprised that you feel that the treble EQ does precious little - it's centred at 10 kHz which is way too high to be usable and there's a massive EQ gap between the high-mids at 800Hz and the treble EQ at 10kHz; 3) MB cabs have a tendency to roll-off the high end frequencies, which gives them their characteristic "warmth". Solutions that worked for me: 1) leaving the bass EQ at 12 noon or cutting it, as you are doing, to avoid boominess i.e. almost never boosting it; 2) & 3) using an EQ pedal to boost by about 6dB at around 1.5kHz and 3.5kHz, which is the equivalent of a "presence" switch in other amps - this had the effect of "removing a blanket" from over my MB combos, and made all the difference.

Hi @DWeekes90 - came across your FS post recently: John East UNI-PRE 5 (no knobs) and was interested to understand a bit more about which Yamaha bass you were looking to upgrade the preamp on, as I've got an eye on potentially doing something similar on my BB 2005, and wondering what the incompatibility with the pups was you found?

@bassfan found a great course for me to go on... Only trouble was I was busy that day.

Nice board! Weren't the multis delivering the goods?

Yeah, I'm still in (technically). My Bo Selecta has still not yet arrived. Zero impact on my signal chain since the start of the year. All's fair in love and pedals. Like rain on your wedding day Andy T with no new gear to play? Quite ironic. But let's face it, you've been thinking about fancy new gear since 12 45pm on 1 Jan. And we all know it's the thought that counts 😉

Sadly I think using a non-approved PSU set-up would typically invalidate a warranty, particularly if that was what fried the circuits. Not covered: "Damage due to incorrect connection, connection to faulty equipment or connection to faulty or incorrect power supplies."