Is it true on a Zoom B2.1u you CANT turn the effects off and on with a single foot press?

[coffee_king]

Hey All
I'm looking at purchasing a ZOOM B2.1u but am reading some mixed information about switching between on/off effects.
I need to be able to use a specific sound (lets say fuzz) LIVE in the chorus of a song.
From what I am reading online its as if you cant press the pedal off or on at specific times, therefore the effect always has to remain either off or on.

Surely this isnt true as that sounds absolutely MENTAL!????

Any help from an ACTUAL owner?

Thanks

[woodyratm]

From my experience of Zoom gear (which was a few years ago mind) - mines didnt let me switch an effect off per se - i had to change bank.

so i just always put effects together i used more frequently.

1 - Fuzz
2- Clean
3 - Synth

Sorta thing.

[coffee_king]

[quote name='woodyratm' post='1252701' date='Jun 1 2011, 02:23 PM']From my experience of Zoom gear (which was a few years ago mind) - mines didnt let me switch an effect off per se - i had to change bank.

so i just always put effects together i used more frequently.

1 - Fuzz
2- Clean
3 - Synth

Sorta thing.[/quote]

Hi
Thanks for the response but I dont really understand you.
Are you saying that you hit the pedal and then it would toggle FUZZ, then OFF, but then if you pressed it again it would go to SYNTH, NOT back to Fuzz again?
So I would have to work out how many times I need to turn off and on an effect per song?

Surely I'm not reading this right as thats sounds totally unusable in live scenario?

[woodyratm]

Sorry I should have said before (damned lunch!) - I didnt use that exact model - used the 707 i think (agesss ago)

But it only had 3 pedals on it - Bank up, Bank down and an exp pedal.
I had to set 3 different banks - eg one patch would be set with a fuzz tone, other clean and the other synth for example.

If I was playing a synth sound then wanted a fuzz for example, I had to press bank down twice - so Synth to Clean to Fuzz.

This was a long time ago, and the 707 could be drastically different from the B2.1u.

Apologies for the confusion!

[woodyratm]

Sorry I should have said before (damned lunch!) - I didnt use that exact model - used the 707 i think (agesss ago)

But it only had 3 pedals on it - Bank up, Bank down and an exp pedal.
I had to set 3 different banks - eg one patch would be set with a fuzz tone, other clean and the other synth for example.

If I was playing a synth sound then wanted a fuzz for example, I had to press bank down twice - so Synth to Clean to Fuzz.

This was a long time ago, and the 707 could be drastically different from the B2.1u.

Apologies for the confusion!

[cheddatom]

I think i've answered this in your other thread. Anyway, just to add, you can plug a channel switch into the EXP input to use as a bypass switch if you want.

[waltsdog]

You can toggle the sound on/off but it either means switching to the next/previous patch or clicking both switches together for bypass. The way round this is to set the expression pedal as the gain control so you can play the song (pedal all the way back) and then engage the fuzz sound (rock the pedal forward) for the chorus.

[hubrad]

The B2.1u only let's you move up and down a series of patches, so you can copy a patch then edit it to lose the fuzz then switch back and forth between the two.
If you want individual switching of effects you'll have to go up to the B9.something in Zoom, or at a similar price but without USB connectivity the Boss ME-50B lets you program or use effects singly.

[coffee_king]

So, just to confirm, I can plug in a channel switch pedal into the unit to make the effect that is currently selected turn off and on?
Whilst on, I can then still use the expression pedal yes?

Therefore I am using the B2.1u to select sounds and the channel switch to operate the off/on function of the effect that is currently selected.
Correct?

[cheddatom]

It's been a while since I read the manual, but yes, I think that's correct.

Like I say, personally i'd prefer to just create clean patches at every other position. This means you don't have to carry around the extra channel switch.

[coffee_king]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1252811' date='Jun 1 2011, 04:01 PM']Like I say, personally i'd prefer to just create clean patches at every other position.[/quote]

Is there an OFF/ON effect indicator light?
If there is an off/on light does it recognise the "Clean" Patch as being off or on?

Without being able to visually see whether the effect is off/on live on stage I image is going to create problems.
I'd hate to start playing bass in an acoustic song and suddenly come thundering in with some accidental bass-fuzz and then have to switch it off inappropriately mid song.

I therefore thought that a separate channel switch which has an off/on LED indicator will eradicate the problem of not VISUALLY knowing whether the effect is off/on on the B2.1u or not.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='shippo' post='1252840' date='Jun 1 2011, 04:28 PM']Is there an OFF/ON effect indicator light?
If there is an off/on light does it recognise the "Clean" Patch as being off or on?

Without being able to visually see whether the effect is off/on live on stage I image is going to create problems.
I'd hate to start playing bass in an acoustic song and suddenly come thundering in with some accidental bass-fuzz and then have to switch it off inappropriately mid song.

I therefore thought that a separate channel switch which has an off/on LED indicator will eradicate the problem of not VISUALLY knowing whether the effect is off/on on the B2.1u or not.[/quote]

If your clean patch is A2, it will display A2 when you're on clean. If your distortion patch is A1, it will display A1 when you're on distortion. So, when your guitarist counts in the nice quiet acoustic number, make sure it's on A2, and you'll be fine.

I can see why some people might prefer an ON/OFF LED but personally i've always been fine to use it this way.

As far as I know, with an external footswitch it will behave how you like, but just check in the manual - you can download it for free from the zoom site and do a Find (CTRL+F) for "bypass".

[coffee_king]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1252898' date='Jun 1 2011, 05:02 PM']If your clean patch is A2, it will display A2 when you're on clean. If your distortion patch is A1, it will display A1 when you're on distortion. So, when your guitarist counts in the nice quiet acoustic number, make sure it's on A2, and you'll be fine.

I can see why some people might prefer an ON/OFF LED but personally i've always been fine to use it this way.

As far as I know, with an external footswitch it will behave how you like, but just check in the manual - you can download it for free from the zoom site and do a Find (CTRL+F) for "bypass".[/quote]

Great stuff, just check out the manual. It speaks about a ZOOM FS01, but I take it ANY Footswitch will work it in the same way? (in my case one WITH an off/on led)

[cheddatom]

From a quick google, it looks like the FS01 is non-latching/momentary. Most guitar amp channel switches are latching, so just make sure to get a non-latching one. I know BOSS do both kinds and they have LEDs but they're probably £30+.

[coffee_king]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1253499' date='Jun 2 2011, 08:47 AM']From a quick google, it looks like the FS01 is non-latching/momentary. Most guitar amp channel switches are latching, so just make sure to get a non-latching one. I know BOSS do both kinds and they have LEDs but they're probably £30+.[/quote]

Hmm, maybe I dont understand this, but from what your saying it sounds as if after all, this additional footswitch (A ZOOM FS01 or similar non-latching/momentary footswitch) will not do what we have previously said it will do. (Turn effects off/on - one press on, next press off, next press on, next press off etc).

It sounds like what is now being said is that when using this additional pedal it has more of a HOLD or MOVE TO NEXT SOUND feature than an ON/OFF feature.

Can anyone confirm/deny this?
Thanks!

[cheddatom]

no

Just because the actual footswitch is momentary, does not mean that the bypass function of the zoom is momentary. If you plugged a latching footswitch into the Zoom, it would keep switching to bypass and back. It would do the same if you bought an FS01 and kept it pressed down.

EDIT: On pages 21 and 22 of the manual, it explains how to set it up. It's pretty simple. Follow those instructions, and when you press the (momentary) footswitch once, it will bypass. Press it again and it will turn the effect(s) on.

Edited June 2, 2011 by cheddatom

[coffee_king]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1253593' date='Jun 2 2011, 09:51 AM']no

Just because the actual footswitch is momentary, does not mean that the bypass function of the zoom is momentary. If you plugged a latching footswitch into the Zoom, it would keep switching to bypass and back. It would do the same if you bought an FS01 and kept it pressed down.

EDIT: On pages 21 and 22 of the manual, it explains how to set it up. It's pretty simple. Follow those instructions, and when you press the (momentary) footswitch once, it will bypass. Press it again and it will turn the effect(s) on.[/quote]

Great stuff, looks like I'll be getting a B2.1u and a footswitch then.
Thanks for all your help everyone and especially cheddatom

[cheddatom]

No problem.

There are other multi-effects out there, whether or not they're as good value-for-money I don't know. I always hate to think someone might make a purchase based upon something i've said, in case they end up hating it!

[Mcgiver69]

This one works with the Zoom and it's cheap as chips.

[url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/footswitch-with-6.35-mono-jack-plug-10004?ordercode=DU99H"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/footswitch-with-6....ordercode=DU99H[/url]

Edited June 2, 2011 by Mcgiver69

[coffee_king]

[quote name='Mcgiver69' post='1254188' date='Jun 2 2011, 04:16 PM']This one works with the Zoom and it's cheap as chips.

[url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/footswitch-with-6.35-mono-jack-plug-10004?ordercode=DU99H"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/footswitch-with-6....ordercode=DU99H[/url][/quote]

No RED LED on/off indicator light though