Zoom b9.1ut General discussion thread.

[lefrash]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1355851488' post='1903686']
Is it possible, like the B3 to mix in a clean blend to each affect and a global clean blend to the whole signal path?
[/quote]


it is yes! That was one of the big +'s for me. Saying that, I'm finding that some of the OD's dont suck the bass out anyway!

[Dood]

Excellent! Cheers!

[steve]

I'm quite interested in one of these, but I'm wondering how it compares to the B3, anyone done a comparison?

[Dood]

[quote name='steve' timestamp='1355868028' post='1903941']
I'm quite interested in one of these, but I'm wondering how it compares to the B3, anyone done a comparison?
[/quote]

Would also like to hear this. I love my B3!

[Jack]

So I'm considering one as a 'sound like me' solution for when I'm not using my amp. I've just put a board together with a boost, comp, od, tuner and preamp all of good quality but it's big, heavy and just feels like overkill. What are the 'normal' effects like on the Zoom such as the overdrive and compressor? I don't really ever see a use for the multiple voice filters or even much of the amp/cab modelling. What I'm more interested in is the sound quality, noise levels of the outputs and the like. For instance, how good is the tuner?

I'm close to biting, I'm just worried that I'll play about with it for an hour at home, think it's really shiny and cool and then never use it again. And even at £99 it's too expensive for that. Any advice people could give would be fantastic.

[pete.young]

[quote name='jaybass 70' timestamp='1355856267' post='1903781']
Hi guys,
is anyone using the Librarian software to edit patches, I cant get it to work
[/quote]
It's on the list of things to do, but I'm not ready yet. Just a thought, you do have it hooked up to a Midi interface? I don't think it works via USB.

[Dood]

Oooh really Pete? The editor doesn't work via USB? Eeek! I like the USB connectivity of the B3 as I back up presets with DAW projects whilst the B3 is being used as an interface. I mean, it's no biggy - but I don't have MIDI connectivity on my laptop.

[pete.young]

I don't know whether presets can be backed up via DAW - haven't found that bit in the manual yet.

On p.60 it says:

Editor/librarian software for the B9.1ut

ZOOM CORPORATION makes an editor/librarian software application for the B9.1ut available for download on its web site. To use the software, the computer must have a MIDI interface, and a connection must be established between the MIDI IN/MIDI OUT connectors of the computer and the MIDI OUT/MIDI IN connectors of the B9.1ut. The software then makes it possible to store patch data of the B9.1ut on the computer, edit the data, and copy edited patch data back to the B9.1ut.

I do have a MIDI soundcard in one of the desktop machines, but only one MIDI lead (Doh!) so I'll have to acquire another to test this out. Sorry to say it's not my no.1 priority - I'm still getting my head around the amp/cab modelling and the synth effects.

[lefrash]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1356024521' post='1905967']
So I'm considering one as a 'sound like me' solution for when I'm not using my amp. I've just put a board together with a boost, comp, od, tuner and preamp all of good quality but it's big, heavy and just feels like overkill. What are the 'normal' effects like on the Zoom such as the overdrive and compressor? I don't really ever see a use for the multiple voice filters or even much of the amp/cab modelling. What I'm more interested in is the sound quality, noise levels of the outputs and the like. For instance, how good is the tuner?

I'm close to biting, I'm just worried that I'll play about with it for an hour at home, think it's really shiny and cool and then never use it again. And even at £99 it's too expensive for that. Any advice people could give would be fantastic.
[/quote]

I've only recently done the same thing as you. Built up a basic but decent pedal board. The instant problem I had was that for carrying about the board I had, it only really did 4 sounds.... and for me it was a touch overkill. I took a punt on the zoom, and I've now sold almost all my seperates! That kinda gives you the idea of how much I like it.

I'l go through your points for you, and my opinions on them.

OD: So far I've dialled in one OD sound, which sounds pretty nice. I've set the expression pedal as a a blend. ie fully off, is a complete clean tone, full on is about 80% gain. There is a constant clean line all the way through, so it doesnt lose any bottom end. I've found that depending on what amp I've been using the OD would react differently (as you'd expect) so I can choose what amount of OD I use, just at the touch of my foot! I've also got the Z-pedal to take it up to 100% gain, so I've got access to super high gain really easily too.

compressor: I only really use compressor lightly, and I've found it super quiet. Ofcourse there is the noise reduction on (which I have constantly on) so I find pretty much no noise from the compressor. I'm sure i'd get a bit of noise if I squashed it a bit more, but with the noise suppressor, I bet it would still be perfectly usable.

Tuner: Its ok. Its pretty quick to get the signal, but I'm not convinced its as accurate as my Tu-2. I've got no proof of that though. It can be easily set with bypass, or as a mute.

Noise levels : On my old pedal board I had some Od and some fuzz, both would get alot of hiss. That is a thing of the past. I find the noise reduction very organic, and does the job brilliantly well. I dont need to turn the volume down, or turn the fuzz off mid song. Just keep it on and let the zoom do the hard work.

EQ: Any where I've gone I've set the amp pretty much all at 12oclock and just use the EQ built in to the zoom. Really straight forward to use it like this, and any changes you want to save is literally a double click of a button.

Autowah etc : I'm not finding the auto wah as good as my digitech synth wah, I'm finding it hard to get a decent all round sound, but I'm sure I'l nail it. Dont know if that would be a big deal for you.


I'm the same with you I never really feel the need to use amp sims and I've not used the amp sims and cabinet sims at all so far, but I might try it out next time I'm recording.

Personally for £100, I dont see you losing money on it, even if you sell it a month later!

[WalMan]

Ooer. The card might take a tonking tomorrow

[jaybass 70]

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1356025122' post='1905976']

It's on the list of things to do, but I'm not ready yet. Just a thought, you do have it hooked up to a Midi interface? I don't think it works via USB.
[/quote]

Yeah i have got a Midi to usb connector like this http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=230900025574&index=1&nav=SEARCH&nid=72475132444

ill have another mess around with it tomorrow , apparently its incredibly easy with the librarian software to edit patches , if only i could get it to work

Edited December 20, 2012 by jaybass 70

[Jack]

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1356027797' post='1906029']gushing[/quote]


Ok, so I bought one.

[pete.young]

Hopefully I'll have some time over the weekend to experiment and see if I can get it working with my Midi soundcard.

Edit: It looks like you also need to install the Micro$oft .net framework - do you have that installed?

Another piece of information that people might find useful - The b9.1ut will just fit on a Diago Gigman, and leave room for the Power Supply and an SFX MicroThumpinator. But not much else.

Edited December 20, 2012 by pete.young

[lefrash]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1356043263' post='1906270']
Ok, so I bought one.
[/quote]

good lad! Don't shout at me if you don't like it though! haha

[Jack]

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1356043851' post='1906279']
and an SFX MicroThumpinator. [/quote]

Did you notice the option of using the sub bass control as a -12dB HPF at various frequencies from 50Hz up? I'm hoping it will work well enough that I won't need one of fdeck's HPFs or a Thumpinator.

[jaybass 70]

Edit: It looks like you also need to install the Micro$oft .net framework - do you have that installed?

yeah got that, I am a bit confused about what number midi channel I should send and recieve on (on the zoom itself)

[Bass Culture]

Bag for the budget-minded (like me!): http://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_effect_pedal_bag.htm

[pete.young]

jaybass70, another thought , are you running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 ? There are a couple of comments on youtube about the software not working on the 64-bit version and that seems reasonable, given that the software dates from 2008.

If so there are a few ways round it, but the easiest is probably to run Windows 7 compatibility mode. I can't test this, since all my Windoze machines are of the 32-bit variety.

[jaybass 70]

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1356107604' post='1906999']
jaybass70, another thought , are you running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 ? There are a couple of comments on youtube about the software not working on the 64-bit version and that seems reasonable, given that the software dates from 2008.

If so there are a few ways round it, but the easiest is probably to run Windows 7 compatibility mode. I can't test this, since all my Windoze machines are of the 32-bit variety.
[/quote]

Hj Pete, I am running windows XP home, still in the dark ages here

[WalMan]

[quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1356029340' post='1906048']
Ooer. The card might take a tonking tomorrow
[/quote]Card tonked

Had a little noodle in GAK, but as that was basically just stabbing at buttons to see what happened without the benefit of the manual it didn't tell me much other that there seemed to a fair few useable sounds, and heck it's only £99 & Christmas, soooooo.

They certainly still have a fair few in the shop

[paulflan0151]

Just pulled the trigger on one of these. Can't open till Christmas day though :'(

[ben604]

Has anyone spotted a library for patches on the web anywhere? I want people to do the hard work for me!

[jaybass 70]

[quote name='ben604' timestamp='1356208872' post='1908062']
Has anyone spotted a library for patches on the web anywhere? I want people to do the hard work for me!
[/quote]

this is it dude, http://guitarpatches.com/patches.php?unit=zoomb9&sort=downl

theres a forum about this thing over on Talkbass with a few patch ideas too

[Jack]

Arrived this morning, spent until now messing around with it. As with all of these types of untits that I've used so far all of the built in patches are flashy and show-offy. They do sound nice and they certainly show of what the unit can do. I'm really liking some of the amp models/flavours through headphones but the 4 seperate swithes are what makes it really cool, rather than changing the patches you can turn on/off the compressor, preamp, and 2 modulation sections. This I really like, and makes the unit operate more like a proper, manual pedalboard. I am finding some of the patches quite noisy but this is through my mixer and headphones, I imagine this will disappear through an amp.

There is more than sound quality to think about though. The sheer number of inputs and outputs is staggering and useful. The tuner is brilliant and the whole thing is very solidly built.

Good so far. And I think anyone nitpiking needs to think about the price. Where I am, this thing is cheaper than some pedalboards. As in, pieces of wood with some velcro on top.

[lefrash]

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1356355812' post='1909442']
Arrived this morning, spent until now messing around with it. As with all of these types of untits that I've used so far all of the built in patches are flashy and show-offy. They do sound nice and they certainly show of what the unit can do. I'm really liking some of the amp models/flavours through headphones but the 4 seperate swithes are what makes it really cool, rather than changing the patches you can turn on/off the compressor, preamp, and 2 modulation sections. This I really like, and makes the unit operate more like a proper, manual pedalboard. I am finding some of the patches quite noisy but this is through my mixer and headphones, I imagine this will disappear through an amp.

There is more than sound quality to think about though. The sheer number of inputs and outputs is staggering and useful. The tuner is brilliant and the whole thing is very solidly built.

Good so far. And I think anyone nitpiking needs to think about the price. Where I am, this thing is cheaper than some pedalboards. As in, pieces of wood with some velcro on top.
[/quote]

Just a wee hint for that 4 pedal thing..... You can actually easil make it a 6 pedal thing, as you can make the 3 function buttons can be assigned to 'compressor'' or 'EQ' or something else thats not already designated to the main 4 pedals. I dont really have the need for any tap delay, so the way I've got my patches set up is pedal 1 - wah, pedal 2 - preamp, pedal 3 chorus, pedal 4 - random reverb thing), function pedal 1 - mute (tuner), function pedal 2 - manual function pedal 3 - compressor. Quite handy actually!