a few q's about a zoom b3

[lefrash]

I'v tried to google all these questions but theres soo many different reviews, threads, topics and blogs about the zoom b3 I'm finding it really difficult to answer them. I have a few questions I hope someone who owns one can help me with. The reason I'm thinking about this is simply because my zoom b9.1ut is pretty bigm and its not really feasible to add more pedals to my board. I would quite like to have a decent OD, a decent Fuzz and perhaps a synth, but all the other sounds on my b9.1 are prefectly good! Im thinking if i could use a b3 for all the other sounds, that would leave me space to get dedicated pedals for the additional sounds.

1. Can a patch be set up so that a few effects are always on... for example compressor, EQ and preamp, but then use the 3 footswitches as 'stomp boxes'. ie set them up with fuzz, chorus, and pitchshifter? I can do this on my zoom b9.1ut which I use almost all the time, only flicking to another patch for 1 song.

2. following on from that point, if its set up as individual stomp boxes, is it still easy to switch to another patch? I would assume it would just be like going up one or down one, but that would do me nicely.

3. If I used an expression pedal as well, can you set the pitch shifter to start at +12 to go up to +24?

4. Is there a way of doing tap delay if one of the pedals is set for delay?


I know theres a few points there, but these really are major things for me and I'm having a nightmare trying to find the answers myself.

Edited September 12, 2013 by lefrash

[ratman]

I think I can help you here.

1. You can set up any patch so that some (or all) the effects are on when you select the patch. Whatever states of on/off you last had the effects when you used patch, they'll be the same when you next select that patch.
The B3 only allows 3 models per patch, unlike the G3 guitar version which allows 6. So on the B3, if you want an amp sim and a compressor, that only leaves you 1 slot for a fuzz or whatever effect you want to add there. One way around this is to have several patches with your fave amp & compressor set up identically, and each patch could have a different effect as the 3rd slot. All you have to do then is go from patch to patch to get to your next effect.

2. I use my B3 as individual stomp boxes. It does it realy well. It isn't as easy and quick to jump from one patch to the next as some of the more expensive multi effects units out there. Zoom have packed this unit full of features & sounds and for the price there were always going to be limitations. Quick patch switching is one of them. To change patches you need to press and hold your foot on the no1 footswitch for 2 seconds. This puts the B3 in patch switch mode. Now you can use the no2 & no3 footswitches to scroll up or down the patch list (A0 to A9, B0 to B9 etc all the way up to J0 to J9) and select the next patch you want. Then you have to press and hold the no1 footswitch for 2 seconds again to activate the patch. It's a bit of a faff and if you want instant patch changes and more slots for amps & effects then maybe the B3 isn't what you need. If I need more than one effect for a particular song I just set up a patch with both effects in and I don't need to worry about patch changes mid song. There are so many memory slots you'll never run out. And the bundled Edit & Share software makes it a doddle to save your entire patch list.

3. If you use an expression pedal for the pitch shifter, it controls the wet/dry balance. If you use an expression pedal on the octaver, it controls the output level of the octave down effect.

4. Tap tempo can either be done with your finger using the dedicated button just above the middle display, or, by plugging in a footswitch, so you can do it on the fly whilst playing. Dead handy. The only shame here is that you can either plug in a control switch OR an expression pedal, not both, as there's only one input socket. I did once try to use an A/B box to plug in a expression pedal and a switch but only the switch worked. Then I realised that the switch and the A/B box used mono cables and the expression pedal used a stereo cable. Buggered. Back to the point, it's one or the other I'm afraid.
There are some limitations to the B3 but it is chock full of useable sounds and for the money it's a steal. If you're in London, shout me, you're welcome to come and play with my B3 and see for yourself what it does.

I hope this helps answer your questions.

Edited September 13, 2013 by ratman

[lefrash]

Thanks alot for that full answer. It seems though, that the B3 is not for me. Really useful to know all that man. Thanks.

[dannybuoy]

You can make the expression control the pitch, see page 49 here for the options: http://www.zoom.co.jp/download/E_B3.pdf

[ratman]

Dannybuoy is right. I've never used these two effects, but the PDL Pitch and PDL MnPit can be pitch shifted using the exp pedal.

RTFM Ratman, RTFM.........

[tauzero]

There is a way of modding the B3 so you can use an external footswitch to do patch up/down - see [url="http://ashbass.com/AshBassGuitar/Zoom/"]http://ashbass.com/AshBassGuitar/Zoom/[/url] . I haven't yet done it but might get round to it sometime.

If you want several effects permanently on too, just get a Zoom MS60B too and you've got a 4-effect chain in a single stompbox...

[lefrash]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1379107746' post='2208885']


If you want several effects permanently on too, just get a Zoom MS60B too and you've got a 4-effect chain in a single stompbox...
[/quote]

that sir, is an excellent suggestion. one that i hadn't thought of!

[Dood]

I have a B3 and an MS60B that I use together! It's a great way of setting up one set of effects that may stay the same in each song and another set that changes - for example I like to use the MS in a similar way to guitarists with a three channel amp. Clean, Rhythm and Lead settings (read that as clean, grit and reaaaally dirty sounds)

Dood.