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Posted

Hi Folks,

I've bought a Zoom B3 and it's brill however, I'm trying to figure how to use it best for live..

I know that you can make up your own patches but what if you have a gig where on the floor you might need an Octaver for a tune, then some Chorus then maybe some delay but not all at the same time in a patch but more like a tradtional pedal board set up..

Any ideas ?

Cheers Wan

Posted

I think the only way you can use it is by grouping patches for songs together so user defined preset 1 and 2 could be verse and chorus of a particular song, 3 would be a different song, etc. Trying to skip patches in a live situation will have you prancing around like Michael Flatley.

Posted

You can run three pedals together on the same patch. You can then switch these pedals in or out of the patch as required. Just like a normal line of individual pedals.

Works for me.

  • Like 1
Posted

As above... just set up your patch of 3 effects for the song (or entire set if you're lazy like me), click into the patch and use it as you would 3 individual stomp boxes.

Posted

As already said, set up a patch with your 3 effects, and treat the B3 like 3 separate pedals. That's how I mainly use mine. If you then need some different effects for another tune just use another patch.

Posted

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1469727232' post='3100710']
How does one access bypass on the B3?
[/quote]

Hold the middle foot switch down. If you hold it too long it mutes.

Posted (edited)

I'm still not sold on bass multi effects for live performance.

I know they've improved, however I believe they take more work than pedals.

For now I'm sticking with dedicated effects pedals.

I wish the best to the OP.

Blue

Edited by blue
Posted

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1469749054' post='3100887']

I wish the best to the OP.

Blye
[/quote]

Is Blye the shorthand way of saying "Bye, Blue"? :D

Posted (edited)

Blue ,the best way i think of using multi effects units live , such as my zoom b3 is a way of adding versatility to an existing board. For example I set up my most used 3 effects for constant use ,
( tube screamer , octaver and and amp sim which is my clean boost .)

It also doubles as my emergency Di, in case of amp failure, normally my Di goes out after amp shaping which means that if my amp goes pop the Di's gone too.
multi effects are as much for convenience,as it also saves slots and power on my board compared to 3 boss sized or considerably more compared to big units, like a muff.

I still use standard effects on my pedal board, ie my synth wah or compressor . The beauty of the zoom comes to light when doing new songs and you want to dial in a new sound quickly , or you need something for a cover you don't always use. The way I do this is using the zooms banks each slot of the b3 has little up down arrows for swapping that pedal and you can modify the order of the patches so if I suddenly need flange for 1 song mid set I can just swap off one effect that I don't need in that song to a slot above or below.

Edited by synthaside
Posted

[quote name='synthaside' timestamp='1469776153' post='3100929']
Blue ,the best way i think of using multi effects units live , such as my zoom b3 is a way of adding versatility to an existing board. For example I set up my most used 3 effects for constant use ,
( tube screamer , octaver and and amp sim which is my clean boost .)

It also doubles as my emergency Di, in case of amp failure, normally my Di goes out after amp shaping which means that if my amp goes pop the Di's gone too.
multi effects are as much for convenience,as it also saves slots and power on my board compared to 3 boss sized or considerably more compared to big units, like a muff.

I still use standard effects on my pedal board, ie my synth wah or compressor . The beauty of the zoom comes to light when doing new songs and you want to dial in a new sound quickly , or you need something for a cover you don't always use. The way I do this is using the zooms banks each slot of the b3 has little up down arrows for swapping that pedal and you can modify the order of the patches so if I suddenly need flange for 1 song mid set I can just swap off one effect that I don't need in that song to a slot above or below.
[/quote]

Thanks

Blue

Posted (edited)

I had a Zoom b3 and sold it because I found it too fiddly and overwhelming to get set up as a first time effects user. Too many options... Laptop needed for set up. I think I'd get a lot more out of one now I have gone down the single pedals route and I have a bit more experience in general with effects. ... Still no going back there.

Edited by gs_triumph
Posted

[quote name='gs_triumph' timestamp='1470071775' post='3103072']
I had a Zoom b3 and sold it because I found it too fiddly and overwhelming to get set up as a first time effects user. Too many options... Laptop needed for setup
[/quote]

???

Posted

The presets were mainly unsuitable for me and it requires are fair bit of mucking around to get patches that suit.
A laptop makes life a lot easier for making wholesale changes that trying to change effects on the pedal itself.

Posted

I think the B3 is well designed and really easy to program compared to any other multi effect I've tried. I used to connect mine to the computer sometimes but I certainly didn't consider it necessary to use it effectively.

Posted

I only connect mine to the computer when I am practicing to tunes on the computer.
Never used it to set the B3 up, that has always been done manually.

Spent years with separate effects on a pedalboard, can't be arsed with that any more.

Posted

I generally use my B3 as a headphone preamp/drum machine/looper for home practice and had it 3 years. I'll use it for recording too once I sort myself out.

Posted

You don't HAVE to use a PC at all to setup the B3 , I just like to ... its quicker and for someone who is getting to grips with it ... it can feel a bit fiddly , people get along better with drag and drops simulating the pedals positions and dial locations rather than scrolling through menu's which is fine once you know the names of each pedal and where is it but this is definitely quicker.

In on the left out on the right ... click and drag ... each pedal is openable to fiddle with the attributes and swappable , you also have easy obvious control at the top right .

Posted

[quote name='synthaside' timestamp='1469776153' post='3100929']
Blue ,the best way i think of using multi effects units live , such as my zoom b3 is a way of adding versatility to an existing board. For example I set up my most used 3 effects for constant use ,
( tube screamer , octaver and and amp sim which is my clean boost .)

It also doubles as my emergency Di, in case of amp failure, normally my Di goes out after amp shaping which means that if my amp goes pop the Di's gone too.
multi effects are as much for convenience,as it also saves slots and power on my board compared to 3 boss sized or considerably more compared to big units, like a muff.

I still use standard effects on my pedal board, ie my synth wah or compressor . The beauty of the zoom comes to light when doing new songs and you want to dial in a new sound quickly , or you need something for a cover you don't always use. The way I do this is using the zooms banks each slot of the b3 has little up down arrows for swapping that pedal and you can modify the order of the patches so if I suddenly need flange for 1 song mid set I can just swap off one effect that I don't need in that song to a slot above or below.
[/quote]
In fact, I usually use it for theatre stuff because I dont want to have to have 5 of the same type of chorus/type pedal etc (sound more like a U2 gig here) set up for different songs - so I just have different patches for different bits. Versatility is the name of the game here, theatre goers aren't there to hear your fantastic tone, but the sound has to fit the song. Being able to program essenially 100 patches/ 300 pedals is a huge plus.
Same with wedding stuff - you might need an envelope filter one song, and different eq for reggae'ish songs etc.

  • 7 years later...

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