New Boss MS-3 multi-effects

[A.G.E.N.T.E.]

I´ve been looking for a simple pedal switcher but this thing got me thinking!!! It´s great way to save some space on my pedal board. I realy liked to see the Andertons review with the bass. Tempting

Edited June 8, 2017 by A.G.E.N.T.E.

[Sibob]

All things being well, I'll have a loaner unit arriving with me in the next couple of weeks, I'll obviously be giving it a few gigs and hopefully do a quick video focused around the Bass effects.
At the risk of opening the floodgates, let me know here what you're interesting in knowing about it, and if it hasn't been addressed by Boss in the meantime, I'll be able to give you first hand experience soon!

Cheers
Si

[Musicman20]

Would be great to hear what the onboard bass drivers and compressors are like!

Also, octave up/down and fuzz....

I'm now in that zone of 'probably want it, don't need it, probably WILL buy it'.

Just seen the effects list...a lot for bass. If you play both instruments it looks like a great unit.

Edited June 8, 2017 by Musicman20

[Musicman20]

https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/MS-3_Parameter_Guide_eng01_W.pdf

[Sean]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1496651401' post='3312883']
The Zoom B3n is obviously a hot topic too but of course is bass orientated out of the box.
[/quote]
Without an XLR out! It was a dealbreaker for me.

[Al Krow]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1497031503' post='3315481']
Without an XLR out! It was a dealbreaker for me.
[/quote]

Yes but apart from that one point, which I do agree is an oversight (together with the lack of DI out), it really is a great piece of kit and amazing for its price point. But I would have thought that a possible workaround, if this is a limitation, to output from the B3n into a DI box which does have an XLR and kill two issues with one box? Or more simply to use a 1/4" jack to XLR cable?

I, for one, continue to be pleasantly surprised by its capability and I think Zoom is definitely on to a winner with the B3n.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Al Krow

[Dood]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1497031503' post='3315481']
Without an XLR out! It was a dealbreaker for me.
[/quote]

Have a look out for the Fender rebadged Mooer 'Micro DI' pedal. Super little box even has a cabinet simulator on board. So cheap I bought two for when I do actually need a DI pedal.

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497032147' post='3315488']
(together with the lack of DI out)
[/quote]

Same thing. XLR out = DI out

[Al Krow]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1497033551' post='3315503']
Same thing. XLR out = DI out
[/quote]

Not necessarily! - I don't think that an XLR out has to be (or always is) a balanced output, which a DI is?

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1497032733' post='3315494']
Have a look out for the Fender rebadged Mooer 'Micro DI' pedal. Super little box even has a cabinet simulator on board. So cheap I bought two for when I do actually need a DI pedal.
[/quote]

Cheers Dood for that tip - that looks like a really neat solution for the lack of DI / XLR on the B3n: [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Musical-Instruments-DJ/Fender-0234513000-Micro-DI-Little-Helper/B00KZHMKUQ"]https://www.amazon.c...lper/B00KZHMKUQ[/url]

I think I'll definitely be adding to my pedal board - in fact just pulled the trigger but on something that seems to be exactly the same but almost half the price(!) [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Donner-Passive-Instrument-Balanced-Unbalanced/dp/B01N3YRLUN"]https://www.amazon.c...d/dp/B01N3YRLUN[/url]

Can't believe the price doubles just to get the Fender badge...makes you wonder right?

Edited June 9, 2017 by Al Krow

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497037685' post='3315540']
Not necessarily! - I don't think that an XLR out has to be (or always is) a balanced output, which a DI is?



Cheers Dood for that tip - that looks like a really neat solution for the lack of DI / XLR on the B3n: [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Musical-Instruments-DJ/Fender-0234513000-Micro-DI-Little-Helper/B00KZHMKUQ"]https://www.amazon.c...lper/B00KZHMKUQ[/url]

I think I'll definitely be adding to my pedal board - in fact just pulled the trigger but on something that seems to be exactly the same but almost half the price(!) [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Donner-Passive-Instrument-Balanced-Unbalanced/dp/B01N3YRLUN"]https://www.amazon.c...d/dp/B01N3YRLUN[/url]

Can't believe the price doubles just to get the Fender badge...makes you wonder right?
[/quote]

I'm having one

[elephantgrey]

I have the fender, great bit of kit.

[Al Krow]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1497104466' post='3315888']
I have the fender, great bit of kit.
[/quote]

Looks identical to the Donner - do you know if they are exactly the same bits of kit but one of them just has a Fender badge?

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1497104224' post='3315887']
I'm having one
[/quote]

Which one are you going for - the Fender or the Donner (at half the price)? More to the point does that mean you're also thinking about getting the Zoom B3n, now that your "deal breaker" has been sorted?!

And COMPLETELY off thread (hijacking my own thread is that a thing?!) I see you are a Mesa and Markbass fan for amps (me too!) - but also a BIG fan of BF cabs, which I'm thinking of getting. Love to get your feedback on your cabs - I was kinda thinking about the BB2 and I see you've gone for the Big Twin 2 and two 10. Feel free to PM me with your thoughts on your BF cabs and how they compare to other cabs you've previously had, if you prefer to avoid de-railing this thread too much further - but I'm sure our fellow BCs won't mind too much either way!

Edited June 10, 2017 by Al Krow

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497106535' post='3315908']
Which one are you going for - the Fender or the Donner (at half the price)? More to the point does that mean you're also thinking about getting the Zoom B3n, now that your "deal breaker" has been sorted?!
[/quote]

Oh, the Donner. Anyone can see it's the same and delivery is already paid with Amazon Prime.

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497106535' post='3315908']
And COMPLETELY off thread (hijacking my own thread is that a thing?!) I see you are a Mesa and Markbass fan for amps (me too!) - but also a BIG fan of BF cabs, which I'm thinking of getting. Love to get your feedback on your cabs - I was kinda thinking about the BB2 and I see you've gone for the Big Twin 2 and two 10. Feel free to PM me with your thoughts on your BF cabs and how they compare to other cabs you've previously had, if you prefer to avoid de-railing this thread too much further - but I'm sure our fellow BCs won't mind too much either way!
[/quote]

The BF 10s are fabulous. The TWO 10 is light compact and outperforms any 410 I've ever tried. It has character and moves a hell of a lot of air. When coupled with the SIX 10 to make a virtual EIGHT 10 it's Old Testament fear of God stuff especially with the Laney Nexus or the 400+. The response/attack of these amps hits the BFs and you get instant hefty thump.

The BT2 is ultra efficient, scary loud and totally transparent - I use it in venues where I know the acoustics are dodgy, the horn helps me hear what I'm doing.

The SIX 10 solo is the most used combination. It's killer. Beats a Bergantino NV610 IMO and is a lot lighter. My 10s both have surf green tolex and black cloth fronts so they match and the TWO 10 has the 4/12 ohm switch. I can't ever see me changing these cabs.

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497106535' post='3315908']
I see you are a Mesa and Markbass fan for amps (me too!)
[/quote]

The MB lives at the bottom of my gigbag and is emergency use only. It's been gigged once only when I had both my 400+ and Taranis die on the same night. The MB is like Alcohol-free beer to me but it's better than not hearing yourself.

Back on topic now.

I don't know about the B3n yet but I quite fancy a used TC Nova. It contains a lot of the effects from the G Major multi-effects unit that Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) uses and I've very recently ended up with 30+ Aerosmith songs to learn (tribute). I prefer a pedal/floor set-up as racks are so bulky to transport. I've got enough bulk with the 37kg Nexus and big cabs.

I used to have a B3 and liked it a lot but one day I A/B tested it against my MXR M80 DI+ and the Zoom was about as convincing at mimicking that as I am at doing impressions of Michael Caine! I sold it not long after, which was a mistake as it's so versatile.

[Al Krow]

@ Sean - cheers for all of that interesting and helpful feedback and I love the description of the MB as an "alcohol free beer". In other words something that can have great taste and quench your thirst on a warm summer's day, but leave you able to get into your car and drive safely home after, right? Anyway hopefully I've paid you back by saving you £25 on the Donner instead of the Fender micro DI, I guess you're going to spend the saving on a couple of six packs (with alcohol) and a curry? Enjoy...

I'll get back on topic now, too! The TC Nova does look good: it covers the six major effects groups: [color=#231F20]compression, EQ, Noise Gate, Modulation, Pitch, Delay and Reverb all programmable and storable in 60 user presets (vs 150 user presets on the Zoom B3n) [/color]AND combined with an ANALOGUE drive unit which is really cool. It seems to be at its best with "one preset per song", whereas I quite like being able to layer in effects during certain songs and the Zoom's triple banking of effects really assists with this. The TC is still double the price of the Zoom B3n although it is now 8 year old tech - goodness knows how much it was when it was launched then?!

[url="https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/963200051/multi-fx-units/tc-electronic-nova-system"]https://www.anderton...nic-nova-system[/url]

PS how good are you at impressions and why Michael Caine?

Edited June 10, 2017 by Al Krow

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497109783' post='3315928']
@ Sean - cheers for all of that interesting and helpful feedback and I love the description of the MB as an "alcohol free beer". In other words something that can have great taste and quench your thirst on a warm summer's day, but leave you able to get into your car and drive safely home after, right?
[/quote]

I used to have an LMK and running it on both channels it sounded good but I never got the buzz playing it that I get from big transformers and glowing power valves. There's a million threads on Solidstate vs Valve and Class D versus A/B so I'll stay off that.

[Sean]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497109783' post='3315928']
I'll get back on topic now, too! The TC Nova does look good: it covers the six major effects groups: [color=#231F20]compression, EQ, Noise Gate, Modulation, Pitch, Delay and Reverb all programmable and storable in 60 user presets (vs 150 user presets on the Zoom B3n) [/color]AND combined with an ANALOGUE drive unit which is really cool. It seems to be at its best with "one preset per song", whereas I quite like being able to layer in effects during certain songs and the Zoom's triple banking of effects really assists with this. The TC is still double the price of the Zoom B3n although it is now 8 year old tech - goodness knows how much it was when it was launched then?!

[url="https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/963200051/multi-fx-units/tc-electronic-nova-system"]https://www.anderton...nic-nova-system[/url]

PS how good are you at impressions and why Michael Caine?
[/quote]

That is a very useful summary for me. That's given me some perspective on B3n. There's a couple of Nova units on eBay at <£200 but I'm not convinced.
Are the B3n amp and effect models new and improved over the B3?

My Michael Caine impression is appalling although after a few glasses of vino tinto I think it's very authentic and hilarious. It's just that no one around me ever does

[Al Krow]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1497110852' post='3315944']
That is a very useful summary for me. That's given me some perspective on B3n. There's a couple of Nova units on eBay at <£200 but I'm not convinced.
Are the B3n amp and effect models new and improved over the B3?
[/quote]

Hmmm...I've only ever owned the B3n so can't properly comment, but my understanding is that there has been some updating of the effects (and I really like the significant upgrade to live performance use with the additional three pedals for scrolling through banks of patches).

I think Jimfist has owned both - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/298286-new-zoom-b3n-multi-effect/"]http://basschat.co.u...n-multi-effect/[/url] Might be worth posting your query on the B3n thread?

Edited June 10, 2017 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1497107285' post='3315912']
Oh, the Donner. Anyone can see it's the same and delivery is already paid with Amazon Prime.
[/quote]

As I noted on the B3n thread - that Donner micro DI pedal isn't for me! One of my shorter lived pedals: adds an annoying high pitched squeal to the signal (particularly noticeable when the cab sim switch is set to the right) which I can't be doing with! Will be going back via Amazon shortly methinks

Be interesting to see if you get the same result when yours arrives, Sean?

Edited June 11, 2017 by Al Krow

[Dood]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1497192975' post='3316443']


As I noted on the B3n thread - that Donner micro DI pedal isn't for me! One of my shorter lived pedals: adds an annoying high pitched squeal to the signal (particularly noticeable when the cab sim switch is set to the right) which I can't be doing with! Will be going back via Amazon shortly methinks

Be interesting to see if you get the same result when yours arrives, Sean?
[/quote]

The fender version I have doesn't squeal. I suspect it might be because the Donner model isn't truly the same as the Mooer model it looks like, often containing inferior components and build quality to get the price down I'm afraid.

Edited June 20, 2017 by dood

[Sibob]

I think where the MS-3 will live or die for me (i.e. make me sell my Line6 M5), is whether you can clean mix the overdrives/fuzzes (I assume you can, big omission from the Line6 firmware). Then it's about the strength of the pitch stuff, I've never quite gotten on with Boss' algorithms, had a PS-6 and it just didn't do it for me. The Line6 M series on the other hand probably has the best pitch up and down ability i've ever heard.
Looking forward to AB'ing them, should have the MS-3 in a week or two I think.

Si

[Dood]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1498041587' post='3322126']
I think where the MS-3 will live or die for me (i.e. make me sell my Line6 M5), is whether you can [b]clean mix the overdrives/fuzzes[/b] (I assume you can, big omission from the Line6 firmware). Then it's about the strength of the pitch stuff, I've never quite gotten on with Boss' algorithms, had a PS-6 and it just didn't do it for me. The Line6 M series on the other hand probably has the best pitch up and down ability i've ever heard.
Looking forward to AB'ing them, should have the MS-3 in a week or two I think.

Si
[/quote]

Exactly that. Looking forward to hear what you think!

[blue]

I'm just not sold on bass multi- effects processors for gigging.

For me they're too complicated, too many features and functions I'd never use. And I still say they don't have the "mojo" of the high end dedicated pedals.

Blue

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1498067397' post='3322345']
I'm just not sold on bass multi- effects processors for gigging.

For me they're too complicated, too many features and functions I'd never use. And I still say they don't have the "mojo" of the high end dedicated pedals.

Blue
[/quote]

I mostly agree but they have their uses. I've been exhausted constantly for almost a year now and struggle to carry an amp any distance so being able to gig with just my bass and Zoom B3 has kept me being able to play live. The sound is very 2nd rate but I doubt the audience is too fussed. I'd rather be gigging with a nice amp and carefully put together pedal board but that's not really an option at the moment.