Minimal, decent multieffects?

[hrnn1234]

It finally happened, I got fed up with single pedal effects. After almost two years of buying and trying different stuff I had to accept the reality that I wasn't getting the sound I expected, and clearly it was way too much overhead for so little use (pedalboard case to carry a tuner and two distortions - nonsense).

As I mentioned in another thread, I recently played a laid back pop gig, straight into the amp, and enjoyed it so much more than with any combination of pedals I ever tried before. Still for my rock band I need at least some grit. No intention of going wild and stacking effects, where it seems to be is where all multis start suffering.

Approaches are:[list]
[*]single pedal, always/almost on - could be a preamp type pedal
[*]ms-60b type, kind of one effect per song (I've been seen videos of the korg pandora stomp, and has a function to scroll through patches)
[*]an old school multieffects with up/down selector. (PREFERRED)
[/list]
as of right now I'm using a very old zoom 506ii so I also have a tuner there, [u]an eventual fuzz[/u], and pretty much all I need. but as said, it is very old and from the design perspective, it cuts the sound whenever I change a patch. big no no.

[u]HUGE PLUS[/u], it fits in the small compartment of my gigbag.


is there anything that comes to mind that would be reasonable?
I'd like to keep costs down, so please don't advice on getting an eventide or whatever


thanks!

addendum: I'm quite light footed, and besides the cigarette smoke I don't think my gear will be near any physical danger - I think plastic casings wouldn't necessary be a bad thing, as long as they are not overly fragil.

Edited October 4, 2017 by hrnn1234

[elephantgrey]

I use an ms60b as for 2 pre's, an amp/cab SIM, and reverb (always on) at the moment, switching one of the pre's on/off for more gain. It can be set to hold the footswitch for a tuner.

[dannybuoy]

Would a Tech21 Bass Fly Rig fit your requirements?

[PaulWarning]

I used to use a zoom 506II (still got it) but was worried about it's reliability so I've got a Zoom B1on does the same things as my old Zoom and loads more, it's on all of the time for very mild distortion and other settings for Stranglers and Motorhead sounds, you can get it for around £50

[hrnn1234]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1507101712' post='3383257']
Would a Tech21 Bass Fly Rig fit your requirements?
[/quote]

I thought about getting one when it came out, but I find it way overpriced. even if it weren't there is still something that keeps me from going to an effect stripe like this (or the valeton)

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1507101790' post='3383260']
I used to use a zoom 506II (still got it) but was worried about it's reliability so I've got a Zoom B1on does the same things as my old Zoom and loads more, it's on all of the time for very mild distortion and other settings for Stranglers and Motorhead sounds, you can get it for around £50
[/quote]

the B1on is actually one of the strongest contestants... I'm seeing now that buying from amazon uk would be even cheaper than from germany.

thanks for the replies! please keep them coming. also interested in underdogs or older models that are still relevant.

[DangerDan]

I would consider one of the older zoom B3 units. Has a tuner and three effects at a time etc, with a di out as well as stereo out etc, and can be run on batteries

It is bigger and heavier than your other current choices though. Can get them cheap enough second hand these days.

[BigRedX]

BassPod. Any version from the BassPod XT onwards. You will need a separate foot controller for some models if you want to change patches mid-song but you can pickup the FBV Shortboard for under £40 second hand

[hrnn1234]

[quote name='DangerDan' timestamp='1507107629' post='3383298']
I would consider one of the older zoom B3 units. Has a tuner and three effects at a time etc, with a di out as well as stereo out etc, and can be run on batteries

It is bigger and heavier than your other current choices though. Can get them cheap enough second hand these days.
[/quote]

forgive my ignorance: you mean the B3 as old and the B3n as the new one? or was there another B3 before the actual B3?

It's on the candidate list as well. every now and then one pops up second hand.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1507110253' post='3383320']
BassPod. Any version from the BassPod XT onwards. You will need a separate foot controller for some models if you want to change patches mid-song but you can pickup the FBV Shortboard for under £40 second hand
[/quote]

thanks! but although interesting, I'd have to be carrying a floorboard, plus the effects unit, plus cables, plus power source... again in some sort of carrying case, which I'd pretty much like to avoid completely.

[dannybuoy]

They do integrated versions such as the XT / X3 Live:

http://uk.line6.com/legacy/basspodxtlive/

Cheap on eBay now that they are a few generations old! Pretty much any solution you come up with is going to involve carrying a unit in a case/bag with power supply and cables though. Unless these things take batteries, but digital devices eat batteries for breakfast, not something I’d want to risk at a gig!

[Al Krow]

[quote name='DangerDan' timestamp='1507107629' post='3383298']
I would consider one of the older zoom B3 units. Has a tuner and three effects at a time etc, with a di out as well as stereo out etc, and can be run on batteries. It is bigger and heavier than your other current choices though. Can get them cheap enough second hand these days.
[/quote]

+1

The Zoom B3 is a LOT of pedal for £70 second hand.

[PaulWarning]

horses for courses but there doesn't seem much difference between the B3 and B1on sound wise anyway but the later is cheaper
http://basschat.co.uk/topic/267673-zoom-b3-vs-b1on/

[elephantgrey]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1507119677' post='3383426']
horses for courses but there doesn't seem much difference between the B3 and B1on sound wise anyway but the later is cheaper
http://basschat.co.uk/topic/267673-zoom-b3-vs-b1on/
[/quote]
I think the b3, ms60b, b1on and b3n have the same algorithms in them (give or take a few options).

[geoham]

I have both the B1on and B3. Some pros and cons of each as I see it!

B3
Pros
Can basically be treated as three separate stomp boxes. (Though I do use a couple of sets of them)
Easy to edit on the fly
Very sturdy
DI out
Works as a USB audio interface
Can edit patches via USB too

Cons
Only three effects at a time (i.e, ‘always on’ effects like a noise gate or compressor take up a slot)

B1on
Pros
Fits in my gig bag (good when rehearsing straight after work - one less thing to take on the train)
Five effects at once
Sounds identical to B3

Cons
Need build a patch for each sound you want.
Computer connectivity limited to updating firmware
Difficult to edit parameters in a live situation
Not as sturdy as B3

I’ve been favouring the B1on lately. I created a base ‘clean’ patch, with a mild compressor, preamp and noise gate - then copied to other slots and added effects to it. I have about 5 patches I use in total.

[shamrock198804]

One more thing about the B3, it drains batteries like crazy, so best to plug it to an ac adapter.

[DangerDan]

Yep, meant the b3 as opposed to the b3n (i have both, but the b3n is the one that stays on my board)

[dave_bass5]

Id also say Zoom B3n over the B3.

I dont have my old B3 any more, i found it hard to use live, but the B3n is a different kettle of FX. Its aimed more for the live end rather than home/studio use IMO.

For example the BDDI sim also has the same mid control of the latest real BDDI, but that control also has a foot switch so you can get two different tones out of the one Sim. Ive been finding that pretty cool and better than using the real thing (for me).
Im pretty sure the old B3 didnt have this.

[Al Krow]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1507191806' post='3383765']
I dont have my old B3 any more, i found it hard to use live, but the B3n is a different kettle of FX. Its aimed more for the live end rather than home/studio use IMO.
[/quote]

+1

I've got a B3n on my board too. I completely agree with you about it being great for live use, in fact I'd go further and say that IMHO it's probably [i]the best [/i]of the more affordable multi-fx in terms of live use interface. But if the OP wants to keep costs down then i) second hand B3ns seem to be a lot rarer than used B3s and ii) used B3s are going for £70 whereas the used B3ns are nearer double that.

If he has the budget and is looking to use his multi-fx live then he could do far worse then bite the bullet and get a new Zoom B3n. He won't regret it!

Edited October 5, 2017 by Al Krow

[hrnn1234]

thanks everyone for the replies!

although I see the appeal of having a B3 and using it as individual stompboxes, in all honesty I don't think I would benefit that much from it. I mostly use two sound per song - so far only once I've used three, and sometimes I think it's a bit too much.

if the engine behind it is the same as the B3 - so it should sound as good - I think I'll go with the B1on. I can spend an afternoon programming sounds and laying them in sequential order as they will be used. Even using the multiple single pedals setup I had, never had to do too much tinkering live, so I think it's not an issue on that side either.

the only thing, is that I have yet never seen one on the second hand ads (I'm in Vienna, FYI) so I'll have to buy new - which makes me feel at loss every time but for 60€ it shouldn't be that bad!

Thanks again everyone for the input - it was very helpful!

[totorbass]

I had a MS60b that I gave to my teacher, having other quality effects, but it sounded very good (so does the B3). The drawback is that with its only fs and little controls is not really meant for live performance. Some says it hisses a bit, which I did not notice though it altered the sound a bit, I think. I think about replacing my tuner with another one, but in a loop to keep my tone intact and possibly search the menus using A>B>C function before activating.