New Zoom Multi FX: the MS-60B+

[tauzero]

2 hours ago, SumOne said:

I can't find a manual for the + online. Has there been a change in the parameters that can be adjusted for the effects? 

 

https://zoomcorp.com/en/gb/multi-effects/multistomp-pedals/ms-60b-plus/ms-60b-support/

[tauzero]

I've asked Zoom if they're doing a Windows or Android version of GuitarLab for the MS-60B+, and asked Tonelib if they're adding support for the MS Plus pedals. No reply from Tonelib as yet, Zoom Europe said they'd pass the suggestion on to Zoom Japan.

[roceci]

Anywhere got this in stock atm? All I'm seeing is Bax with a 3 week delay. Proper hen's teeth it seems 😞

[roceci]

56 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Yes. The older MS-60B is the same.

What's the deal with promoting midi implementation on this model then? It seems to do less than the old version - you could turn the tuner on and off via midi on that one as well. 

 

[dave_bass5]

2 hours ago, roceci said:

Anywhere got this in stock atm? All I'm seeing is Bax with a 3 week delay. Proper hen's teeth it seems 😞

Give it a few days and they will have a returned one for sale 😏. 

[Al Krow]

So I've managed to get my head around the on-pedal patch editor and created a duplicate pre-amp patch to the one on my B1-4. Not hugely difficult to do and the patch copy function will be very useful for any core fx I want to have on a number of patches.

 

A/B'd the identical patch with the one on my B1-4. Not unexpectedly they sound very similar! There's maybe a pleasing more 'open' / slightly less blanketed feel to the sound quality from the MS-60B+ vs the B1-4, but it's subtle and I'm pretty certain wouldn't be noticed in a band mix. I'll have a listen out for it on other patches that I'm duplicating and also start working through some of the other fx over the coming weeks to see how the two units compare e.g. how the pitch shifters are on both in terms of latency and warble which is often a good test of a multi-fx's capability.

 

One point to be aware of if you are going from the B1-4 to the MS-60B+ is that the fx order is from L --> R i.e. FX1 -> FX2 -> FX3 etc on the B1-4 but from R --> L i.e. FX3 <- FX2 <- FX1 on the 60B+ 

 

Edited July 4 by Al Krow

[roceci]

23 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Give it a few days and they will have a returned one for sale 😏. 

I see 😂👍

[tauzero]

9 hours ago, roceci said:

What's the deal with promoting midi implementation on this model then? It seems to do less than the old version - you could turn the tuner on and off via midi on that one as well. 

 

 

The MIDI implementation chart is the same for both old and new. From which I would deduce that the MIDI message that turned the tuner on and off was undocumented on either, and probably works the same on both. You don't want to use the tuner on the Helix then?

[Al Krow]

If anyone is trying to figure out where the fx on the pedal editor are in relation to those listed in the manual then they seem to have been "inverted". I guess following traditional Japanese script?
To explain: there are 11 effects categories listed in the manual
The last category in the manual is Bass Amps - but this appears as the left hand column [1] of the fx on the pedal. There are 11 bass amps fx types listed in the manual. If you want to find e.g. the Ampeg SVT which is the 2nd one in the manual, this is the 2nd from last scrolling down on the pedal i.e. 10th one down
Filter is the second category but appears as column 10/11 etc.

Edited July 4 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

Has anyone figured out how to change the patch display so that the patch name stays displayed and it doesn't default to one of the fx in the chain? That could be very helpful for live use to remind me which exactly which patch I'm on! I've not spotted anything in the manual that obviously allows me to do that.

Edited July 5 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

On 05/07/2024 at 09:45, Al Krow said:

Has anyone figured out how to change the patch display so that the patch name stays displayed and it doesn't default to one of the fx in the chain? That could be very helpful for live use to remind me which exactly which patch I'm on! I've not spotted anything in the manual that obviously allows me to do that.

 

It's now been confirmed by Zoom that this is not going to be possible, which makes using the 60B+ live less enticing for me. That, plus lack of PC editing capability means that the it's is not sufficiently 'better' over the B1-4 at the things it does well for my purposes to warrant replacing my B1-4, and add in the drum machine, looper and headphone amp capability of the B1-4 for home practice and the older pedal  continues to remain remarkably good value and will survive for another day on my board. So, having spent a couple of full days working with the 60B+ I've decided to return mine, and will maybe head back to a higher end multifx in the near future e.g. the Boss GT1000 Core.

 

Edited July 14 by Al Krow

[dave_bass5]

4 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

, and will maybe head back to a higher end multifx in the near future e.g. the Boss GT1000 Core.

 

Or break the BC cardinal rule and stick with what you have, because it works 😂

Ive still got mine, but haven’t used it since I last posted (so only the once). I got it out again today and, well, yeah mine is going back as well. For me the one negative is the bloody colour scheme on screen. Very difficult to see whats going on with some of the screens. 

Might go back to the B2-Four, might not bother. 

[Al Krow]

12 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Or break the BC cardinal rule and stick with what you have, because it works 😂

Ive still got mine, but haven’t used it since I last posted (so only the once). I got it out again today and, well, yeah mine is going back as well. For me the one negative is the bloody colour scheme on screen. Very difficult to see whats going on with some of the screens. 

Might go back to the B2-Four, might not bother. 

 

Haha for sure, the B1-4 works well, which is why I have indeed stuck with one or more of them since they came out in 2019 and currently still have two - one of which makes for a neat standalone board when I'm travelling light.

But hopefully some of the digital tech we're using have moved on since half a decade ago? 😂

[dave_bass5]

5 hours ago, Al Krow said:

 

Haha for sure, the B1-4 works well, which is why I have indeed stuck with one or more of them since they came out in 2019 and currently still have two - one of which makes for a neat standalone board when I'm travelling light.

But hopefully some of the digital tech we're using have moved on since half a decade ago? 😂

Yeah. I still have the MS60b and B1-Four, but i just can’t find myself using them. I’m really should just use what i have, but as you say, things have moved on a bit and it’s nice to have better if possible. 

Edited July 15 by dave_bass5

[Al Krow]

37 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

Yeah. I still have the MS60b and B1-Four, but i just can’t find myself using them. I’m really should just use what i have, but as you say, things have moved on a bit and it’s nice to have better of possible. 

 

Out of interest, what is it about the MS-60B and B1-4 that's a turn off for you?

[dave_bass5]

20 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Out of interest, what is it about the MS-60B and B1-4 that's a turn off for you?

With the MS-60B its access and ease of use. I like the idea of the extra switches on the +, which make it much more usable for me. 

I may use the B1-Four, but ive found it to sound a bit muffled, but with noise when ive used it at home (same with the MS-60B)

The bottom line is, because I don't have the ability to  set up a gig rig at home all my setting up and tweaking is using headphones or a small practice amp, neither are ideal, so when I get to rehearsals I need quick access to things. I don't feel either give me that compared to something like a Sansamp or something with more knobs. 

 

I know how to use both, both have been used with bands in the past, but I don feel any attraction to use them now. I did like the MS-60B+ but the black text on red screen is just annoying and hard to read. Might go back to the B2-four.

[Al Krow]

43 minutes ago, dave_bass5 said:

With the MS-60B its access and ease of use. I like the idea of the extra switches on the +, which make it much more usable for me. 

I may use the B1-Four, but ive found it to sound a bit muffled, but with noise when ive used it at home (same with the MS-60B)

The bottom line is, because I don't have the ability to  set up a gig rig at home all my setting up and tweaking is using headphones or a small practice amp, neither are ideal, so when I get to rehearsals I need quick access to things. I don't feel either give me that compared to something like a Sansamp or something with more knobs. 

 

I know how to use both, both have been used with bands in the past, but I don feel any attraction to use them now. I did like the MS-60B+ but the black text on red screen is just annoying and hard to read. Might go back to the B2-four.

 

Agreed on what you say about the B1-4: the slightly muffled and the need to use the Zoom Noise Reduction on pretty much all the patches I've set up, are the things I can and have lived with, but if there's an overall better multifx at a decent price with PC editing (which the B2-4 doesn't have) then that would be ideal. I've personally never bonded with the Helix Stomp and I know quite a few of us have had a mixed experience with that one in terms of holding onto it, but I've seen how quickly/easily guitarists who I work seem with get a good sound from their GT1000 Core, so when one of those pops up used, I'm going to be very tempted to pick one up. 

 

I did have high hopes for the MS-60B+ but as I mentioned earlier, it's limitations in terms of lack of PC editing and inability to display name of the patch you are on other than very temporarily have ruled it out for me. Shame - I feel those are both things that Zoom could easily fix and, if they do, I'll have another look at the 60B+ down the line.

[dave_bass5]

I loved the Stomp. I found it much easier to use than the Zoom pedals. I guess it just hit the right spot for me. Took a bit of understanding but after that i was ok with it.
Going back to my comment about needing good access to tweak things away from home, a PC/Mac editor is useless to me. I’m one of those that like to get hands on and know where things are in case i need them in a hurry . In fact i never used an editor for the 2 Helix boxes i had in the past.
Saying that, i had a quick play with the phone editor for the two Zoom’s I’ve had recently and quite liked how fast it was at setting patches up. For me the ability to use a phone or iPad at a gig/rehearsal is a lot more practical than taking a computer along, as we have those with us anyway. 
I’m pretty sure I’ll order the B2-four again this week. I like that it has more switches, and a more viewable screen. Only £70 more than the MS-60b+. 

[Jackopie1]

How do users feel about this new model, now they've had a little more time with it?

 

I'd love to know how usable the envelope filters and octavers are.

 

Is there an octave sound that can add some fat, dubby bass, rather than the 0C2 modeller that often appears in demos?

 

Thanks 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jackopie1]

Also- I can't find any for sale anywhere in the UK. They must have gone fast!

 

If anyone knows where I might pick one up, I'd be very grateful. Thanks.

[dave_bass5]

On 02/08/2024 at 16:21, Jackopie1 said:

Also- I can't find any for sale anywhere in the UK. They must have gone fast!

 

If anyone knows where I might pick one up, I'd be very grateful. Thanks.

DV247 seems to be the quickest. 4-6 days apparently 

 

https://www.musicstore.com/en_GB/GBP/Zoom-MS-60B-MultiStomp-Bass-Pedal/art-BAS0012701-000?campaign=GShopping/UK&ProgramUUID=HADAqJarPzAAAAFlea9yjI.G&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAqbWRUzqOxyKCF2JomZqusZwE4l4r

Edited August 4 by dave_bass5

[Jackopie1]

This arrived today!

 

Had a little time for a quick play, and first impressions are very, very good.

 

 

[Osiris]

A question for those that own, or have owned, one of these...

 

What is the case made from? From what I can gather online it suggests the new + series pedals have metal cases but the recently dropped bass the world video for the pedal says it's a plastic case. So which is it? 

[andruca]

Wasn't planning on pulling the trigger on one of these anytime soon (own MANY previous gens Zooms) but after hearing the "clear over preamp" (Zoom's own) it might happen sooner than I expected. NICE 👍

Edited September 7 by andruca

[mcnach]

On 07/09/2024 at 13:33, Osiris said:

A question for those that own, or have owned, one of these...

 

What is the case made from? From what I can gather online it suggests the new + series pedals have metal cases but the recently dropped bass the world video for the pedal says it's a plastic case. So which is it? 

 

Metal, just like the previous version.