Your opinion about FX-PEDALS

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justygold

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Anyone of you who has good :D or bad :( experience with a zoom b1 or b2?

I am interested in compressor/wah/delay/distortion effects on stage.

Cheers
Justygold :lol:
 
From what I've read and heard, the old Zoom pedals were pure crap... But they improved and now the B series are decent multi-effects for the money.
 
I'm not a big fan of any type of effects really... Just the eq for me :)
 
+1 for Zoom being crap across the board, at least previously. Not real up on the new line.

But since you're asking for "on stage", I'd really think it over. Multi-effects are decent for finding what effects you like or for just playing around; and some of the higher-end multi's work well in the studio; but in my opinion if you're going to use an effect regularly and on stage you'll want single effects. My two cents anyway.
 
EVOLVEBASS said:
+1 for Zoom being crap across the board, at least previously. Not real up on the new line.

But since you're asking for "on stage", I'd really think it over. Multi-effects are decent for finding what effects you like or for just playing around; and some of the higher-end multi's work well in the studio; but in my opinion if you're going to use an effect regularly and on stage you'll want single effects. My two cents anyway.
Click to expand...

+1 on that! I've gradually got rid of all my effects now... just have an EBS microbass for DI and EQ on my amp. I've also found lately, my eq settings getting flatter... just relying on the natural sound of the Thumb!

I had a Zoom multi effects a while ago... it was nasty, wouldn't dream of using it live... it got ebayed!
 
I've used a Sans Amp Bass Driver DI for years now, in the studio and on stage. It has become an integral part of my sound, and makes my Thumb growl like a pitbull. Compressors are always a good idea to tame spikes in the signal, resulting in a more even volume throughout the song. They even double as a safeguard against overloads that can potentially harm your speakers, when used properly of course. These are really the only effects that I have any experience with bass-wise. I hope it was helpful.
Peace, Broken Thumb.
 
I've an old Zoom...

Quite fun for making weird sounds when practising, but I've never really considered using it in anger.

Are there any really decent bass multi-effects boxes out there? Guitarists seem to have plenty.

Though I'd probably agree with whoever said they don't really want effects - just EQ etc. I don't really feel I'm missing out particularly.
 
I never use digital pedals, I feel like there is too much signal loss, even for some expensive ones. I use only tube preamps, and analogue pedals, linked via a router.
 
+1 on the tube preamps. I use a tube compressor set quite mildly to tweak the edges of the sound, other than that it's light eq-ing and the preamp on the bass does most of the work. ~M~
 
I've been using a Boss ME8B for a decade now and I love it, although I tend to stick more to chorus and reverb a lot more these days. It's got some fantastic squelchy wah sounds though - great for funk.

It's not perfect, by any means, but I like to have it at my feet most of the time.
 
I've never used FX at all during gigs and practice with the band. Only EQs.

It makes a lot of fun with FXs when practicing at home though but I would not dare to use them with the band. They'd probably kill me. :)
 
I have some envelope filters and a Crybaby Bass Wah on my pedalboard for when I feel funky, and I have a Lexicon MX200 in my rack for nice modulation and delay effects, but my signal usually just goes through an Aphex Punch Factory Opto-Compressor and an SWR Interstellar Overdrive tube preamp (which also features a low-watt dummy-loaded tube poweramp in the signal) for warmth, and maybe I'll blend in a Boss Bass Overdrive for smooth distortion. All cables are Monster Bass and Rock with no signal loss.
 
Well, it`s a divided thingy... On one hand you have the signal-loss, noise, colouring etc... on the other hand, you can save settings. I have an old Boss ME-8b, and it has some nice features, but it is very plastic and fragile. I`m considering something else soon.
 
Hey maddrakkett, what do you think of your Aphex Punch Factory?

I agree with the common theme here, most of us have a couple effects we like, so we buy "good ones". My constant is my MXR M-80 Bass DI+ (bass driver), which is essentially the same thing as the SansAmp but with a seperate distortion channel. I have a Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus but it's been on the shelf for more than a year now...
 
I bought a Zoom 607 about 4 years ago and it didn't hold up well at all.
From a reliability standpoint, have had much better luck with DigiTech.

Lately though, I've been playing straight through with no effects, except for an occasional envelope filter.
 
in defense of zoom my bands guitar sound is largly due to the zoom g2.1u (jake has become well known for his fantastic guitar sounds)

i would highly reconmend the g2.1u to anyone. this is however a guitar effects unit and therefore a little off topic
 
EVOLVEBASS said:
Hey maddrakkett, what do you think of your Aphex Punch Factory?
Click to expand...

I like it a lot - very transparent and simple to operate. Can really boost the signal (and some noise) or just add some nice punch and consistency without squashing anything. That's how I like mine set for; you really don't know it's there until you bypass the effect, then you miss it! Also works as a D.I. out from the bass pre-amp and effects and has its own signal level switch for active or passive basses. Opto compression is much nicer than digital and I don't need an expensive tube comp because my SWR Interstellar Overdrive handles the tube/warmth end of the signal. :)
 
Cool. Thanks, man!

I go back and forth about compressors, but I'd like to at least try one...
 
maddrakkett said:
EVOLVEBASS said:
Hey maddrakkett, what do you think of your Aphex Punch Factory?
Click to expand...

I like it a lot - very transparent and simple to operate. Can really boost the signal (and some noise) or just add some nice punch and consistency without squashing anything. That's how I like mine set for; you really don't know it's there until you bypass the effect, then you miss it! Also works as a D.I. out from the bass pre-amp and effects and has its own signal level switch for active or passive basses. Opto compression is much nicer than digital and I don't need an expensive tube comp because my SWR Interstellar Overdrive handles the tube/warmth end of the signal. :)
Click to expand...

I agree with all this about the Aphex Punch Factory... but mine stopped working properly... not had it too long but it's out of guarantee! I think they may be a bit fragile... have a look on the harmony central website for more reviews
 
I posted a while ago on TalkBass stating that using a Warwick had made me 'get over' using effects to some extent. Most effects just take away from that sweet tone that we're all after, so I save them for my other projects where I'm not using the Thumb.

Mostly now I use an Alesis Quadraverb for ambient noises, and a Big Muff pi for distortion, plus a few more toys if I can be bothered. The best part is that I run all my pedals in the loop of the Quadraverb, which is itself bypassable & run in a parallel loop from my pre-amp. At all times therefore I have at least 50% of my Warwick tone un-interrupted ;)

The first fx pedal I ever owned was a Zoom 506, which was admittedly garbage but still lots of fun. Cheap stuff can be fine for live use so long as they're reliable (and there are no gear snobs in the other bands).

cheers
 
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