OzzyGreg

. If i were you I'd buy a B3, then do a "shootout" with your pedals, comparing the sounds. Keep the pedals that win (I suspect there will be few if any) and sell the ones that don't. Use those pedals and your B3. Best of both worlds.

. Good move! You won't regret it, they are amazing. Once you are "into" it you'll be fiddling with patches and stuff. There's a library of almost 100 different user patches to download and try out here: [url="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B7b88q8uy5hYMFJUem5nUDNyMkk/edit?usp=sharing"]https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B7b88q8uy5hYMFJUem5nUDNyMkk/edit?usp=sharing[/url]

[sub]I just had a play around with my Zoom B3 and combined the D-Comp compressor, with the Octaver and Air reverb into a single patch and got a pretty cool sounding (to my ears) organ like sound. Using the Arena reverb made it [i]almost[/i] like a pipe organ.[/sub] [sub]At first I tried the Z-Organ in place of the Octaver, but didn't like the off-pitch delay sound of it.[/sub] [sub]Greg[/sub]

. I was split between those very two units myself a few months back. I ended up going for the B3 simply because it [i]didn't[/i] have the "expression pedal" and the BP355 did. Sound and feature wise I reckon you can't go wrong with either. Go try them both out in your local music shop.

. [quote]i've put a couple up [/quote] Good stuff Rasta !!!! ..... from the talkbasser with the googleydoodaa ! (.... sounds almost sexual! LOL!) Seriously, it's dead easy to do and the more patches we put on there the bigger library we'll have. From a previous post: [i]If you're interested in sharing B3 patches (ie. uploading your own and downloading others to try out through "Zoom Edit and Share") then visit this Google Docs folder..... [url="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B7b88q8uy5hYekRCUjV6R0J3SEU/edit?pli=1"]https://docs.google....3SEU/edit?pli=1[/url] Download them into a folder on your computer then simply drag them into Edit and Share. They'll be loaded automatically into your B3. You will need a Google log-in to access it.[/i] Greg

. I'm at work, so I don't have my B3 her to check for sure, but..... I'm pretty sure the B3 is MIDI compatible, so I guess you can synch it to other devices. Though mind you I have never used MIDI before, so I'm not 100% sure about this. Filters? Do a search in Google. There's a number of sites with all B3 effects listed. I know there's a few different filters in the Zoom including at least one comb filter. Bitcrusher? Can't help you there, I've only ever skimmed over it when flicking through the effects. Not my cup of tea. Not the extensive response I'm sure you were hoping for, but I hope it helps a bit anyway! Greg

[i].[/i] [i][Quote][/i]The only thing I could think you've seen would be to assign the Exp pedal to input level. [/Quote] [i]yeah, I see you're right there, it is only an expression pedal input control.[/i] [i]I checked last night.[/i] [i]Sorry.[/i]

[Quote]There doesn't appear to be an over all input gain unfortunately[/Quote] Have a look in the 'Total" menu. I seem to recall seeing what may be (maybe not too!) input gain control of some sort in (if memory serves) the rhs screen. I'm at work and can't check it for you on my own B3 at the moment. Greg

. [Quote] So they are switch or button settings ? ie: Switch set to Low Pass then Knob-1 on #3, knob-2 on #5, Knob-3 on #6. etc ? [/Quote] Sorry man, I'm not sure exactly what you mean. The B3 has three display screens. Whatever is displayed in those three screens at any one time is a patch. The first screen might have a distortion loaded into it. (This effect is switchable off and on with the footswitch.) The second may have a reverb, once again switchable off and on. The third maybe an amp sim. You click and hold the lhs footswitch and a fresh set of 3 screens are displayed.... the next patch. Greg

[Quote]Will any of those patches work on a zoom b2.1u ?. ps: duuh what are patches [/Quote] I don't [i]think[/i] they will work with the B2.1u, but I could be wrong. Patches are grouped effects. So, for example, you might have a chorus, overdrive, then SVT amp all in a row on your B3 (combining to produce a sound). That collection of effects is called a patch. Your next patch might combine tremelo, flanger and a spring reverb. etc. Greg

[Quote]There is a great thread over on TalkBass sharing patch ideas:[/Quote] I've copied many of Crystalman's patch ideas (with his permission) and uploaded them (as actual [b]downloadable patches[/b]) to the Google Docs file mentioned above. Greg

. Guys, If you're interested in sharing B3 patches (ie. uploading your own and downloading others to try out through "Zoom Edit and Share") then visit this Google Docs folder..... [url="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B7b88q8uy5hYekRCUjV6R0J3SEU/edit?pli=1"]https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B7b88q8uy5hYekRCUjV6R0J3SEU/edit?pli=1[/url] Download them into a folder on your computer then simply drag them into Edit and Share. They'll be loaded automatically into your B3. You will need a Google log-in to access it. It would be great to be able to create a library of B3 patches for everyone to share. Greg

[Quote]Has anyone else been able to clip the input of the B3? My Shuker basses have a good strong output level and if I boost my bass EQ I can get an ugly clip noise when slapping for example. There's no global input gain control it seems! [/Quote] I haven't got my B3 here at work to have a look, but isn't there a gain/volume control in the "Total" menu somewhere? Probably a silly question, but have you checked to see if the passive/active switch isn't on active? Just a couple of thoughts. Greg

. I doubt I'll ever need more than 3 effects in a single patch, but i jumped on the bandwagon and sent a couple of emails to Zoom anyway!

mmm, yeah, he definately says you can blend up to six at a time. Intriguing.

Recording with the B3 works really well. I've found (as is the case with recording many similar units) that its best to run the B3 on battery power to avoid the background hum.

. DOH! My bad. Sorry. ....never heard of Chord [i]brand[/i] pedals before. Now I have!

. Bass chord pedals? Have you seen these before? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_dtlrq-lcA[/media] This seems almost exactly what I've been looking for in a chord producing pedal to fill out those "gaps" in a three piece's sound when the guitarist solos in songs. I can't afford one at the moment, but I reckon I'll track one down when I can. I like everything about it except the combined 5th above/4th below effect. Doesn't sound right to me, but this may be just the YouTube audio. Greg

. +1 for an SR16. I bought mine about 15 years ago from memory. What a fantastic little unit! Ok, there are countless better drum machines around these days, but for it's age it serves me very, very well and has done for a long time. I've used it recording, practicing, jamming with the band (when the drummer can't make it), live, everything. I use the plug-in footswitch method of instigating fills where required. Works a treat! Ok, I agree that programming it is a bugger, but once you have your head around it it all comes fairly easily. Greg

[i].[/i] Check and see if you have a .0047 capacitor in-line with the bridge pickup. Most 4001/4003 Rickenbacker basses do. To fatten the sound of (pre-2011) 4003s this capacitor needs to be removed or bypassed I'm led to believe. It acts as a hi-pass filter on the bridge pickup cutting off the lower frequencies. Apparently the latest 4003s have a push-pull setup on one of the knobs to engage and disengage this capacitor, giving what they call "Classic" (ie. trebly) and "Modern" (ie. full) sounds. This capacitor is missing from my own 4001 (it was gone when I bought it second hand 20 years ago) and it sounds awesome! Somewhat "fuller" than my Fender in fact. Greg

. Totally happy with the pair of MIM Precision pickups I bought from John. (Thanks again mate!) Greg

Actually, I just thought of something that might work very well without any heat.... White spirits. Soak them for a day, then swish the strings around in a container of that for a few minutes. I'm going to give that a go next time! Greg

[quote] but they are never as bright as they were before, or for as long! [/quote] Yeah, I know that's what "they" say, but I've never noticed any difference to be perfectly honest. New (unboiled) strings need cleaning just as often as old, multiple-boiled strings. The contaminants build up just as quickly with either. The brightness disappears at the same rate too. (I reckon it's an old wive's tale myself, brought about by the old "my ears are superior to yours" crowd!) I'm no metallurgist, but I'm sure 100 degrees Celcius is nowhere near enough temperature to affect the steel's molecular structure in any significant way. I'm pretty sure that steel needs to be heated to at least 550 degrees C before it even begins to change colour! Not a great analogy, but ......If this was the case then car engines would underperform for the remainder of their now apparently much shortened lives if they ran up to that temperature ([i]without running out of coolant altogether[/i]) then cooled down a few times. Bass strings in boiling water?.... A bit of expansion and contraction, that would be about it, probably not a great deal more than a good hard pluck on a cold string during playing actually! (Ok, that's tension and release, not temperature-based changes, but the length of the string still alters and returns.) Greg [i](Always willing to go out on a limb and be shot off it for the sake of a discussion)[/i]