jimfist

Yes, the Bass Mono Pitch effect is where you'd want to start, as @stewblack previously mentioned. I just spent some time mucking around with a semitone drop (to Eb from standard tuning) and here are my thoughts: there is significant tonal coloration of the shifted tone, as well as a bit of latency 'lag' personally, I think the shifted tones only sound reasonable with a LOT of high end pulled-out (low pass filter at 1kHz+/-). Think in terms of old school R&B/Motown. Sounds with a lot of high end tend to accentuate the sonic artifacts, which I find terribly distracting. In the context of a mix, the shifted tone (as treated above) wouldn't likely stand out in a negative way in a live mix, though it would under the scrutiny of a recording session I would only consider using this as an option to an alt-tuned bass IF the musical style for the bass tone made it acceptable. No popping/slapping, no gritty metal with prominent top-end attack. For perspective, I've rejected some other pitch shifters that are considered to be much, much better, and for the same reasons. Granted, the gap has closed recently and I've not tried any of the newer/updated multi-fx to see how they fare. Example shifted patch I created: BaMnPitch > Low EQ (HPF at 140Hz) > OptComp > Bass DRV preamp (amp sim) > High EQ (LPF at 1.0kHz) Good luck with it. Using the pitch shift to drop to Eb tuning might be able to work for you, but IMO is of limited use, unfortunately. Good news is that it certainly can be made to work....depending.....

I think the popularity of the XLR out is underestimated by manufacturers, including Zoom in the "n" series. Getting some nice fat synth tones, too. The sounds you can get from the OC-2 octaver simulation are really interesting. Well done on this by Zoom. I never owned that pedal, but now understand why it's considered to be so cool. The OC-2 followed by a fuzz or dirt followed by an envelope filter/auto wah can yield some great synth-like tones.

Exactly this! I could forgive the lack of balanced/XLR output on a unit as I've been gigging my B3n/G5n for years, but when you don't have any bona-fide synth options? Still a compelling pedal, the GX-100, but lack of synth gave me pause, too.

It's a tough nut to crack without the cost jumping up into the top tier. That's why I mentioned the HX Effects, or even the PodGo, as well as the Zoom B6. They seem to be the only mid-range market contenders that have all of the basic tools (to include synths). Only the B6 has XLR output, if that matters. The Line 6 products all share the same modeling and a fairly vast list of available effects, as well as robust editing capabilities within the effects. I've settled on the B6 for the moment because I really don't need a ton of bells and whistles, and can reasonably work around the 4 button format (stomps or patch banks). I do have my eye on the HX Effects, though, but wonder if Line 6 will be introducing an updated product Line as the Helix format has been around for quite some time.

The GX-100 has some great features. No synth modules, though, so you'd have to concoct them using octaves, filters and fuzzes. I've said before on the GX-100 thread: if it had an XLR output and some basic synth stuff, I'd have gotten in on the pre-order discount.

I'd suspect a matter of clearing time to wrap your head around the Helix. From what little experience I had with the HX Stomp, certainly anyone familiar with multi-fx modelers can get around on it without too much fuss, and even easier when using the software editor. Thinking about the OP's needs, the HX Effects may be the best suited piece of gear, all things considered, and finances allowing. On-unit programming and editing may NOT be the fastest, but otherwise all bases covered, especially since no amp/cab modeling is required. Again, though, the wild card is in the Pitch Shift & Synth type effects: how well they track and whether they meet the OP's needs sonically.

All notes above regarding my experience with the Zoom B6. Especially with the synth and octave tones, there's no magic bullet IMO to getting there without fussing on the unit - or any other multi-fx unit - unless for example, you just want the raw OC2 emulation. When I make octave/synth patches, they almost always have some pre/post treatments (distortion, filtering, sometimes compression, chorus). The good news, though, is that they track pretty well IMO. I can play fast, and go low and the unit tracks fine. I have a difficult time recommending any multi-fx pedal in the low-mid price range for anyone who needs critical performance out of shifts/octaves/synths. These types of effects are really best served by pedals dedicated to the task, unless you're going for a top-end multi-effect. Even then, there's necessary tweaking. That said, IMO there are a lot of solid, good sounding options on the B6, but it's so subjective that I wouldn't want to presume that you'd be good with them based only on my tastes.

Can you give us an specific idea of the types of sounds you need for octave, harmonizer, synth? (Links to songs or pedal demos?) As I'm on the B6 right now (and own the B3n, owned the B3), I can help you sort out whether it's up to the task for these items. I've created some octave, synth, and harmonizer patches with the B6 that I'm happy with, but no idea if it's your cup of tea. Pitch shifted harmonizer stuff is a really subjective thing with multi-fx pedals. Some do it better than others, and the more you spend, the better it tends to be. Fractal Audio gear (the latest iterations FM3, FM9) have made great strides with their pitch shifting according to posts in their forum. Top dollar stuff, though. I think prevailing wisdom is that dedicated pedals do pitch shifting (Digitech) & synth (Source Audio) effects very well. Middle-of-the-market multi-fx is a coin toss. That said, I'm finding the B6 to have plenty good to offer in this department, though there are some things to avoid and tricks to getting these sounds to behave. Perhaps someone familiar with Boss or Line 6 Helix pedals can chime in on this issue.

Looks like you're in the low/mid-range budget? How much switching do you need to do? Do you require a "stomp box" layout for bringing in effects, or do you make few effects changes, thus changing a few patches during a performance will suffice? Another new option is the Boss GX-100, with reduced "wait list" pricing. This is more of a kitchen sink pedal, but has a ton of features. As a B6 owner, I'd say that its strength (as with most Zoom pedals) is its simplicity, ease of use, etc. This does come at the expense of some programming flexibility tweaks. No experience with the Plethora, though it's got a nice feature set if you don't need OD or Envelope filter effects.

One thing I'd like to see with GuitarLab software editor, at the Editor Page, for the virtual knob control area to be re-sizeable within the editor. I have a 2-in-1 laptop with touch screen, which allows you to use finger gestures to edit parameters on the effects. The problem is that the virtual knobs are pretty small and it's fiddly to control with with fingers. Making their footprint scalable (bigger) would help a lot. Or, if you touch+hold an effect, it zooms in on that slot's parameters. Another addition or alternative would be to allow numeric input for a parameter value (touch+hold highlights the parameter value, etc.). Since the app for Bluetooth is only developed for iPhone/iPad, one could theoretically use a cheap Windows 10 tablet to control the B6 via usb. Though not as ideal as wireless, it would still be a reasonable option. I would use my old iPad/iPhone except that the bluetooth app requires iOS 13 or newer, and mine are OS 9. No idea if they'll even take OS 13, but I'll look into it. Even so, a USB connected tablet would be handy even if for the simple task of manually changing banks quickly without doing the riverdance on the B6.

One thing Zoom needs to add for an amp model: the Gallien-Krueger! It hasn't been part of the line-up since they introduced the B3n. Hellooooo? I was pleasantly surprised at how good the amp modeling sounded and responded compared to the B3n. Improved, no doubt. The pedal is pretty easy to navigate, though it's not as quick to tweak on-the-fly as the B3 or B3n. I'm OK with that. I went through the MS-60B in favor of the B3, and then the B3n, and prefer the quality of the B6 over all of them hands-down. Starting with the B3n, Zoom seems to have dropped the idea of quantity indulgence in favor of a limited, but better quality, core models for preamps/amps/cabs/drives. Those looking for bang-for-buck still tend toward the B3/MS-60B, but IMHO the quality suffered for it. Improved quality comes at a price.

On the B6 unit when you save any patch, for example patch 123, it will ask you to save to "123" (the current patch location), and you'll see up/down arrows. You can scroll up and down with those arrows to save to a new location. If you want to duplicate the existing patch, make sure you save it first, then hit save again to copy to the new location. In GuitarLab, you can copy multiple patches, for example the 4 consecutive patches in a bank, using Windows conventions shift (select patches consecutively) or CNTRL (select patches individually). You can save selected multiple patches into the patch pool.

both good ideas, and I've not done either. Will try this tonight.

I found that initially, it took a while for GuitarLab to recognize the pedal. Initially I thought it wasn't recognizing the B6 at all until I just let it sit for a couple minutes. Haven't timed it lately, but connection seems faster than 4 minutes for me....maybe 30 seconds or so. Definitely would appreciate faster connection time. Yes, the touchscreen is picky. I commented on this upon initial use of the B6. It isn't as fast as your typical smart phone, and does require the user to adjust to the touchscreen. This is another place where the B6 could be improved, but I personally am not bothered by it as some of my tablet/iPad based audio apps suffer from this sort of speed/sensitivity issue, so I'm used to it. I think if you consciously go about it with a little patience and deliberate motions, you'll be OK. I'd love to be able to rifle around the screen just like my cell phone, though.

Cool. Please do chime in with thoughts and questions if you need any help.

What effects would you be using, and are they the type of effects that lend themselves to being blended along with your 100% dry bass rig tone? Reason I ask is that some effects are 100% wet by nature, though for all practical purposes, most are mixed wet + dry. If you really are concerned about your dry bass rig sound not being messed with, then use a "wet+dry" approach, with a second amp setup for WET ONLY sounds. This is what many guitarists do for the same reason (a wet-dry-wet stage rig for stereo effects, but 100% pure dry tone in the center). It involves a high quality splitter box and a second rig, on top of the fx pedals you want to use. It's not a great solution, but IMO the "purity" is intact. Short of that, just use only analog pedals with true-bypass. I personally got over the "purity" hurdle a long time ago as a matter of practicality. Nothing wrong with your approach. Some players can stick-and-move with digital processing, others can't.

I think that Boss is more gearing this toward guitarists with switching stage amps or those who use 4-cable method than those who would want to use it as an all-in-one. And a lot of people aren't happy slapping a Whirlwind IMP2 on their board to send to FOH, and will want something better in quality that can add significant cost. Though this type of thing isn't a dealbreaker for me personally (my stage rig has an XLR feed taken pre-preamp, right at the input of the amp), it has been expressed often that it's a drag. But I'd rather have sturdy 1/4" outs than a shoddy XLR which is prone to break down.

Well, it worked for me. You mix it loud, for starters, to excite enough air in the room to wreak havoc. LOL. I'll admit that having done a crap-ton of studio and live mixing - as wall as performing - helped my situation a lot, and certainly not everyone will have worn those three hats to garner enough experience to understand how each can relate to the other. And of course my personal taste in bass tone and how they should sit in a mix are also subjective. I digress. It can also work for those relying on IEM for at rehearsal and performances.

@fretmeister yes, this is the dilemma...the auditioning process. I guess perhaps we could all agree that "for those who know what IRs they already like, and don't need to search", 16 slots could be plenty. But you are 100% correct, if one is in the search of auditioning IRs in context at a live rehearsal or recording session, 16 slots wouldn't cut it. But I also wouldn't want to put my bandmates through the agony of auditioning a dozen IRs during a rehearsal...painful distraction. A good way to go about this is to get a proper live mix of your band MINUS BASS (bass as a separate dry ISO track), and use this recording to test IRs in a home studio type of setup. Another funny thing that can happen is people sometimes find that, for bass, they prefer EQ and blended tones to the cabinet IR. Go figure.

The B3 is what got me reacquainted with ZOOM products, and it is still extremely popular, yes. Great features for a great price. I don't regret moving on from it due to my inability to get along with 3 button multi-fx pedals of any kind (HX Stomp included). In terms of sounds, though, I'll take the B6 every day over the B3. I still highly recommend the B3, though, especially for those on a tight budget where needs are few and size matters. It's a great gateway!

In the sense of a split INTERNAL path for parallel processing, sadly the B6 does not do this. Dealbreaker for some, not for others. It really depends on what you want out of your parallel processing, though. A lot of effects, most drives, some preamps have a wet/dry blend or mix. So if the primary concern is getting some dry signal into a distorted/OD tone, then you can definitely do this. Only a couple comps have wet/dry blend. Also, there is an FX Loop and Send/Return for external pedals, but I'm guessing this isn't what you're talking about. I did do a parallel dry path experiment connecting the 1/4 send to the 1/4 return, placing the send at slot 1 and return post-effects in the signal path. It does work but sort of convoluted, and debatable whether it is worth eating up 2 of the 6 slots. But you technically CAN DO a pure dry parallel path is if interest....but a stretch.

GEAR AQUISITION SYNDROME

Man. It's a tempting pedal. I'm not ripping on Boss, really, but...but, but, but....If only they had included an XLR output and some basic synth modules, I'd probably already have it on pre-order, the new ZOOM B6 be damned (I'd probably keep it and clean house of my B3n AND G4n to make room). Good times for quality new toys!

It does get ridiculous, but evidently there are users who must appreciate massive IR quantities. This from Fractal Audio's FM9 modeler pedal: For certain the Fractal Audio crowd is looking for top performance. Is it a different market than the GX-100? Maybe, maybe not. In that context, 16 slots seems incredibly few. One way around this for Boss is if their editor had a feature that allowed you to audition IRs from a folder on the computer's hard drive, in a sort-of temporary IR slot, without formally loading them onto the pedal. That way you only load IRs that are keepers

Guitar Lab is clunky and quirky. It functions on a very basic level. I've been trying to figure out how to Rename Banks in Guitar Lab, but haven't yet found it. On the B6, you can name a bank when you create a New Bank, but it's strange where it locates the new, named bank. It blew out a bank of presets I made and hadn't backed-up. OUCH!