jimfist

Ha. I had the original 3 button Amplifire and used it briefly, but long before they introduced the SVT model. I struggled with it at the time. It was very nice for guitar tones, but for some reason couldn't find a guitar amp model that suited my tastes. As though it was too dynamic, and too squishy, especially for the gritty heavier/metal tones I needed. Fender Bassman didn't cut it. LOL. I suppose I just didn't work hard enough on it, and also found the compressor block to be dodgy, not quite tuned the way I like it for bass. The BassBox sure doesn't suffer from this IMO. Seems VERY well-tuned for bass. I did have to engage the input pad for the BBox drive & comp to behave. I hit hard and my bass' output is pretty healthy.

I was hot for the Quad Cortex until I saw how the initial roll-out went, and then with supply chain difficulties, delayed firmware updates, etc. etc. That's cooled me off for a while, until I have a better feeling that the QC is more mature. Cool that you're willing to go with the BassBox. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. There are some operation things that you might want to explore with the software editor, as it also does adjustment for the gain/OD, and has an overall mix/blend feature. It also allows you to do signal path assigns to the main XLR and 1/4" outputs. Apologies for this, but over at TalkBass, there's a whole forum thread on the BassBox that goes pretty deep. I hear you re: the B6. Zoom is.....Zoom. I've had good luck with the B3, B3n, and mostly the G5n (with the hack to port B3n blocks into the G5n). It's not world-beater gear, but for simple operation and bang-for-buck, it's been good to me now that I've got less demanding gigs WRT crazy effects programming. With the B6 being a steeper price tag, I'm likely to be more critical of it than, for example, the G5n which cost me $299US in 2017.

Don't worry...I won't mince words or couch my opinion on the B6. I've owned the HX Stomp (flipped it after a couple months), and gigged for many years with the Fractal Audio AxeFxII. It will be the good, bad, and ugly as I see it, albeit as a Zoom fan and user for many years.

True enough that all-in-one multi-fx pedals do present challenges for quick live adjustments on-the-fly...even with the high ticket items. Certainly there are a slew of guitarists and bassists who can make this work, myself included. When I use my B3n or G5n (done hundreds of gigs with them), or BassBox running into my stage rig (bass head & cab), I utilize the bass amp head EQ to address stage/room EQ issues. The multi-fx/amp modeling feed to FOH (when used) is taken PRE stage rig. This eliminates most of my live tweaking issues since I've sorted out my effects/balance and core tones in my multi-fx at home & rehearsals. Any individual gig tweaks are just fine tuning that can be done during sound check, and I'm probably the only one who knows or cares. The B6 does have the optional Bluetooth dongle which allows for pairing with an ipad/iphone, which would be convenient for on-the-fly adjustment. Circling back to the Atomic BassBox, I can understand why getting one - even at a great blowout price - would be a little scary, being across the pond from a very small manufacturer such as Atomic. I'm in the US (Boston) and only a couple hours drive from Atomic's facility in Connecticut, so it was an easy decision for me to buy at the pre-sale discount (for being on the BassBox wait list). Beyond that, feature-wise, I wouldn't say that the BassBox is trying to mimic the DarkGlass B7k (or the like) or Tech 21 Sans Amp BDDI (or the like). I'd classify it as a 'tweener' to both of these, and tonally it I find it has a broader range of excellent sounding tone possibilities due to its flexible options: choose from 3 types of each Drive (OD pedal, tube, FET) dynamics (comp, limiter, leveler) Amp/Cab (factory default solid state amp+12" cab IR, tube amp+15"IR, SVT amp+SVT 8x10 IR) all programmable via editor software EQ (4 band fixed a la API module, 3 band w/mid sweep, 3 band 'state variable' Bass/freq/Q/Treble). The computer editor is basic, but most importantly allows you to change the 3 amps & cab combinations available via the hardware amp switch, and add 3rd party IRs. Dr. Bonkers supplied the stock IRs, and they're excellent quality IMO. For me, the benefit of the BassBox is for WYSIWYG old-school knobs and switches with immediate control of core tone and switched overdrive/boost, without the bells-and-whistles of ear candy effects. It is limited in this respect, but far more flexible and programmable than most stand-alone hardware preamp pedals (BDDI, B7K, etc.) of this format/footprint. From my use of it (and all JMHO, YMMV), the BassBox can easily cover a wide range of bass tone styles (I do everything from old-school R&B, classic hard rock & metal, and modern metal) and sound excellent doing it. The BassBox is, physically and sonically a QUALITY device. Though technically a digital box, it holds up under scrutiny in a way that many low-to-midrange digital multi-fx might not. BTW, the compressor/limiter/leveler is GOOD, which you can't always say about a lot of 2-knob compressors. For me, this is critical, and I'm very picky about compression/limiting. EQ section is also excellent. Where the B6 comes into play with the BassBox will be, for me, if the B6 is improved enough to really, truly compete with the BassBox for CORE functions (described above) and possibly replace it. That would impress, but not banking on it. I may find the B6 to be markedly improved (specifically how TBD), but still not up to snuff with the BassBox core tone aspects. In this case, I'll have to decide if it can be justified for use as ear candy special fx only, or as a B-rig all-in-one to include amp modeling. A looming question is whether it has enough available DSP to handle all effects and amp modeling duties, which may force the issue one way or another. Will know more in a couple days.

I got one of the first ones. And I just ordered the B6, due for arrival this week, I'll have opinions I think the Atomic BassBox is a really nice multifunction bass pedal, and yes, it's as good a pedal as Pete Thorn makes it sound IMO. Totally different animal in the way it's designed compared to a typical digital multifx modeler. Not sure what to make of Atomic right now, though all my experiences with them have been good. Very, very small outfit, and guessing they've been having supply chain issues for key components like everyone else.

No envelope filter or auto wah? IMHO this pedal needs it, even before dirt/fuzz effects. I would consider if not for that omission.

Wish I could be of some help, but I don't know much about CPU/DSP for the Zoom pedals. I just plug 'em and play 'em. 😉

Yes, and I probably should have gone with the HX Effects instead of the Stomp and ended the search right there. LOL. Oh well. I feel like I'm ready for something different though. No idea where I'll get money for a Quad Cortex, but for now, that's the itch I can't scratch.

Nothing against this Hotone pedal, as it looks pretty cool otherwise. FWIW, 3 button stomps are a non-starter for me. It's why I don't own the Fractal FM3, and only owned the HX Stomp for a couple months, and years ago flipped my original version Atomic Amplifire pedal. There's only so much you can do with 3 buttons without - for me - needing another set of external switches, and this defeats the purpose of an all-in-one for gigging.

Al, between the B3n and G5n I've been pretty happy for a while, and with the purchase of my Atomic Bass Box, I've got things well-covered. Though the Quad Cortex is a bit pricey, it could be my one-size-fits-all solution, sparing me the limitations of the other pedals. Of course, my Zoom and Atomic pedals are staying with me (perhaps the B3n goes on the chopping block). Currently, it's a moot point with Covid lockdown on gigging. I don't really NEED the Quad Cortex, and not sure if/when I'd have the coin....but man, this thing offers all the things I've been wanting in a pedal for so long, but none of the other manufacturers have really nailed down this combination of size, physical interface, and features.

The capture feature is killer for replicating pedal settings for tone/dirt/drive/fuzz. I can see this being a total game-changer in the modeling-fx world. https://youtu.be/3TtPBgbUimA

My advice if you really, REALLY want do understand compression: find someone who is well-equipped with high quality compressors who can help you adjust a variety of comps tweaked to your style of playing. The best comps (regardless of price) are the ones where you have to work hard to make them sound bad. Unfortunately, it's far easier to make most garden variety compressors sound either bad or ineffective. Thus, find out from someone who digs compression exactly what the fuss is all about. Learn. Then decide if you even need it, and how much you're willing to spend on the comp that gets you what you like. Personally, my view of compression changed completely after doing some studio work, which prompted me to purchase an Emperical Labs EL8 Distressor (rackmount). Pricey, yes....but holy crap, it's a slap in the face lesson as to why "good compression" is worthy of the love affair some bassists attach to it...and I'm one. That said, I'd rather have no compression than compression that doesn't meet my personal minimum threshold of tone/dynamics enhancement. Perhaps surprisingly (or not), this can even be found in a relatively inexpensive multi-fx pedal, though dialing it in to my liking is no trivial task. On the other hand, I owned a Fractal Audio AxeFxII for many years and had the darnedest time trying to dial that thing in. Go figure. Honestly, Any bassist who concludes they don't need compression can be considered fortunate. Good Luck!

Yes. I'm fortunate to own a Wal. Nothing out there like them.

I thought you knew that the bass is a Wal...it's a bird's-eye maple body. Once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me. It's the only bass I own that IMO sounds its best on its own, perhaps with a smidge of compression to tame my erratic playing. Wal does make beautiful instruments.

Is parallel blending absolutely necessary for quality bass tones? Well, how many bass tones have you heard in your life where you know for a fact the sound was just the bass into an amp or into a mixing console? As was said before, it depends on what your end game is. If you're happy with the sounds you're currently getting, then why fix something that ain't broke? The flip side is that parallel routing offers much flexibility that isn't available to you in simple, serial signal paths. (Me, personally? I can be perfectly happy with a simple serial path, but have extensively used parallel routing for more demanding/complex needs. Again, it depends.) Regarding phase issues with parallel path routing: If you use an analog outboard parallel path mixer with a DIGITAL effect, then you're likely to have tone problems with SOME effects since all digital processing has inherent latency (generally around 2 milliseconds, but can be more). This is not really noticeable with time domain (delay/reverb) effects that are 100% wet, but can be very apparent when blending with effects with no time delay element and lots of dry signal retention (for example: a slightly driven dirt pedal that retains much of the original frequency content). Digital devices that allow for parallel routing WITHIN THE UNIT will not suffer from wet vs. dry latency since the origination of any and all signal paths is the same signal (present at the unit's input). So, proceed with caution when mixing analog with digital for parallel blending. (This is also a common problem at mixing desks when a DI bass feed is to be blended with a mic'd cabinet, due to the distance of the mic from the speaker driver. Same general idea but for different reasons.)

One thing to keep in mind about "distortion" is that it doesn't need to necessarily be prominent in context while still qualifying as distortion. Isolated bass tracks can demonstrate exactly how distorted (or overdriven) a bass sound can be but still not necessarily come across as "dirty". One of my favorite discoveries as of late has been the Gold Drive (evidently a Klon Overdrive model) that lives in the Zoom G5n/G3n multi-fx pedals. In isolation, I've set it so that the distortion is audible, but not overbearing, while the drive distortion adds harmonics that contribute to better presence and clarity in the context of a mix. To my ears, it's remarkable. FWIW, I've also struggled to find distortions (other than blatant distortion effects) that largely keep the bass tone in tact while adding that special something that helps pop the bass out in the mix. If you're going for heavy distortion, then I've only been able to make this work by using parallel wet/dry mix methods, otherwise 100% distortion settings tend to bury the fundamental punch or clarity of the bass sound.

I really don't know about chipset, and though these details do matter from an engineering standpoint, I tend to let my ears and instincts make the decision (of course assuming that the function of the gear meets certain needs). The G11 is certainly a capable multi-fx modeler. The problems always have been the initial asking price, the looks (which turn off most), and that they are chasing existing competition that already do almost EVERYTHING the G11 purports to do better than ZOOM is doing it....perhaps with just a few noteworthy exceptions - predominantly, the dumbed-down simplicity (not necessarily a bad thing) of having 5 always-available switches w/control knobs. Otherwise, price was always king for ZOOM, and getting good bang-for-buck is the reason why many enjoy their products. Unfortunately, the G11 is outside the bang-for-buck sweet spot which will make it a difficult sell. I think the G6 will be more viable, and I'm curious to see where that lands in terms of features and cost. I can't say that I disagree with the notion that all ZOOM really needed to do following the old version G5/G3/B3 was work to improve the quality of its modeling algorithms - mainly for amps, cabs, and dirt/drive pedals. But they decided to junk that whole format in going to the "n" series, and are only now starting to re-incorporate some of those features, but without the depth of capability evidently (MIDI implementation, assignable parameter to exp pedal, etc.)

Yes, please. Will you be looking to use 3rd party IRs to load into the G11 for more cab sim flexibility?

I'm watching the G6 from a distance...seeing what develops and if anything interesting is described in an English translation owners manual. Hopefully, they'll integrate native (or add-in via editor) bass amps/cabs/effects since the G11 at least has a couple of bass items as a courtesy. If so, I could justify flipping gear for the G6....but....we'll see. Parallel signal path would be a big help IMO. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy with my G5n, B3n, and Atomic Bass Box. Seems like the G11 has been a sales disaster from the little that can be concluded to this point, and though the G6 is definitely a step in the right direction, I hardly think it will "gateway" people to want to spend the extra cash on the G11, which evidently had a significant "cyber week" price drop recently, but now priced back at original MSRP (which is a bit too high IMO).

MAIN FEATURES 16 types of standard amp models + 6 types of ZOOM original amp models Pre-installed 70 IR data in addition to 22 cabinet models ZOOM original effect: 2 types of distortion + 3 types of modulation IR loader function that can read up to 2048 samples, 120 in total (70 presets + 50 users) Up to 7 effects + 1 amp model (or up to 9 effects) can be used at the same time 240 types of effect patches can be stored in memory (for both factory and user) 4.3-inch touch screen with swipe, drag and drop operations Looper function that can record phrases of up to 45 seconds (monaural 90 seconds) and 68 types of rhythm pattern function 2-in / 2-out USB audio interface function Send / return terminal to connect your favorite external effects Stereo AUX input terminal convenient for connecting music players, etc. Expression pedal for foot control of volume / pitch / wah, etc. SD card slot for reading external IR data and expanding / saving looper recording time Compatible with Mac / Windows software "Guitar Lab" for which additional effects / patches can be obtained You can use the iPhone / iPad application "Handy Guitar Lab" with the optional Bluetooth adapter (BTA-1). Extend the product warranty period to 3 years with free online user registration

New ZOOM G6 multi-effect modeler...I guess this is only being released in Japan for the time being, from what I've gathered on the interwebs. https://youtu.be/5nJd8D0ffK8

Yes, I was made aware of that editor and successfully ported many of the B3n items over to the G5n. Works great.

I've seen videos of the G11 with bass amps from the B3n (SVT and Aguilar). https://youtu.be/NZY9K3ZyKzk?t=90 As the G11 is having difficulty getting much interest (for a number of good reasons), it remains to be seen exactly how far Zoom will go in representing bass amps, cabs, drives, and other stuff in the G11. At least if they went the whole way in supporting bass, it might help some guitarist/bassists feel more comfortable with the G11. I might be interested, but for the same reason I didn't seek a Helix, Fractal AX8 or FX8, and some other larger multi-fx pedals, I just don't want to carry a single pedal that large. The G5n is about the max footprint.

Waiting to hear from the " I don't use a compressor and never will, and because I don't use one, you shouldn't need to either, unless you have lousy technique, and so I'm better than you" crowd.