andruca

Flattering but funny at the same time. Lately I've been struggling to lay down some fast HC bass tracks for my own band (100% picking). I have this tendency to chase the drums and it doesn't always work right. Definitely doesn't work with quantized drums in the 200BPM zone 😢

I've just succumbed too, loving my V3. Unfortunately not as good looking as the V5R you're getting ❤️

Nice score! I've been the owner of a gen 2 V3 5er for 10 days and I'm still in awe at all the features, quality, playability and tone. Really superb. I've been playing some Sires for the last years (gen 1 mostly) and really liked them, but spending real time with it I don't think it plays, sounds or feels a penny cheaper than over 1000 instruments (I own a couple Stingray5s, and have owned several other over-1000 basses). The V3 was definitely my choice as I prefer both the lighter weight and the more modern tone (kind of a more delicate/refined hi-end). Best Jazz 5er I've played. I've owned a Maruszczyk Jake 5a+ and played several Elwoods (real lovely Jazz Basses) and I'd take this one over those, at 1/4-1/3 the budget. First Sire and first Jazz 5er for me. So much value. Enjoy your V7 👍

I have 2 USA Stingray5s (1997 & 2003, ceramic) and have owned a Ray35 for over a year (sold it a couple years ago). I'd get the 2 pickup SUB Ray5 HH. The Ray35 was just OK for the price I paid back then (600€ used), but there's way better crafted/more feature rich instruments at the price (Schecters is an example, will forever regret not getting a -way cheaper- Diamond PJ5 instead). The preamps on SUBs suck (they all seem to distort easily) but that can be fixed for about 25€ with an Artec preamp. The SUB Ray5 HH used to be under 500€ , now it's slightly over 600€ new. Too bad they don't show up used much, 600€ is definitely too expensuve for a SBMM SUB.

I started using Zoom multiFX around 2000. I first got a BFX-708, noisy, but WAY more bang for the buck than anything remotely close in price. Upgraded to a 708II in 2003 (quite an upgrade), also owned a B2.1u (kept the 708II for some more years as I liked its tone more, in fact the 708II replaced a Boss GT-6B I owned, liked the Zoom's tone better). In 2015 I got an MS-60B as a birthday gift and that really made the final switch for me. I stopped using my SansAmp live and since then I've only used Zooms for such purpose (SansAmp only gets used for recording). I currently own said MS-60B, plus a B3, a G3, a G1Xon, an MS-50G and a B1Xfour. All are as reliable as it gets, and also most are really customizable (I have guitar+bass FX models in all my Zooms, except for the B3&G3, which can't be hacked to do so). I can sound any way I like on any of them. I still prefer the previouos gen to the newest (B3n/B1four), fours sound boxy in comparison, you have to further EQ it to make it sound with the "fullness" my previous gen gadgets get more naturally. Still can be made to sound superb, just a question of knowing what you want and what to dial in to make it happen. There's no tone you can't get. In fact I (along with my brother) built a GUMA Drive pedal (B3K clone) and after just a couple of weeks with it I managed to get a great Darkglass "impersonation" with previous gen Zooms, which don't really emulate any Darkglass pedals, using the BA SQUEAK effect, a blendable RAT emulation. Sorta' disapointing, the GUMA Drive is now also recluse in my studio, Zooms can do that for me too in live situations. As per durability I've never had any of these Zooms break on me ever. My G1Xon (plastic) in fact fell from about 2m (6+ft) high about 2 years ago, it hit a desk, then the floor. Not even a scratch on it, and it keeps working perfectly many years after the event. The (Ikea) desk got the worst part of it (big hole on top after the huge hit). Zooms are TOUGH. Also own a couple Zoom R24 recorders (my 16-chan portable recording studio) and they're also super dependable and tough.

I'm a longtime SansAmp (RBI) user and GUMA Drive (B3K clone) user for under a couple years. I play mostly HC/punk and metal. I'm more of a SansAmp fan for punk/HC and more of a Darkglass fan for metal. I play both mostly with a soft pick and quite a strong consistent (maybe guitar like) attack and lots of compression in both scenarios. My suggestion is you'll get away with this EASILY with any Zoom small footprint pedal (i.e. MS-60B). That model in particular has SansAmp emulation built in and the blendable RAT emulation allows for a very convincing Darkglass tone too. The unit can hold up to 4 effects per patch (if not enough the MS-50G, guitar model, can hold up to 6 FX, and can be easily hacked to have every effect you might need from bass models), so you can further EQ, compress, gate the noise out, even add an additional preamp if it serves your tone shaping. I've permanently assigned the SansAmp and the GUMA Drive to my studio and exclusively use any of my Zooms live. I work with 3 basic patches (2 SansAmp, 1 Darkglass paradigm). All of them are fat and heavily compressed (not squashy tho'). Most difference between my SansAmp "clean" (mostly used for playing fingerstyle, not too clean really) and crunchy (mostly pick playing) tones are just gain and blend variations . The Darkglass tone I only use in a crunchy version (100% pick work). This is the "clean" SansAmp tone plucking on the neck pickup of a cheap parts Jazz Bass... Same bath, on both pickups, pick and crunchy tone... And this is the faking of my Darkglass tone soloed, you can barely tell a difference between the Zoom and the B3k clone (same bass, bocth pickups + just the neck pickup)... I use this same scheme with any bass (I also own a -cheap- P, Musicman, Warwick StarBass, Epi EB-0, Schecter CV-5). Most videos in my YouTube channel are recorded thru' Zooms I own (MS-60B, MS-50G, G1Xon, B3, G3, B1Xfour). Please note your playing has A LOT to do with how effective your distortion timbre is and how heavy you sound. Compression helps your output level, yet can't supress all EQ "surges" if you don't pluck/pick consistently hard. Hitting hard obviously "maxes out" your signal and helps EQ (lows included) stay consistent.

Neck feels great. It's a modern C shape, around 21mm thick @fret 1. In fact I have another cheap parts bass (made from the cheapest neck & body I could get from AliExpress) and it's 1+mm thicker.

I built the P-style kit in early 2016. It went thru a lot. First I made it a reverse P. Then added a J pickup from a Squier someone sold me. Did the "S1" series/parallel switching mod (via a push-pull vol pot). Then, after often stringing it BEAD I decided to make it into a 5-string (16mm spacing at the bridge). Then refinished in worn out red, then made it a fretless. Basswood body, super stable neck, no sharp fret ends on mine, and the pickup is VERY decent (i.e., sounded better than the Delano P in a Maruszczyk I've owned, which sounded DEAD and with a terrible dip around 600hz, also like it better than the tone I used to get from a Fender Am Dlx P5 I got years ago). As a fretless, flats are starting to get boring (and far from what I do as a bass player) so I'm probably going back to roundwounds soon, for a more Tony Franklin kinda' mood. This was her original form and tone... Reverse P mod... J addition... And this is my current fretless 5er... For the 88€ it cost it's a great little project bass. I don't think I've put another 88€ more in parts (if you don't count the 55€ LaBella LTFs in it). Any upgrades are made on the absolute cheapest, mostly AliExpress parts. Spending real money on this would defeat the purpose. Only thing that failed was a tuner, some teeth in its gear just snapped while tuning about 3+ years in (got a cheap yet decent enough tuner set for 25€). IDK, it's cheap, it's simple, it's reliable enough, easy to work on and it's given me many many hours of modding/tuning/tweaking fun, so well worth the cost. All that said, I got a used Harley Benton PB-20 a year ago and my guess is if you found one used (you might find onoe for 60-70€ 2nd hand here in Spain, not often seen tho') you could have a better bass from the get go, which can also be modded to death. Only bad thing about the PB-20 is the neck is a little thicker than the P kit (I personally prefer them as skinny as possible), still totally in the P-bass ballpark, nothing extreme.

Hi, just saw this thread. I've been forever wanting to make something like this (more like the Ouya of multiFX, with some open source scripting to make "models" a DSP would then execute). Please, count on me for anything, from those clean bass recordings (have many basses and can play whatever styles, fingers or pick, and can provide quality recordings no problem) to anything programming (I make a living out of PHP/Python mostly, but am fluent with many other stuff). Also have a Raspberry Pi400. Just not familiar at all with the dealings of DSP. OTOH I'm a great functional analyst/advisor when it comes to multiFX, I have huge experience with them (many brands and their different generations). P/S: Proteus is an old synth/sampler model by E-mu, some trademarks might be involved there.

I've always felt meh about the old POD (and floorboard version). OTOH, with only minor insight into recent (Helix range) Line6 products I take my hat off, awesome tones, awesome layout/operation. Pricey tho'.

I own both a G1Xon (guitar model, but hacked with added bass FX, virtually making it a B1Xon for bass purposes) and a B1Xfour. My suggestion is get the B1on/Xon. Even tho' both can be tweaked to sound great, the fours sound boxier and noisier. The ON models sound fuller/rounder out of the box (and can be had for 40€/$/£ or less used). No Darkglass emulations on the ON models, but you can fake it decently enough with the BA SQUEAK (blendable RAT) emulation. I own many other previous gen models (B3, G3, MS-60B, MS-50G) and they all sound the same. Also owned many previous models (BFX-708, 708II, B2.1u) and they were all great and I never had a problem with it. My G1Xon in particular took a dive from 2m high, hit a desk (where it punched a hole) and then fell to the floor. Not even minor damage to it, really tough plastic I guess.

Just got a Sub'n'up Mini for cheap. Can't be happier. Tracks the octave up perfectly and immediately. As much as I hate TCE for their "optimistic" bass amp specs (what a joke) the Toneprint concept is awesome. I've made a couple custom Toneprints in no time (octave up+clean+overdrive, octave up+chorus+overdrive), both with a hi-pass filter in the output EQ section, set to 80hz, to avoid some lows that still come out of the polyphonic +1 octave. I'm mostly still using the clean polyphonic octave up into a Zoom for "guitar amp" tone duties (a B1XFour with guitar amp models added, will almost exclusively use the Rectifier orange channel emulation and occasional pitch shifter adding 5th up -mildly mixed-), the Toneprint overdrive is not that good really. All in all, very cool concept and huge posibilities. Also got a Roland Cube60 guitar amp for dirty cheap, to have a wholly independent "guitar" path.

Oh, man, I wish I could do something as complete (and compelling) as Muse does. In this particular case I hadn't thought of Muse, probably because my riff cycle is half as long as Hysteria's, so the analogy didn't click. But the "pedalling" open drop-D thing definitely carries the mood there, for sure. Consciously, I was definitely influenced by this song (I sub for their bass guy often), my style is just softer.

My "process" (or lack thereof) consists of: #1 - INSPIRATION I'm also the singer in what I call MY band, so many times music isn't what comes first in my mind. I have this text document in my mobile phone where I have all sorts of lyrical pieces, from mere hooks to whole verses/choruses. I usually know how they'll end up being, at least rhythmically, but most times I have the whole melody too. Only some times things start from a riff or chord progression I usually find while playing/trying stuff on my own. I sometimes record stuff I'm not sure I'll remember later with a simple dictaphone app in my phone, but that's really occasional, mostly with bass/guitar riffs/parts, as vocal melodies get "engraved" in my memory as soon as I write (and like) a certain set of words. #2 - DEMO Once I have sufficient material for building up a song I sorta' sketch a basic drum structure, directly in my DAW (Reaper + Steven Slate Drums plugin). I program drums carefully enough so that you can play along with a decent feeling. Bass part is usually the last thing I figure out. I record guitar first, then bass. Usually thru' Zoom boxes for a mostly baked in tone (one that's record friendly, so I don't have to tweak too much afterwards) and into a Zoom R24 I use as my audio interface (great preamps). Last thing I do is record my vocals, usually a lead vocal and 2 harmonies panned open. I usually record it all in one 3-4hr "session" at home, whatever isn't complete or missing I invent on the fly (very occasionally out of thin air, mostly rounding of previous ideas). #3 - MIX & SORTA' MASTER For about a week after I do the recording I intensively listen to it in every medium available to correct both the overall mix/sound but also musical details (mostly vocals) until I have something I really like. As soon as I do have it I register it online in SGAE (composers' union here in Spain, I don't get any money at all from my small time band, just do it for intellectual property reasons) and after that I can show anybody. I make sure the volume and overall "fullness" is there, so it isn't sounding too anemic A/Bed with comercial music (the most depressing aspect of most demos people share). This is my last demo (from some 4 month's ago). Guitar is a CHEAP Tele copy, bass is a 90€ parts Jazz I built a couple years ago, and both emanate from a Zoom G1Xon pedal (hacked with added bass FX). It goes thru' the aforementioned Zoom R24 as my interface and into a Windows10 + Reaper PC. Vocal mic is an old cheap AKG dynamic one (D65 model IIRC, probably have had it for 30 years) which I recently refurbished, capsule thoroughly covered with acoustic foam as its antipop filter, also thru' the R24. This song, along with 5 others, is yet to be recorded with my power trio soon. We have previously released a whole LP and an EP. This will be a new EP. Unlike in previous occasions, where my part would consist mostly of composing the vocals on top of music by our guitarist/s, this is all my compositions, all "pre-produced" with this "process". Despite who the author is, this is the level of detail we're used to. No time to lose in the studio, we need to get there with everything down, I like detailed demoing, even now that we're recording at our own studio. I also like to go in the studio with material not only learned but, moreso on vocals, it sounding like me, like it's mine. I hate singers (and all musicians, but singers are the most evident case) that don't put the previous work and end up looking like they're recording covers they don't quite know in the studio.

IDK where you're located, but I'm sure there's some cheap P-bass around you used in the 100-150$/€/£ range (Squier, Harley Benton, SX). Might be a better solution. I, as you, am more of a Jazz fan (prefer the sound of the Jazz neck pickup to the P indeed), still have a HB P-bass for when the situation calls for one (paid 80€ for it used, like new, with a gig bag, +1 regular digital tuner, +1 clip tuner, +some cables). Plays nice, sets up fine, sounds like a P-bass should.

Exactly my experience. Own a B3, MS-60B, MS-50G, G1xon (previous gen, all but the B3 "hacked" with a combination of guitar and bass model FX) and a B1Xfour (new gen). The four sounds THIN and BOXY, and more noisy in comparison. It also messes with/buries the timbre/character of my instruments, makes them all sound generic. Also it annoys me the BASS-PEQ is single band now, so with the constant need for EQ correction and ZNR you end up wasting slots you wouldn't waste in the previous gen (still, probably you can somehow inject the A1four/Xfour's PEQ, which is 2-band, to mitigate the loss). I've gone so paranoid as to get a second B1Xfour (just in case I'd had a lemon with the first one I got -long gone-). Don't get me wrong, it does the job competently enough with enough tweaking. And I'll keep the four this time. But it still sucks every time I A/B it with any of my previous gen gadgets (I've spent over 20 hours doing so).

Just don't hang me for heresy, but I happen to like the RAT emulation inside Zoom multiFX pedals. It's blendable, which is one of the requisites. This is my standard "ratted" pick tone both for playing thru' amps and for recording metal/HC/punk. It's the RAT emulation (BA Squeak) plus SansAmp emulation + compression. Not a P bass, but a J, first both pickups, then just the neck (closer to a P). Recorded with a G1Xon that cost me 35€ (firmware tuned with added bass FX).

My 2003 blue Stingray5...

I was going thru' some stuff in my Zoom R24 recorder and found the chance to do a fair A/B between my (long gone) B1XFour and my MS-60B, thus this "threadsurrection". I had the B1XFour sample in this video so I recorded the same phrase with my MS-60B, also in the Zoom R24, then made a video out of it in Reaper. The patch in the Four was my attempt at getting as close as possible to the patch in my MS-60B (my regular crunchy patch -my "clean" is just a bit cleaner than this, yet not clean really-). In the MS-60B it's just BassDrive+160Comp+ZNR, while in the B1XFour it's BassDrive+2x instances of BassPEQ+160Comp+ZNR. Same bass, 2003 (ceramic) Stingray5. Despite all the EQing the Four still sounds boxy, as if having a narrower response. It also screws up the bass' timbre more, you can see it sort'a muffles its character. I also remember being frustrated by the Four's SansAm emulation getting more fart instead of more grit when increasing the gain. You can appreciate that here too, it's punchy, but mostly farts, in a boxy way, while the MS-60B grits and booms. More (useless) food for thought/speculation in the video description if anyone happens to be interested. EDIT: "clean" sample comparison (be aware my clean is not so clean)...

Definitely a better option (as per video samples) than the Fishman Fission which, I've tried twice, and tracks like crap, glitches a lot, definitely worse than the Zooms' bass pitch. Also the distortion in the Fission sucks, the Unibass' distortion sounds a lot better. Still nowhere near what you can achieve with a POG/PitchFork and independent treatment of the "guitar" signal.

Yep, cheapest I could go was 2 Zoom devices. Unfortunately no parallel processing on Zoom devices as of today (even on their latest G6/B6 generation). Still, you can get a B1on/G1on for 35€ used here in Spain (so 2 for 70-80€, previous gen, but sounds better than the B1Xfour -current gen- I've owned, and ditched). Add 15€ for an ABY pedal. And I made the Y/balance box I use when going thru' only 1 amp (box+3 mono jacks+pot) for another 20€. So in the vicinity of some 120€ (100£?) you'd have the cheapest rig for it. The only poor link in the chain is the pitch shifter, all other things can be set to sound real competent. Even tho' the Zooms' bass pitch (this is the one to use, not the guitar version) is certainly no POG or PitchFork, it can even sorta' get some chords that sound passable with a noisy enough tone. Not done with 1 multiFX but with 2 VERY CHEAP ones, probably half or less than any other alternative. Here's the exact post where I describe the whole ghetto thing. On a side note, you shoudn't even worry if the models you get are for guitar or bass if it's any of: B1on/Xon, G1on/Xon, MS-60B/50G/70CDR, G3n/B3n, G1foud/Xfour, B1four/Xfour (2 latest generations). Effects in them can be tweaked with either the Zoom Firmware Editor or Zoom Effect Manager (both unofficial, just Google them, I suggest Zoom Effect Manager 1.1.1, easier and no firmware "deconstruction" needed on the part of the user). You can put any effect from any model into another unit of the same gen. I've got a page where I compile all my Zoom firmware/FX tweaking resources and info and speak about both tools (downloadable there too).

Hi y'all! I've successfully hacked an MS-50G I got. Didn't use the firmware editor this time (had trouble related to the absence of a FLST_SEQ.ZDT file) so I went with the (also unofficial) Zoom Effect Manager, making a list from scratch with effects from any model really. I basically added almost everything from the DYN/FLT/DRV/AMPSIM/BASS DRV/BASS AMPSIM groups, plenty from MOD/SFX, 6 DELAYs and 7 REVERBs. Perfectly fit as a 6 slot MS-60B while still guitar capable. Here's a little clip of a couple 3 slot patches (my "clean" and a dirtier tone) played thru' the 4 bass enabled Zoom multiFX I own nowadays (also own a G3 which can't be hacked, same thing with the B3, that's why I own both). As expected hey sound exactly the same (using the master level at 100 in the B3 and G1Xon produces roughly the same output as the MultiStomps -no master level on them-, G1Xon might be just a tad quiet). Also, was successful in making several patches with 5 bass FX plus ZNR, such as my B3K inspired "DarkRAT" patch, which goes Ba Squeak > BassDrive > BassPEQ > BassPEQ > 160Comp > ZNR. Works like a charm. No DSP overloads with the kind of FX I use. I've read that delays/reverbs are the most DSP demanding FX, don't know any science behind it, but still wonder why Zoom never expanded the slot capability of the MS-60B. Why not let me stack any number of FX up to the DSP limit? It appears to be safe for the device, which will definitely let you know when you're exceeding capacity and will simply omit the offending effect (and any of the models I own will do it even with the slot limit if you put enough reverbs/delays/"twin" effects, not even the 3 slot B3 gets away with some outrageous combinations). Would be much more functional, it's even unfair for us who mostly use undemanding FX and would like to add the additional EQ/exciter/noise reduction and just can't, not because of lack of CPU but because of the silly slot limit. Might stick with Zoom Effect Manager 1.1.1, hadn't used it before, nice app. Sharing an export of the FX selection now installed in my MS-50G for anyone interested (also human readable if you're curious). Will probably install the same selection into my MS-60B, which I'll probably keep as a backup.

100% right. It doesn't NOWADAYS. The firmware editor just didn't exist back when I got it as a gift in 2015. 😉 Looking forward to swap it for a MS-50G soon indeed (no need for stereo input, also the CDR is more expensive even used 'round here, just need the extra slots).

Exactly my impression. If it had a DI out and could be used as an audio interface (such as the G3) it'd be perfect for me, I'd probably have both a B1Xon and a G1Xon (I only own a G1Xon) and get rid of anything else. I've also been to the newer generation (extensively tested the G3n and even owned a B1Xfour for some months) and they simply don't sound as good (notoriously boxy and noisy in comparison). I got the Four mostly because of the Darkglass models, but the bad tone defeated the purpose (even the SansAmp emulation I base most of my patches on is damm poor in comparison to any previous gen I own -MS-60B, B3, G1Xon-). The other thing people appreciate in the newer generation is the hi pass filter. Both of these matters have a workaround on the older gen. For one there's the ACBS Pre (modelled after a Fishman pre) that has a "depth" parameter, which is indeed a hi-pass filter (even I, a Zoom freak, learned about this just a couple years ago). Also, the Darkglass tone can be faked real close once you take the time to go thru' the various ODs available to find the right kind of grit/grain (in my case thru' the BA Squeak, a blendable RAT emulation). I built this patch with a GUMA-Drive (B3K clone) I built side by side with my G1Xon (on customized firmware with all bass relavant stuff from the B1Xon). I'm using all 5 pedal slots, but the basics of the tone are there even when getting rid of the ZNR (when using my MS-60B, 4 slots max) or also the PEQ (when using my B3, just 3 slots). Still, as always, waiting for Zoom's next gen, of course. Just have experienced the latest (B3n, B1four/Xfour) generation to be a step back in tone (same thing happened many years back, I got a B2.1u and after much trying I kept using my 708II, sounded better).

Sincelerely, for that kinda' money, you can have a bass with more personality tonewise. I find Gravities pretty generic sounding. Had them for MANY years, and liked them, but my tastes shifted with time.