New Zoom B3 owner - questions!

[ReeV0]

Hello everyone,

I've just become the proud owner of a used Zoom B3, I've only had it for a few hours but i've already run though everything it has to offer. I like how easy and simple to use it is. However, I do have some burning questions (I have read the manual):

1. My most important question - How on earth can you turn off the ridiculous auto-save feature? I can't get my head around it. On the B2, you had to click 'store' when you wanted to save a change. It seems on the B3, every change is saved automatically.

For example, if I go on patch A2 (SLAP WAH), I can change all the the effect parameters within it. Without thinking, I changed the Wah effect to something else, then switched to another patch. I turned off the B3, and came back to it a while later. To my dismay, when I went back on patch A2, it had auto-saved my patch change. So it was still called SLAP WAH, but it had no Wah effect in it!! I had no idea which wah it was supposed to contain, so I had to do a factory reset. How can this be?! Am I doing something wrong? What is the purpose of the 'Store' button?

2. Where are the User slots? I have patches from A0 to J9, and then it reverts back to A0.

3. Is there any way to stop the B3 loading up the 'Rhythm' section everytime I unpause the drums? For example, if I'm using the looper, I'll be pausing/unpausing the drums whenever I'm making changes etc. It's really annoying to have to keep re-loading the looper everytime I unpause the drums.

4. Since I bought it used, is there any way to download Cubase without the CD?

5. What is the purpose of the Edit&Share software? It seems to just do what you can do on the B3 itself?

5. Is there any way to get the bass effect from RHCP - Sir Psycho Sexy? I think he was using a Multron, but can be recreated with a Q-Tron or Bassballs?


Sorry for the long post and thanks for the help!

[stewblack]

Hi - I too have recently added this excellent pedal to my board. Can't see how to turn off the auto save, it's definitely an option on my ZoomB1 but I must admit I keep it on there anyway as I like it. You have to overwrite the presets there are no empty slots. But  you can download the factory presets if you want to reinstall them the Edit and Share software makes all of this easier. You just sit at your PC and don't end up bending down to mess with the board, you can save and share your created patches with friends or for  future reinstall. It's just easier to use than doing it all on the pedal. Not used Looper or drums sorry. Nor do I know of this Cubase, sorry again.

Check this out -  the dropbox folder is still active, some good stuff there.

Edited August 26, 2018 by stewblack

[dannybuoy]

Try the Z-Tron model for that RHCP track!

[stewblack]

I glossed over question 5 as I didn't want to show my ignorance, not actually understanding what "RHCP - Sir Psycho Sexy" means.

[ReeV0]

54 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Hi - I too have recently added this excellent pedal to my board. Can't see how to turn off the auto save, it's definitely an option on my ZoomB1 but I must admit I keep it on there anyway as I like it. You have to overwrite the presets there are no empty slots. But  you can download the factory presets if you want to reinstall them the Edit and Share software makes all of this easier. You just sit at your PC and don't end up bending down to mess with the board, you can save and share your created patches with friends or for  future reinstall. It's just easier to use than doing it all on the pedal. Not used Looper or drums sorry. Nor do I know of this Cubase, sorry again.

Check this out -  the dropbox folder is still active, some good stuff there.

Thanks for the info, so there are no user patch slots, and any changes to the presets are automatically saved?! That's insane!! 

[stewblack]

I  have nothing to compare it with all I can say is  there are  a ton of preloaded patches and it's extremely unlikely any of them will do exactly what I want so I'll rename and overwrite them in time anyway. If  change anything I want it to stay where I put it not  revert  back to where it was so I like the auto save, far  more annoying if I spent  hours programming a  patch and forgot to save it.

 

[Quatschmacher]

OK, did some digging around:

Mu-Tron III was used on Sir Psycho Sexy (sources are two separate flea interviews). Q-Tron will get close as it’s Mike Beigel’s version of the Mu-Tron III that he did for EHX in 1995. I’ve seen it on Flea’s board on rig rundown videos. Z-Tron is the Zoom clone of that  

Edited August 26, 2018 by Quatschmacher
Updated with correct info

[ReeV0]

That z-tron is pretty cool, will have to have a play around with that. 

What is the purpose of the store button? 

[ReeV0]

I might just get rid of the entire J-row effects and use that as my own creations 

[Quatschmacher]

See amended post above @jjl5590

[ReeV0]

1 hour ago, Quatschmacher said:

See amended post above @jjl5590

Brilliant, i'll definitely have some fun with that!

[stewblack]

Store button allows you to store the patch away from the pedal in your user area.

 

[ReeV0]

9 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Store button allows you to store the patch away from the pedal in your user area.

 

So it essentially allows you to overwrite another preset, that can then in turn be changed at the flick of an effect. Which will then autosave, not letting you revert to what you had and no way of knowing if you forgot. Unless you manually write it down on a piece of paper

[stewblack]

Nope.  Save it on your pc then  fiddle away merrily changing everything on the pedal. Then, if you want the original sound back  just  import it from where you stored it in  your  user area on the left of the screen either overwriting or in a new place

 

EDIT - sorry I meant library not user area. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by stewblack

[stewblack]

For instance I  just opened the factory presets folder, played with the A0 patch. Got it how I liked  it and saved it  into my User area  overwriting patch J8 (which I never use) and renaming it. The original remains untouched and I have  my version of it saved in my user area, nothing lost, all retrievable.

[ReeV0]

9 minutes ago, stewblack said:

For instance I  just opened the factory presets folder, played with the A0 patch. Got it how I liked  it and saved it  into my User area  overwriting patch J8 (which I never use) and renaming it. The original remains untouched and I have  my version of it saved in my user area, nothing lost, all retrievable.

Ok thank you for the info Is that using the Edit&Share software? I'm assuming the software won't get overwritten as soon as i hook up the B3?

I don't get why Zoom have changed how they did things on the B2.1u. That was perfect, you had to press 'Store' if you actually wanted to save something. Funny that!

[stewblack]

Ah I didn't know - I jumped from B1 to B3 as I like the idea of being able to use both patches and three individual stomp boxes.

[stewblack]

Some screenshots :

First the original factory presets stored in PC dragged and dropped from Zoom Online folder

 

Now my copy of that folder with just A0 altered and renamed. 

So either A0 file can be  dropped into the User Area onto any patch number and thus will be on my B3 when I disconnect from the PC. It's also a wicked audio interface by the way. And has pre / post DI which is useful.

[ReeV0]

Very interesting! I'll definitely have to have a play around with the software.

Can you tell me where i can find the Zoom patch folder?

[Quatschmacher]

Isn’t there also a third-party librarian for the Zoom stuff? There’s a thread somewhere in this section about it. Ask @Al Krow.

[stewblack]

Here you go  https://drive.google.com/file/d/144z1Bu95HJ-WQPCKgn253EBTGVW2Zd-u/view?usp=sharing

Although now I come to think of it this can't  be the exact original can it? I think I read that the B3 shipped with 50 presets and 50 empty slots for us to play with, mine was 2nd hand so I don't know. Anyhoo download that drag  and drop it to the  PC icon and BOOM!

[stewblack]

3 hours ago, stewblack said:

 

Check this out -  the dropbox folder is still active, some good stuff there. 

 

[dannybuoy]

I can't remember how the B3 works, but the newer B3n also overwrites patches as you tweak by default, but you can change it in the settings so that you have to actually press save. So check the manual!

Edited August 26, 2018 by dannybuoy