Help me upgrade.

[AlexDelores]

 

I’m wanting to upgrade from my ole’ faithful B3… Mainly because as much as I love the B3, I’d like something with more tweakability and a few extra patches available for a handful of different gigs coming up.

 

So, what MultiFx have you all been using in the real world that you would recommend?

 

I think I’m deciding between:

Zoom b6/b2-Four

Boss Gt-1B

Headspace GigBoard/MX5

 

I’m a bit of a Zoom Fanboy so have been leaning to the B6/B2-Four.

 

But, also quite interested in the Boss GT-1B but don’t know anyone with 1st hand experience of using one in a live setting. and the Headspace Gigboard/MX5 look really good, but I’ve had a friend that had a couple of reliability issues with his mx5.

 

There’s so many variants I appreciate so just interested to hear others real world opinions of them and what the Basschat world recommends. I know some people will have used 1 or more of them so interested to see how they compare… Is there something I’m missing that I should check out?

 

And I know that a lot of people will recommend the HXStomp/GT1000 but in honesty, they scare the hell out of me and I’m not sure I’m looking for something I need to spend hours on the computer editing. And, equally they’re more money than I’d like to spend.

 

My main requirement is Amp/Cab Sim, user friendliness as I’m not looking for something I need to spend hours and hours and hours tweaking, a visibly good tuner. And, importantly… reliability. 

 

Thanks in advance

Alex

 

 

 

[Al Krow]

Another Zoom fanboi here! A Zoom B1-4 was at the heart of my gigging pedal board for five years. 

 

I've not used a Boss Gt-1B, but have recently switched to GT1000 Core and am loving it - it's incredibly good at certain fx that the Zoom really couldn't get close to (e.g. drive / fuzz) and I have managed to strip back my pedal board considerably as a result, so I'd be really happy to recommend the GT Core as another multifx for you to put on your shortlist!

 

Edited 18 hours ago by Al Krow

[fretmeister]

This is my bass + guitar board that I've just assembled. 

If it was just bass it would be the Stomp, the EBS and the Spectrum. That would fit on a single row board like a Nano+ and leave room for something else too.

 

It gets all the tones I want - ranging from Motown and old R&B, through funk and metal to modern FX stuff like Muse.

[Hellzero]

I guess you mean the HeadRush Gigboard or MX5, why not moving to the newer versions named Core or Flex Prime or even the Prime, but it's a huge beast.

 

I'm using the Core and I really like it, easy to use with its  wide touchscreen, and the tuner is very visible.

 

Check Nate Navarro's video of the Flex Prime... Ok, this guy could make an air dryer sound like an Alembic on steroids.

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by Hellzero
Missing word

[AlexDelores]

1 hour ago, Hellzero said:

I guess you mean the HeadRush Gigboard or MX5, why not moving to the newer versions named Core or Flex Prime or even the Prime, but it's a huge beast.

 

I'm using the Core and I really like it, easy to use with its  wide touchscreen, and the tuner is very visible.

 

Check Nate Navarro's video of the Prime... Ok, this guy could make an air dryer sound like an Alembic on steroids.

 

 

-

I didn’t even realise they had a newer line so thanks for this. 👌 

[AlexDelores]

5 hours ago, fretmeister said:

This is my bass + guitar board that I've just assembled. 

If it was just bass it would be the Stomp, the EBS and the Spectrum. That would fit on a single row board like a Nano+ and leave room for something else too.

 

It gets all the tones I want - ranging from Motown and old R&B, through funk and metal to modern FX stuff like Muse.

How do you find the initial ease of setup for the HX?

 

The idea of having to spend hours building presets is a little overwhelming and looking at most of the info online around them, it appears this is needed to get the best out of them. As a fairly busy ( I like to think) bassist. I don’t want to spend a tonne of time working out how to build sounds. Or maybe this is the case with majority of more in depth multis and missing a trick?  

[MichaelDean]

The setup of most of these multi effects units is fairly similar really. Just take it effect by effect. You want an overdrive? Test all of them and see what suits you best. A chorus? Same deal. Rinse and repeat untill you've got a patch together. It does take longer than just getting a pedal and putting it on a board because there are more options, but it affords you the  opportunity to try a lot of things out. I'm using an amp sim with no cab for a distortion - sounds great to my ears!

 

I used my GX-100 as a pedalboard for a long time, turning on and off effects on the one patch. I've recently decided to spend a bit more time setting up presets for different sections of songs so I can step through them. As you get more familiar with any device you can get it doing new things in time. That's where the real power lies, but there's not necessarily a need to rush to that end game. 

 

You'll probably have been through this with your B3, but it's been so long that you've gotten comfortable with it. It can be good to challenge yourself with something new. It keeps the old grey matter ticking over. 

[Wombat]

22 minutes ago, AlexDelores said:

How do you find the initial ease of setup for the HX?

 

The idea of having to spend hours building presets is a little overwhelming and looking at most of the info online around them, it appears this is needed to get the best out of them. As a fairly busy ( I like to think) bassist. I don’t want to spend a tonne of time working out how to build sounds. Or maybe this is the case with majority of more in depth multis and missing a trick?  

Would you spend the time getting the best sound out of an amp? Probably. And you would do it at ‘gig volume’.

 

Could you get an acceptable sound from an amp the 1st time you used it. Also probably.

 

Would be the same with a Stomp/ other HX.

 

You just need to apply the same principles and use your ears.

[AlexDelores]

3 hours ago, Wombat said:

Would you spend the time getting the best sound out of an amp? Probably. And you would do it at ‘gig volume’.

 

Could you get an acceptable sound from an amp the 1st time you used it. Also probably.

 

Would be the same with a Stomp/ other HX.

 

You just need to apply the same principles and use your ears.

Yeah , True. But I’m more referring to the need to tweak the stomp via a computer to get the most out of the presets. 
 

I should rephrase and say ‘How do you find the initial ease of setup for the HX out of the box and the ability to edit it within the pedal’

 

With an amp I would spend time to tweak the EQ and find a sound that works on the amp and then adjust to a live setting.
 

Most of the information online suggest that to get the most out of a HX. I’d need to plug it into my computer and spend hours tweaking effects to get decent presets. 
 

 

 

[Wombat]

I’ve posted elsewhere that you have to ‘cold turkey’ working on the Stomp itself. No way is it practical to lug a computer to a rehearsal (or gig) to make any changes. You need to know how to do it on the unit. At least to a level of getting a usable sound (which is easy).

Yes, all the knobs & flashing lights look daunting at first but it honestly becomes easier quite quickly. You just select and change one ‘thing’ (amp or effect) at a time.

Yes, there are some parameters I generally leave - and I’m still not really sure what ‘sag’ is (something to do with the way valves behave).

There are lots (prolly too many) help vids and several threads here.

Whichever unit you buy you will need to learn that company’s ‘language’. It’s a shame you/we generally have to buy something before we can start.

[AlexDelores]

39 minutes ago, Wombat said:

I’ve posted elsewhere that you have to ‘cold turkey’ working on the Stomp itself. No way is it practical to lug a computer to a rehearsal (or gig) to make any changes. You need to know how to do it on the unit. At least to a level of getting a usable sound (which is easy).

Yes, all the knobs & flashing lights look daunting at first but it honestly becomes easier quite quickly. You just select and change one ‘thing’ (amp or effect) at a time.

Yes, there are some parameters I generally leave - and I’m still not really sure what ‘sag’ is (something to do with the way valves behave).

There are lots (prolly too many) help vids and several threads here.

Whichever unit you buy you will need to learn that company’s ‘language’. It’s a shame you/we generally have to buy something before we can start.

This is good to know, thanks. I do think it’s likely the idea of a new system that is more daunting than actually cracking on and getting one ‘dialled in’. 
 

It’s good to hear it’s achievable on the pedal though. I think this is what I was unsure of with the HX/Gt1000 as I would prefer to edit on the pedal rather than the laptop.

[fretmeister]

I find it quite easy but I've been using the Helix system for 5 years.

 

For the Stomp I hardly ever plug it into my PC and just do it all on the unit. I only plug is in if I want to do a firmware update or if I download a patch from Customtone or similar.

 

Setting up the sounds at gig volume is vital. Even with very good headphones or studio monitors it really isn't close. Just like your real amp settings are probably useless at a gig. I definitely recommend a Technical Rehearsal for that - where the tones / mix etc are the focal point rather than performance.

 

Then - and this is the best bit about all modellers with loads of memory - when you soundcheck at a gig, save the patch(es) under the name of the venue for any venue you visit more than once. Then when you pitch up next time the sounds that worked at the last gig are ready straight away and as long as the venue PA doesn't change you'll be up and running far faster. It's the modern equivalent of the FOG guy's little black book of settings. If you have your own PA and it has memory slots - do it with that as well for the other instruments / vox etc.

 

[AlexDelores]

11 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I find it quite easy but I've been using the Helix system for 5 years.

 

For the Stomp I hardly ever plug it into my PC and just do it all on the unit. I only plug is in if I want to do a firmware update or if I download a patch from Customtone or similar.

 

Setting up the sounds at gig volume is vital. Even with very good headphones or studio monitors it really isn't close. Just like your real amp settings are probably useless at a gig. I definitely recommend a Technical Rehearsal for that - where the tones / mix etc are the focal point rather than performance.

 

Then - and this is the best bit about all modellers with loads of memory - when you soundcheck at a gig, save the patch(es) under the name of the venue for any venue you visit more than once. Then when you pitch up next time the sounds that worked at the last gig are ready straight away and as long as the venue PA doesn't change you'll be up and running far faster. It's the modern equivalent of the FOG guy's little black book of settings. If you have your own PA and it has memory slots - do it with that as well for the other instruments / vox etc.

 

Really helpful, thanks for this.

 

You know, I have memory slots on my PA and I have a saved setting. But, for some reason I never thought to save for specific venues! Great shout!

[BigRedX]

Just to be contrary here:

 

I'm a Helix user and do the bulk of my programming using HX edit on the computer. The Presets and Snapshots are fine-tuned from the Helix controls in the rehearsal room once I see how they work (or not) with the rest of the band playing. In anticipation of this I make sure that any parameter that I might want to alter is already assigned to the "Snapshot" setting so that changing it only changes the setting for a particular snapshot and not the whole Preset. That way I can fine-tune the Snapshots for a new song after a couple of run-throughs.

[Buddster]

I recently switched from the Zoom B1 four to the Boss gt 1b.

I'm loving the Boss. It sounds great and I di straight into the desk. It's very flexible, using control pedals or the built in pedal to assign to whay you want. 

But it only has 2 fx channels (delay. Overdrive and reverb are separate switches) so unlike the Zoom you can have oct>chorus>phaser>wah>synth (if you were mad enough!), but that's not really been a problem. 

The Boss synth isn't as flexible as the Zoom. 

Overall I prefer the Boss.