Zoom B6 Bass Multi FX Pedal - Are Digital Multi FX Pedals Good For Bass?

[@PushSueAside]

For me… the “gear” on this show, is just icing. IMO… Nathan and Lee’s playing, chemistry and commentary, make “All about the bass”, one of the greatest shows on KZbin. Thank you guys.

[@1okanaganguy]

I've owned several multi-effects for bass. They all lasted exactly one weekend before returning it to the shop. This one, however, shows many practical applications. Must buy. Lee - you have been practicing. Marvelous playing. Thanks for this. Nathan, you're way smarter than you let on...

[@ShadamAran]

I think the fact that the drum presets link up with the looper is a big deal in and of itself that noone really talks about. Seems like an amazing practice tool on top of everything else it does.

[@fredparker3384]

What do you mean link up??

[@lebojay]

@@fredparker3384He means “synchronize.” Hope that answer was worth waiting a year for 😉 The trouble is that the looper memory is too short (40 seconds) and the drum rhythms suck. I bought it. I love it. But I still need a separate device for rhythm and looper.

[@RasMike24]

One of the best things I’ve bought for my playing. (Cali76 Compressor sim > Aguilar Preamp sim> Markbass Amp sim > Solid State Darkglass sim DI) gives me such a perfect bass tone. Easy to gig with.

[@stefankleider245]

Had so much fun watching you guys

[@brianharms2398]

I own one of these and it sounds great, but the processing power is weak. You are very limited to the number of effects you can add to each patch. If you don't play with many effects then this thing is gold. I can add compression, amp, IR and usually one maybe two other effects.

[@mattcheckleybass]

I have a Zoom B3n and can't see much that this really adds beyond better connectivity and a touchscreen, there doesn't seem like there's any new FX/amps.

[@jml19221]

The presets on this thing are 95% usable. All great tones, that need little or no tweaking. I leave all my other pedals at home now.

[@harlemnyband4859]

Yours is the most spot on useful and efficient comment

[@darkgothic8]

I use the Boss GT-6B and i say yes to multi effect for bass 💪🏻

[@SetFire2TheNightSky]

I love your gear showcase videos and as a longtime user of ZOOM FX, I can honestly say that ZOOM has come *_A LONG_* way in the FX world. They have really stepped up their game in a great way to bring affordable, high quality FX to the bass community. Sure, there will always be more expensive units with more bells, whistles and features but, with those units comes a *_WAY_* higher price tag and when you consider what ZOOM offers and gives bass players with units like this, I'd say this is the better buy. The days of saying digital FX are no match to analog ones are pretty much over. Anyone who still believes that is either a elitist tone purist or a gear snob, in which case they shouldn't even be looking at gear like this in the first place. To do so and then complain about it is just pointless and irrelevant. Still for those open-minded players that are looking for great, affordable studio quality bass FX and features, you just can't go wrong with units like this. I mean, is it "perfect"? No, of course not *_BUT_* when you consider what you get with this vs. what you don't? It's pretty close to perfect. Again, thanks for reviewing this unit. Having said that, I just have one thing to ask... _In the future, if you're gonna go a little bit in depth into the features of units like this, please read the manuals first!_ I know that a lot of players today are all about things being "intuitive" but, let's face the truth here - most things nowadays require a bit of know-how to operate properly and to get the most out of. Units like this are no exception. Plus, there are so many people who will stop watching a video and turn away from equipment like this as soon as they perceive those reviewing it to be confused and/or lost on how to operate it, even if later, those reviewing it quickly figure things out and say that in the end, it is quite simple to operate. By then, it's too late and you lost that player and that player might lose out on a great piece of gear. That benefits no one... just some food for thought... Again, great video here..

[@bennobassosaurus7078]

Great review!! And great playing! Thanks lads

[@SteveWeltman]

Your review was fun, informative and your bassist was (to me) just on fire "having fun" (he plays like I hear it in my mind and my fingers F$%^ it all up... must be the new hands). I really like this unit .The B6 seems like a solid tool for a lot of bassists.

[@Bobby-wn5yr]

I think what’s really needed here is a comparison to the line 6 pod go and headrush mx5 as they come in at the same price. Does it’s bass-first presets and modelling make it worth it over what appear to be better units that are setup more for guitar out the box?

[@URTH-yb5xh]

Zoom bass fx boxes are Line 6 too The Bass Pod Xt Live for instance So yes

[@imadmob]

the Chorus on this gear is impressive !

[@ElricX]

Zoom makes some really great stuff at an affordable price.

[@karloschaos]

Nice little Zappa reference at the end.

[@aftertheendtimes]

Great session, great playing! =) Love cheers

[@robertpurdy4452]

I have a Zoom B3 that I use every day. Decent bit of kit for the price and I get compliments on the sound through my TC Electronics bass amp. This might be a good fit if the B3 ever gives out.

[@SrTubular]

I was using a B3, but some of it's controls stopped working. Bought the B1X Four, thinking it would be like the B3 in a cheaper case and minus the DI (and had to get a separate DI), but it was not what I expected. Decided to get the B6, and couldn't be happier. I use it with a MB Little Mark III and a TC K212 cabinet, by the way.

[@Tito_Rober]

You can be sure that you will... I did. 😉

[@paulsummerside]

Torn now between going for the Fender Rumble Studio 40 or go for this B6 floor board from Zoom.

[@charlybassmusic8260]

Thank you so much....I really enjoyed the review....

[@rm2031]

Question, if you buy the Bluetooth dongle, for practice purposes, can you stream music thru it form iPhone to play along practice out headphones??

[@cgage5467]

How does it compare to Boss GT1B?

[@SpiritDK]

it really looks and sounds great, but i feel the interface is holding it back a little, especialy when compared with about same price pedals like the Headrush MX5 or the Valetone GP200 or the even cheaper GP200LT, it's such a big pedal you could easily have a bigger screen or if you go the way Valeton decided to on the GP200, with dedicated buttens for effects on/off or even dedicated encoders for EQ and gain, and both the GP200 and MX5 but also many other pedals are smaller but still can fit an expression pedal

[@billyellow4849]

I'm swapping out my multi fx for separate pedals. In the heat of a gig, I'm always stamping on the wrong button and selecting a random inappropriate effect. Then stamp frantically to get back to what I want and it all goes crazy!

[@privateuser8330]

Really like Lee. Was Nathan trying to make me hate the product?

[@Gk2003m]

I don’t know about ‘drums’ on a bass effect unit… anyway, I’m using a Boss GT-1B. I don’t use any of the preamps, amp sims, cabinet sims, overdrives or distortions. Digital amp stuff just does not work to my ears; it sounds like crud. But the modulations and EQs and synth things? Those are all good enough for live performance. So I utilize a SansAmp in concert with the GT-1B, and it gives me everything I need.

[@jamesk167]

Nice feel my man!

[@ashplaysbass1959]

Playing is ace! I played one a few weeks back . It’s far quicker and more responsive than my B3N . Only thing it’s missing is a Parallel effects chain for recording for me . Dose anyone know if you load your own IRS into the unit ?

[@munkeyfish]

IR load function for speaker cabinet simulation. From Zoom's website, so yes it does!

[@jameslewis2635]

This seems like a really legitimate upgrade from the old B5. The only thing that is missing is an expression pedal but then again that was more often than not one of those features that just didn't get used very often.

[@ledhendrix5054]

Its a good looking unit to

[@pau1rose]

Did I hear 311 at 9:10?

[@danielelise7348]

9:10 😆😆

[@bryantwalley]

For $500 US it should come with the Bluetooth and correct output jacks. Also should have been USB-C. Not sure why these manufacturers haven't figured out that connectivity is what makes or breaks a unit.

[@chrisjs6123]

I couldn’t agree more. I will never understand how engineers look at these things and figure they can get away with dreadful interfaces, Nasty little micro USB, and no connectivity. It’s just lazy.

[@canadianmetalbasher]

From a business standpoint, I would imagine they don't add these features because they can add them slowly into new products in the future to keep the products new and exciting. That's my opinion anyhow

[@SetFire2TheNightSky]

Don't really know what you mean by "correct output jacks" but, for $500, you get a ton of features vs. a few that aren't present. Techniczlly, bluetooth is present, you just need to buy the dongle for it. It probably should have been included without having to buy the dongle but to most who see it for what it is instead of what they wish it was, I doubt it will be a "deal breaker". Same with USB-C. Sure it would have been nice to have that but, when you consider what you get vs. what you don't get, this unit is outstanding. Especially as a dedicated bass MFX unit. ZOOM is probably one of the very few companies that even gives bassists dedicated bass FX units specifically tailored to bass and I think that's pretty cool as opposed to others that offer "jack of all trades" units for multi instruments and whose bass FX are either few in number or lacking in the sound quality/authenticity dept.. Overall, what you get for $500 is pretty good, not to mention, there are probably more FX and patches you can download from the ZOOM FX web editor page. When you weigh the pros vs. the cons on this unit, the plentiful pros *_FAR_* outweigh the few cons, in my view.

[@bryantwalley]

@@SetFire2TheNightSky Correct connectivity. The current standard for USB for the past few years is USB-C. Cost for USB-C at the manufacturing level is that same as using the older awkward micro USB they chose. Makes no sense. Stereo functionality is already built into the board so adding the correct signal jacks is literally only adding the jacks and headers to the board. Headphone jack, left and right individual line out (1/4 each), and left and right individual balanced jacks. All these are used for different things and could be used at any time together. The cost for doing that at the manufacturing level including adding the Bluetooth chip is less than $2. The decision to skip $2 worth of parts on a device that has a 65% retail markup. Is just bad math and will cause many missed sales. The rest of the functionality is not in question. It is a very nice unit.

[@SetFire2TheNightSky]

@@bryantwalley Yes, I agree that USB-C is a standard nowadays but in all fairness, micro USB isn't "incorrect" as a connection medium. Outdated maybe but, it still allows users to connect the unit easily and it works just fine for downloading new patches or FX into or out of the unit. It does have a stereo headphone jack which doubles as an amp/line out jack. The D.I. is balanced. Unfortunately, these guys who reviewed this apparently didn't read the manual cause as a longtime user of ZOOM mfx units, I can tell you that ZOOM clearly explains in simple detail many of the features including multi use jacks, their functions, their output/input features etc. etc.. If you're interested and ever get the chance to do so, I would suggest you download the manual to this unit and read up on all the features and specs of this unit. You might be surprised at all the features units like this have that were not explained or spotlighted in this video. Regarding bluetooth, I agree that it should have been a built-in feature but again, to me it's not something I consider to be a "deal breaker" on this unit. To me, it's akin to having an older car having traditional manual roll down windows as opposed to a new(er) car with power windows - as long as I can roll down the windows or in this case, properly connect this unit to my interface/daw/multitracker etc. etc. in one way or another, I don't see it as a huge problem imho. Overall, in my view, what you get with this unit vs. what you don't (like an expression pedal for things like wah and other fx for example) makes this unit a very good choice for players of all types who are looking for dedicated, high quality, versatile and affordable bass multi fx units.

[@johncroucher6053]

Did you use an amp to record - if so what would you suggest - thank you

[@steveozone4910]

GZR Wah. Jewel of the Nile?

[@romeodoudou1153]

Please can I use the zoom b6 with an active guitar?

[@TheBassman0327]

can I use the B6 with my Aguilar pedal board

[@cskeise]

Love it...💙👊😎💙👊😎

[@andrewgocken517]

Zoom is underrated

[@davebassP5]

How is that hiss even remotely acceptable? I know there is the ZNR but I’m an amazed that without it the hiss is very intrusive.

[@tonycarel1785]

Can these multi-effects pedals be used to play live gigs. And if so do they work well?

[@teresaravenshaw5477]

They can. I know several guitarists and bassists who use them, though not this specific model.

[@maja196785]

No "eeeehkk eeeeinghk" (11:10) anymore, there are silent Neutrik NP2X-AU-SILENT Switching 1/4-Inch Plugs now , cheers mate :)

[@brucepiland]

You win for Sledgehammer.

[@CNick75]

You missed the opportunity for Nathan to critique the patch made for his brother! Also missed all the synths and filters which is the best part

[@M2Mil7er]

'MarkBass' is an amp, and preamp brand which that preset emulates, and is not affiliated with Mark King.

[@trygd100]

@@M2Mil7er there is a patch called Slap 42 on the zoom

[@tomrobinson4781]

Aye! lovely

[@lamarthe_headcrab7687]

Man , i am so on the fence of just ditching my pedal board... and getting smth like this... I feel like it would suck all the time that i dont have hahaha. I'd just sit and tweak this thing for a week straight.

[@URTH-yb5xh]

Seems an odd question I have had and now own various units Why ask this question?

[@duitfotografie]

i have the b3 and dont think tis is a bether one the b 3 is stereo ol the way and i made a swith for the patch celekt tap ant rhytm

[@ubermenschstream6765]

no xlr out?

[@thomaskuerlemann2981]

Yes there is....I use it to go direct to the board/pa

[@ubermenschstream6765]

@@thomaskuerlemann2981 thanks for replying. what do you think about the compressor and drive effects on this board? is it any good. I'm really considering to buy this floor board.

[@pie-vd5qq]

This or alpha Omega ultra V2? Same price in my country

[@brucepiland]

I have an old Boss ME-50B. Served me well back in my days of live playing, but I’m not sure it sounded this good.

[@FlamesAt1000ft]

I’ve got that Boss ME-50B and mine STILL kicks ass!! But this Zoom unit IS Bad-ASS too! Got the Zoom MS-60B Bass FX Pedal as well and IT does the job!! Amazing how such a lil’ Pedal can do soooo much if YOU KNOW HOW to tweak it‼️b(‘_

[@WilDBeestMF]

The ME-50B definitely sounds good. It's more analogue-ish than this thing, but it still stands up.

[@coolrekz460]

If only this outlet were not just about the most expensive place to buy stuff. I genuinely struggle to find products anywhere else that are more expensive. Sorry, i can't justify paying £££££ more for the same product.

[@TheBartostock]

Those were the days of Nathan and Lee

[@granddesignsstudio]

No MIDI :-/

[@nicholasgenaro3799]

I refuse to buy gear before seeing what these guys have to say about it. They make it possible to purchase online with no music stores nearby with high end gear

[@mirkosmi1800]

Nathan, why are you frowning like you're biting a sour lemon?

[@gazfunk]

This thing is so underpowered. It craps out really quick. The CPU just isn't up to it.

[@Reckless6505]

Seriously that was the worst demo,ever. Just a tip guys, have some idea how to use it before you demo it. When you were trying to adjust the bass, treble etc, you had no idea. All you do is turn the knobs immediately below the screen. How you could say it’s a good bit of kit when you can’t use it is beyond me.

[@OriginalDarkMark]

Free content not to your liking? Stop moaning - just watch something else.

[@CNick75]

It’s kind of their thing. They never really know

[@smoothgroover00]

Sounds garbage

[@superwasilich9502]

🤮