BillFitzmaurice.info

Askia wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2018 4:41 pm Hello everyone at the high-pass filter club!
Zoom B3n has received in the 2017 may-june update a "Low Eq" effect, which is a high pass filter. You should play with that! (Also could try the bass amp sims, if they are there. )

This is excellent news! I will have to get it downloaded and check it out.

On a separate note the rumor from NAMM is that Zoom is updating to allow patch editing online rather than limiting patch editing to being done exclusively on the pedal.

Yes, good news indeed ...before doing bigger investments...

I'd also try the amp sims, and compressor, or limiter of course!

I am pleased to share with the gentle reader that I have managed to download the Zoom B3n updates that include a HPF and it appears to be doing the job. Now to go in and add that effect to each patch and I should be good to go. Two questions for the three guys I have irritated the most here (Bill, Bruce, and Tom):

• What should I set the HPF frequency at?

• Should this effect be at the beginning or at the end of the effects chain?

So many thanks in advance and for everything so far.

Put the filter frequency where it works best. The earlier it is in the chain the more headroom there is in everything after it.

Das Jugghead wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2018 5:03 pm Two questions for the three guys I have irritated the most here (Bill, Bruce, and Tom):

Hey, we all here like to help. You've asked good questions and haven't argued every step of the way. The kind'a attitude will get you lots of attention and answers.....

Glad you are aboard - enjoy your speakers.

Only trying to pay it forward.

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2018 6:14 pm Put the filter frequency where it works best. The earlier it is in the chain the more headroom there is in everything after it.

Bruce Weldy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2018 12:21 am

Das Jugghead wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2018 5:03 pm Two questions for the three guys I have irritated the most here (Bill, Bruce, and Tom):

Hey, we all here like to help. You've asked good questions and haven't argued every step of the way. The kind'a attitude will get you lots of attention and answers.....

Glad you are aboard - enjoy your speakers.

Tom Smit wrote: ↑Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:16 am Only trying to pay it forward.

Thank you I truly appreciate the feedback and advice.

Another update. The overall volume level seemed to be weak to me even after turning up both the individual patch volumes as well as the global volume setting on the Zoom B3n so I did a little investigating and found that that the Zoom B3n has a booster pedal effect. I added this in with the HPF and now the sound is so much better. For lack of a better descriptor the sound is denser, more solid - not to mention louder. Prior to doing this the overall volume just sounded weak and I had trouble keeping up with the band during rehearsal last week. I really felt that 400 watts should have been enough for rehearsals and so the booster effect has increased the line signal to the Carvin DCM 3800L and helped with overall volume. We have rehearsal Tuesday morning and I will report back after that.

It's not that it's really 'boosting', it's just bringing the signal level up to where it needs to be. A standard bass amp's pre-amp has high enough gain to do that by itself.

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:08 am It's not that it's really 'boosting', it's just bringing the signal level up to where it needs to be. A standard bass amp's pre-amp has high enough gain to do that by itself.

I agree and that was what I was trying to convey. The signal level from the B3n to the amp was (and may still be) too low.

There are variables, but a typical bass output at instrument level is around 100 millivolts signal strength, while a power amp may require 1.2 volts for full output. The pedal would have unity gain unless the boost is turned on, which would take the level up, but I can't say by how much.

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:40 am There are variables, but a typical bass output at instrument level is around 100 millivolts signal strength, while a power amp may require 1.2 volts for full output. The pedal would have unity gain unless the boost is turned on, which would take the level up, but I can't say by how much.

Hey Bill thanks for the response. I will have to look around and see what the Carvin amp requires for signal strength. I am still trying to avoid selling the Carvin since I will never see anything close to what I paid for it (despite it having lived its entire life in my rack) and factor in that it is an orphan and the numbers just get even more depressing. If I can find a way to make the Zoom and the Carvin play together nicely then I will feel a little better about the situation. It may be that ultimately end up going with a bass amp proper and just chalk up the losses on the Carvin.

Here is another question: can I use a rack mount mixer? I could run the Zoom into the mixer and then the mixer into the Carvin?

Das Jugghead wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:15 am

Here is another question: can I use a rack mount mixer? I could run the Zoom into the mixer and then the mixer into the Carvin?

Yes.

Das Jugghead wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:15 am

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 9:40 am There are variables, but a typical bass output at instrument level is around 100 millivolts signal strength, while a power amp may require 1.2 volts for full output. The pedal would have unity gain unless the boost is turned on, which would take the level up, but I can't say by how much.

Hey Bill thanks for the response. I will have to look around and see what the Carvin amp requires for signal strength. I am still trying to avoid selling the Carvin since I will never see anything close to what I paid for it (despite it having lived its entire life in my rack) and factor in that it is an orphan and the numbers just get even more depressing. If I can find a way to make the Zoom and the Carvin play together nicely then I will feel a little better about the situation. It may be that ultimately end up going with a bass amp proper and just chalk up the losses on the Carvin.

Here is another question: can I use a rack mount mixer? I could run the Zoom into the mixer and then the mixer into the Carvin?

What Bill's saying is true. In layman's terms, you are plugging a guitar level signal into your amp's line level input.....if you are just using a standard TS guitar cable.

Here's what the manual says...

L/MONO/PHONES Standard stereo phone jack (combined line/headphone)
Maximum output level:
Line +5 dBm (with output load impedance of 10 kΩ or more)
Headphones 15 mW +15 mW (into 32 Ω load)

It does say the L output is LINE level, so try using a TRS cable from the BN3 to the amp. If the output is truly line level - it will be a much hotter signal and will match better the input of the amp.

Since I don't know your level of expertise - TRS stand for Tip, Ring, Sleeve. Whereas, your guitar cable is TS, or just Tip, Sleeve.

So, get you a cable that looks like this.....or just get this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-HSS-005-Bal ... =trs+cable


But, this must be a direct connection between the unit and the amp - no other devices in between.

Or, you can use one like this - it won't get mixed up with a regular cable...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... gKSavD_BwE

The great thing is that at line level, you can have longer runs if you need too with no degradation like you get with a guitar cable.