Zoom B3 vs Tech21 Bass Fly Rig

CarlosMano

CarlosMano

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Feb 11, 2017
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#1
Hello everyone! This is my first post here, I hope you can help me :)

So I finally managed to get some money and want to step up my game in terms of effects, compressor and so on. As I've noticed by reading most of the reviews here in TalkBass and other websites and forums and by watching many videos in youtube Zoom B3 is a hell of a monster for the bucks you pay. At the same time Bass Fly Rig seems to be a fair competitor.

I'm looking for something that I can use in live performances aswell as in a practice basis. My gear is a PRS Kestrel Jazz Bazz and a Fender Rumble 100 that I use with an XLR cable to PA table in gigs.

What do you think? Zoom B3 or Tech21 Bass Fly Rig?
 
#2
Since your amp is a Rumble 100, I don't know that you really need either. The amp has natural built in compression that was designed to emulate natural tube compression. I think it does a great job. The overdrive in the amp is also very good. I don't know what other effects you might want, but the amp provides the basics.
If you want a pedal, I would suggest the Techh 21 Fly Rig. I've not used this specific product, but before I bought my Rumble amps, I used a Tech 21 rack mount Sansamp. It was an excellent product.
 
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#3
I would like to have a basic (but performance level) effect pedal array to choose from. Because I can't afford each effect separately I stumbled upon this 2. Both of them have chorus, octave and boost (basic functions). The advantage of the B3 the is the option to get an expression pedal while the Tech21 BFR is analog instead of the digital Zoom. My only doubt is to know if the Zoom carries live performances good enough (I know it's a bit subjective) or if It comes with a noisy digital little sound that turns off the nature of the instrument.
 
#4
The B3 is astonishingly good and can be had for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price of the flyrig. Depends on which effects you need, but the B3 has some 100 or so to choose from (you can use 3 in each patch), where the BFR is just the 4 effects. I wanted to try the BFR myself, but realized that I would want separate footswitches for the octave/filter and the fuzz, at the very least.
 
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#5
Really depends what effects and features you want. The B3 has far more effects to choose from, but none of the amp sims sound as good as the VT Bass. I've had the B3 and various incarnations of the VT and would go for the Fly Rig due to the killer Ampeg tone and simplicity.
 
#6
dannybuoy said:
Really depends what effects and features you want. The B3 has far more effects to choose from, but none of the amp sims sound as good as the VT Bass. I've had the B3 and various incarnations of the VT and would go for the Fly Rig due to the killer Ampeg tone and simplicity.
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True about the amp sims, but I never understood using amp sims in an effects rig unless specifically recording or going completely ampless in the room. I liked the SABDDI model in the B3, but I have to assume you're right about the VTBass in the BFR sounding better.
 
#7
I think you're going to want to audition them before deciding. I've owned (still own) a few Zoom products though not the B3, yes there is a ton of features for the money but after playing them for a while I just felt the sound quality was not there. YMMV
The BFR provides almost the exact feature set that I would want in an all-in-one, but not everything is executed in the way that I would want. But, the VT sounds fantastic, the tuner is awesome, and there's a DI in case you need it (I haven't tried it yet, but would guess it's very high quality like the rest of the analog stuff on this pedal). I use my BFR as part of a practice rig at home and would take it to rehearsals if I was space constrained - for example traveling by public transit. For my needs, the octaver w/o fuzz and auto filter works well enough; did not care for the fuzz or the filter. Seems like you'd be able to find a usable sound among the three effects, and to me it's a plus that the whole section can be engaged with a single switch instead of having to do two or three taps. Chorus is very nice but I rarely use chorus anyways.
Downsides: 1. the attack on the compressor is much faster then I would like. So while the compressor seems pretty decent, it doesn't give me the sound that I want so I rarely use it. Most bass players that I know use a slow attack setting, to let more of the attack through (if you're new to compressors this may seem counter intuitive btw). Also, I prefer the comp at the end of my signal chain; there are definitely two camps on this... 2. I had a brief episode of digital noise, had to unplug the unit. Was using it together with a tube preamp at the time. When I tried it again a few days later - by itself - it was back to being super quiet. As in quieter then my very fairly high-end pedal board. But, until I've used this thing a bit more I would hesitate to trust it in any critical situation like a gig or recording session. Would be interested in hearing anyone else's experience, on the original BFR thread there were a couple of mentions about digital noise.
 
#8
jammadave said:
True about the amp sims, but I never understood using amp sims in an effects rig unless specifically recording or going completely ampless in the room. I liked the SABDDI model in the B3, but I have to assume you're right about the VTBass in the BFR sounding better.
Click to expand...

Even into an amp, a VT Bass can sound great used as an overdrive. Overdrive sounds in the B3 are rather lacking.
 
#10
CarlosMano said:
I would like to have a basic (but performance level) effect pedal array to choose from. Because I can't afford each effect separately I stumbled upon this 2. Both of them have chorus, octave and boost (basic functions). The advantage of the B3 the is the option to get an expression pedal while the Tech21 BFR is analog instead of the digital Zoom. My only doubt is to know if the Zoom carries live performances good enough (I know it's a bit subjective) or if It comes with a noisy digital little sound that turns off the nature of the instrument.
Click to expand...
I bought my B3 for the exact reasons you are considering it. I have found it to be just what i was looking for. I use the Bass Driver on it , plus a few select effects. If i want to try out new effects, they are there. I am also using the headphone jack a lot for late night jams.
 
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#11
CaseyJ said:
I bought my B3 for the exact reasons you are considering it. I have found it to be just what i was looking for. I use the Bass Driver on it , plus a few select effects. If i want to try out new effects, they are there. I am also using the headphone jack a lot for late night jams.
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I'm really tempted at buying B3, I'm starting from there and then I start my pedal board. The Price seems too low to pass out. Maybe Ill go off topic but what about the new B3n? No DI out but 7 effects at the same time. I wonder if the Zoom pedal is compatible or they ll release a new one
 
#12
CarlosMano said:
I'm really tempted at buying B3, I'm starting from there and then I start my pedal board. The Price seems too low to pass out. Maybe Ill go off topic but what about the new B3n? No DI out but 7 effects at the same time. I wonder if the Zoom pedal is compatible or they ll release a new one
Click to expand...
The B3n doesn't tempt me, as i never use that many effects at once. My amp has a DI, so that wont matter for me. I use a overdrive pedal, and then go into the Zoom. This way, i get up to 5 effects at a time with the overdrive included. Everything i need in 2 boxes.
 
#14
I say wait for the Zoom B3n if you're on the Western side. I have one and I'm loving it. But I'm running it with a Sansamp VT Bass DI on the end. Everybody loved my tone when we performed last time.
 
#16
I have the B3 with the separate expression pedal and love it. Especially for late night headphones practice. And LOTS of effects to try out. I'm tempted to try dirt and compression separately, because the compressor would be 'always on' and everyone would agree analog dirt beats digital dirt. Though I'm not convinced the audience can tell the difference.

I've never tried the BFR, but I've read good things, just seems like less effects for more money is NOT a win..
 
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#18
I have the BFR and use it for everything. I practice through it, I have it on the floor in front of me and my amp for gigs and I have used it direct to the house board. I wasn't looking for lots of different tones. I have my own. I did want an envelope filter and it gets the sounds I want. I wanted to be able to replicate my Ampeg if I played direct to the house and I can do that. I play some fretless and like to dial in a touch of chorus and I can do that with the BFR. I have tried the compressor, but I really use a compressor more like a limiter so I basically use the one on-board my head. It does what I want it to do and I don't feel like its a gimmick pedal or a toy. I also tend to travel light with fast set up/break down so it fits my philosophy.
 
#19
LowActionHero said:
I have the B3 with the separate expression pedal and love it. Especially for late night headphones practice. And LOTS of effects to try out. I'm tempted to try dirt and compression separately, because the compressor would be 'always on' and everyone would agree analog dirt beats digital dirt. Though I'm not convinced the audience can tell the difference.

I've never tried the BFR, but I've read good things, just seems like less effects for more money is NOT a win..
Click to expand...
I am using that setup right now. My compressor is built into my amp , and kept on all the time. I use an analog overdrive before the B3. I agree on the Fly Rig being too much money, for so few effects. That was the OP's intentions, to have a nice range of effects without buying a bunch of individual pedals at a high cost.
 
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#20
CaseyJ said:
I use an analog overdrive before the B3. I agree on the Fly Rig being too much money, for so few effects. That was the OP's intentions, to have a nice range of effects without buying a bunch of individual pedals at a high cost.
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Do tell, which analog overdrive? I agree with you and wouldn't assume any effect on the VTfly thing is best in class Other than the VT which you can get used for under 100--if you need to cut through 2 distorted guitars & loud drummer nothing is better for fattening the lows and providing uppermidrange cutting grind. I've never used a Zoom effect product that had the quality of a few well chosen pedals you actually use, used for less $ even, there is an excellent low cost option before turning to a "do everything" "product". With individual pedals you can "trade up" or sideways, with a multi you are stuck with that whole thing. I'd buy the fly before the zoom though, it at least has no signal resistance (imagined or not).
 
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