Zoom B1on Bass Effects Pedal

I have to preface this glowing review for the Zoom B1on with an admission - I'm not a "real" bass player. I have about 20 years of guitar experience and really enjoy playing, researching, and reviewing every guitar-related gadget imaginable, but my bass experience is limited to a single Squier P-Bass and as much knowledge/ability as I might need to lay down a bass track for something I'm recording at home. So I can't represent that I understand the nuances between this bass effects unit and a $2,000 bass rig. Fortunately, at $49.99, Zoom has made a quality product here that allows me to cycle through thousands of dollars of gear (as easily as changing to the next preset) and sound great through a set of headphones. At present, I don't have a bass combo amp at my house, but if you do, I've heard the B1on sounds great as a tone shaper/effects unit into the front end of your amp. Compared to the excellent G1on (for guitar), I found the factory presets on the B1on to be infinitely more practical and useful. A lot of bass tones can sound "same-ish" to the untrained ear, but the B1on assembles a great suite of varied amp models, plus effects that range from simple compression and overdrive to wild synth and octave effects. If you want straightforward rock bass tones, the B1on has dozens of them. If you want crazy, fuzzed-out, sustaining notes that sound more like an analog synthesizer playing a distorted square wave, the B1on can do that too. Best of all, there's a pretty effective noise gate/suppressor included, so even the most effects-laden tones remain relatively quiet and functional. BUILD QUALITY/INTERFACE - Zoom is really it's own worst enemy when it comes to the aesthetics of their devices. I remember the first time I saw the G1on, I scrolled right past it and didn't even pay attention to the features. I was certain that this $50 piece of plastic out of the mid-90's had to be a piece of garbage. It wasn't until I did some more research and (ultimately) tried one for myself that I realized how much technology was crammed under the hood. And, actually, once you acclimate yourself to the interface, I find both the G1on and B1on to be fairly durable and easy to program. There's a great 30-second looper that time-syncs with the programmed drum patterns, and it's better-implemented than units I've tried from DigiTech and other companies costing 3 times as much. The colored knob turns in notched increments, so it's fairly predictable if you have to skip over three pedals to the right, for example, to adjust a gain or EQ setting. Best of all, all of your changes auto-save, so if you find that preset is too loud and fix it, you won't have to do that a second time. RECORDING/DI FUNCTIONALITY - I want clarify one thing about the output and recording functionality of the B1on, since I still had some questions after reading the other reviews. The B1on, unlike the more-expensive B3, does not operate as a USB audio interface. The USB jack is strictly for firmware updates, and cannot send/receive audio. There is only one "output" jack on the device, which is a 1/4" instrument cable. This can be fed to the front end of a combo amp, or to headphones with a 1/4" adapter. HOWEVER, the output is not "line level" in the sense that it is meant to go directly into a mixer or recording device. In other words, you should think of the B1on as an effects pedal that does modeling and tone shaping, but it is not a "preamp", and will require additional amplification before you send it to a power amp or mixer. That being said, there are workarounds that allow you to record with the B1on quite easily. If you have an interface that is already designed to accept instrument level signal (such as the Apogee JAM for iOS devices), then you can run the B1on in front of that like a simple effects pedal and end up with a raw audio signal that includes all of the amp and cabinet models in that signal. Alternatively, I believe you could run the B1on into a preamp/DI box like the $30 Behringer BDI21, and then run that pedal into a mixer or interface, and that should generally work too. These options won't be as "clean" or "authentic" as using a true DI or USB Audio solution, but it's completely functional for my needs. CONCLUSION - I think the Zoom B1on is a outstanding unit that could be useful to a broad range of musicians. If you're an experienced bass player with some decent gear, it seem pretty likely that you could find $50 of value out of the dozens of effects and different sounds offered by the B1on. Even if you aren't much of a bass player at all, or are just starting out on bass, this is a $50 device that allows you to experience a huge variety of studio-quality tones, practice with headphones, and even play along with drums and a looper without having to commit to buying large bass amp for your home. It even can be used as a bass amp modeler for recording, using a few of the tips/tricks I discussed above. Like it's guitar FX sibling, the B1on is an impossible value, producing beautiful sounds from a less-than-beautiful plastic enclosure.

I've never used effects pedals at all in my many years of playing...thought I would give this one a shot since the price to features ratio was stupid good. The pedal is very easy to figure out. I was impressed with the variety of patches preloaded. I picked a clean tone using the SWR amp model, then added some compression, and EQ. I then saved this sound to every other slot in bank A. I then added some neato effects in the remaining slots in bank A - I'm now only a click up or down away from a clean tone that I'm happy with. The preselect option is cool, but I fumble with stepping through several clicks, then hitting both pedals to select it...this method works well for me because I typically don't use the effects much, but it's cool to have a method I like when I do use them. I repeated the same thing on bank B, but with a different baseline tone, and trippy effects on every other slot. I took all of the amp models featured and made solid tone settings for each slot in bank C - I can dial up classic amp sounds that sound very distinctly like what they are modeled after. Nice work, Zoom. I've found the best tone for me happens when I go from the Zoom to my EQ pedal and into the effects return of my combo amp - bypassing my amps internals/EQ which altered the sound too much even with amps EQ flat. Additionally, check that your overall levels for each effect that you're using - found in "Patch Settings" are similar, or you could get some unwanted brown note when you hit that Big Willie patch setting and the level is jacked way up there. Great product, lots of fun...the drum set and loop stuff is great for generating ideas and staying sharp on your timing. I trust it for live sound and would recommend to those like me who want some variety in their tone but without a substantial investmest and easy learning curve.

As a guitarist, I used many effects. Since becoming a bass player, I never used any, instead preferring the clean sound of just bass straight into the amp. Because of that, I'm not very familiar at all with many of these different bass effects. But after spending a week or two with the Zoom B1on, I now have a working knowledge of what each of these effects boxes are supposed to do. And I've learned that many of what I thought were clean bass signals on my favorite artists' CDs, have actually been enhanced, although just enough to merely 'flavor' the sound rather than completely change it. A touch of compression, a hint of chorus or reverb...you get the idea. The best thing about this pedal is the price. For $50, I get all the effects I could ever want, and I do not have to spend $150 EACH for an envelope filter, compressor, OD/distortion, reverb, flanger, chorus, octaver, etc. I've read from some of the more experienced players that these are not exact copies of these effects, but merely close-enough representations. So what. For my ears they tell me all I want to know. Once I figured out the interface it was easy to create my own patches, or simply edit some of the 100 presets. It is so cool to be able to A/B back and forth between the Sansamp and the MXR DI+ with one push of a pedal. Or do similar comparisons between different compressors, choruses, filters, etc, to see which one suits your taste best. Then you can chain these effects in any order you want. Extremely flexible and relatively easy to program, this box will keep me occupied for a long time as I educate myself on not only all the different effects, but then going one step further by playing with all the different settings on each effect. Still learning the looper and rhythm machine but I'll get there eventually. So far, just having way too much fun experimenting with the effects. Did I mention the price? Awesome little dynamo!

I must say I am impressed! Can't believe they packed all these effects inside this little box. Once you get the hang of the controls, you'll be on your way to many hours of fun experimentation. Some folks are knocking it because it's made out of plastic. Well, that's true but I think it is sturdy enough to handle a lot of wear. I mean seriously. If you know you are going to be stomping the crap out it when playing a gig, then you might want to get something that's made out of metal (duh). But if you're the kind of person who actually cares about taking care of their equipment, then this little gem will do the trick. The effects sound really good and the rhythm section has a lot to choose from. Oh, and the looper effect is fantastic! It didn't take me long to figure out how to lay down some crazy sounding jams. You'll be creating all kinds of neat songs once you start using the looper. What would I recommend? They really need to include the AC adapter with this pedal. You get a lot of life out of the batteries but if you're going to be gigging for a long time with your fellow jammers, it would be nice to have the adapter for back up reasons. You can purchase one separately if you wish. I'm sure the Zoom B1xon with the built in expression pedal would expand your effects experience a little more. However, for those of us who are getting started with adding effects to our playing, the B1on takes care of us nicely. Is it worth your hard earned cash? You bet! Will you be happy with it? I believe you will. I know I am!

I'd like to begin my review with a little background. I've been a musician in some form or other for more than 20 years, and I've been playing electric bass and guitar for 16 years. I've had at least eight different guitars and basses in my lifetime, and an eclectic variety of amps and effects. I've always enjoyed playing a range of music, and have never had time for anything that can only do one or two things, even if they do so very well. As such, I've grown accustomed to multi-effects and modelling processors that are either quite expensive (Line 6 Vetta II) or are entirely lacking in quality. After a number of events in my life, I ended up getting rid of most of my gear and putting music on the back burner. Recently, I've wanted to get back into music. I bought an economical Ibanez 5-string bass and a 25-watt Fender bass combo. My old Zoom 506II from years past was beat up and did not sound at all pleasing to my ear. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a highly-rated effects pedal from the same company that was not only less expensive, but had a vast improvement in quality! I've only scratched the surface in the last couple of days, but there is a whole new world of sonic potential in this humble unit. I am already amazed at the pre-amp and amp models. The aggressive tones with a little grit sound wonderful, and funky lines really come to life with the dynamics models. The more atmospheric settings allow for some interesting moody work, especially when using the looper. Speaking of the devil, when I was last in the market for one of those, the retail price for a 30 second looper was in the hundreds of dollars. To have one built-in as a bonus to an already great unit is awesome! Overall, this is one of my favorite purchases from Amazon. If you need to add some tonal variety to your bass guitar, this effects unit is a must!

I haven't been playing long but wanted to explore the effects/pedal thing. The price seemed very reasonable for the many options the B1on offers. This is the first pedal I've purchased so I don't have anything to compare it to. Am enjoying it. It's small & light & arrived super fast. Took some time to figure out the presets aren't locked in place, via a combo of the instruction book + the website (hence the rating...who knows, might give it a 5 if & when I try others) but now that I understand what it's offering & the how-to, it's a quick process to tailor them & line them up to access quickly--great for helping us new guys learn what the effects are & how they can be merged. The looper & drum beats are fine & have expanded the world of practice for this newbie.

I have always liked Zoom products for guitar and bass. I own this unit for my bass and i also own the guitar model with the expression pedal. This unit is easy to use, has tons of effects and options. It sounds really good for an inexpensive unit. Besides the effects, it has a tuner that is easy to use, a looper and drum tracks. I have not tried the looper yet or the drum tracks. I already own a drum machine that i like a lot. A nice thing about this Zoom model ( the guitar one as well) is that it has an 1/8th inch stereo in jack so you can run in a drum machine or mp3 player to play along with. I have not tried this feature yet but i love the idea of it. I am playing a cheap rogue bass through this unit into a crate 25 watt amp with a 10 inch speaker. I was learning and playing along with some tool songs, This unit has all the effects i could possible want. I have not used this unit in a loud or recording situation. It is definitely and awesome headphone unit and practice unit. The output is a 1/4 inch stereo out. You can plug it into an amp or connect headphones to it.

I only got this pedal a couple of days ago, so this is just an initial review which I'll come back and edit later. First, what's bad about this pedal: 1. It's ugly. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but when I opened the box I thought I had just woken up in 1978 and the last 38 years had all been a dream. They need to apply some modern design to this thing, particularly the low-res orange LCD display. 2. It should come with a power adapter. Those four AA batteries don't last long. Yes, you can buy a separate adapter but you really shouldn't have to. 3. There are no blank memory slots so if you want to create your own patches you have to write over the existing ones. They should have an empty bank for the user so you could scroll through the user patches by selecting the letter and pressing the up and down pedals. Now, what's good about this pedal: Everything else. 1. The sound quality is excellent. 2. The built in patches provide a very good set of sounds with plenty of variety - there's something in there for everyone. 3. The variety of effects, and being able to chain up to five effects into each patch, provide more options than you can shake a stick at. I'll be playing with this thing for months before I've tried everything. 4. It's pretty robust for plastic and looks like it will take a lot of wear and tear. I wouldn't want to drop it from a great height, but then I try to look after my stuff so don't plan on doing this anyway. Summary: It's not the easiest user interface to master, but a little patience and some time spent building your own patches and you will love this box.

Fantastic tuner on this thing , very accurate. It's easy to use and affordable. If you are learning Bass and want to try some new sounds this is the product for you. Shipped quickly, and very affordable.

These have decent enough patches for anyone who is just getting hands-on experience with pedals and processors and if you tweak it a little bit and make a patch of your own you can have a great time using this. In this model of the processor, you can get more amp simulators than its newer version(B1 four), another advantage this model has that (acc. to me) is that in the newer model we have to add the amp and cabinet separately in the fx chain. This model takes only one slot in the fx chain which includes both amp and cabinet, hence we can add up to 4 other effects in the chain as compared to 3 in B1 four. In the end, all you have to do is fiddle with it, learn it, and create the best settings and patches that will get you the sound you desire.

Excellent product, really nice effects, tuner looper, aux jack, headphone jack .. all that under 5k. unbelievable.

Great pedal with some good patches. Only issue is that the power adaptor is not provided and seems pretty costly when buying individually.

Nice rig..Tons of sounds, some I can't think of using. Detailed info about Who the sound effects are meant to emulate.