SET YOUR BASS TO STUN
THE ZOOM B3
Bass Effects & Amp Simulator Pedal
The Zoom B3 is our most advanced bass pedal ever. 99 great-sounding DSP effects plus 12 amp and cabinet models give you all the tools you need to craft stunning bass tones, both onstage and in the studio. Up to 3 effects can be chained together, and 3 stompbox-style displays—each with its own dedicated foot switch and control knobs—make editing fast and easy. The B3 is the total package, complete with an onboard chromatic bass tuner and integrated rhythm machine / Looper.
Over a hundred different ways to craft your sound
The B3 provides a whopping 111 different onboard DSP effects and amp/cabinet models.
These include compressors, noise gates, filters, equalizers, and octave dividers, as well as boosters, overdrives, fuzzes, phasers, and flangers, plus chorus, pitch shift, tremolo, vibrato, a sub-octave generator, and an intelligent bass synthesizer that plays along in key—even a DeFret effect that changes the tone of a fretted bass into that of a fretless. There are simulations of both classic and contemporary pedals such as the MXR DynaComp, Aphex Punch Factory, dbx 160A, BBE Sonic Maximizer, Q-Tron Envelope Filter, Moog MF-101 and BOSS ODB-3, DS-1, CE-1 and Metal Zone, as well as the Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff, SansAmp Bass Driver DI, MXR Bass D.I.+, Avalon Design U5, and Xotic EP Booster and Bass BB Preamp. Original effects include Zoom’s Noise Reduction (ZNR) algorithm, a bass frequency-specific Auto-Wah, and a “talking” modulator. You’ll also find 20 delays and natural-sounding reverbs here, including rooms, halls, arenas, plates, springs, and tape delay simulators, as well as dual effects such as compressor/distortion, phaser/distortion and compressor/auto-wah.
The dozen amp models provided by the B3 include emulations of classic tube amplifiers like the Ampeg SVT, Fender Bassman, Marshall Super Bass, Polytone Mini-Brute III, and acoustic 360, as well as the modern sounds of the Hartke HA3500, SWR SM-900, Aguilar DB750, Gallien-Krueger 800RB, Eden WT-800, and Italian Markbass Little Mark III, each with its own distinct cabinet modeling that can be used to further alter the tonal quality. What’s more, you can pair any amp model to any cabinet model for unusual, and often striking effects.
NOTE: Manufacturer names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The names are used only to illustrate sonic characteristics and do not indicate any affiliation with the Zoom Corporation or Zoom North America.
Easy to use and packed with power
The intuitive design of the B3 allows easy navigation in both live and studio settings and makes creating, saving, and rearranging effects a breeze. Three LCD screens, each with corresponding foot switches and parameter knobs, form a large graphical interface that allows you to view and edit multiple effects at a glance.
Up to three effects can be used simultaneously, arranged in any order you like, and signal flow can be reversed at the touch of a button. 100 patch memories are provided for the storage of custom edited and chained multi-effects, the first 50 of which are pre-loaded with useful factory settings. Changing patches is near-instantaneous and requires just a tap of a foot switch.
A standard ¼” input jack and passive/active control allow the B3 to be used with any electric bass. Outputs are provided on dual ¼” (one stereo, one mono) and balanced XLR output jacks, enabling the unit to be connected to headphones, amplifiers or line-level devices (pre- or post-effect) such as external effects devices, recorders, and mixing boards.
Only 4 AA batteries—either alkaline or rechargeable NiMH—are required for power, or you can use the supplied AC adapter. Battery life is up to 6 hours when using alkaline batteries, and an “Eco” setting automatically powers the unit off if unused for extended periods.
Advanced features
The B3 offers a slew of advanced features, including a built-in chromatic tuner that supports a variety of standard bass tunings—even drop tunings. A Tap Tempo function allows you to to set delay times and modulation effect frequencies in real time to the rhythm of the song you’re playing. There are 41 realistic-sounding rhythm patterns too—PCM samples of drums being played in a variety of different genres and time signatures.
It’s easy to create full orchestrations with your B3. An onboard Looper enables you to layer up to 40 seconds of performance (through the effect or effects of your choice) in high quality 16-bit 44.1kHz audio. The Looper can also be used in conjunction with rhythm accompaniments, allowing you to play along with the pattern of your choice.
Using your B3 with a computer
The B3 has a USB port for connection to any Macintosh or Windows computer, allowing it to act as a 2-input / 2-output audio interface. Simply launch your favorite DAW or the included Steinberg Sequel LE software and start laying down tracks. Direct monitoring during recording ensures zero latency, allowing you to overdub with ease.
The B3 is also fully compatible with Zoom’s Edit&Share software, available below as a free download. This easy to use software allows you to catalog, edit and share your patches. Powerful sorting tools help you quickly find exactly the sound you’re after, then drag, drop, and reload them in whatever order you need for your next gig—easy to do with a laptop even if you’re on the road.
State of the art editing with every B3
The Zoom B3 comes with a free download license for Steinberg’s Cubase LE music production software, providing not just the ability to create incredible bass sounds in every box, but to do spectacular things with it.
Take your recordings to a more professional level. Steinberg’s powerful and state-of-the-art audio software used by creators around the world now comes with every Zoom B3 purchase.
Currently shipping with:
Cubase LE8 for Mac OS X 10.9/10.10 and Windows 7/8/8.1
For information on license activation and upgrades, visit our Steinberg Software support page.
Features at a glance
99 effects, including distortion, compression, modulation, delay, and reverb
12 amp / cabinet models
3 backlit LCDs with contrast control
Intuitive user interface
Ultra-fast (1ms) patch change speed
Up to 3 effects can be used simultaneously, chained together in any order
100 memory locations for the storage of user-created patches
50 factory preset patches, including personally designed effects by Victor Wooten (Béla Fleck & the Flecktones), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Frank Bello (Anthrax), and Doug Wimbish (Living Colour)
Store and Swap functions make patch organization a breeze
Auto Save function for automatic saving of all patch parameters
Onboard chromatic tuner supports all standard bass tunings, including open and drop tunings
Looper feature for the recording of up to 40 seconds of CD-quality phrase recording
41 built-in rhythm patterns which can be used in conjunction with the Looper
Easily integrated into any existing pedalboard
Input jack accepts standard mono guitar cable
Active/Passive switch
Dual output jacks for connection to amps or headphones
Balanced XLR output jack with ground lift for DI connection (pre- or post-effect) to line-level devices, mixing boards, and recorders
Control input for external foot switch or expression pedal
Runs on 4 AA batteries, with alkaline battery life of more than 6 hours
Included AC adapter
USB port for bus power and firmware updates
2-in/2-out USB audio interface for PC/Mac computers
Compatible with Zoom Edit&Share software
Includes Steinberg Cubase LE recording software
Accessories
Here’s what comes included with the B3:
Operation manual
AC adapter (Zoom AD-16)
Steinberg Cubase LE recording software
SPECS
GENERAL
Number of effects:
111
Number of simultaneous effects:
3
Number of patch memories:
100 (10 banks of 10)
Sampling frequency:
44.1 kHz
A/D conversion:
128× oversampling
D/A conversion:
128× oversampling
Signal processing:
32-bit
Frequency characteristics:
20Hz – 20 kHz +1 dB, -6 dB (into 10 kΩ load)
Display:
Backlit dot matrix LCD x 3
Input:
Type: Standard mono ¼” phone jack
Rated input level: -20 dBm*
Input impedance: 1 MΩ ACTIVE/PASSIVE (switch selectable)
Output:
R:
Type: Standard mono ¼” phone jack
Maximum output level: +5 dBm (output impedance load of 10 kΩ or more)
L/Mono/Phones:
Type: Standard stereo ¼” phone jack
Maximum line output level: +5 dBm (output impedance load of 10 kΩ or more)
Maximum headphones output level: 20 mW + 20 mW (into 32Ω load)
Balanced:
Type: XLR connector
Output impedance: 100 Ω (HOT-GND, COLD-GND), 200 Ω (HOT-COLD)
PRE/POST (switch selectable)
GND LIFT (switch selectable)
Control input:
For Zoom FP01/FP02/FS01
Battery type:
AA size (LR6) battery x 4
Continuous battery operation time:
6 hours when using 4 AA alkaline batteries
AC adapter:
DC 9V center-negative, 500 mA (Zoom AD-16)
USB
USB :
Firmware update and interface functions
USB interface:
Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz
Bit rate: 16-bit
Compatibility: Windows® XP SP3 (32bit) or newer with Intel® Pentium® 4 1.8GHz or faster, RAM 1GB or more
Windows® Vista SP1 (32bit, 64bit) or newer /
Windows® 7 (32bit, 64bit) with Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core 2.7GHz or faster, RAM 2GB or more
Mac OS X 10.5/10.6/10.7 with Intel® Core Duo 1.83GHz or faster, RAM 1GB or more
OTHER
Dimensions:
170mm(D) x 234mm(W) x 54mm (H)
Weight:
1.2kg
