Thoughts? Found these at the same price point, and trying to see if I can snag one in time for my far-better-than-Dad-as-a-bassist son’s b-day, so please respond asp!
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I’m not familiar with the Valetron, but I’m happy with my B1four.
There is one possible difference that may be there - I get the impression that the Valetron can function as a DAI (using the USB output as input to a DAW). If that’s the case, I’d lean towards trying the Valetron (given that they’re both the same price)…
Good luck…
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I had never heard of Valeton before you mentioned them. Since then I’ve done some research on them. Nothing extensive, just trying to figure out who they are and what they offer and I haven’t found a whole lot outside of their website.
I would go with the Zoom based on the maturity of the product, expansive user base, and the application you can use with it instead of having to do everything through the interface.
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Thanks @skydvr and @eric.kiser — my gearhead friend asks: used Zoom b3 (not +n) better than new Zoom B14x? And I note the Valeton subtitle says guitar-bass-acoustic amp sims, but not that the effects pedal as a whole is for the bass itself…
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The software models on the B1four are newer and it has a faster processor than the B3. However the B3 has a DI out and a USB audio interface built in, and a better user interface for stomp mode.
Weirdly, the B3n has neither the DI nor the USB audio interface either.
So, it depends on what your friend is looking for.
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I’d go with the B1four (and am very happy with mine - and I use the heck out of it). The zoom “B” products are designed specifically for bass - and the Valeton looks like it’s trying to do bass and guitar in the same multi-effects unit. I didn’t look up the exact number of bass specific cabinet and amp simulations in the Valeton vs Zoom - but my guess is the Zoom has a lot more options.
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Thanks, @howard and @KenKnight Said friend is coming down to see me this weekend, he asks-- for 10w bass practice amp (Ibanez), what’d you recommend for the best basic-level input effects, a modulator that could be reasonably heard on such a small speaker? Or is it too much to expect that 10w can deliver what effects-modulators send it? He has a lot of guitar pedalboard gear, but he wants to know for his bass amp on the go…
P.S. I also wonder if the Zoom B3 is even updated with firmware: their site has it Jan '20 but as that’s the gamut from Windows XP or 7 through t0, its days may be numbered. Or, are their alternatives to getting older pedals hooked into beginner’s DAW PC editors?
In general you can do much more with effects in the DAW than you can with pedals, and IMO the effects sound better too. The tradeoff is it is less tactile and “fun”, trickier to use well in real time (versus recording then rendering with effects), and you don’t get to collect the little toys 
It costs about the same. Some DAWs come with a basic set of effects; the quality and ease of use varies by DAW. Otherwise you need to buy them (or find free ones when you can).
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