Compared: Darkglass B7K Ultra vs. Two Notes Le Bass
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2016
- All of my thoughts on the B7K Ultra can be found here: • Darkglass B7K Ultra Re...
The background song is a cover I made of Gideon's "Milestone"
Gear list:
-2006 Warwick Corvette Standard (originally burgundy red oil finished, but that has since been removed by a previous owner)
-Radial Engineering Reamp JCR
-Darkglass B7K Ultra (XLR out to 18i20)
-Two Notes Le Bass (XLR out to 18i20)
-Audio-Technica AT3035 (for voice)
-Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
-Cockos Reaper (as my DAW)
-Canon T3i (primary)
-Sigma 20mm f/1.8 lens
-Sony Movie Studio Platinum (for video editing) - เพลง
This is probably the best gear overview I've ever watched on TH-cam. Video and audio quality was awesome, presentation was awesome. WELL DONE, Mitch!
Thaaaank you! I've been super torn with preamp pedal choices. I have a bi-amp set up and want to pair down to two/two channel preamp. Been eyeing the Le Bass, but your comment at the end addressed an issue no other video does. I really appreciate it.
Cool comparison and great playing!
Today i discovered your channel, great quality, great content, so fresh. Keep it up!
PS. you pick so good riff to test all those gear, love it.
I like the way you are straight forward with your opinion! Cheers!
Honest review. Respect 🙏
Well thought out review . That was very helpful, thanks.
Great review Mitch!
Agree with other commentators - great review. Also, well done for making a definitive recommendation rather than placating everyone and saying, 'it depends...'.
actually i like the lebass more than b7k
Thanks for the review, very professional
Really good review ! Impress me a lot. Good job ^_^
by boosting the treble on my le bass I was able to counteract the cab sim enough, but my bass is quite bright itself. The problem I then had was running into my mark bass amp which is also quite bright and clean the sound was far too bright and sounded horrible, I now counter this by running with the DI out into the balanced input of my amp and that's a set-up that works for me live.
But I definitely see these pedals as a push by two notes to get people to also buy there cab sim pedal which as someone else said when pared with the Le bass would probably fix your issue as you can turn it on / off or change the preset for each channel
great review
This was really comprehensive and even handed. Dug it! Also, my two cents; in the direct comparison I much preferred the Le Bass.
Awesome review dude!
Nice Job Mitch! Is cool to say the reality of the pedals with all problems and frustraited things from a user to discuss on all bass players. Thanks suck much i aprecciate that. Cool Job and Cool review. Cheer from Mexico.
Nice review and good job comparing. I think I will get the LeBass, though I really should stop buying things and practice instead. ;)
so true! :)
Shouldn't we all!!??
$80 cheaper is a big deal! Great review as always! I like the effects loop of the Le Bass.
Thank you, I found what I was looking for!
great reviews as usual, the darkglass is expensive but, to me, it still sounds way better than the 2notes, also, a point you could take into consideration for future review, it seems it's also much more user-friendly for those that don't have the ear to make it sound awesome compared to these pedals you try to make them sound like a darkglass, it seems.
I think this comparison really needs a longer video. I also know the Le Bass is well capable of getting a full-sounding distorted tone from other demos.
Really helpful, thanks!
Awesome side by side comparison. I will say that BY NATURE a DI signal will always be more wide range and include more high end. When connecting with a cab of your choice turn it off. When going straight into a PA via DI then the option is there to have a "virtual" cabinet. So, the Le Bass does what it does. The low end is an asset to it, it's a bass afterall!
Thanks for VS.
Great comparison. I don't know which one I want. The Darkglass is warmer and has a bit more clarity, but the Two Notes has more punch.
have you tried the vintage microtube? I like the tone better and they make a deluxe and ultra for the vintage as well. I have the standard and mix it with my b7k standard.
¡Great review!
For anyone that is looking into the Le Bass, it's a great unit, and sounds wonderful!
MAKE SURE YOU GET THE V2 MODEL.
The V1 has a KNOWN ISSUE where the DI is not isolated from the transformer of the unit, and as result, the DI channel is VERY NOISY. Not normal the "Tube operation" noise floor. It's an inherent design flaw and completely ruined the experience of this pedal. It's only in the DI output and does not affect the normal 1/4'' output, but is literally a crippling oversight.
This means noisy operation if you're going direct into the house, or direct into a recording console/interface etc.
I unfortunately have fallen victim to this, and would like to warn others to be aware of the same. Speaking with Two Notes about this has been a less than stellar customer experience as well, which is incredibly unfortunate for a first time buyer.
Is there any way to tell the the 1st and second versions apart?
I really dig your in depth review! Many people just rush through tones and never take time to dial in a good sound. Prime example of this would be Rob Chapman and Captain Lee and their pedal "reviews" in which the Captain does nothing but nonsensical knob turning...I really like those two dudes, but for from an entertainment angle than actual in depth reviews.
For me the B7K wins "balls to the wall" and the LeBass wins "50/50". I think the LeBass is a little boomier but also a little harsher and less defined and that's why 50/50 sounds great with it while it lacks clarity when going all out with it.
I use an MXR M80 live. Theoretically it has two channels; Clean and Distortion. I really don't use the distortion a lot because it automatically activates the "color" option in the preamp which makes the pedal scoop lots of mids and also i have this old Tech 21 XXL Drive which gives me amazing balls to the wall distortion...
However I think what you could try to do is get a good clean sound from the amp and then just use either pedal as a drive rather than getting all your sounds from this one pedal. I know it kinda defeats the purpose of a 2-channel pedal but for me it's either that or using two normal B7Ks or two LeBass pedals to get the different sounds. Maybe you can combine the new Darkglass head with a B7K Ultra and it will be glorious :D
B7K into Le Bass B7K acts as overdrive.
Great review!! Now I know I don't want either of these pedals... ...but will probably buy one of them anyway... :)
Great review! Sounds like you need another pedal. Get an A/B Switcher and bring both for live set up for the sole job of either clean or distorted! Happy tone hunting👍👍👍
If you get the Torpedo CAB you can program which if any cab sims will turn on on each mode of the LeBass (via midi).
it is still extra 300 bucks tho.
Great bass playing! Out of curiosity, can you turn on/off the cab sim of the Le Bass through MIDI?
Hi! that's a nice comparison! But can you explain one thing: Le Bass has some noise on a first two clean samples - that is your mistake in recording or Le bass has this noisy sound?
thanks!
Pretty convincing guy. Nice review !
I wonder if one could mod the channel B switch to activate the cab sim. Maybe a link channel B with cab sim switch modification?
Really! I think the darkglass sound distinctly better, but whatever floats your boat.
where can I hear tethered? I love the chord progression! :)
It depends on your rig too, I use ProHd and b7k with Kisel bass, and for Le bass i can use it with my musicman and direct to the head. Overall b7k gives you the ultimate tone
Great demo Kid!
He really knows what he's talking about.
Great review! Curious if you've tried running the Le Bass into the Two Notes Wall of Sound stuff and what your thoughts were about the included cab impulses (I think it's supposed to come with like 15)?
Unfortunately I did not with the time I had with the pedal; I got it second-hand and didn't see any sort of serial number for WoS included, so I just assumed the previous owner used it or something, even though now I look and see I just should've registered the product itself online to get the WoS stuff. I only really got the pedal to compare to the Darkglass, so I didn't dive into WoS as I probably should have.
No worries, just was curious! Thanks for the side by side, definitely helped inform a future purchase!
No need to serial, just go to the Two notes website and register your "Le Bass" and you will get 12 cabs IRs package. That's all. :)
Hi mitch I am not a bass player, but a guitar player. I love you review. Which camera did you use is also form a very good Quality.
Great job! We share interfaces and DAW.
Do you tried yo mix two diferents preamps whith two spliters ? Once in the begining and the other to unify the two preamps. So once preamp can be vintage and the other driving the middles
@MitchBaker Seems like you will need to make a video using the NPD DSM Omnicabsim blink blink
Suggest a pedal that's great for live use
what ARE you taking to gigs then? regular b7k? also would love to hear your opinion on b7k v2 that is now out. are those mid switches actually worth the upgrade?love your reviews btw!
Neither, I've been using an Avid Eleven Rack for a while but now I'm switching to a Fractal AX8. They just introduced a B7K model to the Fractal, which is great because now I have the distortion characteristic of the B7K but additional EQ options with the Fractal that the real pedals just can't beat. Granted it's very expensive, but I get many other uses from the Fractal that make it worth it for me.
The B7K V2 looks like a middle ground between the normal B7K and B7K Ultra, but I think the Ultra is still the best move since you get three mid bands per knob instead of two.
you should combine the le bass with an omnicabsim..killer combo!!
Nice review! Still stuck here with my Zoom B3 though lol
Great unit!! Love mine :)
HafidhMusic, check this thread for some Darkglass-inspired patches for the Zoom
www.talkbass.com/threads/zoom-b3-greatest-hits-of-the-talkbass-forum-best-patch-ideas.1240230/
Don't knock it the B3 rocks!
I think when it comes to full distortion, darkglass clearly win (IMHO). However, when you mix clear and distorted, it seems to me that the LeBass can keep the low end better and therefore wins
Useful video - thanks! Just a note: several times, you refer to the Le Bass speaker simulation as an "impulse" or "IR," which imply that it's digital. According to the Two Notes docs, the speaker simulation in the Le Bass is analog (even though they also say, somewhat confusingly, that it's based on their digital cab simulation products; my guess is that they used the analysis that they'd done for those products, and then designed an analog filter which approximated one of the measured cabs).
It's 100% analog speakersim, we used some of our digital cabinets as a reference.
I definitely agree with your gripe about the pedal and I heard it muddy up some beautiful clean bass tones, maybe you can convince these l folks to build a rack mount that is alternating that you can edit everything yourself much like the capability to edit a Line 6 POD Pro HD. The capability to edit your mic direction as well as EQ etc... etc... I love the tube in the Pedal and the way it illuminates a different color when you press another button.
If this preamp series is doing well for them, I wouldn't be surprised if that's their next step; to try and take on that Fractal & Line 6 market by combining these preamps with the back end of their Torpedo series.
+Mitch Baker Sounds Great! With the rack mounts, you can modify each bank according to what you want in your sound (without losing what you want going to another bank) and I really hope that both 2 Notes and Dark Glass start to take notice of your videos and hopefully they can get up with you and you can get a signature series made for bass players by a bass player who takes pride in his sound and knows what he wants and expects out of the manufacturer who design and sell the pedals.
Whoever hits you up first, you would wind up making that company rich based on your insight... You just gotta find a way to make them hear you out now.
have you tried running BOTH , clean di then dirty di , something i got the idea of from everytime i die and alex webster of CC, your 50/50 is GREAT but if u control dynamic so if u play soft it cleanish then dig in hard breakup
Mitch or anyone else who wants to respond, I have a question. I am getting back into bass playing after many years off. Got my old chops back but I am woefully ignorant when it comes to hooking what up to what and how. Bass player are much more savvy and knowledgeable than in years past. The technology is quantum leaps ahead than in the seventies when I would be about your age. I live in a condo cannot use my Hartke 250 watt amp to practice. I am currently listening to my practicing through my Boss GT-10B effects board; also have a small Yamaha MG06 mixer. With the Two Notes preamp, could I, should I hook the Boss through the effects loop of the Le Bass unit or how should I combine the two? In what sequence?. Really don't like the example of the harsh distortion you showed at the end of your tutorial but I could you use the amp/cab simulations in my Boss maybe to solve that problem? Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Howdy! So the setup that you have can run multiple ways, and I'll try to be as concise as possible.
If you run the Le Bass into the GT-10B just straight in, you can use the GT-10 for your time-based effects or a looper, and use it for your cab simulation if you desire.
If you run the GT-10 into the Effects Loop of the Le Bass, you would be pushing the pre-amp signal before it hits the output into the GT-10, and then back into the Le Bass so it can be outputted. With this type of setup, you can have further control of your time-based effects, as that signal will be "pre-output", and then your reverbs could then be put out of the pedal and into the cab sim. That being said, this would only really matter if you used the cab sim button on the side, because quite honestly, you would (I think) get the same results by disengaging the Le Bass cab sim and using the GT-10 cabs.
It's tough to make out where exactly the "send" exits the Le Bass and where the return bring it back. For guitar amps, effect loops send after the preamp and return before the power amp (I'm pretty sure you know this, but just needed to clarify).
One thing I should mention is that the Le Bass comes with Cab Impulses for their software, which you can use on a Mac or PC (or if you buy the C.A.B. from them). Those emulate stuff from Eden, Ampeg, and more, and I've had very good luck with their guitar stuff.
If you never plan on using the built in cab sim (as in only running direct or using the GT-10 cabs), then I think an effects loop is irrelevant, as the differences would (probably) be negligible. Hope this helps!
Nice playing and the text is helpful. Would have liked to hear something "in the mix".
Slight inaccuracy : the cab sim on Le Bass is not an IR. The Torpedo CAB pedal with a midi connection would solve your problem... at a price. Also note both Le Bass and CAB have SUPER HIGH current draw at 12v which not all power supplies can deliver.
I've been curious about Le Bass and it has really cool features. But since I'm familiar with Darkglass and know they work for me I've preordered the upcoming Microtubes 700 amp which will hopefully be my all-in-one solution.
Excellent review kid. ::)
I love the Le Bass, but I already own the Torpedo Cab pedal. The midi interface overcomes your main objection to the clean/distorted dilemma. For each setting, just specify a cab or no cab paired up in the TC and you are good to go. The TC even lets you further tweak a power amp tube emulation to sculpt your tone. Obviously you lose some grab and go portability and then the cost factor swings the scale back to the B7K Ultra, but you're not satisified with that anyway for a live FOH situation.
On my monitors, the Two Notes much better overdrive. I own the Dark Glass. Well, not for much longer. Going to get Le Bass. I wonder how much difference a different tube would make.
NEVER cross the streams.
Enjoyed your video, but have a small question. At (4:10), Le Bass @ "Full-on distortion"-- the photo of the pedal shows the LeBass in fushion mode. (Channels A & B lit) It is a little difficult to see the knob positions, but question is- in Fushion mode, is this the "Full-On Distortion"? -OR- Why is it not only the B Channel with max distortion. Am I misunderstanding something here?
Thank you.
heeey mitch, i wanna now what camera you use for this video ! Thanks you !
Canon T3i!
Couldn't you use LeBass midicontrol to disable the cabinet impulse?
nice
what song plays at the end of the video on acoustic guitar?) I would love to hear full version _)
it's Milestone by Gideon!
where dou connect your reamp??
Does anyone have a link to the last tune he plays? Tethered, by Myself... It's hellish to try and search for it, may it be here or Google, due to how many bands have "Myself" as part of their name... Thanks!
It's a riff that I wrote, it's not in any song I've released
Sounds like the Le Bass had noticeably less lower mid content than the B7K.
If you own both, in live situation, you can use one for clean and the other for dirty :p
I thought I was crazy for thinking the same thing! Like both pedals are dope, but can I really use this live???
I don't know that live is the primary benefit for these, unless you use it for distortion! I'm looking at these for recording purposes, as a DI.
I would solve your eternal live situation problem with a clean preamp like the mxr before your dirty preamp and readjust your EQ on the second, to "change channels" just activate or deactivate the dirty one
i think it can be tweaked easily to hardwired option Channel A - Cab sim OFF, channel B - cam sim ON, A+B - cam sim ON.
I do like the LeBass better. I feel it is more articulate with the notes and better presence.
Easy, bring both to the stage. Le Bass with clean sound and the B7K Ultra with the distortion.
What preamp would you use live?
It's hard to say which one wins in clean and low gain, but B7K wins definitely in high gain which sounds deeper and more clear.
DG just kick ass
Amazing review… but did you seriously not say which pedal you would take to the show?!
I greatly appreciate your PRO review! So what works well for you Live?
Avid Eleven Rack, at the moment! Has beat out Darkglass, Two Notes, Fractal, and Line 6 Helix for what I want, surprisingly.
Mitch .... thank you for your quick reply. I so appreciate your effort!!! \m/ . . \m/
I prefer the cleaner sounds of the Le Bass and the distorted tones of the Darkglass
Which is why I'm planning on getting the Le Bass pedal and running my Darkglass B3K through it (in parallel with a Chowny Fuzzster, using the Boss LS-2)
I think your high-freq hearing might be fried from loud gigs. Those examples were pretty shrill in the high end. Nice playing, though.
This is true. I have a friend who cranks his treble with a tele into icepick hell cause he can't "cut through".
Good review! I think B7K drive is much more focused than Le Bass's drive, even more on extreme values. I have B3k right now, and I love how it woks, the drive is amasing, and it's great to use it like a stomp-box to plug in in different amps. I found that it sounds cool when plugged in hybrid Hartke HA3500 with tube/mosfet preamp. Do you think it is a good idea to buy Le Bass and use it's clean channel after B3K? Just to add some warmth to B3K drive and I built-in speaker sim is also a good feature to have.
I'm wondering this exact thing.
Honest demo.... this is quite rare. Good job
I don't play metal at all, but I do play a lot of different types of music and use quite some effects live the le bass even do is bigger is better for me since it has an FX loop, I dont use much overdrive but if i do I either use its cold fusion which i think has the more body for than just channel B. either that or an external dirt pedal. ive had the vintage ultra for a while and I wasnt really impressed with it.
You probably considered this, but if you have both pedals, why not just use them both for different sounds?
+Tempest H I actually traded the Darkglass away for the Two Notes, so I didn't have them at the same time. Not to mention for the purposes of this video, this is with the assumption the user won't have the luxury of owning both and is choosing between them.
That makes sense. Video is a really nice comparison, thanks for making it. To my ears the b7k sounds best. But the standard clean sound on the le bass is really nice. Are you still happy you went to the le bass?
Ended up unhappy with both of them, actually, for the reasons I noted in the video. I'm partial to my Eleven Rack for what I need.
I think the Cab Sim sounds better for everything.
le bass for me
Zaebiss!))😅
The LaBass NEEDS a tube swap.
For live get 2 amps 1 for each channel so big so wide experiment don't blame the pedals
ppl need hear lebass in channel A + b7k!
So, which one cuts it for you live? And since this video is a couple of years old, what do you think of the Alpha Omega Ultra?
Neither of these for two channel use, but the new v2 B7K Ultra and the Alpha Omega Ultra almost definitely would, since they have integrated cabinet impulses now.
Got the Le Bass for 100$ less than the BK, couldn't turn it down.
Mani can’t hear any low end
imo the b7k sounds much deeper and has better definition
I do too, but I think you could get to sound closer w adding some low & mid EQ............
In live situation i heard a lot better the B7K compare to le bass
oh crap..it's a herdsman category dude, with tiny hands and the groove ability of a germanic police officer...
So,..like all have heard before,..it boils down to desired “tastes”..and that’s it!!
They BOTH can actually do the job!!
Veterans Bassists KNOW & today’s Newbie should that the BASSIST/Bass “role” is Paramount!!!☝🏾...don’t get too affixed on pedals/FX!!!...remember that tunes 🎶NEED “Bass/Bottom”!!..🔊👌🏾
I dunno I kinda liked the Darkbass better....
If you listen closely the le bass have some annoying preamp hissing sound.
i would check out the ebs microbass. It is WAYY different from both these pedals but is way better for live sittuations
it doesn't sound better for you*