Not sure if Darkglass needs any defense. Their stuff sounds great. The only problem is that people use every pedal the same way. Besides that Darkglass is pushing this image with their Dingwall + crazy distortion videos. Which is fine as well, it's just a but overused. 🤷♂️😅
I guess it's not the gear that's the problem, it's players jumping on bandwagons. I bet a few thousand players heard Nolly do a bass play through and all of a sudden everyone wanted that sound without variation, which is a bit sad. I personally don't care for Dingwall nor Darkglass, but each to their own - I can see the appeal of both, just not for me.
@@cd0u50c9I was a bit sceptical about darkglass since I hate that clangy metallic tone in most videos that demo darkglass stuff. I still wanted a good overdrive pedal so gambled on a darkglass vintage and I literally got my dream tone. Clear low end, heavy but warm overdrive, no annoying "clanginess"
I have a Sansamp and a B7K and depending what I'm looking for I choose which preamp I'll use. Honestly Darkglass handles high gain tones way better than the Sansamp but it works well in other sonic environments too. For some cleaner tones I like the Sansamp flavour...but it's a matter of taste. Darkglass isn't just for metal but is the metalheads choice because the quality of the high gain tones.
I’m definitely interested in this video. I remember a video from a while back where a Darkglass preamp went up against a Sansamp and the Sansamp blew it out of the water, in my opinion.
Just not the same and it depend what you want to do. Sansamp is more vintage so warm and clear disto but darkglass is more versatile, precise in my opinion. You have more option and all know have a big range so you can go to a very "clean" distortion or to a very brutal but precise breaking bones distortions and everyhing between them.
It's a matter of taste, I guess. Some people doesn't like that mid scooped tone but I love it for clean tones. It's my fault not spending more time trying to get a similar clean tone from my Darkglass B7K.
Idk it’s all in what tone you want, I’d bring my X ultra over a sansamp to a gig any day but I love that extra high tone and boosted mids the frequency that DG has given bass players is spot on
I do not own (anymore) any DG pedal but I use NeuralDSP darkglass a lot for recording. Their Vintage model really makes the bass shine in a vaste palette of genres!
Darkglass definitely works for other genres of music- not just prog metal. Listen to any of the live albums King Crimson has put out in the last 5 years. Tony Levin has used Darkglass consistently in these live shows. It sounds great, not extreme at all
Love this video. Been using a combo of a B7K, vintage for extra tube grit and a supersymmetry on 5 albums. The idea they are only for “djent” bass comes from ignorance. I got an alpha omega ultra for a flight pedal board, and it KILLS the light distortion, plus cool cab sims. Kills like this channel.
I have to thank you for all the efforts you put into this videos. You record, re amp and sync all the videos. You take your time going through each settings. Thank you very much
What a great video! There should be a lot more like that because it shows you to think different with what you have. Really, I never thought that the B7KU would sound so vintage vibey. I would love to see you doing similar things with the ADAM 😉 Horns up! 🤘🏼🤘🏼
Good job guys! I own the vintage ultra v2 and do the low gain/amp saturation thingy to be able to cut through a dense mix. It works perfectly and sounds amazingly organic and natural. BTW Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse is doing the same thing with a b7k ultra. Calling it an agressive clean tone. Just check his rig rundown on YT. So distortion is not necessarily needed in extreme metal .
I just got a Darkglass Alpha Omega 900 and I love how versatile it is. The between the EQ and the compressor you can get any clean sound your heart desires. Add to that the most flexible distortion pedal around built in and you can really get any kind of sound you want on the fly. I sold my beloved SVT 7 pro to get it and I will never regret it tone wise and my back thanks me.
This is gonna be a very important video. I get people telling me darkglass are overrated and are just for metal, completely clueless to their full potential as preamps, light OD, EQ and boosts. Then again, Darkglas a themselves sre responsible for creating that image
You nailed it. I mostly use my B3Kv2 as a light od and it works really well. I think the tone control "colors" too much the sound, but that's fine. That's the pedal's identity. It is true, though, that the darkglass sound in metal is now banal... the high gain may have clarity but it sounds like plastic after a while, it's unlistenable. But then again: the vintage microtubes is fantastic for light od sounds, their clean boost is outstanding and their fuzz is super underrated.
darkglass stuff seems really nice honestly, a bit pricey but im sure theyre nice! the cab simulator they make is interesting. but honestly when it comes to the high gain metal tones darkglass is to pristine and pleasant sounding, ive actually been using a boss hm-2 with my svt on bass and its perfect for me, its got this nastiness in the upper mids that just sounds heavy and it helps me cut a lil more thru the mix
I've been looking at all the Drakglass pedals this week precisely because I want a bass preamp that isn't metal, but will give me some growl in the mids and highs. So far I'm thtink the Alpha-Omega or the Microtubes X. These are VERY flexible pedals. Actually they all are. If people knew just how flexible they are they (Darkglass) would sell even more than they already do. They are so identified with metal, which they do brilliantly, but there's a lot of other tones available as you are showing here. Nice video!
I just bought the DG Alpha Omega 900 head and the 2x12 cab in November. I’ve had no problems getting all kinds of great tones out of it. It’s definitely not a one-trick pony, and it’s so much easier to transport than my old Mesa 400+ rig which tips the scales at just over 210 lbs. with the cab and road case. I’m very satisfied.
I use my Microtubes X7 for both my metal band and my funk band. It works great for either if I simply adjust the settings. Anyways, I appreciate what you’ve done here.
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed to see. I just bought the A/O and the tones I’m getting out of it with your low gain suggestions are incredible. Couldn’t be happier!
My main amp is the Darkglass alpha-omega 900 and I havent been playing metal in a band setting for a while. It has this intensely honest clean tone and when you want that distorted awesomeness you have it. But you can also get some warm rich overdrive that fits in a blues or alt setting. Truly useful. Good for everything imho
Sounds great in every application. Much more versatile than advertised. Any of the pedals you showcased would be so much fun to play with. Great video! 🔥
Will be taking some of these great settings over to the Neural Darkglass plug-in. This channel is the dog's bollacks! SO good. Don't know why it hasn't got 3-400K subs. People have no taste.
Thank you! I own a B7K ultra and hyper Luminol and I don’t play metal. They really make top stuff but they def need to show off more groove instead of just dark stuff
I use darkglass for everything but metal... well honestly I use it for metal too but I really truly have used their gear on just about any genre. Funk, pop, pop punk, hardcore, indie, blues, singer/songwriter, you name it. They are just amazing overdrives, as well as just a nice warm flavor without using the drive component at all. Darkglass pedals believe it or not are actually some of my always on pedals that I still get a perfectly clean tone from!
Great work guys, really goes to show that these pedals are in fact very versatile. I run an X Ultra but hardly ever play metal. As you mentioned it has tons of gain on tap, but the key to getting a more "realistic" sound for these pedals is to blend in copious amounts of the clean channel, as the distortion channel can very easily take over the tone. I personally never turn the compressor up past noon, as it really does squash you down and I can really feel it. Additionally, the filters are very powerful, wish the knobs were bigger. If you sweep the HPF towards towards 100 hz, it gives you much more realistic fuzzy tube warmth at low gain settings. Sweeping to the right is where the metal clank lives.
I opened for panic at the disco years ago with only a b7k my amp broke of course on the biggest gig of my life. Took me 2 minutes to dial in and sounded great ever since I’ve been only using darkglass I now own the 500 v2 and it’s an all around work machine. I do not play metal I mostly play hard rock or top 100 I guess either way darkglass has served me well over the years great team awesome specs I especially love the built in compressor overdrive and cab sim I hardly need a cab for anything anymore. Also the 2x12 cab is a god sent weights half of my old Mesa did and sounds just as good.
@@spaceman8839 microtube. Alpha sounds good too I actually sold it for the alpha 900 awhile ago either sounds good having the on board gain knob on the 900 series has been a blessing to really get full effect of the amp in a clean stage. It comes down to the drive type you like if you like warm or bitter drive the microtube is the way to go if you like fuzz to warm overdrive the alpha is the way to go.
I'm not a big fan of Darkglass' pedals, but that said the Harmonic Booster is magnificent and I'd like to see this channel do a review of that particular pedal.
Out of all the stuff i’ve tried, darkglass is by far the most versatile stuff i’ve used. Sure, its amazing for the metal tones (and trust me, I crank the gain to get those sweet nolly tones lol) but they’re great for everything. Even in my top 40’s coverband I get compliments from the band, audience, and soundmen on how good the sound is from my microtubes amp head!
i have a microtubes 900 with a hartke hydrive 410, i play mainly indie rock and the reason i got those was because i wanted versatility and didn't want to be drowned out in the band, best investments of my life, metal gear isn't just for metal
THIS is the video I have been searching for! I happen to use a Nembrini BlackIce amp sim on iOS, which is based on the AlphaOmega, and have gotten some lovely clean sounds from it. So, I've been looking to see whether the real deal Darkglass can do clean tones too. Also, I happen to know that Tony Levin tours with no less than 3 Darkglass Ultra pedals, and he's not exactly a metalhead. So, this video was exactly what I was hoping to find. Now just have to decide between the four.
Thanks for clearing this up guys. I am looking at purchasing a new preamp at the moment and was at first very put off by Darkglass because everyone was overhyping their gear and it was mostly players from the metalcore crowd. Because of this video, It's restored my interest in them. I like that Darkglass pedals not only focus on great drive sections but also in a tighter low end spectrum than most other brands which is exactly what I'm looking for. Cheers and happy new year!
I’m a p bass with flats player and owned a vintage ultra (which I sent back instantly as the noise and crappy di) and now have a Harmonic Booster. It’s ok, but actually seems like a compressor (which I don’t need) pedal with some eq. It is noiseless, much better than the ol vintage u, but is not even close to as musical or diverse as my Providence or Trickfish pre amp pedals. I also doesn’t allow the punch of the bass to come thru at all. (Much like the examples in you well made video) It as well is being sent back. 😢. Will most likely not get another darkglass product again.
I used a vintage ultra in a country/Americana band for a long time. I have since sold it but I still use a vintage microtubes on low gain for that squishy tube feel.
Great video, you almost convinced me!!! 😂 Seriously now, very nice sounds you got out of these DG pedals. Proves that if you know how to use them, you can find the tone you are after. However, I owned the B7k ultra for some years and it was sometimes difficult for me to get a less compressed, as in more loosen, sound out of it. Still, an excellent pedal that did a great job especially in studio. Keep up the good work!
I LOVE Darkglass but NOT for the super distorted sound you usually hear (which is GREAT , but...). I use the Microtubes X7 to bring out that really "pushed" stringy clank without the distortion, and I pretty much use it "always on" for everything.
I have been using both a DG Hyper Luminal and AO ultra in a praise and worship band, using a NS Design Omni C4 or Godin A4 Fretless. I do have a metal background, but swear by their pedals. We play a silent stage, so a solid DI is mandatory. But using a bow (arco), is defiantly not metal and sounds awesome! My backup to it is a Radial Bass Bone OD, also a great option.
I'm a big darkglass fan and own and love their pedals for distorted sounds, BUT for for my main (hifi'ish) clean sound, there are amps that I like way more, same for vintage, svt or b15 stuff. Great video as always!
The Alpha Omega and X sound like speaker cabinet simulation running through a real amp and speaker cab. Play hard with a pick and you'll hear what I mean. The Vintage and X7 are legit. The best think the X series does (besides the generic metal tone) is allow for a clean LPF, to be used in conjunction with a Boss LS-2.
Great video! I owned a darkglass b3k v1 but I sold it cause I wasn't using the drive that much. In this video you prove that they are versatile pedals for sure but I don't find a reason to buy an expensive product and use less than 50% of its capabilities. If someone give it you as a gift, then great you know that you can make it work! But there is tons of other products (cheaper too) that you can make them sound great! But great video, great pedal company and great bass lines!
And I just thought I was going to be able to just get by with owning just one of them lol. Thank the gods my bands still books heavily through all this current situation.
I own a B3k 1st gen and a Vintage Deluxe. I find that DG stuff works best for Passive or Passive/Active basses best imo. My Active/Active basses prefer the Sansamp. I like to combine the Sansamp with the B3K. Very good stuff DG is making. The Harmonic Booster is on the wish list now!
My vintage microtubes is my always-on sound for my jazz bass, I keep it at low drive just below breakup and it really brings anything I play to life. Sadly, at least this particular pedal, gets very farty with active pickups (not active basses per se, some of those have passive pickups with an onboard preamp, like my jazz. Now, it doesn't sound exactly like an svt, it's not quite as round as I would think one to sound, but it definitely mimics tube characteristics well enough to my liking at least
I think this really would have benefitted from some A/Bing between the pedals on/off to show the differences they're actually making. Without that, it's kind of hard to tell what part of the sound is from the pedal and what's from the bass/player, particularly given that there are several basses in the video. Ends up not being a super useful demo, honestly
I own the vintage deluxe and it definitely gets plenty of non-growling tones. It can go from really warm to really driven which is great, perfect for adding a light tube amp gain to your clean tone
@@panteracfh6815I second that, just replaced the Microtubes X Ultra with the Vintage Ultra. Love both pedals, they're both extremely versatile, but the factor that turned me away from the Microtubes was the strength of the LED's. I have sensitive eyes and those things were extremely hard to look at (mine were red-orange, I notice the ones in the video are blue, which I believe may be easier on the eyes), otherwise I wouldn't have swapped it out. That being said, I do prefer the slightly warmer character of the Vintage Ultra.
Obviously a dark glass device is gonna make you stand the heck out in the mix. I don’t know really, but if you’ve mastered your rig you should be able to get any suitable tone for any suitable genre
Vintage ultra and b7ku are actually not distortion circuits they are soft clip circuits or overdrive b3k and b7ku are the same circuit just b7ku has more tone control even more so with the ultra series same for the vintage ultra. Overdrive on bass is usually more akin to rock metal however you can reach alot of tones with these from a mild over drive for added warmth to a distortion amount especially if you use another pedal out front to increase the input gain . The pedals are only limited by the users if all you do is copy setting you'll sound like the crowd (which usually doesn't sound as good depending on the bass how the person attacks the strings ) the alpha omega is actually the only real distortion circuit here it's a hard clip. Awesome video cheers
I'm not sure if it was the selections played, but I went into the video thinking I'd like the X Ultra best for "clean" tones, but it was actually the B7K Ultra that took the cake for me.
I bought a x7 thinking in my thunderbird (with BEAD tunning). First impressions: cool, very cool modern metal tone. So, let's try my fender jazz bass: Hummm, it's ok... Just ok. Then, i think: "the bass channel may have a video to use this without metal tone" and... thank you so much, guys! Abraços do Brasil.
@@cacadordorio Eu cheguei a dar uma olhada, cara, mas acho q não tinha nada simulando o x7, tem os B7k e tals. Eu adoraria experimentar, mas a real é que é um darkglass ou EHX usado você tem a liberdade de comprar pra testar às cegas, se não gostar, você consegue colocar ele pra revender com praticamente zero de prejuízo. Um "handmade", na minha opinião, vale pra quem sabe exatamente o que quer pois vc vai perder dinheiro se quiser se desfazer. Mas, novamente, os que eu vi são excelentes...
I like so much that kind of video... probably even more than the Tech21 White Knight, has forgot about that the ONLY OVER-USED in every time from 90'sto 2010ish was (and still) SANSAMP BASS DRIVER DI no matter what kind of amp: If you are Gigging around you MUST-HAVE-SANSAMP Bass driver, close to 90% especially if you have to go straight to PA All the bass: SAME SOUND with rage sometimes to be lost in the mix. and honestly GREAT SOUND but... the drive sound is quite crap today. I personally own the Para-driver (for the mid control and better components by word of thech21 theyrself) as we all know DG is pushing hard the combo with Dingwall & metal sound excetera. But they can be great with all sort of music. I got mad (and felt in the blackhole of pedals ) tryin' to get the X-Ultra sound. But.. It's darkglass Sound... you want that sound? Get it. But i still use it as DI EQ for the PA at the end of my chain. is great and TRUST ME they are designed for multi string/lowend stuff
@@marvinrockon The pedal sounds fantastic, but any other brand can also be used for metal. Ebs pedals, boss pedals (Bass overdive is also very good) plus many more. My favourites are Tech21. Without distortion/overdrive it's also easy to use darkglass for non metal tones
Darkglass is the true preamp pedal. They can literally reduce your road gear to a pedal board and bass if house sound is decent. No more extra trips to the car. Their eq is second to none imo.
Amazing video as always, I have the Hyper Luminal and the B7KU V2, and I have owned the Alpha Omega (not the ultra tho) and the Vintage Microtube overdrive, so I'm quite a big fan, and I don't even play metal! This video had to be done, and I'm super happy that is coming from you guys. Especially the Ultra versions, it's all about the tone you get. They are not only an amazing preamps, but also a DI box and a super distortion. I like the B7k the most, followed by the AO, which has the 6 band eq that I honestly love, but, despite DG said it's their most versatile pedal, I still find it too heavy for my taste. I don't like the distortion on the Microtube x, and I don't like the tone on the vintage one. Now, I belive that there isn't a single brand outside of DG that offers you so much choice on pretty much the same pedal (distortion/di/preamp). The only REAL downside is the price, since they aren't really cheap. But you get what you pay for. If you can afford one, go for it, because they are not becoming cheaper anytime soon. Oh, I almost forgot: another downside (a big one have to say) is that, if you have one of these pedals, there is basically no point in buying the same bass head model (for example, don't buy the AO bass head if you have the ultra pedal of it). Which honestly sucks, because again, even their bass heads are just overall amazing
Man I cannot stand those people that say "you can only use X for Y". Who was that famous guitarist that used an HM-2 for his rock fuzz sounds? Just use what suits and stop missing out!
Why not have a super distorted bass tone on non-metal music? The band Failure, for example, uses a heavy distortion on bass, I don't think most people would call them metal. Or, the band Hum or Swervedriver...
Great video 👍. I'm thinking the B7K Ultra or Vintage Ultra. I'm looking for an overdrive with a progressive response so it smoothly adds more grit as I dig in. Everything I've tried so far goes from clean to fizz way too sharply. What I want is a similar effect to the overdrive in the Yamaha Reface CP which reacts really nicely to the electric piano sounds - it barks when I want that but otherwise just subtly emphasizes the emphasis.
Thanks for this. I've wondered about what non garbage tone these pedals could do. I seriously hate that grindy clanky tone that 99.9% darkglass videos have.
honestly feel like all these tones were way better sonically that the super distorted tone they're known for, it could be that its mostly all you ever see on the internet, but personally i feel its too polished of a sound, it doesnt really sound that heavy or aggressive with all that gain it just becomes a wall of distortion , which isnt that exciting to listen to, thats why even technical death metal bass is usually mostly clean if not all clean just compressed, bass sounds more agressive with less overdrive
I hopped on the Hartke bandwagon a long ago I play bass and rhythm guitar my old elementary school buddy also plays bass he hits a cheap acoustic amp thats decent I got a crappy behringer guitar amp I found I'm hoping I save my money and get an Hartke amp because the Ampeg combo amps have bad reviews on GuitarCenter.com I really dislike bandwagons and elitists they ruined my experience with Jackson basses
Do that same video again but add different levels of distortion. This way you get a better make up for what the pedals can really do. Because it seems like everyone wants to go extreme one way or the other. Great video though.
This video had to be made. I belong to MANY bass forums and FB groups and this is a constant criticism of Darkglass. They seem to only showcase that one modern metal tone in most demos.
I use two darkglass pedals - vintage microtubes for an always on grindy medium low drive, into an alpha-omega for a fuzz-distortion. I don't really play metal, and certainly don't like that scooped modern metal tone much. The two pedals I use are really versatile and useful for loads of settings.
Hey, I was wondering if you guys had any tips for gain stacking DG pedals. I usually use a Sansamp and have a couple of different clean boosts that I use for different tones and it works great. I picked up a B7K v2 a couple of months ago and it just doesn't seem to like being boosted-- it just gets "grainer." Any ideas appreciated!
Not sure if Darkglass needs any defense. Their stuff sounds great. The only problem is that people use every pedal the same way. Besides that Darkglass is pushing this image with their Dingwall + crazy distortion videos. Which is fine as well, it's just a but overused. 🤷♂️😅
There 900 v2 video has metal funk and rock
If you make a distortion pedal what do you expect to play with it? Jazz?
you´re absolutely right; IMO, I think that´s why so many modern metal bands sound so similar and unoriginal on the low department.
I guess it's not the gear that's the problem, it's players jumping on bandwagons. I bet a few thousand players heard Nolly do a bass play through and all of a sudden everyone wanted that sound without variation, which is a bit sad. I personally don't care for Dingwall nor Darkglass, but each to their own - I can see the appeal of both, just not for me.
@@cd0u50c9I was a bit sceptical about darkglass since I hate that clangy metallic tone in most videos that demo darkglass stuff. I still wanted a good overdrive pedal so gambled on a darkglass vintage and I literally got my dream tone. Clear low end, heavy but warm overdrive, no annoying "clanginess"
I have the complete line of Darkglass Ultra almongst many other bass pedal/boxes. They all have their place. Love them all.
I'm a guitar player and have no idea about bass pedals. I just came to listen to the bass lines.
Thanks for being here!
I have a Sansamp and a B7K and depending what I'm looking for I choose which preamp I'll use.
Honestly Darkglass handles high gain tones way better than the Sansamp but it works well in other sonic environments too. For some cleaner tones I like the Sansamp flavour...but it's a matter of taste.
Darkglass isn't just for metal but is the metalheads choice because the quality of the high gain tones.
I’m definitely interested in this video.
I remember a video from a while back where a Darkglass preamp went up against a Sansamp and the Sansamp blew it out of the water, in my opinion.
Just not the same and it depend what you want to do. Sansamp is more vintage so warm and clear disto but darkglass is more versatile, precise in my opinion. You have more option and all know have a big range so you can go to a very "clean" distortion or to a very brutal but precise breaking bones distortions and everyhing between them.
It's a matter of taste, I guess. Some people doesn't like that mid scooped tone but I love it for clean tones. It's my fault not spending more time trying to get a similar clean tone from my Darkglass B7K.
Idk it’s all in what tone you want, I’d bring my X ultra over a sansamp to a gig any day but I love that extra high tone and boosted mids the frequency that DG has given bass players is spot on
I saw it too, but I don't think it was a good comparison, sinse the just turned the knobs the same way. Instead of trying to make similar tones
The thing about Darkglass is... it's very hard to to set up, at first. Once you know what you're doing, it's best in class.
I do not own (anymore) any DG pedal but I use NeuralDSP darkglass a lot for recording. Their Vintage model really makes the bass shine in a vaste palette of genres!
Darkglass definitely works for other genres of music- not just prog metal. Listen to any of the live albums King Crimson has put out in the last 5 years. Tony Levin has used Darkglass consistently in these live shows. It sounds great, not extreme at all
Love this video. Been using a combo of a B7K, vintage for extra tube grit and a supersymmetry on 5 albums. The idea they are only for “djent” bass comes from ignorance. I got an alpha omega ultra for a flight pedal board, and it KILLS the light distortion, plus cool cab sims. Kills like this channel.
This is exactly how I use my VMT, as an always on pedal that adds a little warmth.
I have to thank you for all the efforts you put into this videos.
You record, re amp and sync all the videos. You take your time going through each settings.
Thank you very much
I use the dark glass vintage ultra for blues, classic rock, Psychedelic, soul, and of course stoner. Extremely versatile pedal.
What a great video! There should be a lot more like that because it shows you to think different with what you have. Really, I never thought that the B7KU would sound so vintage vibey. I would love to see you doing similar things with the ADAM 😉 Horns up! 🤘🏼🤘🏼
Nice job guys. I don't think I've seen anyone do this. At least not to this extent. We'll done & bass on.
Good job guys! I own the vintage ultra v2 and do the low gain/amp saturation thingy to be able to cut through a dense mix. It works perfectly and sounds amazingly organic and natural.
BTW Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse is doing the same thing with a b7k ultra. Calling it an agressive clean tone. Just check his rig rundown on YT. So distortion is not necessarily needed in extreme metal .
I just got a Darkglass Alpha Omega 900 and I love how versatile it is. The between the EQ and the compressor you can get any clean sound your heart desires. Add to that the most flexible distortion pedal around built in and you can really get any kind of sound you want on the fly. I sold my beloved SVT 7 pro to get it and I will never regret it tone wise and my back thanks me.
This is gonna be a very important video. I get people telling me darkglass are overrated and are just for metal, completely clueless to their full potential as preamps, light OD, EQ and boosts. Then again, Darkglas a themselves sre responsible for creating that image
You nailed it. I mostly use my B3Kv2 as a light od and it works really well. I think the tone control "colors" too much the sound, but that's fine. That's the pedal's identity. It is true, though, that the darkglass sound in metal is now banal... the high gain may have clarity but it sounds like plastic after a while, it's unlistenable. But then again: the vintage microtubes is fantastic for light od sounds, their clean boost is outstanding and their fuzz is super underrated.
darkglass stuff seems really nice honestly, a bit pricey but im sure theyre nice! the cab simulator they make is interesting.
but honestly when it comes to the high gain metal tones darkglass is to pristine and pleasant sounding, ive actually been using a boss hm-2 with my svt on bass and its perfect for me, its got this nastiness in the upper mids that just sounds heavy and it helps me cut a lil more thru the mix
An absolutely CRITICAL demo/take on these pedals' abilities. Sold!
Great video! We can really see how far you can go with a Darkglass pedal! Will we see the return of the preamp contest? I loved this series!!
I've been looking at all the Drakglass pedals this week precisely because I want a bass preamp that isn't metal, but will give me some growl in the mids and highs. So far I'm thtink the Alpha-Omega or the Microtubes X. These are VERY flexible pedals. Actually they all are. If people knew just how flexible they are they (Darkglass) would sell even more than they already do. They are so identified with metal, which they do brilliantly, but there's a lot of other tones available as you are showing here. Nice video!
I just bought the DG Alpha Omega 900 head and the 2x12 cab in November. I’ve had no problems getting all kinds of great tones out of it. It’s definitely not a one-trick pony, and it’s so much easier to transport than my old Mesa 400+ rig which tips the scales at just over 210 lbs. with the cab and road case. I’m very satisfied.
I use my Microtubes X7 for both my metal band and my funk band. It works great for either if I simply adjust the settings. Anyways, I appreciate what you’ve done here.
Thank you!
This is exactly what I needed to see. I just bought the A/O and the tones I’m getting out of it with your low gain suggestions are incredible. Couldn’t be happier!
My main amp is the Darkglass alpha-omega 900 and I havent been playing metal in a band setting for a while. It has this intensely honest clean tone and when you want that distorted awesomeness you have it. But you can also get some warm rich overdrive that fits in a blues or alt setting.
Truly useful. Good for everything imho
I was waiting for a video like this one
Sounds great in every application. Much more versatile than advertised. Any of the pedals you showcased would be so much fun to play with. Great video! 🔥
Will be taking some of these great settings over to the Neural Darkglass plug-in. This channel is the dog's bollacks! SO good.
Don't know why it hasn't got 3-400K subs. People have no taste.
Thank you! I own a B7K ultra and hyper Luminol and I don’t play metal. They really make top stuff but they def need to show off more groove instead of just dark stuff
They make solid gear, I just never really had a situation that called for it.
I use darkglass for everything but metal... well honestly I use it for metal too but I really truly have used their gear on just about any genre. Funk, pop, pop punk, hardcore, indie, blues, singer/songwriter, you name it. They are just amazing overdrives, as well as just a nice warm flavor without using the drive component at all. Darkglass pedals believe it or not are actually some of my always on pedals that I still get a perfectly clean tone from!
Great work guys, really goes to show that these pedals are in fact very versatile. I run an X Ultra but hardly ever play metal. As you mentioned it has tons of gain on tap, but the key to getting a more "realistic" sound for these pedals is to blend in copious amounts of the clean channel, as the distortion channel can very easily take over the tone. I personally never turn the compressor up past noon, as it really does squash you down and I can really feel it. Additionally, the filters are very powerful, wish the knobs were bigger. If you sweep the HPF towards towards 100 hz, it gives you much more realistic fuzzy tube warmth at low gain settings. Sweeping to the right is where the metal clank lives.
The ultra is the ultimate pedal for crushing stoner doom/sludge metal.
Took me forever to find this but thank you for finally comparing this entire series of pedals from Darkglass.
I opened for panic at the disco years ago with only a b7k my amp broke of course on the biggest gig of my life. Took me 2 minutes to dial in and sounded great ever since I’ve been only using darkglass I now own the 500 v2 and it’s an all around work machine. I do not play metal I mostly play hard rock or top 100 I guess either way darkglass has served me well over the years great team awesome specs I especially love the built in compressor overdrive and cab sim I hardly need a cab for anything anymore. Also the 2x12 cab is a god sent weights half of my old Mesa did and sounds just as good.
when you say you own the 500 v2, which one? the Microtubes or the Alpha Omega? I play the same stuff you play mostly, thank you
@@spaceman8839 microtube. Alpha sounds good too I actually sold it for the alpha 900 awhile ago either sounds good having the on board gain knob on the 900 series has been a blessing to really get full effect of the amp in a clean stage. It comes down to the drive type you like if you like warm or bitter drive the microtube is the way to go if you like fuzz to warm overdrive the alpha is the way to go.
@@trunks828 thanks!
I'm not a big fan of Darkglass' pedals, but that said the Harmonic Booster is magnificent and I'd like to see this channel do a review of that particular pedal.
We’ve done a demo on that one.
Me too
Out of all the stuff i’ve tried, darkglass is by far the most versatile stuff i’ve used. Sure, its amazing for the metal tones (and trust me, I crank the gain to get those sweet nolly tones lol) but they’re great for everything. Even in my top 40’s coverband I get compliments from the band, audience, and soundmen on how good the sound is from my microtubes amp head!
That bassline Will played was awesome! I’ve never heard that song before definitely going to check it out! Good job Will!!
The first time I heard a dark glass pedal was at a mash up live event. I was drawn to her tone. Well her too but the tone was to die for !
I play in a pop/funk/soul band and I have wanted to see if I could make Darkglass work for that kind of music.
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised
You can make any pedal work for it just need to find the tone you want for it.
i have a microtubes 900 with a hartke hydrive 410, i play mainly indie rock and the reason i got those was because i wanted versatility and didn't want to be drowned out in the band, best investments of my life, metal gear isn't just for metal
Where can i find your albums? so i can listen that amazing tone you got
@@8Junio76 same place we can find yours I’m sure. Douche canoe.
THIS is the video I have been searching for! I happen to use a Nembrini BlackIce amp sim on iOS, which is based on the AlphaOmega, and have gotten some lovely clean sounds from it. So, I've been looking to see whether the real deal Darkglass can do clean tones too. Also, I happen to know that Tony Levin tours with no less than 3 Darkglass Ultra pedals, and he's not exactly a metalhead. So, this video was exactly what I was hoping to find. Now just have to decide between the four.
As a proud owner of the B7K Ultra v2 and the Alpha Omega I just can say they are versatile as F***. 🧐
Thanks for clearing this up guys.
I am looking at purchasing a new preamp at the moment and was at first very put off by Darkglass because everyone was overhyping their gear and it was mostly players from the metalcore crowd. Because of this video, It's restored my interest in them. I like that Darkglass pedals not only focus on great drive sections but also in a tighter low end spectrum than most other brands which is exactly what I'm looking for. Cheers and happy new year!
I’m a p bass with flats player and owned a vintage ultra (which I sent back instantly as the noise and crappy di) and now have a Harmonic Booster. It’s ok, but actually seems like a compressor (which I don’t need) pedal with some eq. It is noiseless, much better than the ol vintage u, but is not even close to as musical or diverse as my Providence or Trickfish pre amp pedals. I also doesn’t allow the punch of the bass to come thru at all. (Much like the examples in you well made video) It as well is being sent back. 😢. Will most likely not get another darkglass product again.
Sending gesr back is such a boomer thing to do. Deal with the fact that you made the wrong choice and sell it on or make it work
I used a vintage ultra in a country/Americana band for a long time. I have since sold it but I still use a vintage microtubes on low gain for that squishy tube feel.
I've seen quite a few Country players using DG pedals around here in NC.
Great video, you almost convinced me!!! 😂 Seriously now, very nice sounds you got out of these DG pedals. Proves that if you know how to use them, you can find the tone you are after. However, I owned the B7k ultra for some years and it was sometimes difficult for me to get a less compressed, as in more loosen, sound out of it. Still, an excellent pedal that did a great job especially in studio. Keep up the good work!
I LOVE Darkglass but NOT for the super distorted sound you usually hear (which is GREAT , but...). I use the Microtubes X7 to bring out that really "pushed" stringy clank without the distortion, and I pretty much use it "always on" for everything.
I have been using both a DG Hyper Luminal and AO ultra in a praise and worship band, using a NS Design Omni C4 or Godin A4 Fretless. I do have a metal background, but swear by their pedals. We play a silent stage, so a solid DI is mandatory. But using a bow (arco), is defiantly not metal and sounds awesome! My backup to it is a Radial Bass Bone OD, also a great option.
Love this! Your channel definitely helped make a more informed decision on which pedal to get and have been loving my vintage ultra
I'm a big darkglass fan and own and love their pedals for distorted sounds, BUT for for my main (hifi'ish) clean sound, there are amps that I like way more, same for vintage, svt or b15 stuff. Great video as always!
The Alpha Omega and X sound like speaker cabinet simulation running through a real amp and speaker cab. Play hard with a pick and you'll hear what I mean. The Vintage and X7 are legit.
The best think the X series does (besides the generic metal tone) is allow for a clean LPF, to be used in conjunction with a Boss LS-2.
Amazing video !
Love this video!
the omnific use darkglass electronics, they go from raging distortion to pristine clean as in the song "the lifeless charm"
Looks and acts so much like Mark Forward from Letterkenny. Dope video!
The VMT is my favorite bass fuzz, by a mile.
Great video! I owned a darkglass b3k v1 but I sold it cause I wasn't using the drive that much. In this video you prove that they are versatile pedals for sure but I don't find a reason to buy an expensive product and use less than 50% of its capabilities. If someone give it you as a gift, then great you know that you can make it work! But there is tons of other products (cheaper too) that you can make them sound great! But great video, great pedal company and great bass lines!
And I just thought I was going to be able to just get by with owning just one of them lol. Thank the gods my bands still books heavily through all this current situation.
Forget Me Nots was a pleasant surprise.
I own a B3k 1st gen and a Vintage Deluxe. I find that DG stuff works best for Passive or Passive/Active basses best imo. My Active/Active basses prefer the Sansamp. I like to combine the Sansamp with the B3K. Very good stuff DG is making. The Harmonic Booster is on the wish list now!
And if dont like any of this you can always go with the harmonic booster
My vintage microtubes is my always-on sound for my jazz bass, I keep it at low drive just below breakup and it really brings anything I play to life. Sadly, at least this particular pedal, gets very farty with active pickups (not active basses per se, some of those have passive pickups with an onboard preamp, like my jazz. Now, it doesn't sound exactly like an svt, it's not quite as round as I would think one to sound, but it definitely mimics tube characteristics well enough to my liking at least
Though they definetly are geared towards metal with things like the ADAM (the thing is made for A.gressive D.istorting )
I think this really would have benefitted from some A/Bing between the pedals on/off to show the differences they're actually making. Without that, it's kind of hard to tell what part of the sound is from the pedal and what's from the bass/player, particularly given that there are several basses in the video. Ends up not being a super useful demo, honestly
I was thinking about the Vintage Ultra, but Darkglass pedal demos seem to always focus on the "growl."
I use my b7ku v2 to add definition almost no gain/dirt add clarity and clank
I own the vintage deluxe and it definitely gets plenty of non-growling tones. It can go from really warm to really driven which is great, perfect for adding a light tube amp gain to your clean tone
@@panteracfh6815I second that, just replaced the Microtubes X Ultra with the Vintage Ultra. Love both pedals, they're both extremely versatile, but the factor that turned me away from the Microtubes was the strength of the LED's. I have sensitive eyes and those things were extremely hard to look at (mine were red-orange, I notice the ones in the video are blue, which I believe may be easier on the eyes), otherwise I wouldn't have swapped it out. That being said, I do prefer the slightly warmer character of the Vintage Ultra.
The V2 is awesome. You can get all kinds of sounds out of it.
Obviously a dark glass device is gonna make you stand the heck out in the mix. I don’t know really, but if you’ve mastered your rig you should be able to get any suitable tone for any suitable genre
Brilliant in every way!
Vintage ultra and b7ku are actually not distortion circuits they are soft clip circuits or overdrive b3k and b7ku are the same circuit just b7ku has more tone control even more so with the ultra series same for the vintage ultra. Overdrive on bass is usually more akin to rock metal however you can reach alot of tones with these from a mild over drive for added warmth to a distortion amount especially if you use another pedal out front to increase the input gain . The pedals are only limited by the users if all you do is copy setting you'll sound like the crowd (which usually doesn't sound as good depending on the bass how the person attacks the strings ) the alpha omega is actually the only real distortion circuit here it's a hard clip. Awesome video cheers
I knew the b3k was a high gain pedal too
How can you have soft clipping distortion with an high gain pedal?
Great freaking job guys!
I'm not sure if it was the selections played, but I went into the video thinking I'd like the X Ultra best for "clean" tones, but it was actually the B7K Ultra that took the cake for me.
Bravo! Great effort guys!
I prefer Darkglass WAAAY more than Sansamp! Much more Tones I think! Even tho I like both and I use both! :)
This video needed to be done !!! 👍
I bought a x7 thinking in my thunderbird (with BEAD tunning). First impressions: cool, very cool modern metal tone. So, let's try my fender jazz bass: Hummm, it's ok... Just ok. Then, i think: "the bass channel may have a video to use this without metal tone" and... thank you so much, guys! Abraços do Brasil.
We also have videos on the X7 and X Ultra with a wide array of tones in each.
Mano os pedais da Dmt tão melhores que os darkglass com um preço bem legal dá uma olhada
@@cacadordorio Eu cheguei a dar uma olhada, cara, mas acho q não tinha nada simulando o x7, tem os B7k e tals. Eu adoraria experimentar, mas a real é que é um darkglass ou EHX usado você tem a liberdade de comprar pra testar às cegas, se não gostar, você consegue colocar ele pra revender com praticamente zero de prejuízo. Um "handmade", na minha opinião, vale pra quem sabe exatamente o que quer pois vc vai perder dinheiro se quiser se desfazer. Mas, novamente, os que eu vi são excelentes...
I like so much that kind of video...
probably even more than the Tech21 White Knight, has forgot about that the ONLY OVER-USED in every time from 90'sto 2010ish was (and still) SANSAMP BASS DRIVER DI
no matter what kind of amp: If you are Gigging around you MUST-HAVE-SANSAMP Bass driver, close to 90% especially if you have to go straight to PA
All the bass: SAME SOUND with rage sometimes to be lost in the mix. and honestly GREAT SOUND but... the drive sound is quite crap today.
I personally own the Para-driver (for the mid control and better components by word of thech21 theyrself)
as we all know DG is pushing hard the combo with Dingwall & metal sound excetera. But they can be great with all sort of music.
I got mad (and felt in the blackhole of pedals ) tryin' to get the X-Ultra sound. But.. It's darkglass Sound... you want that sound? Get it.
But i still use it as DI EQ for the PA at the end of my chain. is great and TRUST ME they are designed for multi string/lowend stuff
Great and useful video. Thank you!
There's no 'metal' company, it's about how you use gear.
Yes but no : It also depends on how a company markets their products and we cant say they promoted the use on jazzy bass lines much.
@@marvinrockon I mean, I agree but I think that’s just identifying your demographic
@@marvinrockon The pedal sounds fantastic, but any other brand can also be used for metal. Ebs pedals, boss pedals (Bass overdive is also very good) plus many more. My favourites are Tech21. Without distortion/overdrive it's also easy to use darkglass for non metal tones
Darkglass is the true preamp pedal. They can literally reduce your road gear to a pedal board and bass if house sound is decent. No more extra trips to the car. Their eq is second to none imo.
If you don’t like, or can’t afford, darkglass pedals that’s ok. Doesn’t mean they’re not good tho.
What’s wrong with being metal? :)
Nothing 😉
Nothing wrong at all just faster
Now Do a demo using a blues pedal and hollow body guitar playing metal?
At some point you just grow over genre bounds.
Amazing video as always, I have the Hyper Luminal and the B7KU V2, and I have owned the Alpha Omega (not the ultra tho) and the Vintage Microtube overdrive, so I'm quite a big fan, and I don't even play metal!
This video had to be done, and I'm super happy that is coming from you guys.
Especially the Ultra versions, it's all about the tone you get. They are not only an amazing preamps, but also a DI box and a super distortion.
I like the B7k the most, followed by the AO, which has the 6 band eq that I honestly love, but, despite DG said it's their most versatile pedal, I still find it too heavy for my taste. I don't like the distortion on the Microtube x, and I don't like the tone on the vintage one. Now, I belive that there isn't a single brand outside of DG that offers you so much choice on pretty much the same pedal (distortion/di/preamp).
The only REAL downside is the price, since they aren't really cheap. But you get what you pay for. If you can afford one, go for it, because they are not becoming cheaper anytime soon.
Oh, I almost forgot: another downside (a big one have to say) is that, if you have one of these pedals, there is basically no point in buying the same bass head model (for example, don't buy the AO bass head if you have the ultra pedal of it). Which honestly sucks, because again, even their bass heads are just overall amazing
Darkglass: Good for Mario Kart music too! :)
Man I cannot stand those people that say "you can only use X for Y". Who was that famous guitarist that used an HM-2 for his rock fuzz sounds? Just use what suits and stop missing out!
Kevin Shields?
I maybe wrong, but I think you're referring to David Gilmour
@@andersonnjayco647 yes, correct
@@andersonnjayco647 he used that pedal heavily in the eighties (not the best pink Floyd period, but alas)
I use the vintage microtubes on various genres
Why not have a super distorted bass tone on non-metal music? The band Failure, for example, uses a heavy distortion on bass, I don't think most people would call them metal. Or, the band Hum or Swervedriver...
Hey The Bass Channel!
Can you guys use that Gibson G3 alittle more in your bass videos? Would be cool to hear that bass with the darkglass pedals.
Great video 👍. I'm thinking the B7K Ultra or Vintage Ultra. I'm looking for an overdrive with a progressive response so it smoothly adds more grit as I dig in. Everything I've tried so far goes from clean to fizz way too sharply. What I want is a similar effect to the overdrive in the Yamaha Reface CP which reacts really nicely to the electric piano sounds - it barks when I want that but otherwise just subtly emphasizes the emphasis.
LOVE IT HOMIE
Thanks for this. I've wondered about what non garbage tone these pedals could do. I seriously hate that grindy clanky tone that 99.9% darkglass videos have.
I don’t know if I would go as far to call that tone “garbage” but I get your point. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
It wasn't fair, I'll admit it. It just immediately sets my teeth on edge. I really hate that tone.
I do definitely agree it’s overused in demo videos.
The camera angle makes me feel reeeeally tall.
Boosting the lows at 250hz sounds cool on its own, but in a full band setting it commonly makes the mix muddy.
never got into the darkglass stuff, i have other pedals that do the same job
Even the sg bass sounds metal but the point Is true
honestly feel like all these tones were way better sonically that the super distorted tone they're known for, it could be that its mostly all you ever see on the internet, but personally i feel its too polished of a sound, it doesnt really sound that heavy or aggressive with all that gain it just becomes a wall of distortion , which isnt that exciting to listen to, thats why even technical death metal bass is usually mostly clean if not all clean just compressed, bass sounds more agressive with less overdrive
I'm so sick of seeing and hearing Darkglass everywhere, they sound so synthetic to me, but this is what the internet needs right now.
exactly, i never got into the bandwagon
I hopped on the Hartke bandwagon a long ago I play bass and rhythm guitar my old elementary school buddy also plays bass he hits a cheap acoustic amp thats decent I got a crappy behringer guitar amp I found I'm hoping I save my money and get an Hartke amp because the Ampeg combo amps have bad reviews on GuitarCenter.com I really dislike bandwagons and elitists they ruined my experience with Jackson basses
Do that same video again but add different levels of distortion. This way you get a better make up for what the pedals can really do. Because it seems like everyone wants to go extreme one way or the other. Great video though.
This video had to be made. I belong to MANY bass forums and FB groups and this is a constant criticism of Darkglass. They seem to only showcase that one modern metal tone in most demos.
That's Jayme's M Bass jazz
I use two darkglass pedals - vintage microtubes for an always on grindy medium low drive, into an alpha-omega for a fuzz-distortion.
I don't really play metal, and certainly don't like that scooped modern metal tone much.
The two pedals I use are really versatile and useful for loads of settings.
Hey, I was wondering if you guys had any tips for gain stacking DG pedals. I usually use a Sansamp and have a couple of different clean boosts that I use for different tones and it works great. I picked up a B7K v2 a couple of months ago and it just doesn't seem to like being boosted-- it just gets "grainer." Any ideas appreciated!
Any new insight 2 years later? I also like to gain stage