Darkglass B3k control rundown please?

mmbongo · #1 03-18-2013, 07:10 PM

Not to start yet another thread, but I thought maybe others would benefit from this.

I just got my B3k and quite surprisingly there is no manual included nor available on their website.

So experts, how about a control rundown on this pedal? I mean I can see what the controls are labeled, and I can hear the difference they make, but what are they actually doing?

The 'blend' for instance does not seem to be as straightwforward as just a 'blend', especially since turning it counterclockwise makes it louder.

So how about a rundown please?

Darkglass · #2 03-18-2013, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Not to start yet another thread, but I thought maybe others would benefit from this.

I just got my B3k and quite surprisingly there is no manual included nor available on their website.

So experts, how about a control rundown on this pedal? I mean I can see what the controls are labeled, and I can hear the difference they make, but what are they actually doing?

The 'blend' for instance does not seem to be as straightwforward as just a 'blend', especially since turning it counterclockwise makes it louder.

So how about a rundown please?

Hi! Thanks for getting one of our pedals!
As for the manual, sure there is: download manual (from the product's page)

There's a brief rundown of the controls on the same page too. If you have any specific questions, let me know here, that way other people can benefit from the answers too!

Darkglass · #3 03-18-2013, 07:29 PM

The main thing that's different on the Microtubes' blend from other dirt pedals and preamps is that the Level knob affects only the dirty signal! The clean one being blended stays at bypass volume. That way you have a lot of tailoring available for choosing exactly how much dirty signal you want mixed in with your clean.

This way is also easier to leave the overall blend of tones at unity gain.

For example, if you want a volume boost, simply crank up the Level knob and set the Blend a bit more clockwise.

Regards,
Doug.

mmbongo · #4 03-18-2013, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkglass

Hi! Thanks for getting one of our pedals!
As for the manual, sure there is: download manual (from the product's page)

There's a brief rundown of the controls on the same page too. If you have any specific questions, let me know here, that way other people can benefit from the answers too!

You're welcome, and I love it!

But the manual you linked to only shows 'suggested' settings and does not mention any of the controls.

The product page does go into some more details, but still not exactly what I had in mind.

For example, when the blend is fully counter-clockwise, it seems to be full on instead of full off, and the level knob does nothing at all. How do these interact?

mmbongo · #5 03-18-2013, 07:35 PM

And the 'grunt' switch..of course I can see the label and hear what it does, but what is it exactly doing?

The product page says its a bass boost, but 'thin' seems to be a bass cut and 'raw' seems to be no boost or cut. Correct?

Darkglass · #6 03-18-2013, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

You're welcome, and I love it!

But the manual you linked to only shows 'suggested' settings and does not mention any of the controls.

The product page does go into some more details, but still not exactly what I had in mind.

For example, when the blend is fully counter-clockwise, it seems to be full on instead of full off, and the level knob does nothing at all. How do these interact?

Awesome, great to hear you're digging it!
Blend CCW = Clean signal only.
Blend fully CW = Microtubed signal only.

The Level knob controls only the affected signal, so for it to work the Blend knob will have to be in other position than fully CCW.

Ibanezsr500 · #7 03-18-2013, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

And the 'grunt' switch..of course I can see the label and hear what it does, but what is it exactly doing?

The product page says its a bass boost, but 'thin' seems to be a bass cut and 'raw' seems to be no boost or cut. Correct?

Yep, that's right.

Darkglass · #8 03-18-2013, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibanezsr500

Yep, that's right.

Yup... is pre gain stages, so it actually let's you chose how much low end to saturate (fuzziness).

For lower gain settings Fat is by far my favorite... if you crank up the Drive though it can get too overwhelming, so you can cut a bit bu using the other two positions.

fivestringgecko · #9 03-18-2013, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

But the manual you linked to only shows 'suggested' settings and does not mention any of the controls.

+1, I've wondered the same thing, for both both the B3K and the B7K. The product page is the "real" instruction manual is.

5sg.

mmbongo · #10 03-18-2013, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkglass

Awesome, great to hear you're digging it!
Blend CCW = Clean signal only.
Blend fully CW = Microtubed signal only.

The Level knob controls only the affected signal, so for it to work the Blend knob will have to be in other position than fully CCW.

Yep that helps! That explains why I'm liking the blend knob set at straight up 12'o clock!

I love it, I just like to know exactly what my knob fiddling is doing

Matt Dean · #11 03-18-2013, 09:01 PM

I so love this pedal.

mmbongo · #12 03-19-2013, 06:58 AM

Yeah it's incredible, and the owner of the dang company answered my question on a public forum within 15 minutes? Unreal.

I fully expected to not keep this pedal, I knew it would be awesome and I have wanted to try it for a long time but I would have a real hard time justifying keeping such an expensive pedal. After about 20 minutes with it I had no way of justifying sending it back! This is replacing 3 pedals for me.

gregmon79 · #13 03-30-2013, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Yep that helps! That explains why I'm liking the blend knob set at straight up 12'o clock!

I love it, I just like to know exactly what my knob fiddling is doing

Good questions. After I read this I went on the product page for the 7 and learned what exactly I was doing when engaging and disengaging the different knobs. I to think this I an awesomely sick pedal. It's probably going to end saving me real estate on my board. I took my BDDI off the put the 7 on. The VT may even be coming off. It brings out too much "color" so far and I'm really diggin the flavor of the 7 way too much. I don't want it getting muddled at all.

Adamixoye · #14 03-30-2013, 10:34 AM

As I'm anxiously awaiting my B7K, I still don't fully understand the Level vs. Blend knob. If the Level knob turns up the distorted signal, doesn't that effectively provide some redundancy/interaction/counteracting of the Blend knob? For example, if Blend is at noon, wouldn't turning up the Level increase the overall volume and the effective blended level?

gregmon79 · #15 03-30-2013, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamixoye

As I'm anxiously awaiting my B7K, I still don't fully understand the Level vs. Blend knob. If the Level knob turns up the distorted signal, doesn't that effectively provide some redundancy/interaction/counteracting of the Blend knob? For example, if Blend is at noon, wouldn't turning up the Level increase the overall volume and the effective blended level?

This is correct. The level know only controls the effected signal. So if the lens know is all the CCW, the level does nothing. I'm pretty sure this is how it works. I'm playing with it right now and that's what's happening. So you could actually crank the drive and the level all the way CW with the blend all the way CCW and your signal is clean. But as soon as you start turning the blend CW, you get massive dirt and volume.

gregmon79 · #16 03-30-2013, 11:17 AM

Sorry, if the blend is all the way CCW. That's what I meant in the first sentence when I started explaining what the knobs do.

Phantasm · #17 03-30-2013, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamixoye

As I'm anxiously awaiting my B7K, I still don't fully understand the Level vs. Blend knob. If the Level knob turns up the distorted signal, doesn't that effectively provide some redundancy/interaction/counteracting of the Blend knob? For example, if Blend is at noon, wouldn't turning up the Level increase the overall volume and the effective blended level?

It sounds redundant, but somehow it works out.

It's hard to explain.

gregmon79 · #18 03-30-2013, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantasm

It sounds redundant, but somehow it works out.

It's hard to explain.

But it is so fun to play with. And sounds so dang raunchy. Mmmmmm mm!!

Adamixoye · #19 04-02-2013, 05:41 AM

So, let's say the Blend is at max (fully distorted). Is the Level then essentially a volume knob? I was playing around with this last night, but I wasn't at particularly loud volumes...so I couldn't tell if volume was the only effect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregmon79

But it is so fun to play with. And sounds so dang raunchy. Mmmmmm mm!!

gregmon79 · #20 04-02-2013, 05:50 AM

The level only effects the distorted signal from what I've gathered. So if you have the drive and level turned all the way up, clockwise, the you can use the blend as your "master". I believe I'm saying this right. The blend all the way up along with the drive, then your "master" is pretty much your level but no so much after all. Get it? I'm sure someone will chime in here and help me.