Darkglass B7K or B3K + other preamp
 

I'm curious about darkglass B7K,but i have heard somebody said they like B3K more than B7K.
B7K's preamp seems not as good as its distortion.
I have a VT bass,so i consider using only B7K or using B3K into my VT Bass.
Can someone help me?
Thanks.

The B7K is better IMO because you can use it as an eq, DI and it has the same distortion/od as the B3K. If I had to chose between the two (and I did), I'd go with the B7K. The extra tone shaping options make this pedal come to life. SOOOOOOOOO amazing.

Get the B7K.

B7k all the way!

I would say that it heavily depends on your usage. If you want the EQ to just shape the distorted tone or want to have the distorted tone + EQ as an always on thing, then go for the B7K. If what you are looking for is having tone shaping that can be applied independently of the distorted tone (as an always on preamp, a stompable separate EQ, or even just as a boost) then go B3K + preamp. Again, it really depends on how you intend to use the EQ section.

What the guys above said, plus adding that the EQ of the B7K is a VERY good one IMO

So B7K is better than B3K+VT Bass.
I will sell my VT Bass to get a B7K. :)

I vote B7K all the way. The tone shaping is pretty fantastic and incredibly useful! I use it both as a clean boost and light OD. IMO the B7K is worth every cent of its extra cost.

Mine is never off. All I do is reach down and turn the drive knob up or down depending on what I need.

I just bought another B3K I had the B7K and hated the tone shaping to me it just added extra noise the mid controls were unusable. I heard the USA model is an improvement over the Finnish model especially in the DI department so if you go the B7K way I would get the updated model.

Same here. I've never had an "always on" pedal, but I can now say that I have arrived!

I run my BK3 into my VTBass and I am really digging the sound. If i needed a DI (I don't) I would spring for the BK7, but i would probably still keep my VTBass.

I don't think you can't go wrong either way.

Good Luck!

quick question: For those using a B7K for the DI, are you running it at the beginning of your chain still and just running your overdriven tone to FOH? Do you use any other effects?

Just wondering why have a DI at the front of your chain if you use other effects.

When I use it as a DI, I put it at the end of my chain for this reason.

What I like of both Microtubes is that they work well both on their own as well as with other preamps!
My rule of thumb is to use them to enhance or dirt up a tone you already like!

If you're running a chain of other pedals and you want the whole signal to be played by the PA then you should have the B7K at the end of the path.

Regards!
Doug.

Gotcha. Never thought about putting an overdrive at the end. I just picked up a B3K (uh-mazing!) and I'll have to check it out!

Ideally, I like to think of an overdrive pedal much like overdrive from a tube amp, where you are using other effects to push and shape the tone you are feeding the drive stage. Unfortunately a lot of overdrive pedals just don't sound that good being pushed by other effects and certainly don't react like a tube amp. So far the B3K is one of the few drive pedals I've found that actually sounds best to me at or near the end of the chain, and does a good job of imparting its tone in that way without getting too compressed and mushed up by the effected signals going into it like many drive pedals I've used.

Yeah I have no idea why I never thought of it that way. Long term blonde moment :p. I've got a 2 channel amp using the second as a slight overdrive boost. I always thought of in the pedal realm, gain boosts up top with compressor. I've got some tinkering around to do. Back to the drawing pedal board! :bassist:

Awesome... by far the best option is alway the one you like the best ;).

Amazing little thing you've made here, Douglas. I've wanted this tone for years! I've tried it out both ways, sounds best to me up front. Now, a Vintage Microtubes DI in place of a SansAmp VT DI at the end of my chain may be in order when the time comes :D