my custom darkglass effect rack

[Mr. BassmanPT]

so, everything started when i wanted "something" to complement my sound, i noticed that i needed some "extra-boost" to play that riff or some part of such tune..

posted here in TB, asking for advice of this fellow community, my original idea was to buy the tech 21 rbi but wanted some feedback first. as the posts increased, i started to question what i really needed and what was missing in my sound.. if it was a pre amp, an overdrive or a compressor. or all of those! here is the original topic:

pre amplifier to complement my sound?

one poster, named darkglass offered some help, could build me something custom he said. as i do not like pedals in the ground with all those messed up cables, i saw what he had to offer and was astonished with the quality of his pedals. here you can find and listen to what i am talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/DarkglassEffects

and then an idea struck me! why not combine all those pedals in a custom rack? emails started to roll and we agreed on everything i wanted! a custom made rack unit with a compressor, an overdrive and pre amplifier all in one unit! darkglass has now started with this project. the build time is between 4 to 6 weeks.

darkglass came with the following design and i must say it is very nice indeed. we are still working out the name of the unit, i am not sure if i prefer "Integrated Bass System" instead of "Integral Bass System". hey, if someone has a nice suggestion post it, it might be choosen to name this wonderful device



i was just emailed with a section of the custom PCB! here it is:



the compressor is already there, the overdrive too!

another aspect is how to control these "pedals"? despite i do not like floor pedals, i have to use them. so, he will build a custom floorboard to control on/off all pedals and one main bypass switch. here are the specifications of the unit:

- rack unit with opressor optical compressor, microtubes b3k overdrive, harmonic booster bass enhancer
- footswitch to control all rack "pedals" with main bypass footswitch
- true bypass (with silent switching)
- Exclusive PCB design for the main board
- Mid control in the harmonic booster
- Controlable pedals from the rack unit and from the footboard
- 3 years guarrantee

darkglass is very active and keeps me informed of every step he achieves. if someone here is interested, you can contact him (Douglas Castro by the way) using this email:

darkfinn@gmail.com

he is very friendly so do not hesitate to contact him if you are interested in custom projects or any of his pedals.

the wait already started, i will post more pictures and comments on the evolution of this project! feel free to comment as well

regards

[bongomania]

Hmmm... Interesting.

[Mr. BassmanPT]

yes it is

i am very excited with this.

[morguedoc71]

Anxiously awaiting to see how this turns out!

[bovine mind]

Nice! I've long wished that more boutique builders would consider contemporary innovative design with rack units.

[Darkglass]

Thanks for the kind words. I am really having a blast designing this unit.

All my stock pedals (like the ones in my youtube channel) started as custom projects.
So I really welcome new challenges like this one. Knowing what you guys want is what motivates me into designing and building new stuff.
Doing new original designs, and innovating is what really drives me into doing what I do. Engineering implicates a lot of work, and I enoy every second of it.
Thats why I am really greatful for the trust that is put into these types of projects.
I will keep cmaranhao posted with all the advances, and I am sure he will update most of these advances here as well.

Regards

Doug.

[SpankyPants]

The MicroTubes has been on my GAS list, but it's $269 USD... Pretty expensive, even for a boutique distortion. At least to me. But as it's been mentioned in other threads, I've been without cash for so long that I may have a somewhat skewed opinion, and the exchange rate is obviously not in our (USA's) favor.

Still though, the pedal sounds f'n stellar.

[Darkglass]

Hey SpankyPants! Remember your email a few weeks ago... Nice to see you here!
It's a pitty that he price is too high for some of you... I really try to set them the lowest I can. But building, and making a living here in Finland is more expensive that you guys would believe.
Because I can't compete in price, I have to compete in value... that's why most of my pedals, besides sounding good (well, that's a matter of taste really) provide the biggets amount of useful, cool and unnusual features.

At the end, to provide the best sound and biggest amount of felixibility possible, in a compact and protable format it's whats all about for me.

Even though the part count in my circuits is unnusually high, I do not use any SMD components, only good metalfilm 1/4W resistors, and wima or similar film capacitors .
And the Microtubes B3K has over 70 components! Same with the Harmonic Booster...

Thanks again for all the nice comments!

Cheers

Doug.

[somegeezer]

Got me interested. *Has a look at some of the stuff on offer*

[Mr. BassmanPT]

Originally Posted by morguedoc71

Anxiously awaiting to see how this turns out!

it will turn out awesome for sure, take a look at this picture, the rack looks very sturdy and sleek

Douglas placed some pedals in there so I could measure the height of the footboard switches as i will place this board inside a sliding tray in my rack.. to do that i will need 2 units, i was aiming to 1 unit but the picture shows i will need 2 to do this.

Originally Posted by bovine mind

Nice! I've long wished that more boutique builders would consider contemporary innovative design with rack units.

i was really lucky to "meet" Douglas, if it wasn't him i would probably spent money in the sans amp and with this i have much more possibilities

Originally Posted by Darkglass

Thanks for the kind words. I am really having a blast designing this unit.

All my stock pedals (like the ones in my youtube channel) started as custom projects.
So I really welcome new challenges like this one. Knowing what you guys want is what motivates me into designing and building new stuff.
Doing new original designs, and innovating is what really drives me into doing what I do. Engineering implicates a lot of work, and I enoy every second of it.
Thats why I am really greatful for the trust that is put into these types of projects.
I will keep cmaranhao posted with all the advances, and I am sure he will update most of these advances here as well.

Regards

Doug.

you bet! i will keep this topic fresh so other members can see how this project evolves

Originally Posted by SpankyPants

The MicroTubes has been on my GAS list, but it's $269 USD... Pretty expensive, even for a boutique distortion. At least to me. But as it's been mentioned in other threads, I've been without cash for so long that I may have a somewhat skewed opinion, and the exchange rate is obviously not in our (USA's) favor.

Still though, the pedal sounds f'n stellar.

i just couldn't believe the sound not only of the overdrive pedal but all of them with good pc speakers like mentioned in the video. great stuff indeed!

Originally Posted by Darkglass

Even though the part count in my circuits is unnusually high, I do not use any SMD components, only good metalfilm 1/4W resistors, and wima or similar film capacitors .
And the Microtubes B3K has over 70 components! Same with the Harmonic Booster...

Thanks again for all the nice comments!

Cheers

Doug.

nice, you assemble only the best parts available then?

Originally Posted by somegeezer

Got me interested. *Has a look at some of the stuff on offer*

do you liked anything mate?


well, here are more pictures, it is easier to spot that 1 unit will not be enough for the footboard in these:

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by cmaranhao

Douglas placed some pedals in there so I could measure the height of the footboard switches as i will place this board inside a sliding tray in my rack.. to do that i will need 2 units, i was aiming to 1 unit but the picture shows i will need 2 to do this.

Oh... I do not recommend this. I have used rack shelves for pedals, and it is seriously not a good idea with that type of footswitch. It takes enough pressure to activate the switch that you can unbalance your whole rack. Even if the rack doesn't fall over, just that moment where the rack tips and wobbles is scary and not worth it.

Either leave the pedalboard on the floor; or put a wood block or something under the shelf so you don't tip the rack; or have him use light-action electronic switches, not those mechanical 3PDT's.

[Mr. BassmanPT]

yes, i remembered that and i am planning this:

1) place something under the tray to give the balance it needs or

2) the tray is not fixed to the rack so i can place the tray in the ground (a tray that comes out of the rack) with the board attached to it!

but thanks for pointing that out mate!!

[Darkglass]

Yeah, what I understood from cmaranhao was that the footswitch on the tray was only for transportation purposes.

I would also recommend when using the footswitch, to take it off the rack and place it on the floor.

[Mr. BassmanPT]

for the ones interested on how these projects are built, here are some pictures of darkglass workshop..

the wait is killing me already!

[PunkRocker33133]

I'm sort of confused as to what's being built here. I thought it was gonna be like a rack unit with all of these effects' circuit boards built in and then some sort of foot controller on the ground. (sort of like those old Ibanez ones) but what I'm seeing is pedals in a rack shelf...

[lowfreqgeek]

Originally Posted by cmaranhao

for the ones interested on how these projects are built, here are some pictures of darkglass workshop..

the wait is killing me already!

That's excellent, Darkglass!!!

Reminds me of my first electronic mentor/teacher's shop in his home. I spent MANY hours in that shop making my own circuit boards (for his senior-level design classes) and troubleshooting circuits when I was in school. I've dreamed for the past 10 years of having a place like that, but I've never had a space for it.

At least I have what I need at work, but there's nothing like having your own shop at home.

Very nice indeed.

[Wasted Bassist]

Originally Posted by PunkRocker33133

I'm sort of confused as to what's being built here. I thought it was gonna be like a rack unit with all of these effects' circuit boards built in and then some sort of foot controller on the ground. (sort of like those old Ibanez ones) but what I'm seeing is pedals in a rack shelf...

I'm confused on this as well.

[Darkglass]

Originally Posted by PunkRocker33133

I'm sort of confused as to what's being built here. I thought it was gonna be like a rack unit with all of these effects' circuit boards built in and then some sort of foot controller on the ground. (sort of like those old Ibanez ones) but what I'm seeing is pedals in a rack shelf...

Oops! Confusion is not good!
The project is exactly the way you say. I am designing an developing everything from scratch here, circuit boards, powersupply, etc.
I am sorry if my pictures have been somehow missleading.
I just daven't taken any pics of the pedals yet, and though could see the way they looked on top of the black lead .

Originally Posted by lowfreqgeek

That's excellent, Darkglass!!!

Reminds me of my first electronic mentor/teacher's shop in his home. I spent MANY hours in that shop making my own circuit boards (for his senior-level design classes) and troubleshooting circuits when I was in school. I've dreamed for the past 10 years of having a place like that, but I've never had a space for it.

At least I have what I need at work, but there's nothing like having your own shop at home.

Very nice indeed.

Thank you very much! Hehehe, I know exactly what you mean! Is amazing how many hours you can do on one sitting! A comfy chair is a must.
Well, this bench is not at my home. Is in a muuuuch larger facility actually. An excellent recording studio 10 minutes from downtown Helsinki, were I live.

I have worked at home in the past, but since this became my 9 to 5 (actually, more sort of 9 to 10 ) is been nice to separate both working and living place.
Probably at some point, if things go well, and I don't need to spend that much time soldering the boards together, I will probably build a smaller version of that bench at my house, for developing stuff on weekends and holidays... If my girlfriend doesn't mind of course .
Thank you for the nice comments!

Cheers

Douglas

http://www.youtube.com/DarkglassEffects

[lowfreqgeek]

Originally Posted by Darkglass

Thank you very much! Hehehe, I know exactly what you mean! Is amazing how many hours you can do on one sitting! A comfy chair is a must.
Well, this bench is not at my home. Is in a muuuuch larger facility actually. An excellent recording studio 10 minutes from downtown Helsinki, were I live.

I have worked at home in the past, but since this became my 9 to 5 (actually, more sort of 9 to 10 ) is been nice to separate both working and living place.
Probably at some point, if things go well, and I don't need to spend that much time soldering the boards together, I will probably build a smaller version of that bench at my house, for developing stuff on weekends and holidays... If my girlfriend doesn't mind of course .
Thank you for the nice comments!

Cheers

Douglas

http://www.youtube.com/DarkglassEffects

You know... I've got a friend with an absolutely killer studio in Albuquerque (where I live). He has hosted the likes of Mariah Cary and John Popper, as well as a ton of big-name actors doing ADR dates for all the TV shows/movies filmed in New Mexico, and he has a Grammy for his engineering. Anyway, he has an unused space down the hall that would be perfect to set up a workshop in. Then I can actually help him with all those projects he's mentioned, but we've never actually gotten around to doing.

Now you got me thinkin' again, Darkglass!

The only problem with that idea is that I already spend too much time at work or gigging and the studio is nearly half-hour from my house. But it just might be worth it as long as I can frame it correctly to my wife; "Investing in our future" seems to work.

Jon

[somegeezer]

If only I had the cash, I would go ahead and order something similar. I bet it will be killer! XD