3Leaf Audio Club - Episode 2

[CoarseBass]

Will the onboard have active/passive functionality?

They all do if you wire them that way.

This is an example of why this sucks. Most consumers don't know enough to make an educated purchasing decision between the two products.

 

[Jared Lash]

Okay, so in the interest of getting more info and possibly elucidating the level of difference/similarity in these designs:

Spencer, what makes the Vulcan different than the B3K or Vintage Microtubes?

I know you said you wanted to do a different take on the Darkglass CMOS based OD sounds, but in what ways is it different? What was the overall design goal?

Does the XL have the same EQ points as the B7K? If not, can you share what they are?

You said the Vulcan has two OD circuits. Are these essentially variations on the B3K/VMT? Is one Darkglass inspired and the other and existing circuit or new design?

And what does the color knob/switch do? Is it essentially a blend of toggle between the two overdrive circuits?

 

[Snakeman1066]

My faith in humanity would never recover....

being a fan of all music....I found it funny that there are two opposing viewpoints about the Starbucks cup utilizing Toby Keith's red solo cup song

 

[nshuman]

When we are done with this, can we devote a few pages to the Starbucks red cups please?

 

[dannybuoy]

Will the onboard have active/passive functionality?

If it doesn't, it's an easy mod. I added a push/pull pot to my Darkglass Tone Capsule for this, it even came with the wiring diagram to do so.

It's only tricky when the pre has active pickup blending like the Audere preamps, switching those to passive means you have no more pickup blend (so you have to choose either one pickup or both together for passive mode, unless you want to get real funky with your wiring).

 

[ebozzz]

Uhm, I think those would be offensive to many people. Just saying....

 

[Hypocrite]

Uhm, I think those would be offensive to many people. Just saying....

My dear boy, I do believe that that's the joke.

 

[ilansgroove]

I'm honestly surprised at all the negative response and it's made me physically ill this morning so I'm gonna try my best to clear everything up.

The reason for the new company is to try some different ideas with branding. I wanted a brand that's just for bass players without any ambiguity. I was also getting really burned out and I needed a new creative outlet. It has nothing to do with "keeping the 3Leaf Audio name out of the muck" as there is no threat of legal action here. I'm not infringing on any trademarks and I didn't break any contracts. I'll still be running the 3Leaf brand, and that will be focused on all the fun and weird stuff I've always made, while Pike will be more utilitarian products for bass.

As to why the pedals look similar to the old USA-made DG pedals: Doug and I had a partnership and I designed those pedals. He came to me with the schematic for the audio section of the circuits, and I designed the bypass switching and did the physical designs. I also fronted the money for every production run and managed the entire production myself. I don't think most people realize how collaborative that partnership was...I wasn't just a hired gun if that was the impression that was given off. I won't get into the ending of that partnership other than to say that Darkglass stuck me with a few hundred enclosures that were already drilled for those pedals. I couldn't afford to just throw those away since I had already paid for them, so I had to come up with a design that would work in that box. I was originally thinking of making it a limited run just to get rid of the few hundred enclosures I had, but then Darkglass changed the look of their pedals to the point that my aesthetic design was no longer there, and it was a design I was really proud of so I wanted to 'reclaim' it so to speak. I obsess over the look and feel of the products I design and I didn't want to see my work die out with the end of that partnership.

Regarding the circuit: I wouldn't have done any of this if I were just going to copy Darkglass. I don't think it's fair to my customers to release a product that doesn't bring anything new to the table. The Vulcan circuit is inspired by my knowledge of the Darkglass circuits but taken in a direction that I think makes them appealing in a totally different way. I worked with those circuits for years so I learned what makes them sound good, but I also found lots of ways to change it to make it work more to my taste. The big difference with the Vulcan circuit is that it's actually two entire overdrive circuits in parallel that get blended together to form the complete sound. It's a very complex circuit design...the Vulcan circuit has 117 components and the XL has 173. In practice it sounds a lot different than a B3K or something like that, so I hope you guys get the chance to try one for yourself before just assuming that it's a ripoff since it has a similar look. I've spent most of the last year fine-tuning and obsessing over every detail of these pedals and I'm really excited about the results.

Sorry to be long-winded, but I needed to be thorough because all the speculation on here gave me an anxiety attack. It really wasn't my intent to ruffle any feathers. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on a series of onboard preamps with a really cool twist, and I think you guys will like them.

I must say that seeing the new pedals I also had that instinct of "that's Darkglass " but I was thinking, you were probably left with some enclosures and wanted to use them ... I don't think that's wrong... It would actually be a bad business decision NOT no use these enclosures ....

With all the blah blah blah going around ... I just want to say that I really love the sound ... I owened the US B3K and B7K and I now own the Finland version of both ... And this video made me want to try one ... It seems to me that it is a bit less aggressive .... Will definitely have to try one

Good luck man, love your stuff !!!!

 

[jwr]

I'm honestly surprised at all the negative response and it's made me physically ill this morning so I'm gonna try my best to clear everything up.

The reason for the new company is to try some different ideas with branding. I wanted a brand that's just for bass players without any ambiguity. I was also getting really burned out and I needed a new creative outlet. It has nothing to do with "keeping the 3Leaf Audio name out of the muck" as there is no threat of legal action here. I'm not infringing on any trademarks and I didn't break any contracts. I'll still be running the 3Leaf brand, and that will be focused on all the fun and weird stuff I've always made, while Pike will be more utilitarian products for bass.

As to why the pedals look similar to the old USA-made DG pedals: Doug and I had a partnership and I designed those pedals. He came to me with the schematic for the audio section of the circuits, and I designed the bypass switching and did the physical designs. I also fronted the money for every production run and managed the entire production myself. I don't think most people realize how collaborative that partnership was...I wasn't just a hired gun if that was the impression that was given off. I won't get into the ending of that partnership other than to say that Darkglass stuck me with a few hundred enclosures that were already drilled for those pedals. I couldn't afford to just throw those away since I had already paid for them, so I had to come up with a design that would work in that box. I was originally thinking of making it a limited run just to get rid of the few hundred enclosures I had, but then Darkglass changed the look of their pedals to the point that my aesthetic design was no longer there, and it was a design I was really proud of so I wanted to 'reclaim' it so to speak. I obsess over the look and feel of the products I design and I didn't want to see my work die out with the end of that partnership.

Regarding the circuit: I wouldn't have done any of this if I were just going to copy Darkglass. I don't think it's fair to my customers to release a product that doesn't bring anything new to the table. The Vulcan circuit is inspired by my knowledge of the Darkglass circuits but taken in a direction that I think makes them appealing in a totally different way. I worked with those circuits for years so I learned what makes them sound good, but I also found lots of ways to change it to make it work more to my taste. The big difference with the Vulcan circuit is that it's actually two entire overdrive circuits in parallel that get blended together to form the complete sound. It's a very complex circuit design...the Vulcan circuit has 117 components and the XL has 173. In practice it sounds a lot different than a B3K or something like that, so I hope you guys get the chance to try one for yourself before just assuming that it's a ripoff since it has a similar look. I've spent most of the last year fine-tuning and obsessing over every detail of these pedals and I'm really excited about the results.

Sorry to be long-winded, but I needed to be thorough because all the speculation on here gave me an anxiety attack. It really wasn't my intent to ruffle any feathers. I'm currently putting the finishing touches on a series of onboard preamps with a really cool twist, and I think you guys will like them.

Ok, so I have to ask a few question.

1. Did you really not expect the negative response? I mean, I'm being completely serious here. It seems to me that this whole thing is a bit tongue in cheek, so I'm not sure why you wouldn't expect that?
2. So you funded Darkglass runs? Was Douglas not willing to pay for them? I find that kind of odd, but I can't assume anything obviously.
3. The back stock. Could you not have sold it somehow back to Doug?
4. The similarities are very, very close. I mean even in sound. Yours seems to have a bit more gain, but other than that, it's pretty close. The layout and everything. Why not go with something totally different in looks?

 

[Kevin Hide Bass]

Why not design the Octabvre to fit the B7K enclosure if loss of earnings from these enclosures was so vital to your business model?
That little EQ box, could that not have been designed to fit in the B3K/Vintage enclosure?
Did you try and sell the enclosures, as this would have been the best option from a lehmans view? If not Darkglass, surely other/indie pedal builders would snap them up at cost price that you would have paid or slightly discounted?
Why on earth contemplate using them to produce overdrive pedals which, going by the video on Youtube, sound very similar to Darkglass, albeit a little thinner in sound?
You did not expect this negativity; really???
As a matter of professional courtesy, why not run the idea of using the enclosures this way past Doug before going this route, as opposed to him only finding out today with the rest of us?
Why imply in your new little 'About' section that another Darkglass representative was involved, when it is all just you?

Things don't add up to the picture you have painted in your post here.

 

[ebozzz]

If it doesn't, it's an easy mod. I added a push/pull pot to my Darkglass Tone Capsule for this, it even came with the wiring diagram to do so.

It's only tricky when the pre has active pickup blending like the Audere preamps, switching those to passive means you have no more pickup blend (so you have to choose either one pickup or both together for passive mode, unless you want to get real funky with your wiring).

Thanks, I'm sort of looking for an option that pretty much has what I need already built in and functions like a standard two pickup passive instrument would when in passive mode. My modding skills for that type of thing are suspect so I'd be paying to get that done.....

 

[ebozzz]

My dear boy, I do believe that that's the joke.

A joke but true!

 

[moishelichtfuss]

Why imply in your new little 'About' section that another Darkglass representative was involved, when it is all just you?

Hi, I'll keep my head out of all this except for this.

English isn't my first language, but I work as a translator. So my job is to look closely at sentences :

"Founded in 2015 by the owner of 3Leaf Audio and former head of operations for Darkglass Electronics (…)"

I just fail to see another person being implied here. I don't even see an ambiguity. Would be a different story if it would read "and the former head".

 

[Down_Low]

Why not design the Octabvre to fit the B7K enclosure if loss of earnings from these enclosures was so vital to your business model?
That little EQ box, could that not have been designed to fit in the B3K/Vintage enclosure?
Did you try and sell the enclosures, as this would have been the best option from a lehmans view? If not Darkglass, surely other/indie pedal builders would snap them up at cost price that you would have paid or slightly discounted?
Why on earth contemplate using them to produce overdrive pedals which, going by the video on Youtube, sound very similar to Darkglass, albeit a little thinner in sound?
You did not expect this negativity; really???
As a matter of professional courtesy, why not run the idea of using the enclosures this way past Doug before going this route, as opposed to him only finding out today with the rest of us?
Why imply in your new little 'About' section that another Darkglass representative was involved, when it is all just you?

Things don't add up to the picture you have painted in your post here.

He said the enclosures were already drilled as well. How many builders would buy enclosures already drilled for the same layout as the Darkglass pedals? And would the octave pedal fit with the same drill pattern?

As for the about section, you're reading with a bias already in your head. It's worded exactly as it should be to state that he is the owner of 3 leaf and the previous head of operations for DG. If you don't like his stuff, don't buy it, easy as that. But what's the good of getting on an Internet forum and putting a guy down?

 

[Kevin Hide Bass]

He said the enclosures were already drilled as well. How many builders would buy enclosures already drilled for the same layout as the Darkglass pedals? And would the octave pedal fit with the same drill pattern?

As for the about section, you're reading with a bias already in your head. It's worded exactly as it should be to state that he is the owner of 3 leaf and the previous head of operations for DG. If you don't like his stuff, don't buy it, easy as that. But what's the good of getting on an Internet forum and putting a guy down?

Pre-drilled? Check the 9v input compared to the B3K/Vintage; different place. Partially pre-drilled? Come on now.

 

[nshuman]

A joke but true!

Yes, it was indeed a joke indeed. Although, any individual that would get offended by a rainbow coloured cup is completely irrelevant in my book

 

[Jared Lash]

Why not design the Octabvre to fit the B7K enclosure if loss of earnings from these enclosures was so vital to your business model?

If the Darkglass enclosures were pre-drilled there would have been no way to make the number of stomps, pots and switches work with the Octabvre design.

Even if they weren't pre-drilled, the form factor of the B7K/VMT Deluxe enclosure doesn't really work functionally with a dual footswitch octaver. The stomps would end up too close together.

 

[nshuman]

So, @Spencer! m since this is the 3Leaf club thread, I'll keep asking 3Leaf related questions. Will 3Leaf proper products be released soon aside from the Pike stuff? I'm ready to start trying to deblur more images here.

 

[DirtyDuke]

I must say that seeing the new pedals I also had that instinct of "that's Darkglass " but I was thinking, you were probably left with some enclosures and wanted to use them ... I don't think that's wrong... It would actually be a bad business decision NOT no use these enclosures ....

With all the blah blah blah going around ... I just want to say that I really love the sound ... I owened the US B3K and B7K and I now own the Finland version of both ... And this video made me want to try one ... It seems to me that it is a bit less aggressive .... Will definitely have to try one

Good luck man, love your stuff !!!!

This !!!! I personally love the 3 leaf enclosures. But, what do U do with left over enclosures? I love most of DG stuff, even have a DG tattoo. But the eq on both the b3 and b7k were not for me. The Vulcan seems to suit my style and taste better.

I'm proud to have both on my board.......

 

[ebozzz]

Yes, it was indeed a joke indeed. Although, any individual that would get offended by a rainbow coloured cup is completely irrelevant in my book

About the same as the red cup being offensive to me..... Just plain silly.