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Am I missing something? (B3K)

Boy_Narf

Boy_Narf

Dec 19, 2013
502
534
#1
Or is this pedal nothing special? I read through all the forums, watched all the videos, and thought it sounded really good! I have actually had my eye on this pedal for a little over a year now. I paid a small fortune (thanks to the crappy Canadian dollar), and I'm beyond disappointed.

1. Seems to pull out all of my high mid frequencies. I notice a significant scoop when engaging this pedal. Seems to suck the "meat" out of my sound.

Adding clarity?

2. Odd boost in the low mids. I don't notice this while playing, but if I rest my thumb on the A or E strings I get a loud thud that isn't present when the pedal is off. Ghost notes on the lower strings are also quite loud in comparison to the other strings.

Adding punch?

3. I don't like the character of the distortion. Really adds a "tinny" factor in the high end. I reminds me of a fuzz pedal with the treble cranked, but much less gain. I made sure to get the 2.0 version with the attack cut switch. But it doesn't smooth out the high end.

Helping to cut through the mix?

Even with the gain cranked it's sometimes hard to hear the dirt on the E string. If I the switches to boost/fat, it is more apparent, but then it's far too boomy/piercing compared to my clean tone.

4. Dynamics? I think this is one of the least dynamic od pedals I have played. If I play softer it doesn't clean up like my other pedals, or even my solid state amp for that matter.

5. The switch is noisy. When engaging there is a pop pressing down, and coming back up. When disengaging there is a single pop. Can't hear it while playing, but on a quiet section it's pretty loud. I understand the switch and buffer was replaced with the same one from the B7K. Does this one pop too?

6. The packaging is a bit on the light side. Pedal just comes in a box. A pedal of this price should have some kind of foam or bubble wrap for added protection IMO. It does come with a sticker and rubber feet however.

On the positive side?

1. The blend control is nice. It seems perfectly transparent with the knob at zero. I'm a fan of being able to set a pedal as transparent as possible and work from there.

2. Pedal is very well built. Seems a bit light compared to my other dirt pedals.

----------

Not sure if I'm crazy or not. I know this pedal is extremely popular around here so I was hoping for something a bit more. I was planning to replace my BB preamp with this pedal, but the BB sounds brilliant in comparison. It has a much smoother top end, and the dirt comes out evenly across all the strings (it is far more compressed however). The BB simply adds to my base tone, where as the B3K produces it's own sound. This was a pretty expensive test to realize that the BB actually sounds good haha. Perhaps it sounds much better with a tube amp?
 
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#2
Are you just so used to the way your BB sounds, that you aren't used to the B3k yet? The b3k has a flavor or its own, and not every pedal can please everyone. I am not impressed with the b3k solo, but with a band it sounds amazing. The blend control needs to be in the 12:00 to 2:00 position for me.
 
#3
I only used the BB for headphone jamming direct into my interface. I hadn't tried it with my new rig, until the shootout with the B3K. I honestly didn't like the BB before, hence my attempt to replace it with another good OD. I could see myself using this as an always on pedal if I do keep it. Whether or not it scoops, or adds clarity, my tone does have a bit more definition when it's engaged.
 
#5
Check out how I have my B3K set and maybe try these settings. This give me HUGE punch and dynamics. Best OD pedal I've used for sure, other than the B7K :)



board15.jpg
 
#6
godblender said:
Uh oh...wait till the regulars get wind of this thread...
Click to expand...

I'm a fan boy (B7K owner), but I can admit it's a polarizing pedal. If it's not the OP's sound, it's not his sound. No argument here.

Having said that, I am surprised to hear the OP say he thinks it's removing high mids. To me the baked in voice removes more of the low mids and brings out the high mids. Might be a difference in what we consider "high" and "low" though.

A lot of the other stuff is also not really my experience. I have the B7K with a soft buffered switch and it's one of the best things with the pedal. Never had a single pop with it.

You get some noise simply as you crank the drive, but hum or low-gain noise typically indicates a power supply problem.

Like @mmbongo said, I would try some different settings.

But if it's not for you, it's not for you.
 
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#7
mmbongo: What amp are you running through? That looks like a pretty good setting for tube breakup.

I don't have the best amp, but I think it sounds good. It is solid state so I'm not sure I'm getting the full "wonder" of this pedal. I will say that I just put the BB Preamp on my board and WOW! It sounds really damn good. Wish I would have run it through my amp sooner haha.
 
#8
Just goes to show you need to try new stuff with your own gear, preferably for a while, before voting up or down the new bit of kit.
I like Doug, and his stuff, from what I've heard. I'd like to try some Dark Glass in person some day.
OP, I hope you manage to find some settings you like. Maybe try it through a friend's amp (so long as it's better IYO than yours).
 
#10
Adamixoye said:
Having said that, I am surprised to hear the OP say he thinks it's removing high mids. To me the baked in voice removes more of the low mids and brings out the high mids. Might be a difference in what we consider "high" and "low" though.
Click to expand...

I agree with this completely.

FWIW I've owned my B3K for more than 3 years and won't get rid of it, even if I don't use it with every outfit that I jam with. It's the best sounding overdrive for pick grind that I've tried. It does however have a very unique voicing that certainly won't appeal to all players. Transparent it is not/heavily baked-in voice.

On a side note: I'm convinced that every bassist in every metal band in Scandinavia has one on their board.
 
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#11
I use a B7k but I have hated it at times. The weird tinny frequency response that sounds so good for djenty metal can sound completely bizarre in other musical settings. My only suggestion would be don't be afraid to use really extreme settings. On the B7k it's not uncommon for me to turn the low/hi mids completely down to zero. Your rig will determine whether stuff like that really works.

I think the B3k/B7k suffers from the hype on this board sometimes. It seems like someone can ask what kind of chorus to try and someone will suggest the B3k. It can get a little obnoxious at times. People are inadvertently filtering the pedals into hands of players who aren't really looking for what it provides.
 
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#12
Like every other pedal/bass/amp/string out there, the B#K pedals are not for everyone, and I'm one of those people that they have never sounded good to. By all indications they make a quality product and are great to deal with, but as was pointed out above, the pedals have a very strong and distinct sonic signature that does not at all work with my tonal goals. Thankfully, I was able to realize this thanks to things like YouTube videos and soundclips posted on forums (like here on TB) to help me figure this out.

It should be a REALLY easy pedal to sell on here, so pack it up and send it on its way. You should be able to get most of your money back (especially with the plummeting Canadian dollar right now!). Then, you can either stick with the pedal you like, or start the process of researching based upon what you know does and doesn't work for you, and find a pedal that works.

I must have gone through...oh my...I don't know, maybe a dozen dirt pedals or more before settling on the ones I have now, and I'm still always on the search for new things to try. The search is part of the fun! ;) Good luck!
 
#14
Try the Pork Lion. Maybe it's what you are looking for.
I was looking for bk3 because of the reviews.
Somebody did offer me a trade brand new Pork Lion on a Delay i was selling on Craigslist. I took the offer just to help the guy, i was kind of afraid, and kind of sure the pork lion has a bad sound.
The Pork Lion surprise me.
So i did keep it, and i use it.
It's sound really good to my ears,
And i like overdrive, just to add flavor.
From that point i decided not buy a bk3 anymore.
 
Last edited:
#15
I've felt similarly to a couple of pedals I have, but in the end it was really just that they had so many ways they could be dialed in that it was just harder and more of a pain than I expected. Once I got it right I loved each one - this applies to my Darkglass VMT, OvniFX Smoothie, Mooer Bass Sweeper, and my Fulltone OCD. Try making smaller adjustments and maybe you'll find something you like - and as someone else mentioned, it's much different solo too.
 
#16
Boy_Narf said:
Or is this pedal nothing special? I read through all the forums, watched all the videos, and thought it sounded really good! I have actually had my eye on this pedal for a little over a year now. I paid a small fortune (thanks to the crappy Canadian dollar), and I'm beyond disappointed.

1. Seems to pull out all of my high mid frequencies. I notice a significant scoop when engaging this pedal. Seems to suck the "meat" out of my sound.

Adding clarity?

2. Odd boost in the low mids. I don't notice this while playing, but if I rest my thumb on the A or E strings I get a loud thud that isn't present when the pedal is off. Ghost notes on the lower strings are also quite loud in comparison to the other strings.

Adding punch?

3. I don't like the character of the distortion. Really adds a "tinny" factor in the high end. I reminds me of a fuzz pedal with the treble cranked, but much less gain. I made sure to get the 2.0 version with the attack cut switch. But it doesn't smooth out the high end.

Helping to cut through the mix?

Even with the gain cranked it's sometimes hard to hear the dirt on the E string. If I the switches to boost/fat, it is more apparent, but then it's far too boomy/piercing compared to my clean tone.

4. Dynamics? I think this is one of the least dynamic od pedals I have played. If I play softer it doesn't clean up like my other pedals, or even my solid state amp for that matter.

5. The switch is noisy. When engaging there is a pop pressing down, and coming back up. When disengaging there is a single pop. Can't hear it while playing, but on a quiet section it's pretty loud. I understand the switch and buffer was replaced with the same one from the B7K. Does this one pop too?

6. The packaging is a bit on the light side. Pedal just comes in a box. A pedal of this price should have some kind of foam or bubble wrap for added protection IMO. It does come with a sticker and rubber feet however.

On the positive side?

1. The blend control is nice. It seems perfectly transparent with the knob at zero. I'm a fan of being able to set a pedal as transparent as possible and work from there.

2. Pedal is very well built. Seems a bit light compared to my other dirt pedals.

----------

Not sure if I'm crazy or not. I know this pedal is extremely popular around here so I was hoping for something a bit more. I was planning to replace my BB preamp with this pedal, but the BB sounds brilliant in comparison. It has a much smoother top end, and the dirt comes out evenly across all the strings (it is far more compressed however). The BB simply adds to my base tone, where as the B3K produces it's own sound. This was a pretty expensive test to realize that the BB actually sounds good haha. Perhaps it sounds much better with a tube amp?
Click to expand...

Here's JohnK's take on this pedal. He's not the biggest fan to say the least....

DarkglassB3K


Marc
 
#17
Good review by JohnK. I agree with a bunch of that especially the part about comparing it to a tube amp.

In regards to other OD's. Like I mentioned above I also have a BB. I bought one ages ago, to use with a Mark Bass CMD121P and direct into my PA for writing. It sounded really bad into the 121P, and I think it's because of the awful tweeter design in that amp. I ended up returning the 121P and went without a proper amp for roughly three years (had the Fender rumble 10 for practice). I found a SB115 on Kijiji for a heck of a deal last year and had to pick it up. At the start of this year I joined up with a band. The 115 couldn't cut it so I picked up a SB500H, and TC1510. I was only using the BB for headphone jamming and hadn't run it through an amp in a long long time. Just today I hooked it up and did a shootout between it and the B3K. The BB blew the B3K away. I tossed it on my board and I'm happy (for now anyway). Will see how it sounds with the band. I remember it can sound a bit "digital" which is why I stopped using it in the first place. But through this new rig it sounds awesome.
 
#19
I admit, I'm a fan-boy of DG...but they are NOT for everyone, I've never tried the B3K, but instead the 7K...yes, they most definitely have a baked in tone, and with the 7 and the only way to get rid of this is to turn the blend off so it acts as a EQ/DI, which is how I ran it for the 1st few months

but since I got this I've gradually turned up the blend(I keep the dirt off), and its really grown on me as have the blend up will add some slight grit, and I've grown to dig the drive on it as well....i think the B7K is perfect for metal tone(though I use it for a variety of styles)... its what I hoped the sansamp would've delivered...and right out of the box, it sounded just like the YouTube clips through different basses, unlike most other pedals, so it is consistent IMO

but again, definitely not for everyone!!
 
#20
I had an RC as well. Didn't find much of a use for it however. Needed something with a bit more dirt. The BB sounds pretty cool in front of my TightFuzz as well. The TightFuzz is a very scooped pedal. Engaging the BB before it brings back some of the scooped mids and pushes the fuzz a bit harder. The B3K before the fuzz just boosted up the high end. I'm not really a fan of using something as an EQ or tone shaping device. IMO if you can't get the sound you want out of your amp alone, then you bought the wrong amp. I'm using the BB to boost the volume a touch, and add a hint of gain for solo parts where I need to stand out.
 

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