Back To Darkglass: Vintage Deluxe Appreciation Post

[Evan J]

Is anyone else neurotic about their gain pedals?

Maybe it's because I expect too much.

I want…
- Transparency
- Stylistic versatility
- Build quality
- Friendly with multiple pickups
- Likes both flats and rounds
- Stacks well with amp gain
- Sounds just as good DI

I tired the whole Darkglass line of dirt pedals a couple years ago. None of them lasted. Had the Vintage Deluxe for about a week and then flipped it.

But when I saw recently that the only dirt pedal on Sean Hurly's board is the VMT… I figured it was worth giving Darkglass another try.

There was a Vintage Deluxe V2 suspiciously cheap at guitar center (an employee underpriced it by $100) so I jumped on it.

I will be honest… the first time I had the pedal I just didn't understand it enough. Now that I have a better understanding of the pre and post clipping EQ controls, I am using it on everything.

I have used it in the studio straight to DI and live into my TH 500. In both situations the producer and the FOH engineer had compliments for the tone. (the producer wanted to buy one for himself so that's always a good sign)

If you are picky about your overdrives… give this one a try (or maybe a second try).

 

[sunbeast]

A VMT in some form was an always-on super low-gain pedal for me for around 8 years. If it had more low gain range (even my main passive P-bass could push it hairier than I wanted it at times with it at the lowest Gain setting), I'd probably still be using it! I've tried all the VMT iterations and still prefer the older ones with the "Era" control FWIW. The newer versions are capable of more brightness, but I found it hard to get the right amount- and I like the mid character the Era brings at different settings- it is subtle when soloed but can be surprisingly powerful in a mix. I think the VMT is particularly incredible with flatwounds (that's how I used mine most of the time when it was the center of my board), which can be pretty rare from modern drive pedals.

I still have my plain-jane VMT and should probably find a place for it again. I need to pick up a VMT Deluxe v1 (w/Era) again, heck I should probably revisit the versions without the Era as well...I've moved onto to "greener pastures" with other low-gain drive options, but of course the new shiny thing always seems better for a while!

 

[FaithNoMan]

The only pedals that beat out the VMT for me were complete boutique pedals, like Kasleder, and the Reiner Gasoline.

But in all actuality, the Gasoline worked well with the VMT. I love bright tones so I should like pedals like the B3K/B7K more, but what I found is you can use a bright pedal with the VMT and it sounded way more amplike to me, and more what I hear on albums.

My absolute favorite setup right now is a Wampler Eq in front of a Kasleder Albatross into a Damnation Dirtfixer, but I will never not recommend the VMT. I used one forever, and like I said it took some boutique pedals to get it off my amp.

My friend uses mine now, and he loves it for tracking bass. And like you, I slept on it the first time I had it.
It was when I went back to listen to some recordings I made with it that I realized it rocked.

 

[Evan J]

If it had more low gain range

Yeah for the DI studio session I was doing some indie soul stuff that benefited from a little bit of wool. But I could see how you might want cleaner if that was your main always on preamp. But with the attack switch in "cut" mode I was getting some nice Ampeg-ish low gain tones.

I've moved onto to "greener pastures" with other low-gain drive options, but of course the new shiny thing always seems better for a while!

Yeah I was deep in the Origin Effects world for a good while. Kept the Cali but ended up selling their gain pedals to fund a bass purchase. Their stuff was amazing but that money was worth more to me in a nice P Bass rather than sitting on my board.

 

[Evan J]

it sounded way more amplike to me, and more what I hear on albums.

Yeah that's one of the coolest things I'm noticing about it. There is something about the attack that feels and sounds like a dirty amp, way more than a lot of the high end "amp in a box" pedals. And as much as I love the Origin Effects amp recreations… this takes upstream dirt a little better.

It's a rare dirt pedal that sounds great on its own and even better in a mix. Seems very hard to achieve both.

 

[sunbeast]

Yeah for the DI studio session I was doing some indie soul stuff that benefited from a little bit of wool. But I could see how you might want cleaner if that was your main always on preamp. But with the attack switch in "cut" mode I was getting some nice Ampeg-ish low gain tones.

Yeah I was deep in the Origin Effects world for a good while. Kept the Cali but ended up selling their gain pedals to fund a bass purchase. Their stuff was amazing but that money was worth more to me in a nice P Bass rather than sitting on my board.

Yeah I remember when I bought my first Darkglass pedal and that felt like a crazy investment for a pedal after years of never imagining spending $200(?!) on an effects pedal, then creeping towards $300 for one of the Ultras (now I think they are closer to $400?). Times sure have changed, both in the cost of high-quality pedals and what I have been willing to drop on them and Darkglass felt like a turning point to me in both cases to a point. It is a little wild to think of the investment laid down for a trifecta of Origin pedals as many people on TB have- as much or more as the price of a pretty nice amplifier (I never got along with the Cali76CB or I'd probably be one of those people FWIW!).

I do use a couple Origin pedals all the time now, but the pedal that ended up taking over for the VMT for me is a Blackstone Mosfet- the voicing is much more "open" and more dynamic in response, not necessarily "better" but has been better for me for what I am currently trying to achieve in my current bands. In any case a much different voicing than the VMT. I used to use the VMT into tube amps mostly, and I now realize that it was functionally acting as a font-end compressor alongside its punchy voicing that I loved. These days I play through mostly hybrid amps and use a dedicated compressor, so dig a more dynamic drive sound and just a different vibe all around.

Have you ever tried a Darkglass Alpha-Omega? For actual audible crunch sounds that was always my favorite of the DG circuits. Ironically it was originally designed to replace a complex parallel drive chain of a bassist who used a Blackstone Mosfet on one side of his split. If the AO actually has a Blackstone type-circuit, its definitely been tweaked and pushed from the original so is very distinct but it was interesting that I unintentionally ended up with the Blackstone after years of using different combos involving the VMT and AO. That's anther pedal I need to dust off and try again later a long hiatus!

 

[wolffire99]

The VMT has faded in popularity but the ones with the era control are still great options. I always loved the additive drive blend and how naturally it fits into the clean. It doesn't sound as much like a split channel drive as others.

 

[Evan J]

Yeah I remember when I bought my first Darkglass pedal and that felt like a crazy investment for a pedal after years of never imagining spending $200(?!) on an effects pedal, then creeping towards $300 for one of the Ultras (now I think they are closer to $400?). Times sure have changed, both in the cost of high-quality pedals and what I have been willing to drop on them and Darkglass felt like a turning point to me in both cases to a point. It is a little wild to think of the investment laid down for a trifecta of Origin pedals as many people on TB have- as much or more as the price of a pretty nice amplifier (I never got along with the Cali76CB or I'd probably be one of those people FWIW!).

Ooof yeah I didn't realize how much the price has gone up. New the "deluxe" units are $400 and the "ultras" are "500". So basically Origin prices always. Not I'm realizing how lucky I was getting my Vintage Deluxe for $189…

Have you ever tried a Darkglass Alpha-Omega?

Yes! I had the Omicron and the Kaamos (which was a little lower gain). I am in the market for a fuzz so I should probably give it another try. I am hunting for a quality Muff though so I will probably go that route. That is a spectacularly designed dirt pedal though.

 

[Evan J]

The VMT has faded in popularity but the ones with the era control are still great options. I always loved the additive drive blend and how naturally it fits into the clean. It doesn't sound as much like a split channel drive as others.

Yeah I noticed that as well… that clean blend sound is something far too few pedals get right. I don't know the engineering behind it. But it's something the Darkglass always gets right

 

[Ian774]

Any experience with B3K into VMT?

 

[Evan J]

Any experience with B3K into VMT?

Yu know… I have only ever had them at separate times and have never had the chance to stack them. But I imagine that would be kind of the perfect modern overdrive stack.