Damnation Audio Fan/Appreciation Thread

[father of fires]

I think perhaps there’s an assumption that metal bass has one set of tones. I prefer a warmer fuller low mid heavy tone. Others prefer a sharp tone with lots of clank and less bottom. I play a lot of metal but this is not specifically designed as a metal only pedal.

This pedal can get dark and can get mostly neutral sounding but there’s not a ton of added high end which is a personal preference since I use a lot of solid state rigs that don’t have a ton of warmth and strings that lean on the brighter side. I also use fat and heavy picks with a ham fisted technique which produces its own higher frequency content.

The brightest settings can be found with the clean off, depth down, tone full up, boost down and shift down. The higher the gain setting the more lows produced by the pedal as well. More lows gives the appearance of less highs. This can lead to a trebly tone but not a bright one.

If you have a down-tuned or higher output bass then you will have excess lows in your sound too. The only cures for that are tweaks at your bass or your head.

Also when things feel over compressed I find backing off the gain and adding more clean helps balance it all out.

Good luck.

 

[Bassique]

If you have a down-tuned or higher output bass then you will have excess lows in your sound too. The only cures for that are tweaks at your bass or your head.

Yea, actually I forgot to mention on my review that I based it mostly on using it with my Dingwall bass. The parallel pickup configuration which I usually prefer has pretty dominant lows and especially lower mids, so I shouldnt jump to too many conclusions based on that. I actually like the pedal more when using Jazz bass or my
Ibanez.

 

[cosmicevan]

I found the MBD a bit dark until I played it in a band context at which point it sat in a mix like 20 pounds of oatmeal. It also reacted a lot differently depending on which bass I played through it. I really wish, with these reviews, that people would clarify the context of how they came about their opinions on a certain pedal. There are a lot of bedroom players that give reviews that never tell us how they use the pedals. Recording vs. live are pretty different IMO.

Does it really matter though?

Opinions are BS, change over time, and are also influenced by a variety of factors which may or may not even be relevant to your use case. Not to mention that words are somewhat useless to describe sound... as already pointed out 20 pounds of oatmeal could be a good thing or a bad thing....and what does "a bit dark" even mean from a tonal perspective (good? bad? or?)?

Even a youtube demo is super processed and colored by the gear used to record with, the internet, and then whatever speakers you choose to consume the demo...I know I've been fooled by youtube demos many times.

It's fun to share our opinions and talk about what we like and don't like, but nothing is going to really tell you if something is right for you other than trying it out on your own and in your own situation. Agreed that recording vs live are pretty different, but I'd also argue that my recording setup vs your recording setup and the music we record is also going to be pretty different...same for live. I have a few different sets of musicians I like to jam with and what works with one doesn't always work with the other.

 

[jbybj]

Does it really matter though?

Opinions are BS, change over time, and are also influenced by a variety of factors which may or may not even be relevant to your use case. Not to mention that words are somewhat useless to describe sound... as already pointed out 20 pounds of oatmeal could be a good thing or a bad thing....and what does "a bit dark" even mean from a tonal perspective (good? bad? or?)?

Even a youtube demo is super processed and colored by the gear used to record with, the internet, and then whatever speakers you choose to consume the demo...I know I've been fooled by youtube demos many times.

It's fun to share our opinions and talk about what we like and don't like, but nothing is going to really tell you if something is right for you other than trying it out on your own and in your own situation. Agreed that recording vs live are pretty different, but I'd also argue that my recording setup vs your recording setup and the music we record is also going to be pretty different...same for live. I have a few different sets of musicians I like to jam with and what works with one doesn't always work with the other.

This is why “share your settings” threads always make me chuckle.

 

[willsellout]

Does it really matter though?

Opinions are BS, change over time, and are also influenced by a variety of factors which may or may not even be relevant to your use case. Not to mention that words are somewhat useless to describe sound... as already pointed out 20 pounds of oatmeal could be a good thing or a bad thing....and what does "a bit dark" even mean from a tonal perspective (good? bad? or?)?

Even a youtube demo is super processed and colored by the gear used to record with, the internet, and then whatever speakers you choose to consume the demo...I know I've been fooled by youtube demos many times.

It's fun to share our opinions and talk about what we like and don't like, but nothing is going to really tell you if something is right for you other than trying it out on your own and in your own situation. Agreed that recording vs live are pretty different, but I'd also argue that my recording setup vs your recording setup and the music we record is also going to be pretty different...same for live. I have a few different sets of musicians I like to jam with and what works with one doesn't always work with the other.

That’s a lengthy response. Thanks for taking the time. All I would like is for someone to post the context in how they came about their opinions. That way people have information to make their decisions based on what they are looking to do with a particular piece of gear.

 

[DrHooper]

That’s a lengthy response. Thanks for taking the time. All I would like is for someone to post the context in how they came about their opinions. That way people have information to make their decisions based on what they are looking to do with a particular piece of gear.

Agree.

When I find myself interested enough in a pedal to consider buying, I try to find as many "opinions" as I can (that's in quotes because we all know what opinions are like), then listen to said opinions in as many environments as possible. The MBD2 followed this process for me. I heard Hondo's vid, then I heard Mr excane's vid. If I had heard only Mr excane, I might have passed, but listening to both (and having a clear understanding of Hondo's audio path), in as many venues as I could (car, phone, laptop, home studio, work rig), made the difference. In my home studio (which is not impressive, but I 'know' it), I could hear what I wanted to hear. Hondo provided enough variation, regarding instruments, in particular, but also in terms of the range of what the pedal can do, that it made my decision easy. (Not trying to blow up Hondo, no affiliation, etc., but I have found a few of his reviews valuable, and I appreciate that he tests with active/passive/multiscale basses of at least some, if not all, flavors)
Yep, The context matters, but more often than not, another persons context doesn't translate to the gear, and the set up, and the context, I have. In fact, I would hazard that no one's set-up comes very close to my brand of odd. I would love to know more about any reviewer's signal chain (beyond the "bass>pedal>interface"), but at the end of the day, I really want to hear what the pedal does, by itself, through a well defined signal path, with as many variations as the pedal is capable of, and with the full disclosure of the whole signal path (bass, strings, preamp, *item in test*, DI/interface, software, etc.) Anything additional I consider a bonus (i.e., a boost or drive in front, other effects after, etc.)
I really wouldn't mind if folks would play through their rig, with the pedal under review bypassed, for a few minutes, before engaging the item being reviewed. I think that would give me a chance to understand their rig better, and how it relates. I wouldn't be mad if I had to fast forward a bit, to get to the meat...
</rant>

 

[Grahams Groove]

That’s a lengthy response. Thanks for taking the time. All I would like is for someone to post the context in how they came about their opinions. That way people have information to make their decisions based on what they are looking to do with a particular piece of gear.

Agree.

When I find myself interested enough in a pedal to consider buying, I try to find as many "opinions" as I can (that's in quotes because we all know what opinions are like), then listen to said opinions in as many environments as possible. The MBD2 followed this process for me. I heard Hondo's vid, then I heard Mr excane's vid. If I had heard only Mr excane, I might have passed, but listening to both (and having a clear understanding of Hondo's audio path), in as many venues as I could (car, phone, laptop, home studio, work rig), made the difference. In my home studio (which is not impressive, but I 'know' it), I could hear what I wanted to hear. Hondo provided enough variation, regarding instruments, in particular, but also in terms of the range of what the pedal can do, that it made my decision easy. (Not trying to blow up Hondo, no affiliation, etc., but I have found a few of his reviews valuable, and I appreciate that he tests with active/passive/multiscale basses of at least some, if not all, flavors)
Yep, The context matters, but more often than not, another persons context doesn't translate to the gear, and the set up, and the context, I have. In fact, I would hazard that no one's set-up comes very close to my brand of odd. I would love to know more about any reviewer's signal chain (beyond the "bass>pedal>interface"), but at the end of the day, I really want to hear what the pedal does, by itself, through a well defined signal path, with as many variations as the pedal is capable of, and with the full disclosure of the whole signal path (bass, strings, preamp, *item in test*, DI/interface, software, etc.) Anything additional I consider a bonus (i.e., a boost or drive in front, other effects after, etc.)
I really wouldn't mind if folks would play through their rig, with the pedal under review bypassed, for a few minutes, before engaging the item being reviewed. I think that would give me a chance to understand their rig better, and how it relates. I wouldn't be mad if I had to fast forward a bit, to get to the meat...
</rant>

Agreed on a lot of this. I'm not expecting to know for sure if a pedal will work in my setup based on demos or written reviews, but even on this site I have an idea of some members' tonal preferences/goals enough to try pedals based on their descriptions. So - yes - opinions are still opinions. You can never know for sure without trying the pedal, but I can at least get a better idea or rule certain things out based on enough reviews with context.

I'm also in the camp of wanting to know what context someone is deeming a pedal "good" in. I've got pedals that are bedroom pedals and others that are vetted band pedals. I don't conflate those environments, nor do I assume a good recorded sound translates to a viable sound in a live mix. I definitely like having that extra context or detail on the environment and setup when I'm scoping out pedals & reviews.

 

[jumbo_steelie]

That’s a lengthy response. Thanks for taking the time. All I would like is for someone to post the context in how they came about their opinions. That way people have information to make their decisions based on what they are looking to do with a particular piece of gear.

Agreed on a lot of this. I'm not expecting to know for sure if a pedal will work in my setup based on demos or written reviews, but even on this site I have an idea of some members' tonal preferences/goals enough to try pedals based on their descriptions. So - yes - opinions are still opinions. You can never know for sure without trying the pedal, but I can at least get a better idea or rule certain things out based on enough reviews with context.

I'm also in the camp of wanting to know what context someone is deeming a pedal "good" in. I've got pedals that are bedroom pedals and others that are vetted band pedals. I don't conflate those environments, nor do I assume a good recorded sound translates to a viable sound in a live mix. I definitely like having that extra context or detail on the environment and setup when I'm scoping out pedals & reviews.

Lately I've found when these guys like a pedal, I usually like it too.

 

[BklynKen]

I think key is finding demo people whose tone aligns with yours, or close to it. I love Hondo's demos. Mr. Excane's do nothing for me. I have @gregmon79 to thank for convincing me to give the MBD-1 a try and am forever grateful. Took a while to dial it in for my taste, but once I realized all it could do I was sold. But I tend to go for lower gain overdrive tone. My overall balance seems to align with Jeff's. I play a Gibson Thunderbird with bright stainless steel strings and usually through GK amps. In my current band there's a '70s Ampeg B15 at the practice space and the MBD sounds amazing through that as well; really tightens up the sound. Only difference is I turn off the Depth knob for the tube amp.

 

[cataract]

The only thing dark about my MBD-1 is its overtly tactical enclosure!
Thanks Jeff for the fresh set of knobs!

Went with a Hilbish top row center because that particular pot sticks out a lil more than the others, now they’re all pretty even.

 

[father of fires]

Can I share a story about finding pedals through demos? This goes back to the creation of the MBD-1 and Damnation Audio.

I was new to effects around the time YouTube started being a place you could go to "hear" pedals. So many bass demos sounded awful that I was truly offended. I assumed the pedal was bad not the demo. I was offended enough to assume that I could build a better pedal.

I had forgotten the old wisdom I had learned years earlier through constant gear buying and gigging. Gear sounds different from different players. I couldn't make a Rat or BMP work for the life of me. Other players I admired could make them growl like no other. These were often non-gearheads who used what was available without complaint.

So fast forward to watching demos for "bass" pedals on YouTube and being offended that we were being fed crap by manufacturers. Since I believed things could be better I was predisposed to find the worst in gear. I thought I trusted my ears but I was really trusting my heart (when I should have been using my head). I thought I knew what made a good pedal so I built one having never played the bulk of "bad" pedals I "heard" through YouTube. I also wanted to feel smug so I sent my prototypes to people who played these "bad" pedals and expected them to fall in love with a "good" pedal. What was humbling was that while the feedback was usually positive or at least constructive I wasn't blowing them away because they weren't me and they didn't "know" they were playing bad pedals.

My thinking at the time was if they liked it as much or more than the "bad" pedals they played then the MBD was good enough (tm). Now years later and having more gear money than I had in those days I've managed to put my hands on many "bad" pedals. It should be no surprise at this point in the story that I discovered many of them were actually killer. If I had deeper pockets years ago who knows if I would have ever built a pedal.

So my advice is always to buy something and try it in your set up, at practice, at a gig, with headphones, with different basses, etc. If the store or company won't allow returns then I would find a way to try one first. I've played a bunch of pedals that are as "good" as the MBD and demos are getting to a higher level but the main problem still exists. That player on the demo is not you so you can't put all your faith into the demo. The caveat being that if you have a history of liking the things they like or sounding similar then they can become a more trusted source but never 100% IMO.

 

[kranahan]

Curmudgeons are on sale direct from the Damnation site. Here’s the link: Curmudgeon 2 Bass Amp Distortion

 

[gh0st42]

And not just In Stock on sale…

A nice discount On Sale.

 

[jbybj]

Curmudgeons are on sale direct from the Damnation site. Here’s the link: Curmudgeon 2 Bass Amp Distortion

Thanks, thanks a lot. I needed another dirt device like a hole in the head.

 

[gh0st42]

Thanks, thanks a lot. I needed another dirt device like a hole in the head.

Insert new dirt pedal into hole in the head.

Multiple problems solved!

 

[willsellout]

I’ve personally never played a dirt pedal as good as the MBD-1 I have. Although I’ve not played an MBD2 so there’s that.

 

[bassmusic17]

I love both of these setups. My goal was to have a simpler setup from the Damnation board but similar tones. Apparently they are still about the same size.

 

[theunknowndude]

@father of fires thats a pretty good story and true for a lot of things.

I’ve gone through a lot of pedals over the years. The one kicker for me is the “does it work in my bands mix”. I’ve kept some that I love as a mess at home pedal but most my playing is band practice and so if it doesn’t work there I’ve rarely kept it. The mbd being specific for downtuned basses was majorly what kept me addicted to your prototype thread and getting one early on… so many just didn’t work with my b standard rig/settings/ how I play and less reluctant to change the whole rig versus get the right pedal.

I definitely love YouTube demos that do effects with finger style and active basses…. Hard to get that some days

 

[deff]

Went to practice last night and noticed that one of the bands we share the space with had their pedalboard left out. It's a big room, so it isn't a big deal to do so. So I checked it out and who knew, we share the same taste in pedals.

 

[jbybj]

Curmudgeon arrived the other night. Picking up the package it sounded like a bunch of loose parts, as if it had been demolished in shipping. Turns out it was just numerous plastic and metal pieces, that comprised the copious swag.
The Curmudgeon is THICK. The character can get pretty brutal, but the feature set allows a wide range of distortion. My first impression was that it I would be cool if the depth switch had a middle, in between setting. I’m sure I’ll be able to cope with the profound bottom boost with Depth in the up position.
I’ve been trying out distortion and fuzz after envelope filters and the Curmudgeon really shines there, as well as on its own.