Damnation Audio Fan/Appreciation Thread

[father of fires]

What confuses me is the part about maxed Tone control. My understanding is that the Tone is tilt control centered at 600Hz.

It's my understanding that maxing it (CW) would boost frequencies above 600hz and attenuate frequencies below 600Hz. Do I get it right or wrong?

No. It's just I should have always explained that to get it flat you need to dime it because the post distortion filtering cuts above 600 and the depth boosts around there. If you want to use it as a regular tilt then depth should be on zero.

But if you want the pedal to be as flat as it can be then depth noon and tone max is the ticket.

I updated the instructions recently to try and make it make sense.

 

[Zbysek]

If you want to use it as a regular tilt then depth should be on zero.

That's what I do.

But I am still confused about the following statement:

because the post distortion filtering cuts above 600 and the depth boosts around there.

My understanding was that Depth "Controls the amount of low end injected into the distortion channel". 600Hz and above does not sound like lows...

 

[father of fires]

To be completely fair, I didn't understand this when I first designed it. It took me 10 years and 100 redesign attempts for me to realize how it truly works. It really is a "sum of all its parts" pedal. Which is why I appreciate everyone who takes a chance on it. It really is a miracle it sounds as good as it does. Blind dumb luck if you ask me.

 

[father of fires]

That's what I do.

But I am still confused about the following statement:



My understanding was that Depth "Controls the amount of low end injected into the distortion channel". 600Hz and above does not sound like lows...

Think of it like the bass control on a typical amp circuit. The frequency of interest might be 100Hz but it affects as much as 1kHz in some designs.

On the MBD, the depth control's travel affects predominantly low end but it's pivot point is about 720Hz. So it's like the lower half of an active bass control that goes from -20 to 0dB (instead of the typical -20 to +20dB). It's a first order (6dB/octave) active cut-only shelving filter.

 

[ampegfuzz]

ok what are the pedals you keep doodling on??????????

 

[triviani]

Thanks everyone for the info. I'll try all the suggestions at the next rehearsal. I experimented a bit at home and ended up with the bottom row of knobs turned fully counterclockwise. It's an odd configuration for a pedal, but it clears the bottom end.

 

[father of fires]

Think of the top row as the main event and the bottom row as various ways to modify it.

 

[CH Design]

I feel like I need another MBD after reading through the last few posts.

 

[father of fires]

ok what are the pedals you keep doodling on??????????

If I tell you, do you promise to be patient?

 

[BklynKen]

If I tell you, do you promise to be patient?

Please tell me it's a DS-1.

 

[whoismarykelly]

They can be patient for 1 month

 

[ampegfuzz]

If I tell you, do you promise to be patient?

Trick question no one on talk bass is patient, lol

 

[butterfingers1]

Depth noon Tone max (Blend off) sounds good, better. I always had Depth 9 o’clock Tone noonish to taste which was always a bit frustrating but couldn’t put my finger on it. The Blend clean lows is best kept off, the Volume (Drive channel) has plenty of lows unless Drive is pushed to higher distortion.

 

[kleinenenten]

Been messing with my Guptech Bassbone (early 3 knob B3K clone), and have gotten it quite close to my MBD-2. The MBD-2 still wins overall, but I'm loving having the options. Is there any way to make the MBD-2 "clank" more? The B3K/Bassbone "clanks" rather easily. As it is, I have tone at 3:00, gain at 10:30, clean at 10:30, and depth at 9:00. Both switches engaged (in the up position). Love the clarity and extra treble bite, but a slight bit of clank might do well for me too. The B3K/Bassbone is almost too "clanky" (and yet, also too clean) by the time I get the amount of distortion/saturation I want. It's almost too calm/clean for what I'm looking for, whereas the MBD-2 is the opposite - I feel it's set rather tame for my needs given its capabilities. Neither is bad, per se, but I'm always interested in understanding my pedals better. Thanks, all!

 

[BklynKen]

Been messing with my Guptech Bassbone (early 3 knob B3K clone), and have gotten it quite close to my MBD-2. The MBD-2 still wins overall, but I'm loving having the options. Is there any way to make the MBD-2 "clank" more? The B3K/Bassbone "clanks" rather easily. As it is, I have tone at 3:00, gain at 10:30, clean at 10:30, and depth at 9:00. Both switches engaged (in the up position). Love the clarity and extra treble bite, but a slight bit of clank might do well for me too. The B3K/Bassbone is almost too "clanky" (and yet, also too clean) by the time I get the amount of distortion/saturation I want. It's almost too calm/clean for what I'm looking for, whereas the MBD-2 is the opposite - I feel it's set rather tame for my needs given its capabilities. Neither is bad, per se, but I'm always interested in understanding my pedals better. Thanks, all!

I'd start with completely turning off Depth.

 

[whoismarykelly]

A lot of clank in pedals comes from full range clean blends where a blended clean signal with a ton of dynamic range cuts through a squared off distorted sound that is heavily clipped.

 

[bullitproof]

@father of fires have you considered doing a small version of the big pedal without the boost? I have the big pedal but never use the boost and would be interested in getting a smaller version if you ever built them.

 

[BklynKen]

@father of fires have you considered doing a small version of the big pedal without the boost? I have the big pedal but never use the boost and would be interested in getting a smaller version if you ever built them.

How about this?

https://reverb.com/item/93739515-damnation-audio-mbd2

 

[bullitproof]

How about this?

https://reverb.com/item/93739515-damnation-audio-mbd2

Is it pretty much the same thing?
Awesome I didn't realized that!
I have the MBD-1 too but never A/B them as the controls are very different thanks for the input.

 

[BklynKen]

Is it pretty much the same thing?
Awesome I didn't realized that!
I have the MBD-1 too but never A/B them as the controls are very different thanks for the input.

Close enough. The controls, other than the boost switch, are the same as the MBD-1. I'd say the MBD-1 might be a little warmer-sounding, but you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a mix. I have all three versions and would rock any one of them in any situation.