Darkglass Anagram Multi FX Announced

[pfschim]

Okatpy guys, I started all over again and produced two chains. One what would consider my normal chain and the other is punchy deep chain.

I’ll be using the normal chain 90% of the time. Abd it has an Envelope Filter, Octave and a Flanger.

I would like to switch those 3 pedals on and off individually when I need them. Can I leave them in the chain and assign the 3 foot switches to them, or should I route them to another line (perhaps an FX loop) then route them back to the normal chain?

I did a preset with a basic clean sound and added 3 FX (Octave Down, Octave Up, OD) to the 3 pedals by using the BIND function. I did not need to loop them out of the main preset, but honestly, I'm a little unclear why you would need to do that ... but not because I understand it, more because I don't really get it at this point.

In any event, the way I did it worked fine in a rehearsal and last night on a gig.

good luck Pep

 

[pfschim]

@IvanBassist I wonder if it makes sense to create a best practice guide / video on end to end gain staging for best results with the Anagram.

Thinking something along the lines of…

- the level meters and what different measurements may mean (e.g., aim for -12dB or similar advice)
- using gain blocks to get to a good input level
- building out your chain and gain staging align the way
- target output level before routing
- using the global mixer

And so on…

1+ to this idea. I would also love to see some basic "How-To" info in written form too. Videos are fine, but some of us are not video learners. I have long been a dedicated reader of manuals ... it's just a more comfortable learning method for me.

 

[BrianVengeance]

Okatpy guys, I started all over again and produced two chains. One what would consider my normal chain and the other is punchy deep chain.

I’ll be using the normal chain 90% of the time. Abd it has an Envelope Filter, Octave and a Flanger.

I would like to switch those 3 pedals on and off individually when I need them. Can I leave them in the chain and assign the 3 foot switches to them, or should I route them to another line (perhaps an FX loop) then route them back to the normal chain?

Sounds like progress! You can leave them where they are and assign them to the buttons - no need to move them to a different place.

 

[Pep]

Sounds like progress! You can leave them where they are and assign them to the buttons - no need to move them to a different place.

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks Brian!

 

[TaySte_2000]

. Can I leave them in the chain and assign the 3 foot switches to them,

Yes, stomp mode is fine for this.

Don’t bother with the 2nd path for something this simple and you only need to consider scene mode if you want a combination of these pedals to turn on in a single click.

KISS approach is best

 

[bigcupholder]

I did a preset with a basic clean sound and added 3 FX (Octave Down, Octave Up, OD) to the 3 pedals by using the BIND function. I did not need to loop them out of the main preset, but honestly, I'm a little unclear why you would need to do that ... but not because I understand it, more because I don't really get it at this point.

In any event, the way I did it worked fine in a rehearsal and last night on a gig.

good luck Pep

Assuming you're talking about the second/lower path on the screen (although it's possible I'm totally misunderstanding what it is that you're misunderstanding): generally you only need to use that for one of two reasons:

1. (Probably rare) Maybe you filled up the first path and need more room for blocks. In this case you'd put the split and merge blocks next to each other and set the blend on merge to 100% so you have 1 long continuous signal path.

2. (Common, super useful) Maybe you want to process things in parallel. The split block optionally lets you split by frequency, e.g. sending only your highs to some weird ambient effects and leaving your lows untouched. Or maybe you want to run two different drives or amps in parallel to blend them. Or maybe you want to apply some effects to your reverb but not your dry signal. This is an extremely flexible setup.

Don't worry about either of those cases if you're starting out and overwhelmed. If you feel like experimenting, try some of the parallel ideas I mentioned.

 

[Pep]

Okay, it’s set-up and ready.

A couple more questions.
1) Do I need a computer to download more effects/amps/cabs or can it be done with an iPhone it iPad via Bluetooth?
2) I read somewhere that the Anagram is capable of “capturing” other pedals, amps, etc. is this true? I have a couple of pedals I’d like to capture.

 

[BrianVengeance]

Okay, it’s set-up and ready.

Congrats!

A couple more questions.
1) Do I need a computer to download more effects/amps/cabs or can it be done with an iPhone it iPad via Bluetooth?

At present, you will need the desktop version of the Darkglass Suite to do this.

2) I read somewhere that the Anagram is capable of “capturing” other pedals, amps, etc. is this true? I have a couple of pedals I’d like to capture.

Kinda.. the Anagram can be used as an audio interface which will allow it to be used in the capturing process.

You would basically put the pedals you want captured in the effects loop and use a DAW to play a reference signal through the Anagram, its loop, and onto a second track in the DAW. Then these files would need to be run through the Neural Amp Modeling software. The resultant model can then be loaded onto your Anagram and used like other blocks.

So yes… but the process isn't yet as refined as it is with something like the NeuralDSP offerings.

 

[Pep]

Congrats!


At present, you will need the desktop version of the Darkglass Suite to do this.


Kinda.. the Anagram can be used as an audio interface which will allow it to be used in the capturing process.

You would basically put the pedals you want captured in the effects loop and use a DAW to play a reference signal through the Anagram, its loop, and onto a second track in the DAW. Then these files would need to be run through the Neural Amp Modeling software. The resultant model can then be loaded onto your Anagram and used like other blocks.

So yes… but the process isn't yet as refined as it is with something like the NeuralDSP offerings.

I saw Marcos Barilatti say in a couple of videos that the anagram would be able to capture other pedals and such. We I guess he wasn’t lying but he conveniently left out the step involved in doing it and what PIA it is.
Can’t the Kemper do this a lot easier?

 

[pfschim]

I saw Marcis Barilatti say in a couple of videos that the anagram would be able to capture other pedals and such. We I guess he wasn’t lying but he conveniently left out the step involved in doing it and what PIA it is.
Can’t the Kemper do this a lot easier?

yes, the Kemper and the Quad Cortex do neural captures of amps and cabs and some FX. The Anagram can play a role in doing captures, as BrianVengeance said, but it really can't do captures on its own.

 

[Pep]

That makes the Kemper Profiler Player look a lot more attractive at $500 less than the Anagram.

 

[pfschim]

That makes the Kemper Profiler Player look a lot more attractive at $500 less than the Anagram.

well, you have to consider your use case. If what you want is to just capture the sound of some of your amps and cabs, maybe a capture capable device IS the way to go. If you want a solid collection of modeled amps, cabs and FX, perhaps the Anagram is the way to go. I think plenty has been written about the very guitar focused Quad Cortex, Fractal and Kemper devices. Yes, there are bass models on those boxes too, but it would seem there are way more guitar oriented things on them. Anagram at least seems to be focused on Bass stuff (although it can and is used by guitar players too).

The cool thing is that there are multiple options to consider.

 

[BrianVengeance]

That makes the Kemper Profiler Player look a lot more attractive at $500 less than the Anagram.

Yes and no.

NAM models (what the Anagram uses) are generally understood to be the among the highest quality / best sounding. NeuralDSP and Tonex are pretty close and the new version of the QC captures are a significant improvement on the previous version. Arguably they are all converging at good enough. I’m not sure that the Kemper has kept up quite as well, but that is anecdotal.

Other platforms currently have a more polished capture process, but it should be balanced with the fact that the Anagram is still an incredibly young platform and will catch up. The DG team has been doing a great job of delivering updates and responding to user feedback, so it is likely just a matter of time.

 

[Gogoplata1980]

@IvanBassist I wonder if it makes sense to create a best practice guide / video on end to end gain staging for best results with the Anagram.

Thinking something along the lines of…

- the level meters and what different measurements may mean (e.g., aim for -12dB or similar advice)
- using gain blocks to get to a good input level
- building out your chain and gain staging align the way
- target output level before routing
- using the global mixer

And so on…

Y'all trying to kill @IvanBassist.

I don't know a busier and harder working guy than @IvanBassist . He is every bit of anything that happens with Darkglass on social media. Constantly pumping out stuff.

 

[mdalamond]

I have the Anagram and the Quad Cortex (not mini). I had the QC first and picked up the Anagram for a few reasons.
One, its smaller, two its simpler and three the biggest contributing factor is it is designed for us bass players.
I have been pleasantly surprised by the frequency and number of updates already.
I wish it was available before I bought the QC because I could have saved some time and money.
Don't get me wrong, I like the QC but as many have said, it's more geared toward guitar and for me its overkill. Option paralysis.
There are plenty of captures and such out in the community, but I would rather spend my time playing and not searching.
I'm sure that at the rate DG is going it won't be long and they will catch up on the midi and synth.
Like the QC , I bought the Anagram for what it could do when I bought it, not for what it was going to do eventually but I'm excited to see what the Anagram evolves into.

 

[warptheory]

Today my band had a recording session where we played 5 songs, and they recorded it and filmed it live and they will make music videos out of it. It was tones (typo intended!) of fun, it was like playing a live show on a stage, but instead of a crowd it was 2 dudes with cameras and a dude in a sound booth. Anyways, the Anagram has become a central part of my rig, but more of a jack of all trades kind of role. It played a Chorus and a Delay used on the intro to one song, a Reverb in another, and used it with the Morning Star to increase or decrease a Gain block at the end of my chain by ~2.0 dB in either direction, basically a digital volume pedal. I'm not good at setting Volume with an expression/volume pedal, I'm not doing swells, I just want to bump it up or down a smidge.

I'm still relatively new to the Anagram, so still learning it. It can obviously fulfill the EQ role of the Empress ParaEQ, and it's got a decent compressor so that would remove the Lusithand, and I could get a capture of both the SuperWatt and Jellyfish, and I could even get a capture of the Caveman. Something about me still likes analog pedals. I've tried the drives and some captures the previous owner left on there, and they sound good and are passable, but I appreciate the nuances and controls of a physical pedal. If for nothing else, when you find a block (or pedal) you want to toggle off and on all the time AND be able to see and adjust and parameters, you kinda need at least the real estate of a standard pedal even if it were MIDI controlled, so it's kind of a wash. That's at least my crooked way of thinking about analog vs digital. But the Anagram was extremely useful as a utility for extra effects and gain staging and I very much appreciated it.

Anyways here's my board. Everything feeds into the Caveman, and the Anagram is in the loop of the Caveman. Sounded great!

 

[Pep]

It’s a tough decision. I can see the usefulness of the Anagram. When, and IF, they catch up and follow through with all of their “upcoming features”, it will definitely be worth the investment.
I’m going to play with it for a couple more weeks before making my final decision.
I sure hope someone captures the MXR Bass Synth. I could use it now.

 

[Bassgeer]

Just to chime in on the NAM captures using Anagram as the audio interface. I watched the Darkglass video a couple times, made some notes, followed the process, and was making incredibly good sounding NAM captures in less than a day, using Reaper as my DAW. I was intimidated just reading about it, but when I tired it out myself it ended up being really straightforward. YMMV.

And regarding captures of synth pedals, as far as I am aware there is no technology available publicly from anyone at this point that can capture effects like synth, modulation, delay, reverb, etc. It's all limited to amp, distortion, overdrive, fuzz, EQ, compression (only in a limited range of circumstances).

Darkglass has confirmed that they are working on a synth block, but people seem to not understand how complicated something like that is to achieve, and it will take some time. Look a any of the synth pedals today (Source Audio C4, MXR Bass Synth, Panda Audio Future Impact) all took years in development. I personally hope Darkglass takes a long time to come out with the synth block so it doesn't end up being a half-baked disappointment.

In the meantime, the MOOD2 block with an octave before it and filter after, maybe throw in a chorus, gets a decently synthy approximation.

Having downwards sweep on the envelope filters would really help give more "synth" options to tide people over until the actual block is ready, I hope Darkglass can add an envelope direction switch to the existing filter blocks sooner rather than later, but I know there are many different priorities they are working on.

 

[Pep]

Just to chime in on the NAM captures using Anagram as the audio interface. I watched the Darkglass video a couple times, made some notes, followed the process, and was making incredibly good sounding NAM captures in less than a day, using Reaper as my DAW. I was intimidated just reading about it, but when I tired it out myself it ended up being really straightforward. YMMV.

And regarding captures of synth pedals, as far as I am aware there is no technology available publicly from anyone at this point that can capture effects like synth, modulation, delay, reverb, etc. It's all limited to amp, distortion, overdrive, fuzz, EQ, compression (only in a limited range of circumstances).

Darkglass has confirmed that they are working on a synth block, but people seem to not understand how complicated something like that is to achieve, and it will take some time. Look a any of the synth pedals today (Source Audio C4, MXR Bass Synth, Panda Audio Future Impact) all took years in development. I personally hope Darkglass takes a long time to come out with the synth block so it doesn't end up being a half-baked disappointment.

In the meantime, the MOOD2 block with an octave before it and filter after, maybe throw in a chorus, gets a decently synthy approximation.

Having downwards sweep on the envelope filters would really help give more "synth" options to tide people over until the actual block is ready, I hope Darkglass can add an envelope direction switch to the existing filter blocks sooner rather than later, but I know there are many different priorities they are working on.

You are correct but if the Anagram can capture pedals, even If it’s an involved process of using other programs, etc., it would be worth the effort.

 

[silky smoove]

Having downwards sweep on the envelope filters would really help give more "synth" options to tide people over until the actual block is ready, I hope Darkglass can add an envelope direction switch to the existing filter blocks sooner rather than later, but I know there are many different priorities they are working on.

This is a key distinction (up versus down) that I’ve been very vocal about for quite a while. This one addition would be a huge, and seemingly simple implementation towards getting synth type tones in the interim before synth blocks become available.