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Darkglass Anagram Multi FX Announced
- Thread starter Elmstreet
- Start date
This interview is long, but it's really worth it.
I love the explanations about the platform thing, the curation thing, and I'm so glad to learn they've been able to develop this amazing pedal in one year thanks to merging with the MOD team and use their already developed Linux OS, I was following the MOD platform and thought it was super promising but mutch too geeky, Darkglass really made all the right decisions and they nailed it, it's a dream come true: powerful but super intuitive, curated for bassists, with room to grow.
I'm interested to hear from any QC users who have, or may, move to the Anagram. How do they compare across the board: sound quality, FX options, ease of setup, ease of use for live gigging etc.
Right off the bat the Anagram appears to be smaller than the Quad Cortex as well as a bit less expensive.
I ask because I have been strongly considering the Quad Cortex (thanks @IvanBassist!
) for a while now. Now that the Anagram has arrived, it could be a better choice.
Right off the bat the Anagram appears to be smaller than the Quad Cortex as well as a bit less expensive.
I ask because I have been strongly considering the Quad Cortex (thanks @IvanBassist!
) for a while now. Now that the Anagram has arrived, it could be a better choice.
I don't have the QC or Anagram, but my 2 cents anyway:I'm interested to hear from any QC users who have, or may, move to the Anagram. How do they compare across the board: sound quality, FX options, ease of setup, ease of use for live gigging etc.
Right off the bat the Anagram appears to be smaller than the Quad Cortex as well as a bit less expensive.
I ask because I have been strongly considering the Quad Cortex (thanks @IvanBassist!
- Sound quality and computational power: I don't know which one is the most powerful (probably the Anagram?), but I think it doesn't matter because they're both excellent and probably more powerful than we'll ever need. Same for sound quality: I know Leo Gibson make great null tests and latency comparisons, but at this level of quality we don't care.
- The compact size of the Anagram is a strong benefit for me, I think they found the best size to make it super small but with 6 knobs you can easily edit the preset without the need to page through menus like on the HX Stomp
- Bass curated content is also a huge benefit on the Anagram. I wouldn't like to use the QC with so many guitar specific amps and effects we don't need, it's really annoying.
- The Anagram has a super intuitive user interface. Marco for Darkglass tell the story of this 75 years old bassist who was able to use it in Ian Allison's video, I know he's selling the pedal, but I'm sure it's a true story.
- There might be some effects that are important for you and not available in the Anagram yet.
- The Quad Cortex lets you capture your own amps from the pedal directly if that's important for you (I don't need this), whereas with the Anagram you must use a computer with a DAW, and use the free NAM software if you want to capture your own amps, so the process is less seamless.
IvanBassist
Commercial User
- Jun 8, 2008
- 3,743
- 11,118
- Disclosures
- Content Manager at Darkglass Electronics, Dingwall Guitars Artist
As of now, I think the QC offers some extra tweaking options such as having 4 rows for split processing or very long signal chains, several EQ blocks that are scene assignable, and of course more footswitches.I'm interested to hear from any QC users who have, or may, move to the Anagram. How do they compare across the board: sound quality, FX options, ease of setup, ease of use for live gigging etc.
Right off the bat the Anagram appears to be smaller than the Quad Cortex as well as a bit less expensive.
I ask because I have been strongly considering the Quad Cortex (thanks @IvanBassist!
I’ve used mine on tour all over Europe for the last 3 years However, i’m a bit disappointed that since its release, no new bass amps have been added, not even the DB751 that was shown greyed out on a list during the QC’s reveal at NAMM, while several guitar amps and cabs have been included.
The Anagram is pretty easy to use, it is super portable, the power supply works for live use(!!!), has a much bigger bass cab collection and dedicated effects, and overall sounds great.
Current it doesn’t have so many amp models, but they’re working on adding more, and the ones already included allow you to dial in a lot of different sounds together with the cabs and effects.
Due to the lack of footswitches, you might have to simplify your presets, split them across several presets depending on the effects needed for a song or get a midi footswitch controller to expand the amount of available stomps.
I have gigged the Anagram 3 times already and it has worked great.
Currently I’m working on a video of the gig I have this week featuring the pedal.
2 chains are ok. Question is whether I can split, then merge, then split again.
I created a very simple preset to show what you are looking for.
The split block goes to low freq loop (compressor) and high freq loop (distortion, fuzz etc)
The merge block merges these two loops together
The first output goes to XLR1 (headphones inactive)
The return enables the aux signal (your IEM mix) to be blended in
The second output block enables headphones and disables XLR1
Hopefully this helps to understand the possibilities
Attachments
Finally arrived! After a few hours fiddling with it I'm pretty flipping happy, not going to lie. Has been a joy to use so far. The octave tracking has really impressed me and the tone I've been able to dial in in a short amount of time feels a whole lot better compared to my Tonex based setup. I've gone straight to pedal board endgame as far as I'm concerned 
So what are the two pedals plugged in that you don’t feel that the anagram can replace?Finally arrived! After a few hours fiddling with it I'm pretty flipping happy, not going to lie. Has been a joy to use so far. The octave tracking has really impressed me and the tone I've been able to dial in in a short amount of time feels a whole lot better compared to my Tonex based setup. I've gone straight to pedal board endgame as far as I'm concerned
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Ok, after checking some videos and reading the manual it does look promising.
But…only 3 switches, and no additional aux switches to connect.
Midi only for preset changes for now.
Some effects i do use that are missing in it.
Twice the price vs a hx stomp.
No, for now i’m not seeing it as a competitor for my hx stomp.
Will check back in the future, after some updates have been done to it.
Would be fun to check it out sometime and compare the sounds with my own setup.
I could see using it together with the stomp would be a killer of a compact rig.
But…only 3 switches, and no additional aux switches to connect.
Midi only for preset changes for now.
Some effects i do use that are missing in it.
Twice the price vs a hx stomp.
No, for now i’m not seeing it as a competitor for my hx stomp.
Will check back in the future, after some updates have been done to it.
Would be fun to check it out sometime and compare the sounds with my own setup.
I could see using it together with the stomp would be a killer of a compact rig.
It has a FET compressor without a threshold control. I suspect it's designed to be a bit 1176'ish but probably doesn't sound exactly like that. They also have a "buss" compressor which is likely more like an SSL VCA buss compressor than something like a Fairchild. Lastly there's a limiter which I would expect to be as expected.
MIDI Footswitch
Connects to Darkglass amplifiers or pedals that have a MIDI IN connection Connects to a computer for configuration using Darkglass Suite Freely configurable or ready configurations are available for Darkglass products 5 banks with 5 presets each in “bank mode” available Supports any generic MIDI...
www.darkglass.com
I've actually listed the cali76 for sale to help fund the Anagram, but it can live on the board in the meantime. If I could afford to I'd keep it though, it's a beautiful pedal and would do a better job than the Anagram FET.
I'm keeping the DCX for my effects loop as I'm in love with that pedal. I captured NAMs of it last week, so the Anagram could actually replace it (I tested them last night and the captures sound great on the Anagram) - but my mate told me never to sell gear you're in love with so I'm listening to him.
MIDI Footswitch
Connects to Darkglass amplifiers or pedals that have a MIDI IN connection Connects to a computer for configuration using Darkglass Suite Freely configurable or ready configurations are available for Darkglass products 5 banks with 5 presets each in “bank mode” available Supports any generic MIDI...
Yes, but can you switch on/off blocks and change settings with it? The manual says you can’t at the moment? And you can only connect expression pedal and not expand with a footswitch 4 and 5?
Is the truth also there is space on the board to fit them
and if you don’t fill the space with these, you’ll be forced to fill the space with something 
