Darkglass Direct question

[blujosh]

Hey all, i know variations of this question have been asked before in regards to one of these pedals at a time, but wanted to get some opinions from those that have used multiple Darkglass pedals.

i'm looking for a pedal that can be used live with with my 5-string bass (tuned to Drop D) but without a bass head/amplifier (I will be running direct into a full range / full frequency speaker).

i'm looking for a tubey low-medium gain overdriven sound (not over the top aggressive). and it definitely does not need to sound "Ampeg-y" - in fact, i would prefer warm but without being clanky.

Balanced/XLR isn't a necessity for me, as i already have a good clean DI.

with that said, which of these pedals would work well in that regard: B3k, B7K, Vintage, Vintage Deluxe

i'm guessing the B7K would work well for that since it is specifically advertised as a "Bass Preamp", but how well do the others work in that context?

and do any/alll have any high frequency filtering built in, similar to a speaker emulator?

thanks in advance!

 

[DirtyDuke]

Deluxe VMT is THAT pedal

 

[blujosh]

Deluxe VMT is THAT pedal

is there more to the VMT Deluxe than the additional EQ section and additional ouputs and ground lift in relation to the standard VMT? is the output filtered/emulated differently on the Deluxe in relation to the smaller VMT?

i am definitely drawn to the smaller footprint of the regular VMT and B3k if they'll work for that purpose.

 

[mmbongo]

VMT Deluxe. The EQ section is worth the price alone!

 

[ArtechnikA]

is there more to the VMT Deluxe than the additional EQ section
...i am definitely drawn to the smaller footprint of the regular VMT and B3k if they'll work for that purpose.

Basically, no, but I have to agree with the chorus here - the EQ is a really valuable feature, especially if you want tone-shaping over and above what the other controls (especially Era) do for you.
That said, if the footprint is a dealbreaker, you could probably be happy with the VMT; it's not a factor for me and I really like the VMTD and B7K and didn't consider the "non-deluxe" flavors even though they are smaller and less expensive.

 

[blujosh]

i know these pedals are typically known for their overdriven properties, but is anyone using any of these pedals b3k, b7k, VMT, or VMTD as a "cleanish" preamp direct?

and do any of them work well after something like a bass friendly fuzz - ie. Black Arts Pharaoh?

 

[Darkglass]

I hope more people chime in with their own opinions and experience but I did a quick survey about a year ago on the Darkglass Fb page and if I don't remember wrong from over 100 people only 2 or 3 used their Microtubes with the Drive and Blend knobs all the way up. More people used fairly low gain settings which was a bit of s surprise.

 

[Deadsound]

B7K is a low-overdrive always on preamp for me and many others around here. Other dirt sounds fantastic going into it! The EQ and DI are worth the extra $ and board space for me by far.

 

[Fuzzbass]

i know these pedals are typically known for their overdriven properties, but is anyone using any of these pedals b3k, b7k, VMT, or VMTD as a "cleanish" preamp direct?

and do any of them work well after something like a bass friendly fuzz - ie. Black Arts Pharaoh?

In a rig rundown video I saw on YouTube (dated 2013), Nolly Getgood of Periphery ran his B7K clean -- he uses the four band EQ, but no OD (the dirt came from another device).

I own the B7K and VMTD. Both play very well with each other, and with other devices. The Blend controls make this easy. For what it's worth, I often run both B7K and VMTD. I usually alternate between the VMTD (set for classic/warm OD) and the B7K (set for modern/aggressive), but when I need to melt faces I run them both together (mwahahaha!)

Here's the Nolly video I referred to. It's lengthy (12 mins), but entertaining!

 

[Darkglass]

In a rig rundown video I saw on YouTube (dated 2013), Nolly Getgood of Periphery ran his B7K clean -- he uses the four band EQ, but no OD (the dirt came from another device).

I own the B7K and VMTD. Both play very well with each other, and with other devices. The Blend controls make this easy. For what it's worth, I often run both B7K and VMTD. I usually alternate between the VMTD (set for classic/warm OD) and the B7K (set for modern/aggressive), but when I need to melt faces I run them both together (mwahahaha!)

Here's the Nolly video I referred to. It's lengthy (12 mins), but entertaining!

Yeah that's a cool vid indeed! If you look at the settings though thr blend and level knobs are at noon, so there's more than just the EQ. I've heard his tone and it's cleanish but there's some overdrive for sure... I would say it's more of a light crunch.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Good point, and good to know!