My first bass amp! What a sweet day this turned out to be!
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Darkglass Microtubes 900 Class D Amp
- Thread starter Spector2112
- Start date
My first bass amp! What a sweet day this turned out to be!
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
I was wondering the exact same thing. I suspect so but do not have any information. If the new AO Ultra proves to be popular then it would be a natural evolution for the amp.
Hey guys, I am thinking about picking up a M900 but it is a early version. I was wondering if anyone, has had any problems with the 1st batch sent to the US?
I picked up one of the very first from the workshop in Helsinki. No issues so far.
My actual amp in the testing rigg. Before they gave it to me.
Some more pics here: Darkglass visit, October 2016
And the resulting interview, in the sig.
I recorded a track using the Vintage Microtubes section and another one using the B3K section. I think it sounds great. Hopefully these will help anyone who's interested in knowing what these awesome amps are capable of.
This is with the Vintage section engaged:
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I think it sounds very warm, and gave me a modern, yet at the same time, a very old school vibe.
And this one is with the B3K section engaged:
I like the fact that it is easy to fit in a mix despite the heavy distortion. Perfect for aggressive styles.
This is with the Vintage section engaged:
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I think it sounds very warm, and gave me a modern, yet at the same time, a very old school vibe.
And this one is with the B3K section engaged:
I like the fact that it is easy to fit in a mix despite the heavy distortion. Perfect for aggressive styles.
Just pulled the trigger on one of these! Been interested for a while and thought it was time. Now I'm playing the waiting game while it ships.
In the meantime, how are you guys carrying this thing around? I've had a look at the DG amp bag as well as the Tonehammer 500 bag, which I've read is a perfect fit and about a third of the price.
In the meantime, how are you guys carrying this thing around? I've had a look at the DG amp bag as well as the Tonehammer 500 bag, which I've read is a perfect fit and about a third of the price.
I haven't been around talkbass in forever, but I need some advice on this amp. Apologies if this is something that's already beaten to death around here!
Ok so I'm really happy with this amp, spent the past year tracking my band's new album with it and using it for pretty much everything, but... It's kinda too loud for our rehearsal space. But I do need to use it to test the sound and EQ balance.
I know the simple solution is just turn down the volume, but right now the comfortable volume with this amp is slightly just above zero on the master knob. I've noticed that if I nudge it a millimetre above zero, the sound doesn't come out properly, although anything higher than that gives me a good consistent tone. By that, I mean that for 90% of the master volume knob range, it only affects volume and not tone, but in the very tiny range just above zero, it sounds exceptionally thin.
Unfortunately, that's where comfortable volume is. If I turn down the gain, then the tone isn't what I'm aiming for.
Do I have to get an attenuator between the amp and cab? Or are there other solutions?
I've also tried switching the ohm mode to see if that works but didn't seem to have a significant effect
Ok so I'm really happy with this amp, spent the past year tracking my band's new album with it and using it for pretty much everything, but... It's kinda too loud for our rehearsal space. But I do need to use it to test the sound and EQ balance.
I know the simple solution is just turn down the volume, but right now the comfortable volume with this amp is slightly just above zero on the master knob. I've noticed that if I nudge it a millimetre above zero, the sound doesn't come out properly, although anything higher than that gives me a good consistent tone. By that, I mean that for 90% of the master volume knob range, it only affects volume and not tone, but in the very tiny range just above zero, it sounds exceptionally thin.
Unfortunately, that's where comfortable volume is. If I turn down the gain, then the tone isn't what I'm aiming for.
Do I have to get an attenuator between the amp and cab? Or are there other solutions?
I've also tried switching the ohm mode to see if that works but didn't seem to have a significant effect
Someone may come out with something, but a little while ago I did look into a load box for this reason, most out there are for the lower wattage guitar tube amps, not sure there is a circuit that can cope with what the DG puts out.
As you do not need to be connected to a cab with the amp being class D, could you not DI out into the rehearsal space PA if you have one and control the volume that way with the same tone?
As you do not need to be connected to a cab with the amp being class D, could you not DI out into the rehearsal space PA if you have one and control the volume that way with the same tone?
Wouldn't it sound quite different due to cab response? It's worth a try definitely, just not sure how well that works. Also, perhaps this is a dumb question, but would having that plus vocals and sometimes guitars on the same system affect clarity? (Guitarist also sometimes goes through PA since he's got a pretty good amp sim, using one of those nifty emulated digital setups. First time he brought it in I didn't realise it wasn't an amp at first)
That completely depends on your cab, if you rely on your cab voicing for your sound then absolutely, and maybe this could be saved for the real thing in live music.
With regards being too much for the PA, well that will completely depend on your PA, have you got subs etc.
From your post I was thinking it read like you wanted the as close a sound as possible but at lower volume and you couldn’t turn your amp down to achieve that if I have you right?
It may work?
With regards being too much for the PA, well that will completely depend on your PA, have you got subs etc.
From your post I was thinking it read like you wanted the as close a sound as possible but at lower volume and you couldn’t turn your amp down to achieve that if I have you right?
It may work?
Would it be possible to attenuate the signal in the effects loop? If master volume affects the pre-amp while the power amp always operates at full power you would be able to achieve your desired tone at lower volume by adding something like a clean boost but one set to lower the amplitude instead of increasing it in the signal path between the pre-amp section and the power amp. Now you could turn the DG900 volume up till it sounds good but the power amp would get a slightly lower input signal because of the extra pedal in the loop.
There's a couple if's there. I do not know if it would work but am curious about it myself, too.
Alternatively if you can get a separate power amp (or use the power amp section of a different bass amp) you could take your signal from the DG900 pre-amp out and feed it into the power amp in of the other amplifier which obviously needs to be lower powered for this to make any sense. You'd only need that extra amp at practice and keep the portability of your current rig for everything else while your tone would stay pretty much the same.
There's a couple if's there. I do not know if it would work but am curious about it myself, too.
Alternatively if you can get a separate power amp (or use the power amp section of a different bass amp) you could take your signal from the DG900 pre-amp out and feed it into the power amp in of the other amplifier which obviously needs to be lower powered for this to make any sense. You'd only need that extra amp at practice and keep the portability of your current rig for everything else while your tone would stay pretty much the same.
That seems likes a pretty good idea. I'll give it a try. A passive vol should probably work.
$$ ):
Can't offer much opinion on the 900.
However, I have been giving VERY serious thought to another Class D INSTEAD of a tube amp lately...
Something to do with 85+lbs and 300 Watts vs. 4 lbs and 800 Watts... I guess you can name names here.
I'm just look into (what's left of) my back and its preservation.*
*Yes, I have an SVT810 cab. Yes, it DOES weigh 165 lbs. No, it's actually quite easy to load in/out (and certainly better than tryinig to do is with TWO 410s)!
However, I have been giving VERY serious thought to another Class D INSTEAD of a tube amp lately...
Something to do with 85+lbs and 300 Watts vs. 4 lbs and 800 Watts... I guess you can name names here.
I'm just look into (what's left of) my back and its preservation.*
*Yes, I have an SVT810 cab. Yes, it DOES weigh 165 lbs. No, it's actually quite easy to load in/out (and certainly better than tryinig to do is with TWO 410s)!
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
Less efficient cab would work; I don't quite understand the problem. I mean I understand what you are saying but don't know why you couldn't adjust the gain for the volume you want. After reading your post I went out today and messed around with the Medusa and was able to get any volume most any sound I wanted. You may want to play around with pedal saturation so you can adjust the gain with the sound you want and still have volume adjustment
You're right, I just tested at rehearsal and realised I got confused. I knew there was a reason why I couldn't just use the drive knob but haven't done so in months, finally remembered it's because even turning drive completely counter-clockwise doesn't completely silence the amp, thus I needed a further reduction.
I tried running through the PA too, but it seemed to have weird room acoustics problems. The lows were almost completely silent in the area where I usually stand, but really loud in the corner where the drums go.
Not sure whether it's because of there being two speakers causing interference, or that the room always had the same problem, just that I didn't realise since I'm in front of the bass amp. I'll continue to fiddle with it.
Thanks for all the help!
It sure is. The head will still run at a 4ohm load with 2 8ohm cabs even when run in 2ohm mode.
