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Darkglass Microtubes X or Alpha Omicron?

#21
troubleshooter said:
Hi all!!
I have to choose between one of these 2 pedals for rock/hard rock/grunge...and the occasional solo ( think Cliff Burton style) which one will you purchase if you have that option ? I prefer the small footprint, less settings/tweaking and it`s more affordable
I use the Vintage microtubes for my dirt/growl/tubey sound, but I need another pedal for more overdrive and balls on certain songs..

Regards and have a great weekend!:)
Click to expand...

If it has to be darkglass specific, the alpha omnicron would be a good choice for what you're looking for. if you want another choice besides darkglass, check out the source audio aftershock or the ehx hot wax(which would be excellent for playing orion by metallica). plus I have a vmt myself and it is my most treasured bass overdrive.
 
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#22
@troubleshooter how did it work out for you? i've got an X7 on order (it's been on order forever - I think they have been re-vamping the noise out of the 9v circuit), so i've managed to save up enough for another while I wait. Was thinking the AOmicron, but curious what you think of it.
 
#23
TinyE said:
@troubleshooter how did it work out for you? i've got an X7 on order (it's been on order forever - I think they have been re-vamping the noise out of the 9v circuit), so i've managed to save up enough for another while I wait. Was thinking the AOmicron, but curious what you think of it.
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Hi, I`m really happy with the AOmicron, it sounds great and it`s really versatile, definitely not a one trick pony. No loss of bottom, unwanted noise ect. I love it and would highly recommend it.
 
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#25
hey there, i revive this thread because i'm having similar considerations right now. i tried the alpha omicron in a local store and it is pretty much what i want. but now i just saw a second hand microtubes x7 for 30 euros more. condition should be really good according to the seller.
does anybody have some more recent experiences with these pedals? or recommendations?
 
#26
As a very general rule, my experience suggests that the AO and X are more different than they are similar.
In general the AO has the ability to be the most "transparent" drive/distortion pedal in the Darkglass range, whilst the X series is very coloured, and imposes its characters pretty strongly regardless of settings (for the most part).

The X7 will be something quite different to the AO, so I would suggest you stick with the AO if it's ticking the boxes for you already.

What is your intended use for the pedal? As a drive/distortion pedal for use with an established tone/setup? Or, as an always on dirt machine? Or somewhere in between?

There's a wealth of demos to be found out there tools it's worth having listen to those too, as you may favour the character/sound of the X series. Search out the Amos Heller demos, as they offer a pretty neutral starting point, and really highlight and demonstrate the strengths and versatility of each pedal.
 
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#27
thanks for your explanation sifrancis!
i checked out the amos heller videos, thanks, they are great to get an overview.
so my intended use for the pedal will be a punk metal band with lots of dirt on it all the time. so far this will also be the only pedal i use.
i have a hartke bass driver pedal that i really like in my rock band right now, however i would prefer not to use it with the new project. i'm going to rehearsals by bike, so i try to limit the weight of my gear.
still i haven't been able to decide. i guess the x7 would be better one pedal solution for a wide array of sounds, while i just like the sound that comes out of the ao right away.
i guess to leave more options open for the future and for better overall tone control the x7 would be the better tool for me, am i right?
 
#28
bobauslewing said:
thanks for your explanation sifrancis!
i checked out the amos heller videos, thanks, they are great to get an overview.
so my intended use for the pedal will be a punk metal band with lots of dirt on it all the time. so far this will also be the only pedal i use.
i have a hartke bass driver pedal that i really like in my rock band right now, however i would prefer not to use it with the new project. i'm going to rehearsals by bike, so i try to limit the weight of my gear.
still i haven't been able to decide. i guess the x7 would be better one pedal solution for a wide array of sounds, while i just like the sound that comes out of the ao right away.
i guess to leave more options open for the future and for better overall tone control the x7 would be the better tool for me, am i right?
Click to expand...

Honestly, this just circles right back to sirfrancis' last comments. If you want a more transparent/natural range of bass drive sounds, the AO is probably better. It's the least 'baked in & darkglass-y' sounding pedal in their lineup. The X series is very distinct and colored. I think this is the best way to differentiate:

Alpha/Omega - Best DG option for allowing your bass' sound through without the DG sound taking over your natural bass tone. Also, this one is optimal if you want more control over the texture/type of breakup, as the A/O knob gives you varied textures throughout the control.

Microtubes X - If you really want that 'studio-esque' control over how and where the drive is applied to your signal. At lower gain settings, I use the X7 as a bi-amp Geddy Lee sound. I feel as though the pedal gets more and more colored/darkglass-ish as you increase the gain and the lower the HPF for the distortion side. It's good at what it does, but it's best framed as a set flavor of distortion & you simply have control over where and how much to apply that drive.

In short - I have an AOU and X7, and I find the AOU to be more flexible as a distortion box. I would say the X7 is more of my go-to for tone shaping and really low gain punch.
 
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#29
thanks for your answer. i see you are pretty much giving me the same answer, just different words. sorry, i'm just not very experienced with pedals and distortion. by the demo videos i like both pedals and i guess i will just decide for one of them and see how it goes...
 

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