Diamond is BACK baby!!

[GrooveTheory]

I have both old and new Diamonds. They are not the same....
In a nutshell:

1.There is some tone magic in the new BCEQ, but not the same as the old BC or BCJR.
2.The attack of the new Diamond BCEQ seems drastically faster than the old. And it's not controllable. And I don't like it.
3.I found the compression level hard to dial in because it either sounds squishy and compressor-y or not at all.
6The original Diamond BC and BCJR were better at compression, because they have a very soft and easy sound. The BCEQ hits the threshold hard, and you can definitely hear it work.

Out of curiosity... you mentioned having both, old and new. Do you currently have both, and were you A/B'ing them in your comparison side-by-side? Points 1,2,3,6 you made above seem very subtle and possibly subjective if not in a controlled environment, side by side with the same gear, same settings, and the same levels.

If so and it was a current A/B comparison, this is interesting given that I believe they are using the same comp specs as the the last version. Perhaps the EQ tilt settings you're using are set different than the old version which changed the feel/tone/dynamics?

 

[bdplaid]

Out of curiosity... you mentioned having both, old and new. Do you currently have both, and were you A/B'ing them in your comparison side-by-side?

Points 1,2,3,6 you made above seem very subtle and possibly subjective if not in a controlled environment, side by side with the same gear, same settings, and the same levels.

Everything is subjective, as are my comments.

If so and it was a current A/B comparison, this is interesting given that I believe they are using the same comp specs as the the last version. Perhaps the EQ tilt settings you're using are set different than the old version which changed the feel/tone/dynamics?

No EQ applied at all to either comp when comparing the compression and the "magic tone" we seem to love.

The new DBCEQ has what I look at as a separate EQ, and I think it's really good. Turning up the midrange added a low end growl that was nice. The tilt toward the low end was thick. The EQ might be worth the price just by itself. When I turned down the compression all the way, but only used the EQ, I liked that aspect. Perhaps one could look at this pedal as an EQ with an additional comp added on?

My problem is with the comp alone and how it sounds.

With EQ flat on both pedals, the old DBC did a thing where it evened out the EQ as well as the volume. It brings up the low end to create a very even-sounding tone/EQ, which is where I think the magic of the old comp is. In comparison, and to my ear, the new BCEQ didn't do that; it kind of pushes down the low end, while also adding a tone of it's own; that tone is definitely reminiscent of the old Diamond, but having something different, perhaps in the higher mid? I'm not sure.

And this is where the EQ comes in. You can get that fullness back, but then the comp has this fast, IMO squishy top end that the old DBC didn't have until one really pushed the old comp knob. Yet the old comp was just smooth all the way.

To be sure, I might be splitting hairs with all this, but I honestly don't think the new comp is a clone of the old. If one is looking for that, he may be disappointed. However, he may also like what the new SGFX version does. I know I like what the EQ does.

I'm not a comp expert, and I encourage peeps to seek out this new pedal and see for themselves.

 

[GrooveTheory]

View attachment 5071737



Everything is subjective, as are my comments.



No EQ applied at all to either comp when comparing the compression and the "magic tone" we seem to love.

The new DBCEQ has what I look at as a separate EQ, and I think it's really good. Turning up the midrange added a low end growl that was nice. The tilt toward the low end was thick. The EQ might be worth the price just by itself. When I turned down the compression all the way, but only used the EQ, I liked that aspect. Perhaps one could look at this pedal as an EQ with an additional comp added on?

My problem is with the comp alone and how it sounds.

With EQ flat on both pedals, the old DBC did a thing where it evened out the EQ as well as the volume. It brings up the low end to create a very even-sounding tone/EQ, which is where I think the magic of the old comp is. In comparison, and to my ear, the new BCEQ didn't do that; it kind of pushes down the low end, while also adding a tone of it's own; that tone is definitely reminiscent of the old Diamond, but having something different, perhaps in the higher mid? I'm not sure.

And this is where the EQ comes in. You can get that fullness back, but then the comp has this fast, IMO squishy top end that the old DBC didn't have until one really pushed the old comp knob. Yet the old comp was just smooth all the way.

To be sure, I might be splitting hairs with all this, but I honestly don't think the new comp is a clone of the old. If one is looking for that, he may be disappointed. However, he may also like what the new SGFX version does. I know I like what the EQ does.

I'm not a comp expert, and I encourage peeps to seek out this new pedal and see for themselves.

Awesome! Thank you for the follow up and details. I think I'm going to try to get my hands on one!

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Reading these reviews are kind of a bummer, I was hoping that it was going to be the same guy with an extra mid point and a mid control. Oh well, I suppose! I’m all about what the OG does as a compressor/tone enhancer. Still pretty hype to try the new trem though!

 

[bdplaid]

Reading these reviews are kind of a bummer, I was hoping that it was going to be the same guy with an extra mid point and a mid control. Oh well, I suppose! I’m all about what the OG does as a compressor/tone enhancer. Still pretty hype to try the new trem though!

The problem I have with writing stuff like this is, what I have written, is true for ME. Others may have a different experience. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, particularly the manufacturer.

 

[foal30]

I’m even more keen to have a go on the new Diamond Comp

Thanks for the early reviews
@wavemaker
@bdplaid

Strongly believe that SGFX did the right thing with keeping the Yellow theme and relaunch of Diamond.

 

[RJ]

It would be awesome to get the new Diamond in here and hear what the have to say about the difference/similarities on the design.

Anyone know how to go about that?

 

[Fuzzbass]

The problem I have with writing stuff like this is, what I have written, is true for ME. Others may have a different experience. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, particularly the manufacturer.

Cheers to you, it can take courage to point out apparent negatives. In addition, I would hope that the manufacturer isn't just out to make a quick buck: that is, they actually care what their customers think, both positive and negative, so they can make future improvements if necessary.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

The problem I have with writing stuff like this is, what I have written, is true for ME. Others may have a different experience. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, particularly the manufacturer.

Hey, I certainly appreciate your review! I have 2 BCPs and a BCP Jr! Not raining on my parade over here, I’ll just keep on rolling with what I got! They are a staple in how I’ve cobbled together “my” sound! As much as I like new and shiny stuff, Diamond pretty much took me out of the Comp market already!
I should have specified that I’m already a Diamond bass comp user, so your review just made it clear to me that this comp probably isn’t for me. But that’s not to say it isn’t for someone else!

 

[DennyOnBass]

Finally got a chance to check mine out for a short while this afternoon. No prior experience with any of the other Diamond compressors.

I bought this to go on a utility board after my Sushi Box Slampegg preamp pedal in the hope of adding that syrupy optical compression sound and some thickness to my PBass with flats. I feel like it does that well.

The comp alone isn’t particularly impressive to me, but I felt like it added some nice character that was accentuated by the EQ section. Minus the EQ, I probably wouldn’t have kept this pedal.

I thought it sounded OK prior to the preamp, but after it really added a “mastered” quality and thickness to the sound that I really liked.

Ran it at 9v on a daisy chain into my studio speakers, but I’ll be grabbing a Cioks 4 and running isolated power eventually and see what 18v gets me.

 

[bdplaid]

Finally got a chance to check mine out for a short while this afternoon. No prior experience with any of the other Diamond compressors.

I bought this to go on a utility board after my Sushi Box Slampegg preamp pedal in the hope of adding that syrupy optical compression sound and some thickness to my PBass with flats. I feel like it does that well.

The comp alone isn’t particularly impressive to me, but I felt like it added some nice character that was accentuated by the EQ section. Minus the EQ, I probably wouldn’t have kept this pedal.

I thought it sounded OK prior to the preamp, but after it really added a “mastered” quality and thickness to the sound that I really liked.

Ran it at 9v on a daisy chain into my studio speakers, but I’ll be grabbing a Cioks 4 and running isolated power eventually and see what 18v gets me.

Awesome. The original doesn't need the eq, but the new Diamond probably does. But that EQ is so impressive I can see why one would like the whole pedal.

 

[fourstringdrums]

I have both old and new Diamonds. They are not the same. This is going to cause a heck of a lot of confusion unless we figure out a way to depict which comp we're talking about.

In a nutshell:

1. There is some tone magic in the new BCEQ, but not the same as the old BC or BCJR.
2. The attack of the new Diamond BCEQ seems drastically faster than the old. And it's not controllable. And I don't like it.
3. I found the compression level hard to dial in because it either sounds squishy and compressor-y or not at all.
4. The EQ is this pedal's saving grace. Both controls are useful.
5. The LED as a level indicator is useless. It has a high threshold before it changes colors, and it only blinks on when it does so.
6. The original Diamond BC and BCJR were better at compression, because they have a very soft and easy sound. The BCEQ hits the threshold hard, and you can definitely hear it work.
7. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it. It's very useful as an EQ, but the comp requires, for me at least, a lot of twiddling.

Edit: I'm annoyed at SGFX for making this pedal appear so close to the old Diamond. The new pedal has plusses in its own right, but copping an almost identical look is very misleading.

This is what I needed to hear. I'll stick with my BCJR.

 

[wavemaker]

Well, I spend the last evening playing again through the BCEQ, yesterday‘s posts in the back of my head.

I noticed two things I didn’t notice before:
1. Below noon on the comp dial, the compression seemingly isn’t only subtle: At least according to the threshold indicator, it’s not triggered at all (by my JMJ Mustang). I was gravitating towards settings between 2 and 5 o'clock before (the latter only when blending a dry signal) - well, this explains why.
2. I definitely hear a strong compression onset from 2 o'clock onwards. But - and I didn’t try this before because it’s pretty counterintuitive - with the comp knob fully clockwise I actually find the compression to be engaging in a much smoother way, even when playing only through the BCEQ without blending anything. I really enjoyed playing like this in a mix with drums and clean guitar.

@bdplaid I noticed in your picture that you were powering both comps with what seems to be 9V.

View attachment 5071737

It shouldn’t make a difference when comparing both comps, but in Scubaduba‘s giant comp thread, I stumbled over this experience of his:

Yes, some users will experience headroom issues with the Bass Compressor Jr. Running at 18 volts will definitely help. And by headroom issues, it isn't necessarily distortion. It is how the input is driven resulting in unnatural compression.

Do you have the possibility to compare both pedals at 18V?

Personally, I don’t find the BCEQ to be pushing down the low end (as you described above) but rather the compression circuit to react more intensely (in a seemingly natural curve) to the upper strings than to the lower. (Unless you were describing what the BCEQ brings to the table regarding the attack of the note - be it lower or higher strings -, in which case this might actually coincide with my review.)

 

[bdplaid]

with the comp knob fully clockwise I actually find the compression to be engaging in a much smoother way, even when playing only through the BCEQ without blending anything. I really enjoyed playing like this in a mix with drums and clean guitar.

I might have said that I tried it this way, only I was thinking that the compression was not being triggered at all. But yeah, I liked the pedal like this, but I was focussing on the EQ then. The compression was virtually nonexistent, which definitely is counterintuitive for a comp pedal.

@bdplaid I noticed in your picture that you were powering both comps with what seems to be 9V.

Do you have the possibility to compare both pedals at 18V?

I am powering at 9v. I hear no distortion, therefore no headroom issues. I have a way to do 18V, but respectfully, I'm not interested in doing that with any of my pedals. I also have the older, bigger Diamond BC, which I don't use because of the power requirements.

Personally, I don’t find the BCEQ to be pushing down the low end (as you described above) but rather the compression circuit to react more intensely (in a seemingly natural curve) to the upper strings than to the lower. (Unless you were describing what the BCEQ brings to the table regarding the attack of the note - be it lower or higher strings -, in which case this might actually coincide with my review.)

I'm not sure what I was saying relative to your experience. I found the DBCEQ to NOT even out the tone like the old pedal did. IOW, without the EQ in use, less low end, more high end, with the compression being quite apparent on the high end because it's, well, high end and easier to hear. Using the EQ, the pedal starts to sound good, but I found the compression to still be too fast and apparent for my liking.

EDIT: I think what we're both saying is that the pedal is different from the old Bass Comp, which is really the point of my comments, not to trash the new pedal.

 

[wavemaker]

Thank you for your reply. I very much hope I can actually convince you to try out both your BC Jr and BCEQ at 18 volts because

1. this

I am powering at 9v. I hear no distortion, therefore no headroom issues.

is diametrically opposed to Scubaduba‘s experience with the BC Jr (quoted by me above), whose expertise on compression I value very much.

2. I also very much value your experiences, candidness about their subjectiveness, and overall input to this thread.

 

[bdplaid]

Scuba is the guy, and I defer to anything he says.

 

[Fuzzbass]

is diametrically opposed to Scubaduba‘s experience with the BC Jr (quoted by me above), whose expertise on compression I value very much.

The difference in opinion might be due to the basses used. I don't recall what bdplaid played, but scuba makes sure to include hotter actives when testing.

FWIW my #1 bass is a hot active. I let the BCP1 go because it resulted in much squish/distortion with that bass even at min Comp, running at 18V. I did not try the BCJr.

 

[wavemaker]

My point above was not about a difference in opinion, but rather about pointing out that one might (fairly) assume too little headroom in the Diamonds to emerge as distortion, when according to Scuba, it in fact emerges - a specific quirk of the earlier BC Jr (and maybe the new BCEQ, too) - as unnaturally sounding compression: A description which to me resembles just a little too much one of bdplaid‘s main experiences/grievances with the new BCEQ.

 

[bdplaid]

I'm happy to report that the BCEQ, when fed 18V, behaves MUCH more like the original Diamond. In fact, pretty much just like it.

It's interesting, though. The high end squish I described went away, and sounds like the compression of the original pedal when turned up to max compression. Its behavior is slightly different, however, maybe actually less compression per knob dial setting than the original? It's hard for me to put into words.

Also, the EQ seems to work a little differently as well. Less pronounced than what I originally described.

My previous comments should be applied only to running under 9V. 18V seems to straighten it all out. So, to me, this is an 18V pedal. Which causes me problems given my ghetto pedalboard. I'll ponder it...

My apologies to SGFX for the bad review.

 

[wavemaker]

I'm happy to report that the BCEQ, when fed 18V, behaves MUCH more like the original Diamond. In fact, pretty much just like it.

I‘ll tell you, I don’t know who’s Holmes and who’s Watson here, but I feel like we just solved a mystery! Thank you for taking the time to try out the BCEQ with 18 volts!