I'm starting this thread in hopes to begin some discussion about the EBMM DarkRay. To preface, I have had alot of experience using EBMM Stingray's throughout my 20 years of playing. I recently aquired my first DarkRay and I am quite blown away by this instrument. EBMM and Darkglass absolutely knocked it out of the park with this bass.
Most importantly, I'd like to talk about the Darkglass Pre. When set to clean, the 2 band EQ has a tone similar to the ceramic equipped Sterling Bass set to parallel. I don't find the treble to be as clacky as an alnico two or 3 band. Possibly the treble center point is set higher above that "clack" range. I set up my bass with GHS Boomers 45-105 for bit more low mid heft. A little boost of the bass and a slightly less boost of the treble yields a great starting point for working in the distortion and overdrive modes.
Alpha mode (red) - this distortion mode is tight and focused and more transparent to the clean mode. I have been experimenting working this bass into my bands set (hard rock pick playing). We aren't metal so I am not diming the blend or gain. I am wearing studio quality headphones. My bass is plugged into the amp with an aux cable running the tunes from my Iphone into that same amp.
Omega mode (blue) - this overdrive mode kicks in a lot more midrange and a hairy "scronky" tone. It's looser, fuzzier and more saturated across the entire frequency spectrum. I feel this mode isn't quite as transparent to the clean as the Alpha mode. Once again, I have found my setting with the blend highly favoring the clean and the gain somewhere in the middle. I am definitely not going for dimed crunch and saturation.
It's amazing to me how sensative and usable these controls are. For hard rock playing, the 3 way switch offering clean, distortion, and overdrive is much more useful to me than the parallel/single/series modes of older models. The definition and edge the drive modes provide to my pick playing in the mix is at this point already becoming a necessity.
In short, looking past this instrument as a novelty and as a legitimate progression in a usable tool for hard rock, it's a game over winner. Please discuss.
Most importantly, I'd like to talk about the Darkglass Pre. When set to clean, the 2 band EQ has a tone similar to the ceramic equipped Sterling Bass set to parallel. I don't find the treble to be as clacky as an alnico two or 3 band. Possibly the treble center point is set higher above that "clack" range. I set up my bass with GHS Boomers 45-105 for bit more low mid heft. A little boost of the bass and a slightly less boost of the treble yields a great starting point for working in the distortion and overdrive modes.
Alpha mode (red) - this distortion mode is tight and focused and more transparent to the clean mode. I have been experimenting working this bass into my bands set (hard rock pick playing). We aren't metal so I am not diming the blend or gain. I am wearing studio quality headphones. My bass is plugged into the amp with an aux cable running the tunes from my Iphone into that same amp.
Omega mode (blue) - this overdrive mode kicks in a lot more midrange and a hairy "scronky" tone. It's looser, fuzzier and more saturated across the entire frequency spectrum. I feel this mode isn't quite as transparent to the clean as the Alpha mode. Once again, I have found my setting with the blend highly favoring the clean and the gain somewhere in the middle. I am definitely not going for dimed crunch and saturation.
It's amazing to me how sensative and usable these controls are. For hard rock playing, the 3 way switch offering clean, distortion, and overdrive is much more useful to me than the parallel/single/series modes of older models. The definition and edge the drive modes provide to my pick playing in the mix is at this point already becoming a necessity.
In short, looking past this instrument as a novelty and as a legitimate progression in a usable tool for hard rock, it's a game over winner. Please discuss.
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