Leaving Darkglass

@MD-BassPlayer what compressor did you replace the HL with? I still have my M87 and I've found that I like it more used with my M80di into my Ampeg than using the HL. But the HL I prefer into my board and DAW or my markbass stuff. I feel like I get the more classic thrash metal tones using the more "classic" pedals and amp.

 

The CEO of the company actually replied to your video!

Bum! That's a TopNotch User Support Service.

I don't own any Darkglass stuff but it seems that they really care about their customers.

 

I'm using a FEA DE-CL and a Cali76 CBC. The FEA gets more of the "transparent" type of sound if the Warmth is turned down and the Cali76 adds some nice tone to the overall sound without a lot of coloring. I have an M87, but don't use it often. It seems to be more sensitive to input levels than other compressors and with some basses I need it to go higher than max input level allows. Maybe I play with too light of a touch?

 

Doug has personally responded to multiple questions on the Darkglass user page.
He’s also responded here on TB if I recall.

Their customer support, as I’ve witnessed is top shelf. The OP seems to be the only one with an issue.

QC never gets everything. Some things just don’t reveal themselves until products get out in the field.

Darkglass is a great company run by bass players and is always supportive. And their breaking ground where most companies have completely wrote off bass player.

 

I disagree, as that's why each style guide includes segments on correlative conjunctions; according to grammar, they *may* be used, but they don't have to be. Style dictates more specific rules on that front, so I'd argue that they're primarily stylistic in nature, though I do admit that grammar recognizes that they exist, so I agree that it's debatable.

That said, I'd like to draw to your attention that both "or" and "nor" are *also* coordinating conjunctions, which is how they were being used in this case. Note the lack of the word "neither" in the original sentence.

Not that I come to TB to argue about the English language, because correcting people's language usage on the internet is like, top-tier obnoxious. As a result, I typically reserve it for people who, themselves, are correcting other folks' language use. Language is fluid, and gatekeeping it is stupid.

 

how dare someone speak ill of the almighty kewl aid

 

Social media marketing (SCM) is somewhat disgusting for us old time punk players. Thinking like an automaton, following a prescribe thought process from whoever is controlling the SCM is what we were not about back then.

 

I owned a VMT for a few years. I had no issues with the build quality and it always worked fine for me. However, I eventually sold it because I concluded it wasn't quite what I was looking for and found other overdrives that are.

I voted "Sold it", but it wasn't because if any problems with the pedal itself or because of any perceived negative bias I had toward Darkglass as a company or Doug individually. I simply found pedals that better suited my needs. Who knows, if I ever get into a playing situation where that sound would work for me then I might buy it again.

Had I run into issues with it while I owned it, I would have gone to Darkglass first. I figure they'd have a better chance of resolving my issue than my YouTube subscribers would.

 

I currently have a Vintage Deluxe v1. It sounds great, it's actually one of the few overdrives I tried that never enters into "fart-mode". I used to have an AOU but never liked the sound. The only real issue was the DI was a noisefest. Couldn't use the CabSim because of that.

 

Dont you need a comma before AND after 'like,' since it functions as an interjection here?

 

I see what you did there.

 

I believe an odd number of rolling, laughing emojis is discouraged. Heh.

 

I haven't owned any Darkglass products but I do own another brand that gets a lot of talk about how wonderful it is. Not going to drag the specific company into this but the issue is not that the product breaks easily, it's that there's no support afterwards. Even for me to pay for the repairs. Just simply no response. Perhaps that's the problem this person is having with customer support.

 

Only every other month, in every third week. So last week you would have been correct, but now we're well into the fourth week of the second month, so you're wrong. Sorry, I didn't make the rules!

 

That’s not it at all. Why the hell would you slam a bassist run company who’s trying to forward what we do?
You don’t like their stuff or marketing? Great.
There’s lots of options out there.
But there isn’t another company doing what they are.
The ADAM
The Element
Almost every pedal given the option of built in cab sims tailored for bass.

So they go after pretty much the only pedal company that is really doing anything for bass players.

I don’t like something, so I’m gonna call everyone who does a cult meme bet and try to get as many views as I can.

 

Ok, I stopped reading around page 5. The expected responses LoL

Firstly, obviously you are aware that most companies that specialize in pedals for only one instrument in a very narrow market segment have a hard time making money and staying afloat.

Their products are only for bass players.

Most of their marketing seems aimed at bassists that want, for the most part, heavy overdrive... yes they have subtle models too (microtubes if I recall?)... but they are sort of renown for a heavier tone from a bass guitar.

So they do the same marketing techniques used by lots of other companies. Not all, but many... certainly not a cult, and not considered slimy or bad by most people.

I'm NOT an Apple fanboy, but I work in technology and am very aware of the company practices out there. Apple isn't slimy; they are brilliant innovators, semiconductor designers, operating system developers, computer inventors, application inventors and developers, and online media vendors . Their "planned obsolescence" of the battery life being utilized poorly on older phones ended years ago, to the point where used iphone 7 and 8 models are easily the best deal in cellphones these days. Their marketing has always been consistent and extremely effective. And they have, on multiple occasions for me, given me free EFFECTIVE phone support for computers that were several years out of warranty to keep them up and running, at no charge.

Fractal? They are amazing - and have only upgraded the hardware when they COULD. Technology was changing radially while they were innovating the axe 1, plus, 2, plus, and so forth. Look at the differences between those models and understand why they required hardware changes. Things like adding USB when such a thing was leading edge at the time for real time editing. Come on - line6 did the same thing with their pods constantly. helix has been around for years... does that mean they are better? No... they also came out with pod go, helix stomp, and so on. helix will go bad one day, but for now yea they're doing a good job with solidity. But then the axe fx 3 has been aroudn for quite some time also.... just with firmware updates..... so it's the technology that has finally solidified.

I would say that DK staff are brilliant inventors, circuit designers, working musicians, bass players (think about that for a minute.. it's an electronics technology company!), and marketers. They have, according to some people, stood by their customers very well. To others, they have not.

Maybe DK DOES have a serious issue with the build of one of their pedals, and it's causing hiss and other issues. That sounds pretty serious. I don't have experience with the problem, but I'd be angry too if I'd paid for it and found the issue cropping up after it was out of warranty and they didn't have a way to support me. But I can also imagine that the company could be put out of business by trying to replace all of the pedals that have this problem IF it is a significant portion of their sales for a given quarter. Businesses handle financial success and failure quarterly - and one very bad quarter means some people probably lose their jobs and there are lay offs. Two very bad quarters can be all it takes to end the company.

So don't forget that in the big picture, these guys are small time. Yes they are doing great, but their market is a very specific and relatively small customer base. It must be incredibly hard for them. And they have made so many wildly successful products over the years with zero issues.... I'd say it's worth standing by them if you appreciate what they did in the past.

I would DEFINITELY not start posting youtube videos essentially claiming all kinds of evil business practices by the company. That's ( a ) slander, but more importantly, ( b ) going to completely destroy any chance of companies like this continuing to innovate, retain financial backing (the huge loans companies like this rely upon to stay in business... which are based partially on publicity in the public both good AND BAD), and get the great products to us that we have always complained didn't exist for bass players... until tech 21 and DG came about.

We need to support these guys. You can complain about the pedal's issues... but it's hardly a conspiracy or a cult. Get serious.

And since you folks like the Helix, as do I, then what is the big deal? Use your helix DG model, which sounds EXACTLY like the real thing, and has no noise issues. Assuming it is a model of the DG pedal you want to use, of course.

Personally, I use the DG emulation in my helix at times - I don't "love" it, but it works great, and I can work it into certain tones. That way I am getting the tone with no build quality issues.

And as for build quality issues - crap happens. It happens with line6 ALL THE TIME. It happens with Dell, Fender, IBM, Chevrolet. I mean, everyone, really. Most of those companies are huge, but some still don't magically fix every issue for you... and you have to live with it or sell it and chalk it up to your losses. None of those situations is unique, and hardly something that suggests the company built it that way knowing there were issues, or was not trying to resolve if possible.... it just shows that a mistake may have happened and they are doing everything possible to direct traffic AWAY from that topic, which is the only intelligent marketing solution possible when a product starts gaining traction for reliability issues.

 

The OP received a response from Darkglass CS. They initially sent him troubleshooting steps, which is completely appropriate for a 'noisy gear' complaint.

 

Never had any problems with their products.
They are not for me I wont use them for general coloring or mild drive but I got to admit that if the goal is to play high gain and stay punchy and sit well you cant beat darkglass.
The reason many buy them and then sell is people are influenced by the hype and often its just not the right product for them.

 

I've had a couple of Darkglass pedals, a Duality and a Microtubes X. The build quality was solid but the sound wasn't really my thing. I noticed I wasn't using the pedals so I sold them.

 

The three supplies that you mention are not Voodoo Labs. I was trying to find a way to word this not to disparage the other three but after playing for many years, many years and having gone through many power supplies there, as they said in the Highlander can be only one. IMHO it is Voodoo Labs. I've been using their supply (yes supply) for over 15 years live, studio and rehearsals with never an issue. And not off topic completely but as an example; the very popular Boss TU3 tuning pedals have and accuracy of +-1% so is allowed to be off 2%. A Peterson Strobostomp .1% . If accuracy, and performance are important to you check specs and this most certainly applies to the above mentioned power supplies. The power supplies are the most likely culprit and should at least be explored a bit more deeply. Again, just my opinion.