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the best bass overdrive/distorsion?!!-darkglass electronics b3k

#461
Darkglass said:
First of all thanks for the complete report, and kind words!
Your question about the Blend/Level configuration is very good!
The answer is: Because this pedal has a lot of gain a volume boost. With the Drive knob cranked up, the processed signal is much louder than the unaffected, so blending both signals would be tricky.

With this configuration, you can attenuate and control exactly how much driven signal you blend with the clean one. In short terms you can adjust exactly the amount of dirt you want in the mix, that's way I chose that configuration ;).
Click to expand...

Ah, it makes sense when I think of it that way. First attenuate the driven signal to a reasonable level, and then blend that with the clean signal. Very cool, thanks!
 
#462
smeet said:
Ah, it makes sense when I think of it that way. First attenuate the driven signal to a reasonable level, and then blend that with the clean signal. Very cool, thanks!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I know is a bit unusual... but having always struggled to blend just "the right amount" on others pedals, this configuration (all though tricky to implement since it was the first time I've seen it done this way) made the pedal much more useful, to my needs at least ;).

Regards

Doug.
 
#466
Just read via facebook that the opressor is coming back, very cool to know! Lovin' my B7K.

Any other cool pedals coming soon? I know the California dealer said to be prepared for March for a new reveal, but I was wondering if stuff like Chorus, Delay, Tremolo, Phase, Reverb, Wah, Envelope Filter, ect are in the future for Darkglass Electronics?
 
#467
Lebowsky said:
so, has anyone been able to compare this to the Xotic BB preamp? I think several people mentioned they'd be doing "soon".. ;)
Click to expand...

Hi! I was finally able to spend a few hours with both pedals. I'll do a review of the B3k first, and then I'll compare it to the Xotic BB. I must say that I have not a lot of experience with different OD/distortion pedals, and I'm not very good with tonal descriptions. I'll try my best anyway. Make whatever question you want. I play a Valenti jazz with Sadowsky pups in passive mode, thru a SVT-VR with the Ultra-High switch on (about +15dB @ 8kHz). The cabs are Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 4x10 and 1x15 with the tweeter attenuators at -2 dB. I always play overdrive and distortion with a pick. All this info is quite important.

First, the B3K is the lightest pedal I've ever handled. It seems empty, weighs nothing. But it sounds great, the vast majority of Youtube clips are very accurate of its tone. It is what I was looking for. :hyper:

The pedal tends to emphasize the attack, making your tone very cutting and articulated. The attack switch in "boost" position will accent this even more. This is the main characteristic of the B3K. This is an inherent tonal feature, nearly impossible to dial out (I guess that's where the B7K could act). So if you are looking for that cutting, grinding, articulated-and-agressive-at-the-same-time tone, great. I do.

The range of drive/distortion is similar to a RAT, IMO. I don't like it past 12 o'clock, it sounds a bit fizzy to me. BUT, remember I play with the UltraBright switch of the SVT. So, the amount of gain available should offer you tones from low gain to distorted. I set the drive on the B3K (and on my RAT) at 10-11 o'clock.

The low end is perfectly preserved in Grunt "Fat" and "Raw" positions. That's not the case with the Grunt "Thin" position, but there may be players who would want to lose some low end in a given situation, so who knows :confused: The Grunt "Fat" mode also seems to boost some low mids (250 Hz?), but I could be very wrong.

The best way I've found to resume the tone of the B3K is this bass clip of Faith No More: Faith No More - Epic Isolated Bass Track - YouTube The pedal will tend to make your bass sound like this Billy Gould tone. Hopefully this is what you are looking for. :bassist:
 
#468
Lebowsky said:
so, has anyone been able to compare this to the Xotic BB preamp? I think several people mentioned they'd be doing "soon".. ;)
Click to expand...

Now, comparing the B3K and the Xotic Bass BB Preamp... well, they are kind of opposite. I can't say the BB sounds similar to Tubescreamers or cranked Marshalls, as I haven't played a bass with either :confused:. But it definitely sounds "vintager" than the B3K.

IMO, the main characteristic of the BB is the loss of attack when you crank the gain up, and the vintage tonal authenticity or character of the low gain settings. Kind of a "real thing" overdrive :bassist:. It muffles a bit your tone, somehow. Which is not a bad thing at all. In fact I often use it to cut a bit the top end of the SVT with the UltraBright Switch being on. I like to put it last in my effects chain.

While the B3K was a bit awkward for me at first to dial in my tone (I could not understand the exact function of each knob, though it looked so easy in the Youtube videos :smug:), the Xotic BB is very user-friendly, and the knobs follow a very logical and intuitive behaviour.

The BB can be very transparent with zero gain, as a clean booster (this is not the case with the B3K). As you crank up the gain knob, the "70's" character of the pedal shows up. I like the gain set at 8-9 o'clock. The best example of this tone I've found is this Pearl Jam clip (1:30 - 1:40): Pearl Jam - Brain of J. - YouTube I know it might not be the same bass, amp or OD pedal, but that tone does remind me a lot of the Xotic BB tones I dial in with my current setup. In fact, I nail down that tone with the BB alone.

The Low knob on the BB will bring back any low end you lose, and a lot more. So, both pedals are fine in this issue. I also don't like to boost a lot the Treble knob on the BB, as it starts to sound harsh, and does not bring back the loss of articulation.

So, I'm keeping both pedals :D. I prefer them at low gain settings. In fact, I'm playing the B3K into the Xotic BB to tame down a bit the agressive cutting tone of the first one, while at the same time adding a little bit of rawness and vintage crunch. The sound is impressive alone or with the band, and cuts thru the mix easily. IMO and IM(short)E. :)
 
#471
I got one last week but returned it after a couple of days. It's a good pedal but I ended up preferring my Tech 21 Oxford for aggressive tones and my SFT for mellow overdrive. If it wasn't twice the price of the aforementioned pedals I might have hung onto it!
 
#474
Hey Bermel, thanks a lot for the very thorough reviews and comparison! I'll keep the BB for now I guess, but if the need for a more aggressive and modern should come in the future I know where to look! If I had the room on my board I'd probably already ordered it though :)
 
#475
b7k arrived today (already posted pics)!!!! just wanted to say thank you to everyone involved in the production, sale and management of darkglass products. while it took a bit longer than i expected, you guys frequently updated me on the progress of its build and were more than happy to answer all of my questions. simply superb. rest assured if this b7k gets destroyed in a freak bikini mudfight tsunami explosion i'll be ordering another one without a moments hesitation (don't think insurance covers that afaik).

the b7k is all i had hoped it would be and more! thank you again, while i'll try not to show it off to my friends, i sort of might just have to. i'll try to let my bass do the talking for me, though :)
 
#476
Bermel said:
Hi! I was finally able to spend a few hours with both pedals. I'll do a review of the B3k first, and then I'll compare it to the Xotic BB. I must say that I have not a lot of experience with different OD/distortion pedals, and I'm not very good with tonal descriptions. I'll try my best anyway. Make whatever question you want. I play a Valenti jazz with Sadowsky pups in passive mode, thru a SVT-VR with the Ultra-High switch on (about +15dB @ 8kHz). The cabs are Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 4x10 and 1x15 with the tweeter attenuators at -2 dB. I always play overdrive and distortion with a pick. All this info is quite important.

First, the B3K is the lightest pedal I've ever handled. It seems empty, weighs nothing. But it sounds great, the vast majority of Youtube clips are very accurate of its tone. It is what I was looking for. :hyper:

The pedal tends to emphasize the attack, making your tone very cutting and articulated. The attack switch in "boost" position will accent this even more. This is the main characteristic of the B3K. This is an inherent tonal feature, nearly impossible to dial out (I guess that's where the B7K could act). So if you are looking for that cutting, grinding, articulated-and-agressive-at-the-same-time tone, great. I do.

The range of drive/distortion is similar to a RAT, IMO. I don't like it past 12 o'clock, it sounds a bit fizzy to me. BUT, remember I play with the UltraBright switch of the SVT. So, the amount of gain available should offer you tones from low gain to distorted. I set the drive on the B3K (and on my RAT) at 10-11 o'clock.

The low end is perfectly preserved in Grunt "Fat" and "Raw" positions. That's not the case with the Grunt "Thin" position, but there may be players who would want to lose some low end in a given situation, so who knows :confused: The Grunt "Fat" mode also seems to boost some low mids (250 Hz?), but I could be very wrong.

The best way I've found to resume the tone of the B3K is this bass clip of Faith No More: Faith No More - Epic Isolated Bass Track - YouTube The pedal will tend to make your bass sound like this Billy Gould tone. Hopefully this is what you are looking for. :bassist:
Click to expand...

Great review!

It is in large part to Mr. Billy Gould that I am so fascinated with grindy, aggressive, bass attack driven rhythms.

And yeah, the B3K kinda nails that in wonderful excess. Which is why it most likely will never leave my pedal board.
 
#479
Just received my B3K the other day and rushed over to the rehearsal space to make some noise. It's effing glorious. I wish I had this pedal back when I was playing metal / thrash. Fortunately I do have a few opportunities to use this tone in my current project. In fact, I love it so much that it makes me want to start another project just so I can use it all the time! :bassist:

I was worried that the B3k would be too tonally close to the Rusty Box, but they both bring something different to the table.. While both have an edgy grind, the Rusty Box sounds a tad more clanky, like "punk / hardcore", whereas the B3K sounds more "metal / industrial".

Btw, I play fEarful style cabs, (15" sub x'd over to a 6" mid, they sound more opened-up in the high mids then typical cabs loaded with "full-range" drivers), and I must say that cranking up an Aggie DB750 with this pedal and the attack switch engaged almost cut off my head.

Also of note is that I play heavy flatwounds. As you would expect, they sound rather thumpy, dull, and non-sustaining on a clean setting. But with the B3K through a fEarful cab, I get touch-sensitive edgy grind and sustain without losing the flatwound deep thump. Very nice.
 
#480
NICE. love that thing. it's totally become my always on main tone, switch it off to change up the sound instead of the other way around. so. GOOD.

do you use the Rusty as an OD or a preamp? i run into a power amp with my Rusty as the only preamp in the chain. they compliment each other VERY well like that.

of course, the DB750 KILLS, so i can see wanting to keep that as your main pre.
 

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