hamfist

On 22/04/2024 at 10:57, MichaelDean said:

When you load it up in stomp mode, the DarkPre takes up two footswitches on the board. The one one the left engages/disengages the effect, the one on the right turns the boost on/off. I'd assume the boost is off by default.

 

From the manual:

Yes, perfect. You are spot on. Thanks so much. I thought I had tried every configuration of switching, but I hadn't tried that !   

Anyone ?

55 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

8.97 lb

Hmmmmm. Not too bad for that solid maple body. I love these. Consider me tempted.

Some fantastic thoughts and info in this thread !

What is the weight of this beauty please ?

Guys, please can you help me out. I am in temporary posession of a B3n to try out. I am trying to replicate some patches I have on my B6.

Anyway, on the B3n for the life of me I can't work out how to turn OFF the Boost on the DarkPre model. The Zoom site states for the Boost - "This sets the frequency bands boosted when the control switch is on". Surely this indicates that it can also be switched off ?  but I just can't work it out. Twiddling the dial underneath the Boost display just turns it between Lo, Hi and Lo & Hi. There is no OFF. 

I really would like to turn the boost fully off. Can any owners out there help ?

Yup, I have used those nozzle cleaners many a time on a bass nut. They don’t go small enough for a guitar nut but for bass they are great. Remember to go SLoWLY !!!

Magnificent bass - and a bit of a bargain too !  Come on folks , this is a quality German Warwick.   Unfortunately, a bit heavy for me these days. 

Thanks guys. I have now bought one and am very happy with it. It’s not as flexible as the hx stomp I used to use but the sound quality of what it does is better imo. I think it is also more flexible in terms of overdrive sounds. All the hx stomp’s drives tended to have a similar tonality to my ears.

8 hours ago, fretmeister said:

Swap the tuners for Hipshot Ultralites and depending on the tuners you currently have you could save another half pound / 0.226kg.

The tuners I have on there are actually a fraction lighter than Ultralites already !   They are super cheapo ones I have had for years, but they hold tune well and are very light !

8 hours ago, TheGreek said:

 

Ah, so it's a Holy Bass??

 

Sorry, but surely you expected that...

Difficult to believe but I honestly didn't see it coming !  

8 hours ago, Beedster said:

That is a rather elegant solution, well done. Reminded me of Drillium, when before the arrival of composite components in the late 80's, pro cyclists used to drill out various components to save weight, most frequently the cranks. And occasionally they failed catastrophically as the result, but apparently it's a fashion that has returned courtesy of the hipster/fixie community  

 

It was the Ibanez Steve Vai superstrats that gave me the inspiration for the holes. I have never been a shredder but I admired the hole/handle on the Vai strat the moment I saw it.

4 hours ago, uncle psychosis said:

I like the holes (great work!) but that scratchplate combined with a gold bridge makes my head hurt. One of them would have to go! 

Yup, I'm vaguely with you there, but you try buying a precision scratchplate for a Jazz neck pickup ! Simply not available unless custom made (and thus lots of dosh). The blue plate was one I made up a few years ago and I simply don't dislike it enough to bother making up a new one !

1 hour ago, three said:

 Did it change the tone at all? 

Not noticeable at the moment, although I don't have my normal effects etc at home. I'll find out more definitively playing at church on sunday.

1 hour ago, jazzyvee said:

How have the holes affected the way the bass balances on a strap?

Not noticeably. It already balanced really well, with not a hint of neck dive, and ultimately the weight change was fairly minimal in the end.

53 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

 

This won't hurt a bit...

That is the exact same bit as my largest holes !

I've been using my homemade bitsa "Jazz with a P body" for about 3 years. Its got a lovely walnut body which was never massively heavy but I have been wanting a slightly lighter bass recently as I have a back problem.

I toyed with getting a new body, or a new bass but I love my bass - everything is exactly as I want it.  So a few jumbo forstner drill bits were acquired and drilling began on monday. As well as the holes you see there are also a few more under the scratchplate.

It went surprisingly well and I produced a vast amount of walnut shavings. Finished off with a dremel and sandpaper. A quick oil and beeswax finish to the new holes and by tuesday evening I was back in business. Only a 0.2 kg saving, but it all helps and its a manageable 4.0kg now.  Personally I think it now looks awesome too !

I bought the D7K last year. Unfortunately mine clipped noticeably on the clean signal (with passive J pickups) - which was really annoying. maybe mine was just faulty or maybe they are all like that.

If it hadn't clipped on the clean it would have been a really nice pedal. Not the same as a Darkglass B7K, which I now have ..... again, but in the same ballpark. The Demon D7K had a slightly more old school sound I would say in comparison.

Mine ended up in the bin though. It was no use with the clean clipping, I wouldn't sell it on and it wasn't worth sending all the way back to China.

I use a comp then B7K straight to desk. The FOH put this EQ curve on it.  Sounds awesome.

I used an HX Stomp into a clean amp and/or straight to FOH for about 3 years (with a passive PJ). No complaints from me. I loved it. It has weaknesses (poor synths being one) but lots of strengths. From memory I used to use the Multiband comp, only a pre-amp sim - no power amp sim (which added nothing positive to my ears).

  HPF of 35Hz. LPF of about 5.5KHz. Parallel paths to mix in some drive on upper frequencies (I forget which drive sim I used). The cab sims were mediocre, but I found one I really liked (unfortunately I forget which).

I do remember that I never found it played well with an outboard comp or an outboard drive. Horrible tone. For me I found it best by far used as a sole source of tone modification.

TBH I miss it.

Guys, for those of you who use, or have used, a Zoom B6, can you tell me is there a noticeable gap in sound when changing patches ?   Or when switching an effect (say a synth) on/off within a patch ?

2 hours ago, jimfist said:

 

Make that 3 of us! From one "fist" to another (Jim-to-Ham), what you've described is exactly what I go for in compression.

I agree that far too many pedals just don't accommodate slower attack times.

I went through the Spectracomp, and the Hypergravity is definitely more hands-on friendly.

Recently I got the Source Audio Atlas and am really liking the results.

Since the Atlas has 3 onboard preset switches, I was able to dial in presets for each of my gigging basses (the Atlas also has EQ).

I did need to fuss with the settings in the Atlas software editor to get what I like, naturally.

I play equally with pick and fingers (slapping a rarity these days), and the slow attack is really key for pick playing IMO.

Have you experimented with different attack times for different frequency ranges ?

2 hours ago, spyder said:

I'm very much with you on this.

I also like a slow attack time and find most compressors don't offer enough or simply don't quote any figures so I can buy with confidence.

I also like a quick release.

That's why I've owned nearly every compressor pedal going and quickly sold them on. 

Quick release - absolutely.  I'm with you there too.  So there are at least 2 of us loonies !

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Trace Elliot maintained their hi low compressors had differing attack times solving the problem that no single compressor could do full range without making a mess of one end or the other.

Interesting. I have used and liked the dual band comp on my old SMX trace. I do use multiband compression, so I shall have some experimentation with different attack times for different bands.

33 minutes ago, Osiris said:

 

Have you tried either the TC Electronic Hyper Gravity or Spectracomp pedals? The free editing software for each pedal (as far as I'm aware, they're pretty much identical in terms of the firmware they use) has something like 48 individually editable parameters so there's a huge amount of customisation available, but whether you can configure the slow attack times you want...

 

But I'd suggest taking a look if only to rule them out. 

Already there. I use a Hypergravity. Mujltiband and uber-configurable. Completely designed for a compression fusspot like myself. Attack times up to 100ms are available.

OK, I do appreciate this is a pretty nich topic, and I am a bit of a compression nerd, but in all my experience with compressors I have discovered that what I am personally looking for ultimately in a bass comp is one that lets my natural attack come through pretty much unaltered and then balances and adds some extra sustain to the decay of the sound. I find in the context of a band mix it makes me sound the same but just "better" and better integrated with the rest of the instruments.  For the purposes of completeness I will add that 98% of my playing is fingerstyle and the other 2% is with a pick. I never slap.

So ..... the essence of this thread is that I have found that I want an attack time of at least 70ms minimum (and for me, I am looking for this on lower frequencies, leaving the top end mostly untouched). I find anything less than 70ms just artificially affects my note attack. However, when I look at the attack times of some very successful and well-loved pedals such as the Empress (up to 50ms), Seymour Duncan (up to 27ms), MXR M87 (only 0.8ms !!!!)  etc. they simply don't offer those attack times.

A lot of comps seem to have fixed attack times or have adjustable attack times but do not quote the actual times (very frustrating).

I can't find definitive info on the Darkglass SS, Boss BC-1X, OE Cali 76, Markbass Compressore, Keeley Bassist etc.

Am I just weird or are there others like me ?    I think possibly a lot of bassists are just looking for limiting and not really "musical compression" as such, hence their appreciation of such quick attack times, which is what one is looking for in a limiter.

Really, the longer I play around with this stuff, the more I realise how different the effects we are looking for from our compression.

Yup, ultimately, I think we are fairly agreed that the HPF should ideally go before the Compressor. 

As for the VT Bass, it comes down to taste. Before and after the compressor will give different sounds. I much prefer the comp before the drive, to even out the drive amount a bit. The comp after the drive will simply tend to trim off the peaks more.  Different effects, depends on what you are looking for.,

1 minute ago, DaleASmith said:

The HPF goes before the Compressor no? If you have Subsonic information you're trying to get rid of, that's going to hit the compressor and effect what it does. Surely its best to remove that first, leaving the compressor to work on the signal you actually want to hear. 

Agreed. Thats the way I'd go. 

Whats the noise floor like ?  The main criticism one hears about these (and in fact some other GK amps) is that quite a few units can have a slightly high noise floor.

I so so nearly pulled the trigger on buying one of these. I just decided I couldn't live without the 12 band EQ I have become used to on my Trace.