This is probably the best, well-executed review I’ve seen of a pedal, let alone a Darkglass pedal review. Amos Heller deserves more spotlight, and is definitely up there among professional bassists/musicians.
The best of his demos is that instead of playing with the pedal engaged in different settings he shows how he achieves the proper settings. Most of the demos I watch are people using pedals with different settings and or playing a looped bass line through a pedal and turning every single from the lowest to the highest position.
I thought it ducked because they didn't rshiw the harmonic boost without using the mid sweep. I already have a mid sweep on my amp, I wanted to hear a wet/dry comparison without EQ adjustment, I really prefer if the pedal didn't have that function, I mean obviously you4 can just set the knob flat at zero in the middle but I prefer how the old one just had the blend.
Nice to see you demonstrate that technique of using a high boost setting to locate the "offending" mid frequency before cutting it. Not sure if everyone knows about that...
@boojoo1234 Yes, exactly. If you pan the frequency knob with a 12db boost, it's going to sound pretty obnoxious -- but you'll probably find a particular frequency that really makes you cringe hard. That's the frequency to cut. The point is, it's subjective. Find what sounds bad *to you* and cut it.
@boojoo1234 Oh sure, I like to boost a tiny bit of 800Hz using the active preamp on my bass. There's probably some optimal setting I could find with a parametric EQ where I did a small boost around 750 and a small cut around 350, with a narrow enough "Q" that they aren't overlapping. Maybe I'll try that someday. More gear to buy, hehe.
I play bass for my church, we play really modern music & what i love about darkglass is how versatile all their pedals are!! I just bought my B3K overdrive pedal 2 weeks ago and man!!! Blown away still have my bass tone without it being a complete metal bass guitar, SUPER VERSATILE! going to be ordering this clean boost soon🔥
Easily the best pedal demo I've ever seen. Love this format, love your playing, and love the vibe you give off! didn't necessarily wanna buy this pedal before but now you've got me thinking...
I've got one. If adds some flavor through some clever EQ techniques, but it's nice to turn it off too. It's good to have a diversity of tone. Honestly, if you aren't going to turn it off sometimes, it may actually not be the best purchase. The boost doesn't help most solid-state bass preamps to overdrive, so it will be pointless for most. The simple EQ features are already available on your amp, and they may be on your bass too if you have active EQ. The only actual feature I utilize is the character knob. It is like a variable shape mid-filter thing. It's similar to "VFE" knob on a MarkBass amp or the "Aural Enhancer" on an SWR.
I've recently found used Harmonic Booster in mint condition for a fair price and wanted to partly satisfy my curiosity about DG products, so it seemed like a fair starter. I've tried putting it as the first unit in the signal chain, and after the two stacked overdrives (Battalion+MXR M80). Putting it AFTER the overdrive suits my sound taste much, much better - Its 'character' knob works great (and noticeably better) when the unit is put after the already overdriven signal - it seems to me that it blends in/out that 'Darkglass sound engine' which adds a lot of brightness/crispness and attack to the sound, even when all the EQ knobs on it are set completely flat because its EQ works at the same boost/cut levels, no matter at which position the 'character' is set. Cheers!
Thanks for the great video, Amos. Would you be inclined to run this pedal direct into your amp and leave everything flat or would you run it in the effects loop? I'm looking to get some girth and grit from a Sandberg jazz style bass with Fralin pickups but don't want to make my Bergantino Forte EQ completely redundant. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
I'm a couple of years late getting here. Sorry about that! Would you put this before another Darkglass drive pedal, or would you use the drive pedal to shape the tone all by itself?
Yeah everyone is saying how great the demo is but he didn't show the effect without the mid sweep. No need to demo EQ, we know what that does , I want to hear the harmonic boost I already have the mid sweep on my amp.
I'm getting a custom bass built and I'm beginning to think this pedal may replace my onboard pre-amp, and that I'll just go passive pickups with two knobs (volume and blend)
Hey Amos - nice clip. Not sure if you have time to read these - if you do what was your recording signal path for the first clip with the P Bass and pick? It sounds great!!!
They can definitely be used together. Despite the name, the Harmonic Booster is really much more like an EQ pedal than a preamp. It is a tone shaper, but without having some overdrive, it really doesn't fulfill the role the Aguilar does.
Does boost past 12 oclock introduces noise? Its important and we cant hear boost past 12 nowhere, not only in this video. I need this to boost my signal in order to properly gain stage hyper luminal.
@@AmosHeller I would of figured that was a yamaha bb bass. I have one too. it's a bb235 and it sounds awesome. you should of demoed the darkglass harmonic booster with that bass. that would of been awesome. but that's okay, it's still a great preamp pedal.
Try it both ways! Personally I recommend before-it will allow the compressor to react naturally to the EQ settings (i.e. compressors react stronger to lower frequencies), but if you're simply using a comp to smooth out your levels, it will work after as well.
Fabian Thio probably more accurate to say the Tone Capsule is inspired by the HB. The TC has different frequency centers (I.e. 70 hz for bass vs the HB 80hz) and doesn’t have a mid-sweep.
LMAO, Dingwalls and Darkglass are overrated, thats literally my face every time I see the 10000000000000th bassist with that set up. Still, Darkglass is goated.
@@things2408 Well darkglass is goated no doubt, but if were talking straight distortion with similar versatility I would take the EarthQuaker Sun O))). I pair that one with my darkglass and its 👌🏻👌🏻 clean af. Dingwalls are overrated asf, my opinion hasnt changed. I have a 6 string Spector and a 6 String Ibanez.
This is probably the best, well-executed review I’ve seen of a pedal, let alone a Darkglass pedal review. Amos Heller deserves more spotlight, and is definitely up there among professional bassists/musicians.
Thanks!
The best of his demos is that instead of playing with the pedal engaged in different settings he shows how he achieves the proper settings.
Most of the demos I watch are people using pedals with different settings and or playing a looped bass line through a pedal and turning every single from the lowest to the highest position.
This guy is the best at doing pedal and gear reviews. I Understood and Bought two pedals that now I love because of him. Amos rocks!
I thought it ducked because they didn't rshiw the harmonic boost without using the mid sweep. I already have a mid sweep on my amp, I wanted to hear a wet/dry comparison without EQ adjustment, I really prefer if the pedal didn't have that function, I mean obviously you4 can just set the knob flat at zero in the middle but I prefer how the old one just had the blend.
He's getting plenty of recognition as Taylor swift eras tour bassist. He definitely getting his cut
5:20 At least they know their stereotype ahaha
"isn't he just going to grab a fan fret bass..." That line killed me! Amos Heller, what a man!
This guy makes your best demos, Darkglass.
True! Nobody demos the actual context of a pedal better than this guy.
Nice to see you demonstrate that technique of using a high boost setting to locate the "offending" mid frequency before cutting it. Not sure if everyone knows about that...
Ed Butler good catch. I thought about making a section about that but wanted to focus on the pedal. One of the great strengths of the HB.
Surgical Eq is a must
@boojoo1234 Yes, exactly. If you pan the frequency knob with a 12db boost, it's going to sound pretty obnoxious -- but you'll probably find a particular frequency that really makes you cringe hard. That's the frequency to cut. The point is, it's subjective. Find what sounds bad *to you* and cut it.
@boojoo1234 Oh sure, I like to boost a tiny bit of 800Hz using the active preamp on my bass. There's probably some optimal setting I could find with a parametric EQ where I did a small boost around 750 and a small cut around 350, with a narrow enough "Q" that they aren't overlapping. Maybe I'll try that someday. More gear to buy, hehe.
I just bought this pedal after seeing all reviews and believe me , this thing is pure magic
Amos is the bomb...I luv that everything he does is in the context of a mix.
5:33 is the best part
You're the only reviewer who correctly explained the Character control. I'm also glad you include passive basses. in your reviews.
I play bass for my church, we play really modern music & what i love about darkglass is how versatile all their pedals are!! I just bought my B3K overdrive pedal 2 weeks ago and man!!! Blown away still have my bass tone without it being a complete metal bass guitar, SUPER VERSATILE! going to be ordering this clean boost soon🔥
The amount of control this has per knob is high. It has metal capabilities, but covers a lot of other sonic ground on the way.
Easily the best pedal demo I've ever seen. Love this format, love your playing, and love the vibe you give off! didn't necessarily wanna buy this pedal before but now you've got me thinking...
There are more to come!
Thanks for the kind words Brad!
When he picks up the Dingwall 🤣🤣
Love using Darkglass with Baritone guitars and my Bass
If I didn’t just buy one yesterday, I would have bought one after watching this.
I’ll take a retroactive 5%
🤣
🤌🏼🤌🏼
Sounds like a magic wand. Subtle, but once you've switched it on, you'll never play bass without it again ... ever. Take my money now.
I've got one. If adds some flavor through some clever EQ techniques, but it's nice to turn it off too. It's good to have a diversity of tone. Honestly, if you aren't going to turn it off sometimes, it may actually not be the best purchase. The boost doesn't help most solid-state bass preamps to overdrive, so it will be pointless for most. The simple EQ features are already available on your amp, and they may be on your bass too if you have active EQ. The only actual feature I utilize is the character knob. It is like a variable shape mid-filter thing. It's similar to "VFE" knob on a MarkBass amp or the "Aural Enhancer" on an SWR.
Thank you for keeping your eye on the ball! This is the most information conveyed the most succinctly that I’ve ever seen in a demo video. Subscribed!
Enjoyed that demonstration and loved the Dingwall part too, cracked me up actually. Cheers!
Love it, might look at it!
I've recently found used Harmonic Booster in mint condition for a fair price and wanted to partly satisfy my curiosity about DG products, so it seemed like a fair starter. I've tried putting it as the first unit in the signal chain, and after the two stacked overdrives (Battalion+MXR M80). Putting it AFTER the overdrive suits my sound taste much, much better - Its 'character' knob works great (and noticeably better) when the unit is put after the already overdriven signal - it seems to me that it blends in/out that 'Darkglass sound engine' which adds a lot of brightness/crispness and attack to the sound, even when all the EQ knobs on it are set completely flat because its EQ works at the same boost/cut levels, no matter at which position the 'character' is set. Cheers!
Just the bass and effect !!!
Exactly
Just ordered one. Super excited to try this bad boy out
Damn. Subtle slap bass on flats. Good tone.
I recently tried putting it after the Vintage Microtubes in the signal chain, game changer
It works well after all of the distortions. It's a nice way to sculpt a second sound with the click of a button.
Great demo Amos! That’s a pedal I may have to add to the collection.
Great work, dude! Love your videos.
Great demo!
Great Demo, very helpful "AB ing"
Amazing review !!!!
"I know what you're thinking. This is a Darkglass pedal, they're just gonna grab their fanned fret bass and jus..."
Yep, that's why I'm here!
Thanks for the great video, Amos.
Would you be inclined to run this pedal direct into your amp and leave everything flat or would you run it in the effects loop?
I'm looking to get some girth and grit from a Sandberg jazz style bass with Fralin pickups but don't want to make my Bergantino Forte EQ completely redundant.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Man yeah, choice vid, thnx
How ya gonna demo the NG2 and not touch the B string??
Hi Amos. Nice demo, thanks. I'm thinking it might be good with a fretless as well...
Absolutely! This is a great tool for dialing in the mwah
I'm a couple of years late getting here. Sorry about that! Would you put this before another Darkglass drive pedal, or would you use the drive pedal to shape the tone all by itself?
Yeah everyone is saying how great the demo is but he didn't show the effect without the mid sweep. No need to demo EQ, we know what that does , I want to hear the harmonic boost I already have the mid sweep on my amp.
I'm getting a custom bass built and I'm beginning to think this pedal may replace my onboard pre-amp, and that I'll just go passive pickups with two knobs (volume and blend)
Are the riffs he's playing improv or are they from actual songs becaue I'm really digging em
Tabarak Sikander thanks! These are improvs/original compositions
Can the Harmonic Booster be used in conjunction with a Bass Compressor? Thanks.
Hey Amos - nice clip. Not sure if you have time to read these - if you do what was your recording signal path for the first clip with the P Bass and pick? It sounds great!!!
Where would you place it in you signal chain? I have Bass -> Compressor -> Alpha Omega -> end
great demo. too bad i bought the aguilar preamp before i saw this.and the dingwall bit was spot on
They can definitely be used together. Despite the name, the Harmonic Booster is really much more like an EQ pedal than a preamp. It is a tone shaper, but without having some overdrive, it really doesn't fulfill the role the Aguilar does.
Does boost past 12 oclock introduces noise? Its important and we cant hear boost past 12 nowhere, not only in this video.
I need this to boost my signal in order to properly gain stage hyper luminal.
Pretty cool demo. That preamp pedal sounds awesome. I wonder if that white bass in the background is a Yamaha bb bass.
Thanks! It is indeed.
@@AmosHeller I would of figured that was a yamaha bb bass. I have one too. it's a bb235 and it sounds awesome. you should of demoed the darkglass harmonic booster with that bass. that would of been awesome. but that's okay, it's still a great preamp pedal.
SOLD
ben stiller doing darkglass reviews??
How do you power this?
Should I put it before or after compressor?
Try it both ways! Personally I recommend before-it will allow the compressor to react naturally to the EQ settings (i.e. compressors react stronger to lower frequencies), but if you're simply using a comp to smooth out your levels, it will work after as well.
So can I say this is basically a darkglass preamp in a pedal format instead of the onboard preamps in basses?
Fabian Thio probably more accurate to say the Tone Capsule is inspired by the HB. The TC has different frequency centers (I.e. 70 hz for bass vs the HB 80hz) and doesn’t have a mid-sweep.
Best pedal I have ever bought
So it's a preamp style EQ pedal. K
That's what bass really needs in most cases)
It’s not the only thing they sell... and it does it’s job exceptionally well
What happened at 5:34? Lol.
This pedal should be integrated into every bass
Am I the only one thinking that this pedal sounds like a Tonehammer?
They both have mid sweeps, which is one of the most useful tools in a preamp pedal...I wonder how they’d sound in a shootout?
@@AmosHeller I'd love to see that!
missing a xrl out to go to the board not a pro gear with missing features.
I might give one a try, but I just don't think it's going to end up being worth the price tag.
haha, the humor is as classy as the playing..
without a pedal everywhere is better
Save your money. You will get more with a 10 band eq.
As I have the Tone Capsule, I’ll skip this pedal 🧐
I like it's farty sound~ burpy farty
LMAO, Dingwalls and Darkglass are overrated, thats literally my face every time I see the 10000000000000th bassist with that set up. Still, Darkglass is goated.
What brands would you recommend if darkglass is overrated?
@@things2408 Well darkglass is goated no doubt, but if were talking straight distortion with similar versatility I would take the EarthQuaker Sun O))). I pair that one with my darkglass and its 👌🏻👌🏻 clean af. Dingwalls are overrated asf, my opinion hasnt changed. I have a 6 string Spector and a 6 String Ibanez.