Hey Janek, While I was totally with you at first about the second headphone output, I now use it to run a signal to my zoom H1n that I use to record my practice. I’ve found it a really convenient way to get a clean recording with no room noise without having to fire up the DAW on my computer. I hope this is helpful to someone else out there because I’ve found it massively useful. Cheers man, keep up the good work.
Appreciate you checking out the video. Unfortunately a lot of channels take money for product reviews, or at least demand to keep any products sent to them (which a lot of them eventually sell), in return for making a video, which can kind of pressure them into saying only nice things. I'm not saying the videos associated with this product online right now all fall into that category, but when I see that happening in the social media creator space, it does motivate me to be very transparent when it comes to my own content. I really try not be a product "reviewer" at all. Whenever I make a video about something, it's always going to be a look inside how I actually use it, rather than a script-read of feature sets, and an encouragement to my audience to then make a purchase. I mean, one of the Element's main features is the cabsim, and I didn't even use it in the video. So I really don't think I'm the guy to be labelled a reviewer. Tester or Beta tester? Maybe. Finder-of-weird-uses-for-things? definitely. 😉 I never have, and never will take money for a video like this, and that allows me the freedom to be brutally honest about things. I also think it's important to be honest, and any successful company like Darkglass will, I'm sure, welcome healthy discussion about improving their product. I know if I was putting something out there into the world, I'd much rather hear honest feedback about its design and functionality in the real world, than a fluffy video praising it regardless of any flaws it might have. I encourage everyone to chime in, and open the conversation as wide as possible on any of the videos I post. The best thing about open discussion, and thoughtful and constructive criticism, is that we all win. If Darkglass hear our feedback and implement some changes in the product to improve it, they get major respect, happier customers, and make more money. And we get a product we love, with trust being built between all parties involved moving forwards.
@@janekgwizdala The issues you mention in the video make so much sense once you take a moment to think of the different scenarios in which the device could be used. Your podcasting scenario (having a playback + the bass sound merged) could also be translated to a live demo scenario, where someone doing demos on a stage, or in shop or a music school or wherever, would use the playback merged with the actual sound of the bass, the mix being sent to PA. I have the feeling that the device is almost there but not quite, for example you could be able to send the playback throught the DI out as you mentionned, but in that case, it would be mono, unless that XLR could handle stereo (but DIs rarely feel OK with stereo XLRs). You could also have the option to switch the 2nd headphone out to a line level out and then your wiring would be a correct scenario and not a workaround. Audio over USB as an interface is also a way to work it around but wouldn't work in a live setup or in a traveling / green room / hotel room scenario. Battery issue: I think that there's no need to put a battery inside the device, power over the USB would solve it, especially if you consider, for the on-the-move scenario, that you could either plug into the computer to have power+sound throught the same cable, like a regular interface, or you could use an external battery such as the ones designed for phone recharging if you use it without a computer.
@Janek Gwizdala Hi have you tried the NUX Mighty Plug. It seems to be the perfect tool for playing late at night jamming on the music you have on your phone. It's pretty cheap too and can be used for recording.
Function 1: helps with in ear monitors for live; also in studio. Function 2: use live at shows. This is how you make your d.i. sound like an amp without taking a refrigerator of an amp with you.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who was confused as to what the Element was supposed to do. I always look forward to new episodes of The Pedal Studio! I'm glad you still keep it real and honest with your videos Janek! It's a breath of fresh air.
I mean, even if you don't need a box like the Elemental or think it is missing features you'd like, it's pretty obvious what it can do. You can't possibly look at it and find it useless.
The cool thing about Darkglass stuff is Doug is always open to suggestions from players and evolving his designs. I bet a year or two from now they’ll have another version of this device that addresses everything people suggest
Janek thanks so much for your unbiased and excellent discussion on the Darkglass Element. I have had the unit for six months now and I love using it as a practice piece of kit working on songs and I do find the blend function handy.. But you are bang on about the issue of the two headphones and why the real estate of the second input could not be used for a second instrument in. I did think that 'ok if I use it as an interface, the two headphones could be useful' but your you can only use one headphone monitoring your sound as the second does not work unless you using the Aux in back out of your laptop... anyway, I think your right that this product has missed the mark a little.. and thank you again for your review. !
It does exactly what I need it to do. I have it permanently at the end of my pedalboard. Silent practice with cab options cause I live in an apartment, and as a DI out with my prefered cab (or not if I don't/sound guy doesn't want cabsim) when I play live. It has essentially made my rig amp free. Since it sends a bypassed signal through the amp in jack, it doesn't affect the use of a backline for monitors. And if there isn't a backline, I can connect it to in-ears as well (not something I ever needed to, but it's nice to have the option). Also, nice to have it as an audio interface option. The second headphone amp is a bit pointless to me, though. Never had a situation where two people wanted to listen to one person play in silence. But it's there I guess, probably has other uses for other people. I get why people don't need this box, or why some may miss some features, but what I don't get are people questioning why it exists in the first place. Edit: to be clear, I didn't have the Element back when this video came out, so there might have been updates since then which have made what I use it for possible.
They definitely made updates to the unit, based a little on what I said in this video as far as I remember. They could also have planned the updates before I published this, but that's always a little bit of a head scratcher to me when you release a product that isn't ready, and claim it can do things that it isn't capable of yet.
Finally a good and thorough review of this device. Thanks so much! I hear DG is now gauging interest to beta test this and I’m fairly confident that 2nd headphone out and slider will go away on the next version of this. I also don’t see it’s benefit as designed.
Exactly. That's why mine sits in the box. I use a PJB Bighead for practice and travel. The Element sounds good, though. I have never used it on my board.
Bought one of these and regretted it. Was going to return it. Luckily I was busy with the holidays and ended up spending more time with it. You can now use it as an audio interface and it is easy to set up and use as such. The bluetooth function is one of the reasons I bought it and it is great to be able to link it to my tablet and jam to music or drum tracks. The cab sim feature works well and IRs are readily available for free online. They have added an equalizer as well. It could be priced lower in my opinion but it's not outrageous.
hi janek, thank you for your educational videos, keep em coming. i am really interested with darkglass element as i am going less for my pedals. currently using, warwick rb corvette, EBS multi comp, darkglass alpha omega, ehx bass clone. planning to add this at the end of my signal chain for live gig set up but i am really confuse if the cab sim only work with the DI and not the 1/4 jack? we are only playing in a small shows and most of the time, there is no front of house. the reason i'm planning to add the element is because of the crappy amps available and looking forward to have a better sound or tone. Lastly, can i use the the element with my 50 watts practice amp at home?
Hello I enjoyed this demo as well thank you I noticed that this is two years old now and I’m wondering if there’s a newer version as you mention there might be and what that is. Please let me know thank you Adam
Hey Janek, you mentioned practicing on the road quietly, have you ever checked out the iRig products? They're battery free (running off the phone's power really efficiently) and you find your preferred music app on your phone and away you go. I definitely recommend the HD line (iRig HD 2 as the go to) to get the best quality sound. And many apps allow the app to run in the background so you can jam to music on your phone or even find a video on RUclips to jam along to. They're small, light, affordable ($80 new) (gotta pay for the phone app you wanna use with it), and extremely portable. Plus the model I suggested has a thru-line option to plug a 1/4" into an interface (actually for an amplifier but I found out you can go into an interface) for recording and it should record any music samples you play on your phone at the same time into the interface. Hope this helps! (Pro tip: in the options of some apps, they have a low latency option to help get that feel more spot on. Pro tip 2: Some app you can just remove the amp sim and get a DI sound. Just takes a little finagling with a few apps)
Finally Darkglass got it right by sending the pedals to a serious bass player. This universe of Cabsim is really something to research a lot so as not to invest wrong, Element to be a good tool for practice, considering that there are others on the market such as Two Notes and the DSM Noise Maker that is from the same Chilean school of Darkglass that is manufactured in Finland. I already ask a question, will these Darkglass distortions be used in John Davis or Janek (Djnek) styles, and in relation to BB pramp or Zvex wooly mammoth among others? Great video helped a lot. congratulations!!
Definitely planning on working the DG distortions into my signal chain over the next couple of weeks to make a video with them. For me, I'm sure it'll more on the djent side of things. Not sure how John Davis would use them, but I know it would be very musical.
A little note on the DG Ultra pedals: I personally prefer the sound of the AO than the X, so I've made my own "Alpha Omega X" by using it in the HX Stomp fx loop and having an eq and comp in parallel to the AO. And yes you can change the phase of the HX loop at the end connection which should solve the issue you've been having :)
I have literally been so slammed since the AO and the X arrived with the Element, that I haven't even had a chance to plug them in yet. I have checked them out loads online though, and I definitely dig what I've heard so far. I hear you on being able to recreate these sounds in a unit like the HX Stomp. I too have made lots of versions of the AO and the X, and experimented a lot. But there's definitely something about having a pedal like the AOU in my hands, and the tactile response of moving faders and turning knobs to get my sound, that I really dig. I love that HX Stomp, but I think the perfect balance will always be a combination of pedals like the AO (and all the other crazy stuff that makes it onto my board) and a unit like the Stomp to do some of the heavy lifting on the modulation, delay, and reverb side of things. It, like every thing else, is all subject to change of course. But that's where I'm at conceptually right now. I shall investigate the phase thing in the HX loop and report in a later video. 👍
Ahh I do the same thing just without the stomp. Split the signal with High/Low pass filters in my C4 Synth then sum them together again. The distortions in the AO are far superior to the X but the idea for the X is cool
I currently use a headphone out on my amp with a t cable to my computer. My bass is plugged in the amp. I play alone to videos. Will this work for me, better? I currently have a cable mess and a 20 pound amp that can't move.
If it had two inputs I would, without question, buy one. I play Chapman Stick and it would be a great thing, seeing as I pretty much have two signal chains. You need to get your comments to Darkglass. I think they'd listen to you!
I have been using the Phil Jones BIGHEAD portable headphone amp for years for travel... easy to use, simple and the big one, it has a reachable internal battery. It does everything you need for on the go practise etc. in unfamiliar and travelling environments. It also sounds amazing without a cab sim/ IR... with a great pair of headphones the frequency range is huge. It genuinely does sound good and not a make-do unit. Could not recommend enough
Well lets see how it develops. I don't think this is the final iteration of the device at all. And with a few tweaks, I think it can be super useful, compact, and is already a beautifully designed product. The addition of it becoming an interface for recording on the go would be great. But at the same time, I would have a hard time getting over the fact there's no power option besides the 9v wall plug. It would be nice if the USB port could really function in several ways, and facilitate charging as well as recording. But I guess that's a major hardware upgrade to include a power source in the unit. So we'll just wait and see what happens there.
Am I wrong or it is missing bluetooth output too? Most headphones are bluetooth nowadays and I'd rather like to play with spotify on my smartphone and having everything sent to my bluetooth headphones.
Here is a hot take but I don’t know this was purely designed for bassist/guitarist as much as electronic musicians wanting to record/jam with a chain of synths and drum machines. Two headphone jacks makes this a Swiss Army knife for a very niche group of us who play a lot of various instruments and want the ability to jam occasionally in noise sensitive environments.
Interesting point of view, I agree with everything... may I ask you wich kind of devices you’re referring to when you talk about cheaper bass preamp with battery supply? Or maybe someone who read this comment... Cause I’m looking for something like that to play in like “bedroom situations” without investing too much money. Thank you!
Zoom B1 Four is a great cheap option. Multi FX unit with aux in and headphones out, can be powered via USB (powerbank or wallplug), 4 AA batteries or power adapter. The version without the expression pedal is super compact.
Its interesting, I play Theater primarily and I am ALWAYS looking for things to improve my DI sound because I actually cant remember the last time I used an amp....Im really thankful for this honest review and that I saved my $!!
For cabsim purposes I still see this as a good choice. I've not used an amp for a long time on stage. Having the option to download multiple sets of cabinets into my device sounds amazing. I'm still looking for it and should purchase one soon, despite the second headphone output would be useless for me
Great video, I personally think the biggest drawback for me is I really would like if it had just a direct out as well. I would like to leave it on my board and choose whether I want it to use the DI out or just send the signal to an amp without having to completely change the routing of my pedal board.
Storm Paul I’m using an Element on my board, and it’s possible to use both the DI out (to an interface, with cabsim) and the parallel out (to an amp, without cabsim) at the same time, or separately.
Storm Paul On the right hand side there are 2 input/output ports. The bottom one is “Instrument In”, and the top one is “Instrument Out”. The “Instrument Out” only outputs the signal the comes in on “Instrument In”. It doesn’t add the cabsim. I then use the XLR on the left side for DI to my interface, which has cabsim added. Both of these outputs work at the same time. The controls on the front for blend and volume only apply to the headphone outs (which can also be used simultaneously with the other outputs).
Storm Paul To add to that, in the last few days Darkglass has released new firmware that adds a poweramp sim, EQ, and it also works as an audio interface. Haven’t had a chance to really play with all of that yet, but really makes the cost more worthwhile.
I would use a power bank to power this. I use a power bank to power everything. I can power elektron sampler, korg minilogue XD, behringer crave, guitar pedals, etc. Way more useful than carrying a bunch of 9V batteries.
Yeah, for me honestly I love darkglass stuff I’ve owned the ultra line plus others but just like this product with almost everything I try from them I’m always like “why did they do that?” And “why am I feeling that this is an incomplete idea?” As far as the element they’re far better options for similar prize and much less expensive that are ideal practice tools like the Vox amplug 2 is $40 (which I’ve used for cramming in situations like Janek explained) the cabzone LE is less than $100 dollars, and the two notes CABM is a way better in pedalboard pedal for live use that can be use for practice it’s a little bit more pricier but you get app for both android and apple as well as computer software, EQ, tuner, amp cab emulation, noise gate, and more. Janek! Big fan love your content and material will definitely be picking up your bass player guide for pentatonics
Great video as always! The Element does what it does well but I am disappointed with the selector “button”. Seems very inconsistent. And holding it to turn on Bluetooth is an adventure (not in a good way). Anyone else have that experience or does mine have a bad switch?
Chris wilkinson the Bluetooth pairing is actually something I wish I had included in the video, because it was so smooth for me. I didn’t read the manual, went just on intuition, and it was paired within seconds. I also haven’t had any issues with the selector, so it’s possible yours might have a one-off issue if no one else has experienced this either.
Janek Gwizdala thank you for your thoughts. I spent more time with the Element and believe the issues is that selector sensitivity is not where I expect it to be. On mine it is slightly “north” of the bullseye. More like between the outer ring and the 3. I can totally live with it and wanted to log what I figured out. Thanks again!
I received my Element yesterday and I found pairing difficult as well. I found myself pressing far harder than I expected. Likewise with the cab switcher. I expected it to be touch-sensitive but I really have to press it hard.
If you are monitoring through your interface, could you use the DI for your bass signal and headphone out for backing track, with blend all the way to backing track? Still not ideal, and there are a million other slicker more versatile solutions to that specific problem, but this could be a workaround?
In fact, as I think about it, you could just plug your phone straight into the interface rather than routing it through the Element in the first place...
@@wilko2409 Well yes and no to both of those ideas. They did both cross my mind... but the issue with "plugging" an iPhone into anything these days, is that they are basically trying to abolish any cable connections to the device, and go completely wireless with both audio and charging. So I guess you could right now, maybe? lightning to audio cable perhaps? But even that, if it's possible, will be a thing of the past soon. And I could totally use the Element as a kind of splitter by taking the XLR for the bass and using the second headphone socket as output 2 for the backing track, with the blend all the way wet to the track as you said, but I feel that's even more work than the current situation I have.
Janek Gwizdala fair point about iPhone, although you could argue that is the fault of Apple not Dark glass. Either way you're right, and the element is frustratingly close to something great and usable for this application but hasn't quite hit it's mark. Hope you're good and looking after yourself during the current madness. I've been rewatching your old vlogs and they've been helping keep me sane, so I hope you've found something to help you do the same!
There isn't such a thing as a headphone "input" (even though i did mangle my words and call it that once in this video). There are two headphone outputs and one 8th inch aux input.
Sometimes it seems like all these companies dont really care about making the best possible equipment, i mean, those things are pretty obvious to any working musician with experience, why not consulting them before making the damm thing??
Looks interesting, but I'd have to say it's quite a different product. It's marketed as an interface rather than a headphone amp, and only has one headphone out. And as much as I'm not into Cabsim, the Element is actually specifically for that. I would definitely check it out though and put it through it's paces to see what category it would fall into for me.
So close but so far. Even all this time, I’m yet to understand the Darkglass hype. It seems like everything they release is a slightly modified version of something that already exists but without adding the X factor that would make it the first thing in the basket...
I think everyone's X-Factor is probably a little different. Regardless of function, DG do have impeccable taste when it comes to design. I'm really loving the AOU and the MXU as I try them for the first time, and get ready to make a video on them. But yes, I do understand where you're coming from with your comment. You could liken it to Apple in some senses. Android had all the functionality that apple is only just getting to with home screen widgets for instance, but their product is more expensive, and is recognized further and wider as the superior product, while some of the time that's not strictly true, and is based a little more on hype than fact. I think DG's success has a lot to do with the experience of the pedals. I think their distortions and EQ's are up there with the absolute best in class from what I've heard and experienced so far, and the experience of opening the box, of the sleek design, and of holding the product in your hand and using it... that's something that often gets overlooked by most other pedal companies out there I also think there's so much more that goes into the success of a product than the product itself. Yahoo was first, but google was way more successful. Myspace was first, facebook dominates the world. What about blackberry vs almost every other smartphone manufacturer in existence today? You could perhaps argue that those points are merely a circumstance of the time in which the products were in existence, and that there is no comparison to a blackberry from 2003 to an iPhone of 2020. But it's that combination of genius marketing, AND a great product, that leads to the market domination. And we didn't even touch on the subjectiveness. People are going to gravitate towards their tribe, be die-hard fans of something, and perhaps, just like with Samsung and Apple, help create a little bit of healthy competition and controversy in the bass pedal marketplace.
Janek Gwizdala all fair comments 👍 If I were playing Devil’s advocate, I’d be asking when you’ll be swapping out your Aguilar TH500 head for a Darkglass head 😉 My point was simply that for me (and don’t get me wrong, the darkglass stuff is nice), I just can’t find the thing that makes them 30-40% more expensive than the competition and justify the price increase when there’s nothing tangible! An example would be that buying an Aguilar SL112 for £120 more than an Aguilar DB112 has a significant advantage in that it’s way lighter (and that’s important to me) so I can justify the additional cost. It has that tangible differential that justifies the price. I can just never really find that with any of the Darkglass stuff but I’m looking forward to your videos on them because I have an open mind and would be more than happy to change my mind! Thanks again for your input, much appreciated 🙂
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Hey Janek,
While I was totally with you at first about the second headphone output, I now use it to run a signal to my zoom H1n that I use to record my practice. I’ve found it a really convenient way to get a clean recording with no room noise without having to fire up the DAW on my computer.
I hope this is helpful to someone else out there because I’ve found it massively useful.
Cheers man, keep up the good work.
This is the most useful review I've seen on the Element. Everyone else is praising this, eventhough it has some issues. Thank you, Janek!
Appreciate you checking out the video. Unfortunately a lot of channels take money for product reviews, or at least demand to keep any products sent to them (which a lot of them eventually sell), in return for making a video, which can kind of pressure them into saying only nice things. I'm not saying the videos associated with this product online right now all fall into that category, but when I see that happening in the social media creator space, it does motivate me to be very transparent when it comes to my own content.
I really try not be a product "reviewer" at all. Whenever I make a video about something, it's always going to be a look inside how I actually use it, rather than a script-read of feature sets, and an encouragement to my audience to then make a purchase. I mean, one of the Element's main features is the cabsim, and I didn't even use it in the video. So I really don't think I'm the guy to be labelled a reviewer. Tester or Beta tester? Maybe. Finder-of-weird-uses-for-things? definitely. 😉
I never have, and never will take money for a video like this, and that allows me the freedom to be brutally honest about things. I also think it's important to be honest, and any successful company like Darkglass will, I'm sure, welcome healthy discussion about improving their product. I know if I was putting something out there into the world, I'd much rather hear honest feedback about its design and functionality in the real world, than a fluffy video praising it regardless of any flaws it might have.
I encourage everyone to chime in, and open the conversation as wide as possible on any of the videos I post.
The best thing about open discussion, and thoughtful and constructive criticism, is that we all win. If Darkglass hear our feedback and implement some changes in the product to improve it, they get major respect, happier customers, and make more money. And we get a product we love, with trust being built between all parties involved moving forwards.
@@janekgwizdala
The issues you mention in the video make so much sense once you take a moment to think of the different scenarios in which the device could be used. Your podcasting scenario (having a playback + the bass sound merged) could also be translated to a live demo scenario, where someone doing demos on a stage, or in shop or a music school or wherever, would use the playback merged with the actual sound of the bass, the mix being sent to PA.
I have the feeling that the device is almost there but not quite, for example you could be able to send the playback throught the DI out as you mentionned, but in that case, it would be mono, unless that XLR could handle stereo (but DIs rarely feel OK with stereo XLRs). You could also have the option to switch the 2nd headphone out to a line level out and then your wiring would be a correct scenario and not a workaround.
Audio over USB as an interface is also a way to work it around but wouldn't work in a live setup or in a traveling / green room / hotel room scenario.
Battery issue: I think that there's no need to put a battery inside the device, power over the USB would solve it, especially if you consider, for the on-the-move scenario, that you could either plug into the computer to have power+sound throught the same cable, like a regular interface, or you could use an external battery such as the ones designed for phone recharging if you use it without a computer.
@Janek Gwizdala
Hi have you tried the NUX Mighty Plug. It seems to be the perfect tool for playing late at night jamming on the music you have on your phone. It's pretty cheap too and can be used for recording.
@@ribaluigi the price keeps rising as it's now $279
Function 1: helps with in ear monitors for live; also in studio.
Function 2: use live at shows. This is how you make your d.i. sound like an amp without taking a refrigerator of an amp with you.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who was confused as to what the Element was supposed to do. I always look forward to new episodes of The Pedal Studio! I'm glad you still keep it real and honest with your videos Janek! It's a breath of fresh air.
I mean, even if you don't need a box like the Elemental or think it is missing features you'd like, it's pretty obvious what it can do. You can't possibly look at it and find it useless.
The cool thing about Darkglass stuff is Doug is always open to suggestions from players and evolving his designs. I bet a year or two from now they’ll have another version of this device that addresses everything people suggest
Look at what this thing does now vs when Janek's video came out. The benefit of digital for a concept like this.
I love that opening animation LOL! Brilliant
Janek thanks so much for your unbiased and excellent discussion on the Darkglass Element. I have had the unit for six months now and I love using it as a practice piece of kit working on songs and I do find the blend function handy.. But you are bang on about the issue of the two headphones and why the real estate of the second input could not be used for a second instrument in. I did think that 'ok if I use it as an interface, the two headphones could be useful' but your you can only use one headphone monitoring your sound as the second does not work unless you using the Aux in back out of your laptop... anyway, I think your right that this product has missed the mark a little.. and thank you again for your review. !
It does exactly what I need it to do. I have it permanently at the end of my pedalboard. Silent practice with cab options cause I live in an apartment, and as a DI out with my prefered cab (or not if I don't/sound guy doesn't want cabsim) when I play live. It has essentially made my rig amp free. Since it sends a bypassed signal through the amp in jack, it doesn't affect the use of a backline for monitors. And if there isn't a backline, I can connect it to in-ears as well (not something I ever needed to, but it's nice to have the option).
Also, nice to have it as an audio interface option.
The second headphone amp is a bit pointless to me, though. Never had a situation where two people wanted to listen to one person play in silence. But it's there I guess, probably has other uses for other people.
I get why people don't need this box, or why some may miss some features, but what I don't get are people questioning why it exists in the first place.
Edit: to be clear, I didn't have the Element back when this video came out, so there might have been updates since then which have made what I use it for possible.
They definitely made updates to the unit, based a little on what I said in this video as far as I remember. They could also have planned the updates before I published this, but that's always a little bit of a head scratcher to me when you release a product that isn't ready, and claim it can do things that it isn't capable of yet.
Finally a good and thorough review of this device. Thanks so much! I hear DG is now gauging interest to beta test this and I’m fairly confident that 2nd headphone out and slider will go away on the next version of this. I also don’t see it’s benefit as designed.
Exactly. That's why mine sits in the box. I use a PJB Bighead for practice and travel. The Element sounds good, though. I have never used it on my board.
Bought one of these and regretted it. Was going to return it. Luckily I was busy with the holidays and ended up spending more time with it. You can now use it as an audio interface and it is easy to set up and use as such. The bluetooth function is one of the reasons I bought it and it is great to be able to link it to my tablet and jam to music or drum tracks. The cab sim feature works well and IRs are readily available for free online. They have added an equalizer as well. It could be priced lower in my opinion but it's not outrageous.
How many channels in the USB interface? In and outs? Can you her also the signal of your DAW?
hi janek, thank you for your educational videos, keep em coming. i am really interested with darkglass element as i am going less for my pedals. currently using, warwick rb corvette, EBS multi comp, darkglass alpha omega, ehx bass clone. planning to add this at the end of my signal chain for live gig set up but i am really confuse if the cab sim only work with the DI and not the 1/4 jack? we are only playing in a small shows and most of the time, there is no front of house. the reason i'm planning to add the element is because of the crappy amps available and looking forward to have a better sound or tone. Lastly, can i use the the element with my 50 watts practice amp at home?
Hello I enjoyed this demo as well thank you I noticed that this is two years old now and I’m wondering if there’s a newer version as you mention there might be and what that is. Please let me know thank you Adam
I use this with my iMac Bluetooth and read music from .pdf cord charts while playing the music from iTunes. It works flawlessly.
I use the Big Joe Li 2 Power box to power 9v pedals.Cordless and rechargeable and tiny,I find it very convenient.
Hi Janek! Big fan.
Now I'm in the mood to go through the pentatonic book again haha.
👍💪
Hey Janek, you mentioned practicing on the road quietly, have you ever checked out the iRig products? They're battery free (running off the phone's power really efficiently) and you find your preferred music app on your phone and away you go. I definitely recommend the HD line (iRig HD 2 as the go to) to get the best quality sound. And many apps allow the app to run in the background so you can jam to music on your phone or even find a video on RUclips to jam along to. They're small, light, affordable ($80 new) (gotta pay for the phone app you wanna use with it), and extremely portable. Plus the model I suggested has a thru-line option to plug a 1/4" into an interface (actually for an amplifier but I found out you can go into an interface) for recording and it should record any music samples you play on your phone at the same time into the interface. Hope this helps!
(Pro tip: in the options of some apps, they have a low latency option to help get that feel more spot on. Pro tip 2: Some app you can just remove the amp sim and get a DI sound. Just takes a little finagling with a few apps)
Finally Darkglass got it right by sending the pedals to a serious bass player. This universe of Cabsim is really something to research a lot so as not to invest wrong, Element to be a good tool for practice, considering that there are others on the market such as Two Notes and the DSM Noise Maker that is from the same Chilean school of Darkglass that is manufactured in Finland. I already ask a question, will these Darkglass distortions be used in John Davis or Janek (Djnek) styles, and in relation to BB pramp or Zvex wooly mammoth among others? Great video helped a lot. congratulations!!
Definitely planning on working the DG distortions into my signal chain over the next couple of weeks to make a video with them. For me, I'm sure it'll more on the djent side of things. Not sure how John Davis would use them, but I know it would be very musical.
A little note on the DG Ultra pedals: I personally prefer the sound of the AO than the X, so I've made my own "Alpha Omega X" by using it in the HX Stomp fx loop and having an eq and comp in parallel to the AO. And yes you can change the phase of the HX loop at the end connection which should solve the issue you've been having :)
I have literally been so slammed since the AO and the X arrived with the Element, that I haven't even had a chance to plug them in yet. I have checked them out loads online though, and I definitely dig what I've heard so far. I hear you on being able to recreate these sounds in a unit like the HX Stomp. I too have made lots of versions of the AO and the X, and experimented a lot. But there's definitely something about having a pedal like the AOU in my hands, and the tactile response of moving faders and turning knobs to get my sound, that I really dig. I love that HX Stomp, but I think the perfect balance will always be a combination of pedals like the AO (and all the other crazy stuff that makes it onto my board) and a unit like the Stomp to do some of the heavy lifting on the modulation, delay, and reverb side of things.
It, like every thing else, is all subject to change of course. But that's where I'm at conceptually right now.
I shall investigate the phase thing in the HX loop and report in a later video. 👍
@@janekgwizdala my thoughts exactly in regards to using both. That's why it's still on my board years later!
Ahh I do the same thing just without the stomp. Split the signal with High/Low pass filters in my C4 Synth then sum them together again. The distortions in the AO are far superior to the X but the idea for the X is cool
I currently use a headphone out on my amp with a t cable to my computer. My bass is plugged in the amp. I play alone to videos. Will this work for me, better? I currently have a cable mess and a 20 pound amp that can't move.
If it had two inputs I would, without question, buy one.
I play Chapman Stick and it would be a great thing, seeing as I pretty much have two signal chains.
You need to get your comments to Darkglass. I think they'd listen to you!
I have been using the Phil Jones BIGHEAD portable headphone amp for years for travel... easy to use, simple and the big one, it has a reachable internal battery. It does everything you need for on the go practise etc. in unfamiliar and travelling environments. It also sounds amazing without a cab sim/ IR... with a great pair of headphones the frequency range is huge. It genuinely does sound good and not a make-do unit. Could not recommend enough
Awesome video as ever Janek, thank you.
Not sure there's a need for this pedal really though! Plenty of other options which do way more.
Well lets see how it develops. I don't think this is the final iteration of the device at all. And with a few tweaks, I think it can be super useful, compact, and is already a beautifully designed product. The addition of it becoming an interface for recording on the go would be great. But at the same time, I would have a hard time getting over the fact there's no power option besides the 9v wall plug. It would be nice if the USB port could really function in several ways, and facilitate charging as well as recording. But I guess that's a major hardware upgrade to include a power source in the unit. So we'll just wait and see what happens there.
Am I wrong or it is missing bluetooth output too? Most headphones are bluetooth nowadays and I'd rather like to play with spotify on my smartphone and having everything sent to my bluetooth headphones.
Here is a hot take but I don’t know this was purely designed for bassist/guitarist as much as electronic musicians wanting to record/jam with a chain of synths and drum machines. Two headphone jacks makes this a Swiss Army knife for a very niche group of us who play a lot of various instruments and want the ability to jam occasionally in noise sensitive environments.
Interesting point of view, I agree with everything... may I ask you wich kind of devices you’re referring to when you talk about cheaper bass preamp with battery supply? Or maybe someone who read this comment... Cause I’m looking for something like that to play in like “bedroom situations” without investing too much money.
Thank you!
Zoom B1 Four is a great cheap option. Multi FX unit with aux in and headphones out, can be powered via USB (powerbank or wallplug), 4 AA batteries or power adapter. The version without the expression pedal is super compact.
@@metashape I really like my ZoomB4 too, but the headphone output is no where near as good as the Element.
I really hope Darkglass are open to hearing your criticisms so we can get an amazing v2 version.
Does the element have the noise suppressor feature?
Its interesting, I play Theater primarily and I am ALWAYS looking for things to improve my DI sound because I actually cant remember the last time I used an amp....Im really thankful for this honest review and that I saved my $!!
For cabsim purposes I still see this as a good choice. I've not used an amp for a long time on stage. Having the option to download multiple sets of cabinets into my device sounds amazing. I'm still looking for it and should purchase one soon, despite the second headphone output would be useless for me
Great video, I personally think the biggest drawback for me is I really would like if it had just a direct out as well. I would like to leave it on my board and choose whether I want it to use the DI out or just send the signal to an amp without having to completely change the routing of my pedal board.
Storm Paul I’m using an Element on my board, and it’s possible to use both the DI out (to an interface, with cabsim) and the parallel out (to an amp, without cabsim) at the same time, or separately.
@@Nebvin Thanks for your response! Which output are you using for the direct out? Also, is that simultaneously?
Storm Paul On the right hand side there are 2 input/output ports. The bottom one is “Instrument In”, and the top one is “Instrument Out”. The “Instrument Out” only outputs the signal the comes in on “Instrument In”. It doesn’t add the cabsim. I then use the XLR on the left side for DI to my interface, which has cabsim added. Both of these outputs work at the same time. The controls on the front for blend and volume only apply to the headphone outs (which can also be used simultaneously with the other outputs).
@@Nebvin Perfect! thank you! That makes this pedal much more useable for my needs!
Storm Paul To add to that, in the last few days Darkglass has released new firmware that adds a poweramp sim, EQ, and it also works as an audio interface. Haven’t had a chance to really play with all of that yet, but really makes the cost more worthwhile.
You can get a usb to 9V plug cable so you can use any usb power source.
I would use a power bank to power this. I use a power bank to power everything. I can power elektron sampler, korg minilogue XD, behringer crave, guitar pedals, etc. Way more useful than carrying a bunch of 9V batteries.
I don't need it, but after your video, I need it now lol
I hope you come to northern England uk soon when covid comes to a end Newcastle is itching a gig from you
Would be great to be back in Newcastle for sure. Been a while...
Yeah, for me honestly I love darkglass stuff I’ve owned the ultra line plus others but just like this product with almost everything I try from them I’m always like “why did they do that?” And “why am I feeling that this is an incomplete idea?” As far as the element they’re far better options for similar prize and much less expensive that are ideal practice tools like the Vox amplug 2 is $40 (which I’ve used for cramming in situations like Janek explained) the cabzone LE is less than $100 dollars, and the two notes CABM is a way better in pedalboard pedal for live use that can be use for practice it’s a little bit more pricier but you get app for both android and apple as well as computer software, EQ, tuner, amp cab emulation, noise gate, and more. Janek! Big fan love your content and material will definitely be picking up your bass player guide for pentatonics
... and now the Element has EQ, noisegate, tuner.
Great video as always! The Element does what it does well but I am disappointed with the selector “button”. Seems very inconsistent. And holding it to turn on Bluetooth is an adventure (not in a good way). Anyone else have that experience or does mine have a bad switch?
Chris wilkinson the Bluetooth pairing is actually something I wish I had included in the video, because it was so smooth for me. I didn’t read the manual, went just on intuition, and it was paired within seconds. I also haven’t had any issues with the selector, so it’s possible yours might have a one-off issue if no one else has experienced this either.
Janek Gwizdala thank you for your thoughts. I spent more time with the Element and believe the issues is that selector sensitivity is not where I expect it to be. On mine it is slightly “north” of the bullseye. More like between the outer ring and the 3. I can totally live with it and wanted to log what I figured out. Thanks again!
I received my Element yesterday and I found pairing difficult as well. I found myself pressing far harder than I expected. Likewise with the cab switcher. I expected it to be touch-sensitive but I really have to press it hard.
If you are monitoring through your interface, could you use the DI for your bass signal and headphone out for backing track, with blend all the way to backing track? Still not ideal, and there are a million other slicker more versatile solutions to that specific problem, but this could be a workaround?
In fact, as I think about it, you could just plug your phone straight into the interface rather than routing it through the Element in the first place...
@@wilko2409 Well yes and no to both of those ideas. They did both cross my mind... but the issue with "plugging" an iPhone into anything these days, is that they are basically trying to abolish any cable connections to the device, and go completely wireless with both audio and charging. So I guess you could right now, maybe? lightning to audio cable perhaps? But even that, if it's possible, will be a thing of the past soon. And I could totally use the Element as a kind of splitter by taking the XLR for the bass and using the second headphone socket as output 2 for the backing track, with the blend all the way wet to the track as you said, but I feel that's even more work than the current situation I have.
Janek Gwizdala fair point about iPhone, although you could argue that is the fault of Apple not Dark glass. Either way you're right, and the element is frustratingly close to something great and usable for this application but hasn't quite hit it's mark.
Hope you're good and looking after yourself during the current madness. I've been rewatching your old vlogs and they've been helping keep me sane, so I hope you've found something to help you do the same!
can use DK element to split mi signal for my amp and a console?
Isn't the second headphone input just an AUX if you wanted to play along with music? Makes sense to me.
There isn't such a thing as a headphone "input" (even though i did mangle my words and call it that once in this video). There are two headphone outputs and one 8th inch aux input.
Yas, thx this is what I needed xD
I wonder if you could power it from the USB port
Sometimes it seems like all these companies dont really care about making the best possible equipment, i mean, those things are pretty obvious to any working musician with experience, why not consulting them before making the damm thing??
GoMixer by Roland for the win!
Yesir
Looks interesting, but I'd have to say it's quite a different product. It's marketed as an interface rather than a headphone amp, and only has one headphone out. And as much as I'm not into Cabsim, the Element is actually specifically for that. I would definitely check it out though and put it through it's paces to see what category it would fall into for me.
u should check out the phil jones bighead
Two of us making same comment. I put down the link for him
As always, I'm definitely open to checking things out that are new to me. The "bighead" is on my radar for sure.
JR N I am looking for perfect practice not amp for playing on porch on nice day
+1 Bighead Pro is the s**t. No cab sims, but it works well
Use a pedal train portable power supply for on the go simples
he said massive tool
It should be rechargeable
So close but so far. Even all this time, I’m yet to understand the Darkglass hype. It seems like everything they release is a slightly modified version of something that already exists but without adding the X factor that would make it the first thing in the basket...
I think everyone's X-Factor is probably a little different. Regardless of function, DG do have impeccable taste when it comes to design. I'm really loving the AOU and the MXU as I try them for the first time, and get ready to make a video on them. But yes, I do understand where you're coming from with your comment. You could liken it to Apple in some senses. Android had all the functionality that apple is only just getting to with home screen widgets for instance, but their product is more expensive, and is recognized further and wider as the superior product, while some of the time that's not strictly true, and is based a little more on hype than fact.
I think DG's success has a lot to do with the experience of the pedals. I think their distortions and EQ's are up there with the absolute best in class from what I've heard and experienced so far, and the experience of opening the box, of the sleek design, and of holding the product in your hand and using it... that's something that often gets overlooked by most other pedal companies out there I also think there's so much more that goes into the success of a product than the product itself. Yahoo was first, but google was way more successful. Myspace was first, facebook dominates the world. What about blackberry vs almost every other smartphone manufacturer in existence today? You could perhaps argue that those points are merely a circumstance of the time in which the products were in existence, and that there is no comparison to a blackberry from 2003 to an iPhone of 2020.
But it's that combination of genius marketing, AND a great product, that leads to the market domination. And we didn't even touch on the subjectiveness. People are going to gravitate towards their tribe, be die-hard fans of something, and perhaps, just like with Samsung and Apple, help create a little bit of healthy competition and controversy in the bass pedal marketplace.
Janek Gwizdala all fair comments 👍 If I were playing Devil’s advocate, I’d be asking when you’ll be swapping out your Aguilar TH500 head for a Darkglass head 😉 My point was simply that for me (and don’t get me wrong, the darkglass stuff is nice), I just can’t find the thing that makes them 30-40% more expensive than the competition and justify the price increase when there’s nothing tangible! An example would be that buying an Aguilar SL112 for £120 more than an Aguilar DB112 has a significant advantage in that it’s way lighter (and that’s important to me) so I can justify the additional cost. It has that tangible differential that justifies the price. I can just never really find that with any of the Darkglass stuff but I’m looking forward to your videos on them because I have an open mind and would be more than happy to change my mind! Thanks again for your input, much appreciated 🙂