Page 1 of 1

NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:07 am
by s_mcsleazy
ok. so some context first. i've been asked to help my friend's band by playing bass. i'm actually fine with this because i just need to come in, write the basslines, play em and that's it. the issue is, i sold my bass amp a while ago and i wanted something that i could fit in my gig bag AND could run into my audio interface. i'd been looking into bass pre-amps but most of them weren't setting my world on fire.

the EHX battalion was ok but didn't light my world on fire.
the MXR M80 was ok but it didn't like my proco juggernaut running into it.
the laney digbeth was just wrong for me.
the ampeg scr-di just didn't work for me.
the sansamp was ok but still not perfect.
i tried all the darkglass ones and couldn't tell them apart.

so what did i get?
Image
walrus audio badwater, imho, the best one of the bunch. most of them, i had to play around with to get close to the sound, this was really instant. handed over £275 and i gotta say, i love it. i sat down to play for 30 mins, it was 4 hours later and i'd forgot to cook dinner.

Re: NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:17 am
by Embenny
Nice. A great preamp makes all the difference on bass.

I hear what you're saying about the darkglass ones. They're cool, but they all really just do the "darkglass thing" which is either perfect for a bass/band or isn't.

Re: NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:25 am
by s_mcsleazy
mbene085 wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:17 am
Nice. A great preamp makes all the difference on bass.

I hear what you're saying about the darkglass ones. They're cool, but they all really just do the "darkglass thing" which is either perfect for a bass/band or isn't.
you ever buy a bag of a new flavor of doritos and some have more flavoring powder on them and some have less but in actuality, you don't like the flavor in general? that was my experience with the darkglass stuff. some sounded more darkglass-y than others, some sounded less but they all sounded darkglass.

Re: NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 12:25 pm
by marqueemoon
Sounds like a winner.

I like my Vintage Mictotubes, but not really a typical Darkglass pedal.

Re: NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 12:51 pm
by Embenny
s_mcsleazy wrote:
Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:25 am
you ever buy a bag of a new flavor of doritos and some have more flavoring powder on them and some have less but in actuality, you don't like the flavor in general? that was my experience with the darkglass stuff. some sounded more darkglass-y than others, some sounded less but they all sounded darkglass.
Yes! That's a great way to describe the darkglass stuff.

Except I've had experiences where the Darkglass tone was exactly what I was looking for.

It's kind of like peanut butter. Great but strong taste, and doesn't suit everything. If your band is jelly or chocolate, you've got a great combo. If your band is mac and cheese, it's just not going to mesh well.

Re: NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 4:30 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
I feel the same way. I do think that some of their stuff sounds similar. I've got a Vintage Ultra (Microtubes family I think) and it's THE sound I wanted (vintage Ampeg tube bass amp).

This is an awesome purchase Sean! Gear that inspires you to play more and lose track of time is a wonderful thing!!

Re: NPD: just spent the most money i've ever spent on a single pedal

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:50 pm
by Unicorn Warrior
Congrats. Walrus makes excellent pedals.