DARKGLASS ELEMENT - Headphone Amp & IR Loader

[@basstheworldofficial]

by the way: the unit in the close-up shots is a prototype, which is a little different. The one in my hands is a final production unit.

[@jdmarino]

Time for an updated review? It's been more than 6 months!

[@lummond]

Cannot have a Darkglass demo without a fanned fret bass, even if it's a jazz!

[@jameslewis2635]

The Darkglass Element is impressive, but it is the guys Tardis T-shirt that is making my head explode.

[@myflyisopen.8732]

GC was blowing these out at $139 (Commack, NY) and then at $119 (NYC 14th Street... got the last two). Incredible pedal and a perfect low latency PC/Apple sound module with a small footprint and extra headphone out for a buddy!

[@jdmarino]

I laughed a lot at the b&w responses you made to yourself.

[@stephenleejp]

Great video! Please tell the guys at DG to make a tuner feature out of the lights on the sliders. Cheers,

[@steffomca762]

It does

[@thejoetandy]

I'm a country bassist, this is perfect for a lot of my gigs: P.A and no bass amp. If I could get some indication of tones suitable for genres that aren't fuzzy/distorted tones I would be onboard in a heartbeat

[@tommylight1312]

all the tones that come out of it are clean. It's mainly an IR loader to be used with pedals in front of a PA or an amp. Or even into an interface. If you just want a clean tone, just plug in and choose your cab sim.

[@boomerbassmeme]

A Tech 21 VT Bass DI in front of this would probably work really well for you. Character knob around 12 o clock gives an old school tube Bassman vibe.

[@coutoacm]

I know it'd drive the price up... But this definitely needs a touchscreen instead of the 3 sliders. Or at least, a small screen display (like the Helix Floor / HX have). Mainly to see the cabs loaded, instead of depending on an LED light next to the switch. It'd also lead to other uses. Which brings me to the BIG thing it's missing - some kind of tone control. I don't care if it's a single knob (on one of the sides, following it's clean face design, a fourth slider above the cab select tap, or wherever), a 3-5 band graph thingy on the touchscreen mentioned above, or whatever. But it REALLY needs a tone control on the actual pedal, not on the app. If I understood it correctly, it has bluetooth to link it to your phone and load/edit cabs from it with an app? It seems a big hassle to have to go into your phone to edit that (or even worse, use an actual computer, if I understood it wrong), instead of being able to edit it on the fly just like you can edit the dry/out levels. Finally... I'd add a footswitch jack, but that's just because I'd love to have it on my live board, too, and I rather not have to bend over to switch stuff if I need to :S With those 3 suggestions, and knowing Darkglass... I guess an Element Ultra would be the way to go, to expand the pedal to fit all that stuff (screen, eq, extra jacks).

[@cameronhirsch]

I was debating getting a Palmer pocket amp, but I think I want this instead! Great work guys. Love the shirt Gregor.

[@_B_E_A_D_G_C]

Most of us bass players don’t have friends , that’s why we join bands so we have someone around 🤣

[@theTrend7]

Dang,now that I think of it.......🙊😢🥴

[@ciwanicha]

nevermind the headphone pre-amp...i want that shirt

[@slash196]

I think darkglass's stuff has always been well thought out which is why I'm so confused about this product. It's an IR loader... but there's no attenuator, so unless you're already running out a DI it's pointless. It's a headphone amp... but you can't run it off a battery so it's not really a true on-the-go solution, you need to already be sitting down at your pedalboard. Two outputs is nice...but how are you going to play with a guitarist if they already need an amp and loadbox to even plug in? I'm not saying there isn't a use case for this, but honestly I can't think of one, and at that price point that's pretty shocking. They're also clearly putting a BIG marketing push behind this, which means they've put a big bet on this being a huge seller and I'm just sitting here trying to figure out who it's for. Not a good sign, at all.

[@antonycharest4719]

with this adapter it’s fully portable www.amazon.ca/-/fr/a11030700ux0045-Sourcingmap/dp/B005D65LEG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=9v+batteries+to+dc&qid=1594432172&sr=8-2

[@GodVraccas]

I agree. I own a darkglass microtubes 900 v2 and a b7k ultra. Both have headphone outputs, both have cab sim, sooo what's the point here? Bluetooth is a nice idea, but without battery it just seems so off. Also there are 2 headphone outputs, but both of them are 3,5. Why? Really weird pedal. Let's see if an update someday will solve those problems.

[@slash196]

@@antonycharest4719 Seems like the kind of thing you'd build in from the start, given the DG premium price.

[@rome8180]

@@GodVraccas The point is that it costs $249 while a Microtubes 900 is $1100. The B7K Ultra is more comparable, but even that's almost $200 more. I agree that they should have the 1/4" headphone input. I was disappointed not to see that, since I would like to use my studio headphones without needing an adapter.

[@campfiresedge9395]

These are all the same concerns I have, like they missed the mark in a lot of ways. Very weird since most of there gear is really thought out.

[@LouBass09]

In case this hasn't already mentioned: The ability to use this without a Powersupply would be pretty handy I guess. Maybe it could be powered with a kind of battery that's recheargable via the USB port or the USB Port could function as a power supply so you could power it with a powerbank or sth. else. This would make it the perfect little budy for a session outside on a lake or a bench. Also I could Imagine that in a live situation where you use it between the amp and the cab an extra powersupply always will be a bit of a struggle unless the DG Element is not fixed in a Rack. Another Powersupply solution in this case could be via Phantom Power over the XLR out.

[@trashculture]

The Phil Jones Bass Headphone Preamp has an integrated battery. But only for one instrument.

[@basstheworldofficial]

and no IR. otherwise it's a great little device, I have one and love it!

[@AmosHeller]

@@basstheworldofficial I have one as well..absolute game changer for a traveling musician

[@bobisadrummer]

Can the two headphone outputs have different IR's at the same time? So like if I'm playing guitar and my buddy is playing his bass, can I use a guitar cabsim IR and he, a bass one?

[@basstheworldofficial]

no, there'a also just 1 input. the guitar play would need to come from the aux in

[@dannynicholson6195]

I guess my biggest question about this pedal is if I can put it at the end of my pedal chain, and go straight to the front of house with it and eliminate my amp and cab all together. That's the most confusing thing for me right now

[@ObraBass]

Still don't understand this pedal, but I want to have it because it's cool looking

[@Nikbrownstone]

Cool pedal yes, but cool TARDIS tee as well xD

[@metalmover]

maybe I am wrong, but I think it is missing the 1/4" thru that doesn't have cab sim for direct to amp. I would buy this otherwise.

[@msimmo1989]

How does this compare to the Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B. M+?

[@drunkasspancho2745]

"In a sense this is literal dark glass" goddam it I laughed at that so hard

[@bones2532]

Hi Gregor, thanks for this impressive Demo! Just saw Patrick Hunter's demo on this one. He says, the attenuator could take up to 900 Watts. So an Ampeg SVT should be no problem at all (as long as you have a speaker connected and your neighbours are at holidays).

[@basstheworldofficial]

there's NO attenuator in this device. I was specifically talking about tube amps, they always need a load (speaker or attenuator). You can use the Element with a 900 Watt amp if it's Class D or regular solid state.

[@bones2532]

Thanks for your quick response. Just looked it up on the darkglass site. Sure, it's not a loadbox, you are completely right. Maybe I was confused because of the language. I was thinking of some kind of transformer that has to be in it, so it can transform the power amp's signal into a line level DI signal. Darkglass say it can only take 100W if connected between amp and cab. I should have written auf deutsch. Thanks for your answer.

[@filipe.guerra]

Guys, the Element manual says: "the maximun speaker power allowed by the element is about 100W" - but consider check that if I´m not wrong

[@richardselby1711]

I would like it if I could also pair up Bluetooth head phones, iPods or my Shokz OpenRun headset instead of using corded head phones. When I use the Element I clamp it to my desk so I can access the sliders easily while practicing. It's not very accessible on the floor, a 9 volt battery option would also be nice. Having a power cord and an instrument plugged into the Element is a bit cumbersome.

[@w1ktorr]

1. Is 9V input the only way to power the pedal? Would it be possible to power it with the usbc? 2. Is it possible to use Bluetooth for backing tracks or only for the configuration?

[@Camarde]

We are a year later, and wanna know : how is it holding up?

[@itsratso.]

One of the hardest things to find is aux in to speaker line out, almost nobody does this. So what if you hate headphones? Or what if your whole band wants to play along to your backing track?

[@EMB75]

wait. USB Out? Ultimate pre/headphone amp? Not Plex?

[@andreabuffoli6852]

Wouldn't be great if you could also connect bluetooth headphones to it? Would that be achievable with some sort of third party transmitter? Or maybe with future updates?

[@AmosHeller]

FWIW I tried using a bluetooth transmitter with a headphone amp a while ago and I found that there was a good bit of latency on the bass. I don't know if this is with ALL bluetooth...you wouldn't notice it using the Element for playback of a backing track, but for transmitting *playing* i found it to be a deal breaker.

[@АлександрМиллер-з7д]

Hi, there! Probably a stupid question, but: can I use it just with my bass directly (and headphones) without any amps/preamps?

[@basstheworldofficial]

Yes

[@blindfury285]

I am blind voice accessibility would be such a winner on this device

[@telecasterbear]

I will be Gregors friend.

[@thebassnsixx]

Hi Gregor, as always, thank you for your amazing work! I was waiting for the video since i read your comment on the dk users group on facebook yesterday. As always darkglass made some pretty good stuff, i’m really happy with my M900 head, i think this one is not for me though... As a practice device i have the Vox Amplug which works just fine and has batteries, and for a mobile audio interface i have the Apogee Jam 96k, which takes power energy directly from my ipad/iphone when plugged in... The fact that it needs an external power supply it’s a deal breaker for my needs. I’m curious about the bluetooth function though, it works only to receive an external music signal from a phone/tablet or whatever, or if the device is plugged via the aux in you can ear the mix trough bluetooth earbuds? Because that would be just amazing 😁😁

[@andesneko]

They seem to be hardcore pro ecology (they site ecology as the reason they don't take batteries). I guess there are other ways to power this on the go, just like a phone or a computer.

[@basstheworldofficial]

the bluetooth also works for your headphones (that's at least how I understand it)

[@thebassnsixx]

andesneko yes, of course it can be powered with an external battery, but as I wrote, for me personally is not wort it.

[@thebassnsixx]

BassTheWorld.com yes, that’s what I meant, didn’t found the info on the manual. Thank you very much

[@MartinPeterWhitney]

Great video as always! That van fret looks relay cool. Could you tel me what it is?

[@basstheworldofficial]

a Dingwall SuperJ

[@Phantombeard]

What is the xlr out on the pedal going to? I have not been able to find out how to use that for home use…

[@basstheworldofficial]

This can go straight to FOH or a recording device or interface

[@Phantombeard]

@@basstheworldofficial so it could go into the DI out on my amp. What would the benefit of using that instead of the 1/4” input with and instrument cable? Thanks for the info

[@markbass354]

Gregor I lost all dexterity in my plucking fingers so I use a pick only now , I like the way it sounds

[@H0kram]

Out of curiosity, how did that happen?

[@markbass354]

@@H0kram ROLLOVER CAR ACCIDENT

[@thatfunk]

So do you have to use wired headphones, or can you connect true wireless headphones via Bluetooth? Or is the Bluetooth just for listening to backing tracks? I wish more pedal manufacturers would implement the ability to connect wireless headphones via Bluetooth

[@pivea]

The big problem with that is the small delay that comes with Bluetooth, works great for listening to music, but I've never seen bluetooth with lower latency than ~30ms or higher, makes it unplayable with an instrument.

[@jonrarmey1220]

Perhaps IEM’s or “Assisted listening device?”

[@wesleykrempel5982]

Apply easy drummer and the screen change it so that you can scroll through beads that are labeled or at least be able to download easy drummer or superior drummer through your computer to the darkglass headphone amp

[@atoaster1]

Is that a Dingwall Super J?

[@ericbkiser]

Do you have a video where you test out the DAI?

[@basstheworldofficial]

The what?

[@ericbkiser]

@@basstheworldofficial Darkglass released the update for using the Element as a DAI. I was just wondering if you had tested out that feature and was curious to see how it compared to some of the other audio interfaces you've used.

[@bobmaerten]

DAT TEE!!!! :D

[@hetul784]

Wouldn't buying an Audio interface just be a better option tho? You can get the same features and MORE with a. Interface

[@bergglobus2428]

Not really this is more like a fancy DI with CAB / IR loader. You can easily put it in between your amp and cab or at the parallel output of your cab and have a XLR output to FOH so you don't have to deal with mics anymore. And it's a nice practice tool if you use it together with pre amps. It's like the C.A.B. M from two notes just cooler If you would put your audio interface between amp and cab, you would kill it. You could do something similar with an Amp -> DI box (still using the cab as load) -> audio interface -> cab sim -> FOH but that would be bigger

[@bergglobus2428]

You won't really need it tho if you have an ultra pedal

[@blankvrs]

If it's at the end of the signal chain on a pedalboard, can it then be run into an amp?

[@basstheworldofficial]

Yes

[@blankvrs]

Does it require an XLR cable or can you run a regular cable straight into a combo amp? I'm really thinking of getting the Element.@@basstheworldofficial

[@basstheworldofficial]

You can use your normal instrument cable

[@MaxSlap6]

Would it still be worth it if I have a B7K Ultra with cab sim?

[@basstheworldofficial]

that might be a bit overkill

[@pjthomas3973]

How is the 🎧 volume? 🤔

[@SergeyDread]

Pls try out shift-line CabZone

[@jamesgreen5431]

A headphone amp should be able to run on batteries. Only "portable" if you have a handy AC outlet.

[@liamtahaney713]

I wonder if there's a way to get their irs on my helix

[@dmjbass]

They can be tracked down if you're willing to do some hunting. Or at least the ones from the B7K Ultra v2 are out there. There are some great sounds to be had with those, but there's not a way to acquire them 'legitimately' yet.

[@ThomasGeist]

Hallo Gregor, super Teil das! Danke für den Bericht! Es heißt „touch sensitive“, nicht „touch sensible“. Das wäre berührungsvernünftig ... 😉

[@heminder]

Open-source the app and the firmware please.

[@natvanguard5869]

0:52 I don’t have friends too

[@andesneko]

Let's not have friends together.

[@danademski6880]

Cool, but I would like plug my drum machine in as well. It would make it a much more practical practice tool for me anyway.

[@basstheworldofficial]

you can do that with the AUX in

[@thebusylazybasist9692]

Bass player's name pls?

[@PingPongPix]

Tony Stark would be very proud!!

[@shiraga0516]

トム ショルツの「ロックマン」ですね、わかります。

[@ikestoddard2458]

More!

[@jamesh4083]

Powered by usb C would be awesome.. and maybe a battery..

[@kalidesu]

0:52 I haas no frens too. :(

[@jayl5941]

I was suckered into buying this and despite having luck with Darkglass in the past I've now had 2 defective Elements in a row. They have some quality control issues with this one.

[@alanoffer]

Oh no something else I must have ,

[@robertbennett708]

Whaa????...Kool!!……🎸

[@AlexandarJL]

Super J

[@sourcreamsuicide9899]

shift-line cabzone x is better!

[@ArisSantiagoBassplayer]

🍀🎶🎶🎶

[@Alainkonijn]

This is unbearable to watch.

[@meantime69]

Dealbreaker is not being able to wear wireless or bluetooth headphones with this. Absolutely hate having wires around getting in the way. Even if there was a USB IN, could u use wireless headphones, due to latency? Almost had my money Darkglass, ALMOST...