So difficult! Love the natural bass tones of the Sans Amp, but that's Darkglass distortion can't be beat!

As most of the comment section I'm very much surprised with the results but Sansamp definitely wins for me. I wonder how It would do against DG Vintage Ultra though.

Hands down the SansAmp. Every setting on the BK7 made it sound like Periphery.

@terran236

2 жыл бұрын

Lol!

@spanneng

2 жыл бұрын

Lolll

@honeybadger1810

2 жыл бұрын

and boy do i hate periphery

@kost.9423

Жыл бұрын

It works only with dingwall bass and sounds like periphery, with classic/vintages design basses this pedal is not working.

@francoishtzl157

Жыл бұрын

@@kost.9423 what ? From where did you find that information lol. I have try a B7k on a P bass it sound great (even if I do not like the B7k)

For a soloed bass, I really prefer the sansamp, which surprised me. It might be more useful to hear both in a mix/band context, though. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.

I'm in love with Sansamp tone since 2005 or so when I was mesmerized with Nightwish bass tone on their album "Century Child". I saw that pedal in the Marko Hiettala live setup and since then I wanted one. I've been using a Bass Drive Deluxe for years. It's a great Preamp, a good overdrive and a DI. Usually I plug it straight FOH. Recently I wanted a diferent overdrive flavor, so I set good clean tone in the Sansamp and simply put a Boss ODB3 in front of it. It takes pedals very well.

SansAmp hands down! But the whole series is going to be extremely interesting. Can't wait for the next episode!

I like both. I was surprised to be diggin' the Sansamp a bit more though. Great videos guys, you rock!

The Sansamp is just in a league of its own. It is the most essential part to my bass rig and tone. It's all you'll ever need.

I vote Sansamp. The Darkglass has great clean and high gain sounds, but I prefer the Sansamp for low and mid gain sounds which I personally find more useful

Really didn't think I'd say this going in, but I'm leaning toward the SansAmp on this one. The Darkglass gets a little tight and nasally. The SansAmp sounds a bit fuller. Just my personal preference though.

@gimmigimmigimmi

3 ай бұрын

sansamp is goated, can't go wrong with it. also built like a tank

@tifosistaymad583

3 ай бұрын

Get both 😉

@StiTchEvidence

Ай бұрын

The Darkglass shines when actually playing in a rock/metal band. If I have learned anything playing rock and metal, it's that the tone your bass has alone is not how it will sound playing behind a wall of distorted guitar. You really need a bit of kick to get a driven, articulated sound or you'll just drown in the mix as this warm hum.

They are both great, but the Tech 21 sansamp just sounds better. This will be a great series!! Awesome job Chris. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

@cliffords2315

2 жыл бұрын

Sansamp has been the rock bass guitarists choise for 40 years

Depends on the application always. This makes me sad to say since I own the B7K, but the Sansamp overall sounded better to me in this comparison. Gonna have to get one to add to my board

A note about this comparison, the Sansamp when "flat" has a pretty hefty mid cut and a nice high roll off baked in which is, IMHO, why it sounds immediately better in the intro comparison. The B7k is much flatter in it's frequency response but you can easily make it sound much more pleasant like the "flat" sansamp by cutting 500 or 750Hz to taste and rolling off the treble a little. Using the attack boost and lowering the drive a bit to compensate for the gain works well to bring back the presence like the Sansamp. I personally love both and the Sansamp has a character which I really like for low gain settings (it's an industry standard for so many years for a reason!), but you can make the clean sounds a LOT closer than is shown off in the intro.

@ileutur6863

2 жыл бұрын

Well said. I would also like to add that the two pedals aren't anywhere close when it comes to function, because the sansamp has a completely different cab sim tone. People are comparing them like one is trying to replace the other

@Aethertigris

4 ай бұрын

​@@ileutur6863Exactly!

SansAmp!!! Thanks for helping with my decision as I was looking at both

I've never really been crazy about the sound of Darkglass stuff. But I always got love for companies that got love for bassists

I have both. I love the DGlass for recording multiple channels. I use it on the high band setting which is more subtle and blend that with an orange tube amp. Both are great pedals for different purposes. One is not better than the other.

@_Majoras

Жыл бұрын

the sansamp is clearly better in this demo

That Sansamp is incredible! Thanks for sharing this.

Just keep in mind that the Darkglass is twice as much as the Sansamp

@dieHasser

3 жыл бұрын

lol

The SansAmp sounds wayyyyyy better. The notes, and the initial attack have way more definition.

@MrACangusyoungDC

9 ай бұрын

The attack is thing you usually need a DI blend for, so to be the amp side of that blend, you might want the tube type shaved transients. Not putting my opinion here, but just applying logic.

@StruggleoftheOutsider

7 ай бұрын

too twangy

Would love to see another shoot out with Sansamp and the others that have come out in the last few years since this video. Cheers and thank you for the review/comparison!

The Tech 21 sounds more natural to me. Which is definitely a good thing,since they try to emulate real amps.

Dang did not expect this video but I'm glad you guys made it! I always assumed I would have to upgrade to the B7K eventually but after hearing this I'm very happy with my Sansamp especially considering the B7K Ultra V2 is twice the price. However I will say that the Darkglass & Dingwall combo is killer. Excited for the full DI shootout!

@MrHEEEE1

4 жыл бұрын

I'm using both of them,sansamp for a clean and a b7k+b3k for a distortion. This is "THE SOUND" for me ,you should try it :)

@MyBassistChris

4 жыл бұрын

@@MrHEEEE1 Ah yeah the Sansamp + B3K sounds like a killer combo! I was actually looking to upgrade my Sansamp DP-3X dUg Pinnick. That thing gets some gnarly tones.

@MrHEEEE1

4 жыл бұрын

@@MyBassistChris Yeah,thats a great pedal too,but im courious about the Tech21 SH1 now.It sounds sick :).But i dont prefer the "through" way with the sansamp and darkglass,i use two separate clean and distorted channel,and i blend it for my live and studio sound,cause there is no loss in any range.

SansAmp all the way for this one in each settings. But I guess that the Darkglass sounds awesome for contemporary metal.

Darkglass for clarity, distortion and Iow tuned riffs, Sansamp for cleaner and warmer tones

@ethereal8655

4 жыл бұрын

This is the best answer tbh. I was a massive fan of Darkglass for my low tuned riffa, but Sansamp is getting it right with everything else (highly distorted riffs sounds like bullcrap)

@joshstarkey8883

4 жыл бұрын

@@ethereal8655 I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but I think they really played much more into the Sansamp's strengths. I love the way it fills out the low end and adds subtle saturation (and compression it kinda sounds like? Really curious to know what goes on inside the thing) but as soon as it's really noticably breaking up it's in that "bullcrap" zone as you put it. Not terrible, but you can certainly do better for a distortion tone. Darkglass, on the other hand, has their distortion and EQ dialed in perfectly to maintain clarity with high distortion, and/or low tuning, and sit well in a mix with distorted guitars. There are good low gain settings for it too, but that's its pretty much unrivaled specialty.

@pideuhweuh8459

4 жыл бұрын

Have you ever tried the Sansamp by yourself ? Because I don't know why but every demo video I've seen of it make it sound like absolute shit for distorted tones (this video being thé only one that was close to good). But I own the Sansamp RBI (which is supposed to be the BDDI in a rack format) and it's absolutely killer, doesn't sound near as muddy !

The Sans Amp was more full sounding to me. The dark glass was cool but that new Tech21 Geddy Lee DI-2112 at NAMM sounded really bad ass.

sansamp totally! darkglass is cool for metal , but sansamp has it all,

@robertf1309

4 жыл бұрын

For the sound that I'm looking for, the Darkglass blew me away. I just wish their products weren't so damn expensive 😫 Which is why I'm sticking with the SansAmp

@cacadordorio

4 жыл бұрын

Sansamp plus ibanez ts9 👌

@DemianVLogs

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly!

@jonnypena9334

3 жыл бұрын

Wal Bass Walnut MK2 with Sans Amp Distortion and Ampeg PF500 or SVT Classic is the best combo for dirty tone

@craigmack-cv3cp

2 жыл бұрын

If you love thick heavy hitting bass get the dark glass . This video don’t impress me at all cause they don’t even know how use settings . It’s like having Maserati and only using 3 gears

Thank you for the comparison. I´ve been gravitating towards Sansamp for a while now and this confirmed my decision! It sounds so warm and growly, Darkglass sounds much more abrasive. Yes, I admit, I am not a fan of heavy distortion, so that may be the reason why just a little overdriven Sansamp wins for me.

@joshstarkey8883

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah you'll love it. The Sansamp is perfect IMO when the drive is set slightly before obvious distortion, but enough to add saturation. Then use the blend knob to keep some clarity. The B7K shines for really bright tones, and clarity with low tuning and heavy distortion.

@gpasc

2 жыл бұрын

'abrasive' is a nice adjective

Currently awaiting a B7K I recently ordered. I will be comparing it to a VT Bass DI which I what I normally use. Sansamp sounds better on most settings surprisingly.

That was a suprise! The Tech 21 for sure.

Definitely the Sans Amp. It's a more subtle tone, and warmer feeling.

I stack my sansamp with my b3k...and now with my x7 ultra. They sound dope af when dialed in together. Best of both worlds

@piratebasscaptain

2 жыл бұрын

Hey there, you work your Bk3 as a distortion effect I guess, I am interested to buy a bk3 for this reason, but wondering if is worth the money

I made my Darkglass 500 V1 head sound soooo much better by using my Sansamp! The two together are magic!

I own the DG B7K and I love it. The Sansamp stands the test of time. It's been link to a tons of styles of music. The DG is more for the Metal stuff but if dialed correctly it can do tons of great tones. It is really hard to pick one. Am going with the DG just cause I like the overdrive a bit more and the pedal it self haves more option with the EQ. Great video!

Amazing ideia and amazing channel, i know both pedals very well, i pic Microtubes for the drive tone and for the clean tone Tech 21.

Love the sansamp as a preamp, as an always on pedal even though I use the B7K for my drive tones

Tech 21 Sansamp.....More natural sounding.

Definitely a close one but I’m gonna have to go with the SansAmp on this.

darkglass stuff into Sansamp = Boom !! I like the setting on 6:48 but with a bit more drive..

@omarmoran3097

4 жыл бұрын

I liked it

SansAmp. Thx for the vid. Next new pedal

Wow... why can’t all pedal shootout videos be like this? Usually they just fiddle around with both pedals aimlessly, but you have an excellent system here. Playing each with the same knob configurations shows the character differences and trying to match the tone of the other shows which one is more versatile

6:07 That's the sound I have in my head when I think of a tube bass amp. Sounds like Rex Brown playing through his SVT.

As a slap player, I am very happy that you eventually showed these product under slap play. For slap, they both show equal, but amazing tone qualities.

@craigmoran893

2 жыл бұрын

I've got both. Either one will give you a great slap tone.

Thanks for this great shootout! I'd say the sansamp takes this round. It sounds fuller and rounder. The Darkglass has fantastic overdrive, but sounds thin to me. That's kind of its thing though. I may be a bit biased because I own a sansamp, however, I only use it as a pre-amp for my passive basses. I get my dirt elsewhere.

Sansamp fo sho!!!! Punchy, round bottom end, warmth and body! The Darkglass doesnt come close!

Finally TWO PEDDLES THAT DONT SUCK. haha you had me at the first 37 seconds of jamming as a Bassist myself I actually think there pretty even Stevens on where you can go with sound and tone control

This is the video I didnt know I needed

I was busy finishing up with cooking during the first half of the video, so I was just listening to the sound. And in each round I liked SansAmp more. It has a brighter tone to my taste and I think it is more versatile. Stoked to check out next videos!

I’ve owned both. I’ve used Sans Amp since the late 80s. Sans Amp is great if you are in a vintage metal cover band or you think bass tone peaked in 1994. Which isn’t a slam, it is a thing for some people. The darkglass is hyper modern (almost to a fault) but it is fantastic and cuts through the mix FAR better. That said, if you want a clean tone, the darkglass kinda on.y gets to “a little grit” and no cleaner. But virtually any non-jazz band today wants a little bit of grime in the bass. I find myself using the darkglass way more.

@francoishtzl157

Жыл бұрын

Those guy don't play vintage metal and he definitely get a thick and clanky tone out of his gear. Only an LTD or ESP PJ/Forest and a Tech21 SansAmp Bass Driver there

@Fred_Guerette

4 ай бұрын

Same for me, best of both world with a IR as a bonus!

Darkglass. But don't like the blend pot so high as shown in the playoff. The Sansamp did better tones in the demo, but the B7K can do great warm tones as well.

Sans Amp, interesting faces starting at 3:00 minutes

excellent video guys. this proves that sansamp is master race!

This is a hard one to pick I love both of them. Tho I'll have to go with sans amp

Sansamp for me. Enjoyed the video!

Tech 21 by a country mile. I've had my SansAmp Bass Driver since 1996 and it still runs as if I bought it yesterday. They have cracked the code of giving your bass tons of sweet juice and grind, but you'll still be able to blend into the mix with all the other instruments.

I use the Hartke Bass attack I, going into the DGBK to cover ALL the Basses. I dial in the "tube warmth" & high end attack with the Hartke & the "modern grit" & punch of the DG. Boom Son. Cool vid guys! (Actually did an A/B with the HBA-I &the SansAmp a few years back....my boy with the SA.....actually liked the HBA-I better)

Sansamp. Also, this dude knows how to make a bass sound gnarly before processing without using a pick.

Sansamp +1, much more versatile, B7K is great but not for everything.

Surprised how much more I really liked the sansamp, considering how popular the Darkglass is.

Much to my surprise, SansAmp in this round.

I wonder which one did Josh actually liked more and why ? Cheers Josh, you re a beast !

Sansamp pretty easily! Helps I played one for years and years right into the board.

Sansamp..I did a little research on both and for me cost helped push the Tech21 to the front at almost half the price. But as far as sound goes, the Sansamp has that sound I'm looking for.

I vote SansAmp and I need to get one for sure! For me it's already a winner

Even though I own a Tech 21 Sansamp for over 4 years now and I love it, and the pedal in this comparison it might sound better on its own, I must say that since I started playing with my current Metalcore band I long to be able to get a tone similar to Darkglass. It's no secret and no surprise that Darkglass has perfected the Metal tones for bass. This line of pedals from Darkglass handles overdrive match better than any other, being able to keep your fullness while your super crisp high end cuts threw with the amount of dirt of your preference. Sansamp is more organic and might achieve a similar tone for metal but it will do so through Mid manipulation in order to retain a super crisp high end and in the process you will lose your low end. This Darkglass pedal its more of a one trick pony compaired to the Sansamp but it does that one trick flawlesssly. Darkglass can handle extremes much better than the Sansamp, and the Sansamp handles more balanced situation better than this Darkglass line. It depends on what type of music you are playing.

Excellent video I can't wait to see the rest I think the sansamp sounds better

Sansamp sounds thick and smooth. What a bass should be.

@technickn9n3

2 жыл бұрын

"what a bass should be" you sound like a quality guitar player

The cheaper B7K without cab sim into the Sansamp sounds insane as well.

SansAmp.But I have SansAmp and B3K on my pedalboard and they sound great together.

I have both on my board, depending upon which bass I am using. But if I had to use just one it would be the Tech 21.

The baked in mid boost of the Darkglass helps to cut through when playing live. The Sansamp blends into the mix and definitely has a more traditional sound that works great in the studio. The Darkglass crunch reigns supreme.

I used to own the Sansamp with 3 presets, I really regret getting rid off it. I later bought a Darkglass, and while it did its purpose in the projects I played in, I really miss the Sansamp. 😭

@craigmoran893

Жыл бұрын

You Sir, should get just another one. Life is short.

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver is a killer at clean tones!

For the first time ever, I prefered the Sansamp. It sounds much better in this demo, but I don’t know how they compare in a mix

I'm getting BOTH!!!

Sansamp has the “feel”.. it responds to your hands in a good way

I'd go for the Sansamp. The Darkglass has a lot going for it, but it has that distinctive sheen. The Sansamp has chunkier, more integrated tones.

As a lot of beginners starting to use the sansamp, you tried to turn the presence knob without the blend... And it doesn't work. The knot is only in use with the gain setting so you have to at least use a little of blend to hear a difference👌

Nice comparison guys

Sansamp keeps the depth too the tones always...DG stuff always thin and nasally (unless that's your thing). Josh and his Warwick Sansamp combo - perfect to MY ears.

@omarmoran3097

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah I always love the Warwick with a sans amp❤❤ fucking love it

@Crushin123

4 жыл бұрын

Anthony Farrish hahaha thanks man. He's four now and 118lbs - cane corso mastiff. Best dog I've ever had. Thanks again man

+1 for the SansAmp. Had mine for 20 years. Love it!

Righteous tones abound!

Man that's a tough one love the sansamp traditional tone but the b7k sounds like the winner for me

Sansamp +1. For what it's worth, the Darkglass sounded great overdriven but the Sansamp sounds sooooo cool to me in those blended clean/driven riffs

Bass Driver DI, I have an earlier version I've been using since the 90's. I do hear that the Dark Glass would have advantages for metal and slap but it's a bit harsh, in any setting for my ears. I also have an Ampeg Bass Scrambler DI.

Can never go wrong with the sansamp

The Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra is the clear tone champ by my ear.

I owned the rackmounted SansAmp RBI and VT. The blend control doesn't separate the clean and drive. It blends the input from whatever clean'/drive signal you dial into the SansAmp. That's where Darkglass wins. The clean and drive can be blended with the Darkglass.

Hi guys, been a fan and faithful follower of your channel for some time now. Great channel BTW! One suggestion, If I may, would be: make comparison videos where the bass sound is in a band/musical context. Where it fits into a song or just a small sample of music. I think would be perfect to understand the nuances and characteristics of each bass pre-amp. Everyone that has been into a recording studio knows that an instrument such as the bass guitar alone may sound terrific on its own but not necessarily sound good in the overall mix - which depends of many variables of course. May even have no sound at all (Metallica AJFA!!!)! But I digress. I know it is a lot to ask for, thus it is simply a mere suggestion for upcoming videos: more musical background for the bass to play with. It is fundamentaly an supporting instrument. All the best and keep up with the good work!

@TheBassChannel

4 жыл бұрын

That’ll happen in the final rounds 👍🏻

@andredelemosfreixo1975

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheBassChannel brillant!

To my ears I have to give it to the Sansamp. I'd really like to hear a comparison between the Darkglass and the Tech21 dUg Pinnick signature pedal.

I A/B'd the B7K ultra with the DP-3X (the Pinnick pedal). I was set on the Darkglass, but wound up walking out with the Pinnick.

Gonna have to go with Tech 21 here.

yes, but with the Darkglass you have the Clean Preamp and a Distortion Pedal and a really good CabSim imo. So for mir +1 for Darkglass

Sansamp for my ears 🔥

They both have their strengths and I could see myself buying both actually. But the Sansamp offers more versatility. I would take the darkglass for a straight up distortion though.

For me both deserve a place on pedalboard!

was NOT expecting to like the Sansamp the most but I guess it's a legend for a reason! Sansamp all the way!

How did you get that killer punchy tone, especially with the Geddy Jazz bass? Is there a compressor downstream of the pedals? Curious (more like jealous) of your signal chain!

Even though the B7K sounds amazing and definitely does things that the Sansamp cannot, i have to go with the Sansamp. The potential of that pedal is so much more than was showcased in this video. Sansamp all the way!

SansAmp all the way; the punch is unmistakable - kicks ass, especially with this Warwick Corvette.

SansAmp is the best to my ears!