The Darkglass Microtubes B3K is a CMOS Bass Overdrive pedal designed to deliver a powerful and defined overdrive with both brutality and clarity. It features a simple layout for intuitive control over your desired tone.

Function Description:

The Microtubes B3K is a bass overdrive pedal that utilizes CMOS technology to achieve its distinctive sound. It allows bass players to add saturation and grit to their signal, ranging from subtle warmth to aggressive distortion, while maintaining the low-end integrity of the bass. The pedal incorporates several controls to shape the overdriven sound and blend it with the clean signal.

Important Technical Specifications:

Current Draw: 20mA
Voltage: Regulated 9V DC (Center Negative)
Input Impedance: 500kΩ
Output Impedance: 1kΩ
Current Consumption: ~17mA
Dimensions:
- Width: 75 mm (2.95 in)
- Height: 111 mm (4.37 in)
- Depth: 45 mm (1.77 in)

Usage Features:

The pedal offers a range of controls to sculpt your sound:

Blend: This knob mixes the clean input signal with the overdriven signal. The clean signal remains at unity gain, while the volume of the overdriven signal is adjusted by the Level knob, allowing for precise control over the blend ratio. This feature is crucial for maintaining bass clarity and punch even with heavy overdrive.
Tone: The Tone control adjusts the high-frequency content of the sound. It functions as a variable low-pass filter, ranging from 3kHz (counter-clockwise) to 8kHz (clockwise). This allows you to dial in the desired brightness or warmth of the overdriven tone.
Level: This knob sets the overall volume of the overdriven signal. It works in conjunction with the Blend control to achieve the perfect mix between your clean and dirty tones.
Drive: The Drive knob controls the amount of saturation in the overdriven signal. Turning it clockwise increases the intensity of the overdrive, from mild breakup to full-on distortion.
Grunt Switch: When engaged, the Grunt switch provides a massive low-end boost. This feature is designed to thicken your sound significantly, adding weight and power to your overdriven tone, making it ideal for heavier genres or for adding more body to your bass sound.
Mid Boost Switch: The Mid Boost switch provides a subtle 6dB boost in the frequency range from 300 Hz to 1kHz. This helps your bass cut through the mix more effectively, especially in band settings where bass frequencies can sometimes get lost.

Maintenance Features:

Power Supply: The Microtubes B3K requires a regulated 9V DC adapter with a center-negative plug. It has a current draw of 20mA. The manual explicitly states that unregulated power supplies and/or higher voltages may result in suboptimal noise performance and can damage the unit, voiding the warranty. Due to ecological reasons, the pedal does not accept batteries.
Warranty: To activate the warranty, users are encouraged to register their product online at http://mypedal.darkglass.com by entering the serial number found on the back of the pedal.
Support: For any inquiries or before shipping a product for service, users are advised to contact Darkglass support via email at support@darkglass.com.
Disclaimer: Darkglass Electronics maintains a policy of continuous improvement, meaning specifications are subject to change without notice. Users with questions are directed to www.darkglass.com.
EMC/EMI Compliance: The device has been tested and found to comply with Class B Digital device limits (FCC rules, part 15) to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in residential installations. It generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If interference occurs, the manual suggests measures such as reorienting/relocating the receiving antenna, increasing separation between equipment and receiver, connecting to a different circuit outlet, or consulting a dealer/radio/TV technician.

Darkglass MICROTUBES B3K - Page 2

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