FREE SHIPPING IN THE USA
EXPERT TECHNICAL SUPPORT
IN STOCK MEANS IN STOCK
The Darkglass Tone Capsule has become one of the most popular onboard preamps ever since it came out, and for good reason. It has fundamentally changed what bass players expect from their onboard electronics.
First of all, yes, it gives you that Darkglass tone—the one that works so well in modern metal. It gives you all the aggression and clarity you need directly from your bass, without requiring any external processing.
But it does so much more than that because it has a very unique 3-band configuration which features lows, low-mids, and high-mids. This gives it a surprising amount of versatility that extends far beyond heavy music applications.
Essentially, you're getting a lot of control over the mid-frequency section of your bass, which is what really stands out the most in the mix. Most onboard preamps give you basic bass and treble controls, but the Tone Capsule's dual-mid approach lets you sculpt your sound with precision. The low-mid control affects the fundamental warmth and body of your tone, while the high-mid control shapes the attack and presence that helps you cut through dense arrangements.
The Darkglass Tone Capsule comes in a variety of configurations and is also available from us here at Fat Bass Tone as a pre-wired option, so you can install it on your bass with minimal fuss.
It's compatible with 9 volts or 18 volts if you're looking for maximum headroom. The 18-volt operation provides increased dynamic range and cleaner operation at higher gain settings, making it ideal for players who use aggressive playing techniques or high-output pickups.
This is a very musical preamp that, even though it sounds at home in the heavier genres of music, you can use for just about everything. We've seen that many OEM brands have decided to include it in their higher-end offerings, which speaks to its versatility, popularity and tone quality.
The build quality is exceptional, with components chosen for their sonic properties and long-term reliability.
If you're looking for an onboard preamp that gives you clarity, a surprising amount of flexibility, and that Darkglass tone when you need it, look no further than the Darkglass Tone Capsule.
The Tone Capsule is a new, unusual take on onboard preamplifiers. It’s designed to respect your instrument’s natural character while expanding exponentially the tonal possibilities.
The Tone Capsule is unique in the way that it doesn’t have a Treble control. The idea was Sheldon Dingwall’s: he thought that making a Bass-Mid-Treble was too normal for his liking because everyone does it that way, so he suggested including a second mid control instead. Darkglass loved the idea! Specially because the second control could be configured to operate at the higher end of the spectrum, offering all the benefits a standard Treble control (increased clarity and definition when boosting) but with a more natural, less-harsh and noiseless operation.
The Tone Capsule is available in the standard configuration sold by Darkglass as well as custom configurations that we have assembled for customer ease.
Our custom configurations can also be ordered as a prewired harness for easier installation.
Standard kit includes:
Custom kits include:
Standard/Custom kits do not include:
We use black round bat switches in configurations where a switch is included
When pre-wired, the harness is wired for 9V operation
**Sorry international bassists, but US Dealers are not authorized to ship Darkglass preamps outside of the US.
Please contact us if you are having trouble finding Darkglass products in your home country.
Standard
Bass - MidLow -MidHigh
Custom: 1 Pickup - 4 Knob (Vpp-Bass-MidLow-MidHigh)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Bass —- MidLow -- Mid High
Custom: 1 Pickup - 4 Knob -1 Switch (V-Bass-MidLow-MidHigh-APSW)
Volume -- Bass -- MidLow -- MidHigh -- Active-Passive Switch
Custom: 2 Pickup - 4 Knob (Vol/Vol Stacked-Bass-MidLow-MidHigh)
Volume/Volume Stacked -- Bass -- MidLow -- MidHigh
Custom: 2 Pickup - 4 Knob (Vol-Blend-Bass-MidLow/MidHigh Stacked)
Volume -- Blend -- Bass -- MidLow/MidHigh Stacked
Custom: 2 Pickup - 4 Knob - 1 Switch (Vol/Vol Stacked-Bass-MidLow-MidHigh-APSW)
Volume/Volume Stacked -- Bass -- MidLow -- MidHigh -- Active-Passive Switch
Custom: 2 Pickup - 4 Knob - 1 Switch (Vol-Blend-Bass-MidLow/MidHigh Stacked-APSW)
Volume -- Blend -- Bass -- MidLow/MidHigh Stacked -- Active-Passive Switch
Custom: 2 Pickup - 5 Knob (Vpp-Bl-Bass-MidLow-MidHigh)
Volume w/Active-Passive Push-Pull -- Blend -- Bass -- MidLow -- Mid High
Custom: 2 Pickup - 5 Knob - 1 Switch (V-Bl-Bass-MidLow-MidHigh-APSW)
Volume -- Blend -- Bass —- MidLow -- Mid High -- Active-Passive Switch
Dimensions
41.6mm x 25.0mm x 12.6mm
9V-18V operation
The Tone Capsule can function with either one or two batteries in series for 9V or 18V operation respectively.
Bass
+-12dB @70Hz (potentiometer included).
Mids
+-12dB @500Hz (potentiometer included).
Hi Mids
+-12dB 2.8kHz (potentiometer included).