“This will only get better over time”: Darkglass Anagram Guitar Essentials Limited Edition review

What is it?

The Darkglass Anagram first appeared last year and has been a big hit with bass players. The amp modeller, which sports a powerful six-core DSP, is a plug-in-compatible platform open to third parties and designed to evolve over time.

It ships packed with onboard amps and effects, has access to the Anagram Marketplace where there are more models for free download or purchase, and also supports Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) captures and IRs.

While Darkglass has been a company whose products are primarily aimed at bass players, the brand is branching out into guitar territory by getting together with UK retailer Andertons, and Sweetwater in the US, to create this Limited Edition pedal that’s loaded with the Guitar Essentials plugin pack.

This pack will be made available on Marketplace for any Anagram user to purchase, but only when these black Limited Edition units have sold out. So how does Darkglass's foray into the guitar market

Specs

• PRICE: $1,219 | £999 | €1,229
• ORIGIN: Finland
• TYPE: Multi-effects processor and digital modelling platform
• FEATURES: 126 presets, audio interface capability, soft-shell case, looper, tuner, tap tempo, support for NAM, IR loading
• CONTROLS: 6x encoders, 3x footswitches
• CONNECTIONS: Standard instrument input, XLR outputs 1/L & 2/R, standard outputs 3/L & 4/R, standard Send (Insert), Standard Return (exp), 1/8” stereo headphone output, MIDI In, MIDI Out, USB
• POWER: 9-12V power adaptor, 1700mA minimum (9V, 2000mA adaptor supplied)
• DIMENSIONS: 209 (w) x 103 (d) x 62mm (h) 
• CONTACT: Darkglass Electronics

Usability and sounds

At roughly the width of three Boss Compact pedals plugged in side by side, the Anagram is nicely compact whether you choose to use it as a desktop unit or on a pedalboard with other pedals.

While it will run from a nine-volt supply, it does require a minimum current of about 1.7A minimum, so you’d be more likely to add the supplied adaptor to your ’board than run it from your existing power supply, although a CIOKS DC7 with the added CRUX expander would do the job. Alternatively, it can be powered via a USB power supply that supports Power Delivery (PD) as long as that delivers at least 18 watts.

Connectivity is provided for a host of different scenarios with mono or stereo outputs available on both XLRs and standard jacks. To use the unit for silent practice or to take advantage of its USB audio interface capabilities, there’s a mini-jack headphone output, while for inserting external gear into the signal chain there is a pair of sockets with dual capabilities.

These can be used as a stereo send and return, or you can just use the Send socket as an insert point for a mono send and return. The return socket doubles as an expression pedal input, and while you could obviously not use this at the same time as a stereo S&R, alternatively there is MIDI capability for parameter control.

The Anagram has 126 user-programmable presets in 42 banks of three and each preset can be built from up to 24 blocks with various options for serial and parallel signal paths. The workflow to set it all up is intuitive, aided by the user interface being uncomplicated with just a bright seven-inch touchscreen and six encoders for quick tweaks of the associated parameters below them on the screen.

There’s no dedicated software editor as yet (it’s apparently in the pipeline), but you can connect to the computer-based Darkglass Suite for organising your preset banks, checking for firmware upgrades, accessing Marketplace and loading in any NAM captures or IRs.

This limited-edition Anagram workstation comes with a default setting (which can be changed if desired) to hide its original bass-centric models from these menus.

But those that also apply to guitar are present so you actually get eight overdrive and distortion blocks to choose from, with the likes of Rat and Big Muff emulations joining the Guitar Essentials trio of Tube Screamer, Klon and Bluesbreaker.

The description of Guitar Essentials is pretty much true when it comes to the amps. There may only be 12 of them, but all the primary colours of amp sound are represented with Fender Twin and Deluxe, Marshall JMP and JCM800, Vox AC30 (in the form of a couple of Matchless models), HiWatt 103, Peavey 5150, plus other high-gain and boutique favourites.

These are all a pleasure to play through with all the nuanced response you’d want alongside quality sonics. Each of the amps has a cab sim switch, meaning you can choose its matched cabinet, but you also have separate cabinets with mic’ing options.

Further to those 12 amps, the unit supports the very latest NAM Architecture 2 (A2) and is able to run three simultaneous instances of A2 Full. A visit to the Tone3000 website will give you access to loads more amps for free.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

Of the effects, there is everything necessary to build a complete signal chain with plenty of options for compression, EQ and more. All of the standard modulation types are here, as well as three octavers, plus a couple of pitch shifters, one of which is based on the whammy and requires an expression pedal.

Three basic types of delay – Digital, Analog and Modulated – are available, and while these can cover a wide range of use scenarios, they are mono-only, which is disappointing because all the reverbs have mono or stereo options and you get five types: Room, Plate, Hall, Spring and Shimmer. A looper completes the feature set.

While there’s no shortage of digital processors out there – and the provided Guitar Essentials pack provides less range initially than some rivals – the Anagram is suitably endowed to compete at the highest level.

MusicRadar verdict: I have no doubt that it has the attributes to take care of recording tasks, slot into live performance either as a complete rig or as an integral component of your pedalboard, and be an inspirational tool for home practice. the Anagram’s open-platform nature, and particularly its NAM support, means that this is one that will only get better over time.

Hands-on videos

Darkglass Electronics

Anagram Guitar Essentials: Behind The Scenes - YouTube

Watch On

Leon Todd

Darkglass Anagram : Guitar Essentials Edition - YouTube

Watch On

The Studio Rats

Can the Darkglass Anagram Replace Your Entire Guitar Rig? - YouTube

Watch On

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• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save

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