What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?
For me, the Darkglass Electronics Super Symmetry Compressor is a wonderful pedal that has sat in my live rig for years.
How did you come across this particular item?
I’m going to say circa 2013, when the ubiquitous (and rightly so) Darkglass B7K preamp pedal started to gain notoriety on the bass scene. I think I spoke directly with the designer and mentioned I was on the lookout for a pedal to replace a valve compressor I had in my rig. And well, here we are five or six years later and the Super Symmetry has done just that.
What is it that you like about it so much?
I find the build quality of all the Darkglass gear I have used is solid. A large part of the ethos for the Darkglass range is aesthetic. Not only does the gear have to sound and perform well, but it also has to look great. More importantly, the quality of signal is superior in my mind. I love how I essentially have a studio grade compressor in a tiny pedal footprint that can, and has, toured the world.
How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music?
I really like to leave my attack clean, as the leading edge of my performance is very dynamic, so I’m keen to avoid messing with that side of things too much. I’ll set my attack quite slow, and my release will be set depending on how the room is sounding that day. My goal is to get quite a thwack out of my notes, so they are almost drum-like, punchy, and edgy.
Tell us a little about what you have coming up?
TesseracT is halfway through a new album cycle, and are touring pretty full on for a year or so. We get to come back to Australia in September, which is actually my favourite place on earth. Particularly Melbourne. I should just take the plunge, pack up and head to Victoria.
Sonder is out now via Kscope. TesseracT are touring Australia in September thanks to Live Nation.
Image via Steve Brown.
