This one's a long one, folks. So make some popcorn, watch my hair dry in real time, and take a drink everytime I say "that's not to say." ...actually, don't do that last thing. I don't want you to die. For you naughty timeline skippers: 00:00 - Say 'ello to the Dark Terror 02:22 - The Game Plan 04:53 - Live Amp Playthrough w/ a 4x12 & Pedals 13:37 - The Small Amp Value Proposition (AKA The Lunchbox Tone Conspiracy) 19:43 - Dark Terror vs My Tube Amp Collection 25:43 - What Makes the Dark Terror Unique 27:56 - 15W vs 7W Output Modes 30:50 - Gain Control Behavior: Raw & Boosted 34:45 - The One Trick Tone Control: Low, Medium, & High Gain 39:29 - Master Volume & the EL84 Power Tube 43:22 - Master Volume Demo: Low, Medium, & High Gain 49:11 - Using the Dark Terror Live w/ Pedals 53:20 - Using the Dark Terror Live w/ 4 Cable Method 55:53 - Let's Bust This Joint
Top Notch Content! I have a micro dark and it really mimics everything you said here and has a very alike character in tone and response. It's downside is a big one, the lack that the tone knob creates is very noticeable as it has no tube power amp to react with. The one your demonstrating has so much more life and option as a result and yet appears to characteristically have the same short comings in the same areas. Now that I've seen this one in depth I have to hand it to orange as they really do capture the essence of the dark in the smaller micro dark version. To me this shows an intentional consistency in their products and I tend to like that in a brand of products. Your on the money when you say the things you'll need to add quickly add up to more $ than the amp. I could see this as a great second amp, the type you leave at the drummers house and just bring your pedal board and guitar type scenario, I think it would do the job nicely. Great video, very thorough and the explanations and playing is fantastic and clean, gives me a lot of insight I otherwise wouldn't have. Till next time :) \M/
I can't stress enough how much gold there is in your videos. Honestly thank you for your commitment to your work ethic and candid delivery. Not enough of this in the world today. 🤘
The most honest review in terms of how it sounds in real life. I have one, and its the same. I prefer the Jim root Terror for standard tuning, and the dark terror for low tuning stuff (sounds tighter, but brigter, scooped, fizzier and thinner) Dope review! And excuse my english
I'm so glad you talked about the importance of cabinets. So many people seem to care about every detail of an amp but not even know what kind of speakers they have.
The Dark terror was my first tube amp! Of course I ended up selling it to get bigger and badder amps but I just recently bought another one for nostalgic purposes! Love it
What a great video man! I used to have this amp but I couldn't get along with it at all. It was fizzy and didn't have any mids what so ever. Now I think mine might have been broken so I've ordered another one. Fingers crossed!
Alright the High on Fire riff got me, you earned a like real fast. EDIT: Orange really shines in low tunings, the doomy inspired riffs just always sound amazing through an Orange or other amp like it, same with sludge - the high end sizzle oranges have just cut through like nothing else. It's no surprise though (funnily enough as I typed this you said it). the Dark Terror really held up against all those other amps, sure a little bright sometimes but that's easily fixed by an EQ pedal or other things. Love the video!
Great demo, I am really surprised how versatile that little amp is. Every demo I’ve seen previously people seem to pick their favorite tone and stick with that. Great to see what it can do. Good call on using a digital modeler in 4cm for a very versatile setup with an otherwise limited single channel amp. I recently started doing this with a Randall EOD I picked up on a whim in a blowout sale. So flexible and fun.
This video just sold me on getting either a Dark Terror or a Brent Hinds Terror. Hearing how flexible and versatile this little high gain amp is made me really realize how much I love this amp line.
Such a great review. I don't even feel like I need to play one in store to justify buying one. This answered every question. Wish more people did reviews like this. Keep it up.
Seriously incredible review!! I’m not in the market for any lunchbox simply too fond of my Laney GH100L s but learned a bit more in comparing amps. I too am considering a boutiqueish style smaller tube head at some point. You always produce excellent content. Thanks
You said it just right it can sound any style I want metal, 80s rock and sweet, clear tones. I'd say it's a many trick pony! I'm going to get one. It is my dream amp and I've listened to many amps!
Primes for the win! Have a MicroDark...proper boost and a noise gate and it’s perfect for me. Still has to be mic’d but the sound is my sound. Brutal, unrelenting and dynamic. Just killer for the heavys. Full gain, Shape in middle, boosted with a cut in lows and a boost in the loop and it’s alive.
I've had a TH30 for a few years which has the same preamp as the Dark Terror but in at 30 watts with a quad of EL84's and a dedicated clean channel. I gigged it as a single channel amp because the dirty channel cleans up so nicely with guitar volume. The EQ can definitely be difficult at times, but can be very powerful with the right cab. Probably one of my pickiest amps in that regard.
I sold off my 5150 to buy a Mayones Duvell. My local music store had a used Dark Terror in stock and I had owned one before but its been a few years. I was nervous at first for the style of music I play. Even with an OD I was unsure if I could cancel out that fizz. But now that fizz has become a part of my sound I feel. I also love the simplicity of the amp as it prevents me from getting option paralysis.... This playthrough is exactly how it sounds/ reacts to my ears in my studio as well. I was planning on getting into a 6505 down the road but this little amp has been my go to for every style, every tone, every time. Thanks for the great video!
The orange compared to recto with bogner cab, the orange sounds way more open and I really like that! Way more room for bass guitar and i thing for double/quad tracking it sounds better
Awesome video as always man! I recently got a Randall Diavlo 5 watt head & I must say it really surprised me! It's been quite the little studio monster for high gain rhythms & leads. Same setup as this amp but with a 3 way tone switch + xlr cab sim on the back which actually doesn't sound too bad in a mix, somehow? Wish I could loan it to you to get your take on it, but I'm using it constantly hahah! Keep up the awesome work man!
Recent Orange convert here. One of the things I really like about them is that the range of tones is pretty vast... as per the gain knob position. So many amps ... you turn up like 25% on the gain and that’s all they have to offer. With the Dark Terror, you don’t really get into extreme metal territory until you’re up to like 2 or 3 o’clock.
I have seen a lot(maybe too many?) demos of this amp and it's really cool how everyone gets different sounds out of the same amp, even for a 3-control single channel like this one.
Great vid, the one thing I always felt that the dark terror desperately needed was an eq in the effects loop... but dang that ceriatone with a an sd1 in the front, I'm in love, sounds like an awesome modded jubilee
Love the vintage look. Been eyeing the micro dark myself for a while now, which is a little closer to my budget, just needed a video like this to help me pull the trigger :P
Amazingly in-depth review and demo. This is probably gonna be my next orange amp, but the rocker 15 terror has one huge advantage, the natural clean channel for pedals. I love the way these orange lunchbox 15 watt all tube heads sound.
@@Evexio I went with the Rocker, amazing amp, exactly the 2-channel tube tone I wanted, but since that time I now build and sell speaker cabs, so my primary amp now is a 100W pedal baby, simply because it lets me go modeller/digi preamp>>>into the high headroom super clean pedal baby, and honestly I love the rocker but i usually pick modelled preamps now for the tonal versatility it provides. You’ll love the rocker, you can get them used for under $400
This is the review that I needed! It confirmed everything that I suspected and/or had questions about. This also went over all the options that I had bouncing around in my head. There one last thing I have to do... where did I put my wallet.
I love this thing, it has a roar no other Orange amp has. I run it in two ppc112 cabs with a Maxon od808 and the Kongpressor up front with a delay and a reverb in the loop. Its awesome
awesome demo as always. Mean enough to get the job done in almost any genre, but unique in its own way. I'm usually in gain city when I play so a single channel banger could work for me. Perhaps an OD of some particular flavor can help this be more flexible. It's amazing to hear the difference a simple EQ before the amp makes. Hmm. I kind of really want this thing now. Sigh lol Btw on another note, can we expect a AA Reamp Studio plugin demo? I think you'll be impressed compared to the one-tricksters they have put out prior. Keep it up man, this kinda stuff is great to watch in these trying times.
I've been noodling with that plugin since the last update, I have some gripes but like you said its a hell of an effort compared to their standalones. A couple more content peices on the to do list to knock out, then I will look at it closer.
Hey Ryan, not sure if you’ve done a video on this - but I think maybe a “heavy reflection” video on your thoughts about the utilization of “Class A/B” and “Class D” SS power amps in the modeler realm would be pretty informative for some of us , even if you’ve touched the subject of modelers quite heavily... A lot of friends in my circle and on the internet seem to be going more towards the SD PowerStage and I’m my case, the orange pedal baby. However, For whatever it’s worth, I have a custom 2X12 cab on the way being shipped in next week loaded with the Celestion F12-X200’s and I *really don’t see a lot of videos on those speakers* - In the context of having these SS amps , would the Class A/B SS or even just a tube amp introduce any new possibilities with also having the Celestion’s FRFR in a proper cabinet enclosure? I guess it’s asking a simple question of: Are these Celestion FRFR speakers really going to bring any kind of game changer in conjunction with the right kind of power amp? ( be it SS or tube) . Curious to know your thoughts as I don’t see many people diving into too much detail on this front. Love the channel. Thanks
I have a video that shoots out a class AB Matrix againts a class D Mooer baby bomb - up to a certain volume level, they are sonically and measurablely indistinguishable. Both exhibited an incredibly flat response, so I doubt you would even hear the difference in an FRFR situation. Feel and clean headroom are different subjects though, which sucks because you can't really know how an amp will behave in those regards until you try it.
I have the Marshall DSL1 and 1 watt at volume 1 is too loud in a bedroom.. lol.. With the .1 watt mode I can to vol 4 maybe before it is too loud. 7 watts sounds like a lot for the bedroom. Do you think the dark terror is going to be overkill for the bedroom?
Thanks for this PSS. I've been looking for a home amp to get into "proper" guitar recording. I've been looking at this and the Peavey 6505 MH, (currently only using plugins, Nameless and Nolly)
Hey Ryan, just to let you know, youtube said I couldn't view the content from my location (Denmark). Never happened before - had to switch my VPN location but some might not be able to so maybe worth looking into.
Thanks for such an in depth review, I'm looking to get a Dark Terror but due to space and budget I'd have to get a 1x12 cab for it. You mention you're not a fan of the Orange Cab sound, what is it that puts you off? Any alternative 1x12 suggestions are welcome too. Also for context I'm buying this for recording, very unlikely to be used at a gig.
Compared to the Marshall and Mesa style cabinet construction I tend to prefer, Orange cabs always sound hollowed out to me. I get why many like them for mixing high gain guitars for this reason, but I can't unhear the comparatively boxy and spongey sonic profile of their cabs or IRs. When I bought my Marshall 1936 2x12, I shot it out next to an Orange 4x12 with V30s and was floored by how much better the Marshall sounded in the room.
I know you dislike the 5150 I have the stealth 50w and the evh 4x12 I have an Orange Micro D. I want to use the dual dark 15 or the th30 for an ABY set up with 2 heads 2 separate cabinets. What amp and cab from Orange would you recommend (on the low wattage size) With the Micro Dark, I use a tubescreamer and eq to boost the beef. At one point I had a 200w slant cabinet and it was decent.
What is the riff at 12:37? it sounds a little like dragonaut but I don't think that's it. Been searching through all of sleep & EW catalogs trying to find it lol.
aye Ryan. I'm starting a classic/thrash metal band and I'm looking for a small tube head that can be loud enough for jamming and small gigs with a 1x12. Is this amp loud enough? or should I get a used 50 watt 5150? thx man keep up!
5:57 I see you, too, are a man of culture. Keep travelin' down that lonesome road; try not to drag your head too low/If you can't turn your head away, does that mean you flirt with disaster most every day? Well, Ryan? WELL? DID MOLLY GRAB HER HATCHET AGAIN?
Okay this might be a stupid question for a lot of you guys but I wanted to know if I can get a good sound out of this amp at a low volume. I can crank it up in my apartment here but next year I'll have to move abroad for uni and idk what my living situation would be. Obviously this little wants to be cranked out of its mind but if I can get a cool tone at a low vol I'll buy this in a heartbeat.
Great review and I'm seriously thinking of buying one but a few questions...I play punk and I'm.the only guitarist in my band, I'll be using this amp through a line 6 ,412 cab, ...will this amp be loud enough for gigs without micing up .....and would this be a good amp for punk rock
I have one of these and also a 100w Peavey Valveking I’ve had for years, make no mistake this thing is loud, even at 15w around 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock it’s pretty loud and that’s it’s sweet spot. Past that it’ll get louder but you start to lose that clean headroom and some definition. I play a lot of riffy metal and it’s awesome for it, so punk it can do well too. It can hang with a drummer for sure, but it would be better mic’d for a show.
What about using your guitar controls to dial in tone? It’s a 1 channel amp but my les Paul has so many options in dialing in a tone from the guitar itself plus coil split. Do people just not care about using their guitar to do the job vs a ton of pedals ?
Thats a misleading question. No one can make this amp go from its typical "gain at noon" tone, to a super tight chug monster, then to a fuzz machine by just turning up your guitar's volume and tone control. Unless you have an onboard preamp with EQ controls, it doesn't work that way. The onboard volume and tone controls on a guitar are simply not granular or powerful enough to make the big changes in tone or distortion texture most guitarists are looking for. Boosting this amp with a pedal that you can turn on or off, or any high gain amp for that matter, achieves a totally different sound than cranking the amp gain and riding a guitars volume control. That works fine for changing from "edge of breakup" to a lead tone on a Plexi, but this is not that kind of amp. For many modern metal genres outside doom or sludge, even the pickup's tone control is useless since it needs to be maxed out anyway. Turning it down doesn't do anything sonically pleasing for what most people want out of their guitar sound. Neither does coil splitting for that matter. I personally only use those features on my guitars for clean tones and very specific leads.
@@PlagueScytheStudios I’m just saying it possible to do something. For example playing a neck pickup with volume down to clean up the gain for a cleaner tone. Switch to bridge with full volume to go heavy. Will have to experiment on mine. Thanks for clearing that up
Plague Scythe Studios, I have my heart set on the Orange Dark Terror, the only thing I don't understand why they didn't put a Foot switch jack on because it's important to be able to change from clean to distortion and vise versa.
This is a single channel amp, so there is nothing to switch between. You either have to a.) Accept the limitations and work around them with pedals like I show towards the end, or b.) Save up for and hunt down a Dual Dark that has two channels and full EL-34 tubes in the power section.
Thanks but what I'm getting at is the 1970s Princeton Reverb was a single channel amp but it had a foot-switch jack on the back for effect, Tremolo (Speed and Intensity. Of course it didn't have overdrive or distortion but I think a jack and foot-switch pedal could be made for one like the Tremolo to turn distortion on and off on the Dark Terror. I understand about limitations but still. www.google.com/search?q=back+of+fender+princeton+amp+foot+switch+jack&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjSzpKxyKvuAhWQ0FMKHZHLDeoQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=back+of+fender+princeton+amp+foot+switch+jack&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1CObljAiQFg-osBaAFwAHgAgAGhAYgB6wmSAQQxNi4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=Yq8IYNKVDpChzwKRl7fQDg&bih=475&biw=1067&hl=en#imgrc=AVQ64cXNbHGTCM
Some awesome tones you got out of this thing. Do you plan on covering the Mini Rectifier at some point? It'd be interesting to hear some more recent comparisons between it and full sized Mesa Boogie amps
That would be a fun comparison, especially since it should be more like my Single Rectifier than a modern multiwatt Dual anyway. Its not on my "must review" list right now though.
I doubt I'll cover many if any of those "pedalboard amps." I probably sound out of touch, but I just don't understand the value of them compared to a seperate multifx unit and pedal board sized power amp.
@@PlagueScytheStudios understandable. i'm attracted to it because i can't find a job in 2020 and 165 bucks used is great. also I jam with a band a half hour away and drive a mustang. the Randall is like small child LOL If i could afford the Powerstage i would just do that but the Stamp almost looked like it could do the job
Orange has so many under utilized sounds in metal. They add such a unique flavor. Reminds me of your, “why I’m opposed to the 5150” episode and it’s ubiquitous nature ruining it for you.
Ouch. Those level compensated master volume examples are pretty rough for the amp. Not a total failure, certain combinations were pretty good, but the edges of breakup tones sounded like grid or blocking distortion rather than nice tubey distortion.
Thats pretty much Exhibit A of why I dislike EL84s in high gain amps, they almost always do that. There's some nice woody neck single coil tones to be had with high MV settings (and better bridge humbucker bite than I showed here), but you're right. Its pretty rough past 10 o'clock.
@@PlagueScytheStudios Yeah I'd say that once you pushed it beyond that point into the more rough territory it actually sounded better again, but the 'breakup' was more like a crackling. Interestingly that actually sounds a bit like a problem i had in one of my own DIY amps.
Original or XL, it's a very different beast from the Dark Terror. The BanTamPs are all 20w hybrid amp heads, whereas the Dark Terror is a 15w all tube/valve head. Very different, and priced accordingly. The Micro Terror/Dark would be better points of comparison with the Zombie.
the tone control is just mids wired one way and bass and treble the other. the gain control is this weird thing where it's a dual pot with either side arounds the second valve stage with some treble bleeds after the first side
This one's a long one, folks. So make some popcorn, watch my hair dry in real time, and take a drink everytime I say "that's not to say."
...actually, don't do that last thing. I don't want you to die.
For you naughty timeline skippers:
00:00 - Say 'ello to the Dark Terror
02:22 - The Game Plan
04:53 - Live Amp Playthrough w/ a 4x12 & Pedals
13:37 - The Small Amp Value Proposition (AKA The Lunchbox Tone Conspiracy)
19:43 - Dark Terror vs My Tube Amp Collection
25:43 - What Makes the Dark Terror Unique
27:56 - 15W vs 7W Output Modes
30:50 - Gain Control Behavior: Raw & Boosted
34:45 - The One Trick Tone Control: Low, Medium, & High Gain
39:29 - Master Volume & the EL84 Power Tube
43:22 - Master Volume Demo: Low, Medium, & High Gain
49:11 - Using the Dark Terror Live w/ Pedals
53:20 - Using the Dark Terror Live w/ 4 Cable Method
55:53 - Let's Bust This Joint
Top Notch Content! I have a micro dark and it really mimics everything you said here and has a very alike character in tone and response. It's downside is a big one, the lack that the tone knob creates is very noticeable as it has no tube power amp to react with. The one your demonstrating has so much more life and option as a result and yet appears to characteristically have the same short comings in the same areas. Now that I've seen this one in depth I have to hand it to orange as they really do capture the essence of the dark in the smaller micro dark version. To me this shows an intentional consistency in their products and I tend to like that in a brand of products. Your on the money when you say the things you'll need to add quickly add up to more $ than the amp. I could see this as a great second amp, the type you leave at the drummers house and just bring your pedal board and guitar type scenario, I think it would do the job nicely. Great video, very thorough and the explanations and playing is fantastic and clean, gives me a lot of insight I otherwise wouldn't have. Till next time :) \M/
Damn, an hour long?!? But, your videos are fantastic, so here goes an hour...
This is, without a doubt, the most extensive video about the Dark Terror, or possibly any Orange amp, ever made. Great job!
Thanks for watching all of it! Brevity is not my strong suit 😂
Hire this man, send him everything you make.
@@PlagueScytheStudiosI appreciate it dude, I want detail!
I can't stress enough how much gold there is in your videos. Honestly thank you for your commitment to your work ethic and candid delivery. Not enough of this in the world today. 🤘
The most honest review in terms of how it sounds in real life. I have one, and its the same. I prefer the Jim root Terror for standard tuning, and the dark terror for low tuning stuff (sounds tighter, but brigter, scooped, fizzier and thinner) Dope review! And excuse my english
I'm so glad you talked about the importance of cabinets. So many people seem to care about every detail of an amp but not even know what kind of speakers they have.
Thanks for the content man. I always watch your more lengthy videos and gain perspective with each one
Sounds brutal! Love that classic, heavy Orange tone. Nice work Ryan!
The most complete rewiew of this awesome Amp in RUclips. Great work man. 🔝👌🏻🤘🏻
The Dark terror was my first tube amp! Of course I ended up selling it to get bigger and badder amps but I just recently bought another one for nostalgic purposes! Love it
I personally have one of these. And it is absolutely amazing! Great demo man!
What a great video man! I used to have this amp but I couldn't get along with it at all. It was fizzy and didn't have any mids what so ever. Now I think mine might have been broken so I've ordered another one. Fingers crossed!
I'd love to see your take on it. You and Ryan are the best gear head channels for me.
Alright the High on Fire riff got me, you earned a like real fast.
EDIT: Orange really shines in low tunings, the doomy inspired riffs just always sound amazing through an Orange or other amp like it, same with sludge - the high end sizzle oranges have just cut through like nothing else. It's no surprise though (funnily enough as I typed this you said it). the Dark Terror really held up against all those other amps, sure a little bright sometimes but that's easily fixed by an EQ pedal or other things. Love the video!
Molly Hatchett? On a dark terror? Now there's something you don't see every day. Lol. Great playing as always, Ryan!
Great demo, I am really surprised how versatile that little amp is. Every demo I’ve seen previously people seem to pick their favorite tone and stick with that. Great to see what it can do.
Good call on using a digital modeler in 4cm for a very versatile setup with an otherwise limited single channel amp. I recently started doing this with a Randall EOD I picked up on a whim in a blowout sale. So flexible and fun.
yess, been looking forward to an orange dark review from you!
This video just sold me on getting either a Dark Terror or a Brent Hinds Terror. Hearing how flexible and versatile this little high gain amp is made me really realize how much I love this amp line.
Such a great review. I don't even feel like I need to play one in store to justify buying one. This answered every question. Wish more people did reviews like this. Keep it up.
so many good tones. sounds amazing especially for a bedroom player!
Just got this amp in a trade today, and I love it so much. So incredibly versatile for how simple it is, and it sounds fantastic.
Excellent video!! Thanks a lot for such a detailed analysis!
Good review into insight and sounds possible from this amp.
Seriously incredible review!! I’m not in the market for any lunchbox simply too fond of my Laney GH100L s but learned a bit more in comparing amps. I too am considering a boutiqueish style smaller tube head at some point. You always produce excellent content. Thanks
You said it just right it can sound any style I want metal, 80s rock and sweet, clear tones. I'd say it's a many trick pony! I'm going to get one. It is my dream amp and I've listened to many amps!
Primes for the win! Have a MicroDark...proper boost and a noise gate and it’s perfect for me. Still has to be mic’d but the sound is my sound. Brutal, unrelenting and dynamic. Just killer for the heavys. Full gain, Shape in middle, boosted with a cut in lows and a boost in the loop and it’s alive.
Goddamn! When it switches to the Gargoyle @23:09! That's one of the most massive guitar tones i've ever heard.
I just snagged one of these amps this weekend.. Now I just need to get / make a cabinet...
I've had a TH30 for a few years which has the same preamp as the Dark Terror but in at 30 watts with a quad of EL84's and a dedicated clean channel. I gigged it as a single channel amp because the dirty channel cleans up so nicely with guitar volume. The EQ can definitely be difficult at times, but can be very powerful with the right cab. Probably one of my pickiest amps in that regard.
I sold off my 5150 to buy a Mayones Duvell. My local music store had a used Dark Terror in stock and I had owned one before but its been a few years. I was nervous at first for the style of music I play. Even with an OD I was unsure if I could cancel out that fizz. But now that fizz has become a part of my sound I feel. I also love the simplicity of the amp as it prevents me from getting option paralysis.... This playthrough is exactly how it sounds/ reacts to my ears in my studio as well. I was planning on getting into a 6505 down the road but this little amp has been my go to for every style, every tone, every time. Thanks for the great video!
The orange compared to recto with bogner cab, the orange sounds way more open and I really like that! Way more room for bass guitar and i thing for double/quad tracking it sounds better
Yassss I fucking love my Dark Terror Im actually really hyped to check this video out.
Sounding absolutely fantastic with that Tele. Great sounds.
Awesome video as always man! I recently got a Randall Diavlo 5 watt head & I must say it really surprised me! It's been quite the little studio monster for high gain rhythms & leads. Same setup as this amp but with a 3 way tone switch + xlr cab sim on the back which actually doesn't sound too bad in a mix, somehow? Wish I could loan it to you to get your take on it, but I'm using it constantly hahah!
Keep up the awesome work man!
Recent Orange convert here. One of the things I really like about them is that the range of tones is pretty vast... as per the gain knob position. So many amps ... you turn up like 25% on the gain and that’s all they have to offer. With the Dark Terror, you don’t really get into extreme metal territory until you’re up to like 2 or 3 o’clock.
Primus within the first minute of the video? Instant thumbs up
We missed you bro
Playing Pantera on an Orange...Heresy I say! Great review though.
Late to the party but thank you, great and useful video! And awesome playing. Subscribed! Keep it up
I have seen a lot(maybe too many?) demos of this amp and it's really cool how everyone gets different sounds out of the same amp, even for a 3-control single channel like this one.
You make a very good video, sir. Very good indeed.
Great vid, the one thing I always felt that the dark terror desperately needed was an eq in the effects loop... but dang that ceriatone with a an sd1 in the front, I'm in love, sounds like an awesome modded jubilee
Love the vintage look. Been eyeing the micro dark myself for a while now, which is a little closer to my budget, just needed a video like this to help me pull the trigger :P
It's decent for the price but a step lower than the dark terror for sure. Low end is even smaller and less high end too.
Amazingly in-depth review and demo. This is probably gonna be my next orange amp, but the rocker 15 terror has one huge advantage, the natural clean channel for pedals. I love the way these orange lunchbox 15 watt all tube heads sound.
Did you choose the rocker or this one
@@Evexio I went with the Rocker, amazing amp, exactly the 2-channel tube tone I wanted, but since that time I now build and sell speaker cabs, so my primary amp now is a 100W pedal baby, simply because it lets me go modeller/digi preamp>>>into the high headroom super clean pedal baby, and honestly I love the rocker but i usually pick modelled preamps now for the tonal versatility it provides. You’ll love the rocker, you can get them used for under $400
impressive demo man!
really digging the 20:35 part. Beautiful music and tone.
Dude that Molly Hatchet riff/tune was awesome!!!!
This is the review that I needed! It confirmed everything that I suspected and/or had questions about. This also went over all the options that I had bouncing around in my head. There one last thing I have to do... where did I put my wallet.
I love this thing, it has a roar no other Orange amp has. I run it in two ppc112 cabs with a Maxon od808 and the Kongpressor up front with a delay and a reverb in the loop. Its awesome
awesome demo as always. Mean enough to get the job done in almost any genre, but unique in its own way. I'm usually in gain city when I play so a single channel banger could work for me. Perhaps an OD of some particular flavor can help this be more flexible. It's amazing to hear the difference a simple EQ before the amp makes. Hmm. I kind of really want this thing now. Sigh lol
Btw on another note, can we expect a AA Reamp Studio plugin demo? I think you'll be impressed compared to the one-tricksters they have put out prior.
Keep it up man, this kinda stuff is great to watch in these trying times.
I've been noodling with that plugin since the last update, I have some gripes but like you said its a hell of an effort compared to their standalones. A couple more content peices on the to do list to knock out, then I will look at it closer.
2 12 orange closed back cab with vintage 30s sounds great with this amp.
nice tones and playings
Hey Ryan, not sure if you’ve done a video on this - but I think maybe a “heavy reflection” video on your thoughts about the utilization of “Class A/B” and “Class D” SS power amps in the modeler realm would be pretty informative for some of us , even if you’ve touched the subject of modelers quite heavily...
A lot of friends in my circle and on the internet seem to be going more towards the SD PowerStage and I’m my case, the orange pedal baby. However, For whatever it’s worth, I have a custom 2X12 cab on the way being shipped in next week loaded with the Celestion F12-X200’s and I *really don’t see a lot of videos on those speakers* - In the context of having these SS amps , would the Class A/B SS or even just a tube amp introduce any new possibilities with also having the Celestion’s FRFR in a proper cabinet enclosure?
I guess it’s asking a simple question of: Are these Celestion FRFR speakers really going to bring any kind of game changer in conjunction with the right kind of power amp? ( be it SS or tube) .
Curious to know your thoughts as I don’t see many people diving into too much detail on this front. Love the channel.
Thanks
I have a video that shoots out a class AB Matrix againts a class D Mooer baby bomb - up to a certain volume level, they are sonically and measurablely indistinguishable. Both exhibited an incredibly flat response, so I doubt you would even hear the difference in an FRFR situation. Feel and clean headroom are different subjects though, which sucks because you can't really know how an amp will behave in those regards until you try it.
Loved hearing tornado of souls! Such an underrated Megadeth song
I have the Marshall DSL1 and 1 watt at volume 1 is too loud in a bedroom.. lol.. With the .1 watt mode I can to vol 4 maybe before it is too loud. 7 watts sounds like a lot for the bedroom. Do you think the dark terror is going to be overkill for the bedroom?
Thanks for this PSS. I've been looking for a home amp to get into "proper" guitar recording. I've been looking at this and the Peavey 6505 MH, (currently only using plugins, Nameless and Nolly)
Hey Ryan, just to let you know, youtube said I couldn't view the content from my location (Denmark). Never happened before - had to switch my VPN location but some might not be able to so maybe worth looking into.
I see that it got partially monetized by a third party, but I haven't a clue what over. I'll try to refute that. Thanks for the heads up!
They discontinued the dual dark? Maybe a MK2 is coming... 🤔
Best deep dive ever!
Thanks for such an in depth review, I'm looking to get a Dark Terror but due to space and budget I'd have to get a 1x12 cab for it. You mention you're not a fan of the Orange Cab sound, what is it that puts you off? Any alternative 1x12 suggestions are welcome too. Also for context I'm buying this for recording, very unlikely to be used at a gig.
Compared to the Marshall and Mesa style cabinet construction I tend to prefer, Orange cabs always sound hollowed out to me. I get why many like them for mixing high gain guitars for this reason, but I can't unhear the comparatively boxy and spongey sonic profile of their cabs or IRs. When I bought my Marshall 1936 2x12, I shot it out next to an Orange 4x12 with V30s and was floored by how much better the Marshall sounded in the room.
I know you dislike the 5150
I have the stealth 50w and the evh 4x12
I have an Orange Micro D.
I want to use the dual dark 15 or the th30 for an ABY set up with 2 heads 2 separate cabinets.
What amp and cab from Orange would you recommend (on the low wattage size)
With the Micro Dark, I use a tubescreamer and eq to boost the beef. At one point I had a 200w slant cabinet and it was decent.
What is the riff at 12:37? it sounds a little like dragonaut but I don't think that's it. Been searching through all of sleep & EW catalogs trying to find it lol.
thank you guitar jesus
Thumbs up for the Primus riff!!!
Nice little snippet of primus
aye Ryan. I'm starting a classic/thrash metal band and I'm looking for a small tube head that can be loud enough for jamming and small gigs with a 1x12. Is this amp loud enough? or should I get a used 50 watt 5150? thx man keep up!
From Red Fang to Megadeth. All with one knob. I swear I heard some Clutch vibes...
5:57 I see you, too, are a man of culture. Keep travelin' down that lonesome road; try not to drag your head too low/If you can't turn your head away, does that mean you flirt with disaster most every day? Well, Ryan? WELL? DID MOLLY GRAB HER HATCHET AGAIN?
With 4 cables method, are you still using a real cabinet or just cab ir?? I’m thinking doing a silent recording with this amp
Was it Primus in the intro? :D
I had no choice. Those damn blue collar tweakers are runnin' this here town.
Okay this might be a stupid question for a lot of you guys but I wanted to know if I can get a good sound out of this amp at a low volume. I can crank it up in my apartment here but next year I'll have to move abroad for uni and idk what my living situation would be. Obviously this little wants to be cranked out of its mind but if I can get a cool tone at a low vol I'll buy this in a heartbeat.
Great review and I'm seriously thinking of buying one but a few questions...I play punk and I'm.the only guitarist in my band, I'll be using this amp through a line 6 ,412 cab, ...will this amp be loud enough for gigs without micing up .....and would this be a good amp for punk rock
I have one of these and also a 100w Peavey Valveking I’ve had for years, make no mistake this thing is loud, even at 15w around 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock it’s pretty loud and that’s it’s sweet spot. Past that it’ll get louder but you start to lose that clean headroom and some definition. I play a lot of riffy metal and it’s awesome for it, so punk it can do well too. It can hang with a drummer for sure, but it would be better mic’d for a show.
Great video! What pickups are you using in each of your guitars?
How good would this amp take fuzz pedals at both gig and studio volumes?
Scream aim fire!
What about using your guitar controls to dial in tone? It’s a 1 channel amp but my les Paul has so many options in dialing in a tone from the guitar itself plus coil split.
Do people just not care about using their guitar to do the job vs a ton of pedals ?
Thats a misleading question. No one can make this amp go from its typical "gain at noon" tone, to a super tight chug monster, then to a fuzz machine by just turning up your guitar's volume and tone control. Unless you have an onboard preamp with EQ controls, it doesn't work that way.
The onboard volume and tone controls on a guitar are simply not granular or powerful enough to make the big changes in tone or distortion texture most guitarists are looking for. Boosting this amp with a pedal that you can turn on or off, or any high gain amp for that matter, achieves a totally different sound than cranking the amp gain and riding a guitars volume control. That works fine for changing from "edge of breakup" to a lead tone on a Plexi, but this is not that kind of amp.
For many modern metal genres outside doom or sludge, even the pickup's tone control is useless since it needs to be maxed out anyway. Turning it down doesn't do anything sonically pleasing for what most people want out of their guitar sound. Neither does coil splitting for that matter. I personally only use those features on my guitars for clean tones and very specific leads.
@@PlagueScytheStudios I’m just saying it possible to do something. For example playing a neck pickup with volume down to clean up the gain for a cleaner tone. Switch to bridge with full volume to go heavy.
Will have to experiment on mine.
Thanks for clearing that up
Plague Scythe Studios, I have my heart set on the Orange Dark Terror, the only thing I don't understand why they didn't put a Foot switch jack on because it's important to be able to change from clean to distortion and vise versa.
This is a single channel amp, so there is nothing to switch between. You either have to a.) Accept the limitations and work around them with pedals like I show towards the end, or b.) Save up for and hunt down a Dual Dark that has two channels and full EL-34 tubes in the power section.
Thanks but what I'm getting at is the 1970s Princeton Reverb was a single channel amp but it had a foot-switch jack on the back for effect, Tremolo (Speed and Intensity. Of course it didn't have overdrive or distortion but I think a jack and foot-switch pedal could be made for one like the Tremolo to turn distortion on and off on the Dark Terror. I understand about limitations but still.
www.google.com/search?q=back+of+fender+princeton+amp+foot+switch+jack&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjSzpKxyKvuAhWQ0FMKHZHLDeoQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=back+of+fender+princeton+amp+foot+switch+jack&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1CObljAiQFg-osBaAFwAHgAgAGhAYgB6wmSAQQxNi4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=Yq8IYNKVDpChzwKRl7fQDg&bih=475&biw=1067&hl=en#imgrc=AVQ64cXNbHGTCM
Best Amp! 🤘🏽
Some awesome tones you got out of this thing. Do you plan on covering the Mini Rectifier at some point? It'd be interesting to hear some more recent comparisons between it and full sized Mesa Boogie amps
That would be a fun comparison, especially since it should be more like my Single Rectifier than a modern multiwatt Dual anyway. Its not on my "must review" list right now though.
Really dig my jim root. Hella tiny amp.
What's that riff at 11:18? Thanks!
21:00 is that an original? I don't know that one, I want to learn it :)
ha !nice Ler LaLonde snippet
Hey man do you think you could do an Orange Terror Stamp review? Im thinking of selling my Randall RG1003 for it but Im scared
I doubt I'll cover many if any of those "pedalboard amps." I probably sound out of touch, but I just don't understand the value of them compared to a seperate multifx unit and pedal board sized power amp.
@@PlagueScytheStudios understandable. i'm attracted to it because i can't find a job in 2020 and 165 bucks used is great. also I jam with a band a half hour away and drive a mustang. the Randall is like small child LOL If i could afford the Powerstage i would just do that but the Stamp almost looked like it could do the job
@@PlagueScytheStudios fits great on a micro pedal board. And they can get it done.
I can get behind that sentiment for the price. I guess its just a class of product that fills a gap that I'm suprised exists.
No one wants to see that, come on
Nice review, could you do one of the Micro Terror?
What was that song you started playing at 7:53? Cause i need that riff in my life.
Pantera - Heresy
I run mine thru 2 1x12 orange cabs and it rips.
Orange has so many under utilized sounds in metal. They add such a unique flavor. Reminds me of your, “why I’m opposed to the 5150” episode and it’s ubiquitous nature ruining it for you.
Wait what’s a loop switcher?
versatile
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Primus!
Wish there was a 30 watt Dark.
Hey man, what about the phones out?
this is the most extensive review I have ever seen, with info on cabinets too (any noobie friendly cabinets you recommend? 200-300ish)
Ouch. Those level compensated master volume examples are pretty rough for the amp. Not a total failure, certain combinations were pretty good, but the edges of breakup tones sounded like grid or blocking distortion rather than nice tubey distortion.
Thats pretty much Exhibit A of why I dislike EL84s in high gain amps, they almost always do that. There's some nice woody neck single coil tones to be had with high MV settings (and better bridge humbucker bite than I showed here), but you're right. Its pretty rough past 10 o'clock.
@@PlagueScytheStudios Yeah I'd say that once you pushed it beyond that point into the more rough territory it actually sounded better again, but the 'breakup' was more like a crackling. Interestingly that actually sounds a bit like a problem i had in one of my own DIY amps.
I want to see this guy do the TH30
If I'm getting a 15 watt amp. I'm going for you Joyo Zombie
The XL?
Original or XL, it's a very different beast from the Dark Terror. The BanTamPs are all 20w hybrid amp heads, whereas the Dark Terror is a 15w all tube/valve head. Very different, and priced accordingly. The Micro Terror/Dark would be better points of comparison with the Zombie.
the tone control is just mids wired one way and bass and treble the other. the gain control is this weird thing where it's a dual pot with either side arounds the second valve stage with some treble bleeds after the first side
I saw that after looking at the schematic to see how the power switch worked. It certainly explains the sudden jump in saturated tube fizz!
@@PlagueScytheStudios it also explains the range of the gain control
Which SG is that?
11:12 i creamed my pants
nice!!!!!....New Sub here bro😂
Sounded like primus in the beginning hell yeah!