Orange Terror Bass - Problem or Normal?

basskababble · #1 07-29-2010, 06:55 AM

I just got a hold of an Orange Terror Bass. First of all,

.
I feel like an English little person just walked into my house and started punching me in the chins. This thing is AWESOME.

My issue is that, at high volume it's cutting out. It sounds digital, or intentional I should say. I'm not sure if I should call it clipping, because it doesn't sound like that.

My volume goes to zero for about a full second or two, then comes back in.

I pulled back on my bass' volume (active) and turned up the volume on the amp and it still happens.

I tried triggering it, and it's definitely a volume thing. When I really attack my bass strings I can get it to happen, and this morning I got it to cut out repeatedly when I was hitting a high chord on my D&G strings very hard.

Is this normal for a solid state? I haven't used one in a while, and never one this loud. The only bass solid state I used was the Hartke 3500 and that had a compressor/limiter that was always on.

If It's normal, how do i make sure it doesn't happen on a gig? Do I need a compressor?

In the words of the great Leeloo... please help.

basskababble · #2 07-29-2010, 07:12 AM

Sorry for the DP, but is it possible that it's my speaker wiring? I had to go buy a speakon cable from GC. I didn't check the back of my cab, so I bought a speakon to quarter inch cable for around $22. Could it be that?

"Jan 25 2009, 03:06 PM
QUOTE (skankdelvar @ Jan 24 2009, 07:43 PM)
500w and 4kg?

They'll break inside 5 minutes, trust me.

That's a whole kilo more than a LMII...

And Lemmywinks, if yours is cutting out, check all speaker wiring. The only time I've heard of these cutting out is when faced with too low an impedance."

megadan · #3 07-29-2010, 07:15 AM

Sounds like it might be an issue with the head.... a good SS head (I use GK) should not do that. It might clip and that would be bad, but it shouldn't cut out like that. If it's a safety features it's a bad on IMHO.

Imagine if your car engine turned off for a few seconds if you kit 160km/h.

Did you buy it new? Maybe you could exchange it for a new one.

blendermassacre · #4 07-29-2010, 07:19 AM

Doesn't sound regular to me. I would take it back / attempt to contact orange. Also, you've put the impedance switch in the correct position for your cab(s), right?

basskababble · #5 07-29-2010, 07:24 AM

Yes on the impedance. FML on the contacting Orange. What a hastle. I bought it brand new unopened on Ebay. It has the warranty cards etc, so I should be ok right?

I was HOPING it was the cable. I bought this one:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Live-Wir...70-i1165537.gc

and feel like I could've / should've waited and bought this one:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Monster-...99-i1128634.gc

MN_Bass · #6 07-29-2010, 07:29 AM

Make sure you print off the invoice or page that indicates you won the auction.

basskababble · #7 07-29-2010, 07:36 AM

I just printed it off. The Ebay sellers return policy says he can take broken items back and can replace if he has another one. He's listed another one already. I'm guessing he's Ebaying these for quick sales. $678 when everyone else is selling at $850... should I have been more cautious???

MN_Bass · #8 07-29-2010, 07:39 AM

I would say you should be fine, I would see if he will replace it or just contact orange and see what they will do for ya.

blendermassacre · #9 07-29-2010, 07:43 AM

When they first came out, they were right at or just below $700. The prices have gone up recently. I wouldn't worry

Smurf-o-Deth · #10 07-29-2010, 08:03 AM

Just to bring balance to the force:

basskababble · #11 07-29-2010, 09:00 AM

We're sure it's not the cable right? It just feels weird. It doesn't feel like it's the Amp. It only does it when it's getting really loud. It feels like sound just stops traveling to the cab. I wonder if testing the DI would help? If when the cutting out happens, should the DI cut out as well?

blendermassacre · #12 07-29-2010, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basskababble

We're sure it's not the cable right? It just feels weird. It doesn't feel like it's the Amp. It only does it when it's getting really loud. It feels like sound just stops traveling to the cab. I wonder if testing the DI would help? If when the cutting out happens, should the DI cut out as well?

if it's the amp's output signal, then yeah it would. I would try another cable, but I would imagine that if it was the cable, the amp would do it more than at high output volumes.

coreyfyfe · #13 07-29-2010, 09:19 AM

Does it happen any time you play or only after you've been playing for a while? it almost sounds like a thermal protect type issue where you're asking too much of the amp and it's limits itself. Have you tried different outlets? I think remember reading something about an amp cutting out if the voltage drop was too great which could be induced from hard usage. Could be that it's not pulling enough power from the socket to stay running and has a minor stroke each time you slam the input signal. I doubt it would be the cable if it's only happening at high volume.

I'm really just shooting in the dark here, but it's worth a shot.

basskababble · #14 07-29-2010, 09:19 AM

I'm thinking if it is the cable, it not a shotty connection, because i've heard that a million times... it's peaking the limit of the impedence of the cable... is that common with speakon cables? It's wishful thinking... and also, the desire to not have to ship the head, get a another brand new one, and find that all it was was a $20 cable replacement.

Corey: It's not after very long at all. It's happening when I really jam on the strings of my bass, or turn it up too much...

I do find that it happens more if I've been playing notes for a while. When the resonance starts to build it all of a sudden cuts out...

I can almost hear that I'm playing at the limit of something in the signal chain just before it happens. The timing also weirds me out. It's silence for an almost predictable period of time. It's not a crackle, or a series of cutting out through a note. It's dead quiet for about a second or two, then right back in.

basskababble · #15 07-29-2010, 10:04 AM

Well, the ebay seller said he'd replace it with no problem. I do have to pay shipping.

Interesting tidbit... The proof of purchase doesn't matter to Orange because I bought it on Ebay. They have no authorized sellers on Ebay, and all their sellers know not to sell on ebay. Let it be known, don't pay full price on the bay. If I were paying full price i wouldn't be covered. Since I'm paying a whole $230 less than full price I'm looking at it as a used head that has a 7 day guarantee.

BassmanPaul · #16 07-29-2010, 10:36 AM

What cabinets are you using it with?? What are their impedances?

Paul

blendermassacre · #17 07-29-2010, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basskababble

Well, the ebay seller said he'd replace it with no problem. I do have to pay shipping.

Interesting tidbit... The proof of purchase doesn't matter to Orange because I bought it on Ebay. They have no authorized sellers on Ebay, and all their sellers know not to sell on ebay. Let it be known, don't pay full price on the bay. If I were paying full price i wouldn't be covered. Since I'm paying a whole $230 less than full price I'm looking at it as a used head that has a 7 day guarantee.

I think that might be the key. I'm pretty sure Orange is like Mesa, in the fact that they don't just put out an MSRP, and let the seller dictate a retail price. They dictate a street price, and won't let the retailers waiver from it. If the upped the street price to $850 from the ~$700 it was, then I could see them voiding any and all warranty

basskababble · #18 07-29-2010, 02:48 PM

Bassman, I'm using a single 4ohm Ampeg 1832... And I was very careful to make sure the impedance on the head was set to four.

Blender, the normal going rate now is $859. This guy's selling it at the older price I guess. Orange just doesn't want their dealers selling on Ebay apparently.

Honestly it's BS that they won't warranty a brand new product if it's not sold by an approved vendor. Who cares? It's under two years old? Guarantee your product.

countrybass007 · #19 07-29-2010, 03:09 PM

I've run mine at ridiculous volumes using my Orange SP212 and OBC115 cabs and never had any problems at four hour gigs outdoors in 90+ temps. I would say your head is probably got some problem. One thing I did notice, if I set the head right on top of my cabs, it would rattle the tube some. I set it on a 2in. thick rubber pad now to avoid this, as I was afraid this might be a problem if I left it rattling. I paid $775 for my TT, from my local Orange dealer, and it is fully warrantied.

basskababble · #20 08-05-2010, 02:30 PM

Those of you who have the terror bass, what's the speakon cable you use? Monster?