The fan and all holes for ventilation are on the top side, and the bottom of the chassis is sealed off from the fan, so unlikely that you're blocking any airflow with a tray like that.
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Official Orange Club II
- Thread starter Chef
- Start date
Thanks - that was my thought process originally, but the timing of issues did make me wonder if I was missing something
I own the Terror Bass Mk2 since it's release, paired with two OBC112. I use it regularly in two rock bands during practice and gigs (50-100 people). Since one week, I'm comparing the two OBC112 (Lavoce) to one OBC115 (Celestion). I made the following experiences:
1. The second OBC112 stacked provides a lot more low-end. One OBC112 sounds too thin to me and gives my bass no presence in rehearsals. The stack still keeps its high-end presence and slighty honky high-mid (that I like). Easy to gig with and fills our size of venue with no effort. (Clean ON, gain at 1 o'clock, volume at 9' o'clock)
2. The honky mid-range really helps when you use modulation like chorus and flanger. It works perfectly with my MXR bass chorus. Also helps if you need a fuzz pedal to be more audible without turning it's tone knob into nasty territory. Can sneak into the guitarist's lower frequencies a bit. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your guitarist's rhythmic talent.
3. The sole OBC115-C has about the same volume as the OBC112 stack, maybe 5% less. The 15" also seems be very slightly cleaner, so I turn the gain on the TB up a bit, from 1 o'clock to 1:30
3. Compared to the OBC112 stack, the single 15" pushes more bass and low-mids. The 12" stack has a bit more subs (depending in the distance of the rear-ported 12s from the wall). The slight mid-honk from the 12s is gone.
4. The 12" stack sound woofy quicker when you stand away from it's direction (again, the stronger subs). The 15" keeps it together better. I can't say what happens with a second 15" stacked.
5. The 15" makes modulation effects harder to hear, unless I change the EQ to a sound I don't like as much. Distortion works well too, but you might need different settings or even pedals.
6. I like the distortion of the terror bass either way, but it sounds better on the 15" in my ears. Higher gain cuts something that the 15" gives back.
7. The Lavoce in the OBC112 feels quicker, punchier. The Celestion is a bit more relaxed, but also not sluggish. Both feel good.
8. You might think you'd save space on stage with the OBC112, but might also forget that it's rear-ported and should stand a few inches away from the wall. And in my experience, depth and room for your band to move is the bigger issue than width. The OBC115 is front-ported and only wants a gap for cables.
9. The OBC115 is easy to carry thanks to its handles. Help your drummer and he'll help you. One fits perfectly into the back of a Toyota Corolla and leaves space for much more gear. A second one might anger your drummer. With an OBC112 pair: easy-mode for your car tetris.
X. One note regarding the missing volume pot of the TB's D.I. out, something I read often: This was never an issue. After a good soundcheck you'd not touch the amp's master anyways, unless a sound tech tells you so.
I don't really want to make a recommendation - if you should choose one or two OBC112 or an OBC115. But maybe my experiences helps you to make your decision. I'm still working towards mine, having both in my rehearsal space right now.
1. The second OBC112 stacked provides a lot more low-end. One OBC112 sounds too thin to me and gives my bass no presence in rehearsals. The stack still keeps its high-end presence and slighty honky high-mid (that I like). Easy to gig with and fills our size of venue with no effort. (Clean ON, gain at 1 o'clock, volume at 9' o'clock)
2. The honky mid-range really helps when you use modulation like chorus and flanger. It works perfectly with my MXR bass chorus. Also helps if you need a fuzz pedal to be more audible without turning it's tone knob into nasty territory. Can sneak into the guitarist's lower frequencies a bit. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your guitarist's rhythmic talent.
3. The sole OBC115-C has about the same volume as the OBC112 stack, maybe 5% less. The 15" also seems be very slightly cleaner, so I turn the gain on the TB up a bit, from 1 o'clock to 1:30
3. Compared to the OBC112 stack, the single 15" pushes more bass and low-mids. The 12" stack has a bit more subs (depending in the distance of the rear-ported 12s from the wall). The slight mid-honk from the 12s is gone.
4. The 12" stack sound woofy quicker when you stand away from it's direction (again, the stronger subs). The 15" keeps it together better. I can't say what happens with a second 15" stacked.
5. The 15" makes modulation effects harder to hear, unless I change the EQ to a sound I don't like as much. Distortion works well too, but you might need different settings or even pedals.
6. I like the distortion of the terror bass either way, but it sounds better on the 15" in my ears. Higher gain cuts something that the 15" gives back.
7. The Lavoce in the OBC112 feels quicker, punchier. The Celestion is a bit more relaxed, but also not sluggish. Both feel good.
8. You might think you'd save space on stage with the OBC112, but might also forget that it's rear-ported and should stand a few inches away from the wall. And in my experience, depth and room for your band to move is the bigger issue than width. The OBC115 is front-ported and only wants a gap for cables.
9. The OBC115 is easy to carry thanks to its handles. Help your drummer and he'll help you. One fits perfectly into the back of a Toyota Corolla and leaves space for much more gear. A second one might anger your drummer. With an OBC112 pair: easy-mode for your car tetris.
X. One note regarding the missing volume pot of the TB's D.I. out, something I read often: This was never an issue. After a good soundcheck you'd not touch the amp's master anyways, unless a sound tech tells you so.
I don't really want to make a recommendation - if you should choose one or two OBC112 or an OBC115. But maybe my experiences helps you to make your decision. I'm still working towards mine, having both in my rehearsal space right now.
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Thanks for the detailed analysis and observations!
Is the OBC115 with the Celestion an 8ohm? (My OBC115's have the Eminence Kappa 15A, a fantastic driver)
If the single OBC115 is running at 8 ohms then the head is only giving 250w, whereas when running the 2 x OBC112's, you are getting 500w.
I love my TB500v2 and 2 x OBC112 rig! It all fits in my trunk, with room for two Thunderbird's (in gig bags), my small pedalboard, and stands. And for most venues we play it's just the right amount of volume. The compactness of it is helpful as well in some of these little bars with small stages.
But sometimes I get to bring one of my OBC115's and put one of my AD200B's on it, and man that sounds really good. Playing in lower tunings with Thunderbirds means taming the lows with that OBC115. Having a HPF on my board is a big help.
And every once in awhile I get to go full on with an AD200, OBC115 and OBC210, and that is truly glorious! I replaced the stock 10" drivers in the OBC210 with Eminence Beta 10B which are more sensitive than the stock drivers and a bit more mid-centric, and that really balanced the output of the two cabinets together.
It's really nice having all these options. I'd love to mostly use the AD200/OBC115 setup, but the convenience, versatility and lightweight nature of the TB500 and 2 x OBC112's makes it the favored choice more often these days.
Is the OBC115 with the Celestion an 8ohm? (My OBC115's have the Eminence Kappa 15A, a fantastic driver)
If the single OBC115 is running at 8 ohms then the head is only giving 250w, whereas when running the 2 x OBC112's, you are getting 500w.
I love my TB500v2 and 2 x OBC112 rig! It all fits in my trunk, with room for two Thunderbird's (in gig bags), my small pedalboard, and stands. And for most venues we play it's just the right amount of volume. The compactness of it is helpful as well in some of these little bars with small stages.
But sometimes I get to bring one of my OBC115's and put one of my AD200B's on it, and man that sounds really good. Playing in lower tunings with Thunderbirds means taming the lows with that OBC115. Having a HPF on my board is a big help.
And every once in awhile I get to go full on with an AD200, OBC115 and OBC210, and that is truly glorious! I replaced the stock 10" drivers in the OBC210 with Eminence Beta 10B which are more sensitive than the stock drivers and a bit more mid-centric, and that really balanced the output of the two cabinets together.
It's really nice having all these options. I'd love to mostly use the AD200/OBC115 setup, but the convenience, versatility and lightweight nature of the TB500 and 2 x OBC112's makes it the favored choice more often these days.
Right, all speakers are 8 ohm, so the OBC112 pair is 4 ohm together and gets pushed by 500w. The OBC115 is a Celestion Pulse XL with 8 ohm and gets pushed by 250w.
After three loud rehearsals, I decided to keep the single OBC115.
I just picked up a TB1000 last week and I love it. It's incredibly loud and full sounding. I've owned a lot of different heads (svt, fender bassman 300, darkglass 900, mesa 800 etc) and this thing sounds just as huge, if not bigger and louder than any of them. I'm stoked!
Anyone have experience with running a origin dcx bass in front of a terror for heavy drive?
Played my first gay bar gig last night! Not really a big deal, it turned out to be Ladies' Night or something, anyway, everyone was friendly, and there was lots of dancing. Just not my usual milieu.
Taking this opportunity to, once again, mention how great this amp is, and post a cool picture. In the past, I've sometimes had trouble hearing my bass clearly in band situations, and apparently the reason is that I didn't have this amp
. I've had this setup (Terror Bass 500, two OBC 112's) for close to 5 years now, and it's been perfect.
I just really liked the way the stage lights set off the ensemble of Terror Bass and '92 American Standard Jazz.
We may or may not play this venue again, since setup and teardown are a nightmare based on the fact that they want us off the stage immediately so the DJ can get people up there to dance. That was a mess. Parking is also a major problem. Gig itself was fantastic, audience was very enthusiastic, and the place was packed. I haven't tried the Orange 410 and 115 offerings, and I may not, considering the sound and portability of this setup.
Edited to add: I have tried this head through Ampeg 8x10's, and it was glorious. I'd like to try it through the Orange 810, but, you know, portability.
Taking this opportunity to, once again, mention how great this amp is, and post a cool picture. In the past, I've sometimes had trouble hearing my bass clearly in band situations, and apparently the reason is that I didn't have this amp
. I've had this setup (Terror Bass 500, two OBC 112's) for close to 5 years now, and it's been perfect.I just really liked the way the stage lights set off the ensemble of Terror Bass and '92 American Standard Jazz.
We may or may not play this venue again, since setup and teardown are a nightmare based on the fact that they want us off the stage immediately so the DJ can get people up there to dance. That was a mess. Parking is also a major problem. Gig itself was fantastic, audience was very enthusiastic, and the place was packed. I haven't tried the Orange 410 and 115 offerings, and I may not, considering the sound and portability of this setup.
Edited to add: I have tried this head through Ampeg 8x10's, and it was glorious. I'd like to try it through the Orange 810, but, you know, portability.
Taking this opportunity to, once again, mention how great this amp is, and post a cool picture. In the past, I've sometimes had trouble hearing my bass clearly in band situations, and apparently the reason is that I didn't have this amp
Yep I have the same setup and I love it:
I still have an AD200B, OBC115 and OBC210 setup, which sounds fantastic, but it's way overkill for most places I get to play.
When I was at NAMM, I tried to lift an AD200B. I mean, I could, but I don't think I'd do it on purpose. It would be fun to have, but I'm sticking with the Terror Bass.
I got two AD200's when I downsized from an SVT. Got one for a good price then the next one came up at a fantastic price so I snagged it too. One stays at one of my rehearsal spaces with an OBC115, the other stays at home with the other OBC115 and OBC210. That one occasionally will get used at a gig with one or both of the cabinets. I just recently scored a fantastic deal on a barely used Ampeg V4B head and SVT212AV cab, and that may take the place of the rig that stays at the rehearsal space. Then the head and 115 from the space will go up for sale.
Oops, now they are two 115s. 
Then I had the chance to compare the Bass Terror with the new AD200, both through one 115. Maaan, what a difference. The valve amp has way more presence in a band mix. My singer noticed immediately, because he uses my bass lines as orientation.
I don't think it's the valve power stage: it's the fact that one is an A/B class amp and the other a D class amp. And D class does need some filtering to avoid noise, if I understand it correctly. (Careful: can of worms here).
BUT: the low-end on the Bass Terror feels more immediate. That can be very satisfying, and something you might miss in the AD200.
Then I had the chance to compare the Bass Terror with the new AD200, both through one 115. Maaan, what a difference. The valve amp has way more presence in a band mix. My singer noticed immediately, because he uses my bass lines as orientation.
I don't think it's the valve power stage: it's the fact that one is an A/B class amp and the other a D class amp. And D class does need some filtering to avoid noise, if I understand it correctly. (Careful: can of worms here).
BUT: the low-end on the Bass Terror feels more immediate. That can be very satisfying, and something you might miss in the AD200.
Attachments
This little fella is helping me reach new heights. Sadly, my guitarist just bought another cab and doesn't want to let me have my own frequencies.
Always late to the party, but here's my AD200 MK III and OBC 115. The amp I got used but is minty; the cab I bought new (last of the Eminence in stock), but I like the sound of the amp better with my JBL K140's, even though their power handling isn't as high, the cabs they're in are bigger, so they go deeper and sound cleaner.
On a whim, I recently bought a Tone Hammer 500 from an awesome TB'er and I'm honestly starting to feel like my AD200B might be kind of irrelevant. It's heavy, takes up space, and compared to the TH it feels unnecessary most of the time. At one point it, was my dream amp and it still sounds amazing, but the TH is something else altogether—and it weighs like 4 lbs! I know that this isn't exactly an apples to oranges comparison, but can anybody else relate?
There is nothing to say you can't enjoy both apples and oranges. There is also nothing mandating that must eat both. If you no longer feel the need to keep the Orange, it's okay. It's also okay if you want to keep it as a guilty pleasure. That is, unless you need the cash for something else.
I have a fairly large collection of amps. About 16% of them are hybrids or solid state. The rest are generally considered all-tube. Despite the high ratio of tube amps in my collection, I consider myself more of a solid-state guy. I like the feel of endless headroom. Also I like the idea of being able turn up without my tone getting too tubey.
get yourself a terror bass 500 
i have a TH350 and its a great amp but i got a little tired of the weird EQ layout (and its slightly underpowered for me). so i went and bought a mesa WD800 and yea its a fantastic head and extremely versatile, but its also complicated in such a way that i can't really tell what its natural voice is if that makes any sense. i like things simple and to the point.
so, on a whim, i bought a terror bass 500, and i just love this amp. its straight up loud and ballsy, and its got tons of character. the EQ is simple but effective. it also has the best sounding DI i've found. clear and beautiful with the right amount of warmth. its a great little amp.
plus that way you can stay in the club!
i have a TH350 and its a great amp but i got a little tired of the weird EQ layout (and its slightly underpowered for me). so i went and bought a mesa WD800 and yea its a fantastic head and extremely versatile, but its also complicated in such a way that i can't really tell what its natural voice is if that makes any sense. i like things simple and to the point.
so, on a whim, i bought a terror bass 500, and i just love this amp. its straight up loud and ballsy, and its got tons of character. the EQ is simple but effective. it also has the best sounding DI i've found. clear and beautiful with the right amount of warmth. its a great little amp.
plus that way you can stay in the club!
Yes, the modern light weight amps sound fantastic now days. My Genzler amps and Mark bass tube 800 sound great. I love having the 200B. But it really isn't necessary.
