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Orange AD200B..... Thoughts

BlacknWhite

BlacknWhite

Jun 22, 2012
1,027
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Beersville, New Brunswick, Canada
equipboard.com
#1
Hey guys. Just a quick question as I had always been interested in Orange amps until recently. The beginning of last month my Ampeg SVT-CL bit the dust right before a string of shows and my local tech was pretty back logged. They gave me a Orange AD200B to use for a couple shows. Anyways the first show I had it plugged into my Ampeg B25 215 cab which normally blows the walls off the place with my SVT. I could barely even hear it at 3 quarter volume. Everything was going through the House PA and I only have 1 guitarist so the stage volume was not very loud. I took it back in and told them it was not going to work for me. The tech looked it over and said it was functioning normal. I thought for sure a 200 watt tube amp would have way more balls than that. I have my SVT back now and I never need to go past 3 on the volume knob. Any Orange guys out there have ant input on this? Is the tech nuts or was I just missing something lol.
 
#2
I have an AD200B and have owned a couple of SVTs. While the AD200 won't quite give you the same clean mid range punch of an SVT it can get very loud in the volume stakes. You do need to use the tone controls to get the grunt as the tone stack is such that there is no sound at all if they are on zero. I tend to crank the mids to about 3 o'clock with the bass on 10 0r 11 o'clock and trebles about 1 o'clock. If you had the tones backed off you definitely will get less volume. This amp can go pretty loud and I would have expected it to be a worthy temporary substitute for your svt, but they are very different beasts tonally IMO.
 
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#3
Tim1 said:
I have an AD200B and have owned a couple of SVTs. While the AD200 won't quite give you the same clean mid range punch of an SVT it can get very loud in the volume stakes. You do need to use the tone controls to get the grunt as the tone stack is such that there is no sound at all if they are on zero. I tend to crank the mids to about 3 o'clock with the bass on 10 0r 11 o'clock and trebles about 1 o'clock. If you had the tones backed off you definitely will get less volume. This amp can go pretty loud and I would have expected it to be a worthy temporary substitute for your svt, but they are very different beasts tonally IMO.
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Yeah I had never used an Orange before that. I went right from the shop to the gig so I did not have much time to get use to it. Just use to the SVT, I think I just dialed in all 3 tone controls at noon and went from there. Might have to pop in sometime and try it out again just so it doesn't leave a bad impression of Orange in my head lol.
 
#4
I really want to like the AD200. It sounds great for everyone but me sadly.

I've owned it once and jammed on a few different ones and I just let a guy borrow my cabs for a show and he used one.

Surprise, Surprise, it sounded amazing and has me gassing for one again.

When will the GAS train let me off.

I will say that it is not as pillowing as a well tuned SVT. It's a lighter grittier tone and I think it would need a modern (well ported with good bass speakers) cab to really compete with an SVT.
 
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#6
I notice a lot of people get experienced with 1 or 2 amps, and try to apply that experience to every amp they use. Usually they associate any difference to an "issue" with the amp.

All amps are different. Some amps are difficult to find the center of the frequencies, while others are conveniently located at noon. Some amps can have the eq knobs dimed and others sound terrible.

The important thing to remember is that the amps are different. Forget what worked with the SVT because an Orange is not an SVT. Glad to hear your amp is back and working though!
 
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#7
BlacknWhite said:
Hey guys. Just a quick question as I had always been interested in Orange amps until recently. The beginning of last month my Ampeg SVT-CL bit the dust right before a string of shows and my local tech was pretty back logged. They gave me a Orange AD200B to use for a couple shows. Anyways the first show I had it plugged into my Ampeg B25 215 cab which normally blows the walls off the place with my SVT. I could barely even hear it at 3 quarter volume. Everything was going through the House PA and I only have 1 guitarist so the stage volume was not very loud. I took it back in and told them it was not going to work for me. The tech looked it over and said it was functioning normal. I thought for sure a 200 watt tube amp would have way more balls than that. I have my SVT back now and I never need to go past 3 on the volume knob. Any Orange guys out there have ant input on this? Is the tech nuts or was I just missing something lol.
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Is that a 16ohm cab?
If so, my guess would be with the amp/cab pairing. Your SVT with more wattage might be a little more forgiving with that cab and the Orange might be a little strained to give you enough juice(?)

I've always been able to get good volume out of single OBC410 cab (8ohm), but as mentioned above, the two amps are voiced/EQ'ed quite different. Maybe the eq difference wasn't helping in your perception of a volume difference(?)
 
#8
Because all Orange threads need pictures
 

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#13
DigitalMan said:
So using the tone stack as intended to get desirable results is rubbish. Got it.
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No. It is impossible to get desired results out of that pre amp as it only lets you scoop the mids at anything but extreme settings. You could never dial in a mid boost as an example. That heavy limitation is rubbish compared to many other preamps on all tube amplifiers.
 
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#14
CL400Peavey said:
No. It is impossible to get desired results out of that pre amp as it only lets you scoop the mids at anything but extreme settings. You could never dial in a mid boost as an example. That heavy limitation is rubbish compared to many other preamps on all tube amplifiers.
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And yet that tone stack has been used across many different bass amps for 50+ years with many players finding their desired tone. But I give you credit for maximum density of negative absolutes in a short paragraph.
 
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#16
CL400Peavey said:
No. It is impossible to get desired results out of that pre amp[...]
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Depends on what the desired results are of the person in question. You and I don't have the same goals for an Orange AD200B. Blanket statements don't apply.
 
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#17
CL400Peavey said:
You clearly share a different opinion. Care to tell the OP how to get a nice mid boost out of that preamp style?
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No, I don't care to. But you are the one who wants a mid boost out of a Fender-style tone stack. That's what I would call disqualifying criteria. The OP nooned the mids out of ignorance of the tone stack, which by design is a big mid cut. He has since returned the loaner amp, so there is nothing left to solve.
 
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#18
blubass said:
Depends on what the desired results are of the person in question. You and I don't have the same goals for an Orange AD200B. Blanket statements don't apply.
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Sure, but I am not responding about my or your goals. I am replying to the OP's goals. He is used to a mid forward amp, the SVT. Hence he would not be able to get a similar sound from an amp with a baked in mid scoop.

DigitalMan said:
No, I don't care to. But you are the one who wants a mid boost out of a Fender-style tone stack. That's what I would call disqualifying criteria. The OP nooned the mids out of ignorance of the tone stack, which by design is a big mid cut. He has since returned the loaner amp, so there is nothing left to solve.
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But that inherent mid scoop is the answer to the OP's question. Isnt that why you are responding to the thread? to address the OP? Or just be argumentative for the sake of having a different opinion on the amp?
 
#19
CL400Peavey said:
Sure, but I am not responding about my or your goals. I am replying to the OP's goals. He is used to a mid forward amp, the SVT. Hence he would not be able to get a similar sound from an amp with a baked in mid scoop.
QUOTE]

The OP didn't reference tone, he referenced volume. You didn't ask his goals, just assumed there was a mid-scoop issue and make the blanket statement opinion that Orange has a rubbish tone stack for bass. I find the Orange to have an acceptable tone stack and volume that was adequate for my needs.
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#20
blubass said:
The OP didn't reference tone, he referenced volume. You didn't ask his goals, just assumed there was a mid-scoop issue and make the blanket statement opinion that Orange has a rubbish tone stack for bass. I find the Orange to have an acceptable tone stack and volume that was adequate for my needs.
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Lack of perceived volume can be attributed to not enough mid content. Which isnt surprising from the OP coming from an SVT and going to the orange.

The fender style pre amp has a known topology, and it always has a mid scoop unless extreme settings are used. Even at the point, the best the amp can do is kind of flat. In my opinion, that isnt useful, it is my opinion that it is rubbish. You are more than welcome to enjoy the amp, and like what it does. That is your opinion.
 

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