Orange OB-1K

[Tractorr]

I suppose something that has to be taken into account is how much that sleeve weighs. If it is made of wood with some metal bracing and vent panels it could weigh as much as, IDK, 15 lbs. In which case, the amp itself would only weigh 32 lbs which is not lightweight but more reasonable than 47 lbs for a class d amp.

Also, all this talk about output transformers also brings up the fact that most tube amps also have a power transformer which is heavy. The Peavey VB-3 which uses a switching power supply only weighs 37 lbs for an all tube amp, so an output transformer alone would not be the cause for this amp weighing this much (if it has one at all).

 

[Tractorr]

FYI, it's 53lbs with the wooden head case (which is optional). The head case about foibles the weight.

According to the website it is 47lbs with the sleeve(case)

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[Sound Chaser]

OK. Would comparing it to a Genz Shuttlemax 9.2 be better?

Neither are biamp rigs.
Both are capable of putting out roughly the same power.
Both have switchable/blendable channels.
I don't know how many tubes are in the Orange. The Genz has only one.
The Orange has only global EQ, the Genz has independent EQ for each channel.
The Shuttlemax has a definite weight advantage.
Even if it's true that the Orange has an output transformer, there are lighter/cheaper ways to limit bandwidth.
The price of the Orange hasn't been announced, but my guess is that it will be higher than the $700 I paid for a SM 9.2 for over a year ago.
The only real advantage I see for the Orange is that Shuttlemax is no longer in production.

Why compare it to anything? Why come in to this thread just to hate on something people are excited about? I'm not here to read about Genz Benz, because I've done my research on them and I don't care for how they sound. Which is why this thread is about a different product. I'm all for comparison and analysis, but coming in here with the sole purpose of loftily dismissing the subject at hand in favor of whatever "superior" product that you favor serves no purpose, except... what was it again? Oh, yes, here we are:

Grumpy Old Farts #1, and proud of it.

That explains it, I suppose. Congratulations for being contrary, and for your superior opinion.

 

[Sound Chaser]

As per Orange's website it will do any load that is not less than 4 ohms. I was thinking the same thing about an output transformer but I do not think that is the case. I think it is only tube amps where it makes a difference and that it has something to do with voltage to the tubes, but I could be wrong and hopefully someone with engineering knowledge will set us straight.

The Warwick Hellborg power amps are unusually heavy solid state amps that use output transformers, which Jonas claims give them a warmer tone.

 

[wcriley]

Why compare it to anything?

I'm not the only one who compared it to other amps. It was being compared here (and in at least one other thread) to the 4 Pro, which everyone thought was a bad comparison. So I offered a closer one.

Why come in to this thread just to hate on something people are excited about?

I'm not hating on anything.
Pretty hard to "hate on" or "get excited" about something that isn't even available yet.
Based on what little info is available, I don't see anything in the product worth getting excited about. It's all been done before.

I'm not here to read about Genz Benz, because I've done my research on them and I don't care for how they sound.

And I don't care for the sound of any Orange amp I've tried. So what? Everyone has their own tastes/needs.

I'm all for comparison and analysis, but coming in here with the sole purpose of loftily dismissing the subject at hand in favor of whatever "superior" product that you favor serves no purpose

If you're "all for comparison", why are you complaining about the comparison I made?
I didn't dimiss anything.

except... what was it again? Oh, yes, here we are: "Grumpy Old Farts #1, and proud of it".

Yep!

Congratulations for being contrary, and for your superior opinion.

In what way am I being contrary or claiming that my opinion is in any way superior to anyone else's?

I'm not the one getting upset because the features of the amp in question don't measure up to others that are/have been on the market.

 

[bassdrop]

First of all, A transformer can be used in either a solid-state or tube amplifier it doesn't really have anything to do with the tubes themselves other than the fact that tubes have a high output impedance that has to be matched to a speakers low impedance therefore all tube amplifiers must have a transformer and it is optional for a solid-state amplifier. Also only a poorly designed output transformer has a bandwidth limiting characteristic of any real significance. the most important characteristic of an output transformer is the fact that the hysteresis distortions provide a character of low order harmonic content.

 

[mancefine]

I do find it odd that it weighs so much, especially when the Orange Terror Bass 1000 that I have is 1000 watts class D power (the same as the OB-1K) and weighs 11 pounds. I know that the terror bass heads used the same tubed pre amp as the AD 200b and I would assume the OB uses the same, so I doubt the bi-amping feature should have to add 25 pounds. My band picked up an Orange sponsorship, so I'm planning on ordering one pretty soon after I get my Ad200b in February. It's a very interesting idea and I think it really appeals to Orange's market. I'm glad they are finally branching out in the bass department, and I think the rack mountable feature is a good call, cause bassists like those huge racks.


BTW, the cab is the OBC 8x10 and is not new. They are seemingly no where to be found in stores, but have been back in production for the past 5-10 years.

 

[Tractorr]

First of all, A transformer can be used in either a solid-state or tube amplifier it doesn't really have anything to do with the tubes themselves other than the fact that tubes have a high output impedance that has to be matched to a speakers low impedance therefore all tube amplifiers must have a transformer and it is optional for a solid-state amplifier. Also only a poorly designed output transformer has a bandwidth limiting characteristic of any real significance. the most important characteristic of an output transformer is the fact that the hysteresis distortions provide a character of low order harmonic content.

Who said anything about transformers being exclusive to either tube or solid state designs?

 

[bassdrop]

Who said anything about transformers being exclusive to either tube or solid state designs?

Perhaps I should have said an output transformer can be used in a solid state or tube amplifier to a VERY similar effect.

 

[chaosMK]

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Orange sure knows how to make some ugly bass cabs.

I bet the head is decent. I am not a fan of the SVT-4. I owned it... 1600 watts... I was like 1600-whaaa? The solid state SVT's just dont deliver for me. The other night I was using my friend's SVT-6 to jam with my light rock band (vs a Tiny Terror through a 1x12 and a soft drummer, and a second guitarist set at lower volume than the Terror). I had to run the master close to max to get "there"... I wouldnt use that thing on stage.

 

[mancefine]

That cab is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I wouldn't compare Orange to Ampeg in terms of wattage=volume. Orange pwns Ampeg on that.

 

[TheRealKong]

This OB-1K is nothing new to me. There are lots of amps that have two pre-channels that can be mixed, overblendet, what ever.

I run my GenzBenz GBE 1200 with the low end and low mids boosted, but the mids and high mids cut. Vice versa I cut low end and low mids at the tube channel, but boost mids and the higher registers, just for my taste. Thanks to KJung and agedhorse for that advice, it was a breaktrough.

So the GBE does just exact what the Orange does. There are much more amps that do this in a similar way, like my old Peavey TMax, with only one global EQ. Even the Marshall MB 450, a very underrated amp, is able to do so, and better, because it has an EQ for every pre and a blend knob to make it more easy getting both channels together.

I can't see any blend knob on the OB-1K. So it is a fixed channel volume or channel mix?

I played and heard a lot of Orange amps, and I never was thinking about not enough "thunerous low end". Just lets see what benefits are on this amp soundwise. I am not breaking out in G.A.S. because of the amp, but it made me curious. Maybe someone is able to play this amp in a short time and tell us about.

@chaosMK: It does look good, but maybe the colour is not for everybody. This people have the opinion to get a black one. You should stand in front of that cab and hear it. This is what bass cabs are made for.

 

[bassdrop]

Unfortunately all of the Genz stuff is out of production. The blend knob is second to the right with the blender graphic. I agree- they could have put an eq or at least a tone knob on the OD channel but it seems prevoiced to add harmonics and grit to the top. shows a demo at the end. Not the best but its something to give an idea.

BTW- I stand corrected; that is an OBC810 in the pic but it looks a bit different from that angle.

 

[mancefine]

This OB-1K is nothing new to me. There are lots of amps that have two pre-channels that can be mixed, overblendet, what ever.

I run my GenzBenz GBE 1200 with the low end and low mids boosted, but the mids and high mids cut. Vice versa I cut low end and low mids at the tube channel, but boost mids and the higher registers, just for my taste. Thanks to KJung and agedhorse for that advice, it was a breaktrough.

So the GBE does just exact what the Orange does. There are much more amps that do this in a similar way, like my old Peavey TMax, with only one global EQ. Even the Marshall MB 450, a very underrated amp, is able to do so, and better, because it has an EQ for every pre and a blend knob to make it more easy getting both channels together.

I can't see any blend knob on the OB-1K. So it is a fixed channel volume or channel mix?

I played and heard a lot of Orange amps, and I never was thinking about not enough "thunerous low end". Just lets see what benefits are on this amp soundwise. I am not breaking out in G.A.S. because of the amp, but it made me curious. Maybe someone is able to play this amp in a short time and tell us about.

@chaosMK: It does look good, but maybe the colour is not for everybody. This people have the opinion to get a black one. You should stand in front of that cab and hear it. This is what bass cabs are made for.

There is a blend knob. It's the large knob with a blender above it. It starts with a clean tone and then you can adjust the gain on another channel and blend it in. The knobs at the far right are blend and gain.

There are other amps that do this in one way or another like you said, but Orange did what it does best with this amp, which is to take something that can be complicated to do on other amps, and simplify the concept with as few knobs as possible.

 

[NeonVomit]

Seems like an interesting concept. I'll keep an eye out for these and give one a spin when I can.

 

[tombowlus]

I do find it odd that it weighs so much, especially when the Orange Terror Bass 1000 that I have is 1000 watts class D power (the same as the OB-1K) and weighs 11 pounds. I know that the terror bass heads used the same tubed pre amp as the AD 200b and I would assume the OB uses the same,

No tubes in the OB-1K.

 

[Panek]

Am I the only one who caught the Star Wars reference in the amp's model name?

 

[mancefine]

No tubes in the OB-1K.

Interesting. I guess they developed a new preamp then, which may explain some of the weight increase. That may make this head worth checking out sooner than later for me. Have you heard what the price will be Tom?

 

[monsterthompson]

Am I the only one who caught the Star Wars reference in the amp's model name?

brilliant.

 

[tombowlus]

Interesting. I guess they developed a new preamp then, which may explain some of the weight increase. That may make this head worth checking out sooner than later for me. Have you heard what the price will be Tom?

I did, but don't recall the exact figures, so I don't want to misquote. It's more than the Terror Bass 1000 and closer to the AD200, though.