Destiny

[Phantasmagoria]

Well ....this was always going to happen
















Went over to the store yesterday meaning to pick up the Super Crush and matching Orange PPC 1x12. But then I realised the V30 in there is 60W vs. the head's 100. Not that that would really be a problem cuz I'm planning to record and jam with this baby..not gig....so probably won't ever be going beyond to 3-4 on the volume knob. But then mistakes can happen. Thought I'd have to spring for the 2x12.

Then the sales guy showed me the 1x12 Vox cab with the 150W Celestion Redback & I was pretty exited to try it cuz it seemed like the perfect solution. It's semi open-backed but I like semi open back 1x12's more than closed back one's cuz they tend to sound bigger/less boxy and generally all round better imo..

As soon as I plugged in it was sonic nirvana. The thing sounded huge and utterly amazing, great punchy complex mids, huge lows & sweet pleasant highs. Could'nt wait to pack it up and take it home with the head. Could'nt believe my luck either.....that is...until I got back home.

That's when I realised it's a 4ohm cab & the Orange is rated for 8Ohms minimum (and the manual puts an exclamation mark after that.) Well that obviously put a bit of a damper on things though I know that despite the alarmist exclamation mark the head will in all likelihood run fine @ 4ohms at reasonable volumes (ie volume @ 2-3 should be absolutely fine).I know this since I've used many of my hi-fi amps rated for "minimum 8ohms" into 4ohm floorstanding speakers for years...decades even ...and I've never had the slightest problem as long as I don't crank them super loud.

Anyway, on a whim I thought I'd try the Super Crush going into my Bugera 4x12 and turns out it sounds amazeballs through that as well. In fact it sounds ****ing awesome going into any/all of my cabs including my 2x10 Goldea Cab loaded with Jensen Mod 70's....

So I'll probably just keep switching things around from now on. Meanwhile the Vox cab with the Redback (what a kickass speaker!) also sounds amazing with all the amp's I've tried it with so far (Both my Laboga 30 Watter's, my 120W Bugera 333XL Infinium, 30W Cicognani Brutus Live, 50W AMT Stonehead ...besides the New Super Crush 100). They all sounded incredible through it. So all's well that end's well. I'm keep the cab cuz it sounds amazing & I can use it with any of my heads big or small w/o ever having to worry about power ratings. It's easy to move around, mic up and record with as well

[DankStar]

4 0hm speakers are a drag. the only time I liked it was when I used a line 6 flextone and to achieve the full wattage you had to use 4 ohm 4 x 12 cabs (I had a legacy cab modded for 4 ohms)

lots of cool gear there!

[Phantasmagoria]

Thanks!

I didn't actually mind the 4 ohms . Anything works with anything as long as you don't crank your amp and then I'd have to be more worried about my lovely neighbours and the cops than any mismatches with speakers/cabs.

All my amps except for my Stonehead & the two Orange Crush's have 4ohm speaker out's so they'll all be fine with the Vox cab. I think this is the cab Vox made for their 150W nanotube amp that came out a few years ago. I remember it (the amp) sounding ok but not really special.. a bit thin maybe. I guess that's why they paired it with the Redback.

The mids are insanely thick. I've heard demo's where they (Redback's) sound a bit dark but this cab is actually very well balanced and pleasant sounding with really sweet highs as well. I think the semi open back design helps with that. I don't like piercing highs and these are'nt piercing. They're slightly rolled back/roundish but not lacking in any way. I mean it (Vox cab) really blew away the Orange 1x12 with the V30 at the store, sounded monstrous in comparison. I could'nt even think of Orange cabs anymore after hearing this baby do it's thing

The only other 1x12 I have is the one I made myself for my Brutus Live 30 Watter (also semi open-back). That has an Emi Legend GB128 in it & this one is actually a bit brighter. (I do love the GB128!). The GB is slightly clearer in the mids with the highs rolled off a hair more (Redback is more colored/complex)...both speaker's have awesome deep punchy lows but sound quite different from each other cuz of the different mids.

[Phantasmagoria]

Well, I'd played this amp at least three times at the store before I bought it so I knew what it was like. But first thought into my Bugera 4x12...Smmooothh ..Like a really, really smooth feel to it. It has grind & bite but it never gets harsh. Very cool for anything from modern chugga chugga to doom to 80's metal & I can see this shredding like a mutha for teh fast(est) solo's. Though my finger's still kinda raw/cut up atm so I'll have to hold on for a while before I get to cut loose w/ some serious shred-o-rama (which is a shame 'cause this amp makes me rare to go )

It's a lot 'cleaner' sounding than my CR120 combo as well. Not as insanely thick, inherently dark/doomy, noisy, saggy & fuzzy (which is a huge part of the CR120's charm to me). Has noticeably less low end too. Still enough for any kind of rhythm or lead playing though. Mids are thick and meaty, though maybe not quite as much so as the CR120's..or maybe because the upper mids are a bit more prominent giving it a more forward/present/focussed/immediate sound.. Still a very mid-forward in general amp though and it still sounds like an Orange.

It will do doom chugging for days like the CR120. Very punch & dynamic, maybe marginally more so than the CR 120. Great tubey feel to it and rich harmonic content for leads. It even tends to get more dynamic and pleasingly compressed/saggy like a tube amp when you crank it and find it's "sweet spot" (yeah all my SS amp's have those too) , but then, it sounds great at any volume.

I was right in that despite having very similar EQ curves, both these Orange's sound & feel really different from each other. There's actually very little if any overlap ...they're different beast's with the Super Crush being the more civilized one...

I'm glad I have them both now

[Phantasmagoria]

After a little more quick jamming: Sounds utterly awesome with the TC Electronic Mojo Mojo in front of it too. Orange were'nt kidding when they said this amp takes pedals like a champ.

I'm normally not really much of a pedal guy but this amp with a drive pedal in front (even my Tubescreamer) sounds incredible. My cheap Chinese delay pedal in the loop sounded phenomenal too

[Phantasmagoria]

Just messed around for a bit. First with the mids cranked (0:00 mins) & then with them scooped (@ 3:00 mins).

Some single note stuff & power chords. I'm pretty out of touch with my rhythm playing & my finger's still buggered ...so just aimlessly farting around

It's 5:00 am here right now so I have the volume way down >1.

[Phantasmagoria]

Oh yeah, with the first setting (mids pushed) it was basicallly just guesswork positioning the mic. I think it might have been about halfway between the edge of the dustcap & outer edge of the speaker cone. For the second setting I shone a light in there &re-positioned the mic so it's more or less edge of dustcap...

[Phantasmagoria]

Compared to The CR120 this things cuts through like a knife (not that the CR120 has any problems there but this takes it to another level) ...cuz of the harder edge/more upper mids I guess...i. As I mentioned before this one has a very much more "in your face"/forward/tight sound....

[Phantasmagoria]

^^ Just to clarify ...that's "forced" tasteful self restraint due to injury...

Which will hopefully soon be done with so I can properly put the Super Crush through it's paces

The problem right now is the high E string gets into the cut on my finger and rips it further apart every time I try to shift gears...it's worse when I'm doing slides

In the past I've got through gigs by pouring super glue over cuts

But there's no needs for anything that drastic right now

[Mincer]

I guess I have to try modern Orange amps! Before the company was resurrected, I remember lots of people using them on the European TV shows (Orange was a sponsor, so many bands had to use them). And then those very bands did interviews for guitar magazines and said how much they hated to have to use those amps. I am happy the new ones sound better.

[Phantasmagoria]

I don't remember even hearing of Orange amps back then. I mean Marshalls, Laney's, Vox's, Peavey', Mesa's, Soldano's ...yeah sure..

I think they have a pretty unique niche sound & it was probably the same back then. The old OR 100's etc from the 70's sound like great doom amps even by today's standards.

The little scaled down OR15 is a a fantastic sounding current-production amp .The Rockerverb's sound great in clips. And I love the Dark Terror as well. The only one I did'nt really gel with was the TH100....but I did'nt really spend too much time with it either..so, who knows..

The two Crushes are both awesome amps capable of brilliant tube-like tones, SS or not .

[Phantasmagoria]

And here's the same track with the Vox Cab/Redback.... (sE X1A condensor mic @ edge of dustcap)

Had my Zoom G1Xon in the FX loop for a bit of delay/reverb...

It sounds great & records really well imo...



And this was my first go with the mic dead center...

[Phantasmagoria]

And one with The Audio Technica AT2020 mic I've been using for all my other other video's.

[Phantasmagoria]

And with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic cuz variety..

.

[Mincer]

I don't remember even hearing of Orange amps back then. I mean Marshalls, Laney's, Vox's, Peavey', Mesa's, Soldano's ...yeah sure..

I think they have a pretty unique niche sound & it was probably the same back then. The old OR 100's etc from the 70's sound like great doom amps even by today's standards.

The little scaled down OR15 is a a fantastic sounding current-production amp .The Rockerverb's sound great in clips. And I love the Dark Terror as well. The only one I did'nt really gel with was the TH100....but I did'nt really spend too much time with it either..so, who knows..

The two Crushes are both awesome amps capable of brilliant tube-like tones, SS or not .

Check out the old German 'Beat Club' videos of Sabbath, etc. You see a lot of old Orange amps in there. Fuzzy and wooly sounding. Certainly not Laneys or Marshalls.