Dark Terror/TH30 preamp?

Rex_Rocker

Rex_Rocker

Well-known member
I'm kinda missing my old Orange Dark Terror. At the time, I didn't really appreciate it, but listening back, it's got a really nice grind to the high-end. Plus it's very simple to tweak.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/df4xpbpwuam7o3m/Dark Terror.mp3?dl=0

Right now, I've already got a 20W tube poweramp which I doubt I'd get a lot for if I tried to sell. It's Chinese, and it's not a very well-known brand. Kind of a very niche market for it.

Anyway, I want to keep it, but I wonder if there is like a Dark Terror preamp clone somewhere for me to get in the ballpark? I bet the DT's tone had a lot do do with the poweramp, but all the gain comes from the preamp, AFAIK.

So anything like it?

I've tried the Micro Dark, but I don't think I like it. I thought it was, for one, a lot less gain available than the DT. But also, it hasn't got the same high-end sizzle as the DT, which is kinda what I liked about it.

So... suggestions?
 
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My next Orange will be a DT...whenever that is :laugh2: I love that amp.

Honestly don't think you will get Orange tone out of anything but an Orange. Plus the Dark Terror has significantly more gain than other Oranges & It's own sort of fuzzy/fizzy/sizzly sound to it even as Oranges go it sounds pretty unique.

Maybe a Victory preamp like the Kraken (I think you can get a version that's just a preamp pedal/No power section.. & no, still not the same thing as a DT) but I'm sure buying an actual Dark Terror will be cheaper. Victory stuff costs an arm & a leg.....

 
Phantasmagoria said:
Honestly don't think you will get Orange tone out of anything but an Orange. Plus the Dark Terror has significantly more gain than other Oranges & It's own sort of fuzzy/fizzy/sizzly sound to it even as Oranges go it sounds pretty unique.
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I actually feel it reminds me a lot of a Recto merged with an Orange. It's got that typical Orange soft attack and fuzzy feel, but it's EQ'd bright and scoopy. And for both (for my taste and my style), I find them just plain unusable without a boost, LOL.

I actually modded mine for a bit less fizziness.

The good thing about keeping my poweramp is I can really fine-tune that sizzle. I think that's the one thing every orange amps lacks, a presence and a depth knob.
 
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Def has Recto levels of gain :lmao:

Just throwing in some JJ tubes (pre & power) instead of the Chinese ones it comes with tames that fizz & makes the amp a bit darker/middier overall..

Also plugging into Eminence GB128 or Cannabis Rex loaded cabs...

It sounded incredible going into my DIY GB128 1x12 semi-open back cab (w/ the "Peavey" logo ^^ :laugh2:). Huge chunky lows, thick juicy mids & just the right amount of lively sizzle on top :bigthumb:
 
Mine came with JJ's, LOL. I think they all come with JJ's from the factory. And I swapped them out for Shuguangs. Much prefer Shuguangs, personally. But the mod did more for the fizz than a tube swap could ever.


Much like a Recto, it's not THAT high-gain. I boosted mine with a Wylde OD, and even with Fluence Classics in the high-output mode, I still had to run the gain at like 2-3:00. I guess I just like it gainy, LOL. I guess I'm just used to 5150III's. :)

I have a Marshall 1960 with Greenbacks back at Mexico. And a PPC112 with a Greenback. The clip I posted was when my 4x12 was loaded with Creamback H-75's.

Over here, I only have a Krank 1x12. :(

At least it has a nice speaker. Not a fan of Eminence, so I swapped it out for a Celestion Gold. :D
 
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Really? I just saw JJ's in there and assumed my buddy must have swapped out the stock Shuggy's for them. Anyway, the amp sounds great with them especially going into my GB128 cab..

It sounded great in your clip too...but I'm guessing there was some filtering/post prod done?
 
Phantasmagoria said:
Really? I just saw JJ's in there and assumed my buddy must have swapped out the stock Shuggy's for them. Anyway, the amp sounds great with them especially going into my GB128 cab..

It sounded great in your clip too...but I'm guessing there was some filtering/post prod done?
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Thank you! None at all. If I were to fit it in a mix, I'd definitely cut some low mids from there. I didnn't particularly like those Creamback H's, TBH. After recording a ton of clips, I realized they were too woody/cardboardy in the low mids. And I think Voice 1 on the Classics would've sounded better as well.
 
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If I ever get to buy one. (have'nt seen one for less than $700 over here & that's a bit much for me) I'll look into that mod you posted..but honestly I liked the one I played just fine as it was w/ the JJ's/Greenback-type (kinda) speaker's
 
Phantasmagoria said:
If I ever get to buy one. (have'nt seen one for less than $700 over here & that's a bit much for me) I'll look into that mod you posted..but honestly I liked the one I played just fine as it was w/ the JJ's/Greenback-type (kinda) speaker's
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I was always under the impression that, while they market those GB's as Greenback alternatives, they're more along the line of G12-65's with the large dustcap and the power handling. The clips seem to suggest that, IMO.

But thank you! It's a pretty mic-friendly amp. The shape knob is well thought out, for the most part. I just wished there was a way of fine-tuning the uppermost presence for some nice hi-fi sizzle.
 
EQ Pedal?

While I don't own any cab's w/ either Greenback's or V30's (love GB's /could take or leave V30's). I've played countless gigs with both & I can say that GB128's actually have their own thing going but with a certain GB flavour. Thye're darker than GB's with more/firmer bass & pretty different sounding mids though they do have the overall GB "roundness"..the highs are also more rolled back & rounded off. Having said that they are not overly dark or dull at all. The mids are super juicy & fat and frankly they might be my fave speaker's of all :bigthumb:

The closest I've come to G12-65's are the two WGS ET65's that I still have lying in their boxes and nowhere to put them. I've only heard them when I tested them (outside of a cab) to see if they were working. when they first arrived....so not much I can say there...

To give you an idea of the ridiculousness of guitar speaker prices here a V30 costs about $400+ on Amazon. Same goes for a GB
 
And Amazon is pretty much the only place you can get them locally. It's actually way cheaper to get a V30 or GB loaded cab at a music store (only about a +50% mark up from US prices)
 
Phantasmagoria said:
EQ Pedal?

While I don't own any cab's w/ either Greenback's or V30's (love GB's /could take or leave V30's). I've played countless gigs with both & I can say that GB128's actually have their own thing going but with a certain GB flavour. Thye're darker than GB's with more/firmer bass & pretty different sounding mids though they do have the overall GB "roundness"..the highs are also more rolled back & rounded off. Having said that they are not overly dark or dull at all. The mids are super juicy & fat and frankly they might be my fave speaker's of all :bigthumb:

The closest I've come to G12-65's are the two WGS ET65's that I still have lying in their boxes and nowhere to put them. I've only heard them when I tested them (outside of a cab) to see if they were working. when they first arrived....so not much I can say there...

To give you an idea of the ridiculousness of guitar speaker prices here a V30 costs about $400+ on Amazon. Same goes for a GB
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I like V30's for recording. I mean, V30's are in 90% of the records with tones I look up to.

But yeah, for in the room sounds, I'm kinda over V30's. I do like the sound of a good Recto cab, don't get me wrong. But for in-the-room, I prefer Greenbacks. I actually don't think Greenbacks are "smooth", though. They have a different kind of grit than V30's that's bright, cutting, and raspy, but not sizzly like 75's. I can tell you as much because I don't like dark-sounding speakers either. I bought a pair of Celestion Relic 30's which were just plain unusable under the mic. No sizzle whatsoever.

Then again, I'm used to 16 ohm Greenbacks which are the ones in Marshall cabs. And 16 ohm speakers are brighter than 8 ohms.

I'm kinda weird. Because even when I'm dialing in tones in the room, I can't help but think how they'd record. So I always end up just throwing a mic in front so that I know I'm at least in the ballpark of where I'd want them to be if I were mixing them.
 
I am guilty of liking slightly beehive or frying bacon-like top-end, LOL. That's kinda the aesthetic of the metal I grew up liking.

These are my favorite recorded tones:




But both of those have got a very nice like very upmost top-end detail (that's way above what most amp's treble knobs boost) that I absolutely love.
 
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Rex_Rocker said:
I like V30's for recording. I mean, V30's are in 90% of the records with tones I look up to.

But yeah, for in the room sounds, I'm kinda over V30's. I do like the sound of a good Recto cab, don't get me wrong. But for in-the-room, I prefer Greenbacks. I actually don't think Greenbacks are "smooth", though. They have a different kind of grit than V30's that's bright, cutting, and raspy, but not sizzly like 75's. I can tell you as much because I don't like dark-sounding speakers either. I bought a pair of Celestion Relic 30's which were just plain unusable under the mic. No sizzle whatsoever.

Then again, I'm used to 16 ohm Greenbacks which are the ones in Marshall cabs. And 16 ohm speakers are brighter than 8 ohms.

I'm kinda weird. Because even when I'm dialing in tones in the room, I can't help but think how they'd record. So I always end up just throwing a mic in front so that I know I'm at least in the ballpark of where I'd want them to be if I were mixing them.
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There's no doubt V30's are on almost everything that's recorded out there in the metal scene, especially all the stuff that comes out these days. It's like SM57's & 6505's. It's why I don't own V30's , 6505's and SM57's :lmao:

Not saying they're not all great pieces of gear & don't sound great cuz they do. But they're just too overused and stale for me. In the end it's the quality of your music that makes you stand out from the crowd way more than your gear ...but everyone automatically just does the same thing nowadays.. and frankly that irritates me :laugh2:

I actually do prefer he sound of GB's/ GB clone's over V30's .and yeah GB's are'nt really smooth like you said but I also don't think they're as flat out aggressive & edgy as V30's.. so "smoother" or "rounder" are the terms I'd use I guess..

I general I prefer darker tone's usually but not 'dull' ones..so a bit of sizzle on top is still a good thing in my book.
 
Rex_Rocker said:
I am guilty of liking slightly beehive or frying bacon-like top-end, LOL. That's kinda the aesthetic of the metal I grew up liking.

These are my favorite recorded tones:




But both of those have got a very nice like very upmost top-end detail (that's way above what most amp's treble knobs boost) that I absolutely love.
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I do love me some Carcass :bigthumb:

i would'nt even know where to start in terms of my fave recorded tones. I don't really have "a sound" I like or prefer.

To me it's more about how much a band's recorded or live sound suit's the band's music or contributes to them sounding like they do..eg AC/DC, Motorhead/ Iron Maiden etc. I think they all have the perfect individual/instantly recognizable sound for their music. And that's the kind of thing I appreciate..
 
Phantasmagoria said:
There's no doubt V30's are on almost everything that's recorded out there in the metal scene, especially all the stuff that comes out these days. It's like SM57's & 6505's. It's why I don't own V30's , 6505's and SM57's :lmao:

Not saying they're not all great pieces of gear & don't sound great cuz they do. But they're just too overused and stale for me. In the end it's the quality of your music that makes you stand out from the crowd way more than your gear ...but everyone automatically just does the same thing nowadays.. and frankly that irritates me :laugh2:

I actually do prefer he sound of GB's/ GB clone's over V30's .and yeah GB's are'nt really smooth like you said but I also don't think they're as flat out aggressive & edgy as V30's.. so "smoother" or "rounder" are the terms I'd use I guess..

I general I prefer darker tone's usually but not 'dull' ones..so a bit of sizzle on top is still a good thing in my book.
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You gotta try several 57's to see if you like one, LOL. I have three, all of which sound radically different. Like they're not even the same model, LOL. My favorite is the brightest one.

I'm pretty sure none of them is a fake either because I bought them from the same store, just at different times.

It's the same with speakers. There's currently a pretty popular video floating around of how different V30's from different years sound vastly different. Pretty interesting. And how 2005's 8 ohm V30's are kinda the "holy grail" for the Andy Sneap sound.

My own V30's were actually slightly "smoother" than my Greenbacks. Slightly darker, I mean. Then again, I do have two pairs of Greenbacks in the same cab. Two from China and two newer ones from the UK. It's actually surprising that the UK ones are brighter. I like them better, TBH.
 
Phantasmagoria said:
I do love me some Carcass

i would'nt even know where to start in terms of my fave recorded tones. I don't really have "a sound" I like or prefer.

To me it's more about how much a band's recorded or live sound suit's the band's music or contributes to them sounding like they do..eg AC/DC, Motorhead/ Iron Maiden etc. I think they all have the perfect individual/instantly recognizable sound for their music. And that's the kind of thing I appreciate..
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I guess that's the thing. My tastes in music are not all that varied. I pretty much like Melodic Death Metal and most of the stuff that's related to it like the rest of the Swedish scene, the lighter end of Black Metal, some heavier Death here and there, and the heavier end of 2000's metalcore, I guess.

I do like some Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Pantera, Down, etc. But those are certainly not tones I go for my own stuff.
 
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