Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

[JB_From_Hell]

Last night, I was reading "Micro Dark vs Dark Terror" reviews, and came across someone saying he ran his Micro Dark with the volume almost completely wide open and the gain down very low. I tried it, and holy hell, it's super dynamic and grindy clean now. The Shape knob is much more usable, with a very clear sound at every setting, and takes OD pedals really well.

I'm interested in checking out more hybrid lunchbox amps, and this is going to be my new default test setting.

 

[Studioplayer]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I have a Micro Dark and it's true. There are many tones in this amp. Plenty of clean with its volume up to and over 3:00pm and the gain used from say, around 9:00 o'clock. I use an Orange PPC112 with the V30, and either a delay or reverb pedal. You might try the Dark Terror. It has the same setup form controls, an effects loop, shape knob. It's a tube sound as opposed to the MD hybrid tone. I'd say the DT is more lively and more bass, but the Micro holds it's own in a comparison test.

Studioplayer

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I have a Micro Dark and it's true. There are many tones in this amp. Plenty of clean with its volume up to and over 3:00pm and the gain used from say, around 9:00 o'clock. I use an Orange PPC112 with the V30, and either a delay or reverb pedal. You might try the Dark Terror. It has the same setup form controls, an effects loop, shape knob. It's a tube sound as opposed to the MD hybrid tone. I'd say the DT is more lively and more bass, but the Micro holds it's own in a comparison test.

Most of what I'm seeing is that the DT sounds a little "better" but it's not a lot better for the considerable price jump. I think I'd rather spend the money on another micro amp, the materials to build another 1x12, and an AB/Y pedal. Or maybe just the AB/Y pedal so I can combine the MD with my Super Reverb.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

Tried the phase inverter tube from my Super Reverb (12ATY?) in the MD last night. It was all sorts of noisy, but seemed a little warmer and chewier. Took it out pretty quickly, but I’m gonna get some new ones and try them.

 

[Studioplayer]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I've been using a Les Paul with my Micro Dark this week because my Dark Terror is out for some repairs.
If you have a double humbucker guitar, try volume around 10:30 o'clock and gain near 11:00 and shape around
2:30 and see what that might give you. I gets a crunchy tone on the bridge pup and the middle position.
The neck pickup rolled back some gets the clean tones that I prefer.

Studioplayer

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

It's pretty funny you guys are sharing settings for an amp with only 3 knobs. It might be the easiest amp in the world to dial in.

But I'll join in since I have a dark terror: everything set at noon.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

 

[Studioplayer]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

It's pretty funny you guys are sharing settings for an amp with only 3 knobs. It might be the easiest amp in the world to dial in.

But I'll join in since I have a dark terror: everything set at noon.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

If you have a Dark Terror (I have one also) then you should already know that despite having just three controls, those three are sensitive to the point that there are any number of settings and combinations using all three to get many varied tones. The reason we mention settings is for anyone reading this thread that may not be familiar with how these amps operate and don't know exactly how many sounds are in them.


Studioplayer

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I agree, it is funny.

If you’re me, and used to three knob devices being OD pedals, you’d look at these amps, set the volume to where you like, use the drive to get your desired amount of dirt, then try to get a sound that’s clear without being too bright from the Shape knob.

Yeah, only 3 knobs, but they’re awfully responsive to one another.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

Real question- are there any amps that sound good with the opposite settings (gain cranked and master turned down?) I thought the strategy ‘master high as possible, gain set where needed’ applied everywhere.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I'm GASing horribly for one of those.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

Real question- are there any amps that sound good with the opposite settings (gain cranked and master turned down?) I thought the strategy ‘master high as possible, gain set where needed’ applied everywhere.

That's real, though. I got mad at a guy because he posted a video comparing an Orange to a Green and he obviously had both of them turned way down. I made a rebuttal showing how the same amps sound at full volume. In his video, the Orange sounds okay but the Green sounds buzzy, thin and fuzzy. In mine the Green is crushingly heavy and rich and the Orange sounds okay.

If you're going to pay for a tube power amp, you should use your tube power amp.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I thought the strategy 'master set as high as possible, gain where needed' applied everywhere

I guess I was treating this like an amp with a solid state power section rather than just treating it like an amp. Come to think of it, aside from practice amps, this is the first thing I've ever owned with a master volume.

Also, with other amps I've messed with, cranking the master simply made them loud, and the gain just controlled gain. Volume cranked, gain really low on the MD is pretty quiet.

I'm GASing horribly for one of those.

Put one of your EMG guitars in front and you can thrash out like crazy. Through a real cabinet and with a dirt pedal, Ola's tones are very attainable. I bought this thing as a replacement for a Peavey Vypyr 15 I sold, intending to keep shopping for a "real" amp. Until I need more volume, the MD is now my real amp.

 

[Diego]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

That's the way to go with my Tweaker as well. MV past half with low pregain and it opens up very nicely. You get clarity, dynamics and detail. And it loves dirt pedals like that.

Conversely, crank the pre gain and go low on the MV and it sounds cheap, just mushy as hell. Doesn't really serve much of a purpose.

 

[Studioplayer]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I look upon the gain knob on my Micro Dark and Dark Terror as a”faux tone knob”. I've found that the gain pots on both amps are very sensitive to the degree that a slight tweak up or down will change my TONE significantly and it's no more apparent than when I have a healthy amount of volume from the amp; lower volumes will not enable me to hear that sensitivity. I figure I have two knobs capable of tweaking amp tone; the gain and that shape knob on the Micro Dark and Dark Terror. Working them in conjunction with one another can produce any number of shades of color from these two amps providing there is sufficient volume also present.


Studioplayer

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I have both, and if you crank the volume and lower the gain on the MD, it gets cleaner than the Dark Terror. The power amp gets into the equation with the DT when it's cranked and you set the gain around 4 or so, as the power tubes start to distort. That makes it do the AC/DC thing better, to me. It really starts ripping when the volume is that far up and above, whereas the MD just gets LOUD.

Other than that, the DT has a different feel to play than the MD, being all tube. It's very giving and flexible. The MD is much more strident, and at the same settings and into the same speakers, it's a bit louder overall. It's my bulletproof backup to any of my other Oranges.

 

[Studioplayer]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I have both, and if you crank the volume and lower the gain on the MD, it gets cleaner than the Dark Terror. The power amp gets into the equation with the DT when it's cranked and you set the gain around 4 or so, as the power tubes start to distort. That makes it do the AC/DC thing better, to me. It really starts ripping when the volume is that far up and above, whereas the MD just gets LOUD.

Other than that, the DT has a different feel to play than the MD, being all tube. It's very giving and flexible. The MD is much more strident, and at the same settings and into the same speakers, it's a bit louder overall. It's my bulletproof backup to any of my other Oranges.

All very true. I have both and I prefer the all tube sound of the Dark Terror. I have used the Micro Dark, believe it or not, for playing some smokey Jazz; not so with a Dark Terror.


Studioplayer

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Micro Dark volume/gain discovery

I have used the Micro Dark, believe it or not, for playing some smokey Jazz

I have no problem believing that. I'm still gonna grab something for more tubey grit, but the MD has unbelievable headroom. Awesome amp for stacking dirt in front.