Vintage orange amps low input

billandobillando Frets: 26
I see in vintage orange amps like the OR120 (non master) and especially OD120 (master volume amp) have a high and low input. Is the low input on the master volume version similar to the low input on the JMP 2203/2204 amps or are they a bit more like the high input only with slightly less gain and a bit thicker?
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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71952
    The second - it's just a -6dB lower-impedance resistor pad. They're much simpler and don't have the two cascaded gain stages.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • billandobillando Frets: 26
    So would it be more comparable to using a marshall 4 holer on the bottom left hole? which would be the high treble channel low input?  
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71952
    billando said:
    So would it be more comparable to using a marshall 4 holer on the bottom left hole? which would be the high treble channel low input?  
    More like the bottom right. The input stage resistor and cap values are more like Channel 2 than Channel 1. You can dial back the bottom end with the FAC control, but they're still bassier and fatter than Marshall lead models.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Ok so bought a 90s reissue master volume orange otr120. I played it at my house and with the gain full the master volume had to be around 2 oclock to be at what i would say is drummer level. I thought theres a volume issue here...then i remembered i had an original overdrive 120 from mid 70s a few years ago that was exactly the same...surely this 120w amp has a volume issue and the other one i had previously was the same? Or are they supposed to be like that?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71952
    They’re meant to be like that - they have a properly logarithmic volume control that doesn’t go to full up too soon, like most amps do. (And then increasing levels of mush beyond that.)

    You'll know about it if you turn it all the way up :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Wow that seems so different to other amps if had. Ill try it tomoro then. Cheers.
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  • Just for reference then..with gain at full and master at 1 oclock its quieter then every other amp i have at master 1 oclock. This includes vox ac15, valvestate 8080 and orange ad15. Surely then that means anything below 1 oclock is useless for anything other than self practice as this would be too quiet. It will be interesting to try it out again tonight. So are you saying between 1 oclock and say...3 oclock there will be a huge difference? This is a 120w amp i was expecting to be blown away by volume. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71952
    You will be if you turn it right up. Or you will if it isn't actually not working right, which is a possibility...

    Most amps reach full volume well before the control is full up - some even under halfway on the knob, which is why it's a nonsense for people to say "it wasn't turned up very loud because the volume was only on 4" or something... at that point it might well be producing all of the clean power, and after that it will just get more overdriven.

    These old Orange amps are fairly low gain and have proper logarithmic volume controls with roughly the right amount of range overall that they only reach full power when the control is fully up, or very close. The reason why it doesn't sound very loud at 1 o'clock is because it's only producing just over 1/10th of the power there.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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